Cincinnati leaders in turmoil after viral beating as some suspects face federal charges
As the investigation into a viral beating in Cincinnati that shook the nation and has been described as “a racial issue” continues, a victim and multiple suspects are facing criminal charges.
In the early morning hours of July 26, a confrontation outside the LoVe nightclub, located on the corner of Fourth and Elm Street in the city’s downtown business district, led to a horrific beatdown that was captured on video.
The video circulated rapidly on social media, sparking fury as at least two White victims were pummeled into the ground by a group of Black suspects. Once on the ground, the suspects did not back off. Instead, they continued to stomp on the victims, one of whom was left with a life-altering brain issue.
CINCINNATI BEATDOWN SUSPECT INDICTED ON FEDERAL DRUG CONSPIRACY CHARGES
The fallout from the assault has thrown city leadership into turmoil, as Mayor Aftab Pureval was missing in action for several days following the incident, leading to the local Fraternal Order Police (FOP) unanimously voting no-confidence in him.
Meanwhile, suspects have been rounded up locally and across state lines. All have been charged at the state level, and some face serious federal charges.
Here is the status of each suspect:
Jermaine Mathews, 39: Federal custody
Mathews, who has been described by prosecutors as the “coordinator” of the brawl, is in federal custody after being arrested Monday on charges unrelated to the beatdown.
He has been charged federally with conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and operating a premises for the purpose of trafficking narcotics.
Thursday, he appeared before a federal judge for a bond hearing, and his attorney Kara Blackney successfully argued that since he has no prior violent felony convictions and plenty of ties to the Cincinnati community, including three children and a business, he should be released from custody while awaiting trial on those charges.
However, federal prosecutors immediately appealed that decision, and as of Friday, Mathews remained in custody where he will stay until the appeal is heard.
Those drug charges arose after he posted a $270,000 bond and was released from local custody on the charges stemming from the fight: three counts of felonious assault, three counts of assault and two counts of aggravated rioting.
Montianez Merriweather, 34: Local custody
After the July 26 melee, Merriweather was assessed a $250,000 bond on three counts of felonious assault, three counts of assault and two counts of aggravated rioting.
He did not post bond.
On Aug. 13, he was charged federally with illegally possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon stemming from a July 2 incident.
Despite the federal charge, Hamilton County Jail records indicate that Merriweather is still being held in Cincinnati.
CINCINNATI BEATDOWN SUSPECTS ARRAIGNED ON NEW CHARGES; BOND CHANGES SPARK COURTROOM DRAMA
Patrick Rosemond, 38: Local custody
Rosemond, who is the suspect accused of nearly beating a victim, Holly, to death, remains in local custody on a $500,000 bond for three counts of felonious assault, three counts of assault and two counts of aggravated rioting.
He is described as a “main instigator” of the fight.
Holly revealed that she suffered “very bad brain trauma” during the attack, and is unsure the degree to which she will recover. She can be seen in the viral video being knocked unconscious and falling onto the pavement at the intersection of Fourth and Elm Street.
He was arrested in Georgia and hauled back to Cincinnati, where he was booked into the Hamilton County Jail on Aug. 14.
Gregory Wright, 32: Local custody
Wright was booked into the county jail on Aug. 11 on charges of aggravated riot and aggravated robbery.
He is accused of snatching a chain off of one of the victims during the beatdown before proceeding “to film the rest of the events.”
Wright has 22 prior arrests and two prior felony convictions, one for trafficking heroin and one for possessing a firearm as a prohibited person.
He is being held on $100,000 bond.
Dominique Kittle, 37: Local custody
Kittle has been charged with three counts of felonious assault, three counts of assault and two counts of aggravated rioting and is being held on a $150,000 bond in the Hamilton County Jail.
At an Aug. 14 arraignment, he was ordered to remain in jail pending a mental health assessment. During that hearing, his attorney said he suffers from schizophrenia and has been found not guilty by way of insanity on previous charges.
Nonetheless, prosecutors called him a “grave danger to the community.”
CINCINNATI RESIDENTS ON EDGE AFTER VIRAL BEATDOWN SPARKS CRIME CONCERNS: ‘WHAT’S GONNA HAPPEN NEXT?’
DeKyra Vernon, 24: Free on bond
Vernon is one of two female suspects who was arrested in connection with the attack. She faces three counts of felonious assault, three counts of assault and two counts of aggravated rioting.
However, during her arraignment, her bond was dropped from $250,000 to $25,000 at 10%, with the judge citing her lack of a criminal history. She paid that bond and was released from jail with an electronic ankle monitor pending trial.
Aisha Devaughn, 26: Free on bond
Devaughn is also out on bond pending trial.
During her arraignment, her bond was lowered from $300,000 to $25,000 at 10%, which she later posted.
She faces three counts of felonious assault, three counts of assault and two counts of aggravated rioting.
An eighth person, 45-year-old Alex Tchervinski, a victim of the brawl, has been charged with disorderly conduct related to the assault.
Tchervinski can be seen in the viral video slapping one of the suspects, which his lawyer claims occurred after he had already been hit.
His lawyer, Douglas Brannon, said his client was allegedly hit in the head 28 times and robbed during the attack, while trying to protect his girlfriend and another friend during the melee.
CINCINNATI BUSINESS OWNERS SLAM VIRAL ‘OUT OF CONTROL’ BEATING AMID FIGHT TO CLEAN UP DOWNTOWN
“What this has done, it has made Alex a victim now for the second time by bringing criminal charges against him,” Brannon told Fox News Digital. “What actually occurred is Alex was hit multiple times, before he slapped back in an attempt to try and defend himself and back off this group of thugs.”
Tchervinski’s arrest has become a point of contention between the police and the mayor’s office.
When the FOP voted no-confidence in Pureval earlier this week, they said Aftab also ordered the city solicitor to charge a White victim of the brutal beatdown with a crime “solely to appease racial tensions at the urging of a few community leaders.”
One of those community leaders, Reverend Damon Lynch, demanded that the victims be arrested at a press conference with Aftab in the week following the attack.
“For those who want to racialize it, then a black man stepped in between the combatants, separated them and said, ‘this is about stop fighting, everybody needs to chill,'” said Lynch, who is Black. “And then, for those who want to racialize it, the white man being steps back in the ring and slaps not the black man that he had just squared up with, but slaps another black man. So after that he was met with disproportionate force.”
“But when I see the mugshots, I only see people who look like me,” he said. “I don’t see the person who re-engaged. And so until we see all the mugshots, this is still a racial issue.”
Aftab agreed.
“I agree with Pastor Lynch, that there is no doubt that this public safety challenge, that this incident will require further investigation, further charges and further arrests for every single person involved,” he said.
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It still remains unclear what exactly sparked the beatings, but the investigation remains ongoing. Police are currently searching for at least one more suspect.
Christian concert faces fierce opposition in liberal city after Canadian cities ban tour
A Christian worship leader will hold a concert in Seattle this weekend, even as LGBTQ activists urge city leaders to revoke his permit.
Sean Feucht, a Christian singer and conservative activist, is scheduled to bring his “Revive in ’25” tour to Gas Works Park on Saturday. Feucht rose to national prominence during the COVID lockdowns, when he launched his “Let Us Worship” movement protesting restrictions on religious gatherings. He has also faced criticism over the years for his support of President Donald Trump and his comments about the LGBTQ community.
Earlier this month, eight Canadian cities revoked permits for Feucht’s tour. Now, Seattle activists are pressing city officials to do the same.
Charlette LeFevre, director of Capitol Hill Pride, called the event “malicious harassment and incitement” against the LGBTQ community, telling KING 5 News, “This is not what Seattle is about.”
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell countered that canceling the rally would violate Feucht’s First Amendment rights.
BLUE-CITY PASTOR SEES SIGNS OF REVIVAL AFTER TENS OF THOUSANDS ATTEND CHRISTIAN CRUSADE
“The law is crystal clear. You cannot shut down a venue on anticipated speech,” Harrell told KING 5. “Any group under the First Amendment has a right to use one of our public assets, such as a park, to have assembly. That’s embedded in the First Amendment, and we have to respect the First Amendment.”
Progressive Seattle outlet The Stranger reported that Lavender Rights Project, a Black transgender feminist group, and 15 community partners, plan to hold a counter event this weekend to combat what they called a “propaganda machine.”
The concert comes just months after violence erupted at another Seattle religious gathering in May.
The Seattle Police Department reported 23 people were arrested at Cal Anderson Park during MayDayUSA’s “Don’t Mess With Our Kids” rally and a pro-LGBTQ counter-protest. According to SPD, police “witnessed multiple people inside one group throw items at the opposing group.” Police were assaulted while arresting those individuals, leading to one officer requiring medical treatment.
SEATTLE MAYOR BLAMES CHRISTIAN RALLY FOR INSPIRING VIOLENT ‘ANARCHISTS’ WHO ‘INFILTRATED’ COUNTER-PROTEST
Harrell later blamed the Christian rally and infiltrating “anarchists” for the violence.
This is not the first time Feucht has faced resistance in Seattle. In 2020, city officials closed Gas Works Park ahead of his planned worship rally due to COVID concerns.
Feucht criticized the move as hypocritical, accusing city leaders of targeting Christians while tolerating riots.
“It was obviously a targeting and discrimination towards believers in the city,” Feucht told Fox News at the time.
“There’s just a bias,” he added. “It’s the height of hypocrisy right now that they’re letting these cities succumb to rioting and burning and pillaging and yet they’re targeting Christians.”
Feucht did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on the upcoming rally.
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A spokesperson for Harrell’s office referred Fox News Digital to the mayor’s public statement affirming Feucht’s free speech rights under the law.
“Under the First Amendment, the City cannot decline a permit based on the anticipated message of the event or views of the organizers,” the mayor’s office said. “At the same time, the City strongly celebrates and supports the LGBTQ+ community. Mayor Harrell and Councilmember Hollingsworth’s request to the organizers to move from Cal Anderson Park and Capitol Hill to another location was based in maintaining public safety. We will continue working with LGBTQ+ residents and organizations to uplift our community and create a welcoming, inclusive city for all.”
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After the Canadian concert cancellations, Feucht said in a statement shared with CTV News Toronto, “To publicly profess deeply held Christian beliefs is to be labeled an extremist and to have free worship events classified as ‘public safety risks.'”
Catholic school shooter underwent breakup before attack on former church: warrant
The Minneapolis Catholic school shooter Robin Westman recently went through a breakup and was living with an older friend, according to one of several search warrants police have obtained in the wake of a deadly attack on Wednesday’s morning Mass.
Westman most recently lived in an apartment in Richfield, according to a search warrant, but the killer’s father told police that the 23-year-old had just gone through a breakup and was staying with a friend in nearby St. Louis Park.
Police also searched Westman’s father’s house in Minneapolis, where they seized a tactical vest, two computer drives and “misc documents,” according to the warrant return.
MINNEAPOLIS POLICE REVEAL MORE ABOUT CHURCH SCHOOL SHOOTER’S MOTIVE
Westman has been identified as the one who opened fire Wednesday morning, killing two children, ages 8 and 10, and injuring 18 other worshipers, including more than a dozen other kids from the school.
Police found Westman dead of a self-inflicted gunshot to the head, wearing black “tactical” gear and carrying at least two long guns, according to the warrant. The van Westman used in the attack belonged to James Westman, the killer’s father.
The elder Westman told police about the breakup.
MINNEAPOLIS CHURCH SHOOTER’S MOTHER REFUSES TO TALK TO POLICE AFTER DEADLY ATTACK ON CHILDREN
Westman was born Robert Paul Westman and underwent a legal name change in 2019, according to court documents, becoming Robin M. Westman.
“Minor child [redacted] identifies as a female and wants her name to reflect that identification,” according to a court form filled out by a mother named Mary Grace Westman – the same name as a woman who police said worked at the Annunciation Catholic Church. The shooter also attended the church’s attached Catholic school until eighth grade, according to authorities.
Federal authorities reportedly visited a Florida condominium owned by Mary Grace Westman as part of the investigation into the mother of the shooter who opened fire during a Minneapolis Catholic church Mass on Wednesday, according to WINK News.
Deputies visited the same address a day earlier before the shooting for what police said was an unrelated welfare check involving a juvenile.
“Contact was made with Mrs. Westman, who stated the juvenile and the juvenile’s mother had previously lived there and were no longer residing with her,” the Collier County Sheriff’s Office told Fox News Digital.
Officials noted it was “unrelated to the shooter or shooter’s family.”
The FBI declined to answer questions about activity in Florida.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara told reporters Thursday that investigators have not yet spoken with Westman but are continuing efforts to reach her. Authorities confirmed she has not been cooperating with the ongoing investigation.
Ryan Garry, a lawyer for Mary Westman, told Fox News she is “deeply distraught” and not involved in the crime but hired counsel to handle law enforcement and media inquiries.
The killer also posted what police are referring to as “manifestos” online.
“[It] appeared to show him at the scene and included some disturbing writing,” O’Hara told reporters during a briefing.
Disturbing videos posted by a person using the name Robin Westman were deleted from YouTube after the shooting, showing handwritten pages of a notebook, weapons with messages painted on them, and commentary from whoever filmed them.
O’Hara added that all three firearms used in the attack had been purchased legally by Westman, who had no prior criminal record.
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Police in Eagan, Minnesota, were part of a multiple-department response to a mental health incident at a former address used by Westman in 2018, according to NBC News, which obtained a heavily redacted report on the matter.
Eagan police did not immediately return a message seeking comment on the incident. Mendota Heights police, who were also involved in the response, declined to answer any questions about the incident or any other encounters at the same address.
Minnesota does have a so-called red flag law, officially the state’s “Extreme Risk Protection Orders” program, which can block people from purchasing firearms for mental health reasons – but they have to first be flagged by their parents, prosecutors, or high-ranking police officials, according to the state government.
More wealthy Americans are fleeing to ‘oasis’ nation amid political tensions at home
America’s elite are increasingly seeking “golden” visas — with one country that offers the opportunity now pushing to open even more doors for the wealthy.
New Zealand parliament members are weighing an exemption to the country’s foreign buyer ban for golden visa holders.
For those individuals, the change would greenlight the purchase of luxury homes, namely homes that go for at least $3 million.
3 EXCLUSIVE ‘GOLDEN’ VISA DESTINATIONS THAT AMERICA’S WEALTHIEST ARE EYEING
The bill that’s under discussion would amend the Overseas Investment Act 2005 to reduce compliance costs and safeguard New Zealand’s “national interest,” according to the New Zealand Parliament’s website (NZP).
Politician David Seymour shared his support of the bill during the first reading of the amendment.
“We are a place where our friends who would like to do business with fellow Kiwis, who would like to invest, to trade value for value, and get stronger together with us are welcome under our laws,” said Seymour.
Others in support of the measure said the country needs foreign investment to grow its economy.
A politician who is against the bill, Julie Anne Genter, said the government’s adoption of this change would be “disadvantaging ordinary workers and advantaging those who already have money and power.”
“You can get permanent residency for life, and you can live the New Zealand dream.”
In April, the government relaxed its visa rules to attract more high-net-worth individuals, with such changes as removing an English language requirement.
The country also reduced the amount of time required for people to spend in New Zealand, as Fox News Digital previously reported.
Once the golden visa is obtained, it can be held for life. People do not need to reapply.
In under three months, 189 golden visa applications were received, while previous applications were at 116 submissions over the span of more than two-and-a-half years, Reuters reported.
Nearly half the applications were submitted by U.S. citizens, with Chinese citizens having the second-highest number of applications, the same source noted.
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Stuart Nash, former New Zealand minister for economic development and co-founder of Nash Kelly Global, told Fox News Digital the visas are becoming more popular.
“You’ve got a war going on in Europe, you’ve got the tinderbox, which is the Middle East,” he said. “You’ve got a change in the U.S. administration, which is causing more polarization than we’ve seen in a long, long time.”
“There are many Americans wanting to settle in New Zealand, as we’re seen as this oasis at the bottom of the world,” he added.
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“You don’t have to renounce your U.S. citizenship at all,” he also said.
“You can get permanent residency for life, and you can live the New Zealand dream.”
Deion’s son reveals ‘bigger and better’ career path after NFL team cuts him loose
Shilo Sanders remained a free agent after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers waived him earlier in the week following an ejection from a preseason game against the Buffalo Bills.
Sanders failed to latch onto the Buccaneers’ or anyone else’s practice squad as he was waived. There are a few days left before the start of the 2025 regular season.
He shed some light on what is next for his career.
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“I feel like this is just part of my story to grow and do bigger and better things. Whether it’s finding another team, whether it’s getting another opportunity in the NFL, it is what it is,” he said in a video posted to social media. “My time being with the Buccaneers has been nothing but great. The city, my teammates, my coaches, everybody has poured in love and support toward me and I’ll be forever grateful for that.”
He suggested there could be a career for him outside of football, including music or modeling.
“I’ll be talking to my agent and we’re waiting on the next opportunity. If that’s in the NFL, cool, but God has blessed me with a lot of talent to do things other than football,” he added.
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His father, Deion Sanders, offered his own thoughts earlier in the week.
“He’s my son, I’m proud of my kids, all of them. And I prepared my kids for any and everything that could possibly happen in life and in sports,” he said, via ESPN. “That’s part of fathering, that’s part of parenting, that’s part of having a relationship.
“So, he is mentally where he needs to be, physically where he needs to be. We’re praying that he gets another opportunity to go with a team, but if he doesn’t, the plans have already been put forward to what he’s going to do next.”
Sanders added that he was sure Shilo would be OK one way or the other.
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“Shilo’s a man of many talents,” he said. “I don’t know if you guys know — he’s a man of many talents and he’s going to be straight. All the Sanders are going to be straight with or without football. You better believe that. You better believe that I take care of mine and I’ve always have, and y’all know what I mean. You better believe that.”
Nine of America’s most shark-bitten beaches are all located in one state
Florida beaches dominated a list of the top 10 U.S. beaches with shark attacks dating back several hundred years, according to a new report.
Weather forecasting company Tideschart looked at data between 1642 through 2024 and looked at which beaches had the most shark attacks, with beaches in Florida compiling 9 out of the 10 slots. New Smyrna Beach, Florida, topped the list with 277 shark attacks since 1642.
Ryan Blundell, founder of Tideschart, said there are many swimmers who are unaware of the danger just off the shores of some Florida beaches, but said people shouldn’t panic.
“The concentration of shark attacks along Florida’s coastline is striking, with New Smyrna Beach in particular standing out as a global hotspot for shark encounters. Many people are unaware that certain beaches pose significantly higher risks than others when it comes to shark activity,” Blundell said. “These statistics shouldn’t prevent people from enjoying the ocean, but they do highlight the importance of staying informed about local marine conditions and following safety guidelines when swimming or surfing in these areas. Understanding shark patterns and behaviors can help beachgoers make safer choices about where and when to enter the water.”
GREAT WHITE SHARK SIGHTINGS RISE ALONG NORTHEAST BEACHES AS SUMMER WINDS DOWN
Here’s a full list of U.S. beaches with the most shark attacks from 1642 through 2024:
1. New Smyrna Beach, Florida: 277 shark attacks
2. Daytona Beach, Florida: 67 shark attacks
3. Cocoa Beach, Florida: 39 shark attacks
4. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina: 36 shark attacks
5. Palm Beach, Florida: 35 shark attacks
SHARK BITES BEACH FISHERMAN WHO DRAGGED THRASHING PREDATOR BACK TO WATER AFTER CATCH
6. Indialantic Boardwalk, Florida: 30 shark attacks
7. Fort Pierce Inlet, Florida: 24 shark attacks
8. Jupiter Beach Park, Florida: 23 shark attacks
9. Riviera Beach, Florida: 21 shark attacks
10. Cape Canaveral, Florida: 19 shark attacks
10. Isle of Palms, South Carolina: 19 shark attacks
Cities such as Galveston, Texas; Monterey, California and Gulf Shores Public Beach in Alabama were further down on the list.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission provided advice for swimmers concerned about shark attacks, which includes staying in groups, advising people not to swim too far from shore and using extra caution in murky waters.
In July, a surfer was bitten by a shark on New Smyrna Beach, which is known as the “shark bite capital of the world.”
Matthew Bender, 40, was bitten on his arm by a shark while surfing on July 6, according to a Volusia County Beach Safety spokesperson.
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“I felt it clamp down like a bear trap out of nowhere,” Bender told Fox 35 Orlando. “By the time I looked down, it was already gone. I never saw the shark, but it bit really forcefully.”
Comedian lists 46-acre ranch in Hawaii for nearly $2 million after moving to Texas
Roseanne Barr’s ranch in Hawaii is looking for a new owner.
The 72-year-old actress has listed her 46-acre ranch on the Hamakua Coast on the Big Island of Hawaii for $1.95 million, in partnership with listing agent Paul Stukin of Deep Blue, HI.
“I’ve represented many iconic properties, but this one stands apart,” Stukin said. “With macadamia sustaining Hawai‘i’s economy, the farm shows how land and community thrive together.”
The four-bedroom, four-and-a-half-bath home features 2,716 square feet of living space and was the setting for Barr’s 2011 Lifetime series, “Roseanne’s Nuts.”
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Designed for indoor/outdoor living, the home’s front porch features stunning views of the coastline and surrounding orchards, and the grounds also include a swimming pool with a waterslide and adjacent pool house.
In addition, the property boasts an art studio, outdoor bamboo shower and soaking tub, a greenhouse and a garage/workhouse.
Barr told The Robb Report she purchased the home when her son was young and, together with her family, decided “to build a sustainable home and help feed struggling families in Hawaii.” The ground features macadamia trees spread across rolling acreage, complemented by avocados, finger limes, apple bananas and tangerines.
“I’m inspired to sell because, frankly, I’m just too damn old to keep doing this,” she told the outlet. “The land deserves someone with the spirit and energy to care for it the way it should be. I still own a smaller property in Waimea and now live in Texas, where I’m involved in many exciting projects. I simply don’t have the time to give this place the love and attention it truly deserves.”
The “Roseanne” star spoke with Fox News Digital in June about what her life in Texas is like. She explained she spends a lot of time outside, noting “I’m doing a lot of mowing.” Despite a few mowing injuries, the star maintains that Texas is where she wants to be.
Her son previously mentioned Barr was thinking of leaving Texas for Palm Beach, but the star stated she changed her mind.
“I love it down there. I really do, and I was considering doing it, but then there was this one day that was so damn hot. And I [was] just like, ‘I think I’d rather burn in hell than live here in the sun.’ It was so hot. I mean, Texas is hot, too, but oh my God. I like to go to a place where you can smoke cigarettes in the summer. I couldn’t even smoke a cigarette over there, and I can’t have that,” Barr said.
The comedian became a household name when she starred in the sitcom “Roseanne” for nine seasons, from 1988 to 1996. The show resonated with audiences for its portrayal of the struggles of a working-class family who, although they had their disagreements, were always there for one another.
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Due to its popularity, the show was brought back in 2018 for a 10th season, with much of its original cast returning, including Barr. The show was canceled after one season following remarks Barr made on social media about Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett that were deemed racist. The show was then rebranded as “The Conners.”
While the other cast members were brought back for “The Conners,” Barr was not asked to appear on the show. Following the scandal, she sat down with Fox News’ Sean Hannity, saying “I feel like I have apologized and explained and asked for forgiveness,” later adding that she never meant to hurt anybody or say anything negative about an entire race of people.”
During her interview with Fox News Digital, she shared that she is no longer in contact with her former castmates.
“No, I’m not friends with none of them. They’re all in the past. I have pleasant memories of what fun we had – wish them all the best. And no, we don’t talk. I’ve moved on from that horrendous ending and chapter of my life, but you know, I don’t hold any bitterness or nothing to them, but my God, what fun we had on that show.
“And I was sorry they f—ed it all up with their greed and ridiculous stupidity to f— all that up. F— them, but I wish them well,” she said.
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Pop star’s ring delivers reality check for the left’s war on family values
Let’s get one thing straight: pop music superstar Taylor Swift is not a conservative role model. For years, she has happily played the poster child for the cultural left, endorsing Democrats, attacking conservatives and using her massive platform to lecture millions of Americans about politics she doesn’t fully understand. But her recent engagement to Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce isn’t about her politics or her persona. It’s about something far more significant: the enduring supremacy of marriage, family and tradition in the face of decades of liberal attempts to tear them down.
For years, the left has worked overtime to convince young Americans that marriage is passé, that commitment is optional and that independence means embracing loneliness as “empowerment.” We’ve been told that tradition is “oppressive,” that masculinity is “toxic” and that the nuclear family is outdated.
They’ve tried to normalize brokenness and sell chaos as freedom. But here’s the reality check: When the most famous pop star on earth announces her engagement—when she embraces the institution of marriage in front of the entire world—it sends a message no amount of leftist propaganda can drown out.
TAYLOR SWIFT AND NFL STAR TRAVIS KELCE ARE ENGAGED AFTER 2 YEARS TOGETHER
This engagement isn’t a cultural win for Swift. It’s a cultural win for conservatives. It proves that no matter how loudly the left rages against tradition, it cannot erase its fundamental place in human life.
Marriage matters. Family matters. Stability matters. And the very people who mock those values eventually find themselves drawn back to them.
Swift’s engagement to Kelce symbolizes something the left fears most: the pull of reality. Kelce embodies strength, masculinity and rootedness — everything progressives have spent years trying to demonize. Yet here he is, not just in a relationship with the left’s biggest cultural darling but bringing her into the fold of tradition by putting a ring on her finger.
This isn’t just a relationship milestone, it’s a cultural earthquake.
When the most famous pop star on earth announces her engagement — when she embraces the institution of marriage in front of the entire world — it sends a message no amount of leftist propaganda can drown out.
Think about it: Swift’s fan base has long been filled with young women told by progressive elites that marriage is unnecessary, even undesirable. They’ve been told to embrace a life of fleeting hookups, endless self-obsession and rejection of anything resembling stability.
Yet, millions of those same fans are now celebrating her engagement — sharing, liking, posting and swooning over a traditional marriage announcement. In other words, the very demographic the left thought it had locked down is now cheering for an institution conservatives have defended for generations.
TAYLOR SWIFT, TRAVIS KELCE’S ENGAGEMENT DRAWS REACTION FROM SPORTS WORLD
And that’s why this moment matters — because culture is upstream of politics. When young women idolize a celebrity who chooses tradition, it normalizes tradition.
When the biggest name in pop culture doesn’t flaunt some radical lifestyle but instead embraces marriage, it forces even the most liberal fans to confront a truth they can’t ignore: Marriage is beautiful, desirable and timeless.
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Make no mistake: Swift hasn’t suddenly become a conservative. But what her engagement represents is bigger than her, bigger than Kelce, bigger than celebrity gossip. It represents the undeniable endurance of conservative values. It represents the failure of the left’s decades-long project to erase marriage from our cultural imagination. And it represents yet another reminder that, when the dust settles, tradition always wins.
So let the left stew. Let it grit its teeth as its cultural icon embraces the very institution it has spent years mocking.
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Conservatives don’t need Swift on their side to celebrate this victory. Because this moment isn’t about her. It’s about what she can’t escape: the truth that marriage, family and tradition will always outlast the fads, the narratives and the lies of the left.
And that truth is worth celebrating.
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Ron Howard honors marriage milestone with sweet gift to special park
Ron Howard and his wife want to share the love as they celebrate 50 years of marriage.
The Academy Award-winning director recently revealed that to celebrate their anniversary, he and his wife, Cheryl Howard, donated a Victorian-style love seat to a Los Angeles-area park where they used to go on dates.
“I got the idea of an old-fashioned sort of love seat where couples could sit and talk and smooch a little bit,” he told People magazine in a recent interview. The “Apollo 13” director said he had at first considered a traditional bench.
The bronze “kissing chair” is located at Johnny Carson Park. It has an estimated value of $88,440, according to the City of Burbank.
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The 71-year-old met his wife when he was in high school and the young couple “hung out and dated and necked” at the park, he said.
Howard said that recently his younger brother, actor Clint Howard, went by the park.
“My brother drove by not long ago, snapped a picture with his iPhone. It was a couple kissing in the kissing chair. He said, ‘Hey, it’s working.’”
“I got the idea of an old-fashioned sort of love seat where couples could sit and talk and smooch a little bit.”
In a recent interview with Fox News Digital, Clint Howard had high praise for Ron – who is also up for his first acting Emmy this year – and his wife.
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“Ron didn’t have a lot of baubles,” Clint told Fox News Digital about his brother’s life growing up as a child star on “The Andy Griffith Show” and later as a teen star on “Happy Days.”
He continued, “Ron was extremely pointed about what his vision for himself was and what he needed to do to accomplish his goals. That being said, he also ran into Cheryl, his wife. I mean, Ron and Cheryl met when they were juniors in high school, and they’ve been best friends, and they run a family together, and they have run their lives together, and I have the utmost respect for Cheryl.”
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Howard married Cheryl on June 7, 1975, when he was 21 years old.
“I was just so sure,” he told People magazine in the interview.
His “Happy Days” co-star Henry Winkler was his best man, and Winkler told People that he remembers he caught the garter.
Howard celebrated his anniversary in June, sharing a photo on Instagram of the two of them embracing for a selfie in front of a beach sunset, writing, “Grateful for 50 amazing years and the family and experiences it has yielded. what an adventure down river through calm soothing waters and some tricky rapids as well. Our key….love and respect each other enough to just keep paddling. Thank God for you, Cheryl.”
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He hashtagged the post #GoldenAnniversary.
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The couple share four children: “Jurassic World” star Bryce Dallas Howard, 44, twins Jocelyn and Paige Howard, 40, and Reed Howard, 38.
Howard told People that he and Cheryl had a “small, very modest wedding.”
“It was important to Cheryl’s dad that he pay for it, so therefore to Cheryl it was important to not let it get out of hand, and we sent out invitations to 300 people, and Cheryl kept saying, ‘That’s huge,’ and my mom kept saying, ‘Oh, they won’t all show, they won’t all show up. And that church was chock-a-block full.”
He added that everyone from “The Andy Griffith Show” and “Happy Days” were there.
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“It was a great day,” he continued. “We had no reception. My mom and dad had kind of small champagne punch reception back at their house. And so the whole thing was super modest, but you know what? By God, it worked.”