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The rumor mill has been brewing for months that President Donald Trump and his wife, Melania Trump, are headed for splitsville.

Many have been suspicious about Melania’s absence during several notable events due to reports she’s spent less than 30 days at the White House since her husband’s second inauguration. But the chatter heightened after a “60 Minutes Australia” episode that aired on June 8 questioned the status of their marriage.

The former Slovenian model has made only a handful of public appearances to fulfill her role as first lady, but she’s been noticeably absent otherwise. Her continued absence has fueled speculation that she and Donald Trump may no longer be together.

Melania Trump’s absence causing speculation that she and Donald Trump are over. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

In the program, journalist and author Michael Wolff said, “At one point I asked someone whose very close to them and I said, ‘So what’s going on?’ And this person looked at me like I was a real dunce and then said ‘She hates his f-cking guts.”

He was given rare access to the White House during the first seven months of Trump’s first presidency, which served as the foundation for his bestselling books “Fire and Fury” (2018) and “Siege: Trump Under Fire” (2019).

Wolff also went as far as to describe Melania as “opportunistic, calculated,” and “transactional.” When the White House was contacted for a response, they issued a statement on her behalf.

“It is unprofessional and irresponsible for ’60 Minutes Australia’ to tarnish and defame the reputation of the First Lady of the United States,” their statement started. “The details of Mrs. Trump’s personal and family should be respected as private. One must consider the potential harm caused by creating unfounded narratives solely to garner clicks.”

RadarOnline reported on the “60 Minutes Australia” piece, and many fans left comments on their Instagram page. Some used Donald’s infamous “Fake news” phrase to show their support for the couple and shut down the disparaging claims in the broadcast. 

But others agreed that the two were either not together or faking their relationship for the public. 

One person said, “I mean she does have reason to hate him. The humility and embarrassment he has caused her.”

Someone else wrote, “I think because the camera has caught so many facial expressions that she has a strong dislike for him jus’ sayin.”

A third commented, “It’s so obvious too,” while a fourth said. “I would too probably sleeping in separate rooms too.”

It also doesn’t help that there are several videos of Melania with a look of disdain on her face any time she’s next to Donald. There are also videos of her pushing him away to avoid holding his hand and rolling her eyes at him.

@bloosspringfield

#trumpparade #melania

♬ original sound – Phoenix Guy

In fact, on June 15, just seven days after “60 Minutes Australia” released their episode, bystanders filmed Melania wearing what appeared to be a strained smile while standing next to her husband at the grand military parade to celebrate his birthday and the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army.

One photo captured Donald as he rubbed his pinky across Melania’s hand while they stood next to each other, suggesting that he wanted to hold her hand. But she ignored him and kept her hand by her side. 

@awesomegod2020

Trump and Melania military parade

♬ Laugh Laugh Laugh – Vinay Patak

CNN projected in November 2024 — the same month that Donald Trump was elected — that Melania would likely not be at the White House full time. That’s proved to be true, as she has been splitting her time staying in Washington, New York City, and their Mar-a-lago home in Palm Beach, Florida. 

But contrary to the side chatter and the opinions from around the world, the Trumps have “a beautiful relationship,” according to Melania.

She described him as a “family man” last September in her interview with “Fox and Friends.” She said she loved “’his humor, his personality, his kindness. He is very special. His positivity. His energy. It’s unbelievable.”

Melania and Donald have been married since 2005 and together they share their 19-year-old son Barron Trump, who currently attends New York University.

‘Probably Sleeping in Separate Rooms’: Fans Point to Melania Trump’s Facial Expressions Toward Donald Trump as Proof of Their Marital Issues While White House Dismisses Separation Rumors

A former Black police K-9 officer for Inglewood, California, is suing the city for discrimination and retaliation, claiming he was fired after calling out the police chief for displays of racism evoking the Ku Klux Klan and for unfair treatment as he recovered from a gunshot injury.

Marcco Ware had worked for the Inglewood Police Department for 15 years when he was sidelined in March 2022 by an on-duty injury — two gunshot wounds. At that time he’d been a K-9 officer for almost three years, and his assigned K-9 partner was Flynn, a dog he shared a close bond with, according to the lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on May 5, and obtained by Atlanta Black Star. He was also issued a vehicle for both work and personal use.

In June of 2022, while he was still recovering from his injury, the dog and the vehicle were removed from his custody. This upset Ware, who argues that other non-Black colleagues in the K-9 unit have been off work for investigations or injuries and did not have their K-9 partners or vehicles taken away. That includes a Hispanic colleague who was investigated for misconduct, the complaint says.

Inglewood Police Officer Marcco Ware was paired with his K-9 partner Flynn in July 2018. (Photo: Equal Rights Law Group)

Ware was the only Black K-9 officer in the department, which has six K-9 teams, and the only officer to have his K-9 partner and vehicle removed while healing for an injury suffered on duty, he claims.

When he returned to work in July 2023, Flynn was not returned to him, and he complained via email and written grievances to several superior officers, noting that he felt the department’s actions and policy were discriminatory and arbitrarily applied.

His grievance made its way to the police chief, who denied his appeal, stating, “K9 Flynn and your patrol vehicle are the property of Inglewood,” and ignored his complaints of racial discrimination, the lawsuit says.

Ware then made a formal complaint with the city’s human resources director, in which he discussed the racial inequities in the department.

“Since I am the only Black male officer in our unit to experience this, it has inevitably raised concerns about discrimination” in the department’s practices, he wrote, adding, “this discrimination is openly practiced and has gone unchecked for many years.”

The following month, Ware submitted an internal complaint about police chief Mark Fronterotta, who had a personalized license plate that read, “GRNMSTA,” which Ware and other colleagues perceived to portray the term “Grand Master” and to reference the Ku Klux Klan.

While the Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the term grand master as either the top-ranking leader of a fraternal organization or a highly skilled expert, especially in chess, recognized for consistently outstanding performance, “the term ‘Masta,’ a variant in African American Vernacular English (AAVE) and other Southern dialects, stemmed from linguistic adaptations among enslaved Africans from diverse regions who were forced to communicate with each other and their enslavers,” his internal complaint noted.

Of the “GRNMSTA” plate, Ware wrote, “the pain is more profound and heavier, as I am a Black man in a subordinate role, facing the implications of the term ‘Grand Master’ from an authority figure, a White man, in our department. This license plate is a sad reminder to the members of the department and myself of the inherent biases and disparities still prevalent within our system.”

Ware further discussed his concerns about retaliation, which included not only losing his K-9 partner and vehicle, but being excluded by top police brass from attending meetings in City Hall with the mayor and other officials, while other officers were not.

In August 2023, Ware was told by Lt. Collins to move his vehicle or cover his license plate, which reads, “FKCKIRK,” which Ware claims is a tribute to his mother, who was a fan of Star Trek and Captain Kirk.

The Inglewood Police Department employs a Lt. James Kirk, who led the narcotics unit before he retired in September 2023, reported 2UrbanGirls.com.

Ware moved his vehicle as directed, and then got an email telling him to remove it completely by August 23, 2023 or that he would be considered insubordinate and could be terminated, which the lawsuit argues was a retaliatory threat.

On September 24, 2023, Ware’s car was towed from city property. On September 28, he was placed on administrative leave pending an internal administrative investigation, which the lawsuit says was in retaliation for his complaints.

His enforced leave also came just after Ware responded to a citywide email announcing Lt. Kirk’s retirement with a cheeky Instagram post, noted 2UrbanGirls.

“Congratulations Lieutenant James Kirk, it’s been a wonderful journey we have shared over the years,” wrote Ware on Instagram. “We’re all looking to watching you hang up your uniform and ride off into the sunset! We are all looking to September 28! I would love to share a few amazing memories we shared over the years.”

Ware then attached three photos to the email, including one with Ware kissing Kirk on his cheek, at a police celebration of a recent drug bust, an officer familiar with the photo said.

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Ware was walked out of the police department less than an hour after responding to the email announcing Kirk’s retirement, 2UrbanGirls reported, citing city hall insiders.

On October 4, 2023, Ware submitted a personnel complaint against the police chief detailing the discriminatory and retaliatory events that had occurred, the lawsuit says.

On October 24, 2023, he noticed that he had not been receiving K-9 pay since May 2023 and contacted two superior officers, who subsequently restored his pay.

Then Ware was suspended for more than a year. He still has not been informed of the subject of the investigation or the allegations against him, the lawsuit says.

Before being allowed to return to duty, he was forced to see a city-appointed psychologist, Dr. Stuart Shaffer, despite providing a note from his own treating physician that he was cleared to return to work.

Dr. Shaffer determined that Ware could not return to duty due to “poor decision-making,” the complaint says. The doctor’s report cited only an alleged incident by a co-worker who complained that Ware was standing close to him.

Ware asked to see another physician but was denied. When he was examined by Dr. Shaffer in March 2025, the doctor again denied his ability to return to work, this time citing an occasion in November 2024 when Ware parked his personal vehicle on his own lawn due to construction in the area, the lawsuit says.

The city then told Ware he could not return to work as a peace officer.

In a pretextual and false attempt to accommodate him, the lawsuit says, the city offered him alternate positions, none of which were substantially similar to his role as a police officer or for which he is qualified. They included Associate Engineer (Water Division), City Attorney, and Senior Plan Check Engineer. Ware is neither an engineer nor an attorney, the complaint observes.

The lawsuit contends that the city “has destroyed Plaintiff’s career and livelihood in retaliation for his complaints,” causing him tremendous emotional distress, including anxiety and depression.

The city and 25 as yet-unnamed defendants violated the California Fair Employment and Housing Act and state labor law by discriminating against Ware on the basis of race and then retaliating against him when he engaged in protected activity by protesting the mistreatment, the lawsuit alleges.

The defendants also failed to provide reasonable accommodation for his disability after being injured, despite the fact that he was able to perform the essential job duties of his position, the complaint says.

The city’s wrongful employment practices caused Ware to suffer humiliation, lack of self-confidence, embarrassment, and mental anguish, along with loss of wages and benefits, and damage to his law enforcement career.

He seeks a jury trial to determine unspecified general and special damages, including lost and future wages and compensation for emotional distress, as well as legal costs.

A public information officer for the Inglewood Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Atlanta Black Star.

The City of Inglewood was served with the complaint on May 20 and typically has 30 days, or until June 19, to file a response.

‘Sad Reminder’ of ‘Inherent Biases’: California Black K-9 Officer Fired After Complaining About Police Chief’s Alleged KKK-Inspired License Plate Is Suing the City for Retaliation

A Black North Carolina woman waiting to have her truck serviced decided to spend her money elsewhere after two employees and another customer appeared to mock Juneteenth.

The woman, the only Black person in Synergy Auto Care in Wilson, North Carolina, at the time, told an employee to, “Give me my f***ing truck! Pull my truck around, please. Pull my truck around and give me my truck.”

“I don’t want nothing done from here,” she continued. “Please go get my truck, thank you.”

A Black women seemingly offended by a conversation about Juneteenth exits a Synergy Auto Care Shop in Winston, North Carolina. (Photos: YouTube screenshot/Da Baddest Blawger)

She then promptly turned and left the store.

The woman was triggered by a conversation between a customer and an employee. The customer had asked why banks were closed on Thursday.

The employee responded, “Juneteenth, a new holiday they started a few years ago.”

The customer replied, with a sarcastic tone, “Okey dokey.”

Another Synergy employee, standing at the corner, joined in laughing, “I know, right.”

After the Black woman left, one of the employees admitted he didn’t know what Juneteenth was. “Something about reparations or something,” he said.

Juneteenth, which became a federal holiday in 2021, commemorates the day Union Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, and announced that enslaved people in Texas were free, enforcing the Emancipation Proclamation issued by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863, though it only applied to Confederate states.

Slavery wasn’t formally and fully abolished across the United States until the 13th Amendment was ratified on Dec. 6, 1865.

It’s a history lesson unknown by many white people, including the ones working at Synergy. They could also use some pointers on customer service, it seems.

Though the unidentified Black woman was clearly offended, no one from the store apologized. Instead, they went after her on Facebook, calling it today’s “WOW moment.” One of the employees repeated the story accurately but felt no offense should’ve been taken.

The employee said he followed the woman outside and asked her what happened.

“She told me she was going live with this and that we were racist,” he said in the Facebook posting. “She told me that we all laughed at her and we’re chuckling and mocking the holiday and that I didn’t know how that made her feel because she was Black. She said I’m still going live with this.”

The store employee told her if she did the store would post its footage, “so we’re not unfairly judged off one side of an event.”

It backfired. Badly.

”They knew what they were doing by bringing up Juneteenth,” wrote one woman, one of more than 12,000 people to comment on the video on TikTok, where it was shared. “Most were negative towards the store employees. She was the only Black customer in there and they wanted to antagonize her. I’m glad sista stood on business! These cowards have become emboldened!”

Another commenter claimed that Juneteenth has been celebrated in the Black community for years.

“White people not knowing what it is doesn’t make it an invalid holiday,” she wrote. “If they don’t know what it is, look it up. They’re so willfully ignorant.”

“I bet they know what Juneteenth is NOW!!!” added another commenter.

‘Don’t Want Nothing Done from Here!’: Black Woman Walks Out of North Carolina Auto Shop After Employees Mock Juneteenth; Surveillance Video Meant to Clear Workers Backfires

Jennifer Lopez has often been praised for her consistent youthful appearance, but fans are starting to suspect that the actress-singer is getting some help to keep up her looks.

The 55-year-old posted four selfies within a collage Instagram post on June 18. She went for quite the casual out and soft glam makeup on her face. Among the praise over her photo carousel post, fans struck up old conversations about her youthful physical features.

Jennifer Lopez’s latest selfies leave fans suspicious she uses filters on her photos. (Photo: @jlo/Instagram)

The mother of two posed in a long-sleeved pastel olive green top with high waisted jeans as she appeared to take her flicks in a bathroom.

Lopez’s highlighted hair was simply styled with a straight middle part, giving her a sleek but clean appearance. As for her makeup, it was a soft glam with a smoky eye and sephia colored lips. 

She wrote, “Home for a heartbeat…then it’s back to the stage,” as a nod to her upcoming concert tour called “Up All Night: Live in 2025.”

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Gossip site Hollywood Unlocked posted the pictures praising Lopez for her appearance claiming, “JLo is literally aging backwards,” in their caption.

But not all their fans seemed to agree in the comments.

One person wrote, “That is not how she looks.”

Another said, “Ummmm she aging forward, respectfully.”

Others accused the “Enough” star of using filters to enhance her looks. 

“That’s all filters , you see her pictures close up at the red carpets she looks nothing like that lol,” wrote a third person.

Two others said, “She uses a lot of filters,” and “Head to toe, she look good for her age, but we’ve seen her without filters.”

JLo performing Waiting For Tonight // 1999 vs. 2020 pic.twitter.com/rUIOpigIyK

— . (@jlogreeknews) March 24, 2020

Many celebrities have the resources and funds to tweak and change their appearance as they see fit. Some get cosmetic surgery or plastic surgery on their bodies. Others may simply use filters and photo editing tools. Some use both. 

But Lopez has not admitted to either one and most of her fans would agree that she doesn’t look like your average 54-year-old woman. So what’s her secret if not going under the knife or using editing apps? Maybe it’s just in her DNA, but she’ll probably never tell if it’s anything other than that. 

However, from time to time, she does make sure to inform fans when she is not using a filter. For example, she posted a video back in August 2023 where she was promoting products from her skin care brand called JLo Beauty. 

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While rubbing in a bit JLo Glow Serum into her barefaced skin, she explained that not only has she been wearing sunscreen daily since her early 20s, but she also shut down claims that she does not use her own skin care products.

“There are no filters or retouching on this video,” she stated, assuring fans that what they were seeing on their screen was the real thing.

Just in case viewers may have missed it in the clip, she also reiterated that she was all natural in the caption. “No filter. ALL. ME. #ThisIsMeNow at 54, glowing and happy,” she wrote. 

So for now, the secret to Lopez’s everlasting youth remains a mystery.

‘She Looks Nothing Like That’: Jennifer Lopez Accused of Heavily Editing Her Photos as Fans Beg Her to Lay Off the Filters

Ice-T’s only son opened up about a deeply personal battle that had him retreating from his family for years.

Tracy Marrow Jr., born on Nov. 23, 1991, shared an emotional revelation about his celebrity dad that not only touched fans online. The West Coast rap pioneer and “Law & Order: SVU” star’s second child, also known as “Lil’ Ice,” used Father’s Day as an opportunity to publicly acknowledge his struggle with addiction and celebrate his father’s unwavering support during his darkest moments.

The 32-year-old revealed he had been hiding his opioid addiction from his family, fearing disappointment and judgment in an Instagram post, which tagged his father.

Tracy Jr. opened his heart in the emotional caption, writing, “Today gets me emotional thinking about how much my pops has had my back for the longest time I was hiding from my family my opioid addiction because I didn’t want to let them down but [I] realized letting them down would be dying.”

Ice-T’s only son shares throwback photos of them and his sister, Photos: @iceemarrow/Instagram)

He expressed gratitude for Ice-T’s life-saving intervention and decision to invest in top-tier rehabilitation treatment. However, his journey toward recovery became possible when he realized that the real letdown would be losing his life to drugs.

“So I wanna give a huge Father’s Day shout out to my pops for saving my life, not judging me and putting me in the best rehab money could buy,” Tracy Jr. continued. “You got your son back pops and I promise I’m never going back to that life thank you Dad ..#HappyFathersDay #ImJustGladToBeBack #2YearsSober.”

The heartfelt post resonated deeply with followers, who flooded the comments section with supportive messages. The response from fans demonstrated the impact of Tracy Jr.’s vulnerability and Ice-T’s parental approach.

One commenter wrote, “That’s a real Dad no judgement just love and support,” while another added, “Beautiful post! Congratulations on being sober! Happy Father’s Day Ice-T.”

The outpouring continued with messages recognizing both the father-son bond and Tracy Jr.’s courage in sharing his story.

Tracy Jr., who follows in his father’s musical footsteps as a member of Ice-T’s heavy metal band Body Count, has performed alongside the rapper on multiple occasions. Beyond music, he has also established himself as a Raising Cane’s Ambassador, building his own professional identity while maintaining close ties to his father’s career.

Tw-ICE as N-ICE T

— Bill Moseley (@choptopmoseley) June 9, 2022

His mother, Darlene Ortiz, met Ice-T in 1984 on the set of the breakdance movie “Breakin’,” and the couple maintained a 17-year relationship until 2001, though they never officially married, according to Parade.

The addiction revelation provides context for some of Tracy Jr.’s past behavior, including a controversial incident at a 2023 TwitchCon Live Stream Party where he cut a female streamer’s hair without permission, leaving viewers and participants shocked.

Additional supportive comments continued to pour in from followers who appreciated the transparency.

“Wow! Love always wins. What is special is Ice T still tours and is active on Law n Order yet he STILL finds time for his children. Son take one day at a time. Always talk to your parents. Their journey wasn’t always easy. They can be a source of love and support,” wrote one fan, acknowledging both Ice-T’s demanding career and his commitment to fatherhood.

Another commenter reflected on the spiritual aspect, saying, “Look at God. Giving his Father his flowers while he’s alive,” while yet another added, “Dope stories form lil Ice real men been through some shyt.”

Ice-T, born Tracy Lauren Marrow, has consistently emphasized the importance of family throughout his career.

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As a father of three children, including eldest daughter LeTesha Marrow and youngest daughter Chanel Nicole with wife Coco Austin, he has navigated various parenting challenges while maintaining his entertainment career.

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Tracy Jr.’s recovery journey and public acknowledgment of his father’s support demonstrates the enduring strength of their relationship and offers hope to other families facing similar struggles with addiction.

‘You Got Your Son Back, Pops’: Ice-T’s Son Comes Out of ‘Hiding’ with Emotional Message About Why He Distanced Himself from His Dad and Family

Steve Harvey has been married to Marjorie Harvey for 17 years. Before tying the knot with his current spouse, the comedian had a flirtatious interaction with media personality Melyssa Ford.

A clip of Harvey, 68, and Ford, 48, reportedly from circa 2007, recently made the rounds online. The resurfaced footage showed the two stars intermingling during an interview.

(L to R) Steve Harvey, his wife Marjorie Harvey and video performer and podcast host Melyssa Ford. (Photos by Moses Robinson/Getty Images for Neighborhood Awards; Maury Phillips/Getty Images)

“Hi, Mr. Harvey,” Ford could be heard saying to an off-camera Steve. The interviewer then invited the former host of “Showtime at the Apollo” to join their on-camera chat.

Harvey responded, “I’m single now,” which prompted Ford to laugh coyly. When asked to rate Melyssa on a scale of one to ten, the “Kings of Comedy” star answered, “35, easy.”

The dialogue continued with Harvey saying, “That’s way too fine for me. I’m too old for Melyssa. My days of some Melyssa is done,” before adding, “She can move in my house.”

Ford informed the stand-up comic that she was moving to L.A. The famed music video vixen then said, “I think I’m up for the challenge.” Harvey shot back, “I bet you are, too.”

As the video of their flirty conversation spread across social media in June 2025, fans began to offer their takes on the nearly two-decade-old moment.

Melyssa Ford & Steve Harvey have interesting interaction on the red carpet circa 2007? pic.twitter.com/TmavDXbjLK

— thestop (@thestoptv) June 15, 2025

“She said Mr. Harvey like he was her principal,” someone on the X platform tweeted about Ford. One person wrote on Instagram, “Steve was going to risk it all.”

“Steve literally ran from her,” another quip said.

“Ain’t no way I’m trying to hit on no Steve Harvey at no point in my life. What is this????” a confused commenter asked. And another poster added, “His current wife kinda does look like an older version of her.”

Ford’s interaction with the “Family Feud” host was recently discussed on “The Joe Budden Podcast.”

During “The Devils Breakfast” episode Ford revealed the exchange happened backstage at the BET Awards around 2006.

“You do realize every time I left the house during that stage of my life, I was in character. The minute I walked out the door, I was in character,” Ford explained. She went on to cite the fictional Jessica Rabbit as the inspiration for her alter ego.

By 2007, Ford was an established model that had been showcased in music videos for recording artists such as Jay-Z, Sisqó, R. Kelly, and Usher. She also covered magazines like King, Black Men, and XXL in lingerie and swimsuits.

“Of course, I’m not denying that was flirting,” Ford admitted to her fellow podcasters, including content creator Trevor “Queenzflip” Robinson and political commentator Marc Lamont Hill.

Ford continued, “But I’m saying that that was such a huge part of my persona that literally you’d be hard-pressed to find an interview where I didn’t come across like I was flirting.”

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Throughout her career in the entertainment business, Ford has been romantically linked to rappers Flo Rida and Drake as well as former NFL player Reggie Bush. She has never married. 

Before Majorie, Harvey has been married three times. After marrying his first wife, Marcia Harvey, in 1981, they welcomed twin daughters, Brandi and Karli (born 1982), and a son, Broderick Jr. (born 1991).

Following Steve’s divorce from Marcia in 1994, the “Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man” author married Mary Lee Harvey in 1996 before divorcing in 2005. Their son, Wynton, arrived in 1997.

Harvey first met his present wife, Marjorie, in 1990 at a comedy club in Memphis. They later reconnected and eventually exchanged vows in 2007. The “Family Feud” host adopted Marjorie’s three children from a previous marriage.

‘His Current Wife Kinda Does Look Like an Older Version of Her’: Steve Harvey Looked ‘Ready to Risk It All’ During Flirty Interaction with Video Girl Just Before Marrying Marjorie

Two years ago, Devondrick Hartsfield went public with concerns that his boss was a white supremacist.

Hartsfield, who is Black, told CBS News Texas he was working at Van Marcke’s Ace Hardware store in Arlington, Texas, on Juneteenth 2023 when his manager, who is white, showed him something disturbing in the store’s warehouse.

“Before we walked to the door, he told me to look up, and I looked up, and when I looked back at him, he was like, ‘It’s a joke, Juan left his backpack,'” Hartsfield said.

Florida, Orlando, Ace Hardware store. (Photo by: Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

The backpack was hanging from the ceiling. Upon further reflection, Hartsfield, who had been a delivery driver at the store for nearly four months, said the incident sent a chill down his spine.

“And when I looked back up, I saw the noose with the rope and I was like, ‘What the hell?'” Hartsfield said.

“The bag to me looked to me like a Black man who was hung and dismembered,” he said. “I really feel like that was a message.”

Hartsfield said the manager insisted the hanging backpack was intended as a joke. One supervisor later apologized, he said.

But Hartsfield said he couldn’t help but wonder whether it was a coincidence that all this went down on Juneteenth, which celebrates what is widely misbelieved to have been the date of the end of slavery in the United States.

June 19, 1865, marks the day when Union General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, and announced that enslaved people in Texas were free, enforcing the Emancipation Proclamation issued by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863. However, the Emancipation Proclamation only applied to Confederate states. Slavery wasn’t formally and fully abolished across the United States until the 13th Amendment was ratified on Dec. 6, 1865.

“What’s going on today in this world … making [Juneteenth] a national holiday, you’ve heard this on the news, you’ve seen on the news, so there’s no way to not know what Juneteenth was,” he said. “I’m actually petrified to go back to work. This is something that’s never happened to me. It’s very serious.”

Now, almost two years to the day, Hartsfield has filed a million-dollar lawsuit against Ace alleging racial discrimination, according to court documents filed Tuesday.

He was fired, the suit states, because he reported the incident to the company’s human resources department.

Hartsfield included pictures of the noose in his discrimination complaint to upper management. He said the noose was still hanging when he returned to work the next day, according to the suit.

Representatives from human resources assured Hartsfield there would be an investigation, his suit claims. The company promised the same when it was asked to comment on Hartsfield’s allegations in 2023.

“Van Marcke’s Ace Hardware would like to assure you and the entire community that any allegations of racism; or any discrimination is being thoroughly investigated and addressed with the utmost urgency,” the statement read. “We take such incidents seriously and are committed to creating a safe and inclusive environment for both our employees and customers.”

Hartsfield alleges he was suspended without pay after coming forward with his concerns and was never asked to return. His position was later filled by a non-Black applicant, the suit claims.

“Mr. Hartsfield raised legitimate concerns about a racially hostile work environment,” said his lawyer, Jason Smith. “Instead of addressing them responsibly, Ace Hardware’s management effectively ended his employment.”

Atlanta Black Star News has reached out to Ace Hardware seeking comment.

‘Petrified to Go to Work’: Ex-Ace Hardware Manager Says He Was Fired After Complaining About Symbol of Dismembered Black Man Hung from Ceiling on Juneteenth

Jenna Bush Hager has never been one to shy away from sharing personal stories, but her latest revelation on the “Today” show left both her guest co-host and viewers absolutely stunned.

The 43-year-old television personality dropped a bombshell about a teenage mishap that serves as the ultimate cautionary tale about sun protection, involving a topless beach experience in Spain that went horribly wrong and left lasting damage on her skin.

During Tuesday, June 17, episode of “Today with Jenna & Friends,” Bush Hager was discussing tanning with guest co-host Leslie Bibb when the conversation took an unexpected turn toward personal confessions.

Jenna Bush Hager stunned viewers when she revealed her breasts turned green from a sunburn at a topless beach. (Photo by Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)

According to InStyle, the “White Lotus” star had been weighing in on Gwyneth Paltrow’s recent topless cooking video, which naturally led to discussions about similar experiences and the risks involved in various states of undress.

At one point, Bibb started by talking about how her mother used to sunbathe in the nude. Then the show host shared a personal and embarrassing story from her childhood.

“I once went to a topless beach — I might have already said this, which is embarrassing — in Spain, in high school,” Bush Hager explained, according to Entertainment Weekly.

Bibb responded, clutching her breasts, “You laid out topless in high school?!”

Bush Hager continued, “And I’ll just say… If you get burned, it’s not pretty.”

The story took an even more dramatic turn when Bibb asked about the severity of the burn and whether Bush Hager’s skin had peeled.

Not only did the host confirm that peeling had occurred, but she casually dropped what can only be described as a medical nightmare.

“And they may have turned green,” she revealed, adding with dark humor, “The opposite of the color wheel!”

The confession left Bibb in slack-jawed silence while audible groans of shock and horror could be heard from the off-screen audience.

Bibb, naturally stunned by this revelation, pressed for confirmation, asking, “They turned green? Are you for real life?”

 When Bush Hager confirmed that her breasts had indeed changed color, the actress could only respond with, “Oh, I don’t think that’s good.”

The understatement of the century, as Bush Hager would later acknowledge that the incident caused lasting damage that continues to affect her skin today.

The “Today” show host admitted that the teenage tanning disaster has had permanent consequences.

“That’s why my skin will not look like yours, unfortunately,” she told Bibb, explaining that she now lives with “years of sun damage” as a direct result of her youthful sun-worshipping habits.

The experience has completely changed her relationship with sun exposure, leading her to abandon tanning altogether in favor of protective measures and regular medical monitoring.

These days, Bush Hager has adopted a completely different approach to sun safety. She confirmed that she no longer lays out in the sun and maintains regular visits to a dermatologist to monitor her skin health.

The conversation concluded with both women emphasizing the importance of sunscreen, with Bibb remarking, “SPF babies, SPF! Get hip with it!” and Bush Hager adding, “Please do! And do it when you’re young!”

Even as they attempted to move on to other segments, Bibb couldn’t shake the disturbing imagery.

“Green!” she exclaimed, “That… makes me sick.”

Bush Hager agreed wholeheartedly, repeatedly calling the experience “gross.”

When the show posted a clip of the exchange on Instagram, fans were equally captivated and horrified by the revelation.

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Social media users couldn’t get enough of the shocking story, with one person writing, “I swear Jenna has thee best stories ! Ok, she left us hanging on the tatas turning green ?!?!”

Another echoed Bibb’s sentiment, commenting, “They turned green, oh I don’t think that’s good!”

A third expressed confusion and sympathy, saying, “I dont understand how they turn green? but ouchhh.”

One fan compared the moment to classic television confessions, writing, “This is is KLG level confession/hilarity/body horror and I loved it.”

Lastly, someone wrote, “@jennabhager I imagine you’ll be getting a phone call from your mom today hahaha.”

While sunburns turning green are exceptionally rare, health professionals note that severe sun exposure can lead to serious complications, including redness, swelling, pain, blisters, pus, and extensive peeling, according to Medical News Today.

Bush Hager’s story serves as a powerful reminder that sun protection isn’t just about preventing temporary discomfort, it’s also about preventing permanent damage that can last a lifetime.

‘You Laid Out Topless In High School?!’: Jenna Bush Hager Shares ‘Embarrassing’ Beach Story That Left Her Chest Green

Kentucky State Trooper James Cameron Wright was already facing 25 years in prison for abusing citizens in the line of duty when he was sued Monday for abusing yet another citizen by tasering him repeatedly while the man was already on the ground, ordering him to “get on the ground.”

The latest incident was captured on police body camera, revealing Wright to be a sadistic cop who seemed to take pleasure in torturing a man named Dawson Blevins, who had committed no crime, a pattern Wright had maintained for years with little repercussion.

But karma finally caught up to the 30-year-old cop in March when he was indicted by a federal grand jury on two counts of excessive force and one count of perjury for lying about incidents spanning from 2020 that are unrelated to the latest incident described in the recent lawsuit.

Kentucky State Trooper James Cameron Wright (center), who has already been indicted for abusing citizens, is being sued by yet another citizen, Dawson Blevins (left and right), who was tasered and pepper-sprayed by Wright during a traffic stop last year. (Photos: Kentucky State Police)

The latest incident to come to light took place last year when Wright pulled over a car driven by a man named Arturo Cordova while Blevins was sitting in the passenger seat, according to the lawsuit obtained by Atlanta Black Star.

Listed as defendants along with Wright are Kentucky state troopers Jeremy Smith, Morris W. Farris, Brad Riley, Matthew J. Johnson, Michael Rogers, Chad White and Phillip Burnett Jr., who are all accused of violating Blevins’ Fourth and 14 Amendment rights by protecting and covering up Wright over the years.

“This was not the first time that Defendant Wright has engaged in flagrant violations of citizens’ rights to be free from excessive force (it is at least the fourth that we know of), and indeed, this involves a pattern and practice on the part of Defendant Wright and other Troopers to utilize excessive force and then have it covered up or ignored by KSP supervision,” the claim states.

Blevins ended up spending more than four months in jail on charges of obstructing governmental operations, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a controlled substance. All charges were dismissed earlier this month, according to WDRB-TV.

Seatbelt Violation

It was over a seatbelt violation that Wright pulled over Cordova on June 19, 2024, as he was driving with Blevins to work at a construction site.

The cop discovered that Cordova was on probation for an unspecified crime and began accusing him of having a marijuana roach in the car, which Cordova denied, telling the cop he no longer consumes marijuana because of his probation.

Wright placed Cordova in the back of his patrol car, then walked up to Blevins sitting in the passenger seat, ordering him to step out of the car since he had probable cause that there was a roach in the car, threatening to physically remove him from the car.

Blevins removed his seatbelt and began complying with the cop, but reached for his phone to begin recording.

“Don’t reach inside the vehicle, step out of the vehicle,” Wright orders.

“F-ck you, man,” responds Blevins under his breath, which angered the cop, but it is considered protected speech by the court system.

“You want to go to jail, keep it up,” Wright says.

“I’m not scared of jail,” Blevins says, stepping out of the car with a phone, wallet and pack of cigarettes in his hand.

“Well, I can oblige with that,” Wright tells him while grabbing his wrist. “Don’t reach for anything, drop what you got in your hands.”

“No, I’m videotaping,” Blevins responds as the cops shove him to the ground.

“You’re under arrest, get on the ground,” Wright tells Blevins.

“For what?” Blevins asks as he tries to stand back up.

The cop begins tasering him, forcing Blevins to fall on the ground while crying out in pain.

“Get on the ground, you’re going to get it again!” the cop yells while tasering the man who was already on the ground.

“I’m on the ground!” Blevins cries out.

The cop then orders him to lie on his stomach and put his hands behind his back while still tasering him.

“I can’t!” Blevins cries out as he is being tortured and shocked.

The cop continues repeating his orders while tasering him, then pulls out his pepper spray to mace him in the eyes, even though it was clear from the video that Blevins was not a threat.

“Trooper Wright repeatedly and gratuitously applied and continued applying force, which inflicted pain and caused injury to the Plaintiff, who posed no threat to his safety, did not attempt to flee, and offered no resistance to Trooper Wright,” the claim states.

“As a result of the encounter, the Plaintiff ended up with two compression fractures to his thoracic spine,” the attorneys wrote.

Wright’s Indictment

Wright began working for the Kentucky State Police in 2019 and was already abusing his power by 2020, according to the federal indictment from March 4, which also lists two other troopers, Jarrod Lewis and Thomas Czartorski as also facing federal charges.

The indictment states that on March 5, 2020, Wright repeatedly kicked a suspect in the head, shoulders and torso “without legal justification.”

The indictment also states that on Jan. 22, 2021, Wright committed perjury by lying on the witness stand about beating another suspect on April 9, 2020.

The indictment also accuses Wright of tasering another suspect on March 12, 2024, “without legal justification.”

“If convicted, James Cameron Wright faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison,” according to the press release from the United States Department of Justice.

The lawsuit filed on behalf of Blevins goes into more detail about some of the above-mentioned incidents, stating the indicted troopers beat a non-resisting man named Justin Holcomb on March 5, 2020.

On April 2, 2020, Wright abused another non-resisting man named Thomas Davis during a traffic stop, which was covered up by Wright’s superiors.

Then on April 9, 2020, they beat another non-resisting man named Alex Hornback, snatching a phone from his roommate who was recording and deleting the footage.

The lawsuit also mentions an incident from March 12, 2024, where Wright abused another non-resisting man named John Millett III by throwing him to the ground and tasering him repeatedly, not much different from what Wright did to Blevins three months later. Millett also filed a lawsuit against Wright, which remains pending.

This action also involves the continuation of a disturbing pattern by Wright of engaging in the excessive use of force and is the third such incident in the past five years that resulted in a federal civil rights lawsuit.

This pattern of abuse was only allowed to continue because Wright’s superior officers allowed it to continue and even named him Trooper of the Year after knowing he had abused his power and committed perjury on the stand, “leaving Defendant Wright free to continue his pattern and practice of ongoing constitutional violations.”

Wright, who has been suspended from the force, is scheduled to attend trial in September over the federal charges. Watch the body camera video below.

‘You’re Going to Get It Again:’ Kentucky Cop Already Facing Federal Charges for Abuse Is Sued in an Unrelated Case for Tasering and Pepper Spraying a Non-Resisting Passenger

Chrissy Teigen’s wish is John Legend’s command – at least when it comes to In-N-Out food. 

The model shared two videos of the meal her Grammy-award-winning husband cooked to satisfy her craving for the California fast food restaurant.

In Teigen’s June 17 Instagram posts, Legend can be seen as he held up a plate with food items that looked similar to signature items from In-N-Out’s menu. While the presentation had some fans, including Chrissy, in awe, other fans were distracted by Teigen’s lack of table manners.

Chrissy Teigen slammed for smacking the food that her husband John Legend made for her. (Photo: Chrissyteigen/Instagram).

Proudly showing off his cooking skills in the first video, Legend flaunted his appetizing plate of fries and a burger he made for Teigen.

“Look at this beauty” he said, as his wife panned the camera lens over the food. While Legend got only a sliver of camera time, he still could be seen grinning ear to ear while Teigen admired the dish. 

“Oh my goodness are those animal style,” she asked. Then the mother of four and Legend both joked over their bulldog, Dudley’s, hyper reaction to the food. “Look at this guy,” she said, “he’s licking his chops.”

Legend soon responded, “Nooo, Dudley,” to their pup’s excitement. But he wasn’t the only one excited to dig in. 

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Teigen shared a second video of her off camera enjoying the meal that her husband prepared. 

“Oh my God you guys. Whenever I want In-N-Out, John is like ‘I can make it,’” she said in between bites. “And then he does it and makes me animal style fries, with the copycat sauce, American cheese and In-N-Out burger. It’s so good.”

There’s no argument on whether she enjoyed her food based on how loud Teigen was chewing throughout the video. But in her comment section some fans were annoyed by her chow-down session. 

One person said, “Stooooop eating and chewing and talking. I’m suuuuuuuuuper annoyed by you in this clip. So rude.”

A second person who felt similar wrote, “Omgoshhhhhh that chewing is going to send me crashing out any second. Can’t watch.”

The mother of four seemed to take no offense to the comment about her chewing with her mouth open. She even responded to the fan and said, “I knowwwww I had no idea it was so smackkky, I will never chew again tbh.”

A third person, however, appeared more agitated with the fact that Teigen didn’t make her own food.

“With all due respect you cannot even make a burger your husband has to make a burger from recipes can we be realistic here you look like a queen you can’t even make a burger that’s disgusting I feel sorry for your kids,” the commenter groused.

In the rest of the carousel post, Teigen shared two pictures of her daughters Luna, 9, and Esti. She also posted another clip of their son, Wren, who turns 2 on June 19.

But in the caption, she rambled on about her husband’s cooking and In-N-Out, which is a place she eats at often.

“I want in n out more often than we leave the house, and unfortunately they are on ZERO food delivery apps, which is a travesty,” she wrote. “Luckily John is always ready to make it from copycat recipes he found online. Hoooo boy it is delicious. Excuse my lip smacking but it’s just that good!! I’ll post the sites he gets the recipes from in my comments below when he shares it with me!!”

The “Green Light” singer ended up sharing the link to the recipe himself in the comments. He used a website called Domestic Superhero, where the creator Allyson shares recipes, DIY projects and travel blogs with her audience. 

‘That’s Disgusting’: Chrissy Teigen’s Lack of Table Manners In Video of John Legend Serving Her Food Leaves Trolls Fuming

A Chicago police officer has been reassigned to desk duty after his arrest over the weekend in Polk County, Florida, in which he allegedly tussled with a security guard, used a racial slur, and got on the wrong side of a colorful Southern sheriff.

Dwayne Ocasio, 32, bonded out of jail on Saturday and returned to Chicago. News apparently traveled fast, as Ocasio arrived back in the Windy City to find he was stripped of his police powers. The former west side patrol officer has been reassigned to the Chicago police’s Alternate Response Section, which handles non-emergency calls.

Chicago Police Officer Dwayne Ocasio was arrested in in Polk County, Florida. (Photo: YouTube screenshot/WGN-TV)

Ocasio reacted angrily when the security guard asked him to move a golf cart that was blocking the road. Refusing to comply, Ocasio instead tried to bigfoot the guard, falsely identifying himself as a Miami police officer. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd relayed the rest of the story in a video statement recorded Monday.

“You know what this guy did?” Judd said. “He cussed the security guard, used a racial slur – that’s right – and then pushed the security guard.”

Following the dust-up, Ocasio, 32, returned to his hotel room. Deputies would track him there soon after, accompanied by the guard.

Judd said they knocked for 15 minutes before a woman finally appeared. When they asked to speak to Ocasio, she shut the door.

“After about 10 minutes of knocking on the door and saying ‘Polk County Sheriff’s Office,’ this guy from inside said, ‘who the blank is the Polk County Sheriff’s Office?'” Judd said. “He said, ‘I don’t give a blank what the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, or who the sheriff’s office is.'”

When Ocasio finally opened the door, the guard identified him as his attacker. Deputies then informed Ocasio that he was under arrest. He was transported to the Polk County Jail and charged with battery, according to jail records. Later that day, he posted bond and was released.

“Now he knows who the Polk County Sheriff’s Office is,” said Judd, who clearly had no interest in giving cover to his fellow lawman.

“I bet the people of Chicago are not happy with him using a racial slur and battering somebody and giving our deputies a hard time,” said the sheriff.

Ocasio’s alleged boorish behavior, coupled with his sense of entitlement, earned him little support online.

“Chicago cop Dwayne Ocasio learned the hard way: Florida sheriffs don’t play,” remarked one commenter, writing on X. “Unlike Illinois, this ain’t a blue state free-for-all.”

‘This Ain’t a Blue State Free-for-all’: Chicago Cop Arrested After Allegedly Attacking Security Guard, Using a Racial Slur at Florida Resort

Michelle Obama is happy to be a girl mom.

The “In My Opinion” podcast co-host is certain she had a more enjoyable parenting experience because she only had to raise daughters Malia and Sasha and not a mini-Barack Obama. 

The author of “Becoming” tackled all things parenting when New York radio legend Angie Martinez joined her and Craig Robinson, her brother, for the June 18 episode of their podcast. According to Michelle, the lifetime gig “ain’t for suckas.” 

Michelle Obama admits she’s relieved she did not have son like husband Barack Obama. (Pictured: Sasha Obama, Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Malia Obama via Barackobama/Instagram.)

She and Martinez agreed that preparing kids, especially young men, for the real world is a daunting challenge. The “In Real Life” podcast host is a boy mom of one son with Dru Hill group founder Tamir Ruffin, 22-year-old Niko Ruffin. At one point in the discussion, they offered their perspectives to a listener who wrote in seeking advice on how to raise a kind son in a tough world.

Michelle said, “You gotta be tough… Life ain’t for suckas, so he’s gotta be ready… At some point, her son will hit a road block.” The former first lady’s “coach and advise” parenting theory is the very approach she utilizes with her daughters.

“People say mothers raise their girls and love their sons. And I’d say love your son but raise him too, raise him to be as strong as you know he’ll have to be,” she said.

Martinez told her, “You should have thrown a boy in the mix,” which caused Robinson to chuckle.

Michelle quickly responded, “I’m so glad I didn’t have a boy ’cause he would have been a Barack Obama. Ooh. No. I would’ve felt for him.”

Her message, though, resonated with a fan who exclaimed, “FLOTUS is preaching!” A second takeaway from the discussion was “Noooo, Mothers keep the home peaceful and make sure Dad is around to raise the sons.”

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In March, Michelle revealed that Barack once suggested they try for a third baby. “I was like, I think I’ve been lucky with these two…You know, I’m thinking we’re gonna get a crazy one,” she said on the “Not Gonna Lie” podcast.

The former attorney has also spoken candidly about their 32-year marriage enduring a 10-year rough patch where she “couldn’t stand” Barack. She admitted that chapter began when they became parents. Malia was born in 1998 and Sasha was born in 2001.

‘So Glad I Didn’t Have a Boy’: Michelle Obama Is Happy She Didn’t Have a Son After Daughters Malia and Sasha Despite Barack Obama’s Wish for a Third Child

A Father’s Day beach outing took a tragic turn for a Florida father of two who died after jumping into the sea to save his two children from drowning.

Fort Lauderdale authorities say dispatchers got calls after 7 p.m. on June 16 about a drowning at an ocean resort, local news outlets reported.

Antwon Wilson reportedly dies while trying to save his children from drowning. (Photo: Facebook/Andrew Toussaint)

Officials say Antwon Wilson, 33, had rushed into the ocean to rescue his children, who both appeared to be in distress.

According to police, Wilson swam to his young daughter — estimated to be between the ages of 7 and 10 — and was able to keep her afloat, but eventually went underwater and never resurfaced.

Lifeguards at the scene had wrapped up their shifts for the day about 20 minutes before the emergency and were packing up equipment, but when they heard the calls for distress, they rushed to the scene.

“The father made it to the daughter and was able to keep her afloat until lifeguards were able to get in and pull the daughter out,” Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Daniel Moran told WFLA.

A good Samaritan also jumped into the ocean to aid Wilson, but also ended up being pulled under the water and had to return to shore.

“A lot of people were just screaming, ‘Help, help help,’” Eslaam Saad told WSVN. “I didn’t think about anything. I didn’t even tell my wife I’m going in the water again. I just jumped into the water. I just tried to swim, I just tried to get out with her. I think I did my best to get her closer to offshore.”

Officials say the girl’s sibling, who was swimming nearby, was also struggling in the water and was rescued.

After lifeguards pulled the two children to shore, authorities began searching the water for Wilson and found him a few minutes later underwater.

Wilson, his daughter, and the good Samaritan were all rushed to the hospital. All except Wilson survived. Police said the child and the stranger who aided her in the water are expected to be OK.

“Once I got into the hospital and they made sure I’m OK, I was trying to ask about them, they told me her dad was already gone,” Saad said.

‘A Lot of People Were Just Screaming’: Florida Father of Two Dies on Father’s Day After Jumping In to Sea to Save His Children from Drowning, Officials Say

A Kentucky woman who was unjustly convicted and sentenced for the murder of a man in 2008 was just awarded nearly $3 million after she sued a city government and its detectives, alleging they framed her for the killing.

Johnetta Carr is one of the youngest female exonerees in the U.S. Her case goes back to January 2006, when she was arrested for the robbery and murder of Planes Adolphe. She was 16 at the time.

Carla Sowers was wrongly convicted for boyfriend’s murder in 2008. (Photo:National Registry of Exonerations)

Planes Adolphe’s Murder Case and Carr’s Conviction

In October 2005, Adolphe, a cab driver and Haitian immigrant, was found dead in front of his apartment building in Louisville, Kentucky.

Investigators say that his wrists and feet were bound with tape, and he was strangled with an electrical cord. His cellphone and wallet were stolen, and his cab was found abandoned a few miles from where his body was recovered.

According to Carr’s lawsuit, she and 36-year-old Adolphe had been dating for only two months, and the teen had never visited his apartment.

Despite there being no physical or DNA evidence tying Carr to the murder, detectives arrested her as well as two other innocent teenagers — Carla Sowers and Shawndric Williams.

Carr had an alibi for the night of Adolphe’s murder that multiple people could attest to — she was at a sleepover with several people, including Sowers and Williams.

However, according to the complaint, detectives fed multiple people fabricated statements that would ultimately pin the robbery and murder on Carr.

During Sowers’ hours-long interrogation, she maintained her innocence and insisted she knew nothing about the murder. But the detective resorted to coercive tactics and fed her false statements to repeat that would implicate Carr and Williams for the crime, the complaint states.

Another detective who later spoke with a female witness at the sleepover also allegedly fed her a fabricated statement, saying that she could not say whether Carr left the house that night while everyone was sleeping.

After Carr was jailed at a juvenile facility, detectives began obtaining reports from jailhouse informants, one of whom claimed that Carr confessed that she, Williams, and Sowers were all involved in the robbery and murder.

That informant later admitted that detectives told her to lie about what Carr said. Sowers also recanted her statements.

During her interrogations, Carr maintained her innocence and her alibi.

Her complaint stated that during the interview, one detective was “aggressive” with her, “threatened to put her in jail for life,” and called her a “a murderer, a b—h, and a wh—e, and “refused to let her call her mother.”

The lawsuit states that the detective delivered false testimony to a grand jury, and Carr was formally indicted in April 2006.

After spending two years in a juvenile facility, she took an Alford plea in May 2008 to second-degree manslaughter, first-degree conspiracy to commit robbery, second-degree conspiracy to commit burglary, and tampering with physical evidence. An Alford plea allows defendants to plead guilty to charges without admitting to criminal acts.

Carr was sentenced to 20 years in prison. She was released on parole in December 2009 and completed parole in June 2018. In total, she spent more than 12 years either in jail or on parole.

According to Carr’s lawsuit, in the days after Adolphe’s murder, one of his friends told detectives that a man named Steve Louis was the culprit they were looking for. A witness told police that Louis allegedly threatened to kill Adolphe and learned that someone else helped him carry out the killing. Another witness also informed detectives that Louis was threatening people who were talking to police about the murder.

When police interviewed Louis, he shifted the blame to Carr and said that he thought she was somehow involved, leading police to investigate her, the complaint states. He was fatally shot in 2012.

Carr’s Exoneration, Federal Lawsuit, and $2.9 Million Award

After petitioning Gov. Matt Bevin about her case, Carr was pardoned in December 2019.

The following year, she filed a federal lawsuit against Louisville, Jefferson County, and several detectives and officers on their combined police department, alleging investigative misconduct, malicious prosecution, and violations of her constitutional rights.

According to the National Registry of Exonerations, a judge dismissed the lawsuit in July 2021, a decision that Carr appealed.

In June 2022, a federal court of appeals reversed the dismissal and reinstated the lawsuit.

In June 2023, the defendants formally denied her allegations in an official court filing, asserted their rights to immunity, and claimed that Carr failed to sufficiently state her claim.

Carr finally recently settled the case with the city for $2.9 million.

Since her exoneration, she has publicly advocated for Kentucky to start providing restitution to exonerees. The state is one of 12 states that don’t compensate citizens who were wrongly convicted and later exonerated.

A bill that just cleared Kentucky’s state house earlier this year would award exonerees $65,000 for each year they were in prison, $32,500 for each year they were on parole, and a tuition waiver to any college in Kentucky.

‘Refused to Let Her Call Her Mother’: Framed at 16 for Her 36-Year’s Boyfriend’s Murder, Kentucky Woman Wins $2.9M After Cops Accused of Ruining Her Life Walk Free

North Carolina state Rep. Julie von Haefen is in full retreat mode after Republicans seized upon a video she posted over the weekend on her since-deleted X account.

The video was shot at Saturday’s “No Kings” anti-Trump protest in Raleigh, one of several held across the country. As many as six million people were estimated to have attended the pro-democracy protests, dwarfing the attendance at the military parade held that same day, which was also the president’s birthday.

One of the protesters featured in the video posted by von Haefen, a Democrat, is holding a sign depicting a guillotine and a mask of what appears to be a beheaded Donald Trump. The caption reads, “In these difficult times, some cuts may be necessary.”

North Carolina State Rep. Julie von Haefen (Photo: Facebook/Julie von Haefen)

The video was considered particularly ill-timed in the wake of what authorities say were politically motivated shootings targeting Democrats in Minnesota earlier Saturday. State Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband were shot and killed in their home, and Minnesota state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife were also shot in their home but survived.

“Rep. von Haefen’s post is DESPICABLE,” Republican State Rep. Tricia Cotham of Mecklenburg County wrote on X. “Her decision to use an image where the President is beheaded & a swastika is present is disgusting. Her actions threaten our democracy and encourage political violence. Shame on you.”

Republican House Speaker Destin Hall called von Haefen’s behavior “disgraceful” and said he is consulting his legislative attorneys to determine how she should be disciplined.

In a statement to the Raleigh News and Observer, von Haefen acknowledged the protester’s “inappropriate” sign, adding she edited the video to remove the photo while noting some online “sources” incorrectly identified her as the person holding the offending image.

“Let me be clear: I condemn political violence in all forms,” her statement continued. “My focus remains on bringing people together and fighting for the values that matter to North Carolinians. Like so many, I was horrified by the violence in Minnesota. There is no place for that kind of extremism in our democracy, no matter the target, no matter the party.”

But Republicans weren’t in a forgiving mood. Dan Brown, a candidate for governor, said von Haefen should be investigated by the U.S. Secret Service, while a Republican constituent called for her arrest.

A press release sent late Monday morning from the state Republican Party called on her to resign “following her shocking social media post indicating support for the assassination of President Donald Trump.”

“The posts Rep. von Haefen shared do not show the judgment or temperament of someone to hold public office,” NCGOP Chairman Jason Simmons said in a statement. “For the good of her constituents to have effective representation, she should resign.”

Republicans who criticize provocative political postings on social media do so knowing they run the risk of being labeled hypocrites, as Donald Trump and his allies have shared or produced content glorifying or advocating for political violence. But, as seen in the responses by North Carolina Republicans, most just don’t care.

In 2021, Arizona Republican Congressman Paul Gosar posted a photoshopped anime video to his Twitter and Instagram accounts showing him attacking then-President Joe Biden and apparently killing Democratic colleague Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Gosar, who refused to apologize, remains in Congress and was not censured or punished in any way by Republican leaders.

And just last year, on his social media platform, Truth Social, President Trump posted a series of violent, conspiracy-driven memes and statements against his political enemies. One showed his Democratic opponent Kamala Harris, Bill Gates, Anthony Fauci, and other Democrats wearing orange jumpsuits, captioned, “HOW TO ACTUALLY ‘FIX THE SYSTEM.’” Another called for a military tribunal for former President Barack Obama.

There was also a vulgar caption added to a photo of Harris and Hillary Rodham Clinton: “Funny how blowjobs impacted their careers differently…”

The posts outraged his critics but there was little they could do about it without support from congressional Republicans, who stayed silent.

That double standard was mentioned by several commenters on the News and Observer website:

President Trump pardoned hundreds of convicted violent insurrectionists with zip ties who erected a gallows on the Capitol lawn for lawmakers … and Republicans are worried about a clever double entendre protest sign–a form of protected political speech–referencing DOGE cuts and the French Revolution? Puh-lease,” wrote one reader.

Added another, “I’m not interested in lectures on political correctness from Rep. Cotham.”

‘Despicable!’: North Carolina Democrat Faces Calls to Resign After Posting with Sign Depicting Beheading of Trump, Revealing Double Standard By Republicans

Arnold Schwarzenegger, 77, is speaking out about the significant weight loss of his 27-year-old son, Christopher Schwarzenegger.

The action movie star’s youngest child with his ex-wife, Maria Shriver, dropped 30 pounds in recent years. During a June 14-dated interview with The Times, Arnold addressed Christopher’s shocking body transformation.

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s elusive son Christopher has lost a significant amount of weight since 2019. (Photos: @schwarzenegger/Instagram; BG004/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)

“I could never go and say to him, you’re overweight. We just kept introducing healthy foods. We introduced him always to the gym and all of that kind of stuff,” Arnold explained.

The “FUBAR” stars continued, “And then, out of nowhere, he decided that he wanted to be lean. And now he is. So that is, of course, fantastic, the self-discipline and the self-motivation. I always felt one day it will have to come from him — and it did.”

Social media users weighed in on Christopher’s slimmer frame and his famous father’s remarks in the comment section of People magazine’s Instagram post.

“The kid is very handsome,” one fan wrote in the comment section. A second individual expressed, “Looks like he lost more than 30 lbs.”

Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Son, Christopher, Shows Off Drastic Weight Loss At Movie Premiere pic.twitter.com/M5lkIyF5V5

— Royalblogofficial (@royalblogoffici) June 13, 2025

Arnold was praised for his parenting when one fan commented, “He looks very much like dad. And he looks terrific! No matter how he did it I’m happy for him. Hope he can maintain. And kudos to Arnold for not overly involving himself and letting Chris make his own choices.”

In contrast, a more critical person took issue with Arnold’s approach, writing, “And that’s the problem with trying to be politically correct! How the hell can’t even tell your kid he has a weight problem.”

Christopher has revealed how he supposedly lost 30 pounds in a relatively short amount of time while at the Beacher Vitality Happy & Healthy Summit in Los Angeles in May 2025.

“I started in 2019 when I was living in Australia. I was on this big trip. I made it a big [deal] like, ‘Oh, I’m going to go out and do all this stuff, be in Australia,’ and I just saw how much my weight was prohibiting me from doing the everyday activities,” the University of Michigan graduate said.

He went on to explain how the Christian religious observance of Lent played a role in his weight loss journey. Lent observers usually give up something in their lives for 40 days as a way to test their self-discipline and deepen their connection with God.

“I was like, ‘Well, if I’m giving up bread, I might as well just take the opportunity and I’m a good Catholic boy, so I’m not going to break it,’” Christopher recalled. “And that was my one rule. I was like, ‘I’m not going to break Lent.’”

In September 2021, Arnold shouted out his offspring on social media for his 24th birthday. “The Terminator” actor mentioned Christopher embracing boxing, weightlifting, stretching, and cycling.

Happy birthday Christopher! I love you & I’m proud of you every day! You’re so smart, & have such a big heart. Between your boxing, your weightlifting, your stretching, your cycling, & on and on, I can’t even keep up with you! I can’t wait to see what you accomplish this year. pic.twitter.com/sBZG05YvXl

— Arnold (@Schwarzenegger) September 27, 2021

Christopher sported his slimmed-down look most recently alongside his dad and siblings at the Netflix Tudum Theater for the “FUBAR” season 2 premiere on June 11. He walked the event’s red carpet alongside his sisters, Katherine, 35, and Christina, 33, as well as his brother, Patrick, 31.

Arnold’s third son, Joseph Baena, was also in attendance. The family’s former housekeeper, Mildred “Patty” Baena, gave birth to Joseph in 1997 while Schwarzenegger was still married to Shriver.

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Christopher, Patrick, Christina, and Katherine took photos together with their father. Katherine’s husband, “Guardians of the Galaxy” cast member Chris Pratt, also posed with the Schwarzeneggers.

However, Arnold only took pictures with Joseph separately from his half-brothers and half-sisters. Joseph has followed in his father’s footsteps by entering the bodybuilding industry and the entertainment business.

‘Looks Like He Lost More Than 30 lbs’: Arnold Schwarzenegger Refused to Call Son Christopher ‘Overweight’ — Now He’s Obsessed with His Jaw-Dropping Transformation

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s daughter North West is getting older before the world’s eyes.

The preteen, who turned 12 years old on Monday, June 16, was seen out celebrating her birthday on a yacht in Mexico with her mom, some family and friends.

While North seemed to be enjoying the festivities of her special day, the public caught glimpses of the paparazzi photos released by TMZ on Tuesday, June 17, and many were stunned to stay the least.

North West makes fans double take over her mature look while celebrating her birthday. (Photo: Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images)

West wore an all-blue outfit, pinstriped Bermuda shorts and a blue ruffled top with spaghetti straps. She covered her black hair with a blue lace wig that was braided down in the front with the rest pulled into a ponytail. 

Though her outfit seemed to be age-appropriate, some fans believed that she still was looking too mature for a 12-year-old. In close up shots of North waving from the yacht, it looks like she may have gotten both her eyelashes and eyebrows done. It also appeared she had some sort of nude lip color on her lips. 

In the comments of TMZ posts, fans wrote their reactions. 

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“She looks older than Kim….” said one person. A second fan wrote, “Baby North be looking too grown for me.”

Some just completely didn’t even recognize her at first glance.

“D-mn I thought that was Cardi B …. lord forgive me,” said one individual where one observer claimed, “I literally thought this was a 40 year old woman next to her not her daughter.”

In addition to her mother, West’s cousin Penelope Scotland Disick also was in a picture behind her as the two appeared to be walking off the boat. Disick was wearing cream colored crochet shorts, a white tank top, and her dark brown hair was combed back and out of her face. Penelope is the daughter of Kardashian’s eldest sister, Kourtney Kardashian, and Kourtney’s ex Scott Disick. She is also 12 years old, and fans seemed to think she looks more like that age than North.

A fan commented, “Props to Kourtney.. her child looks age appropriate.”

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This isn’t the first time West caught the world off guard with her appearance. On June 4, she and her mother were spotted in Malibu leaving dinner and fans made note of how West’s blue hair made her look much older. She’s worn blue hair previously.

However, it seems some of the people who were shocked didn’t see the photos of her rocking long teal colored braids days earlier. On May 25, she accompanied her mother behind the scenes as Kardashian prepared for the Met Gala. 

Photos taken in Malibu sparked criticism from fans who questioned whether it was appropriate for Kardashian to allow her then 11-year-old daughter to wear a blue wig, with some saying the hairstyle made her look much older than her age.

It’s safe to say Kardashian is comfortable allowing West to express herself in certain ways, which includes her hair color. 

‘She Looks Older Than Kim’: North West’s Unrecognizable Look In New Photos with Mom Kim Kardashian Has Fans Saying She Looks ‘Too Grown’

Two New Mexico teenagers are facing murder charges after allegedly fatally shooting a homeless man in a tent last month after he asked them to stop firing into a nearby creek.

City employees with the Albuquerque Community Safety Department found 23-year-old Christopher Sturluson dead in a tent behind an apartment complex on May 1.

Joshua Curtis, 18, (left) and a 17-year-old boy were arrested and charged with the murder of 23-year-old Christopher Sturluson (right). (Photos: Screenshots/KOB-TV)

Authorities had been called to the area the night prior and spoke to Sturluson, whose tent was set up near an arroyo, also known as a dry creek. He told officers that three people had been shooting in his direction and into the creek, and he requested them to stop.

Using Spotshotter, an acoustic sensor system that detects and locates the source of gunshots in real-time, police learned that a total of 10 gunshots had been fired just before 9 p.m. on April 30.

Then, between 10:15 p.m. and 11:50 p.m., police data revealed that six more shots had been fired. Investigators believe Sturluson had been shot in that time frame.

They reviewed surveillance video in the area that showed the two suspected shooters walking toward Sturluson’s tent and firing shots just feet away from the dwelling before midnight.

“Detectives determined that Sturluson was likely shot during the gunshots fired just before midnight. Video showed two people, later identified as Curtis and Brown, walking just east of the tent about one minute before the shots were fired about 5-7 feet from the tent. Investigators linked casings from the scene to a gun that was recovered,” APD stated in a news release cited by KOB-TV.

Authorities later arrested 18-year-old Joshua Curtis and 17-year-old Adrian Brown.

Brown was charged with first-degree murder, shooting at an occupied dwelling, conspiracy to commit a shooting, negligent use of a deadly weapon, and unlawful possession of a handgun by a person under the age of 19.

Curtis was also charged with murder and multiple other crimes.

The Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office said both teens will be tried as adults. Prosecutors say 17-year-old Brown was already on juvenile probation, and said he has been arrested multiple times in the past for firearms violations.

“If you dish out no consequences, then they learn absolutely nothing from that,” Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman said. “The problem with learning nothing from it, is now, if convicted, this juvenile is facing the rest of his life in prison. We didn’t do any justice for the poor homeless person that’s dead, and we certainly didn’t do any justice for the kid that’s now charged with murder because we didn’t teach him anything when we had the chance.”

Sturluson’s family said that Sturluson had been struggling with addiction, but was getting help from a rehabilitation program.

Curtis’ attorney, Jay K. Nair, told McClatchy News that he will make sure the case is “fully investigated and to identify the faces behind the charges.”

“As the case develops, we will separate the facts from fiction. It is important to remember that Mr. Curtis is innocent until proven guilty, and at this time, the allegations in this case are just that — allegations,” Nair stated.

‘Didn’t Teach Him Anything When We Had the Chance’: Two Teens Accused of Fatally Shooting Homeless Man In a Tent After He Asked Them to Stop Shooting into Nearby Dry Creek, New Mexico Police Say

The wife of White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller demanded that the acting head of the Social Security Administration back up claims by billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk of massive phone fraud at the agency.

Former White aide Katie Miller, who exited the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, last month to work full-time for Musk, ordered acting SSA chief Leland Dudek to publicly repeat claims that 40 percent of all calls made to the agency’s customer service phone line involved some form of fraud or attempted scam, according to reporting from The New York Times.

Miller reportedly told Dudek, “The number is 40 percent,” in a phone call on April 1.

White House Deputy Chief of Staff for policy and US Homeland Security Advisor Stephen Miller (L) and his wife Katie Miller attend the Congressional Picnic on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, on June 12, 2025. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP) / ALTERNATE CROP (Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)

“Do not contradict the president,” she said. Miller demanded that Dudek toe the line even though staff at the agency tried to correct the figure in a memo on April 1, the Times reported, the same day Miller made the phone call to Dudek.

The false claim that 40 percent of all calls to the administration involved fraud or attempted fraud apparently originated from a misinterpretation of data.

The Times reported that the 40 percent number is a “distortion of a completely different statistic” involving calls by purported scammers trying to steal money by changing bank account information.

The real statistic is 25 to 30 percent of all phone calls related to changing direct deposit accounts are made by potential fraudsters, not 40 percent of all calls made to the agency. That’s a very different number. Yet it’s part of the claims Musk made earlier this year as the head of DOGE for taking a sledgehammer to staffing and making other cuts at the administration, as DOGE scooped up the personal data of millions of Americans.

“Throughout the early months of this Trump presidency, Musk & allies systematically built a false narrative of widespread fraud at Social Security based on misinterpreted data, using their claims to gain access to personal information on millions of Americans” – NYT,” New York Times reporter Trip Gabriel posted on social media.

Almost 69 million Americans rely on Social Security benefits, including retired and disabled workers and their dependents and survivors. That’s according to the Social Security Administration, which also reports nearly nine out of 10 people 65 and older received Social Security benefits as of Dec. 31, 2024.

A review by the digital news site Nextgov/FCW shows that less than one percent of all calls to the Social Security Administration involve potential fraud

But that didn’t stop MAGA supporters from voicing their outrage at the Times reporting.

“People with a brain know The NY Times is not objective and does whatever it can to make the Trump administration look bad!” an X user wrote.

“Well, if the left wing communists at The NY Times say so… lol,” another user posted.

Social security dates back to 1935 when President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law. The legislation was a direct response to the devastating hardships and economic poverty of the Great Depression. The benefits program paid for out of payroll taxes is a vital source, and some cases the only source, of income for millions of older Americans.

‘Do Not Contradict the President’: Stephen Miller’s Wife Ordered the Head of the Social Security Administration to Lie to Back Up Elon Musk’s Claims of Massive Phone Fraud at the Agency

Did Melania Trump actually fall asleep during Donald Trump’s multi-million-dollar birthday celebration?

The first lady is once again making headlines, after appearing to drift off during what should have been a triumphant moment for the president.

Cameras captured Melania seemingly catching some rest while seated beside her husband during his 79th birthday military parade last Saturday, delivering yet another viral moment that has fueled suspicions about the inner workings of the Trumps’ marriage.

Donald Trump’s wife Melania was caught resting her eyes at his 54th birthday celebration. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

The over-the-top spectacle took place on the White House Ellipse, where Trump and Melania settled into the presidential viewing stand for what was billed as both his birthday bash and a commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army.

Dressed in a cream pinstriped double-breasted blazer with a matching high-waisted pencil skirt, Melania seemed more interested in her outfit than the day’s proceedings.

Trump looking absolutely inconsolable at his fascist-themed 79th birthday party which no one turned up to other than those who had to because he's their boss. pic.twitter.com/3BqYLrn8f0

— Adam Schwarz (@AdamJSchwarz) June 14, 2025

At one point, while Trump stood to salute members of the parade, she remained seated with what observers described as a tired expression, her eyes closed at multiple intervals during the ceremony, according to footage online.

The moment that truly captured the internet’s attention came when a brief video clip showed the former model appearing to roll her eyes after what seemed like a forced smile.

Social media users were quick to respond to the footage, with one person writing, “Can’t blame her. There were much better ways to celebrate the Army than to make it about Trumpys dream of being Putin.”

In disbelief Melania was even present at all, a second individual said, “That looks like a Melania double.”

“She was daydreaming, wishing she was ANYWERE else,” noted a third.

Another said, “She was just bored. She will probably have her attorney revise and increase the “Bored” section of her prenuptial agreement for additional for costs, etc.”

In response to reports that Donald and others were caught with their eyes closed at his own party, one observer commented, “SLEEPY TIME. Everyone looks sleepy. They PAID to come nap. A waste of money.”

Melania and Pete Hegseth both seem to be sleeping during Trump's poorly attended parade, or maybe their microchips malfunctioned pic.twitter.com/9FQhOgk3Jp

— Paul Rudnick (@PaulRudnickNY) June 15, 2025

The clip lasted only seconds but was enough to reignite conversations about the reality behind one of the country’s most scrutinized relationships.

The military spectacle itself was designed to be impressive, featuring over 7,000 uniformed soldiers, dozens of tanks and military vehicles, marching bands, and a fireworks show. Helicopters and World War II-era planes soared overhead while Army parachutists floated down from the sky. The couple entered to a 21-gun salute and “Hail to the Chief,” with Cabinet members, GOP lawmakers, singer Lee Greenwood, and Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana White joining them in the viewing area.

Despite the grand display, the event drew criticism for its estimated price tag of $25 million to $45 million, according to Army officials.

The celebration also faced backlash for its timing, coming during a week of civil unrest in Los Angeles and amid heightened political tensions. Critics questioned the appropriateness of blending personal celebration with military ceremony, particularly given the substantial public cost.

Melania’s apparent disengagement fits into a broader pattern that has followed the former model throughout both of Trump’s presidencies.

Reports indicated she had spent only 14 days at the White House during Trump’s first 100 days back in office this term, fueling ongoing speculation about her feelings toward her role and her marriage. The persistent theme of her absence and apparent indifference has become a source of regular commentary and analysis.

SHe hates him.

— I’m Not That Short (@SheBleedsHipHop) June 17, 2025

Trump biographer Michael Wolff recently shared insights about the couple’s relationship during an interview with “60 Minutes Australia.”

When asked about Melania and Donald’s marriage dynamics, Wolff recalled asking someone close to them about the situation, only to be told bluntly that Melania “hates [the president’s] f—king guts!”

Saturday’s parade provided additional material for those who closely watch the couple’s public interactions.

The viral eye-roll and the moment Melania appeared to fall asleep have reignited speculation that the first lady is tired of carrying her husband’s last name.

Her body language and visible disinterest spoke volumes as viewers wondered if she even wanted to be there at all during Trump’s celebration.

‘She Hates Him’: Melania Trump’s Facial Expression During Donald Trump’s Birthday Parade Has Fans Saying She Looked ‘Bored’