‘Idiotic Display of Narcissism’: White House ‘Gift Shop’ Featuring Trump 2028 Merchandise Fuels Backlash as Trump Flirts with Third Term
It wasn’t on the official White House tour. But when Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan visited last week for peace talks, President Donald Trump ushered them into a side room lined with hats, shirts, and souvenirs—emblazoned not with the seal of the United States, but with “Trump 2028” and “4 More Years.”
As cameras rolled, Trump grinned and held up one of his name-brand caps: “Everyone wants me to run again,” he joked. Aliyev, caught between diplomatic politeness and visible discomfort, replied, “including us.”
The exchange might have been an odd footnote — except that it came after the Supreme Court recently granted presidents absolute immunity for actions taken while in office. To critics, it was proof that Trump sees that new shield as a license to flout the Constitution’s two-term limit, and to market the idea shamelessly from inside the seat of power.
U.S. President Donald Trump (C) arrives at a signing ceremony with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev (3rd-L) and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan (R) in the State Dining Room of the White House on August 8, 2025 in Washington, DC. The agreement signed to during the ceremony is intended to bring an end to the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijani that has lasted for decades. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)Republicans have stayed silent. Progressives have not. “Disgusting,” wrote Trump critic Brian Tyler Cohen, who shared a reel of the moment on Facebook.
Broadcaster Mehdi Hasan noted, “We all laugh and roll our eyes and yet I am trying to think what the reaction — especially from right wing media — would have been in 2013 if Obama had showed a foreign dictator around the White House while chuckling and revealing 2016 third term merch to him hidden in a closet.”
Trump shows off to the Azerbaijan dictator a section in the White House dedicated to Trump 2028 merch, as they discuss Trump unlawfully pursuing another term pic.twitter.com/nK8tQEACWI
— MeidasTouch (@MeidasTouch) August 9, 2025Meanwhile, Republicans tried to divert attention away from the controversy, bringing up the latest string of international agreements Trump has been involved with to reinforce his image as a negotiator. They claim Trump has been calling world leaders directly and pushing for resolutions to long-running disputes, as Trump has openly expressed his desire to win a Nobel Peace Prize.
The deal Trump brokered between Aliyev and Pashinyan in the latest international effort to resolve the two South Caucasus nations’ long-running Nagorno-Karabakh dispute was widely viewed as a major setback for the Kremlin, a clear rebuke to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Since launching his full-scale war on Ukraine in 2022, Putin has seen Moscow’s influence over former Soviet territories steadily fade. Adding to Putin’s frustration, the agreement includes a role for U.S. troops in regional peacekeeping.
However, despite whatever victory Republicans could claim on the diplomatic front, critics felt Trump’s personal White House gift shop, complete with Trump 2028 merchandise, underscored his grifting and pursuit of another term despite legal barriers.
The product display sparked backlash from progressives, who accused Trump of once again flouting the Constitution and ignoring the dignity of the presidency.
Commentator Kyle Kulinski took aim at Trump’s remodeling of the White House. “Trump is gold plating everything in the White House while cutting cancer research and Meals on Wheels,” Kulinski wrote on X, posting a photo of Trump walking through an Oval Office doorway lined with gold fixtures.
Elsewhere across social media, everyday Americans took serious issue with the president’s grifting.
“As an American citizen, this makes me feel hopeless. Our system no longer matters anymore as it’s just a pay-to-play and succeed. Every day I am reminded that the system of checks and balances doesn’t matter as he can just sh– all over them with no consequences,” one person commented on the version of the video posted to Threads.
“What a vulgar, idiotic display of narcissism. He cheapens the White House every day he’s in it,” one critic wrote.
Other critics blasted Trump for paving over the century-old Rose Garden and turning it into a patio — a move that has drawn widespread condemnation.
Democratic strategist Chris D. Jackson echoed the criticism. “Aside from ruining the Rose Garden, Trump turned the Oval Office into a tacky gold palace—like something out of Saddam Hussein’s playbook,” he said. “While they slash Medicaid, veterans benefits, and education, he’s blinging out a place he’s supposed to leave in 3 years. Pathetic priorities. Total disgrace.”
Author Stephen King was also blunt: “Trump is turning American democracy into an oligarchy.”
The current political climate was rich with irony. In the Gilded Age, Mark Twain mocked the “thin layer of gold” masking America’s social cracks—opulence covering poverty, corruption, and inequality. Trump’s gold-trimmed White House décor, the cheap synthetic shine of Chinese-made “Trump 2028” goods, and his flirtations with a third term echo that era’s “champagne and soot” dynamic: a dazzling personal brand laid over deep institutional corrosion.
Trump, for his part, has alternated between denying and dangling the prospect of running for another term. On CNBC’s “Squawk Box” Tuesday, he said he would “probably not” run for a third term. “I’d like to run,” he added, citing “the best poll numbers I’ve ever had.”
But in March, he told NBC there “are methods” to get around the 22nd Amendment, which prohibits any person from being elected president more than twice. Politico reported that his allies have floated repealing the amendment or positioning him as vice president to then ascend to the presidency.
The White House communications shop is already defending the merchandise.
“Americans overwhelmingly approve and support President Trump and his America First policies,” communications director Steven Cheung said in March. “As the president said, it’s far too early to think about it, and he is focused on undoing all the hurt Biden has caused and Making America Great Again.”
Still, the viral clip — showing Trump promoting MAGA caps to foreign leaders — landed differently depending on the politics. Supporters saw it as trademark Trump confidence and flair, selling the idea of made in America. But critics saw it as more evidence that Trump sees himself as above the law, willing to sidestep constitutional limits, with a party willing to help him cling to power.
‘I Could Have Changed the Course of History’: Oscar Winner Emma Thompson Says Donald Trump Tracked Her Down the Day She Divorced Using a Number No One Had; What He Wanted Left Her Shaken
Oscar-winning actress Emma Thompson recently revealed that Donald Trump once asked her out in a way that left her uneasy. Speaking at the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland, the “Cruella” star recalled his unexpected phone call, which came during a rough patch in her personal life, and described how the then-future president pursued her despite the circumstances.
Thompson’s encounter with Trump occurred in 1998 while she was working on the set of “Primary Colors,” the political satire inspired by Bill Clinton’s presidential campaign.
Thompson later realized Trump’s call came the very day her divorce from Kenneth Branagh was finalized. The timing felt too exact to be a coincidence, leaving the British actress unsettled and questioning how he could have known such intimate details about her private life.
“A phone rang in my trailer, and it was Donald Trump. I thought it was a joke,” Thompson revealed to the festival audience, according to Variety.
Emma Thompson arriving at Westminster Abbey, central London, ahead of the coronation ceremony of King Charles III and Queen Camilla. Picture date: Saturday May 6, 2023. PA Photo. See PA story ROYAL Coronation. Photo credit should read: Andrew Milligan/PA WireThe conversation that followed was brief but memorable, with Trump saying, “I would love for you to stay in one of my beautiful places, and maybe we could have dinner.”
Thompson’s initial reaction was disbelief, admitting she thought someone might be playing an elaborate prank on her. However, the reality of the situation soon became clear, and she politely declined his invitation.
What troubled Thompson most wasn’t just the timing of the call, but how Trump had managed to track down her trailer phone number on a film set.
She characterized this behavior as “stalking,” expressing concern about the methods used to locate and contact her during such a private moment. The actress speculated that Trump likely had assistants monitoring court records to identify recently divorced women who might be available for dating, a practice that struck her as both calculated and invasive.
Thompson’s story adds another layer to the extensive documentation of Trump’s romantic pursuits during his years as a New York socialite and businessman. His dating history includes numerous actresses and models, though not all of these connections have been confirmed.
Candice Bergen once described going on what she called “a really dud” of a blind date with Trump when she was just 18, noting that she was “home by 9:00 PM” and describing him as “a good-looking guy and a douche,” People reported.
Among the confirmed relationships were actress Marla Maples, who began an affair with Trump while he was still married to his first wife, Ivana. This relationship became highly publicized, particularly after a confrontation between Ivana and Marla at an Aspen resort in 1989.
The affair eventually led to Trump’s divorce from Ivana and his subsequent marriage to Maples in 1993, with whom he had daughter Tiffany.
Other documented relationships included model Kara Young in the late 1990s and model Karen McDougal, who allegedly had a secret affair with Trump from 2006 to 2007, according to The Advocate.
Several other actresses and models, Newsweek reports, including Anna Nicole Smith, Carla Bruni, Catherine Oxenberg, and Robin Givens, have been rumored to have romantic connections with Trump, though they have publicly denied any such involvement.
The complex dynamics within Trump’s extended family continue to play out in public settings.
Recent events, such as Tiffany Trump’s baby shower in April 2025, highlight the intricate relationships between his current wife Melania and his former wife. Melania’s absence from the Miami celebration sparked speculation about family tensions, though sources attributed her absence to prior commitments with son Barron.
The relationship between Melania and Marla Maples has maintained an appearance of civility over the years, with both women attending family events like Tiffany’s 2022 wedding. However, their interactions suggest carefully maintained boundaries, particularly regarding events that bring together multiple generations and branches of the Trump family tree.
At the center of it is the reality star’s five children and their mothers. These family relationships have evolved against the backdrop of very public divorces and remarriages.
Ivana Trump, who died in 2022, had written extensively about her marriage to Donald and the challenges of co-parenting after their bitter divorce. Despite the difficult circumstances and anecdotes about the billionaire chasing women in Hollywood and other forms of entertainment, she dedicated her memoir to Donald and their three children.
The “How to Build a Girl” actress concluded her festival story with a dose of wit, joking that if she had accepted Donald Trump’s invitation years ago, “I could have changed the course of American history.”
Her laugh pointed to the unpredictable ripple effects that personal choices can have. Still, some might argue she was simply tying the tale up neatly, noting that even his current wife hasn’t been able to shift his thinking.
‘No it’s darker’:Carrie Underwood Goes Back to Hair Color She Hasn’t Worn Since Age 12, Fans Zoom In, Insist One Feature Proves She Isn’t Being Truthful
Carrie Underwood has a new look.
The eight-time Grammy Award-winning songstress, who is known for her golden blond hair, is going back to her roots. In an Aug. 4 carousel post, she ditched her signature hair color and showed the world what shade her natural hair really is. Not only did the shocking revelation take some fans by surprise, but others suggested that Underwood needed to change other aspects of her appearance to better match the new hair.
Carrie Underwood fans give side-eye after she shares what is supposed to be her natural hair color. (Photo by Joy Malone/Getty Images)She uploaded three slides in the Monday post showing off her sandy brown hair. The first two were close-up photos of her from the chest up. She smiled warmly in both as her hair, which was gently curled, lay on shoulders. The third slide was a video of Underwood turning her head side to side, showing off both angles of her tresses.
In the caption, she wrote, “Well, the last time I saw my natural hair color, I was probably about 12 years old, but I thought it might be time to give it a second chance. Thanks, @hairbykatelin_ at @parlour3beauty for helping me get back to my roots! #NewOldMe #Bronde”
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According to Underwood’s hairstylist Katelin, to achieve her natural hair color, she didn’t simply grow it out. The Nashville hairstylist explained that she colored it, gave it a cut, and styled it.
Many people praised the “All-American Girl” singer’s transformation, while others thought the look didn’t work with another facial feature — her eyebrows. Her eyebrows are of a darker tone that looks close to black, and some thought they contrasted too much with her new hair color.
One person said, “Does no one not notice the Black eye brows? Too dark.”
Another person wrote, “Tone down the eye brows. They are awful. Hair is good.”
Because of her eyebrows, others rejected the idea that the hairstylist had executed the true tone of her natural hair.
One person commenting on Extra TV’s post wrote, “No it’s darker than that … Look at her eyebrows.”
Another person on BuzzFeed said, “That is NOT her natural hair color. Look at her eyebrows. That’s her natural hair color.”
While some celebrities don’t mind switching up their look, Underwood has only ever been seen with blond hair dating back to her “American Idol” days in 2005. She kept the look throughout the entirety of her career, and the rare occasions when fans got to see something different were when her dark roots began to grow in.
So the ash-blond look is quite the change, but trying different hair colors is something Underwood wishes she had done earlier in her career.
In 2012, she told Refinery29, “I’d love to do a little more with hair color. I’ve always been blonde! The problem is, I don’t want to shock people — like if I dyed my hair brown, I don’t want people [to] think I’m turning dark and serious. I wish I had started changing my hair around in the beginning, then it wouldn’t be such a big shock if I did something like that now.”
‘Brazen Demonstration of Racism’: Black Attorney Says She Was Lured to Big Law Firm to Be Its ‘Diversity Hire,’ Then Fired After Speaking Up When the Office Did ‘Virtually Nothing’ to Stop It
A Black Chicago attorney is suing her former law firm, alleging she was “unceremoniously fired” in retaliation for complaining about one act of discrimination after she spent years working in the office under a racially hostile environment that she claims went unchecked.
Ashley Ogedegbe was hired to work at McDermott Will & Emery in October 2022.
Ashley Ogedegbe is suing her former law firm. (Credit: Wigdor law firm/Google Maps)According to ABA Journal, Ogedegbe left her job at her old firm to work at McDermott’s practice under the presumption she’d be working with a “warm, welcoming and collaborative” team.
“Unfortunately, however, this congenial work environment was not available to Black lawyers and particularly Black women,” her suit states.
The complaint alleges the law firm did little to nothing to stop the “egregious and open racism” permeating their office, and that Ogedegbe was fired after reporting only one of the discriminatory incidents she experienced.
According to the complaint, Ogedegbe’s first day on the job included a tour by one Black receptionist who warned her, “Black women don’t last at the firm.”
Ogedegbe’s suit claims that the incidents that followed lent credibility to that statement.
In November 2022, she attended an associate retreat that featured a diversity and inclusion program led by a Black woman presenter.
During the program, associates were asked to answer questions that included, “What do you hide about yourself at work?” and “What are you most proud of?”
The suit states that the answers were electronically displayed on a large screen. To Ogedegbe’s “shock and horror,” her fellow associates’ answers included “multiple egregiously racist and antisemitic comments,” including references to “white pride,” “white skin,” “white power,” and “Nazism.”
“The fact that these comments were made is abhorrent in itself, but even more so because they were made at a diversity and inclusion program – a blatant attempt to threaten and intimidate a disproportionately minority audience. Indeed, the Associates hid behind their ability to post these statements anonymously,” the suit states.
Ogedegbe claimed the office did “virtually nothing” to address the “brazen demonstration of racism. No training or remedial action was taken.
When one of Ogedegbe’s ex-colleagues pressured the firm to issue a formal apology and conduct an internal investigation, “she was directed not to discuss the matter further and terminated shortly thereafter,” the suit states.
The firm’s diversity committee also opted not to issue any written statements for fear they would be leaked to the blog Above the Law, according to the suit.
The firm later claimed that McDermott’s chairman condemned the behavior the day after the program. The suit states that it’s “not clear that this actually occurred,” and, if it did occur, “it occurred at a nonmandatory meeting that was poorly attended.”
In another instance, Ogedegbe was asked to write, present, and publish an article for the firm. However, when it was published, the firm identified the author as another Nigerian associate who worked in an office in a different state.
“There is no more egregious example of the ‘all Black people are the same’ attitude at the Firm than this,” the suit states.
Ogedegbe often displayed outstanding work on multiple occasions, according to the complaint. In one instance, white lawyers who were given the fruit of Ogedegbe’s labor “performed so poorly that Ms. Ogedegbe had to correct their work, but only from behind the scenes.”
In another case, Ogedegbe was told that she was going to need to be the “fall person” after a white income Partner made various mistakes.
Despite facing a “constant barrage of discrimination and inequality,” Ogedegbe still maintained stellar performance reviews in her years on the firm’s staff. Two dozen of those reviews are listed in the complaint.
The complaint states that Ogedegbe was “subjected to blatant and consistent discrimination, including, but not limited to, disparate work allocation and opportunities, exclusion from important trainings, meetings, phone calls, conferences, etc., discriminatory appropriation of Ms. Ogedegbe’s work and the list goes on.”
The conduct and environment Ogedegbe suffered culminated in one final discriminatory incident in fall 2024, which she complained about to a colleague, and eventually to HR.
After she complained, her relationship with the firm began to sour. The suit states that she was “removed from various projects and given fabricated poor performance feedback.”
Even a colleague who often recruited Ogedegbe to join several of his projects because of her excellent performance “retaliatorily” blocked a transfer into his group for one firm initiative after she filed her complaint.
“Ultimately, in March 2025, Ms. Ogedegbe was unceremoniously terminated in retaliation for engaging in protected activity. The Partners that Ms. Ogedegbe worked for most frequently were not even notified about the decision to terminate her,” the suit states.
Ogedegbe is now alleging the firm committed multiple civil rights violations, unlawful employment practices, and discriminatory and retaliatory treatment due to her race.
Her suit seeks punitive damages, attorneys’ fees, and reinstatement to her position.
According to her suit, McDermott Will & Emery has “shown a remarkable apathy for hiring,
developing, retaining and promoting people of color, even while it tells the outside world that it is committed to racial diversity.”
Of the firm’s 700 partners, only 22 (3 percent) are Black, and only 9 (1.2 percent) are Black women, according to the complaint. No Black attorneys are part of the firm’s chief executive members, and 10 out of the 11 people on the leadership team are white. The only Black member of the team is the Head of Diversity.
“In reality, the Firm wanted Ms. Ogedegbe in Chicago because it had no Black female attorneys in Chicago, which was hurting its recruitment and client development efforts,” the suit states. “To that end, Ms. Ogedegbe was included in client pitches to help the Firm appear diverse but then given no work when the Firm was retained.”
‘Them Little Baby Tiger Marks’: Ciara Lifts Her Shirt to Reveal the Results of Four Pregnancies, but Fans Say They’re Practically Invisible
Ciara is redefining what it means to embrace motherhood in all its forms. The 39-year-old singer and mother of four recently took to Instagram with an empowering message about body positivity, proudly showing the stretch marks she’s earned through her journey as a mom.
In a social media landscape that often pushes unrealistic beauty standards, the “Level Up” artist is opting for vulnerability over perfection — and her fans are loving it.
Ciara showed her post-baby stretch marks in a body-positive Instagram post, drawing praise from fans who say they can barely see them. (Photo: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)Ciara shares 11-year-old Future Zahir with ex-partner Future, and three children with husband Russell Wilson — Sienna Princess, 8, Win Harrison, 5, and 19-month-old Amora Princess.
In her latest post, she addressed the pressure many women feel to hide their postpartum bodies. Wearing a cream sweatsuit, Ciara lifted her shirt and pulled down her waistband to reveal the marks that tell the story of her pregnancies.
“I am a mom of my precious four babies and they have blessed me with these stretch marks,” she said in the sponsored video post. “Why am I going to cover up when I can show off?”
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Ciara (@ciara)
Her message struck a chord with her 35.4 million followers, sparking conversations about self-acceptance and the beauty of motherhood’s physical reminders.
In true Ciara fashion, she added a creative spin, humming along to the melody of “The Hokey Pokey” with new lyrics that perfectly captured her point: “I put my left arm in, I let my worries out. I put my whole self in and I shake it all about. I drop my skinhibitions and I dance it all about, that’s what it’s all about.”
The singer coined “skinhibitions” to describe the hesitations people feel about showing their natural skin.
In the caption, Ciara revealed the deeper purpose behind her post, explaining her collaboration with a brand she respects.
“We all have moments when we don’t feel great about our skin — I’m no different. I’ve been seeing SO many conversations lately feeling like we have to cover up or hide,” she wrote, encouraging followers to share their own experiences.
But in the comment section, many admitted they could barely see the stretch marks she referenced.
“Looking for the stretch marks,” one person wrote.
Another added, “Love it, but I didn’t see anything CiCi.”
The playful banter kept going. “Girl, we love you but them little baby tiger marks ain’t nothing. Let me show you my daddy tiger marks,” one joked.
Another chimed in, “Girl I have stretch marks and I don’t even have kids.”
Supportive messages followed as well, with one person writing, “No mom should be ashamed of stretch marks they are a part of motherhood. We all need to embrace it and just love the skin that was naturally given to us.”
Ciara has long impressed fans with her post-baby transformations. Time and again, she’s bounced back to her pre-pregnancy shape, often sharing her fitness routines along the way.
Her ability to embrace pregnancy changes while still maintaining her figure has made her a role model for many mothers.
The timing of this body-positive message hasn’t gone unnoticed.
Fans have been speculating for months about whether she and Russell Wilson might be working on their fifth child, because of the way they flood the internet with multiple public demonstrations of affection.
Back in December 2024, rumors ramped up after Ciara posted photos in a fur suit with loose, baggy clothing while posing near a private jet. The look reminded fans of her previous pregnancy announcements, where she also wore oversized outfits before revealing she was expecting Amora Princess.
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Russell Wilson’s public adoration of his wife only adds to the chatter.
He’s consistently praised Ciara’s beauty and parenting skills, and his affectionate posts about her post-pregnancy glow have people reading between the lines.
Many fans also note that Ciara’s allure hasn’t faded — if anything, it’s grown.
Supporters encourage her to embrace her curves, praising the way she carries her “thickness” in all the right places. Whether she is performing on stage or joining a TikTok challenge to Nicki Minaj’s 2013 song, “High School.”
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Ciara (@ciara)
Others marvel at her ability to look radiant whether she’s in full glamour mode or keeping it casual with the kids. That mix of maternal strength and sex appeal has solidified her status as both relationship goals and a symbol of confidence for women.
Whether or not baby number five is in the plans, Ciara’s latest post is a powerful reminder that motherhood leaves beautiful marks — literally and figuratively.
‘Those Poor Wives at the Pool with Their Husbands’: Ice-T’s Wife Coco Austin Flaunts Famous Curves in Sheer High-Cut Swimsuit Despite Criticism of Her Always Being Too Sexy In Public
Coco Austin is no stranger to turning heads, and her latest Instagram post proves she has no intention of slowing down anytime soon.
The 46-year-old model and wife of “Law & Order: SVU” star Ice-T once again set social media ablaze when she showcased her famous curves in an impossibly high-cut sheer swimsuit that left little to the imagination. The scanty OMG SWIM one-piece featured strategically placed sheer panels that flashed her chest while she stretched out on a beach lounge chair, her blond hair still damp from a swim.
Coco Austin sparked debate with her latest revealing swimsuit photos, showcasing her rear-end, dividing fans between praise and criticism. (Instagram/ @coco)The mother of one has built her entire brand around her provocative style, and this latest beach display was no exception.
The buxom bombshell tantalized her almost 3 million Instagram followers with the revealing swimsuit that did nothing to hide her backside, cementing her status as someone who refuses to conform to society’s expectations about age-appropriate attire.
Her caption kept things playful and simple, writing “Just a girl that loves swimsuits and the water,” as she posed confidently in the small ensemble.
View this post on InstagramThe response from her loyal fanbase was immediate and enthusiastic.
“Suns out buns out,” one follower joked in the comments, while another praised her with “World famous curves and good vibes all day long.”
A third admirer couldn’t help but acknowledge the effect she might have on other beachgoers, writing, “Those poor wives at the pool with their husbands!”
The overwhelming support from her Instagram audience stood in stark contrast to reactions elsewhere online.
When the images were shared on Daily Mail, readers offered a more mixed response.
One person attempted to balance criticism with kindness, stating “If she wasn’t such a nice and sweet person, I would ‘crack’ a joke about her, but I won’t. This woman is genuinely nice.”
Others were less diplomatic, with one commenting bluntly, “Nobody wants to see her stank behind besides her husband,” while another questioned the appropriateness of her swimwear choices around families, writing, “Maybe not the best suit for a pool where kids are enjoying their day?? But the dads must be incapacitated, unable to stand or leave the water??”
This latest controversy is just one in a long line of criticisms Austin has faced throughout her decades-long modeling career.
The California native has been defending her provocative style since she began modeling as a teenager, with her career skyrocketing when she appeared on the cover of Swimwear Illustrated at just 18 years old in 1997. During a recent appearance on the “Shoes Off Talk Podcast” on July 17, Austin made it crystal clear that she has no plans to change her approach, regardless of her age or critics’ concerns.
Austin’s defiant stance extends beyond just defending her current choices – she’s positioning herself as a trailblazer for today’s social media models.
Speaking alongside her husband Ice-T on the podcast, she boldly declared her pioneering role in the industry, explaining how she paved the way during a time before the Kardashians and when Jennifer Lopez was just emerging as a cultural force.
The criticism isn’t limited to just her revealing outfits. Austin and Ice-T have faced ongoing scrutiny about their parenting approach with their 9-year-old daughter Chanel, particularly regarding the example Austin’s posts might set. The couple recently celebrated Chanel’s birthday with a family dinner that included a Roblox-themed cake, but even this wholesome celebration drew criticism from some who felt the restaurant setting seemed more suited for adults than a young child.
Ice-T and Coco Austin face backlash over 9-year-old daughter Chanel’s birthday dinner, with critics saying it looked more like an “adult party.” (Instagram/ @coco)The debate intensified during their Fourth of July celebration when Austin posted photos of herself in a bikini featuring red, white, and blue colors with white stars strategically placed. Critics once again voiced concerns about the appropriateness of such displays, especially considering her role as a mother to a young daughter.
View this post on InstagramDespite the ongoing controversy, Austin maintains strong support from her husband of 22 years, who has consistently defended both her modeling career and their parenting choices. Ice-T has repeatedly told critics to focus on their own families while praising Austin as an incredible mother.
The couple operates on the principle that they’ll raise Chanel according to their own values, regardless of public opinion. Moreover, Austin appears to be firmly committed to representing women in their 40s, flaunting her body and giving the finger to societal expectations about age-appropriate behavior.
‘Boris Came with It’: Nicole Ari Parker Found the Perfect First Home for Herself, Then Boris Kodjoe Stepped In with One Line That Has Women Everywhere Swooning
Nicole Ari Parker has fans melting over her husband after recounting the early days in their marriage.
On Aug. 5, Parker sat down for an interview with Keke Palmer on her podcast “Baby, This is Keke Palmer,” where Parker revealed a romantic moment between her and her husband, Boris Kodjoe, when she was going house shopping.
Nicole Ari Parker shares romantic gesture her husband made when she was going house hunting. (Photo by Lars Niki/Getty Images for Ashley Stewart)Parker revealed that at the end of their fourth season of “Soul Food,” which was how she and Kodjoe first met, she had saved enough money to buy her first house in Los Angeles. Kodjoe’s character Damon Carter had been written out of the show but, according to Parker, some of the cast members were so close that several of them kept in contact. This included herself and Kodjoe.
She revealed that Kodjoe offered to look for a house with her.
She said, “So I had found the house. It was in my price range. It was going to be my first purchase.” But after walking around, Kodjoe had a proposition.
“He’s looking around and he goes, ‘You know, we could get more space if we did it together.’”
Per People, Kodjoe shared that he and Parker started dating sometime after season 2 of their series. Parker told Palmer that she remained cautious about getting involved with Kodjoe because when they met “he had every girlfriend on the planet.”
She said, “This was my big break. What if he broke my heart and now I’m depressed on my show. I wasn’t going to do all that.”
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Wives Virtue (@wivesofvirtuechicago)
During the last season of filming, Kodjoe was already off of the show but they were still emailing each other. At the time she and her cast mate Malinda Williams were renting a big house together, when one day Parker received an email with an attachment.
Once it fully opened, she realized it was a home that Kodjoe recommended that they get, and it came with a tennis court and a pool.
She told Palmer, “He is standing in front of it and he says, ‘I found our house.’”
Fans were so taken by the story that they shared their reaction in the comments of the clip shared by the Wives Virtue Instagram page.
One person said, “Now that’s what #intentional looks like.”
Someone else commented, “I can’t stop smiling. I’m going to puke.”
Others commented on the actual interview on Youtube.
One person wrote, “The fact that he said, ‘We could get more space if we did it together’ is literally sending me. I can’t. Definitely should write a book and even a movie.”
Another person who praised Boris’ efforts said, “Boy Boris came with it!!”
After meeting on set, Kodjoe and Parker tied the knot in his home town Gundelfingen, Germany, in 2005. They took no time to start a family. That same year they got married they welcomed their daughter Sophie and the next year, Parker gave birth to their son Nicolas.
Parker explained to Palmer that Kodjoe really aspired to be a father and a husband.
“He really wanted to be married with kids and we got a boy and a girl and two dogs.” It’s been more than 20 years together and Parker clarified that everyday is not marital bliss. However, she said, there has been a new “resurgence” of their romance now that their kids are out of the house.
‘What the Hell is That’: New Photo of Donald Trump Walking Into the Oval Office Sparks Outrage After Fans Zoom In on the Door
President Donald Trump’s Oval Office redesign has many Americans scratching their heads and rolling their eyes.
After Trump was inaugurated as the 47th president of the United States on Jan. 20, 2025, the Republican leader had drastic changes made to the White House’s most famous room.
President Donald Trump covering the Oval Office in golden ornaments has his critics in an uproar. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)Newsweek reported in March that Trump, 79, altered the decor of the Oval Office to resemble the lavish interior design of his Trump Tower in New York and Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
Doors, walls, and the fireplace were embellished with extravagant gold ornaments. Even the old neutral-colored picture frames in the office were replaced with gilded edges.
The ceiling trim and fireplace mantle also now contain bright embellishments. Gold curtains remained in place from former President Joe Biden’s four-year stint as commander in chief from 2021 to 2025.
trump’s oval office update…looking like a new gilded age pic.twitter.com/QaDX1getN6
— Brad (@BraddrofliT) July 18, 2025As photos of Trump’s newly renovated workspace spread on the internet this week, many social media users first learned about the Queens-born real estate magnate’s alterations.
“He’s destroying the country and the White House,” Democratic political strategist and liberal organizer Adam Parkhomenko, 39, captioned an Instagram picture of Trump walking into his new-look Oval Office.
Parkhomenko pushed for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to run for the presidency in 2016. Clinton won the Democratic nomination but suffered an upset general election loss to Trump by a 304 to 227 margin in the Electoral College.
Many of Parkhomenko’s followers joined in on slamming Trump’s gaudy decorations. For instance, one person sarcastically asked, “What the hell is that?,” While comparing the decorations to a Hobby Lobby project.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Adam Parkhomenko (@adamparkhomenko)
“Money can’t buy you taste. But I guess it can buy an election,” a second critic expressed, referring to the reports that billionaire backers, like Tesla CEO Elon Musk, spent millions of dollars to influence the outcome of the 2024 election on behalf of Trump.
“Strangely, the cheap gold ornamentation isn’t the most hideous thing in the photo,” another criticizer wrote about the ex-host of “The Apprentice” reality television show, who managed to defeat then-Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential race to win his second term.
Trump was even accused of shopping at a local Washington, D.C., discount store when a commenter suggested, “He must have bought out every gold-colored piece of junk from Dollar Tree in all of D.C.”
Additionally, someone joked, “Remember when Republicans said [former President Barack Obama] would turn the White House ghetto!!” Yet another offended commenter added, “Tacky. His throne should be delivered any day now.”
"CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED. LONG LIVE THE KING!"
–President Donald J. Trump pic.twitter.com/IMr4tq0sMB
Trump’s team has embraced presenting him as a monarch. In February, the official White House account on X tweeted a fake magazine cover featuring the polarizing politician wearing a crown with the words “LONG LIVE THE KING” on the front.
That post by Trump’s team also garnered significant backlash. Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker sent out a tweet that stated, “As Governor of Illinois, my oath is to the Constitution of our state and our nation. We don’t have kings in America, and I won’t bend the knee to one.”
Voters can expect more extreme modifications to the official residence of the POTUS in the coming months. The White House announced a $200 million, 90,000-square-foot state ballroom will be constructed 100 yards from the main building.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by The White House (@whitehouse)
The project is set to begin in September 2025, with McCrery Architects creating the design and Clark Construction heading the building effort. White House chief of staff Susie Wiles provided a statement about the forthcoming White House Ballroom.
“President Trump is a builder at heart and has an extraordinary eye for detail,” Wiles said about the founder of The Trump Organization, the private company that is currently fronted by the president’s sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump.
Wiles resumed, “The President and the Trump White House are fully committed to working with the appropriate organizations to preserving the special history of the White House while building a beautiful ballroom that can be enjoyed by future Administrations and generations of Americans to come.”
Trump also had a section of the 112-year-old White House Rose Garden paved over in order for the grass to be replaced with a concrete patio, igniting condemnation from political traditionalists. The historic landmark was first created by First Lady Ellen Wilson in 1913 before being upgraded in 1962 during President John F. Kennedy’s administration.
‘You’re Almost 60 Will’: Will Smith’s Bra-Throw Moment Sparks Wild Midlife Crisis Rumors Amid Jada’s Disappearance
Will Smith recently encountered a surprising incident with a fan while performing in Belgium on Aug. 5 for the Ronquieres Festival. He’s been overseas for his Based on a True Story tour and has posted some highlights from his trip. In one of the recent moments he shared, he was in the middle of rapping a track from his latest album when an audience member suddenly threw a woman’s undergarment onto the stage. Smith’s response had his followers looking at him sideways.
Will Smith accused of having a mid-life crisis after live performance incident with fan. (Photos by Isa Foltin/WireImage; Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)The video starts with Smith rapping and vocal arranger Bryson Camper singing the lyrics “I’m bulletproof,” as instrumentalist Oscar Brown III played the guitar. The trio did their bit at the edge of the stage when suddenly a pink bra came flying and landed at Smith’s feet. But the “Men In Black” actor didn’t acknowledge it initially as he and the other two performers continued for a few more seconds until the end of the song.
With one finger pointed up into the air, he screamed “yeah” into the microphone before looking down at the bra. The video cuts to Smith bending down to pick up the undergarment as he says “Ah man. I’m gonna – there’s kids here. There’s kids here.” He then hands the bra back out to an off camera individual in the audience.
He wrote, “I appreciate the support” in the caption, which some fans believe the actor used the word “support” as a pun.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Will Smith (@willsmith)
But what was supposed to be a fun and innocent moment left some people concerned that he was going through some life struggles.
One person said, “Are you still going through a midlife crisis.”
Another person wrote, “How did he lose all of his coolness?”
Someone else criticizing him said, “You’re almost 60 Will.”
A fourth said, “You are so cringe mate. Fell off a cliff.”
At least one person defended “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.”
“Why people saying he experiencing a midlife crisis just because he’s rapping in his 50’s. Eminem is 52,” they said. “If he was on stage right now rapping, no one would be saying this let the guy have some fun.”
Smith and his family have been under an at-times unflattering spotlight for the past several years. In the early stages of the backlash, Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, caught flak over discussions that came up on her former Facebook Watch show “The Red Table Talk,” where she discussed a variety of topics with her mother, Adrienne Banfield-Norris, her daughter, Willow Smith, and often other celebrity guests.
At some point she became too transparent for the public when she began revealing she’d never wanted to get married and admitting to having an affair with her son’s singer friend August Alsina. She shared in a separate interview that she and Smith had been separated since 2016 and living separate lives.
But the biggest fallout came in 2022 when Smith slapped comedian Chris Rock onstage at the Oscars for making a joke about Pinkett Smith’s bald hair cut. That earned Smith a 10-year ban from the award show and a lot of criticism from his peers and fans.
Since then he’s made a return to music by releasing “Based on a True Story” in March. It is his first album in 20 years. Not everyone has been supportive of his revived rap career. Some fans believe this is a sign that he’s experiencing a midlife crisis. On top of that, he and Pinkett Smith are rarely ever seen out together, especially after the slap of her “Madagascar” co-star.
Pinkett Smith hasn’t really been spotted outside even alone. She put her Instagram page private back in September 2024 and, since going back public, she only posts here and there. Her last post was a quote back in Feb. 7 that said, “Your worth is not up for debate.”
‘He Has a Current Wife…Talking About Halle’: Halle Berry’s Ex David Justice Reveals She Asked Him to Marry Her After Only 5 Months of Dating, and He Only Accepted So She ‘Wouldn’t Feel Bad;’ Then Came the Bigger Shocks
Halle Berry, 58, and David Justice, 59, were once one of the most-talked-about celebrity couples on the planet.
After meeting at a MTV celebrity baseball game, the “Catwoman” actress and the then-Atlanta Braves baseball player tied the knot on New Years Day in 1993. Four years later, the marriage ended on a bitter note.
Berry secured a temporary restraining order against Justice following the couple separating. She accused the two-time World Series champion of threatening to break into her home.
Retired MLB player David Justice is spilling some time about his marriage to A-list actress Halle Berry. (Photo credits: 23davidjustice/Instagram; halleberry/Instagram)Justice recently appeared on the “All The Smoke” sports podcast with retired NBA players Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson. The conversation included the Braves Hall of Famer reflecting on his failed relationship with Berry.
“It really wasn’t a lot of negative attention until I decided to leave her in 1996,” Justice answered when asked to share his thoughts on having his personal life become gossip fodder because he was dating one of Hollywood’s brightest stars at the time.
He also stated, “She asked me to marry her after knowing me for five months. And I said, ‘OK.’ ‘Cause I couldn’t say no. I said, ‘OK.’ But I don’t know if my heart was really into it. But I didn’t want to make her feel bad.”
Justice went on to explain that the pair spent a lot of time apart as Berry filmed movies around the world and he remained a MLB standout in America. Post-marriage speculation appears to still haunt the 1990 National League Rookie of the Year.
“The one thing that hurts the most is, Halle had a relationship with a gentleman who hit her on the side of the head. She lost some hearing. But she never made him public, and I’m not going to make him public. I ain’t gonna do him like that, but I know who it is,” Justice told Barnes and Jackson.
The Cincinnati native continued, “But for people to think, ‘Oh, it had to be David Justice.’ Because the only person they associate her with was me. Now she said it was a former boyfriend. I’m not her former boyfriend. I was her husband, that’s different.”
Another one of Berry’s exes, R&B singer Christopher Williams, has also denied being the alleged abuser. Williams pointed the finger at Wesley Snipes, the “New Jack City” film actor who dated Halle early in her career.
“They said something like I busted her eardrum, and I’m tired of it. I never said it [before] but I’m so tired of people thinking I’m the guy [who did it]. Wesley Snipes busted her eardrum, not me,” Williams alleged in 2004, per E! News.
Today in 1997, Oscar-winning actress Halle Berry (30) divorced MLB outfielder David Justice (31) after more than 4 years of marriage. pic.twitter.com/8spmydcH4i
— Howard Prince (@Howodd69) June 24, 2025Justice providing details about his time being involved with Halle nearly 30 years after the break-up has ignited discussions about the former flames on social media. Baller Alert shared clips of his “All The Smoke” remarks on Instagram.
“Is he sitting up here with a wedding band on, talking about a relationship and a marriage that he had with Halle Berry a million years ago and he has a current wife?” one commenter wondered, referring to the fact that Justice is married to Rebecca Villalobos in February 2001.
Another commenter took issue with Justice spilling the tea on his ex-wife, writing, “Why are people so chatty these days! I miss the days of celebs having some mystique about and only told [the] public little to nothing [about] their private lives!”
Wesley Snipes & Halle Berry, my favorite sex symbols from the 90’s & beyond. pic.twitter.com/YVEYLAlFkh
— Billy Porterhouse Steakumms (@yourditarrie_) April 24, 2023“I thought everyone knew Wesley Snipes was the one [who] hit her and made her lose some hearing,” a third person stated in the comment section. However, someone replied, “There were multiple rumors… Wesley, David, and Christopher Williams.”
A more lighthearted reaction to Berry supposedly asking Justice for his hand in marriage read, “I was laughing until I saw he was worth 40 million dollars. I would have proposed too, lmao.”
“I’m glad he [is] coming clean about it. I definitely believe him. This was all a climb to the top,” one Justice supporter suggested. On the other hand, a critic of the father of three posted, “Hope none of my old work talks about me this long after 30 years.”
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Rebecca Justice (@rebeccajustice1)
Justice moved on from Berry to start a family with Villalobos. He wed the jewelry designer in February 2001. They have three adult children together, David Justice Jr., DJ Justice, and Raquel Justice.
In addition to being romantically involved with Williams, Snipes, and Justice, Berry’s list of former beaus includes her second husband, singer Eric Benét. That marriage lasted from 2001 to 2005.
French actor Olivier Martinez became Berry’s third husband in 2013 before they divorced in 2015. Martinez and Berry share a son named Maceo-Robert Martinez. The Academy Award-winning actress also has a daughter, Nahla Ariela Aubry, with her ex-boyfriend, Gabriel Aubry.
Berry has been in a relationship with Grammy Award winner Van Hunt since 2020. In 2022, she said, “I fell in love with his mind, his conversation. I realized: I really like him. I really liked who he was, and I can’t say I felt that way before. I really believe I’ve found my person.”
‘You Guys Suck A–!’: White Woman Shamelessly Launches Racist Rant In Grocery Store, Orders White Store Manager to Tell His Employees to Stop Acting Like ‘Brown People,’ Video Shows
A disturbing viral video shows a New York woman being booted from her local grocery store after she loudly and unabashedly insulted Black and Muslim people in a racist tirade in front of multiple customers and store employees.
The video, posted on TikTok by @therobbieharvey, shows a white woman in the middle of a racist rant at a PriceRite store, shamelessly shouting inflammatory statements, drawing outraged and shocked reactions from onlookers.
“Yeah, the Muslims are really gonna take good care of you,” she says.
Video of a woman having an outburst in a PriceRite store reportedly in Buffalo, New York. (Photos: TikTok/therobbieharvey)“Alright, now I heard enough!” a man who appears to be a store manager responds.
“This is my brother,” one person yells at her, to which the woman begins mocking Black people in her response.
“Oh, he’s your brother cause he ain’t white! He ain’t got no white skinnnnn!” she shouts.
As her rant grows increasingly more insulting, the store manager approaches her and tells her to leave the store, but she accuses his employees of heckling her.
“Can your employees stop heckling me and act more professionally and not like Brown people?” the woman states.
“Like who? Like what people?!” the manager asks, visibly taken aback.
“You know what the f*** I’m talking about,” the woman responds, unashamed. “Open your eyes! Muhammad!”
The manager, who is white, tears into the woman’s outburst, saying he’s personally offended because his daughter dates a Muslim man.
“No wonder! You hate white people! That’s your f***ing problem! You hate yourself!” the woman shouts at him.
@therobbieharvey“Nobody would let their kid date a brown dude.” … That’s what this Buffalo, NY woman had to say.
♬ original sound – Robbie HarveyAt this point, a Black security guard starts helping the woman quickly pack up her belongings while directing her to the nearest exit.
“Nobody would let her kid date a Brown dude! No self-respecting white man would let their kid date a Brown man!” she yells.
As the woman continues raving, she starts to walk away from the security guard, but the guard grabs her by her arm and leads her away to the main exit.
She leaves the store, ending her outburst with some final pejoratives directed at communities of color.
“We all know the crime stats! Black women are more likely to murder than white men! F*** Brown people! F*** Black people! F*** Muslims! You guys suck a**!” she says.
The video garnered more than one million views on TikTok and thousands of comments.
“People are getting BRAVE AND LOUD with their bigotry,” one commenter wrote.
“This mentality will NEVER make sense to me. NO ONE picks their skin color, but EVERYONE picks THEIR behavior,” she said.
‘Think About What a Defense Attorney Would Ask You’: Arkansas Cops Arrest Man Over Bottle of Perfume, Accuse Him of Hiding Narcotics Despite Supervisor’s Doubts
An Arkansas cop claimed he had pay dirt when he found a vial of Opium perfume inside a man’s car — saying it was the narcotic opium — and arrested the man on felony drug charges.
Kapil Raghu, an immigrant from India, ended up spending a month in custody.
“They knew when they opened that bottle that it was a bottle of cologne,” said his wife, Ashley Mays, in a telephone interview with Atlanta Black Star.
“They knew it, and they still arrested him and took him to jail. No one had enough integrity to say, ‘Hey, hold on, something is not right here.’”
Arkansas police found a bottle of Opium perfume in a man’s car and claimed it to be opium, a narcotic. (Photo: Body camera and Paris-Avenues.com)The felony drug charges were dismissed after a crime lab determined the suspected narcotic was a popular perfume by Yves Saint Laurent that has been on the market since 1977.
But after Raghu was jailed, it was discovered he had overstayed his visa, whereupon jailers contacted ICE, who then transported him to a federal detention center in Louisiana, where he remained for four weeks before his release.
“It was torture because there were feces piled up in the holding cell,” she said. “They have a timer set on a toilet where you can only flush every hour.”
“And he’s a pure vegetarian, but they wouldn’t give him food without meat on the plate,” she added, saying he would only eat the non-meat products on the plate.
He was released from federal custody on June 3 but was then required to wear an ankle monitor for a month, and he is now on house arrest, where the feds are monitoring his whereabouts through an app he was required to install on his phone.
“It’s been a nightmare,” said Mays, an American-born citizen who married Raghu in April, saying she has already spent $20,000 on attorneys, court costs and legal fees as well as taken out a loan to keep her husband from being deported back to India.
Mays said they had already retained an immigration attorney who was working on his case to extend his visa before the visa expired.
Watch the video below.
‘It’s Just a Perfume’Raghu was pulled over on May 3 while delivering pizzas for having a reflective cover on his license plate, according to the body camera footage, which was first obtained by the YouTube police accountability channel The Random Patriot.
But his wife believes he was profiled because police claim he was suspicious for being in a “known drug area.”
Raghu, whose father and uncle were police officers in India, apologized for the license plate cover, telling the cop, “I have a very real love and affection towards the uniform.”
He also consented to having his car searched when asked by Benton police Officer Tyler Freshour, confident he had nothing illegal in his car.
But Freshour found the perfume bottle in his center console and became suspicious because it was labeled “Opium (W).”
He even contacted a supervisor from inside his patrol car, who told him opium was a Schedule II Controlled Substance, which would be a felony in Arkansas.
Freshour then stepped out of the patrol car and read Raghu his Miranda rights — without informing him why he was being arrested — and asked if he was willing to answer questions without an attorney present.
Raghu responded by saying he was not going to answer questions, telling the cop, “I have done nothing wrong, sir,” still clueless as to why he was being arrested.
It was only after he was placed in handcuffs that the cop informed him why he was being arrested.
“So right now you’re being placed under arrest for possession of a controlled substance, schedule II, OK,” Freshour said.
“You got a bottle of opium in your center console.”
“It’s just a perfume,” Raghu said from the back of the patrol car to his wife and the other officers who had gathered around the car.
“It’s just a perfume, nothing else, chill out.”
But the cops told him they would have to get it tested in a lab to know for sure.
‘There Might Be a Perfume Called Opium’Police body camera videos show the cops talking among themselves after placing Raghu in the back of the patrol car.
“How did you find out it was opium?” asked a commanding officer. “There’s a label on it,” responded Freshour. “It says opium parenthesis W. And he’s telling the wife it is perfume.”
“But he wouldn’t talk to you about it, at all?” the commanding officer asked, even though it was clear from the video he was telling the cops and his wife that it was perfume.
The commanding officer asked to see the vial, which had a roll-on top.
“There might be a perfume called opium,” the commanding officer said. “Think about what a defense attorney would ask you.”
A simple Google search would have confirmed there was a perfume called Opium within seconds, but none of the officers did that, choosing instead to believe opium dealers would label their products rather than being more discreet.
“But the fact that he doesn’t want to talk to you about it and tell you it’s perfume, that’s a different story,” the commanding officer continued.
The commanding officer then concluded that Raghu would use the roll-on top to apply the opium to his cigarettes.
However, Rahgu tried to explain that he uses it to rub on his fingers after smoking a cigarette to keep them from smelling like tobacco.
“He told them on nine different occasions that it was just cologne or perfume,” Mays said.
“And English is not his first language, so he kept saying it in different ways, trying to get them to understand.”
‘My Husband Is Scared’Body camera video also shows Mays speaking by phone to Benton Police Sgt. Brett Davidson, who was at the station, was telling her once again that if her husband had only told them it was perfume, he would not have been arrested.
The sergeant also told her he was in a known drug area, which confirmed her suspicions that he was being profiled in a pretextual stop.
At one point, after his wife arrived at the station, the sergeant tried to gaslight her into claiming that her husband was trying to hide the opium in a bottle of perfume labeled Opium.
“There’s all kinds of ways people disguise drugs and narcotics so they can ingest them in a very low-profile way,” he said.
Mays says she has filed an internal affairs complaint, but it’s been more than 60 days and they have not concluded the investigation. She said they have also retained an attorney and are planning to file a lawsuit.
Meanwhile, her husband is not allowed to work because he is going through deportation proceedings, so she is now working three jobs just to keep the family afloat and pay for attorneys.
She has also launched a GoFundMe with the goal of raising $9,000, but has raised only $251 as of this writing.
“I cannot tell you how much this has affected our family,” she said. “I had to put my daughter in counseling. I had to start counseling.”
“And my husband is scared. He doesn’t want to leave the house because he could deported very easily over this if he ends up at the wrong place at the wrong time.”
‘Almost as Tall as You’: Serena Williams’ Latest Photo of Olympia Shocks Fans Who Can’t Believe How Much She’s Grown and How Different She Looks
Champion Serena Williams recently shared vacation photos from a family adventure to Niagara Falls, but fans found themselves doing a double-take over something completely other than the awe-inspiring natural wonder. They were gobsmacked at how much her 7-year-old daughter Olympia has grown up and how her looks are changing.
The four-time Olympic gold medalist and 23 Grand Slam singles title winner’s latest Instagram post offered a glimpse of her trip to the iconic waterfall with her daughters, yet it’s the rising third grader who has captured everyone’s attention with her rapidly evolving appearance and striking resemblance to men in her family.
The 43-year-old retired tennis champion has embarked on an ambitious year-long journey to show her daughters fantastic spectacles of the world, a promise she made to her eldest daughter that’s finally coming to fruition.
Their first arrival on Monday, Aug. 4, was at the breathtaking Niagara Falls in Ontario, Canada, where Williams posed with both Olympia and nearly 2-year-old Adira, all sporting matching red ponchos from Niagara City Cruises. The family adventure included their beloved dog, creating memorable moments against the backdrop of one of nature’s most spectacular displays.
Serena Williams’ latest Instagram post from Niagara Falls has fans shocked by how much her 7-year-old daughter, Olympia, has grown and changed. (Instagram/ @serenawilliams ) Williams posed with both Olympia and nearly 2-year-old Adira, all sporting matching red ponchos from Niagara City Cruises against the backdrop of the spectacular falls. (Instagram/ @serenawilliams )When Williams posted their up-close waterfall experience on Instagram on Thursday, Aug. 7, with the caption “What can I say, still chasing waterfalls…” – a playful nod to the classic TLC song – fans immediately took notice of how much Olympia has grown.
The comments section quickly filled with observations about the young girl’s changing looks and striking resemblance to her father, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Serena Williams (@serenawilliams)
“Mannnnn she’s growing fast!! Simply Beautiful,” one person wrote, echoing the sentiment of countless followers who’ve watched Olympia grow up in the public eye.
The resemblance to her father didn’t go unnoticed, with another fan commenting, “She looks like her dad,” while someone else added, “Olympia is Alexiss twin, infact she looks just like her Grandfather.”
The family’s adventure represents more than just a vacation — it’s part of Williams’ deliberate effort to expose her daughters to the world’s wonders.
“A year ago I told @olympiaohanian that we would start an epic girls trip that would include the 7 wonders of the world, and there are a lot of them!” Williams explained in her Aug. 4 Instagram post. “Natural wonders. Man made wonders. Ancient wonders. So we are going to do them all.”
Still, after seeing the big girl with her mom, fans couldn’t help but comment on the mother-daughter bonding experience and Olympia’s growth.
“Awe Olympia is getting so big,” someone noted, while another offered a more detailed observation: “Wow! Miss Olympia is almost as tall as you! She’s a wonderful combination of Mum and Dad, beautiful princess. It’s so wonderful how you share the world with her, teaching and learning. Good for you, Mrs. Ohanian.”
Williams’ ambitious travel plan reflects her commitment to giving her daughters experiences most kids only dream of. While Niagara Falls isn’t one of the official Seven Wonders of the World — only the Great Pyramids of Giza remain from that list — it’s often listed among the Seven Natural Wonders of North America, alongside Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Canyon.
Olympia’s upbringing blends privilege, diversity, and intentional parenting. As a biracial child of wealth and fame, she’s having a rare childhood. Her parents recognize the weight of that. Ohanian recently shared how Olympia has shifted his perspective, especially around women’s sports and the importance of representation.
The tech entrepreneur has spoken about how his daughter’s innocent observations during their Sunday golf outings revealed powerful truths about representation and opportunity. Through Olympia’s eyes, golf isn’t just for girls— she assumes all the older men at the driving range are simply fathers waiting to pick up their daughters who play golf.
Beyond world travel, Williams and Ohanian are instilling practical life skills in their eldest daughter.
Olympia receives a $7 weekly allowance for completing chores like feeding the dog and organizing her clothes, with the amount negotiated through a formal contract where Williams served as her daughter’s advocate. This structured approach to financial responsibility reflects their commitment to raising a “functioning adult” despite their wealth.
At just 7 years old, Olympia has already achieved remarkable milestones, becoming the youngest co-owner of professional sports teams including Angel City FC and later joining the ownership group of the Los Angeles Golf Club. These experiences, combined with her parents’ dedication to showing her the world, are preparing her for a future where she can truly take on anything.
As the Williams-Ohanian family continues their wonder-filled journey, fans eagerly await their next destination while watching how quickly their favorite tennis star’s daughter is growing up before their eyes.
‘I Am Not Racist’: FedEx Worker Refused to Punish White Worker Who Called Colleagues ‘Boy’ and ‘Nappy Headed,’ and Bragged About Beating Black Woman When He Was Cop, Lawsuit Says
A Black woman whose job at FedEx once included providing security detail for the global transportation giant’s late founder and former CEO, Fred Smith, has filed a $6 million lawsuit claiming that she was fired after complaining about racially abusive language and a hostile workplace at its Memphis headquarters.
Barbara Blake started working at FedEx in 1997 and held various security positions, including dispensing weapons to the company’s other security officers; tracking cash, drugs, and weapons shipped in packaging; and, from 2018 to 2024, acting as an armed security guard to top FedEx executives, including guarding their homes.
Blake, who earned $82,000 a year, says she enjoyed her job and had not been written up for misconduct or performance issues until she began making complaints about racist language used by her white co-worker Johnny Skeen, according to her lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Tennessee on July 30 (and obtained by Atlanta Black Star).
05 August 2025, USA, Washington: Transport vehicles bearing the logo of the courier and logistics company FedEx are parked on the tarmac at Washington Dulles International Airport. Photo: Soeren Stache/dpa (Photo by Soeren Stache/picture alliance via Getty ImagesIn December 2021, Blake informed her supervisor, Darrell Jackson, that Skeen was regularly using racially offensive language with her and other Black employees, including referring to Black people using terms such as “nappy-headed” and “heathens,” the complaint says. Skeen also allegedly bragged about a beating of a Black woman while he was a police officer.
Blake also told Jackson, who is Black, that Skeen had said aloud in the FedEx squad room on December 23, 2021 that a Black person of interest in a crime report on TV was “a terrorist threat,” and that she had told him that she felt he “always used extreme descriptions when describing Black people,” the lawsuit says.
“I’m not racist,” Skeen allegedly replied, to which Blake responded, “You continuously make racist remarks.”
Her remark upset Skeen, who then reported Blake to Jackson for offending him, the lawsuit says.
Instead of investigating her claims against Skeen by interviewing fellow officers who had witnessed his racial remarks, the complaint says Jackson met with both Blake and Skeen several days later and issued each an Online Compliment or Counseling (OLCC), which the lawsuit describes as a non-documented warning in lieu of formal discipline. Accumulating three OLCCs would, however, lead to a warning letter or performance reminder, which are more serious in FedEx’s progressive discipline system.
The lawsuit argues that the online disciplinary measure issued to Blake by Jackson was based on her protected activity of reporting racial harassment and abuse, and thus was unlawful and retaliatory, and that more such adverse actions in response to her complaints would follow.
Over the next several months, the complaint says, Blake’s performance was “exemplary” and she was twice given “Bravo Zulu Awards” by Jackson and senior managers for defending the homes of FedEx execs, including spotting a home that was left open to burglary and quickly responding and alerting police to a mentally ill person near another executive’s home.
But Skeen kept making racially charged remarks that were not addressed by management throughout 2022, she says, including calling Black male security officers “boys” and calling Black female co-workers “nappy headed.”
In January 2023, Blake sought and received a transfer to FedEx Freight to get away from Skeen, afraid to report him again because she did not want to face another OLCC or other retaliatory discipline, the lawsuit says.
But Blake and Skeen tangled again in March 2023 over an email that Skeen sent to security officers relaying that he was told by an executive’s husband that his wife had “given a couple of black children” permission to play basketball in their driveway.
Blake responded privately to Skeen that his email was inappropriate and offensive, and also complained to Jackson about his “ongoing offensive behavior and comments.”
Skeen then complained about her email to Jackson, who issued Blake another online counseling demerit because she had been told previously not to respond to Skeen’s emails going forward. Blake asserted that she had the right to object to and oppose emails from Skeen containing “racist language.”
Concerned about Jackson’s unwillingness to address Skeen’s conduct, the complaint says, Blake set about gathering statements of Black FedEx security officers to shore up her allegations.
They included security officer Jasmine Wright, who wrote about Skeen’s degrading comments toward African-American women, noting that Skeen addressed his Black co-workers as “Hey, you heathens,” and claimed that Skeen had said he was “going to get Manager Jackson in check.’”
Former FedEx security officer Regina Smith provided a statement to Blake saying that she witnessed Skeen make racial comments, including calling her “nappy-headed,” and that he referred to other Black women as “Aunt Jemima,” the lawsuit says.
In June of 2023, Blake took her complaints about Jackson up the chain to senior management, submitting a written complaint that he had failed to follow company policy by not investigating her complaints against Skeen, and “thus perpetuating a racially hostile work environment,” attaching the supporting statements about him from one current and two former employees.
The following month, she was transferred from FedEx Freight back to FedEx World Headquarters and was required to work directly with Skeen.
In September 2023, she met with senior manager Avis Buford-Darling, who told her that Human Resources could not consider the written statements of former employees in its investigation of her complaint, and cautioned her that she should not conduct her own investigation into Skeen’s racist conduct, the lawsuit says.
In October 2023 Blake reported accidentally scratching a squad vehicle, she says for the first time in her career, to manager Ron Russell, who was covering for Jackson while he was on vacation. Russell told Blake it was “no big deal,” the complaint says, and did not issue her an OLCC.
But when he returned, Jackson did, which Blake believes was a retaliatory action for her complaints to management about “his failures to correct Skeen’s racist conduct.”
The lawsuit notes that in November 2023, Skeen admitted to damaging a tire on a company vehicle but was not disciplined in any way.
In November 2023, Blake filed an internal Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) complaint about Skeen and Jackson’s unaddressed behavior and the hostile work environment she said she faced based on racial harassment and retaliation for her objecting to it, expressed in the form of disciplinary actions meant to “intimidate [her] into silence.”
While senior managers investigated her complaint, Donna “Ivy” McCraney, a Black co-worker, told Jackson that she had heard Blake say, “I’m going to get rid of Jackson.” Another security employee also said he heard Blake make a similar comment.
Blake vehemently denied making any such comments to her managers. The lawsuit contends that Jackson, who knew she had made an EEO complaint against him, “twisted the lawful and protected objections of Blake to racial discrimination and retaliation and Jackson’s failure to address both to claim they mean that Blake somehow intended to do physical harm to Jackson.”
In the end, as a result of her alleged negative comments about him, Jackson issued Blake a third OLCC on November 30, 2023, for not adhering to policy and not “conducting appropriate conversation in the workplace and how to appropriately bring concerns to your management chain.”
On December 6, 2023, Skeen received a warning letter with a paid suspension for inappropriate comments he made in the workplace — not for his racist comments, but for derisive remarks he made about Blake and her co-workers related to her EEO complaint, the lawsuit says.
In January 2024, as a result of Blake’s EEO complaint, FedEx determined its Memphis-based security team, including Jackson, should be retrained on acceptable conduct and anti-harassment policies, a decision not shared with Blake at the time.
Meanwhile, Blake was placed on a six-week investigative suspension for allegedly taking photographs of McCraney’s vehicle, which made her “afraid.” Blake denied this and let a senior manager look through photos on her cellphone, to no avail, she says.
When she returned from suspension on February 24, 2023, Blake was not given any disciplinary action, but says she was immediately subjected to harassment by management. Two anonymous complaints about her were submitted, alleging that she had violated the company’s workplace violence policy and had used threatening language, which Blake asserts were false.
On February 29, 2023, Blake was ushered into a conference room and asked if she had made any threats about FedEx employees, which she denied.
Jackson sat next to Blake and explained he was again placing her on investigative suspension, with pay, due to the alleged possible violations, and escorted her out of the building “while smirking and plainly amused,” the lawsuit says.
Blake claims that no investigation followed, and that no interviews were conducted regarding the anonymous complaints.
On March 15, 2024, she was called in and met with Buford-Darling, who terminated her “because of the volume of complaints about Blake’s conduct, and the substantiation of her use of threatening language in the workplace,” including “inappropriate communications with her peers” at World Headquarters on Jan. 5, 2024, that were “deemed as threatening.”
Blake did not work at the company’s headquarters on Jan. 5, she says, and was actually working overtime on her day off at a FedEx hub elsewhere. Pointing this out to her managers did no good, nor did reminding them that she was the victim of a hostile work environment because she had reported Skeen for calling Black women epithets such as “nappy-headed heifers,” which her managers dismissed as “hearsay,” the complaint says.
Blake’s firing was upheld in April 2024.
Her lawsuit says she will establish that a similarly situated white employee used profane and demeaning racist language and engaged in similar alleged misconduct but was not suspended or terminated.
It contends that Blake worked happily and satisfactorily for FedEx for 20 years, but that after filing the internal EEO complaint she was “suspended twice and then terminated within 3 months based on knowingly false and bogus reasons as pretext for Defendant’s unlawful retaliation.”
The lawsuit accuses FedEx of violating federal civil rights law by racially discriminating and retaliating against her, and seeks a judgment of at least $6 million against the company — $2 million to compensate her for loss of economic opportunities, loss of health insurance, emotional pain and suffering, stress and humiliation — and $4 million in punitive damages.
“We are committed to maintaining a workplace that is free from discrimination of any kind,” a spokesperson for FedEx said in an emailed statement to Atlanta Black Star. “We deny the allegations and will defend the lawsuit.”
FedEx has 21 days to file a response to the complaint after being served, or until August 20.
In 2022, a Texas jury awarded a Black district sales manager who alleged she was fired by FedEx in retaliation for accusing her supervisor of racial discrimination $366 million — $1 million in compensatory damages and $365 million in punitive damages.
The U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals later reversed the jury verdict, ruling that the punitive damages were excessive based on provisions in the woman’s employment contract, and reduced her award to $250,000, the Memphis Commercial Appeal reported. The appeals court did agree with the plaintiff, finding that evidence supported the allegation that FedEx retaliated against her.
‘Beyoncé Grabbed Her’: Eddie Murphy Reveals the Awkward ‘Dreamgirls’ Set Moment Between Beyoncé and Jennifer Hudson That Left Him Stunned
Eddie Murphy’s decades-long career has afforded him a front-row seat to countless Hollywood moments, but a recent revelation about his time filming “Dreamgirls” has sparked intense debate across social media. The comedy legend, now celebrating nearly 50 years in entertainment, shared an intimate behind-the-scenes story involving two of music’s biggest stars that has fans divided on whether some memories should remain private.
During a candid interview with Speedy Morman for Complex’s 360 With Speedy, Murphy opened up about his experience making the 2006 adaptation of the Tony-winning Broadway musical that launched the careers of Sheryl Lee Ralph, Loretta Devine, and Jennifer Holliday.
Eddie Murphy revealed a private “Dreamgirls” moment where Beyoncé offered Jennifer Hudson lotion for ashy hands, sparking social media backlash. (Photo: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Netflix)During filming, the actor, Oscar-nominated for playing Jimmy “Thunder” Early, confessed his personal turmoil amid a divorce. This emotional upheaval left him feeling disconnected, operating on “automatic pilot” through much of the production.
However, one particular moment between his co-stars remained crystal clear in his memory.
Murphy recalled witnessing an interaction between Beyoncé, who was transitioning into solo superstardom, and Jennifer Hudson, fresh off her American Idol finalist run just a year prior. The scene unfolded quietly between takes, away from the main production crew’s attention.
“Neither one of them know that I know this,” Murphy explained. “They were on stage. Jennifer was new in show business and she had, I guess a finger… was ashy, and she was licking her fingers and getting the ash like that. Beyoncé grabbed her and said, ‘Ooh girl, don’t do that. I’ll get you some cream.’ And it was quiet between the two of them, but I saw it.”
Social media users’s reactions to Murphy’s disclosure have been sharply divided. Not everyone welcomed Murphy’s decision to share the private moment.
“Ni he should have took that to grave, but I’m glad Bey is a girls girls,” one Spiritual Wisdom follower stated.
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“Let that be the first and the last time you share that, Eddie. It’s not even funny,” one Lipstick Alley user wrote, possibly questioning the appropriateness of making such personal observations public.
Some commenters suggested underlying motivations for Murphy’s storytelling, with one person speculating, “He’s still salty Jen got her Oscar on her first movie. Men are so messy. I am glad Bey was looking out for her though.”
Some viewers found the anecdote endearing and relatable.
“Actually, I find this memory quite endearing. His story shows just how ‘Black’ all three of them are. Only a Black person would make a note of that interaction between two Black women. Only a Black woman would offer lotion to another Black woman with ash between her fingers,” one person wrote, highlighting the cultural significance of the moment.
“Nothing beats a charlie and eddie murphy storytime,” another Spiritual Wisdom follower said.
Others appreciated the humor in the situation, it as a sweet gesture between colleagues, with one YouTube commenter noting, “That J-Hud/Bey story is hilarious. ‘Ooo girl don’t do that. Let me get you some cream.'”
The controversy has also sparked discussions about timing and context, with some fans suggesting alternative approaches to sharing such memories.
“He could’ve waited to share this on Jennifer’s show, that way she could laugh with him about it,” one person suggested, implying the moment would have rung bells when the two reconnected after years of co-starring in the film.
When he appeared on her show in June, the pair went viral for a different embarrassing moment that had the internet buzzing. This time, it wasn’t about Jennifer Hudson’s ashy hands, but her interviewing skills. Viewers slammed her for seeming distracted as the “Trading Places” star shared that his son is marrying Martin Lawrence’s daughter while the singer kept repeating the same question over and over again.
Adding a humorous twist to the discourse, one social media user joked about the unexpected focus of Murphy’s “Dreamgirls” memories: “Everyone’s talking Oscars and that d-mn rap. The real MVP? Lotion enforcement. Eddie Murphy’s summary of the film: ‘Remember to moisturize, folks.’ Riveting.”
The story emerges as Murphy continues his promotional tour for “The Pickup,” his newest comedy heist film currently streaming on Prime Video.
While the actor has built his career on entertaining audiences with personal anecdotes and observational humor, this particular revelation demonstrates how even well-intentioned storytelling can become contentious when it involves private moments between other celebrities.
As Murphy’s anecdote continues to circulate online, it serves as a reminder that in today’s social media landscape, even the most casual revelations can spark intense public debate about privacy, respect, and the ethics of sharing observed moments without consent.
‘The Headlights On’: Jeff Bezos’ Awkward Dance Moves No Match for Lauren Sánchez’s Curve-Hugging Dress and ‘Twins Bouncing Around’
Lauren Sánchez was stealing the shine from her billionaire husband, Jeff Bezos, on their night out in Spain.
The couple was spotted out together in a nightclub continuing their vacation overseas. They hit the dance floor in Ibiza, Spain, on Aug. 5, but Sánchez appeared to be having a better time out than Bezos — or maybe she just had more animated dance moves.
Lauren Sanchez breaks out in dance during her outing with Jeff Bezos. (Photo by Marco BERTORELLO / AFP) (Photo by MARCO BERTORELLO/AFP via Getty Images)In the video, she steals the scene in a vibrant, brightly colored dress that immediately catches the eye. Her long hair follows her as she sways her head rhythmically from side to side. Keeping her body in one place she uses march-like leg movements while curling her arms upwards to the beat.
Meanwhile, the Amazon founder — who stood right in front of his new bride — was more reserved and still. He swayed slightly from one leg to the other and bopped his head lightly but his moves didn’t stand out so much in comparison to Sánchez’s. She was dancing so hard that her strap had fallen off of her shoulder.
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Fans reacted to the video in TMZ’s Instagram comments.
One person said, “Sis is marking her territory.. making sure no one gets close to her man.”
Someone else claimed Sánchez’s dance moves marked her celebrating the fact that she scored a billionaire as her husband.
“That’s the rich lady dance I ain’t mad dancing to the bank dance,” said one.
Others zoomed in on her tight dress and suggested that Besoz’s awkward dance moves because he was focused on her body.
“Are the headlights on? Asking for a friend,” one person wrote. Another added, “High beams, for that matter.”
“So embarrassing,” someone else replied, while another joked, “He don’t see her dancing he’s watching those twins bounce around.”
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It does appear that the marching and arm curl mixed move may be one of Sánchez’s signatures. Just two weeks ago she was spotted in Cannes, France, turning up to Kendrick Lamar’s “They Not Like Us.” She and her husband were dining at a restaurant when someone captured a moment of her doing those same movements to the hip hop track. Though Bezos was seated, he was smiling from ear to ear as he recorded her dancing.
The former journalist appeared to have better control of her footing on dance floors than she did earlier this week while on her double date outing. She went out with her husband, “The Wolf of Wall Street” actor Leonardo DiCaprio and his model girlfriend Vittoria Ceretti on Monday.
The four were photographed exiting Bezos’ yacht when Sánchez was seen struggling to walk on the rocky beach. Despite the difficulty, she opted to keep on her nude heels, which complimented her nude and textured bodycon dress. Luckily, she had her man there to assist her and ensure that she didn’t fall.
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Bezos held her hand tightly as they walked across the beach and smiled at the paparazzi.
It’s not clear when the newlyweds will officially come back to the states. They returned at least once earlier last month for the billionaire summer camp in Idaho. But then they went right back to Europe to continue their extended honeymoon. The couple exchanged their wedding vows at the end of June.
‘Targeted. Deliberate’: Black Couple Says White Locals Shouted ‘You Don’t Belong,’ Called Them N-Word, Then Hunted Them Down with Guns Before a Violent Crash on a Rural Virginia Road
What started as a roadside stop for two Black residents of Richmond, Virginia, quickly spiraled into what they describe as a racially charged attack that left one of them hospitalized with life-threatening injuries — and both fearing for their lives.
Around 6:30 p.m. on July 20, Amylah Majors and her wife, Jamaria Gaskins, were driving along Partlow Road in rural Spotsylvania County when they struck debris in the road. As they pulled over to check for damage, what happened next has shaken the local community and drawn national scrutiny.
Black woman was severely injured after racially charged attack in Virginia. (Credit: GoFundMe/The Advocate)Before they could even get out of their car, a man emerged from a nearby home and gave them a thumbs-up gesture. They assumed he was coming to help. Instead, Majors said, he and two other white individuals — one of them a woman — began shouting racial slurs and threats.
“They called us [N-words], told us we didn’t belong there, and one of them even exposed himself while screaming hate and slurs at us,” Majors wrote on a GoFundMe page launched by Gaskins.
That incident — caught on video — has led to misdemeanor charges against two local residents, Elizabeth Wolfrey, 32, and Mark Goodman, 59.
Wolfrey is charged with pointing and brandishing a firearm, and Goodman faces a charge of indecent exposure, according to the Fredericksburg Free Press, citing the Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office. A third person seen in the video has not yet been charged.
Majors and Gaskins were visiting Gaskins’ mother, who lives in neighboring Caroline County. What was supposed to be a brief visit turned into a terrifying chase that ended in a serious car crash and a hospital stay.
Majors said the confrontation escalated rapidly after the initial threats.
“As we tried to leave, all three of them jumped into vehicles and chased us down the road,” she wrote. “One of them rode up beside us on a 4-wheeler and aimed a gun directly at my head through the driver’s window.”
Moments later, Majors lost control of the car and crashed. She was ejected from the vehicle.
“I woke up in the hospital with a fractured spine, broken clavicle, broken rib, severe concussion, and multiple head injuries that required a staple,” she wrote. “I am beyond grateful to be alive.”
Gaskins reportedly sustained minor injuries, but both women say they were assaulted, traumatized, and left permanently changed.
“This was not just an accident — this was an attempted act of violence meant to harm and silence us,” Majors added. “We survived something that should’ve ended us. And now we’re speaking out — not just for ourselves, but for everyone who’s ever been targeted and forced to stay quiet.”
The Spotsylvania County NAACP is now involved, and the Sheriff’s Office says additional charges, including hate crime charges, are under review. Sheriff’s Maj. Delbert Myrick confirmed that a detective has been assigned to the case and is working closely with Commonwealth’s Attorney Ryan Mehaffey to determine next steps.
“We have a detective who is assigned to the case that is taking a deeper dive,” Myrick said. “Part of the evidence he’s looking at is visual evidence, so we have to get our hands on the original video because what you see posted online has probably been altered. By altered, I mean probably been snipped and stuff.”
Myrick said the crash data is a major part of the investigation, as are the suspects’ actions prior to and during the incident. He called the video “mind blowing.”
“We can extrapolate data from the car to see what was going on prior to the crash… vehicle dynamics, speed, the duration of speed, stuff like that,” he said.
Wolfrey was arraigned on Thursday and is due back in Spotsylvania General District Court on Nov. 20. Goodman’s arraignment is scheduled for Monday, with a court appearance also set for Nov. 20.
The delay in publicly releasing information about the attack sparked criticism online, especially after the sheriff’s office posted about the incident 11 days after it occurred. Myrick defended the timing, citing safety concerns while Majors was still hospitalized.
“I didn’t want to release it because the moment I release it, the families or the suspects themselves know exactly where the victim is,” he said. “Once we saw the video, we knew they were out. That’s why we started releasing information.”
The case has struck a nerve in Spotsylvania, where other racially charged incidents have recently gone viral — including a separate video in which a white man hurled slurs at a Black woman during a road rage dispute on State Route 3. No charges were filed in that case due to jurisdictional uncertainty and a lack of a formal complaint.
“This one [in Partlow] is a little more sensitive,” Myrick said. “There were a couple of videos that arose around the same time that potentially deal with hate and racism and stuff like that, and we don’t want that in our community at all. We don’t want racism. We don’t want hate in our community. We want a happy community where everybody gets along.”
Meanwhile, Majors and Gaskins have launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise $125,000 for medical bills, legal fees, trauma therapy, and the cost of replacing their totaled vehicle. As of this week, they had raised $830.
“This was hate. Targeted. Deliberate. And deadly,” Majors wrote. “I’m not sharing this for sympathy — I’m sharing it because silence protects the people who did this. And they walked away while we were left to fight for our lives … This kind of hate is still out here. It’s real. It’s violent. It almost killed us. But we survived for a reason.”
‘Subway Said Don’t Play with Me’: Comedian KevOnStage Calls Out Subway’s New Footlong Nachos, But Their Petty Clapback Pulled Popeyes Into the Food Fight
Subway and Doritos coming together to present $5 Footlong Nachos has everyone talking and may have ignited an online food fight.
The new snack was added to the Subway menu in April 2025. Footlong Nachos contained nacho cheese-flavored chips, Baja Chipotle sauce, jalapeno slices, diced tomatoes, red onion, cheese, and a choice of chicken or steak.
KevOnStage called out Subway for the restaurant’s Footlong Nachos menu item, and the fast-food chain clapped back at the comedian. (Photo credit: @kevonstage/Instagram)Over the last four months, numerous YouTube reviewers have shared their opinions on the Subway and Doritos collaboration. Content creators on TikToker also uploaded videos evaluating the flavors presented in the item.
X users weighed in on Subway’s decision to offer Footlong Nachos as well. A recent tweet about the product by comedian Kevin “KevOnStage” Fredericks earned a response from the fast-food restaurant’s official account.
“Subway is selling Footlong Nachos, and I just think it’s about time they wrap it up as a business,” KevOnStage suggested on Aug. 5, 2025. Around two hours later, Subway jokingly fired back, “Since you have your little footlong degree and know everything!”
since you have your little footlong degree and know everything!
— Subway® (@SUBWAY) August 5, 2025The sub sandwich chain’s humorous clapback garnered a lot of attention across different social media platforms. Subway’s reply tweet was reposted on The Shade Room’s Instagram page, and commenters voiced their opinions about the Connecticut-based company.
“I love when national brands get ghetto online,” one person wrote in the comment section. Another responder posted, “Lmfaooooo, whoever is running these fast-food socials they deserve a raise for sure!”
Other fans also applauded Subway’s humorous viral marketing effort under KevOnStage’s tweet. For instance, a potential customer expressed, “Subway said don’t play with me, play withcho kids!”
“Aye, them nachos be hitting, I eat them almost every day at work!” a Subway consumer exclaimed. However, the reactions to the idea of the Doritos-inspired Footlong Nachos caught flack too.
“Going to Subway to get some nachos [is] like going to McDonald’s and getting a salad! Makes no damn sense,” read one critical comment. Plus, Popeyes jumped in the conversation by tweeting, “If it’s not $5, we don’t want it.”
Back on Instagram, Fredericks was blamed for possibly starting an online battle between Subway and Popeyes. One woman posted a tongue-in-cheek reply that stated, “@kevonstage has started a fast food war.”
KevOnStage took the intial exchange in stride. The former military kid responded to Subway with five face with tears of joy emojis as his original tweet collected over 7.3 million views and 91,000 likes on X.
In addition, Subway racked up decent numbers. The restaurant’s “little footlong degree” tweet totaled 420,000 views and 38,000 likes. Popeyes pulled in more than 76,000 views and 2,000 likes for the fried chicken chain’s rebuttal.
if it's not $5 we don't want it
— Popeyes (@Popeyes) August 5, 2025After getting called out by Subway for his remarks, KevOnStage chose to provide his own personal feedback on the $5 Footlong Nachos. He filmed the experience and uploaded the video to Instagram.
KevOnStage purchased the Footlong Nachos from a local Subway, but the native Texan was not impressed by what he bought. The “Here’s The Thing” podcaster showed his order to the camera before explaining why he ultimately passed on tasting the food.
“I’m honestly not going to try them. You know how sometimes you look at something and know, ‘This is going to make my stomach hurt.’ I feel like it’s going to make my stomach hurt,” Fredericks told his 2.2 million followers.
He continued, “And I got stuff to do today. I can’t risk it, so never mind.” Dude Wipes seemed to co-sign KevOnStage’s concern by claiming Subway’s Footlong Nachos were “good” for the brand’s “business” of selling disposable towelettes specifically for men.
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The Footlong Nachos launched in April with a press release, which included statements from executives with Subway and Doritos parent company PepsiCo.
“Subway’s newest partnership takes everything our fans love about Subway sandwiches – from quality veggies, proteins and tasty toppings – to the next level with the cheesy flavor and iconic crunch of Doritos,” said Paul Fabre, Subway’s Senior Vice President.
Fabre resumed, “Whether you’re in the mood for a snack, pairing them with your favorite sub or sharing with friends, Subway and Doritos are serving up even more flavor in every satisfying bite.”
Scott Finlow, Chief Marketing Officer for PepsiCo, added, “We’re proud to team up with Subway to bring a bold take on the classic nachos experience by combining the bold cheesy crunch of Doritos® Nacho Cheese chips and Subway’s freshly prepared ingredients.”
‘Just Trying to Save Himself’: White South African Farm Worker Claims Boss Forced Him to Feed Black Women’s Bodies to Pigs, But the Public Isn’t Buying It
A white South African farm owner and his two employees are now on trial after being accused of fatally shooting two Black women last year, then feeding their bodies to pigs.
Maria Makgatho, 45, and Lucia Ndlovu, 34, were shot to death last August while they were looking for food on a pig farm belonging to 60-year-old Zachariah Johannes Olivier in the northern province of Limpopo.
According to the BBC, Makgatho and Ndlovu sneaked onto the farm after a dairy company dumped some potentially expired goods on the property. They were fatally shot after they were discovered.
Farmer accused of killing two Black women and feeding their bodies to pigs. (Photo: YouTube screenshot/BBC News)Ndlovu’s husband accompanied both women to the farm and was also shot, but he was able to crawl away and call for help. He reported the incident to local police. Days after the killings, authorities found the women’s bodies in a pigsty.
Olivier and his two employees, 20-year-old Adrien de Wet and 50-year-old William Musora, were all charged with two counts of murder, attempted murder, three counts of defeating the ends of justice, and possession of firearms and ammunition.
Authorities believe the men fed the women’s bodies to pigs in an attempt to dispose of the evidence covertly.
De Wet testified as a prosecution witness and told the court that he was under duress when Olivier forced him to throw Makgatho’s and Ndlovu’s bodies into the pig enclosure on the farm, according to the BBC.
All De Wet’s charges could be dropped if his testimony is accepted.
However, many in the public are not buying De Wet’s defense.
“No one is forced to do such a heinous thing,” one person wrote. “Lies. Just trying to save himself,” wrote another.
“Stupids if you believe this Monsters has nothing to do with the murders. I can tell he is pure evil not innocent but Murder. Put him in Jail forever,” a person wrote.
Olivier and Musora have yet to enter a plea to their charges and remain in jail. Musora, a Zimbabwean national, was also charged with contravening sections of the illegal immigration act over his status as an “illegal immigrant,” police said.
The murders have stoked racial tensions in a country that was already reeling from two other brutal farm incidents that happened last year.
Another farmer and his assistant were arrested last August for allegedly murdering two men whom they accused of stealing sheep, then burning their bodies beyond recognition to try to hide evidence.
In another case, a 70-year-old farmer was accused of driving over a 6-year-old boy and breaking both his legs for stealing an orange.
President Donald Trump recently drew backlash for falsely suggesting an ongoing genocide against white farmers in South Africa. The country’s State Department data shows that of the nearly 20,000 murders that took place last year in the country, only 0.2 percent took place on farms, and victims were both Black and white.
‘We Felt YOU Through the Screen’: Taraji Says ‘Baby Boy’ Was a Reflection of Her Life, Nearly Broke Her and the Real-Life Ending Left Director John Singleton Speechless
Taraji P. Henson has long been praised for her raw, unfiltered performances, but no role has cut as close to the bone as her portrayal of Yvette in John Singleton’s 2001 classic “Baby Boy.” In a vulnerable conversation on Lena Waithe’s “Legacy Talk” podcast, the Oscar-nominated actress revealed how the film’s story eerily mirrored her own tumultuous relationship with her late ex-boyfriend William LaMarr “Mark” Johnson, father of her son.
The overlap between script and real life was so intense that Henson sometimes couldn’t even read the pages.
Taraji P. Henson says her “Baby Boy” role mirrored her toxic relationship with her son’s late father, whose passing tragically matched her character’s nightmare. (Photo by Amy Sussman/WireImage)“There were times when I read that script where I got goosebumps and I had to put it down because it was literally the blueprint to my baby’s father and our relationship,” she said. “That young love, that young toxic hood love. I mean, verbatim.”
Henson’s journey to the iconic role started in an acting boot camp she organized with Bill Duke at the Hudson Theater. When Singleton visited their class, she made a strategic choice: while other actors clamored for his attention afterward, she kept her distance, hoping he’d remember her work instead of seeing her as just another face chasing fame.
That patience paid off. When casting for “Baby Boy” began, Singleton wanted only fresh faces. Casting director Kim Harden recognized Henson’s talent, and during her callback, Singleton remembered her as the one person who hadn’t approached him. That lasting impression opened the door.
Henson’s chemistry read with Tyrese Gibson became the stuff of legend.
She hadn’t been told she’d be reading with him, so she had to compose herself before stepping into what turned into a viral audition. The energy between them was immediate and intense. Both actors went off-script, fully diving into the chaos of their characters’ relationship, drawing applause from the room and clinching their roles.
Yet the film’s impact wasn’t confined to her career. In “Baby Boy,” Yvette has recurring nightmares about Jody passing. That nightmare became Henson’s reality when Johnson was unalived in 2003 at age 34. The first call Henson made after notifying family wasn’t to a friend or relative but to Singleton.
“I remember I called John, and I said, ‘The dream came true,’” she shared. Singleton’s shocked silence highlighted the chilling way art had imitated life.
Henson’s searing performance initially became a double-edged sword. Audiences and some in the industry were so convinced by her portrayal that they believed she was just like Yvette—a raw, untrained discovery Singleton pulled off the street.
For years, she was simply known as “that girl from ‘Baby Boy,’” a testament to how convincingly she inhabited the role.
Tyrese Gibson also found himself deeply affected by the film.
In a 2024 “Million Dollaz Worth of Game” interview, he revealed how his scenes with Ving Rhames, who played Mel, stirred painful memories from his own upbringing in Watts. Watching Rhames’ character step into Jody’s home and fill a fatherly role triggered lingering resentment, and Gibson admitted he still hasn’t fully shaken those feelings even two decades later.
In 2021, Henson reminded fans of the movie’s lasting impact when she reposted her audition tape with Gibson on her Instagram. The clip showcased their energy as Henson’s character confronted Gibson’s Jody about his cheating, perfectly capturing the raw volatility that made their scenes unforgettable.
When fans heard Henson’s podcast revelations, they flocked to social media to share how deeply her performance had resonated.
“We felt YOU through the screen,” one of The Jasmine Brand Instagram followers said.
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Another said, “Nah … this was really real for you. Absolutely can tell you been there before.”
A third comment read, “Chowl, you literally became Yvette and Jody got all the smoke! Hood trauma just seeped through.”
Many comments on the podcast’s YouTube page remarked on how her real-life struggles became a “blessing in her acting skills,” acknowledging the painful authenticity she brought to the role.
For Henson, “Baby Boy” remains the most personal performance of her career.
When asked about the role closest to her own life, she doesn’t hesitate: “When anyone asks, ‘What’s the closest role to you?’ That probably was it.”
The film stands as both a career-defining milestone and a hauntingly personal exploration of love, heartbreak, and the toxic dynamics that can define young relationships.
Henson and Gibson’s roles in the movie not only launched their careers but also came with emotional challenges. For Henson, her personal encounters with toxic relationships and tragedy infused her portrayal with unforgettable depth, resonating through her performances and reflections on set.
