NYC train, New York subway, Christian Valdez, girlfirend — (Photo: GeneralPunger, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

January 6, 2025

71-Year-Old Woman Fights Off 4 Women Trying To Steal Purse In NYC Subway

The elderly woman's attackers remain on the loose and unidentified.

A 71-year-old woman managed to defend herself against four women trying to take her purse in a New York City subway, leaving with her belongings still in her possession.

According to the New York Daily News, the woman was riding the train in Downtown Brooklyn when she got to the Hoyt. St. Station around six that afternoon. However, upon leaving, four women attacked her in a quest to snatch her purse.

The fierce elder staved off the attack but took a beating as the four muggers ganged up on her. However, they could not break the senior woman’s grasp on her purse. The foursome ended up fleeing the scene without the item but did leave the woman in rough shape.

Medics eventually arrived to help the fallen woman, transporting her to Brooklyn Hospital. The 71-year-old expects to recover from her minor injuries but still seeks justice for what happened to her.

Her attackers remain unidentified and on the run. Despite this, police have encouraged the public to join in on the hunt for the culprits. The footage showed the attackers, three of whom did not wear face masks.

The attack follows a pattern of other crimes against women on the subway. Most notably, a woman was burned to death on Dec. 22 after a man lit her on fire and watched her die. Surveillance footage showed the man fan the flames as a police officer walked by the burning woman.

However, the older woman’s attack was not the only New Year’s Day assault on the subway. Two other stabbings occurred on the holiday despite the increased security measures on public transportation. To help ensure safety during the holidays, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced 250 more National Guard troops to guard the subway system, per CBS News.

Despite this and the addition of more security cameras, the burning death and other incidents, including several stabbings, still occurred. While the violence has concerned New Yorkers, Hochul did emphasize that subway crime has lessened since earlier this year.

In regards to the four female muggers involved in the elderly woman’s attack, anyone with information should contact the NYPD Crime Stopper’s hotline at 800-577-TIPS.

Chick-Fil-A — (Photo: Lindsey Nicholson/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

by Mary Spiller

January 6, 2025

Chick-fil-A Changes Waffle Fries Recipe, Customers Push Back

A little pea starch is making fans of the fries furious.

Chick-fil-A is getting pushback from customers who claim the fast food chain’s waffle fries taste bad after changing its recipe.

According to the Chick-fil-A website, during the week of Christmas, the fries now contain pea starch, and the change is just one of many that the company has made in recent months.

The company confirmed the move on its ingredients page. “Food safety and quality are our top priorities, and we take great care in adhering to stringent food safety procedures. While the new recipe doesn’t contain any of the nine major allergens, the new Waffle Potato Fries coating does contain pea starch.”

The company believes that the fries have “the same great taste” but just stay “crispier, longer.”

Customers disagree if a Chick-fil-A post, put to Instagram on December 23, is any indication.

Blogger Daryl-Ann Denner wrote, “CFA [Chick-fil-A], I love you more than anyone. You can do no wrong. Except for the fries. Please put them back.”

Another user agreed, “BRING BACK THE OLD FRIES!! Soggy is better!”

A customer agreed, “New fries are awful – we haven’t been back [to Chick-fil-A] since we noticed the change.”

One customer mentioned that the change will be an issue for people with severe allergies who eat at Chick-fil-A.

“Please go back to the original fries. My daughter has an allergy to peas and pea protein. We can no longer visit the restaurant due to allergy concerns and cross-contamination.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Chick-fil-A, Inc. (@chickfila)

As previously reported, this is not the first poorly received menu change from the eatery. In spring 2024, Chick-fil-A announced that its chickens went from being raised with No Antibiotics Ever (NAE) to No Antibiotics Important to Human Medicine (NAIHM).

The company wrote at the time, “Serving quality food has always been our priority, especially when it comes to our chicken.”

“NAE means no antibiotics of any kind were used in raising the animal. NAIHM restricts the use of those antibiotics that are important to human medicine and commonly used to treat people, and allows the use of animal antibiotics only if the animal and those around it were to become sick.”

Bourbon Street , Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar, New Orleans, New Year's Eve, — (Photo: Infrogmation, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)

by Sharelle B. McNair

January 6, 2025

Law Enforcement Finds Bourbon Street Attacker Used Meta Glasses To Survey The Area Months Before The Attack

Just sad....

The FBI found that the man who staged a deadly attack on New Orleans’ Bourbon Street on New Year’s Day surveyed the area using Meta smart glasses in October 2024, the Washington Post reports.

He used the tech-savvy glasses to record footage of the area during a bicycle ride. Authorities found the footage while investigating and also recovered video of where the suspect, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, placed explosive devices on Bourbon Street. FBI’s special agent in charge for New Orleans, Lyonel Myrthil, said Jabbar is believed to have worn the glasses when he rammed a white Ford pick-up truck down the popular tourist attraction, killing 14 innocent people. “We believe he was wearing them throughout the evening” of the attack, Myrthil said.

“We don’t have any indication that he was actually recording, but he was wearing those glasses.”

The glasses, which permit hands-free video recording, would have allowed the suspect to capture detailed footage of the area without drawing any attention. Created by Meta, the parent company of Facebook, the glasses were curated in partnership with eyewear conglomerate Ray-Ban. The frames hold a built-in camera, speakers, and artificial intelligence that carry voice control, buttons, and simple functions such as listening to music, according to the Associated Press.

They are also required to be paired with a phone or able to access the internet to use Meta’s AI assistant.

While a Meta spokesperson declined to comment on the discovery, more has been revealed about the glasses’ functionality. The frames can capture images and videos using the onboard camera and then upload them to Instagram or Facebook. Live streaming is also available. The AI assistant can see what a user sees and translate texts into several foreign languages. If a user asks the AI assistant a question, the glasses will answer and permit a person to search for the nearest landmark close to the user’s location.

The glasses allow bystanders to know if they are being recorded or not. The LED privacy indicator stays on while you use the camera functions, and users can’t disable the light to be more discreet.

As the loved ones of the victims of the attack look for answers, law enforcement is doing the same with their investigation. Myrthil and his team found that Jabbar did a bit of traveling before the attack. He traveled to the city again in November 2024 and went to Cairo in the summer of 2023 before flying to Ontario, Canada, and then back to the United States. “Our agents are getting answers as to where he went, who he met with, and how those trips may or may not tie into his actions here in our city of New Orleans,” the agent said.

Chicago police, Proud Boys, jan 6 — Photo by Brent Stirton/Getty Images

by Daniel Johnson

January 6, 2025

DOJ OIG Report Criticizes FBI Response To Jan. 6 Insurrection

The impending inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump also brings with it the potential for presidential pardons, as Trump has made overtures on several occasions that he believes the insurrectionists are American patriots.

In December 2024, the Department of Justice Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz announced the release of the DOJ’s report on the intelligence collection by the FBI leading up to the attempted insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. According to the press release from the office of the inspector general, the report clarified a few points regarding the FBI’s preparation ahead of the events on Jan. 6.

Chief among those points was the determination that the FBI took significant and appropriate steps ahead of the attempted insurrection; however, the report also indicated that the FBI should have taken the additional step of canvassing their field offices to help prepare better for what transpired on Jan. 6.

In addition to this, there was confusion and a lack of coordination, which led the FBI to assert to Congress that it had canvassed its field offices when in fact, it had not.

Contrary to assertions from Elon Musk and others aligned with far-right Republicans, there were no undercover FBI agents or other FBI employees at either protests or crowds at the Capitol on January 6.

On Jan. 6, 2025, Attorney General Merrick Garland issued a statement in a press release recognizing the intensive work of the FBI to investigate what occurred on Jan. 6, 2021.

“Over the past four years, our prosecutors, FBI agents, investigators, and analysts have conducted one of the most complex and resource-intensive investigations in the Justice Department’s history. They have analyzed massive amounts of physical and digital data, identified and arrested hundreds of people who took part in unlawful conduct that day and initiated prosecutions and secured convictions across a wide range of criminal conduct. We have now charged more than 1,500 individuals for crimes that occurred on January 6, as well as in the days and weeks leading up to the attack,” Garland said.

He continued, “The public servants of the Justice Department have sought to hold accountable those criminally responsible for the January 6 attack on our democracy with unrelenting integrity. They have conducted themselves in a manner that adheres to the rule of law and honors our obligation to protect the civil rights and civil liberties of everyone in this country.”

According to CBS News, the impending inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump also brings with it the potential for presidential pardons, as Trump has made overtures on several occasions that he believes the insurrectionists are American patriots.

Trump’s transition spokesperson, Caroline Leavitt, told the outlet that Trump plans to “pardon Americans who were denied due process and unfairly prosecuted by the weaponized Department of Justice.”

According to documents obtained by CBS News, some of the Jan. 6 defendants have cited Trump’s promises of a pardon in their petitions to judges to have their cases paused or delayed.

The day after the election, attorneys for one defendant, Christopher Carnell, wrote in a petition that their client, who faced nonviolent disorderly conduct charges, was “expecting to be relieved of the criminal prosecution that he is currently facing when the new administration takes office.”

However, Carnell’s request was denied, and he was subsequently convicted on multiple counts and sentenced to serve six months in prison.

Despite the requests from January 6 participants, Alexis Loeb, a former federal prosecutor who helped to lead the Capitol attack investigation until October, noted that those particular cases are based on a large amount of evidence.

“These were prosecutions that were staffed by career employees. And the cases often had a remarkable amount of evidence given all of the video that was taken that day,” Loeb told CBS News.

Judge Royce Lamberth, a senior judge appointed by Ronald Reagan, seemed to agree with Loeb’s assertion and also backed how federal judges have handled the cases in his own statement.

“Just as the President must make decisions on matters of clemency without interference from the coordinate branches, so too must our judiciary independently administer the laws and sentence convicted offenders,” Lamberth wrote. “No matter what ultimately becomes of the Capital Riots cases already concluded and still pending, the true story of what happened on Jan. 6, 2021 will never change.”

Starbucks, closures, restructuring, tariffs — (Photo: Dom J: https://www.pexels.com/photo/starbucks-signboard-303324/)

by Mary Spiller

January 6, 2025

Montpelier: The Only U.S Capital Without McDonald’s Or Starbucks Within Its City Limits

Montpelier is home to the largest and most well preserved historical district in Vermont.

Traveling to any major city in the United States nearly guarantees seeing a McDonald’s or a Starbucks. The big-name multibillion-dollar companies have a presence on almost every street corner. However, one United States capital doesn’t have a McDonald’s or a Starbucks — Montpelier, Vermont.

As reported by The Takeout, Montpelier is the only capital city without either within its city limits. It doesn’t stop at Starbucks and McDonald’s, either. Montpelier doesn’t have any other chain businesses like Walmart or Burger King; instead, it focuses on and emphasizes small local companies to supply the city’s integrated economy.

The Montpelier city website says they like “doing things a little differently [with a] local is a way of life.”

There is reportedly no shortage of interesting cuisine to compensate for the few to no big chain businesses within the city limits, though.

Their Montpelier Alive website reads, “Montpelier is not just a feast for the eyes. With a great restaurant explosion in recent years, Montpelier has become known as a place for foodies. We invite you to take a culinary adventure in the Capital City. No matter what your taste is, Montpelier has it all.”

Montpelier is home to the most significant historic urban district in Vermont and has plenty for visitors and natives to do outside of searching for McDonald’s or Starbucks. The site continued, “Exquisite historic buildings are home to Vermont’s state government, shopping, commerce, and world-class dining and arts. Outstanding outdoor recreation is within minutes of the downtown [area].”

Montpelier is relatively small, with only around 8,000 citizens. It is only 10.1 square miles and packed with thriving local businesses and historic buildings that preserve the capital’s rich political and cultural history from its development in 1895.

Draya Michele, stepson, son, NBA, Jalen Green — LOS ANGELES - MARCH 14: Media Personality Draya Michele arrives for the 2019 iHeartRadio Music Awards on March 14, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Glenn Francis/Pacific Pro Digital Photography) Toglenn, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

by Mary Spiller

January 6, 2025

Fans Slam Draya Michele For Sitting Courtside With Her 22-Year-Old Son To Support Her Boyfriend, Jalen Green

Fans pointed out that Kniko is the same age as his "stepdad" Jalen Green.

Model and entrepreneur Draya Michele has gone viral again over her relationship with NBA Star Jalen Green. On January 5, clips blew up online showing the 39-year-old reality television star attending one of Green’s games alongside her 22-year-old son Kniko.

The clip brought the controversy surrounding Michele and 22-year-old Green’s age gap back into the spotlight, as the young NBA star is the same age as Kniko.

The media personality was seen enjoying floor seats with Kniko.

https://twitter.com/KollegeKidd/status/1875969240471376156?s=19

The appearance of Michele with Kniko at Green’s game sparked online backlash, with many pointing out on X — formerly known as Twitter — that Kniko is the same age as his “stepfather.”

One user wrote, “Having a step dad the same age as you is weird as hell. Draya goofy as hell.”

Having a step dad the same age as you weird as hell. Draya goofy as hell
— Uncle Daddy Wee-Yum (@MrGee54) January 5, 2025

Another added, “Imagine having a son that is the same age as his “stepdad.” smh, Draya has her jersey retired & in the rafters at the Piece of S*** Hall of Fame.”

https://twitter.com/BlakCeezar/status/1876092109763358834?s=19

“Draya’s baby daddy graduated high school the same year as her son….that’s weird af.”

Draya’s baby daddy graduated high school the same year as her son….that’s weird af
— jordan (@_itzjanderson) January 6, 2025

The former star on Basketball Wives LA and Mint Swim founder has three children, the oldest of which is 22-year-old Kniko. She shares a second son, Jru, with Orlando Scandrick after the pair got engaged in 2015. Finally, following the pair’s split, Michele entered into a relationship with Jalen Green, a Houston Rockets player, and they welcomed a daughter together in May of 2024.

Michele shared a heartfelt Instagram post welcoming the birth of her daughter last year on Mother’s Day.

In the post, Michele opened up about the significance behind her and Green’s daughter being born on Mother’s Day.

“In 2021 on Mother’s Day, my dad passed away. Since then, it’s been extremely hard to celebrate that day without remembering the earth-shattering phone call I received that morning. Well, this Mother’s Day was different. My daughter was safely brought into this world and I’m forever grateful for the new memories we all get to experience moving forward. Love + Light everyone,” Michele wrote in the caption of the Instagram carousel.

Jetblue — 12anonymoususer34 at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

January 6, 2025

JetBlue Passengers Claim Airline Treated Them ‘Like Animals’ After Being Kicked Out Of The Airport Following Delayed Flight

One passenger compared the treatment to animals after they were forced out the Turks and Caicos airport.

Passengers traveling on JetBlue from Turks and Caicos claim the airline treated them inhumanely after their significantly delayed flight.

Travelers headed for Boston did not receive accommodations from the airline after the flight’s 24-hour delay. Although an unexpected inconvenience, what occurred next left many horrified by their treatment.

Given the circumstances, most assumed they could pass the time at the airport. Others thought they would receive hotel vouchers from the airline, as is often customary in the U.S. Instead, they were left with no options. The airport warned they would be kicked out, and no hotel options were reportedly available for that evening.

One passenger, Marty, told Boston 25 News that the airline allowed airport personnel to “put people out on the streets.” He compared the ordeal to being treated “like animals,” with his children also in tow.

“To put people out on the streets like animals was something I will never forget for the rest of my life,” explained the frustrated dad. “Just very unsettling, traumatizing experience you have three young kids all looking to you for an answer, a wife looking at you for an answer, for the first time as a husband and as a father and as a man, I had no idea how I was going to shelter my family for a night.”

The passengers had to quickly find lodging for the night or risk sleeping with the fish. Fortunately for Marty, his travel agent found a small hotel room so his family could stay safe. Another passenger, Brett, booked an Airbnb in a questionable area. Furthermore, he had to fork over a thousand dollars to fit his large party of 10.

“It was in a horrible, sketchy area. The actual Airbnb itself was OK, but the area was like something out of a horror movie,” shared the other traveler. “… Wild dogs were chasing the cab as we were driving by like very sketchy neighborhood, and kids are freaking out like ‘What are we gonna do?’”

Airport staff eventually allowed travelers with less agency and funding to stay, placing cots on the floor. Unfortunately, the problems continued for everyone on that delayed flight. Those who remained through the night faced another four-hour delay.

In response, JetBlue explained that Air Traffic Control congestion caused the intense delay. Although they apologized, they emphasized that the circumstances were outside their control. Regardless, they encouraged customers to seek reimbursement and offered a $200 travel credit for their troubles.

“We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this delay caused and understand this was a frustrating situation,” shared the airline. “While the delay was created by circumstances beyond JetBlue’s control, we understand the impact this disruption had on our customers’ plans. Given that, we’ve provided instructions for affected customers to submit reimbursement requests for eligible out-of-pocket expenses in line with our Customer Service Plan. Additionally, as a goodwill gesture, we’ve issued $200 in travel credit for future JetBlue flights.”

However, Marty and others do not readily accept the apology. The man stated that better procedures must occur before forcing travelers “to the streets.”

“This was far beyond a delay; this was sending people to the streets in the wee hours of the night and asking them to fend for themselves with no solutions.”

However, the Department of Transportation’s newly established Automatic Refund Rule states that passengers do not have to get a refund if they accept the new flight despite cancellations or significant delays. Despite this, those who refused the new booking are entitled to an automatic airline refund.

Derrick Rose, Chicago, film — (Photo: Julieta Alvarez/Creative Commons via Wikimedia Commons)

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

January 6, 2025

Chicago Bulls Honor Hometown Hero Derrick Rose

The team held a Derrick Rose Night during halftime of their game against the New York Knicks to honor the Chicago native who retired before the season

After being waived from the Minneapolis Timberwolves shortly before the current NBA season started, Derrick Rose decided to retire from the game after playing 16 seasons, and the team that drafted him, the Chicago Bulls, gave him a tribute on Saturday, Dec. 4.

According to NBA.com, the Bulls held a Derrick Rose Night during halftime of their game against the New York Knicks to honor their former player. The Chicago native was his hometown team’s No. 1 NBA Draft pick in 2008. At halftime, he took center stage on the basketball court to acknowledge the love and support he received from the team that drafted him.

Once a video tribute to him concluded, Rose entered the hardwood with his wife and children to join his mother on the court, and after being acknowledged by the crowd who stood on their feet as they chanted “MVP, MVP,” the emotional former guard spoke to the arena in front of basketball fans, family, friends, former teammates, and opponents.

“I want to thank everybody for coming out and the Bulls for allowing this to go on,” Rose said. “Every teammate to make time, all your guys who came to love and support, but I really want to talk to the kids.”

He pivoted to tell the crowd about one of the lessons he has given his son to encourage greatness in whatever he does.

“At the beginning of the video, I mentioned to PJ, ‘Do you want to be good or great?’ He don’t know, but that’s my way of tricking him. With me tricking him, I could be very specific and say, ‘Do you want to be good at basketball? Or do you want to be great in basketball?’ I want to make it broad, so when he says great, I can hold you accountable for everything you are not being great at. That’s the thing he (has to) pass on to his siblings and a joke we have in the house. If we see you lacking on something they say, ‘Dad, you want to be good or great?’

He acknowledges the Chicago faithful for supporting him from his early basketball playing days through his career in the NBA. He also stated that, since his playing days are over, he is now a businessman.

“Being great, sometimes you’re going to be disliked,” he continued. “You have to show courage (when) people dislike you or whatever. It’s, ‘I’m confident in my choice; I’m confident I will make it. I want to be great.’ Thank you, Chicago, for forcing me to be great, putting those expectations on me, my understanding that I was trying to be great and the environment I was in forcing me to. So thank you to everybody who watched me ever since I was in sixth grade, seventh, eighth, the injuries, MVP, playoff wins, and playoff losses. That is going to be the old Pooh. This is the new version of me. This is what you see. I am a businessman now.”

The Chicago native won the Rookie of the Year award and was picked to represent his team in the All-Star team in three of his first four seasons. In 2011, he became the league’s youngest MVP when he had a tremendous first season in the NBA. He was just 22 years old at the time.

The Bulls also announced that he will have his No. 1 jersey raised to the roof next season, joining the likes of other luminaries who played for the Bulls, such as Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Bob Love, and Jerry Sloan.

Rose also played for the New York Knicks, the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Minneapolis Timberwolves, the Detroit Pistons, and the Memphis Grizzlies.

12-year-old, prank, scalding — Photo by Pixabay: https://www.pexels.com/photo/close-up-photo-of-a-stethoscope-40568/

by Mary Spiller

January 6, 2025

Georgia Preteen Badly Burned After Friends Pour Boiling Water On Him As A ‘Prank’

West's son had to receive surgery due to the severity of the burns.

A 12-year-old boy from Augusta, Georgia, suffered severe second-degree burns on his face after three boys poured boiling water on his face while he was asleep at a neighbor’s apartment during the week of Jan. 4. According to his mother, Tiffany West, the boy is currently in recovery after surgery.

West’s son was sleeping over a neighboring apartment before he ended up in a Georgia burn unit. As reported by the Daily Mail, in the Tifton apartment, the three friends were supposed to be playing video games together. West explained that the other boys, who have not been named, and are 12 to 15 years old, decided to play a cruel prank on her son.

She expressed being “irate beyond belief” that the three boys decided it would be funny to pour scalding water on her boy as he slept. One of the other children threw the water on him, following through on the planned “prank” and leaving West’s son with scars on his face and body that will likely never fade.

The incident resulted in West’s son being rushed to the hospital and receiving surgery to treat his burns. He’s thankfully finishing his physical recovery at home, surrounded by family.

West revealed that she and her family decided to pursue legal action against the three boys. Soon after the incident, all three were arrested, and a criminal hearing is set for sometime in February.

Although the specific individual charges have not been released, West is adamant about ensuring justice is served because of the severity of the victim’s condition.

West’s sister, Nachelle Austile, explained that the entire family is going through a rough time due to the shock of the burning and the medical bills that have come with the 12-year-old’s hospitalization. Several of his family members have admitted to taking leave from their jobs to stay home with him during his recovery.

Austile added, emotionally, that her nephew would likely need counseling on top of his physical recovery to “be able to trust people again.”

West recalled her reaction when she heard about what happened to her son. She told the outlet, “In that moment, I was just mad, hurt, in shock. Everything I saw was red. I was just trying to hurry up and get him some help.”

All three of the involved boys have been released to the custody of their families.

Nick Cannon, XCEL Summit for Men, taking risks — (Photo: Noam Galai/Getty Images)

by Keka Araújo

January 6, 2025

Nick Cannon Reflects On Lupus Journey, Calling Himself The ‘Black Tony Stark’

In 2022, Cannon marked a decade since his lupus diagnosis by releasing a video recounting his battle with the illness.

Nick Cannon, the multi-hyphenate entertainer and father of 12, recently shared a deeply personal connection to the Marvel superhero Iron Man during a house tour of his “Cannon Estate.”

In a Dec. 31 YouTube video, Cannon reflected on his battle with lupus, a life-changing autoimmune disease, while showing off a prized possession: a Louis Vuitton Iron Man helmet.

“I’m a huge Iron Man fan because Iron Man almost lost his life,” Cannon, 44, said during the tour, featuring his twins Moroccan and Monroe, whom he shares with ex-wife Mariah Carey. “When he got down to the bottom, and they thought it was over, his superhero activated.”

Cannon, who was diagnosed with lupus in 2012, drew parallels between Iron Man’s fictional journey and his health struggles. He described how the superhero’s resilience inspired him to embrace his diagnosis as a source of strength.

“I connected with that because of my lupus,” Cannon said. “When I got lupus, I was like, ‘That’s my superpower.’ So ever since then, especially the first Iron Man movie. I’ve seen myself as the Black Tony Stark.”

Battling Lupus: Cannon’s Health Journey

Lupus, described by the Mayo Clinic as a chronic autoimmune disease, occurs when the body’s immune system attacks its own tissues and organs. The condition can lead to inflammation affecting joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, brain, heart, and lungs. Cannon first revealed his diagnosis in 2012, sharing that it nearly took his life. At the time, he was married to Carey, with whom he shares 13-year-old twins born in 2011. The couple separated in 2016.

In 2022, Cannon marked a decade since his lupus diagnosis by releasing a video recounting his battle with the illness. “I experienced a sudden and mysterious illness that almost took my life,” he said. “At the time, I had no idea it was lupus.”

True to his on-camera persona, Cannon documented his health journey from the start. “You know me, I always have to have a camera on,” he explained. “I would open up my phone, grab my camera, and talk to it. I documented the entire health journey.”

A “Lupus Warrior”

Cannon has consistently used his platform to raise awareness about lupus and advocate for health as a priority. In April 2024, the Masked Singer host called himself a “lupus warrior” in an Instagram Stories post showing him undergoing blood work.

“Constant reminder that health is the real wealth!!! #lupuswarrior 💜💜💜💜,” he captioned the image of a venipuncture device taking his blood.

His transparency about his struggles and triumphs has resonated with fans and underscored the importance of early detection, care, and resilience in the face of chronic illness.

Finding Strength in Superheroes

Cannon’s admiration for Iron Man extends beyond fandom. The character’s near-death experiences and eventual transformation into a superhero with a mechanical heart mirror Cannon’s determination to persevere through adversity.

“Shout-out to Robert Downey Jr. and the first Iron Man movie, but it’s more than that,” Cannon said. “The comics always showed Iron Man as someone who rose from the brink, and that’s what I feel I’ve done with lupus.”

During the house tour, Cannon placed the Louis Vuitton Iron Man helmet on his head and declared, “I’m the Black Tony Stark, baby.” This lighthearted moment carried deep emotional weight, symbolizing how he has redefined his narrative from patient to survivor — and now, to superhero in his own right.

Family and Legacy

Throughout his health journey, Cannon has prioritized family. The YouTube video featured touching moments with Moroccan and Monroe, affectionately known as “Roc” and “Roe.” As a dedicated father, Cannon said he hopes to inspire his children by demonstrating resilience and finding purpose, even in challenging circumstances.

Cannon’s reflections on his lupus diagnosis and journey have continued to resonate with audiences, particularly those also battling chronic illnesses. His ability to blend vulnerability with inspiration reminds fans of the importance of perseverance and maintaining a positive outlook, no matter the odds.

As Cannon concluded his tour, he gave viewers a powerful message: “Your struggles don’t define you—they empower you. Find your superpower and use it.”