‘There’s No Excuse’: White Texas County Worker Joins Unemployment Line Because She Thought Replacing a Racist Slur with ‘Obama-Rigged’ Was Acceptable
The director of an animal shelter in Tyler, Texas, was fired this week for making derogatory racial comments and for allowing her employees to use racial slurs unchecked.
Her firing stems from an Aug. 7 incident in which Smith County Animal Control employee Sarah Dike used a racial slur to explain bad repairs in the building, prompting laughter from other employees in the presence of shelter director Amber Greene, according to an employee who made a formal complaint to the county.
The complaint, obtained by CBS19TV, says the offended employee responded by telling her colleagues the slur wasn’t funny.
Amber Greene was fired from her job as director of the Smith County Animal Control in Tyler, Texas after using language deemed derogatory by county officials and for permitting another employee to use racial slurs under her supervision. (Photo: Smith County Animal Control screenshot)Then Greene said that staff should instead say “Obama-rigged,” which the complainant felt amplified the original slur. According to the complaint, a group of people around Greene laughed again at her comment.
“I was upset and hurt. I did not understand why my race was made into a joke. It bothered me all afternoon, into the night and the next day,” the complainant said, adding that they were hurt that Greene that didn’t do anything to stop the use of the slur, and that her inaction made things “worse.”
“She allowed them to hurt my feelings and make fun of my racial ethnicity,” the complainant wrote, referring to the staff’s actions as “very unprofessional.”
After investigating the incident, the county human resources department found that Greene’s behavior directly violated Smith County’s anti-discrimination and harassment policies and terminated her on Sept. 9.
“As a leader, your actions set the tone for the entire team,” wrote Chief Human Resources Officer Esmeralda Corona in Smith’s termination letter. “Making disparaging or inappropriate comments undermines the culture of respect and integrity we strive to uphold. Your behavior has been found to be inconsistent with the expectations of your role and the responsibilities entrusted to you.”
The “severity” of the offense warranted immediate action, according to the termination letter.
Dike was fired on Sept. 2 for using language and conduct that violated the county’s personal conduct and anti-harassment policy, reported CBS19.
Before she was fired, some animal control employees spoke in support of Greene at the Smith County Commissioners Court meeting this week, reported Tyler Morning Telegraph.
One employee said Greene had showed compassion and care, going above and beyond for the animals in her care as well as for her employees.
“She treats her team with fairness and kindness,” the speaker told the court. “Always willing to listen, to advocate for their needs. … Removing her from this role would be a great loss to the shelter, the employees and the animals we serve,” the speaker said.
After discussing the matter in a closed executive session, the commissioners unanimously agreed to allow the county HR department to terminate Greene, who had been reprimanded twice in the past three years for numerous performance issues including communicating poorly with peers, the public and local organizations; being “abrasive and defensive when confronted on issues;” and for failing to properly manage staff and the animal control budget.
Greene, who was appointed as animal control director in Feb. 2020, told KLTV in a phone interview that she intends to file a grievance over her firing.
“I don’t think that a thorough investigation went into the allegations,” she said. “I believe only one side of one of the employees was heard and not everyone else.”
Some of Greene’s advocates pointed out that she has been pushing county officials to build a new shelter and to repair the current facility, which was built in 1927 and is in poor structural condition, the Morning Telegraph reported. The county has approved only temporary repairs, which has led to a leaky roof, warped walls and floors and possible mold growth, posing health risks for both animals and staff.
The facility is also overcrowded, resulting in the euthanasia of animals and low morale for staff.
In a public meeting last month Greene was critical of county commissioners who made no increases to the animal shelter’s budget, after previously indicating they would.
Greene’s termination set off a lively debate online, where some people found her firing to be a violation of free speech, while others saw her termination as justified.
“So she was fired for other people expressing free speech in their place of business? That makes total sense,” wrote one person on Facebook.
“The problem we have today is everyone is so sensitive,” wrote another, whose profile features images of Confederate flags. “That should not be a fireable offense.”
Among many commenters who clapped back was a Black man from Alabama, who wrote, “Yes, she has the right to free speech, but that doesn’t mean her words are free from consequences in the workplace. When her actions and statements damage the company’s reputation, the business has to respond. You cannot openly express racist views and expect an organization to stand behind you, especially when it employs or serves people of many different backgrounds. That creates not only legal risks but also serious harm to the brand. Keeping her on staff would have been both bad for business and bad for employees. Actions have consequences.”
Some commenters explored the origin of the racial slur at the center of the workplace incident, and how it has been used historically in East Texas.
“The employee was talking about a repair to the building. They said it was slur word for ‘black people-rigged.’ Which means it was made to work but doesn’t look great and not a permanent fix,” noted a white woman from Lindale, Texas.
Others noted that the slur derives from the now interchangeable terms “jury-rigged” or “jerry-rigged,” which originated in the 16th century as a nautical term referring to assembling or repairing something quickly with the materials on hand, such as a broken mast, according to HowStuffWorks.
One white man from Sugarland, Texas, wanted to give Greene a pass for using the offensive timeworn term.
“Not to say it was ok, but you have to consider where smith county is,” he said. “That term was commonly used by her parent’s, grandparent’s, and going back generations. This was a pretty common phrase pre millennial generation for southern regions.”
A white woman from Tyler, Texas, wasn’t having it.
“I have lived in smith county all my life, had parents/grandparents/aunts and uncles etc that would use the slur in question both in derogatory ways and in what you seem to think would be considered ‘innocent’ ways. I knew it wasn’t okay since kindergarten. I spent an unfortunate amount of time of my childhood trying to reason with/ fight with the adults in my life about racism. There is no excuse.”
‘Who Is That?’: Sherri Shepherd’s Unrecognizable Look at Has Fans Doing a Double Take, Zooming In on Her New Rack and Snatched Waist
Sherri Shepherd has been killing her fashion looks for NYFW. The talk show host and comedic actor has shared photo after photo after photo, racking up thousands of likes on her Instagram page.
But it was Shepherd’s appearance at The Bomb Fashion Show on Sept. 13 that really had people buzzing about her weight loss. She not only turned heads with her shocking new look, but fans swore she appeared more snatched than ever.
Sherri Shepherd stuns at NYFW and fans can’t help but compliment her bust. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)On Sept. 15, Fashion Bomb Daily, the company that curated the runway show, posted six pictures of Shepherd at the event wearing a strapless black cocktail mini dress. The lower half of the dress was a bubble-like design, while the top was fitted-tight around her body and ruched.
She brought her fun but fierce look together was her voluminous side-part bob, styled by her Theo Barrett, who is the key stylist on her talk show, “Sherri.”
In one image she was seen being escorted down the stairs, and that shot was followed by two solo pictures of Shepherd in front of the event’s step and repeat backdrop. She had a great seat for the fashion show next to “The Real Housewives of Dubai” star Lesa Milan.
Other stars that showed up to the event included the likes of Meagan Good, Eva Marcille, Joseline Hernandez, Yandy Smith and more.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Fashion Bomb Daily (@fashionbombdaily)
Though Shepherd was praised up and down for her overall look, she received several comments about her figure.
One person said, “What did Sherri Shepherd do to lose that weight? She looks AMAZING.”
Someone else wrote, “Get it Sherri. Looking snatched….work it.”
But others noticed her waist wasn’t the only thing that looked smaller.
One person asked, “WHO IS THAT?! she’s been looking great lately.. I wonder if she did her stomach?”
“Omg. Her stylist just taught a MASTER class on how to dress for your body shape. This is literally the most flattering silhouette I’ve ever seen on her. Kudos to her stylist,” a second person wrote as a nod to Shepherd’s stylist, Willie Sinclair III.
A third noted, “Yes the breast reduction was the right move.”
Shepherd confessed to getting a breast reduction back in the summer of 2023. On the Season 2 premiere of her talk show, “Sherri,” she got candid with her audience about her decision to remove her 42 double D chest.
“What happened was they were so heavy. I was slouching all the time because of the weight,” she explained. “It started becoming really, really painful. My back was hurting very badly. I was getting the grooves in my shoulders because you had to pull up your bra.”
Though she said she was happy with the results and felt lighter, she also says that getting rid of some of her chest wasn’t a completely joyful experience for her.
She said, “It was a little bit bittersweet because I love my old girls — my best friends, I call them. They grew up with me. They have been with me through thick and thin. This was a relationship with the boobs. And I didn’t care, I loved them. And they been my best friends for so long.”
‘Dishonesty Here is Remarkable’: JD Vance Denies Charlie Kirk’s Racist Attack on Prominent Black Women — But Video Evidence Blows It Up
Vice President JD Vance sparked a firestorm Monday after trying to deny that Charlie Kirk once disparaged prominent Black women by questioning their intelligence, only for online users to circulate video evidence proving otherwise.
“Charlie Kirk never said Black women do not have the brain processing power to be taken seriously. He never uttered those words,” Vance argued.
But almost immediately, a split-screen post spread across social media showing Vance’s denial alongside Kirk’s actual words: “Joy Reid, Michelle Obama, Ketanji Brown Jackson—you do not have the brain processing power to be taken seriously.”
Republican vice presidential nominee, U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) speaks at a rally at the trucking company, Team Hardinger, on August 28, 2024, in Erie, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jeff Swensen/Getty Images)The clip, from a July 13, 2023, episode of “The Charlie Kirk Show,” resurfaced after his assassination on Sept. 10, as critics sought to highlight Kirk’s record of bigoted statements.
In the broadcast, Kirk took aim at Black women — TV news host Joy Reid, former first lady Michelle Obama, former Texas Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, and Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. He argued their acknowledgment of affirmative action amounted to proof they lacked merit and didn’t deserve to be in positions of power.
is this real life? like are we sure the world didn’t end in 2012?
— nae ☽ (@trillnae) September 15, 2025“If we would have said three weeks ago […] that Joy Reid and Michelle Obama and Sheila Jackson Lee and Ketanji Brown Jackson were affirmative-action picks, we would have been called racist,” said Kirk, a college dropout. “But now they’re coming out and they’re saying it for us! They’re coming out and they’re saying, ‘I’m only here because of affirmative action.’”
He continued: “Yeah, we know. You do not have the brain processing power to otherwise be taken really seriously. You had to go steal a white person’s slot to go be taken somewhat seriously.”
(It’s not clear what white person’s slot Michelle Obama stole as the wife of Barack Obama, and Jackson Lee was the voters’ choice in her majority-black 18th Congressional District from 1995 until she died in July 2024.)
Kirk then played a clip of Jackson Lee acknowledging she had benefited from affirmative action and doubled down: “We know. We know. It’s very obvious to us you are not smart enough to be able to get it on your own. ‘I could not make it on my own, so I needed to take opportunities from someone more deserving.’”
The resurfaced comments went viral in the days after Kirk’s murder, with one Sept. 11, 2025, post on X drawing 8.2 million views and more than 55,000 likes. Fact-checkers, including Snopes, have confirmed the video is authentic.
Much of Kirk’s appeal was rooted in grievance politics, particularly the notion that white men were being pushed aside for people less deserving. He frequently cast diversity and civil rights gains as threats to traditional power, framing Black advancement — and especially the presence of Black women in professional spaces — as evidence that opportunities were being taken away from white men. This zero-sum narrative was central to his talking points and helped cement his following on the right.
Kirk’s status as a college dropout also boosted his appeal among supporters, who saw him as proof that higher education was both unnecessary and stacked against conservatives. By leaning into that outsider identity, he positioned himself as a truth-teller who didn’t need elite credentials to challenge institutions he claimed were hostile to white men.
In many ways, Trump became the embodiment of Kirk’s theory — an outsider who turned resentment of institutions into political capital, casting himself as the voice of those who felt left behind.
That may help explain why supporters of Vance continue to emphasize Kirk’s narrative in a more favorable light.
One user on X wrote: “He didn’t say Black women, he was talking about [who he mentioned] specifically.”
But critics pushed back, arguing that singling out specific Black women leaders was no defense, and claiming Vance was purposely minimizing Kirk’s bigotry by dismissing the broader context. “So he was addressing 3 people by name, not an entire demographic as a whole. Got it, he said nothing wrong,” one post responded sarcastically.
Another added: “So the Right Wing defense of Kirk here is that he did not make a blanket statement about ALL black women, only the three he specifically named. Okay…then by that logic why are so many MAGA personally insulted when folks describe only Trump as a bigot, or fascist?”
One critic summed up the episode bluntly: “The level of intellectual dishonesty here is remarkable. Middle school detention logic. Vance is a profound embarrassment to the United States.”
The controversy has revived scrutiny of Kirk’s history of inflammatory statements. Kirk also made statements like, “If I see a Black pilot, I’m going to be like, ‘Boy, I hope he’s qualified,’” and described gay and transgender people as “groomers” who were “destructive.”
He once said the Second Amendment was “worth” the cost of gun deaths, dismissed empathy as a “made-up, new age term,” and argued that Martin Luther King Jr. was “awful” and that the Civil Rights Act was a mistake. Yet, Kirk apologists are now casting him as a martyr, calling for statues in his honor and for renaming streets after him — elevating him to the same pedestal as King himself.
In the wake of Kirk’s assassination, President Trump lowered flags to half-staff and called Kirk a “martyr for truth.” Trump and other Republicans have blamed the “radical left” for the killing without evidence.
‘This Was Hard to See’: Critics Slam Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s Surprise Sit-Down with Donald Trump’s Daughter and Son-In-Law, Wondering How This Happened
When Beyoncé and Jay-Z stepped out for a charity event, no one expected their seating chart to steal the spotlight and overshadow the cause itself.
But once images surfaced of the power couple sitting close to Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, the internet lit up with side-eyes — and more than a few fans wondered if the Carters were playing nice with the very family they’ve long kept their distance from.
Beyonce and Jay-Z were seated at the same table as Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner at a charity event last weekend, fueling rumors about why they were together. (Photos: Edward Berthelot/Getty Images, @ivankatrump/Instagram)Both couples attended Saturday night’s REFORM Alliance Casino Night and Gala in Atlantic City, New Jersey, an organization co-founded by Jay-Z, Meek Mill, and Michael Rubin.
The high-profile fundraiser, hosted at the luxurious Ocean Casino Resort, brought together an impressive roster of celebrities, athletes, and influential figures for the justice reform organization co-founded by Jay-Z himself.
What should have been a celebration of the organization’s mission to transform probation and parole systems instead became a viral moment that had fans dissecting every angle of the image.
The Carters’ proximity to Ivanka and Jared struck critics as especially jarring, given their well-documented support for Democratic figures like Barack Obama and Kamala Harris and their outspoken advocacy for social justice, fueling speculation about the political and cultural messaging of the encounter.
But you can literally see Ivanka Trump right across from Jay- Z and Beyonce.. so maybe they weren’t right next to each other but definitely at the same table.
— dollyyy (@omgitsuki) September 16, 2025Baller Alert followers wasted no time weighing in on the surprising tablemates when the outlet posted the story on Instagram.
“I know Bey was pissed,” one person commented, while another added, “They assigned those seats on purpose…if I was Bey, I would be cursing everyone out then get Solange to arrange another elevator ride with the event coordinator.”
Someone else wrote, “Y’all make so many excuses for the Carters. They show you who they are every time…Kamala PAID Bey for her appearance, yet they invited Ivanka and Jared and had them at their table at their event they hosted. Wake up.”
Many followers rushed to defend the couple, implausibly suggesting the seating arrangement was beyond their control.
“I don’t believe it. Beyonce don’t play with them ppl,” one supporter wrote, while another observed, “I saw the video and Bey didn’t even look like she wanted to be there. Just trying to be nice to DJ Khalid.”
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Baller Alert (@balleralert)
A fifth person asked, “Didn’t Trump tweet about investigating Beyoncé a few months ago? ain’t going to lie… this was hard to see.”
Almost a full year before the fundraiser that is causing such a dust-up, then-presidential candidate Trump posted on Truth Social, calling for a “major investigation” into Kamala Harris’s 2024 presidential campaign.
In those posts, he specifically alleged that celebrities, including Beyoncé, received payment for endorsing Harris, claims that have been disputed by both the artists and campaign officials, who clarified that any payments went toward production costs, not endorsement fees.
At 1:34 a.m., Trump went on a rant calling for investigations into Bruce Springsteen, Beyoncé, and Bono.
Hard to believe 77 million Americans looked at this broken, deranged man and thought he should lead the free world. pic.twitter.com/JAzLCO7Iz3
Trump’s antagonistic relationship with the Destiny’s Child singer stretches throughout his 2024 campaign days, when he frequently criticized her during rallies.
At one Michigan event, he suggested Beyoncé was “out partying” while serious global conflicts unfolded, attempting to paint her as frivolous during a time when she was actually engaged in legitimate political activities supporting the Democratic ticket.
The Atlantic City gathering showcased typical Rubin event glamour, with VIP tickets reportedly starting at $50,000 and tournament participation costing $100,000. The 300 carefully selected guests enjoyed performances by The Weeknd while supporting an organization that has raised impressive amounts for criminal justice reform, including $24 million at their previous casino night in 2023, the Daily Mail reported.
Beyoncé’s fashion choices for the weekend also drew attention, particularly following her stunning birthday post just one day earlier. The Grammy winner shared photos where she is wearing a show-stopping dark burgundy Dolce & Gabbana lace gown that perfectly complements her signature style.
The contrast between her glamorous birthday celebration look and whatever diplomatic composure she maintained at the charity event became another talking point among observers.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Beyoncé (@beyonce)
For the gala itself, no one really knows what Queen Bey really felt about being seated with the Trump-Kushners, highlighting the complex navigation required when public figures with different political affiliations find themselves at the same charitable functions.
One defender captured the sentiment many fans seemed to share: “This is why Beyonce stay in the house now and don’t talk to us cause yall stay assuming stuff and making narratives.”
‘Brought Tears to My Eyes’: Viral Video Shows Black Man Yanked Out of Vehicle By Cops Over How Low His Truck Was
Jamar Thaxton, a 35-year-old Black man from Virginia, said he was pulled over by a state trooper for not having a front license plate — even though he did have a front license plate.
Then, when realizing he had a front license plate, the trooper accused him of driving a “squatted” truck, which is when the truck has been modified so the back end sinks lower to the ground than the front end.
However, when Thaxton asked the trooper to see proof that he was in violation of the squatting code, the trooper refused to show him, calling for backup instead.
Jamar Thaxton was pulled over for a minor traffic offense and pulled out of his truck and arrested after he asked to see evidence of the infraction. (Photo: video recorded by Brittney Garner and Halifax County Sheriff’s Office)After a Halifax County sheriff’s deputy arrived, the officers told Thaxton they were going to have the truck towed – even though that traffic code is usually enforced with a citation and fine.
But Thaxton told the officers he was not going to allow them to tow his truck until he showed them the results.
“You’re going to tow my truck and you can’t prove the height of the bumper,” Thaxton said, according to a video recorded by his girlfriend, Brittney Garner, who was sitting in the passenger’s seat.
“Well, I tell you one thing, my truck is going nowhere till you show me the difference on that tape line.”
Instead of showing him the results of their measurements, the cops grabbed him and pulled him out of the truck, forcing him facedown on the ground to handcuff him.
Thaxton was charged with obstruction of justice, having an altered suspension, no valid state inspection sticker, and having an improper exhaust, according to WSET-TV.
Watch the video below.
‘Video Brought Tears to My Eyes’The video recorded by Garner was posted on Facebook Saturday night and has since been viewed more than 230,000 times as of this writing, with more than 600 comments, most of them outraged at the violent way Thaxton was pulled from his truck and arrested with some commenters accusing the cops of selective enforcement based on race.
“Should have written him a ticket and kept it moving instead of towing his truck,” commented Sarah Faye. “What’s crazy is I see these white kids here in Lynchburg riding around on truly squatted trucks daily with no repercussions. This sh_t is ridiculous.”
“I’m appalled and embarrassed that this happened in my hometown once again,” said a commenter who goes by Denise S AndSmom.
“All this over a minor traffic violation. The officer’s actions are excessive and unacceptable. Every citizen deserves to be treated with dignity and respect, regardless of the situation.”
Another commenter named Thelma Petty Lane said, “This was ridiculous. That cop came up aggressive, didn’t ask questions. Just snatched him out the truck.”
And a commenter who goes by Keshia LovinKaylah Snead said, “This video brought tears to my eyes. These cops are getting out of hand.”
Law enforcement officials have issued statements, telling the media that the viral video does not tell the whole story – but they have not yet released body camera videos that would provide more context to the incident.
‘Subject was Confrontational’When local media visited Thaxton at his home to interview him, they did their own measurement. And it turns out his truck was in violation of the truck squatting code because there was a 5-inch difference between the front and back, when the law states the difference cannot exceed 4 inches.
But the officers could have easily written him a citation for violating Virginia Motor Vehicle Code 46.2-1063, which would have required him to pay a fine of $81, according to the Uniform Fine Schedule from Virginia.
Instead, they chose to escalate the situation into a violent arrest and now they are asking the public to believe their version without actually showing their version from body or dash cam videos.
According to a statement from the Virginia State Police to local media.
The Facebook video in question represents only three-and-a-half minutes of a much longer traffic stop and only presents the incident from one viewpoint.
The initial reason for the traffic stop was for having an altered suspension in violation of Virginia Code 46.2-1063 and improper exhaust.
Throughout the stop, the subject was confrontational and uncooperative, refusing instructions to turn off and remain in the vehicle for his safety and our trooper’s safety.
After persistent refusal to follow instructions, the subject was taken into custody with the assistance of a Halifax County Sheriff’s Office deputies for obstruction of justice.
The suspect, Jamar K. Thaxton, 35, of Nathalie, Va., was charged with obstruction of justice (18.2-460), having an altered suspension, no valid state inspection sticker, and having an improper exhaust.
Virginia State Police is reviewing the traffic stop to make sure all policies and procedures were followed.
Halifax County Sheriff Fred S. Clark issued his own statement.
I recognize and respect that there may be different opinions regarding the actions depicted in the video; however, the video posted only shows a portion of the traffic stop. We want to gather all of the information possible regarding the incident.
As your Sheriff, I want to assure you that this matter has taken precedence, and I have personally spoken to the individual involved, the deputy, and Virginia State Police. As this is an ongoing investigation, additional information, including specific details that may not have been provided via social media, cannot be provided at this time.
Thaxton said this all could have been avoided had the officers simply shown him the results of their measurements.
“If it’s not right, show me on the tape measure,” he said in an interview with WSET-TV. “I can add air to it, and I can pump it up so it would be right, but he refused to show me anything.”
‘Absolutely Disgusting’: Donald Trump’s Cold Reaction to Minnesota Politician’s Assassination Leaves Viewers Stunned
President Donald Trump appeared caught off guard Monday when asked if it would have been fitting to lower the nation’s flags after Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman was assassinated this summer.
“Uh, I’m not familiar. The who?” Trump said in response to CBS News correspondent Nancy Cordes, before adding that he would have agreed to the gesture if Gov. Tim Walz had formally asked. “Had the governor of Minnesota asked me to do that, I would have done that gladly,” Trump said from the Oval Office.
The exchange underscored Trump’s uneven reactions to recent political violence. He had quickly ordered flags lowered last week after conservative activist Charlie Kirk was fatally shot while giving a speech in Utah, calling it “a dark moment for America.”
U.S. President Donald Trump holds up a hat stating “Trump Was Right About Everything” after signing executive orders in the Oval Office at the White House on February 25, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)He called Kirk a “martyr for truth” and blamed “the radical left” for the atmosphere of violence. “They liken conservatives to Nazis and the world’s worst mass murderers and criminals,” Trump said. “That rhetoric is directly responsible for the terrorism that we’re seeing in our country today and it must stop right now.”
By contrast, Trump had dismissed Hortman’s killing in June as “a terrible shooting” but refused to call Walz, saying aboard Air Force One: “The guy doesn’t have a clue. He’s a mess. So, you know, I could be nice and call him, but why waste time?”
At the time, former President Joe Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris attended Hortman’s funeral, while President Trump spent the weekend golfing with Republican senators and posting on social media: “WHY ARE THE DEMOCRATS ALWAYS ROOTING AGAINST AMERICA???”
Kirk’s death sent shockwaves across conservative circles, with MAGA figures such as Elon Musk and Steve Bannon vowing retaliation on social media and podcasts.
Trump also recited a list of incidents he framed as examples of left-wing violence, including the attempt on his own life during last year’s presidential campaign, the murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson last December, the 2017 shooting of Rep. Steve Scalise, and “the attacks on ICE agents,” Trump said.
However, the president made no mention of the murders of Hortman and her husband, nor the shooting of Democratic State Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette, who were shot and wounded in a related attack. He also left out the hammer attack on Nancy Pelosi’s husband, the Trump supporter who mailed pipe bombs to Democrats, and the threats against his former Vice President Mike Pence on Jan. 6, 2021.
Critics accused Trump of fueling division by showing sympathy for Kirk, the conservative figure, while continuing to minimize or dismiss attacks that claimed the lives of Democrats.
“Trump orders flags to be at half staff for a political influencer. AN INFLUENCER. But when 2 Minnesota House members, POLITICIANS, were assassinated, he didn’t even bother to call the governor and said it would be ‘a waste of time.’ Do you see the difference here?” one observer wrote on Threads.
One of the president’s traditional roles is to help heal the nation in moments of crisis by uniting Americans across divides. But instead of striking that tone, Trump quickly blamed “the radical left” for Kirk’s murder, politicizing the tragedy in real time and further amplifying partisan fault lines.
Cordes also pressed Trump on Monday on why he portrays political violence as coming only from the left. Trump replied: “I didn’t say it was on one side. But I say the radical left causes tremendous violence, and they seem to do it in a bigger way. But the radical left really has caused a lot of problems for this country.”
Online reaction was swift. Journalist Aaron Rupar posted the exchange, writing: “Q: ‘Do you think it would’ve been fitting to lower the flags to half staff when Melissa Hortman, the Minnesota House Speaker, was gunned down by an assassin?’ TRUMP: ‘Uh, I’m not familiar. The who?”
Commentators accused Trump of callousness.
“Absolutely disgusting. A woman loses her life and the leader’s response is basically, ‘never heard of her,’” one critic wrote. “No empathy, no respect, not even the decency to acknowledge her humanity.”
Another on X added: “He’s an awful person or has dementia. Probably both.”
Trump supporters pushed back against the criticism, accusing reporters of political theater.
“Oh yes, the journo-activists and their perceived ‘gotcha’ questions… They don’t hesitate to use murder victims as a gaslighting tool,” one conservative wrote.
However, Cordes did not ask if Utah’s governor had requested the flag order for Kirk or if Trump made the move unilaterally.
Another Trump defender minimized Hortman’s death in comparison to Kirk’s: “lol you’re implying a comparison that is not even close. Charlie was murdered live in front of the world because of his faith and exercising America’s foundational right, free speech and peaceful discourse. Above all Charlie was well known around the world and a close friend to @realDonaldTrump.”
Over the past week, critics have argued the contrast underscores Trump’s selective empathy.
“Trump orders flags to be at half staff for a political influencer. AN INFLUENCER. But when 2 Minnesota House members, POLITICIANS, were assassinated, he didn’t even bother to call the governor and said it would be ‘a waste of time,’” one observer wrote.
At Hortman’s funeral, Walz urged Americans to find common ground. “Without ever losing sight of our common humanity,” he said.
Trump’s response has instead deepened divides, raising questions about whether the president sees violence against Democrats as worthy of the same national mourning he demands when Republicans are targeted.
‘Doing Anything to Bring His Father Down’: Kirk Franklin’s Son Kerrion Shows Graphic Photos of Alleged Parental Abuse Years After Leaking Dad’s Profanity-Laced Recording
The son of gospel singer Kirk Franklin is making waves on social media after posting a picture of the back scars he says he received as a child.
Kerrion Franklin shared the photograph on Instagram on September 15, and he claimed he was beaten “black and blue” since he was in the first grade by “parentals” who “enjoyed expressing rotten Rage.” The picture features Franklin with multiple, deep scars in his flesh.
Kirk Franklin’s estranged son, Kerrion Franklin, accuses his father of abuse and shows graphic scars on his back as proof. (Photos: @kirkfranklin/Instagram; @kerriondivine/Instagram.)Franklin shared the picture of his back scars with a lengthy caption.
“These scars all over my back are not Sex Stories,” he wrote. “Breaks my heart all over again when ppl ask cuz iii wish that was the case. Pain is the only feeling that’s familiar for me but Whatevs & For the record these scars are symbols. They really signs of many secrets that iii keep bottled up since iii was a baby being beat black and blue since 1st grade.”
He added that he walked with “war & Betrayal” in his posture, and that the scars were his only childhood memories.
“Parentals enjoyed expressing rotten Rage in many ways as (punishment/Consequence) not that anyone cares about compassion, consideration,” he added. “These scars are the only memories I have of my childhood.”
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Emperor Eden (@machimerlin)
Fans reacted after seeing the picture on The Neighbohood Talk on Instagram.
One fan exclaimed, “Kirk did that???” while another said, “He shirtless with smooth skin in old videos. Now claiming abuse.”
A third said, “This gotta stop. Delete this bro. Entirely too many images of you WITHOUT these scars. Seek REAL help but start by removing this damn post.”
Another in disbelief added, “Baby them scars look NEW!! Try Again My Guy. He is doing anything to bring his father down.. He must’ve cut that money train off!”
The “I Smile” singer and his son were estranged for several years after Kerrion leaked a profanity-laced recording of Franklin yelling at him. The recording was shared in 2021 and features Franklin screaming, “I will put my foot in your a**” he said, as well as, “I will break f**king your neck.”
Kerrion was born to Franklin and his mother, Shawn Ewing, when they were teenagers, and Ewing later defended her ex on Instagram, saying her son was “hurting” because he was raised by “teenage parents.”
During a 2021 interview on “Larry Reid Live,” Kerrion said that his parents were focused on themselves, leaving him to be watched by multiple people who physically abused him.
“As a kid, right? My dad was focused on becoming his best self, and my mom was, you know, she — she was — she was trying to do her thing, going to school, you know, working So, I was babysat by a lot of people, and that kind of put me in some — some unfortunate, rough situations.” He added that he was physically abused by multiple people.
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Franklin later apologized and noted that the recordings were from two separate occasions. He also said that he and Kerrion did not speak for five years.
“I hadn’t talked to my son in five years when he called me. But I do want people to know I love him. I want the world to hear it loud. I love my son.”
According to VIBE, the father and son repaired their relationship years later.
“I know my son,” said Franklin. ” And my conversations with him have always been a consistent one. I love you, and my love for you is not based on who you love. I love you. And that is my answer. That’s my answer as a Christian father who believes in the text. I love you, and my love for you does not waver based on who you love.”
‘How Embarrassing’: ‘White Lotus’ Star’s Cringy Red-Carpet Kiss with Wife Sparks Divorce Talk After His Odd Reaction Amid Buzz About His Co-Star
“The White Lotus” star Walton Goggins had a rather awkward exchange with his wife, Nadia Conners, during Sunday night’s 77th Primetime Emmy Awards.
What was meant to be a romantic display outside the Peacock Theater quickly unraveled, igniting chatter online that the couple’s marriage might be on shaky ground — with some saying their awkward display spoke louder than words.
Celebrity couple actor Walton Goggins and filmmaker Nadia Conners had an awkward kissing moment at the 2025 Emmy Awards. (Photo credit: nadiasomerset/Instagram)In one clip taken at the ceremony in Los Angeles on Aug. 14 and posted on X, Conners turns to her husband, who was facing the cameras, while they posed for the press. Goggins then leaned in to give “The Uninvited” director a peck on the lips.
They share a short kiss before Goggins turned back to the photographers as Conners appears to say, “One more time.”
After sharing another slightly longer smooch, Goggins was also seen wiping his lips with his hand right after kissing his wife. The clip quickly sent X users into overdrive, with many zeroing in on the veteran actor’s odd behavior.
“Walton couldn’t wait to [leave] the scene before removing the hair on his lips,” one individual tweeted. A second person expressed, “He’s probably been telling his lady on the side that there’s no love In the marriage and didn’t want to show affection.”
In a more exaggerated reaction to the situation, a Daily Mail reader exclaimed, “OMG. He’s totally recoiling from her. How embarrassing for them both.”
Walton Goggins and Nadia Conners at the 2025 #Emmys
(via @Variety) pic.twitter.com/lHfxm1vMnx
In a second clip from the Emmy red carpet, Conners responds to photographers’ requests for her and Goggins to kiss in front of the cameras.
“Me kiss him? Or him kiss me?” Conners asked the photogs at the scene. One person in the crowd yelled back, “Both!”
Conners proceeded to kiss her spouse on the cheek as flashbulbs went off. Goggins returned the favor by repeatedly smooching her face.
However, a cynic suggested the seemingly benign kiss swap could be foreshadowing the end of the marriage, posting, “These two are heading for a divorce.”
Another said, “The wife is about to go! He was so not into her!”
#TheWhiteLotus and #Fallout star Walton Goggins shares a kiss with his wife Nadia Conners at the 2025 #Emmys pic.twitter.com/lIqdKrdG4r
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) September 14, 2025There have been online whispers that Conners and Goggins are experiencing marital troubles due to the on-screen chemistry between him and his “The White Lotus” co-star, English actress Aimee Lou Wood.
Goggins played Wood’s older lover in season three of HBO’s award-winning anthology television series. Their storyline was a significant part of the drama that played over eight episodes.
Conners addressed the cheating rumors during an interview with Hello! Magazine. The filmmaker downplayed the wild speculation that Wood, 31, had an affair with her husband.
“It’s odd to see it, but it’s an indication of how much people were invested in the fictional characters. I take it as a sign that he’s become quite popular,” Conners told the publication.
Conners and Goggins got married in August 2011, having dated since 2005. They share one son, who was born in January 2011. Their private lives have crossed over into their professional careers.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Walton Goggins (@waltongogginsbonafide)
For her feature film directorial debut, Conners cast Goggins in 2024’s “The Uninvited.” The movie premiered at the South by Southwest Film Festival and arrived in North American theaters on April 11, 2025.
“20 years she’s been working towards this moment. To be by her side… with this cast… in this story… has been so emotionally overwhelming,” Goggins wrote in an Instagram caption celebrating “The Uninvited” screening at SXSW.
Goggins has built a lengthy entertainment industry résumé. He starred in other motion pictures such as 2012’s “Django Unchained,” 2019’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” and 2024’s “Queen of the Ring.”
The former Georgia Southern University student appeared in numerous television programs, including “The Shield,” “Justified,” and “The Righteous Gemstones.” His performance in “The White Locus” garnered him an Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series nomination at the 2025 Primetime Emmy Awards.
‘Out of Breath After 10 Seconds!’: Viral Video of Ted Cruz Struggling to Paint Over ‘Evil’ Message on Side of Texas Highway Has the Internet Howling
Sen. Ted Cruz thought he was scoring points when he grabbed a paint roller and set out to erase graffiti on a Houston freeway wall but the performance quickly turned into online fodder, with critics mocking his attempt to play cleanup crew.
Cruz announced on X that the graffiti was done by a “deranged b—-rd.”
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) waves as he arrives with President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump at Lackland Air Force Base. (Credit: Getty Images/Fox News)The clip was shared on Fox News and widely circulated online, accompanied by the caption, “Erasing Evil.” The outlet applauded Cruz for painting over the words, “f–k Charlie Kirk,” and shared Cruz’s statement that “Texans don’t have to look at this hateful garbage anymore.”
But the move has not impressed observers on social media, who have declared it “performative” and a “publicity stunt” aimed at boosting Cruz’s own image.
Some deranged bastard put this graffiti on the 59 freeway in Houston.
TXDOT has been notified & I’m sure sure they will remove it expeditiously.
But, in the meantime, Texans don’t have to look at this hateful garbage anymore. pic.twitter.com/v8wmTX1Vc0
People also noticed the senator struggling with the paint roller as he attempted to blot out the profanity. After just a few overlapping strokes, he stopped while large drips of white paint slowly trickled down the dark brown wall.
From tips on power washing to “bending your knees” while painting, viewers have chimed in with humorous advice for the Senator to help him get through the paint job.
“Most work he’s done his entire life,” wrote one on Threads, where people can’t stop cracking jokes.
“Out of breath after 10 seconds with a paint roller,” mocked another.
“This is the closest this man has ever been to physical labor, and he is struggling,” exclaimed a commenter.
One user broke it down in two parts, “1.This is performative as f**k. 2. He did a shockingly terrible job at this.”
View on ThreadsEven Cruz’s choice of color was put under the microscope.
“Could he have used gray or brown or black? This looks awful,” said one, with another likening the white paint drips to bird droppings.
Perhaps not surprisingly, Cruz’s infamous Cancún getaway is still fresh in the minds of Texans, as commentators couldn’t help but bring it up. When a deadly winter weather ripped through Texas in 2021 and overwhelmed the power grid, Cruz took off on a tropical vacation, earning him the name “Flyin’ Ted,” a variation on Donald Trump’s “Lyin’ Ted” nickname.
“Surprised he didn’t get on a plane and go on vacation…” quipped a few people with long memories on Threads.
Kirk, 31, was fatally shot at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, on Sept. 10 during one of his signature debate sessions with students. While there’s been an outburst of mourning from his supporters, some of Kirk’s detractors have sparked a backlash by publicly speaking against the far-right influencer, making critical social media posts, and even destroying memorials.
But for now, at least one highway tag has been taken care of by Cruz — and eventually, the Texas Department of Transportation. As Cruz wrote on X: “TXDOT has been notified & I’m sure they will remove it expeditiously.”
‘I Punched ’Em In the Face’: Innocent Black Man Beaten By Lying Cop Who Bragged About His Abuse Accepts Legal Settlement
The Michigan State trooper caught on video punching and kneeing a Black man who had committed no crime – and then laughing about it afterwards with other cops – claimed he had qualified immunity and could not be sued for his abuse.
But a federal judge disagreed, resulting in a $145,000 settlement announced Sept. 4 for Devin Pettway, the 33-year-old Black man who filed the lawsuit after he was punched in the face by Michigan State Trooper Brennan Kelly.
The beating was captured on video by a witness recording through a glass window from inside a home – contradicting the lies told by Kelly about why he had punched Pettway – which turned out to be the main reason why Kelly’s request for qualified immunity was denied.
Devin Pettway, a Black man who was beaten by a cop even though he had committed no crime, agreed to a $145,000 settlement this week. (Photo: witness video and facebook.com/devin.pettway.2025)Kelly claimed in his initial report that he was only defending himself from Pettway, who was approaching him in an aggressive manner with his fists balled up, making him fear for his safety.
But moments after the incident, Kelly was captured on a dashcam recording bragging to another cop about how he has a habit of punching citizens in the face.
“I’ve had three uses of force here in the past month — I punched ’em in the face,” Kelly said, according to The Detroit News.
“You got three of those already?” the other trooper asked, laughing.
“Yeah,” Kelly responded in the recording that has not been made public but has been reviewed by the judge.
Pettway, who spent four years fighting his legal battle, told local media he “just wanted the truth to come out and for my voice to be heard.”
According to the court opinion by U.S. District Judge Linda V. Parker denying the cop qualified immunity that was published in March, which paved the way for Pettway’s settlement:
There is a triable issue as to whether Trooper Kelly acted objectively reasonable when he pushed, punched, and struck Mr. Pettway with his knee several times even though the severity of the crime was low and Mr. Pettway did not impose an immediate threat to anyone’s safety or actively resist his arrest.
Therefore, Trooper Kelly is not entitled to governmental immunity or summary judgment as to Mr. Pettway’s assault and battery claim.
Watch the video below.
‘I’m Going to Knock You Out’The incident took place on Nov. 6, 2021, while Pettway was visiting his sister, Auja Pettway, at her house in Detroit.
Michigan State Police had a warrant for his sister’s boyfriend, Troy Graham-Napper Jr., who was wanted in a child custody kidnapping case out of Pennsylvania, accused of seizing his 8-year-old son from his mother in Pittsburgh and transporting him to Detroit.
Several cops arrived and stood outside the home barking orders through a loudspeaker, informing the residents they had a warrant to search the home.
Pettway, who had nothing to do with the alleged kidnapping, walked outside to tell the cops that his sister’s boyfriend would hand the child over to surrender to police.
But Pettway was carrying a backpack and Kelly demanded to search it. At first, Pettway refused to allow the cop to search the backpack, but then learned the warrant authorized the cops to search it, so he allowed them to do so.
But then Kelly became aggressive and started shoving Pettway.
“Don’t f_cking walk up on me or I’m going to knock you out!” Kelly yelled at Pettway.
But his lying accusations against Pettway were unknowingly caught on video by the witness through the window, which is what led to the judge denying Kelly qualified immunity.
The Court finds a genuine dispute as to whether Mr. Pettway disobeyed any officer commands that justify the force used.
Specifically, at issue is whether Mr. Pettway ignored Trooper Kelly’s order to go to the front of the house after Trooper Kelly searched him.
Trooper Kelly asserts that ‘instead of complying with that [order Mr. Pettway] decided to walk up on [him] and jeopardize [his] safety.”
However, based on the sequence of events described in the parties’ briefs, this command should have been audible on the video footage, but it is not.
The neighbor’s video does not show Mr. Pettway walking towards Trooper Kelly. In fact, it shows the opposite.
Wayne County prosecutors took the word of the cop and charged Pettway and his sister with assaulting a police officer, but the charges were dismissed six months later after the video surfaced.
Wayne County online court records also show Graham-Napper was extradited back to Pennsylvania, but the child was found unharmed.
But Pettway had to wait four years to receive justice, and he only succeeded because a witness chose to video record the incident.
His lawyer, Steve Haney, told local media the “case was about accountability and making sure that what happened to Devin doesn’t happen to anyone else.”
“The settlement provides some measure of justice and allows Devin to move forward with his life and his family.”
‘She Had Every Right’: Mariah Carey Refuses Autograph on the Spot After Zooming In on Photo and Spotting Something That Changed Her Mood Instantly
Mariah Carey is the true definition of a diva.
The singer’s brutally yet sassy responses to other celebrities often go viral. For instance, Carey has taken shots at Jennifer Lopez and Madonna about their talent or stardom.
Her melodramatic habits, including refusing to acknowledge her birthday or the passage of time and claiming to swim in evening gowns — all add up to her diva reputation. The five-time Grammy award-winning singer had another diva-esque moment recently while signing autographs for fans.
Mariah Carey abruptly refuses to sign an autograph for a fan. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic for Mirage Entertainment)Last month, Carey went overseas to the United Kingdom for a performance, but on Aug. 6, she ran into fans who were eager to get a signature from her.
Mariah Carey Shocks Fans with ‘Major’ Weight Loss Amid Bryan Tanaka Breakup Rumors
But at one point, the “Obsessed” singer turned down one request to sign a photo, and it was for a peculiar reason.
A new video shows Carey wearing an all black ensemble of a dress, a leather jacket and shades. It opens up with Carey dragging out the word “No” to one person, while holding a marker and looking to autograph another item. Suddenly a male’s voice came from behind the screen and said, “Alright, can we just get one on here please?”
Carey took a second to look at the photo and said, “No, I don’t like that picture.” The professional image was fairly new and taken from Carey’s Brighton Pride performance days earlier on Aug. 6. In the photo, she was seen wearing one of her brighter looks from the performance, a multicolored glitter dress with a pink bedazzled jacket, and silver boots.
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Fans reacted to the video in the comments where one of her fan pages reshared the clip.
One person said, “She had every right not to sign a photo she didn’t like.”
Someone else commented, “But she posted that pic on her IG. The team must’ve messed it up.”
The fan was correct that Carey had already posted the picture to her Instagram page a few nights earlier on Aug. 2, which was the same night of her performance at Brighton Pride. This led some people to believe that there had to be another reason she didn’t want to sign it.
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One fan who thinks they’ve cracked the code said, “She knew he wasn’t a real fan and clearly wanted to resell, hahahaha She is so ICONIC.”
Another person who further explained the theory wrote, “It’s because she knew he’s not a fan… it’s a professional photographer shot and he’s going to sell it. Real fans will bring a cd/album/any rare collected items. She’s seen enough to be able to tell which ones are real fans and which ones are scalpers.”
Outside of that incident, Carey appeared to have enjoyed her time in England. She posted snippets of her “Leisure time in London” which showed her going shopping, taking pictures with fans, and relaxing in a jacuzzi.
As for her performance at Brighton, Carey opened up about a wardrobe malfunction that happened onstage and detailed how she saved herself from an embarrassing moment.
In a Aug. 6 interview with British radio show “Heart Breakfast with Jamie Theakston and Amanda Holden,” she said, “It was a lot of rehearsing and then we had a wardrobe malfunction, which was kind of not cool. It was right in the front. I saved it, nobody saw it. Otherwise, it would’ve been talked about.”
Explaining how exactly she saved it, she said, “I turned around and walked through the dancers. I was so mad.”
‘Next Victim’: Trump’s Aide Katie Miller Tried to Clap Back at Gavin Newsom to Defend Trump, But the Showdown Proved She’s No Match for Him
Former Department of Government Efficiency adviser Katie Miller took a swing at Gov. Gavin Newsom over his criticism of the White House’s ongoing Rose Garden beautification project.
The Donald Trump-led overhaul is being completed in two phases. First, the long-standing Rose Garden was replaced with a stone patio and Mar-a-Lago-themed tables, chairs, and golden-yellow umbrellas. Its $1.9 million price tag was footed by private donors.
Trump’s aide, former DOGE Katie Miller, attempted to defend the president against Gov. Gavin Newsom’s mockery. (Photos by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images; Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images; Sean Rayford/Getty Images)The second phase will see the completion of a $200 million ballroom. The California official’s press office ripped the outdoor redesign in early September, calling it “Predator Patio.” From his personal account, he tweeted, “… the GOP are spending their time cheering Diet Cokes at a new, exclusive ‘club.’”
Katie, wife of White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, is not a fan of his mockery. “The problem with politics is it’s incredibly hypocritical,” she said during an appearance on the “Tomi Lahren is Fearless” podcast. She added that Newsom did not call out fellow Democrats for their own exuberant spending. “All he’s doing is dunking on President Trump,” she said.
After ripping health care from 17 million Americans and slashing food stamps for kids, we’re glad Mike “Marie Antoinette” Johnson and his boy friends had time to toast the grand opening of the Predator Patio. https://t.co/4pJk9Jf8E3
— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) September 6, 2025Moreover, Miller argued that the White House upgrades would help to facilitate after-ours meetings between Democrats and Republicans shaping legislation for the American people. A pro-Trump supporter responded to the discourse online with, “This Newsom is a real piece of work…. he is no more qualified to be a leader than Kamala was.”
Others who shared that sentiment were outnumbered by hecklers. In one instance, an individual wrote, “Newsom is just simply better at this… I have never heard Mrs. Miller speak up about anything….accept a patio.”
Our economy is in a downward spiral, but don’t worry — the @GOP are spending their time cheersing Diet Cokes at a new, exclusive “club.” https://t.co/Y49zgCwrQE
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) September 6, 2025Along with criticizing the president, Newsom and his team have invested weeks in mocking the businessman on social media and doling out nicknames to his inner circle, like White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, Vice President JD Vance, and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
With Katie speaking out against the governor, some suspect she will soon earn a new name. Read a third response to her defense of the Rose Garden. “Next victim to of Newsome, Katie Miller! GOP hacks can dish it out but boy they can’t take it!”
For now, at least, she has not landed on the Newsom team’s radar.
‘Very Unnecessary’: Paula Deen Stirs Outrage After Fresh Dig at the Late Anthony Bourdain and One Detail Has Fans Asking Why Now
Not even a memorial can soften the heart of Paula Deen, who still has sharp words about her culinary foe Anthony Bourdain.
The disgraced Food Network star, 78, is making headlines discussing the controversies that rocked her career in her new documentary, “Canceled: The Paula Deen Story.”
In a portion of the footage that premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 6, Deen reflects on Bourdain’s public disdain for her Southern cooking.
Paula Deen enrages Anthony Bourdain fans with new remarks about their feud. (Photos: Pauladeen_official/Instagram; Anthonybourdain/Instagram)In 2011, the New York chef said, in part, that Deen was “the worst, most dangerous person to America… She revels in unholy connections with evil corporations, and she’s proud of the fact that her food is…bad for you…her food sucks.”
Bourdain later walked back commentary about her being “the worst” but remained critical of her cooking.
In the documentary, Deen responded to his criticism. “I don’t know what he was off in these foreign countries eating. Bat brains or something like that. I think I’ll just stick with my fried chicken,” she said after taking a swipe at Bourdain‘s “Parts Unknown” exploration of food from around the globe. But she didn’t stop there.
@NOLABravesFan Paula hardly the worst person in America. Just most destructive influence on FN. Nice lady, though, yes?
— Anthony Bourdain (@Bourdain) August 18, 2011She continued, “God rest his soul. I felt like he didn’t like anybody. Not even himself, maybe… He started something with me, and I’d never even met him.”
Dean was hardly his only target, as his hard feelings also included the teardown of Food Network personalities Rachael Ray, Guy Fieri, and Sandra Lee. Bourdain passed away in 2018 at the age of 61 after years of struggling with depression.
Deen’s words set off a story of reactions. The Georgia native was also deemed a “classless person who has no integrity or morals.”
“Typical maga boomer, failed at her life professionally… now she has to try to springboard off the Tombstones of the [Unalive] to try to get back into the Public eye,” said one heckler.
Anthony Bourdain refused to film for CNN unless they gave him 100% say in everything he did and he was able to showcase cultures that never get air in American media. all Paula Deen did was steal black recipes and call her employees the n-word like let's be serious https://t.co/lVbMWEwjl6
— average miw enjoyer (@redwhteboom) September 9, 2025Another individual wrote, “This is very unnecessary for Dean. Bourdain is no longer here. Let him RIP. I loved his show “Unknown with Anthony Bourdain.” Bashing someone who was a colleague that is now deceased screams “help me get some book sales.” Just go away Paula. You did yourself in during your hey day! Now you want to try and destroy others so you can sell your memoir.”
A third comment read, “NOT the way to rehabilitate your reputation, Paula!”
Deen’s reputation and food empire was irreparably tarnished when she admitted to using a derogatory term, the n-word, when referring to Black people in 2013.
As a result, she lost business partnerships, including her Food Network shows. She abruptly shuttered her Savannah, Georgia, restaurants, The Lady & Sons and The Chicken Box, in July.
‘I See Why Travis Kelce Left’: Kayla Nicole’s Provocative Dance with Chris Brown on Jumbo Screen Has Travis Kelce Fans Stunned
Sports personality and podcaster Kayla Nicole is going viral for getting a public and steamy performance from R&B artist Chris Brown.
Nicole attended his Breezy Bowl XX Tour stop in Los Angeles on Sept. 14, where several cameras captured close-up shots of the intimate yet racy embrace between Brown and Travis Kelce‘s ex-girlfriend on a jumbo screen.
Podcaster Kayla Nicole has moved on from her ex-boyfriend, NFL star Travis Kelce, as he prepares to marry pop music sensation Taylor Swift. (Photos: @iamkaylanicole/Instagram; Gotham/GC Images)Footage of the R&B singer, 36, dancing on top of Nicole, 33, went viral online. Nicole was dressed in a black top, black leather shorts, and knee-high black leather boots. She was seen seated on a red chair as CB began grinding on her to his 2008 hit “Take You Down,” as reported by Page Six.
At one point, the Grammy Award winner grabbed a smiling Nicole by the throat and she can be seen flexing her legs to her head. The live crowd cheered when the Jumbotron faded to black right as the Virginia-bred crooner was leaning in to kiss his special guest.
There was also a resounding reaction online to the sensual moment. In particular, fans took the opportunity to clown Kelce, who recently announced his engagement to pop star Taylor Swift after two years of dating.
“Take that, Travis Kelce!” someone posted in The Shade Room’s Instagram comment section.
Kayla Nicole really flipped the script on Chris Brown during Take You Down pic.twitter.com/OLc2kzBUiY
— Steven (@bloggerstevenb) September 15, 2025One observer who zoomed in on the singer’s face wrote: “Lmao Chris like oh she fighting back.” Another said, “I know Travis [is] punching the air right now and Swift just looking at him.”
“Same day Kelce fumbled that ball that cost the Chiefs a Touchdown? Sis!!!!!!,” a second commenter pointed out, noting that Kelce’s football team lost their Super Bowl LIX rematch to the Philadelphia Eagles on 20-17 on Sunday.
Kelce did get visibly upset during the second quarter of the game against the Eagles. Television cameras caught him throwing his helmet to the ground in frustration just before halftime. In the fourth quarter, he would later bobble what would have been a touchdown reception in the end zone, leading to an interception — not a fumble — on the play.
Travis Kelce was visibly frustrated after this play. pic.twitter.com/lRdegKdiRK
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) September 14, 2025In addition to the praise, Nicole got for how she handled CB on stage, she also got criticism for what fans believe is another attempt to stay relevant.
“So this is what she’s been reduced to….. she’s not doing herself any favors with this type of ‘thirsty’ appearance. It’s apparent she’s going to have a seriously hard time as the media and social media will be ALL about talking ‘everything’ Travis & Taylor’ engagement/marriage related stories.”
They continued, “Kayla just can’t move on from Travis. She thought she would be wearing that engagement ring after dating him for all those years. Her fault she stayed in that situation without ever getting close to an engagement.”
Nicole’s on-again, off-again romance with Kelce, 35, began around 2017. By 2022, the pair had officially ended their relationship after unsubstantiated cheating accusations and speculation that their split was caused by arguments over finances.
“Don’t buy into that,” Kelce insisted during a January 2023 appearance on “The Pivot Podcast” when questioned about rumors that the NFL star being “too cheap” led to the breakup with Nicole.
The three-time Super Bowl champion resumed, “I would never say that I was supporting her. She had a very financially stable life and what she was doing in her career.”
“But you got to be crazy if you think I’d never helped or gave her a couple dollars to grab some food or she gave me some money to go get some food. We were in a relationship for five years,” Kelce added.
Nicole also denied that her ex allegedly being “cheap” was the catalyst for the relationship falling apart. While speaking with Angel Reese in the WNBA star’s “Unapologetically Angel” podcast in 2024, the Pepperdine University graduate said, “Do I look like I would go 50/50 on bills? That was ridiculous.”
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift)
The following year after their breakup, Kelce began dating Swift, 35, in 2023. The celebrity couple broke the internet in August 2025 with the announcement of their upcoming wedding.
According to Billboard, the “Love Story” singer’s Instagram post revealing their engagement broke the record for most reposts on the platform. It gained 14 million likes in the first hour and 2M reposts in less than 24 hours.
Nicole recently avoided an opportunity to comment on her ex-boyfriend‘s upcoming nuptials with one of the most famous women on the planet. The sports media figure was asked about Kelce getting engaged while walking the red carpet for a 2025 New York Fashion Week event.
“’Oh, no, no, no,” Nicole responded, shutting down a reporter’s attempt to get her to speak about her ex on the record. She quickly switched the subject by saying, “But I’m really happy to be here at Champion, though. This is a good party.”
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Page Six (@pagesix)
The self-described single Nicole claimed she has no interest in getting romantically involved with another professional athlete during an interview on the “Behind the Likes” podcast in January 2024.
The fitness enthusiast said, “I’ll never say never, but I fully, wholeheartedly believe that I am out of the athlete stage.” She went on to win season three of the “Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test” reality TV competition series in 2025.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s ‘Liquor Store’ Remark at Buffalo Church Draws Fire for Racial Insensitivity, But Pastor Says Critics Got It Wrong
New York Governor Kathy Hochul is facing a mixed bag of reactions to a comment she made at a largely Black church in Buffalo that some contend was “deeply offensive,” but Hochul defended it as a “lighthearted joke.”
Hochul delivered remarks on Sunday, Sept. 7, at True Bethel Baptist Church, in which she reminded the congregation about an inflation rebate launching later this month to help millions of New York residents struggling with the rising cost of living in the state.
But Hochul jested about what the congregants should and should not spend the incoming checks on.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul speaks during a press conference to announce new subway safety measures at the NYCTA Rail Control Center on March 6, 2024, in New York City. Hochul announced that 1,000 New York State Police, MTAPD and the New York National Guard will be used to support the NYPD in conducting bag checks. (Photo by Adam Gray/Getty Images)“Checks are coming out soon, watch the mail. OK? OK? Don’t spend it all in one day. Get something you really need. OK? Don’t stop by the liquor store. Buy something for the kids. Buy them some food,” she said, drawing a loud reaction from audience members.
She continued: “Sometimes I have to stop by the liquor store, too. I understand. It’s all right. It’s all right. But listen, the inflation rebate, the middle class tax cut, a $1,000 tax credit for everyone who has a child under the age of 4, all your grandbabies. Let’s take care of the grandbabies that we know.”
The remark wasn’t well-received by some people, including Hochul’s gubernatorial opponent, Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado, who accused the governor of making a “value judgment” about the Black community.
“It’s deeply offensive. I think it reveals a level of disconnect the governor clearly possesses as it pertains to the Black community in particular, and this is a pattern. This is something that revealed itself when she said that black kids in the Bronx don’t know what the word ‘computer’ is,” Delgado told WTKV reporter Luke Radel.
Hochul came under fire last year during a technology panel in Beverly Hills, California, where she said there are “young Black kids growing up in the Bronx who don’t even know what the word ‘computer’ is. They don’t know these things.”
She later said she misspoke and meant to communicate that Black children in marginalized communities often lack access to the technology needed to become more adept in emerging industries like AI that will help them attain high-paying tech jobs.
“It’s like the soft bigotry of low expectations,” Delgado said of Hochul’s recent inflation rebate remarks, adding, “You can make racist comments because the nature of the comment speaks to a devaluation of a community. It’s rooted in an understanding of how a community is perceived and the narrative attached to that community. So people can say things that are racist insofar as those things are rooted in a perception about what a community typically does.”
However, True Bethel’s bishop, Darius Pridgen, argued that neither he nor his congregants took offense to Hochul’s comments. He said that Hochul has a relationship with the church that spans decades and dates back to a time well before she became New York governor.
“I was surprised to hear that there were some people who took the governor’s comments as racist,” Pridgen told Politico. “Kathy Hochul being at True Bethel is like family coming home. The crowd was very appreciative of her being there, of the remarks she made, because they were in context to the sermon I preached that morning.”
Pridgen’s sermon was titled “Before You Crash Out.” The bishop said Hochul “was commenting on not crashing out and not making bad decisions, which I had just preached.”
Pridgen went on to tell WTKV that people are politicizing Hochul’s comments and called Delgado’s response “unfair.”
NEW: Bishop Darius Pridgen, head pastor at Buffalo’s True Bethel Baptist Church where @KathyHochul made her controversial comments, tells me he’s “totally surprised with people saying that it was in any way racist.”
Lt. Gov. @DelgadoforNY’s assessment is “unfair,” he says. @WKTV https://t.co/NL8QNht0pW pic.twitter.com/WsNvB1lFOS
Similar to Delgado’s reaction, another one of Hochul’s political opponents, Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, also said the governor’s remark was racially insensitive. Stefanik is also reportedly considering a run in the 2026 New York gubernatorial race.
“This is not the first time Kathy Hochul has insulted the Black community and spoken in a condescending, lecturing tone towards African Americans,” Stefanik told The New York Post. “Hochul is now showing a disturbing pattern of racial insensitivity by doubling down on her arrogant and patronizing tone towards the African American community.”
Hochul apologized for her remarks at an unrelated news conference on Wednesday.
“I wasn’t making any generalization about any particular community at all,” she said. “My intention is never to offend anybody in that context, and I regret that that is the takeaway for some people.”
She continued: “Just for context. I was in my hometown at a church I’ve gone to for 20 years. I’m dear friends with the bishop, the congregation. They’re all my friends. And I was acknowledging a lot of the stress people are under in our communities. I made a lighthearted joke.”
She stated that her remarks were meant to be “instructive,” and that she was “trying to make an argument of how to put money back in people’s pockets.”
She agrees with Pridgen’s evaluation of the matter, stating that some people who weren’t at the church that day are making accusations and trying to be “divisive for their own political gain.”
‘This Chick is Like Pre MTV La La’: Carmelo Anthony’s Rumored New Lady Has Fans Convinced He’s Still Hung Up on La La
Carmelo Anthony may have a new lady in his life. Fans of the retired NBA player believe they know who he’s been spending quality time with after videos of him at a Bad Bunny concert on Sept. 14 in Puerto Rico surfaced online.
Just as the backlash from his Hall of Fame speech came to a stop, fans are now back to dissecting Anthony’s love life following his divorce from La La Anthony after being spotted with a new woman.
Carmelo Anthony spotted with mystery woman, who fans say resembles his ex-wife, La La Anthony. (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for Hispanic Heritage Foundation; @lala/InstagramThe recent Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductee was spotted with a blond, curly-haired woman identified as Racquel Smith, the widow of New Orleans Saints defensive end Will Smith. In one video posted to TikTok, Racquel was shown standing behind Carmelo as they watched the king of Latin trap speak to supporters in a club setting.
In another clip, the former New York Knicks player stood a few feet behind his supposed girlfriend at the Miguel Agrelot Coliseum for the superstar’s final performance of his 30-show residency.
The pair did not indulge in any PDA; however, any inklings that they were coincidentally in the same places were put to rest when the New Orleans native shared a close-up photo of Anthony in her Instagram Story.
Carmelo Anthony and Racquel Smith were spotted together at Bad Bunny’s Sept. 14 concert in Puerto Rico. (Photos: @ariemariepr/TikTok and @rockie91/Instagram)Sleuths on Lipstick Alley perceived the content as proof that Carmelo had managed to keep the relationship low-profile up until that moment.
One person commenting on the presumed new couple took aim at Carmelo. That individual wrote, “That serial cheater is no prize.”
The athlete and La La divorced in 2021 after he fathered a daughter, Genesis, during an extramarital affair. The exes share one child, son Kiyan Anthony. Due to their limited appearances, which have increased due to this son entering college, some suspect Carmelo pay still have the hots for his ex-wife, noting her resemblance to the new woman.
A second person wrote, “La la was regular until she had surgery. So this chick is like pre surgery Lala. But naturally prettier. I remember when Lala was on MTV. This chick look better than MTV Lala.”
@ariemariepr @Bad Bunny #ResidenciaNoMeQuieroIrDeAqui #BadBunny #LaCasitaDeBenito #CarmeloAnthony ♬ original sound – ariemarieA third commenter remarked, “This is the first time they’ve popped out together in public. She’s a bit messy but at least she i age appropriate lol.”
A fourth person remarked, “Wasn’t she involved with another baller as well? Sis loves her an athlete!”
Racquel and her former husband, Will, were married for eight years and shared three children, including a daughter the athlete shared with an ex, when he was fatally shot during a night out in the Crescent City in April 2016.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Racquel R Joseph Smith (@rockie91)
The suspect, Cardell Hayes, hit Will in both legs and Will eight times; seven of those wounds were sustained in his back after a car crash and exchange of heated words. Hayes was convicted of manslaughter twice, the first time in 2016 and again during a retrial in 2024.
‘Take Care of Him!’: Racist Woman Tells Friend to Confront Black Man. He Gets More Than What He Bargained for
A Black man who was minding his own business about to eat his lunch in Alaska was assaulted by a racist Native American woman who tossed water in his face, resulting in her arrest.
Then, as police were arresting Marisa Didrickson, the 48-year-old woman turned to her Native American friend, Christopher Williams Jr., telling him to “take care of him” — regarding the Black man she had just assaulted.
That was when Juneau Police Officer Brandon LeBlanc began shoving Williams away from the area, body slamming him to the ground, causing Williams’ head to strike the sidewalk, knocking him unconscious and snoring – even though he was not fighting the cop.
An Alaska cop was forced to resign after body slamming a Native American man and knocking him unconscious after the man’s female friend assaulted a Black man named Ibn Bailey (top left) by tossing water in his face. (Photo: Body camera and Ibn Bailey)Didrickson, meanwhile, was going off on Black people as she was being placed in the back of the patrol car.
“F_ck Black people,” she said, according to body camera footage released.
The 52-year-old Black man, a former school board candidate named Ibn Bailey, recorded the body slam and posted the video on the internet, where it went viral, resulting in the cop losing his job.
LeBlanc, who was hired less than a year before the incident, was still on his probationary period when he apparently was forced to resign.
He had previously worked as a cop in Louisiana, where he was sued for abusing a Black man by tasering him several times as other cops were beating him, but that suit was dismissed.
Juneau Police Chief Derek Bos told local media that Williams was body slammed because he was “resisting,” but there is no record of his arrest from that date in the Alaska online court system and no word from police, prosecutors and the media in Juneau as to whether he was actually taken to jail and formally charged.
Body camera videos released show that he was unconscious and snoring and was transported to a hospital in an ambulance for a head injury.
Didrickson was charged with misdemeanor count of “disorderly conduct – provoke violence” — a charge that remains pending, according to online court records.
Watch the video below.
‘We’re a Minority Within a Minority Within a Minority’The incident took place on July 30 and exposed the racial tensions between the majority-white Juneau Police Department and the local Native community as well as the tensions between the Native community and local Black community.
According to the U.S. Census data, white people make up more than 60 percent of the population in Juneau, the capital of Alaska, which consists of just over 30,000 residents. Native Americans make up 8 percent of the population while Black people make up 1 percent.
The incident also led to protests from the local Native American community in front of the Juneau Police Department in the days following the incident.
“We’re not all here just for what happened to Chris,” Williams’ cousin, Pamela James, told the Juneau Independent during the protest.
“But this has happened multiple times in our town and none of us don’t seem to be feeling safe.”
Bailey, who has lived in Juneau for 30 years, said he has never had issues with the local cops over his race but has had issues with the local Native American community.
“According to the U.S. Census, there’s less than 300 Black families that live in Juneau, in a place that’s 31,000,” Bailey told the Juneau Independent.
“So we’re a minority within a minority within a minority — we’re a micro ethnic group here in this town. For us to actually grow and thrive, and live here and be part of the community, we have to be extra careful,” he said.
Although Black people have historically been persecuted by police in the United States; arrested, abused and killed at disproportionate rates compared to white people, Native Americans have had it even worse, according to several studies.
But despite Black people making up only 1 percent of the population and having nothing to do with the discrimination against the local Native American community, Didrickson revealed an unexplainable animosity towards the local Black community.
‘F_ck Black People’Bailey had just purchased his lunch at a gas station and placed the bag of food on a bench in front of a public library while he walked a few feet away to smoke a cigarette.
Didrickson, meanwhile, walked up and sat on the bench next to his food.
“I came to retrieve my food because she was talking to the air,” Bailey explained to Juneau police officer Terry Allen, the first cop to respond to the scene after a witness called police.
“I reach for my food, she grabbed my bag and told me, ‘Get off my bench, this is mine.’”
“She ripped the bag, and then she threw the water in my face. That’s assault.”
Bailey continued explaining to the cop that he and the woman were each tugging at the bag of food he had just purchased.
“She started insulting me,” he said, explaining that she walked away from him and started pestering a child with their mother by saying, “Come here, come here.”
“She was racially intimidating, pointing out the fact that I’m Black, that I don’t belong here.”
Another woman walking her dogs, who had called the police, told Allen it was the woman who began harassing Bailey, which is when they decided to arrest Didrickson.
“Y’all ain’t going to be talking about Black people no more,” Bailey can be heard saying in the background as they are arresting Didrickson.
“We ain’t gonna tolerate that sh_t no more.”
While she is being handcuffed, Didrickson asks the cops, “You guys like Black people?”
Meanwhile, Williams is standing near the scene, but it is not clear if he is interfering.
“Take care of him! Take care of him!” Didrickson tells Williams, who is standing a few feet behind them as she is being arrested.
That was when LeBlanc started shoving Williams.
“Go before you go to jail, too,” he said, shoving him on the sidewalk.
“F_ck him, f_ck Black people,” she says as she is being placed in the car.
Williams, meanwhile, did not appreciate being shoved by LeBlanc.
“F_cker! Don’t do that! Don’t do that!” he tells LeBlanc.
“Turn around, you’re going to jail too,” LeBlanc says, grabbing him and placing him against a patrol car.
“Put your hands behind your back,” the cop orders. “You’re about to get slammed.”
“I was walking,” Williams tells the cop, which was when LeBlanc picks him up and slams him, causing his head to strike the sidewalk, which knocked him out instantly, leaving him snoring.
“Walking now, huh?” LeBlanc taunted the unconscious man as he was handcuffing him.
When paramedics arrived, they asked Officer Allen why Williams was unconscious.
“He was fighting with my officer here,” Allen explained, even though video evidence clearly shows he was not fighting.
“They both went down to the ground, they both hit the cement here. He just started snoring.”
Bailey said he would like to engage in discussions between the local police department and the Native American community.
“I hope that he has a speedy recovery,” he told the Juneau Independent regarding Williams, who is still recovering from the head injury.
“I hope that all of us can go away from this unfortunate occurrence with a better understanding of each other,” Bailey added.
‘Insane’: Sydney Sweeney’s Fire Red Dress Has Fans Looking for Her ‘MAGA’ Hat After AE Ad Controversy
“Euphoria” star Sydney Sweeney stepped onto the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards stage last night, and her choice of clothing had the internet buzzing.
The 28-year-old actress wore a bright, strapless Oscar de la Renta gown in a color choice that many online commentators noted has been historically associated with the Republican Party.
Fans say Sydney Sweeney’s “true colors” are showing after her bold appearance at the Emmys Sunday night. (Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage)In recent months, Sweeney has faced controversies that have led fans to speculate about her alleged secret ties to Donald Trump or his right-wing MAGA movement. Her scarlet-hued dress at the Emmys only added fuel to the conversation about her political leanings.
“She’s never beating the MAGA allegations,” one individual on the X platform posted. A second person on the app sarcastically wrote, “She looks good, but we all know why she chose red.”
“Clearly forgot her red MAGA hat to go with her red MAGA dress else,” noted a third observer, while a fourth quipped, “Sydney Sweeney showing up to the Emmys dressed like the queen of MAGA is insane, lol.”
Sydney Sweeney arrives to the #Emmys red carpet. pic.twitter.com/K0taWoC2Ch
— Pop Base (@PopBase) September 14, 2025Sweeney appeared at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Sept. 14 to present the trophy in the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie category to Owen Cooper for “Adolescence.” She has not confirmed that her dress was a political message by wearing red to the televised event, which aired on CBS and streamed on Paramount+.
Previously, Sweeney’s connection to a clothing retailer also ignited a media firestorm about her alleged ties to the far-right in America.
In July 2025, Sweeney became the face of an advertising campaign for American Eagle Outfitters that centered around the Washington native having “good jeans.”
The play on words with “jeans” and “genes” led to allegations that the ads were subtly promoting eugenics, a white supremacist theory that blue-eyed, blond Caucasians are naturally superior to other races.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by American Eagle (@americaneagle)
The president’s oldest son, Donald Trump Jr., even leaned into the polarizing discourse surrounding the actress’s American Eagle campaign. He shared a fake image of the MAGA leader in an all-blue jean outfit on his Instagram page, leaving many to share wild theories about their secret ties.
“I think it’s important to have a finger on the pulse of what people are saying, because everything is a conversation with the audience,” Sweeney said in her August Wall Street Journal Magazine cover story, reflecting on how she handles backlash — specifically regarding criticism of her brand deal with Dr. Squatch.
Taking a page out of Erykah Badu’s book, Sweeney partnered with the men’s personal care brand to sell a soap supposedly made from her bathwater. She said, “It was mainly the girls making comments about it, which I thought was really interesting.”
Like those accounts trolling her online, “The White Lotus” season 1 cast member has addressed the accusations that she and her family are loyal Trump voters by using humor.
“I’m from a town called Spokane right on the border of Washington and Idaho,” Sweeney said during her monologue when hosting an episode of “Saturday Night Live” in March 2024.
She continued, “I feel bonds to both states. Like when people ask, ‘Where are you from?’ I say Washington. But when people ask, ‘Did you go to a Trump-themed party for your mom?’ I say, ‘I-da-ho.'”
Sweeney was on hand to present an award at this year’s Emmys, but she did secure two nominations from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in 2022. Her performances in “Euphoria” and “The White Lotus” earned nods, respectively.
After premiering at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival in September, the sports drama film “Christy” garnered rave reviews for Sweeney’s portrayal of former professional boxer Christy Martin in the biopic.
‘Falling Down Around His Top Leg’: Donald Trump’s Walk to Marine One Goes Viral After Bulk Under His Pants Sets Off a Firestorm Online
If there were ever another reason to question Donald Trump’s physical fitness, the ongoing speculation about him allegedly wearing adult diapers might be the final straw.
Earlier this summer, several images surfaced showing President Trump at public events appearing as though he was asleep on the job. The hashtag #DiaperDon soon began trending on X. The nickname was accompanied by accusations that the 79-year-old is unfit to lead the free world. Some Trump supporters attempted to reclaim the joke, holding signs at MAGA rallies that read “Real men wear diapers,” while trading jabs with critics online.
Donald Trump’s walk to Marine One has fans zooming in after one bulky detail set social media on fire. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP) (Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)#DiaperDon #DiaperMan #Unfit #TrumpPedoFiles #TrumpisaNationalDisgrace 1s pic.twitter.com/xJRy1ScI2x
— Heinz Tesch (@FallonTwain) July 14, 2025Speculation about Trump’s possible incontinence gained further traction after a photo went viral due to what many described as a suspicious-looking underwear region.
On Aug. 16, the Facebook page Daily Heroes shared an image of Trump walking toward Marine One. While the fan page aimed to spotlight his gravity-defying hairstyle, followers were more focused on what appeared to be bulkiness under his suit pants.
“Diaper falling down around his top leg,” one observant commenter noted.
Several others chimed in, “It looks like he has on a diaper.”
“The pic on the right looks like he’s got a load in his Depends.” Another declared, “He’s wearing a colostomy bag!”
Others repeated his latest nickname, “Diaper Don.”
While some Trump supporters insisted the images were doctored or taken on different days, rumors about “presidential pampers” have circulated for quite some time.
On Oct. 10, 2024, former President Barack Obama addressed a crowd in Pennsylvania while campaigning for former Vice President Kamala Harris during her presidential run. In his speech, he criticized Trump’s disconnect from the average American, labeling him a “selfish billionaire” who has done little to help others — “including changing his own children’s diapers.”
Obama went on to highlight the $6,000 tax credit Harris proposed for parents of newborns, contrasting it with Trump’s indifference toward working families. He said, “Because I don’t have to tell a lot of you, raising kids is hard, and she wants to make it easier to afford stuff like a crib or a car seat or diapers. I remember buying diapers. … I remember changing diapers. Do you think Donald Trump ever changed a diaper?”
The audience responded with a resounding “No!” followed by a pointed quip from one attendee: “His own!”
Laughing, Obama replied, “I almost said that… but I decided I shouldn’t say it.”
Obama: Or diapers. I remember buying diapers. Do you think Donald Trump ever changed a diaper?
Supporter: His own!
Obama: I almost said that, but I decided I should not say it. pic.twitter.com/iaUj89I2DD
The diaper discourse resurfaced weeks later during the Oct. 29 episode of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” when Kimmel revealed that podcast host Joe Rogan had made an unusual observation about Trump.
“Joe Rogan said that in the three hours they spent together, Trump didn’t pee before the podcast and didn’t pee after the podcast,” Kimmel told viewers. “I think the big takeaway is that Trump is for sure wearing diapers now, right?”
The segment gained traction on X after @TheChiefNerd shared the clip, sparking a wave of reactions.
“LOL! Trump didn’t get up to pee because he wears adult diapers. Rogan knows this and is low-key trolling Trump with his comment,” one user wrote.
Another added, “Even I would have needed to pee before and after. Trump is a gangster.”
And one commenter posed a more existential question: “He doesn’t sleep, doesn’t drink water, doesn’t even pee—is he even human?!”
Joe Rogan Gives His Thoughts on How the Podcast Went With President Trump
"He's got this ability to just keep going. This is what's crazy. The podcast was three hours long. The guy didn't pee before the podcast. He didn't pee after the podcast…He didn't drink anything during… pic.twitter.com/WZdoiFI833
‘Man Baby Lunatic!’: Florida Man Threatens to Shoot Teen Cyclist, But Viewers Zoom In on One Detail That Makes Him Look Less of a Tough Guy
A teen cyclist riding on a Tampa road captured a driver acting so unhinged that another motorist had to step in to try to defuse the situation.
However, that wasn’t enough to calm the enraged man, who threatened to shoot the young man, likely more than half his age.
A Tampa, Florida, man was captured on video during a road rage dispute. (Photos: Reddit/Ancient_Hyper_Sniper)The video, posted on Reddit, shows a white truck driving alongside the cyclist with the teen yelling, “The speed limit is 35.”
The driver’s response is inaudible, but it sets off the cyclist, who alleges the man flipped him off before the camera started recording.
“Shut the F—k up,” the teen says.
The video then shows the gray-haired driver stopping and getting out of his vehicle to confront the teen. That’s when the confrontation gets intense. The pair go back and forth, and the man seemingly pushes the teen, challenges him to fight, and tells him, “Do it and I’ll f—king shoot you.”
Road Rage on Bayshorebyu/Ancient_Hyper_Sniper intampa
The driver doesn’t appear to have a gun, but the 19-year-old pulls out a knife and warns the man to “back up.”
“You just assaulted me for no f—ing reason. It’s all on camera. It’s all on camera. It’s all on camera. Get the f–k in your truck,” the teen says.
Still yelling and cursing, the driver gets back into his vehicle and says, “I’ll show you something I really have.”
“I don’t give a f—k if you have a gun or not, you’re not going to do sh-t with,” the teen says.
The verbal altercation gets so heated that another man tries to intervene as the teen attempts to call the cops.
“It’s not worth it. Drive away,” the bystander says.
The teen, who commented on the video under the username tbbenjy, stated that he had filed a police report and that the driver had been cited for similar behavior in the past. He also admitted that he was wrong to “keep poking at the lunatic.”
“The guys name is Dustin Daprizio and was arrested in March for battery, TPD also filed a risk protection order against him. Which is when the police file to remove your fire arms because you’re a threat to others or yourself. Sure I got punked, b-tched, whatever you want to say, but taking that fight wasn’t worth getting shot by a man baby lunatic with roid rage. He owns Bio scene care located in Hyde Park right off of Bayshore in the business complex behind those apartments. He’s retired navy and clearly has mental issues. That’s all I have to say and I don’t really give a shit about any brain dead opinions saying I should’ve fought back,” tbbenjy said.
The video garnered over 2,000 comments on Reddit. Most viewers sided with the cyclist.
“50-year-old tough dude with a diamond stud nose piercing,” one viewer wrote. “Guy is unhinged, definitely doesn’t need to carry a firearm IMO,” another viewer wrote.