Top legal scholar slammed for social media post about Kirk assassination suspect
A distinguished Harvard Law professor and legal scholar was hammered on social media after spreading a debunked rumor that the suspect in Charlie Kirk’s assassination was “ultra-MAGA” and that Republicans were trying to “blame” liberals for the tragedy.
Laurence Tribe made the comment in a post on X that shared a lengthy post from an account called Occupy Democrats, which attempted to paint a picture of suspect Tyler Robinson’s political ideology.
“Kirk’s apparent assassin seems to have been ultra-MAGA, exploding the GOP/MAGA attempt to pin the blame for this tragedy on liberals,” wrote Tribe, a professor at Harvard Law School from 1968 until his retirement in 2020. He is currently the Carl M. Loeb University Professor Emeritus at the school.
Robinson, 22, was in a “romantic relationship” with a transgender partner, senior-level FBI officials confirmed to Fox News Digital. The officials said Robinson lived with the unnamed person, who is a male transitioning to a female, and that they shared an apartment in Saint George, Utah.
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Kirk was killed Wednesday at Utah Valley University, where he was speaking to students at a Turning Point USA event on its campus in Orem. Moments before Robinson allegedly shot Kirk, someone asked Kirk if he knew how many transgender Americans have been mass shooters.
Jeremy Carl, a senior fellow at Claremont Institute, responded to Tribe’s post on X, accusing the professor of spreading “pure” disinformation by sharing the claim that Robinson was a supporter of President Donald Trump.
“Nothing to see here— just a longtime Harvard Law prof— arguably the most prominent legal academic of his generation— spewing absolute lies about Kirk’s assassin from one of the most notorious fake news sites out there,” Carl wrote.
Tribe, who taught at Harvard for 30 years, has been involved with multiple presidential administrations. Most recently, President Joe Biden chose him in 2021 to serve on his Presidential Commission on the Supreme Court of the United States, Tribe’s Harvard bio notes. In 2010, President Barack Obama selected Tribe to be the first Senior Counselor for Access to Justice.
Fox News Digital reached out to Tribe and Harvard for comment, but they did not immediately respond.
The Occupy Democrats group, which calls itself the “#1 Democratic organization on social media,” tried to paint Robinson as “an unstable homegrown white man with access to firearms” through describing his family as “hardcore MAGA” and “run-of-the-mill conservative gun nuts.”
Republican Utah Gov. Spencer Cox called the killing a “political assassination” on Friday, telling reporters that a family member had turned in Robinson. Cox said the family member told investigators that “Robinson had become more political in recent years.”
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The Democratic group also tried to link the messages etched into bullet casings found near the suspect’s weapon to a “white nationalist” and video games.
Of one casing engraved with the message, “Hey fascist! Catch!,” the group claimed the inscription “does not appear to be a left-wing ‘antifa’ message” and tried to connect it to a popular video game.
The other etchings included the phrases “Notices,” “bulges,” “OWO,” “what’s this?,” “Bella ciao bella ciao ciao,” “If you read this, you are gay LMAO” and a series of arrows, one pointing up, one pointing to the right and three pointing down.
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“Bella Ciao” is an anti-fascist song popularized by left-wing Italian partisans during World War II, according to the New York Post.
Trump calls for ‘death penalty’ for Charlie Kirk’s accused killer, but it won’t be easy
Law enforcement officials arrested the man accused of shooting and killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk in Utah on Friday after a frantic 33-hour manhunt. The suspect’s fate now hinges on whether the state pursues capital charges as political pressure mounts.
Prosecutors have not yet filed charges against Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old accused of killing Kirk after driving nearly four hours to Utah Valley University, where the longtime Trump ally was speaking. It also remains unclear whether they will seek the death penalty, a step publicly urged by both President Donald Trump and Utah Gov. Spencer Cox.
At a Friday news conference, Cox said investigators used surveillance footage from the stadium and tips from Robinson’s family and friends to identify him before the arrest. He also said charges would be filed “soon.”
“We got him,” Cox said.
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The governor vowed that Robinson would be “held accountable” for Kirk’s death, which he called a “political assassination.”
“This is certainly about the tragic death, assassination, political assassination of Charlie Kirk, but it is also much bigger than an attack on an individual,” Cox said. “It is an attack on all of us. It is an attack on the American experiment.”
Kirk’s graphic death and the scant public information revealed in its wake have left the nation reeling and revived heated debate about political violence in the U.S. It’s also sparked a litany of questions about how prosecutors will bring the case against Robinson, with Utah law and years of precedent making capital punishment difficult to pursue.
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Robinson is being held at Utah County Jail. A probable cause affidavit reviewed by Fox News Digital lists potential charges including aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious injury and obstruction of justice.
Utah law allows prosecutors to seek the death penalty only in cases where an individual is charged with “aggravated murder” — or a murder that knowingly “created a great risk of death” to another person besides the victim or defendant. The offense is listed in the affidavit, which could open the door for prosecutors to seek the death penalty.
The clock is ticking: Utah law requires state prosecutors to file a specific notice of intent within 60 days after an individual is arraigned on aggravated murder charges to notify the court and defense attorneys that they plan to try the case as a capital felony. Doing so sets into motion a complex legal process — including a two-part, or bifurcated trial, to decide both guilt and whether the defendant should receive capital punishment.
Otherwise, the case is tried under charges of a “noncapitalist fist-degree penalty,” eligible for a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole.
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Cox and Trump both suggested in interviews earlier this week that the state should seek the death penalty against Kirk’s killer, even before Robinson was named as a suspect.
“I hope he gets the death penalty,” Trump said Friday morning on “Fox & Friends,” calling Kirk “the finest person.”
The Beehive State is one of 27 states that still allows the death penalty, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. It’s also one of just five states where execution by firing squad remains legal.
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Even so, capital punishment cases are rarely pursued in Utah. The state has carried out only two executions in the past 20 years, and inmates spend an average of 34 years on death row.
Only four men are currently on death row in Utah, each for “decades,” according to KUTV.
For Robinson, whose criminal trial will draw national attention, particularly from the president and his allies, it’s still far too early to predict the outcome.
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Already, Robinson’s case has fueled intense speculation — even as some lawmakers urged calm.
“History will dictate if this is a turning point for our country,” Cox said, “but every single one of us gets to choose right now if this is a turning point for us.”
Train stabbing suspect charged in commuter’s killing linked to family crime legacy
Crime runs deep in Decarlos Brown Jr.’s family. The homeless felon accused of stabbing a young Ukrainian commuter to death on a Charlotte light rail train comes from a household where run-ins with the law have been a way of life.
Court records and law enforcement documents viewed by Fox News Digital reveal a disturbing family legacy: Stacey Dejon Brown, the older brother of the alleged killer, is locked up on a 27- to-36-year sentence for the 2012 shotgun slaying of a 65-year-old man during a robbery.
His sister, 33-year-old Tracey Vontrea Brown, has a criminal record that includes misdemeanor shoplifting, larceny, felony conspiracy, vehicle theft and resisting public officers, with her most recent arrests coming in 2024 for misdemeanor larceny, felony conspiracy and shoplifting, according to Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office records viewed by Fox News Digital.
Fox News Digital reached out to Vontrae Brown.
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Their father, Decarlos Brown Sr., has been arrested for allegedly breaking and entering, felony conspiracy, larceny and possession of a weapon on a university campus, according to the New York Post. Brown Sr. could not be reached for comment.
Together, these cases show a cycle of crime spanning generations, now culminating in Brown Jr.’s federal charge in the August 2025 killing of 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska, a refugee who fled her war-torn city in Ukraine only to lose her life in a random, unprovoked attack on American soil.
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Brown Jr.’s brother, Stacey, used the Charlotte light rail to flee police apprehension in a 2012 Queen City murder.
According to a press release from the Mecklenburg County District Attorney’s Office and coverage by WBTV, then-22-year-old Stacey Brown pleaded guilty in April 2014 to a string of violent offenses, including second-degree murder, two counts of robbery with a dangerous weapon, assault with intent to kill and breaking or entering a motor vehicle, all tied to the October 2012 fatal shooting of 65-year-old Robert Heym during a robbery.
Prosecutors revealed that after gunning down Heym, Stacey and his accomplice, Roderick Derrick Crawford, 21, boarded the train and made their exit at the transit center.
Fast-forward to Aug. 22, when Zarutska was stabbed to death on a train.
The violent encounter was captured on train surveillance video. The Department of Justice (DOJ) noted in a complaint filed Tuesday that Brown Jr. was captured on camera leaving the train car with “blood dripping from him.”
According to the police affidavit, Zarutska was stabbed three times in the middle of her throat after Brown Jr. allegedly used a pocket knife to attack her.
WATCH: Slain Ukrainian refugee’s family demands justice after Charlotte murder
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT HITS CHARLOTTE TRAIN STABBING SUSPECT WITH FEDERAL CHARGES
Federal authorities announced Tuesday that Brown Jr. has been federally charged with one count of committing an act causing death on a mass transportation system.
“Iryna Zarutska had likely taken that train ride many times before. She was probably tired after a day at work and just wanted to go home, but tragically she never made it,” James C. Barnacle Jr., the FBI Charlotte special agent in charge, said Tuesday.
“We hope this federal charge will help bring her family a measure of justice and the courts will hold the subject charged in this horrific act accountable. Everyone in this country deserves to go to work, to school or just across town without fear of being attacked.”
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Brown was previously charged with first-degree murder in state court for allegedly stabbing Zarutska to death.
DOJ indicts church leaders in alleged multi-million-dollar fraud targeting military vets
Federal prosecutors have indicted the founder and several leaders of the House of Prayer Christian Churches of America, accusing the Georgia-based ministry of running a decades-long, $22 million fraud scheme that targeted U.S. military members and veterans.
Following the indictment, the FBI on Wednesday conducted a raid near Augusta, Georgia, arresting leaders after years of allegations that the church operated like a cult and preyed on military communities nationwide.
FBI Atlanta public affairs specialist Jenna Sellitto confirmed to Fox News Digital it carried out a raid at a home in Columbia County, Georgia, and made authorized arrests related to the church investigation.
Sellitto said she could not immediately release the identities of those taken into custody.
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The charges come after the FBI in June 2022 raided at least three churches associated with the House of Prayer Christian Churches in Georgia and Texas, established just miles from Fort Gordon, Fort Stewart and Fort Hood.
Following the 2022 raid, the Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a forfeiture motion for almost $150,000, claiming the church and its Bible seminary swindled hundreds of military members out of more than $22 million.
The indictment, filed Thursday in the Southern District of Georgia, charges church founder Rony Denis and church leaders Anthony Oloans, 54, Joseph Fryar, 51, Dennis Nostrand, 55, Gerard Robertson, 57, David Reip, 52, Marcus Labat, 42, and Omar Garcia, 40, with a series of crimes, including bank fraud, wire fraud, misuse of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) education benefits and false tax returns.
Denis, whose true identity remains unknown but who obtained U.S. citizenship in 2002, is accused of exercising strict control over members through intimidation, manipulation and forced obedience, according to the indictment.
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Leaders allegedly aided in the manipulation by maintaining members’ personal information, controlling their finances and orchestrating divorces and property transfers.
Dating back to at least 2004, prosecutors allege the church orchestrated “straw buyer real estate purchases,” using church members’ names to obtain mortgages under false pretenses and then transferring the properties to entities under its control.
Church leaders allegedly collected more than $5.2 million in rental income from 2018 to 2020 while allowing mortgages to default, according to the indictment.
Prosecutors also accuse the leaders of defrauding the VA by falsely certifying students for GI Bill benefits through HOPCC-affiliated Bible seminaries.
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Funds intended for veterans’ education were instead diverted to church leaders and affiliated entities, according to the indictment.
In addition to the other crimes, court documents note Denis allegedly aided in filing false joint tax returns in 2018, 2019 and 2020, resulting in claims of hundreds of thousands of fraudulent refunds each year.
In a motion to designate the case as complex and exclude time under the Speedy Trial Act, prosecutors claim they reviewed more than 175 bank accounts, conducted dozens of witness interviews, executed five search warrants across four states and seized more than 100 electronic devices and 80 boxes of documents.
“The defendants are accused of exploiting trust, faith and even the service of our nation’s military members to enrich themselves,” said Paul Brown, special agent in charge of FBI Atlanta. “This indictment makes clear that using coercion, manipulation and fraud under the guise of religion will not shield wrongdoers from accountability.”
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More than 200 grand jury subpoenas were issued in the alleged fraud schemes, which spanned nearly two decades and involved 150 to 200 properties, according to court documents.
Denis is being represented by attorney Steven Sadow, who was lead counsel for President Donald Trump during his Georgia election interference case. Sadow could not immediately be reached for comment.
The Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for additional information about Denis’ citizenship status and identity.
Trump’s royal welcome: King Charles to orchestrate a star-studded spectacle
The British royal family is rolling out the red carpet for President Trump.
In July, Buckingham Palace announced that the 79-year-old and his wife, first lady Melania Trump, would pay a state visit to the U.K. from Sept. 17–19. King Charles III will host the couple at Windsor Castle.
Trump is the first U.S. president to be invited for two state visits by a British monarch. The late Queen Elizabeth II hosted him and Melania Trump in 2019 during his first administration.
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Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine and author of “My Mother and I,” told Fox News Digital that royal watchers can expect the full pomp and pageantry that the royal family is known for.
“This particular state visit is very significant,” she said. “Everyone is calling it the ‘soft power’ of the monarchy. King Charles can’t do anything remotely political or even say anything remotely political because that’s our constitution. He’s head of state, and he’s monarch, but he doesn’t get involved in politics. … But this event strengthens the relationship between both nations, and it’s one everyone is looking forward to.”
“The royal family is especially looking forward to this,” Seward insisted. “Trump is extremely flattering of the royal family. … The late queen was very amused by Trump, and she liked him. There is a good feeling all around before it has even started.”
According to the royal family’s website, foreign monarchs, presidents or prime ministers are invited to visit the king or queen on the advice of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Prince William and Kate Middleton will greet their American guests and accompany them to see Charles and Queen Camilla. As the king and queen formally welcome the president and first lady, a royal salute will be fired from the east lawn of Windsor Castle and the Tower of London. Then Trump and Melania will join Charles and Camilla, as well as William and Kate, in a carriage procession through the Windsor estate, toward the castle.
“They will go into lunch with as many of the royal family as the king can pull together, which will be most of the family,” said Seward.
WATCH: KING CHARLES SET TO ROLL OUT RED CARPET FOR PRESIDENT TRUMP’S STATE VISIT
After lunch, Trump will visit St. George’s Chapel in Windsor to lay a wreath on the queen’s tomb. There will also be a flypast by U.K. and U.S. F-35 military jets and the Red Arrows.
One of the many highlights of the state visit is the glamorous state banquet, which will take place Wednesday evening. Around 150 guests are usually invited based on their cultural, diplomatic or economic links to the country being hosted.
Darren McGrady, who was a personal chef to the late queen, Princess Diana and her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, told Fox News Digital there is zero room for error when it comes to the menu. He served as a royal chef for 15 years and cooked for five U.S. presidents.
“You are preparing the food that the king or the queen really enjoys,” he said. “I know that when I was the chef, the kitchen would send up to four different menus for the queen, and she would choose the one she liked the best. But, before that, there are lots and lots of meetings between the foreign office and the monarch’s office to find out if there are any allergens or any foods they don’t like. The goal is to make the visiting guest feel welcomed, just like you would want any guest coming over to feel.”
When French President Macron had his state visit in July, the king brought in a French chef. It’s unknown if an American chef will be invited to collaborate on the menu for Trump’s visit. Guests can expect to savor plenty of the king and queen’s favorite dishes, those that exemplify the best of the U.K., based on foolproof recipes.
“The queen was a fan of chocolate — the darker, the better,” he said. “So, there was always chocolate on the menu. King Charles is not a fan of chocolate. He loves cheese, and he loves organic produce. I can see wild mushrooms on the menu. I see lamb. … Certainly, it was important for the chefs to showcase indigenous produce, like salmon from the Balmoral estate in Scotland or venison from Sandringham. It’s typically any food that was grown on the estate. It’s the best of British produce and recipes.
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“There were two things the queen didn’t eat — garlic and strong onion dishes,” he shared. “Eating garlic and then the next day breathing garlic while meeting people, she realized that it was not the right thing to do. But she loved it whenever beef was served. She liked it well done, which is something the chefs in the kitchen had to accept. If we were doing a prime rib roast, the queen would have a slice from both ends, the well-done pieces.”
While the guest list is kept secret, Seward said celebrities are expected to make an appearance. When former President Obama attended the state banquet in 2011, Tom Hanks was invited, for example.
“We always seem to produce Elton John,” said Seward. “One of his houses is just outside Windsor. He’s a real old friend of the royal family. When Macron was here, Mick Jagger was there with his girlfriend, which is quite unusual.”
Still, the dinner is “the big showpiece,” she said.
“Being Trump, he’ll probably make some very amusing remarks,” said Seward. “The royal family loves it. They love that kind of thing. They have, for so many years, had a lot of state visits, which, frankly, to them, are quite dull. It’s all beautiful, of course, but [sometimes] the person they’re entertaining is not as entertaining as Trump. So I think they’re really looking forward to that.”
The events don’t end there.
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On Thursday, the president will meet with the prime minister to view the Sir Winston Churchill archives. They will also hold a news conference. Melania will join Kate at Frogmore Gardens to meet Chief Scout Dwayne Fields and members of the Scouts’ Squirrels nature-based program. Kate, 43, has been joint president of the Scout Association since 2020.
Melania will then join her husband at Chequers before returning to the U.S.
Previously, a formal invitation, known as a “manu regia,” was signed by Charles and hand-delivered by British officials to the White House, inviting Trump for a state visit.
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“His Majesty has known President Trump for many years and looks forward to hosting him and the first lady later this year,” a palace aide said.
‘Vile monster’ with criminal past allegedly freed by Biden admin before gruesome Texas murder
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced on Friday it lodged a detainer for the federal arrest and removal of an illegal immigrant after he allegedly used a machete to decapitate a Texas merchant.
Yordanis Cobos-Martinez, a Cuban national, was arrested on Wednesday by Dallas police on homicide charges after he allegedly used a machete to behead a merchant during an argument in front of the victim’s family, according to a news release from ICE.
He then allegedly proceeded to kick the victim’s head “around like a soccer ball,” the release said.
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Cobos-Martinez is being held at the Dallas County Jail. He has a lengthy criminal history, including crimes of child sexual abuse, grand theft auto, false imprisonment and carjacking, according to ICE.
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He has a prior final order of removal to Cuba and was most recently held in ICE Dallas custody before being released on an order of supervision on January 13, 2025, during the Biden administration, as noted in the release.
The release of Cobos-Martinez occurred because Cuba declined to accept his return due to his criminal record, according to ICE.
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“This vile monster beheaded this man in front of his wife and child and proceeded to kick the victims’ head on the ground,” Department of Homeland SecurityAssistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. “This gruesome, savage slaying of a victim at a motel by Yordanis Cobos-Martinez was completely preventable if this criminal illegal alien was not released into our country by the Biden administration since Cuba would not take him back.
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“This is exactly why we are removing criminal illegal aliens to third countries. President Trump and Secretary Noem are no longer allowing barbaric criminals to indefinitely remain in America. If you come to our country illegally, you could end up in Eswatini, Uganda, South Sudan or CECOT.”
ICE and the Dallas Police Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Trendy ‘cortisol cocktail’ could melt stress and pounds away, influencers claim
A trendy drink making the rounds on social media — dubbed the “cortisol cocktail” — is said to reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol in the body.
Influencers claim that the non-alcoholic concoction can help reduce stress, improve energy levels and shed excess pounds.
The mocktail typically consists of coconut water, salt, sparkling water and orange juice, while other versions may include ingredients like magnesium powder or cream of tartar.
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What is cortisol?
Cortisol is a hormone released by the adrenal glands on the kidneys. It typically spikes when a person is experiencing stressful conditions, helping them stay alert and providing them with energy to deal with the challenging situation, according to Cleveland Clinic’s website.
“Cortisol is an important hormone that is released when your body might be stressed, and is involved in glucose metabolism and reducing inflammation,” Dr. Frederick Davis, interim vice chair of emergency medicine at Long Island Jewish Medical Center Northwell Health in New Hyde Park, New York, told Fox News Digital.
The hormone also helps to regulate blood pressure, blood sugar and the sleep-wake cycle, and can also help to bolster the immune system, according to health experts.
While cortisol is important for survival, health problems can occur when there is too much or too little of the hormone in the body.
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When the hormone is at a consistently high level, it can lead to inflammation and a weakened immune system, Cleveland Clinic stated, along with sleep issues, anxiety, high blood pressure, weight gain and fatigue.
“Cortisol is not necessarily the enemy,” Caroline Susie, a registered dietitian in Dallas, Texas, told Fox News Digital. Susie, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, confirmed that cortisol is “essential to health” and “not inherently harmful unless it is chronically elevated or deficient.”
What is a cortisol cocktail?
Rather than reaching for a glass of wine to unwind, social media influencers claim that this mocktail can reduce high cortisol levels, making them feel more relaxed and energetic — and, in some cases, helping them to lose weight.
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The cortisol cocktail’s ingredients contain vitamin C, potassium, magnesium and sodium, which are nutrients that can be depleted due to stress.
“Cortisol is not necessarily the enemy.”
Davis acknowledged the drink’s potential benefits.
“Ingredients like coconut water have a number of electrolytes, like magnesium, which is involved in muscle and nerve function as well as immune and cardiovascular health,” Davis told Fox News Digital.
Other ingredients can help ensure proper hydration, the physician added.
Davis did warn, however, that when it comes to lowering cortisol levels, the social media posts may be misleading.
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“While many of the components in these cocktails have indirect effects on reducing stress, there have yet to be direct studies to show its efficacy in cortisol reduction through this cocktail,” he told Fox News Digital.
Susie reiterated that although the drinks have some nutritional value, they’re not proven to significantly impact cortisol or stress — and they can be high in sugar or sodium. Individuals should “de-emphasize ‘cortisol balancing’ and focus on holistic wellness,” she advised.
Healthy ways to relax
Rather than “chasing hormone-specific hacks,” Susie said it is important to form foundational habits such as following a healthy diet, monitoring caffeine intake, exercising and prioritizing sleep hygiene.
“Cortisol follows a circadian rhythm — peaking shortly after waking and tapering off at night. Disrupted sleep can throw this off,” she told Fox News Digital.
The expert also suggested trying relaxation techniques, such as breathing exercises and other activities.
“Meditation, yoga, time in nature, creative hobbies — all help shift the body from fight-or-flight to rest-and-digest,” Susie said.
It is important to speak to a healthcare provider about persistent symptoms like fatigue, sleep issues, mood changes or weight fluctuations, she added.
‘She dropped the ball’: NFL star blasts woman who confronted father and son at game
“Phillies Karen” is still the talk of the sports world.
In case you missed it, a home run ball by Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Harrison Bader made national headlines due to one fan berating a father and son to hand over the ball after it reached the stands.
Drew Feltwell, his son Lincoln, and daughter Avery appeared on Fox News’ “America Reports” to talk about the viral moment, where Drew Feltwell thought he was making a core memory for his son after finding Bader’s homer on the ground among multiple spectators. But a female Phillies fan was captured marching up to the Feltwells, demanding they give her the ball.
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The moment quickly went viral, and at the end of the day, the Feltwells won by getting a meet-and-greet with Bader.
Former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III gave his reaction to what has since been dubbed the “Phillies Karen.”
“She dropped the ball. You dropped it, he picked it up and gave it to the kid. At that point, it’s no longer your ball. Get better hands, don’t have butterfingers and catch the ball,” Griffin said to Fox News Digital in a recent interview.
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Fans battling for any type of memorabilia is hardly uncommon, but a specific memory has stuck out to Griffin well over a decade later. Griffin was in New York for the Heisman Trophy ceremony, when he signed an autograph for someone who, he thought, was paralyzed from the waist down.
“So I signed the autograph, go the ceremony, win the Heisman, come back, and the guy’s walking the streets of New York, looks at me, winks and laughs, and then continues to like go try to get autographs from some other people that were there,” Griffin said.
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“It was pretty wild, but there’s no lengths that people are not willing to go to get an autograph.”
‘Golden Girls’ writer reveals truth about Betty White and Bea Arthur’s relationship
“The Golden Girls” is widely considered a groundbreaking series for showcasing the lives and friendships of women in their 50s and 60s at a time when older women were rarely central characters on TV.
The show, which ran for seven seasons from 1985 to 1992, told the comical tale of four single women living together in Miami. Starring Betty White, Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan and Estelle Getty, “The Golden Girls” became an instant hit, drawing more than 21 million viewers when it premiered on Sept. 14, 1985. In addition to breaking stereotypes around aging, the show also pushed boundaries with its sometimes risqué humor, which was considered daring for primetime in the 1980s.
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As “The Golden Girls” celebrates its 40th anniversary, TV writer and “The Girls: From Golden to Gilmore” author Stan Zimmerman, who worked on the show during its Emmy Award-winning first season, recalled how he was amazed that some of the sitcom’s racier jokes made it past the censors.
“I couldn’t believe what we got away with on the show,” Zimmerman told Fox News Digital.
“I think once you have a hit, you get away with a lot more,” he continued. “I’ve been on some shows that have not been as successful, and so I think the networks are much more nervous not to turn anybody off. We got away with a lot more.”
“I think also because people thought, ‘Oh, they’re just these old ladies. They can say anything. They seem so harmless.'”
Zimmerman remembered being stunned when one particular line in the season one episode “Adult Education” made it on air and later became iconic.
The line was delivered by McClanahan’s Blanche Devereaux after she had been sexually harassed by her professor while taking a psychology night class at a local university. In the episode, Blanche’s professor offers to give her a passing grade in exchange for sleeping with him.
During the episode’s climax, Blanche tells her professor that she will not sleep with him and uses a double entendre when she declares that she believes she studied hard enough to earn an A in the course anyway.
“Blanche says to her teacher, ‘You can kiss my A.’ And I’m like, that’ll never go. It’ll get flagged by the censors,” Zimmerman recalled. “And it’s in the show. It’s on T-shirts now.”
After his stint on “The Golden Girls,” Zimmerman went on to write for other hit comedy shows including “Roseanne” and “Gilmore Girls.” He also co-wrote the 1996 feature film “A Very Brady Sequel” and has written and directed plays including “Meet & Greet,” “Knife to the Heart,” “Have a Good One” and “Yes Virginia.” Zimmerman recently directed the Off-Broadway run of the comedy show “Hyprov: Improv Under Hypnosis.”
On September 7, Zimmerman’s suicide awareness play “Right Before I Go” began its three-week Off-Broadway run at The Tank in New York.
WATCH: ‘Golden Girls’ writer exposes what they ‘got away with’ on hit Emmy-winning sitcom’s first season
During his interview with Fox News Digital, Zimmerman reflected on the experience of working in “The Golden Girls” writers’ room during the early years of his career, admitting that he felt some trepidation while writing jokes for the star-studded cast.
“We knew this wasn’t just some ordinary show and I think there was also pressure from the producers,” he recalled. “We can’t just give them ordinary jokes. We got to give them the best of the best because they were the best of the best.”
Zimmerman also weighed in on the long-rumored feud between White and Arthur. Despite playing close pals in “Golden Girls,” the actresses reportedly shared a less friendly off-screen relationship.
During a panel discussion in June, former “Golden Girls” writers, producers and staff members made revelations about the duo’s fraught dynamic.
“When that red light was on [and the show was filming], there were no more professional people than those women, but when the red light was off, those two couldn’t warm up to each other if they were cremated together,” co-producer Marsha Posner Williams joked, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Williams claimed that Arthur complained to her about White off-camera and often referred to her co-star as a “c—.” During a 2022 appearance on “The Originals” podcast, Thurm previously claimed that Arthur used the same language when speaking about White in front of him.
“Literally Bea Arthur, who I cast in something else later on, just said, ‘Oh, she’s a f—ing c—,’ using that word,” Thurm explained. “… She called her the c-word. I mean, I heard that with my own ears. And by the way, so did Rue McClanahan. Rue McClanahan said it to me in [the restaurant] Joe Allen’s; Bea Arthur [when she was] on the set of ‘Beggars and Choosers.’”
Thurm’s publicist clarified to Fox News Digital at the time that McClanahan did not use the c-word to describe White, but instead claimed the actress said that White “could be a b—-” during an outing at Joe Allen’s.
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For his part, Zimmerman told Fox News Digital that he never heard Arthur call White a “c—,” though he noted that he had recently been told that there was “some tension” between the actresses.
“But they were such professionals, they never let it get in the way of their work,” he said. “The show was the most important thing.”
“And you have to remember, I was there for season one, so people were on their best behavior,” he continued. “People were also very excited in season one because back then, nobody thought a show about older women would be a success in that we’d be talking about it 40 years later.”
“So there was just this excitement on set, in the writers room and at the table reads that we would have every Monday. ‘Oh my God, people are really liking the show,’” Zimmerman added. “And then no, they’re not just liking it, they’re loving it. They’re becoming obsessed with it. They couldn’t get enough of those characters.”
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Zimmerman speculated that Arthur and White may have clashed due to their different acting backgrounds. Before becoming a household name after starring in the hit sitcom “Maude,” Arthur was known for her Tony Award-winning work on Broadway. Meanwhile, White rose to fame as a comedy legend and sitcom star.
“It happens on any job,” Zimmerman said. “You just have different working ethics. Bea Arthur came from the stage, so she would want to stay in character between takes. Betty White, once they yelled cut, she would be making jokes and going up to the studio audience. And I don’t think Bea quite liked that.”
In “The Golden Girls,” White starred as Rose, a gentle but dim Midwestern widow while Arthur played Dorothy Zbornak, a sarcastic but caring substitute teacher.
Getty portrayed the cantankerous but charming matriarch Sophia Petrillo, the mother of Arthur’s character, and McClanahan played the flirtatious Southern belle Blanche.
After “The Golden Girls” ended, White, McClanahan and Getty reprised their roles in the spin-off “The Golden Palace,” but the show was canceled after one season.
In 2008, Getty died at age 84 from Lewy body dementia. Arthur passed away from lung cancer in 2009 at the age of 86. McClanahan died in 2010 at age 76 after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage. In 2021, White died at age 99 after suffering a stroke.
During a 2011 interview with the Village Voice, White shared her own take on the reason behind Arthur’s animosity toward her.
“Bea had a reserve,” White said. “She was not that fond of me.”
“She found me a pain in the neck sometimes,” the “Mary Tyler Moore Show” alum added. “It was my positive attitude — and that made Bea mad sometimes.
“Sometimes if I was happy, she’d be furious!”
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Despite any off-screen tensions that may have existed between Arthur and White, Zimmerman told Fox News Digital that he believes the show’s lasting message is one of unity.
“I think one of the lessons we can get from ‘Golden Girls’ 40 years later is that there’s so many people in different corners of this world with different viewpoints that we have to now, I think, find where we can connect, where we can find that table where we can all sit and have cheesecake no matter what our political views are or feelings about the world,” he said.
“And I feel like that’s the next step as we evolve as a country, is to just find those times where we have each other’s back like those ‘Golden Girls’ have,” Zimmerman added.
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