Judge,, gavel, signing papers — (Photo: Katrin Bolovtsova/Pexels)

by Sharelle B. McNair

September 27, 2024

Detroit Judge Who Placed Teen In Handcuffs For ‘Lesson’ Demoted To Speeding Tickets

Talk about being humbled.....

It appears Detroit Judge Kenneth King, who was temporarily removed from the bench after placing a teenage girl in handcuffs during a field trip, is back on duty. Still, on a lower court, assigned to speeding tickets and other minor offenses, Associated Press reports.

King was ordered to take social-emotional training by the chief judge of the 36th District Court, Chief Judge William McConico, and as a result, was assigned to the court’s traffic division in late September 2024. In a statement, King’s attorney, Todd Perkins, said the judge is willing to work anywhere at the court and “understands and wholeheartedly embraces the concept of teamwork.”

In August 2024, King was reprimanded for singling out 15-year-old Eva Goodman, who fell asleep in the courtroom during a field trip. King labeled the minor as having a bad attitude while she was visiting his courtroom with other teens and placed her in jail clothes and handcuffs. The judge described the incident as a lesson. “It was her whole attitude and her whole disposition that disturbed me,” King said.

“That’s not something that normally happens. But I felt compelled to do it because I didn’t like the child’s attitude. I haven’t been disrespected like that in a very long time.”

It was later revealed the teen and her mother, Latoreya Till, were between homes and staying up late, which caused her sleepiness. At the time, McConico said King’s training would help him “address the underlying issues that contributed to this incident.” Under his new assignment, the chief judge thanked King for “his efforts in preparing for this role” and wished him success “as he transitions into this new responsibility.”

According to the Detroit Free Press, King sat before one of the most high-profile criminal case schedules in the Motor City. He sat behind the bench on cases such as the one against Michael Jackson-Bolanos, the man accused by prosecutors of killing well-known Jewish leader Samantha Woll. Jackson-Bolanos was eventually found not guilty of murder following King sending the case to the 3rd Circuit Court for trial.

Now presiding over the traffic division with smaller cases, King will oversee common issues, including speeding, making an illegal turn, and driving without insurance. His caseload will also handle city ordinance violations—but not those that necessarily break state law.

To get back on the bench, King completed a course called “Conscious Discipline,” conducted by longtime educator Tanyelle Hannah. The course is designed to assist teachers, administrators, mental health professionals, and parents find resources to navigate their own emotions while helping children or others under their care succeed. The company’s website described it as an “effective approach” that is “proven to increase self-regulation, sense of safety, connection, empathy, and intrinsic motivation in both children and adults.”

Regardless of the lesser caseload, King will still need to deal with the incident that resulted in his demotion. Goodman’s family filed a $75,000 lawsuit against King for pain and suffering, medical expenses, and attorney and expert witness fees.

Shady Rest Country Club Golf, New Jersey — Zeete

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

September 27, 2024

The Nation’s First Black Country Club Is Getting A Makeover Thanks To $75K Grant

The nation's first Black-owned and operated country club is getting restored thanks to a $75,000 grant.

The first Black-owned and operated country club in the United States is restored thanks to a $75,000 grant.

Shady Rest Country Club in Scotch Plains, New Jersey, the nation’s first and oldest Black-owned country club, is one of 30 sites chosen to receive $3 million in grant funding to preserve its significance in Black history. In July, NPR reported that the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund, a program under the National Trust for Historic Preservation, granted $75,000 to the country club to support its restoration efforts.

Originally constructed in the mid-1700s as a farmhouse, the building was later converted into a tavern and eventually became the Westfield Country Club. In 1921, a group of Black investors under the Progressive Realty Company Inc. acquired the property. It transformed it into the Shady Rest Country Club, creating a haven for sports and leisure for Black Americans at a time when racial segregation was the norm.

The funding will help the Preserve Shady Rest Committee, which has been working to restore the country club since the group’s 2013 formation.

“It’s history. Plain and simple. Period. History,” Sylvia Hicks, the former chairperson of the committee, said of the significance of preserving the clubhouse.

Throughout its history, Shady Rest welcomed numerous sports icons, including John Shippen Jr., the nation’s first professional and Black golfer, and Althea Gibson, the groundbreaking Grand Slam-winning tennis player who was the first Black woman to break the color barrier in international tennis. Shady Rest’s influence extended beyond sports, becoming a lively after-hours destination for East Coast entertainment. Musicians would perform at its basement nightclub, Villa Casanova, after their shows in New York City.

Bobby Mendelson is carrying on a family tradition as he regulars Shady Rest to play golf with his 6-year-old son, Leo, a pastime he used to enjoy with his father when he was a young boy. Mendelson sees the work done to restore the country club and is eager to see more.

“I think it’s really important to the history of the town and the area,” he said. “Not to mention, in this case, civil rights, and I think it gives us pride in the area. And honestly, it’s really nice. It’s important to remember those kinds of important things and to feel good about them.”

Brent Leggs, executive director of the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund, notes the immense demand for preservation funding. The Action Fund must be highly selective. Since 2018, it has invested $27 million in supporting 304 heritage sites.

“Since inviting proposals, the Action Fund’s National Grant Program has received 6,169 funding proposals requesting $709 million,” Leggs said.

This year’s grant recipients represent various regions, sites, and stories from California to Georgia and Minnesota to Texas.

“We work with external partners like the Association of African American Museums or the Hutchins Center at Harvard University to help us evaluate the competitiveness and to select our grantees,” Leggs explained. “We are often looking for diversity of geography, of archetypes and stories.”

As for Shady Rest, Tom Donatelli, the current chair of the Shady Rest committee, says the funding will be used for “engineering and architecture” restorations, including the top floors of the building and The Villa Casanova.

counterfeit drugs, Prescription — photo credit: pexels

by Jameelah Mullen

September 27, 2024

Report: Black Americans Are More Likely To Feel The Impact Of Rising Prescription Costs

According to the report, Americans pay the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs.

As prescription costs continue to soar, Americans find it increasingly difficult to afford their medications. A new report finds Black Americans are disproportionately affected by these price hikes.

Patients for Affordable Drugs (PFAD), an organization that advocates for affordable healthcare, released a report this month that showed price increases for 1,000 prescription drugs this year. Almost half of the prices were above the rate of inflation.

The research showed that one-third of Americans cannot afford their prescriptions. According to the report, Black and Latino patients aged 65 were most likely to report difficulty in paying for their medications.

Enhertu is a drug used to treat HER2-positive breast cancer, a form of cancer found primarily in Black women. The drug’s manufacturer raised the price of the drug eight times since 2019, the latest increase bringing the cost of the drug to more than $2,800 per month.

“Black women have a 34 percent higher risk of death from HER2+ breast cancer compared to white women. Black women are more likely to die from HER2+ breast cancer than white women,” the PFAD report says.

Revlimid is used to treat multiple myeloma, which rose by 7%. According to the report, Black Americans are more likely to be diagnosed and die from the condition.

Patients for Affordable Drugs’ Executive Director Merith Basey says that these price increases impact people of color the most.

“Black and Latino families are more likely to suffer from chronic conditions and certain cancers … that do require those long-term, very expensive drugs,” Basey told NBC News.

“A lot of that is also linked to racial disparities in healthcare that have been well documented due to systemic racism,” she said.

Organizations like Patients for Affordable Drugs and Health Care for America Now are pushing for policies that will lighten the financial load for many Americans. The Inflation Reduction Act, a law signed by President Joe Biden, strives to reduce prescription drug prices.

Health Care for America Now’s Executive Director Margarida Jorge critiqued the healthcare industry for the way they have handled conditions that disproportionately affect minorities.

“We’ve known about sickle cell anemia for many, many, years,” Jorge said to NBC News, “but there hasn’t been much attention to really getting down to the business of trying to cure sickle cell anemia with a drug that is affordable to regular people — and I think it has a lot to do with the fact that it’s a Black disease,” she told the outlet.

Job search, Unemployed, Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs — Photo by cottonbro studio/Pexels

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

September 27, 2024

Immigration Expert Claims Surge In Migrants Will Affect Job Opportunities For Black Americans

An immigration expert warns that the increase in immigration could significantly affect job opportunities for Black Americans.

A conservative immigration expert is warning how the recent increase in immigration to the U.S. could significantly affect job opportunities for Black Americans.

Roy Beck, founder of NumbersUSA, an organization advocating for reduced immigration levels, presents arguments against immigration that align with the Census Bureau’s recent findings on the significant gains made by foreign workers in the job market. Data from the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics reveals that native-born Americans lost over 1.3 million jobs in the past year. In comparison, foreign-born workers gained more than 1.2 million jobs.

Beck’s latest book, Back of the Hiring Line: A 200-Year History of Immigration Surges, Employer Bias, and Depression of Black Wealth, chronicles the historical impact of government-induced migration, emphasizing how it has disproportionately affected the job prospects of Black Americans. His argument references research from historians who have observed declines in income for Black individuals during periods of increased immigration.

“Economic historians say that every time that immigration has gone to a high percentage, the incomes of Black males have gone down and that income and that income disparity, racial disparity increases,” Beck tells Fox News.

“Every time you reduce immigration, the livelihoods of Black families and Black men increase.”

As of August, the unemployment rate is 4% for adult men and 3.7% for adult women. For white Americans, the rate is 3.8%, while Black Americans face a higher rate of 6.1%. Beck contends that although foreign workers can generate job opportunities, certain positions filled by them would typically be available to Americans of all races. However, he notes how racial discrimination often results in Black Americans being the last to be hired.

“There is still racial discrimination that happens among many employers and there’s a tendency that the last people recruited are the descendants of American slavery,” he said.

“And so African Americans, the descendants of American slavery, have always done best — all Americans have done best — but they’ve really done best in tight labor markets. And immigration is not the only thing that dictates loose and tight labor market, but it’s something you can control.”

When it comes to the limited response from Black civil rights leaders on this issue, Beck notes that while prominent national figures have remained silent, some local leaders are beginning to raise their voices more prominently.

“What you have is more and more Black leaders in the communities, places like Chicago and Philadelphia and Houston, more and more, you’re seeing local Black leaders who have their ear on the ground, their eyes on the ground, who are speaking out more and more.”

He also calls out political and national leaders for remaining silent due to “political alliances.”

“The tragic thing is that part of it seems to be that the Black leaders feel like they have to make an alliance with Hispanic political leaders,” Beck said. “But the fact is that polls show that a majority of Hispanic Americans don’t want this high immigration either.”

As of August, there were 129,712,000 native-born workers, a decrease from 131,031,000 in August 2023, indicating a significant loss of 1,319,000 jobs. In contrast, the number of foreign-born workers in the U.S. reached 31,636,000 last month, up from 30,396,000 in August 2023, reflecting an increase of 1,240,000 jobs.

“The government can control how many foreign workers it brings in,” Beck said. “But over the last three and a half years, there’s been virtually no control at all. I mean, we’ve never seen numbers, anything like the new foreign workers that have come over the last three and a half years.”

UPS — (Photo: Lindsey Nicholson/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

by Sharelle B. McNair

September 27, 2024

Former Black UPS Driver Awarded $238M Over Racial Discrimination And Retaliation

Talk about a payday!

A former UPS driver from Yakima, Washington, Tahvio Gratton, was awarded $237.6 million by a jury after finding he was discriminated against, a victim of retaliation, and was fired after filing complaints, The Columbian reports.

The jury in Spokane granted Gratton $198 million in punitive damages and $39.6 million for emotional distress. The delivery service company requested Judge Thomas Rice not to enter the judgment, claiming the amount was excessive and that Gratton’s case wasn’t proven. Federal court documents state that the former driver was fired after a female employee claimed Gratton sexually assaulted her, and an investigation was conducted.

UPS also plans to seek a new trial or a reduced judgment.

Gratton began working for UPS in September 2016 and transferred to the Yakima location in January 2018, where he held employment until he was terminated in October 2021. During his tenure there, the former driver said he felt that he was treated differently than his white peers, recalling times when his on-road supervisor would ignore him and speak down to him while being friendly with the white drivers.

According to the lawsuit filed in October 2022, a manager who was white and younger spent the day riding with Gratton in April 2018, repeatedly referring to him as “Boy.” “Move faster, Boy, let’s go!” and “Boy, I told you to hurry!” the white manager would allegedly say. When Gratton requested that he stop, the manager said he was from the South, and that’s just how he talked.

When the two stopped at a local Footlocker location for a route stop, an employee described the manager’s conduct toward Gratton as “shocking” and confirmed the “boy” references.

In Gratton’s complaints, he said part-time drivers were given routes before him, despite being a full-time driver, on days that all drivers weren’t needed, regardless of a union agreement that full-time drivers be given preference. The suit states Gratton was the only full-time driver who was not provided with work. When Gratton filed more complaints, the treatment worsened, as did his work assignments- even when managers filled in as drivers.

In order to receive assignments, Gratton volunteered for what drivers would label as the worst route. This route required delivering several large packages to a mall, which would take up more time. The center manager asked another driver to claim the mall route in an attempt to prevent Gratton from working, but the employee refused.

Attorney Dustin Collier, who was one of the lawyers who represented Gratton, claimed the verdict may be both the biggest of its kind and the biggest in the state, ever, according to the Seattle Times. However, he is happy that the jury and the judge saw “the truth.” We thank the jury for seeing the truth, vindicating our client’s rights, and sending a powerful message to UPS that our communities will not tolerate racial discrimination, harassment, or retaliation against the victims of discrimination and harassment,” Collier said.

While a UPS spokesperson says the company is disappointed in the verdict, Rice said during his ruling in April 2024 that a “reasonable jury could find Gratton was fired for speaking out” and UPS’ reasoning for Gratton’s firing was pretextual.

Gen Z and Millennials, Homeownership — Photo by Viorel Kurnosov/Getty Images

by Jameelah Mullen

September 27, 2024

You Can Purchase A Home For Under $100K In These Cities

The savings are in the South.

As housing costs continue to rise in the U.S., homeownership is becoming less attainable for many Americans. However, there are still some southern cities where homeownership remains somewhat possible.

Realtor.com says these five cities have multiple home listings for under $100,000. In most cases, the overall cost of living is lower in these areas, making homeownership attainable.

Columbia, South Carolina

The state’s capital city is ideal for those seeking homeownership on a budget. According to Rent.Cafe, the cost of living is 6% below the national average. GoBankrates.Com reported 446 active real estate listings in Columbia, 20 under $100,000. Columbia is home to South Carolina State University and two HBCUs—Allen College and Benedict College. According to AreaVibes.com, the city earned a livability score of 79.

Louisville, Kentucky

Dubbed the “Bourbon City,” Louisville is a cultural hub and home to the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage, Roots101 African American Museum, and The Civil Rights History Tour. Muhammad Ali’s hometown is also an affordable place to live. The overall cost of living for the city is 10.2% below the national average. The home of the Louisville Slugger has a whopping 165 active listings below $100,000. Additionally, housing costs run about 47% below the national average.

Tulsa, Oklahoma

This bustling city earned a livability score of 75. The overall cost of living is 10% less than the national average. Realtor.com reported 73 active home listings for under $100,000. Tulsa is the home to the famous Black Wall Street, the Greenwood Rising Museum, and several Black-owned restaurants.

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Located on the Mississippi River, Baton Rouge is home to Southern University and Louisiana State University. According to Redfin, housing costs are 45% lower than the national average. AreaVibes gives the city a livability score of 69. Realtor.com says there are 100 active listings for less than $100,000.

Memphis, Tennessee

The Home Of The Blues is also ideal for affordable housing. Of its 1927 active listings, nearly 500 have a price tag under $100,000. Zillow.com reports that the average cost for a house in the city is $148,000, down 1.4% from last year.

Brett Favre, Shannon Sharpe, Mississippi, TANF, Brett Favre — LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 11: Former NFL player Brett Favre attends day 3 of SiriusXM At Super Bowl LVI on February 11, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SiriusXM )

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

September 26, 2024

Reporter Who Exposed Brett Favre And Mississippi Gov’s Fraud Faces Jail For Not Revealing Sources

The journalist who uncovered Brett Favre's welfare fraud scandal now faces potential jail time for refusing to disclose her sources.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who uncovered Brett Favre’s welfare fraud scandal with former Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant now faces potential jail time for refusing to disclose her sources from the investigative report.

Anna Wolfe, a reporter with the nonprofit news outlet Mississippi Today, is embroiled in a lawsuit Bryant filed in response to her investigative journalism that revealed his alleged involvement in a $77 million welfare fraud scandal, ESPN reports. As part of the lawsuit, Bryant is seeking access to all of Wolfe’s notes, emails, and confidential sources, which a judge has ruled must be turned over by her and the news outlet.

Mississippi Today has labeled the order as “unconstitutional” and has appealed to the state supreme court, with Wolfe and her editor, Adam Ganucheau, standing firm in their refusal to disclose confidential sources. They assert they would rather defy the court and risk potential jail time or, more likely, see their news organization face significant financial penalties.

“I feel like I’ve almost been questioning my ability to discern truth — or that’s what I think they want,” Wolfe says. “When you’re being told that you can’t read something and interpret it correctly, what do you do with that? It’s gaslighting, but I’ve never come up against that before.”

Wolfe’s reporting earned her a Pulitzer Prize just one month ahead of her 29th birthday. Her story rocked the sports world and made nationwide headlines when it revealed how, during Gov. Phil Bryant’s tenure, Favre and several others diverted millions of dollars intended for welfare families toward projects like a college volleyball facility and a concussion drug company.

Favre and Bryant both stated that they were unaware that the funds were intended for welfare families in the nation’s second poorest state. Wolfe acknowledges that Favre’s involvement in the story has garnered significant attention and expanded the reach of the reporting to a much wider audience.

“I think that Favre’s involvement in this story obviously led to everything that happened after, and I didn’t really appreciate that,” Wolfe said. “I didn’t really appreciate how that was going to impact how many people paid attention to the story and how the number of people who pay attention to the story changes the story.”

Upon revelation of Wolfe’s possible arrest and jail time for not revealing her sources, many started speaking out in defense of the young journalist and what it means for the future of reporting.

It’s disturbing that a journalist could face jail for protecting sources, especially after uncovering such a massive fraud. Press freedom must be upheld
— Khogendra Rupini (@KhogendraRupini) September 25, 2024

“It’s disturbing that a journalist could face jail for protecting sources, especially after uncovering such a massive fraud. Press freedom must be upheld,” one person tweeted.

“Anna Wolfe’s situation raises crucial questions about press freedom and the protection of sources,” added someone else. “Her commitment to journalistic integrity is commendable, especially in the face of potential jail time.”

Wolfe maintains her position despite feeling distressed about the serious possibility of jail time. She believes that Bryant’s lawsuit aims to instill doubt in her and other reporters.

“I don’t want it to [seem like] I’m thrown in a tizzy by this; I just want to get it right,” Wolfe said, explaining the challenges impacting her outlook on the situation. “And I don’t want anything I’m talking about to be perceived as me questioning whether I got it right. Because I did get it right.”

adoption, Armorion Smith — photo courtesy: pexels

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

September 26, 2024

Michigan State Football Player Named Legal Guardian Of Siblings After Mother Dies Of Cancer

Armorion Smith is pursuing his education while playing football and taking care of his five brothers and sisters

A Michigan State football player experienced a tragedy when his mother died a month ago. With no father around, Armorion Smith is now responsible for the five brothers and sisters who were left behind after their mother died of breast cancer.

According to The Associated Press, Smith, who is a 21-year-old defensive back at Michigan State, has become the legal guardian of his four siblings after the death of their mother. Besides playing football at school, he also studies criminal justice while caring for his younger siblings.

He previously went to the University of Cincinnati to play football for two years until his mother, Gala Gilliam, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2022. After learning the news, he transferred to Michigan State to be closer to her during her last days. She died at the age of 41 on Aug. 19. Smith was declared the legal guardian of his brothers and sisters on Sept. 11.

His siblings are 19, 16, 15, 11, and 2. His 19-year-old sister, Aleion, carries a lot of weight when he is in school.

“Me and my sister got to work together to keep this all afloat,” Smith said. “While I’m in college sports, she’s got to be able to take care of everything that I can’t do, like pick up where I left off, while I’m taking care of business.”

The family gets by financially through several NIL (name, image, and likeness) deals the student-athlete has. A GoFundMe helped raise more than $60,000, and Michigan State has helped them through a student assistance fund. Two fundraisers were hosted at a local McDonald’s in Lansing and an IHOP in Livonia. Former Michigan State football players Jason Strayhorn and Sedrick Irvin set up those and promoted them on their “This is Sparta MSU” podcast.

Smith also has family and friends helping, and he appreciates the support from Michigan State.

“Me and my family are very happy, very appreciative, and grateful,” he said. “There’s a lot of love Spartan Nation has shown us these past few months. It’s been a rough time, but to be able to take some of the stress off of my shoulders and show me a lot of love is a blessing and has warmed my heart.”

NBA Champion Dwyane Wade, Trans Youth, LGBTQ+ Advocacy — (Photo: Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for GQ)

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

September 26, 2024

Dwyane Wade Attends Game Of Newly Acquired Hockey Team

Dwyane Wade took time to see his latest business acquisition in action.

Earlier this week, basketball legend and Utah Hockey Club minority owner Dwyane Wade caught his newest team in preseason action.

According to Essentially Sports, Wade and his business partner, Chris Johnson, saw Utah beat the Los Angeles Kings, 3-2, in the team’s first game at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City.

The Utah Hockey Club won their first preseason game on September 22, beating the St. Louis Blues 3-0 in Des Moines, Iowa.

The franchise was previously known as the Arizona Coyotes before the Smith Entertainment Group bought the team. After acquiring the franchise, it was renamed the Utah Hockey Club and moved to Utah.

The team plays in the Central Division in the Western Conference.

Wade joined the ownership group headed by Ryan Smith, chairman of Smith Entertainment Group and governor of the Utah Jazz, in 2021.

In 2023, Wade bought an ownership stake in the WNBA team Chicago Sky and was part of the group when the NHL Board of Governors granted an expansion franchise to Smith this year.

Smith Entertainment Group has a list of properties under its umbrella including Real Salt Lake (MLS), Delta Center, America First Credit Union Field, the Salt Lake City Stars (NBA G League), Utah Jazz Gaming (NBA 2K League), Real Monarchs (MLS NEXT Pro), and the Zone Sports Radio Network.

Smith Entertainment Group also announced that the company has launched SEG Media, a new production company. SEG Media will grant access to the Jazz basketball organization through various platforms.

It will provide Jazz fans more access to watch games and to access other team content through a variety of platforms, including over-the-air broadcast television and a paid, subscription-based streaming service, starting with the upcoming 2024-25 NBA season.

Diddy, Kim Porter, alleged memoir — Sean "Diddy" Combs and Kim Porter during the 2006 BET Awards. (Photo: J. Strauss/FilmMagic)

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

September 26, 2024

Diddy’s Children Speak Out, Deny Late Mom Kim Porter Penned Tell-All Book

Diddy's children are denying their late mom Kim Porter wrote a tell-all book about their father.

The children of Sean “Diddy” Combs and Kim Porter are speaking out against claims of their late mother penning a scathing tell-all book about their music mogul father before her untimely death.

Four of Diddy’s children, the three children he welcomed with Porter – Christian, 26, and twins Jessie and D’Lila, 17 – and Porter’s eldest son Quincy Brown, whom Diddy raised as his own, took to Instagram on Sept. 25 to post a lengthy statement in response to the “hurtful and false rumors” that their late mother’s alleged tell-all book.

“We have seen so many hurtful and false rumors circulating about our parents, Kim Porter and Sean Combs’ relationship, as well as about our mom’s tragic passing, that we feel the need to speak out,” Quincy, 33, wrote in part.

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A post shared by Quincy (@quincy)

Speaking on behalf of his siblings, Quincy called out the “simply untrue” claims of his mom writing a book, adding that anyone saying they have a manuscript is “misrepresenting themselves.”

“Additionally, please understand that any so-called ‘friend’ speaking on behalf of our mom or her family is not a friend, nor do they have her best interests at heart.”

The statement comes in response to a book released on Amazon earlier this month alleged to be Porter’s memoir written before her 2018 death from pneumonia. Titled KIM’S LOST WORDS: A Journey for Justice, From The Other Side… the book outlines claims that Diddy assaulted Porter during their relationship, which further fueled speculation of foul play surrounding her death.

Chris Todd, whose real name is Todd Christopher Guzze, self-published the book. He claims the memoir is Porter’s and that he obtained it through a flash drive provided by two “music industry” sources,” he told Rolling Stone.

Since the book’s release, Todd confessed that he isn’t certain whether the memoir is authentic.

“If somebody put my feet to the fire and they said, ‘Life or death, is that book real?’ I have to say I don’t know. But it’s real enough to me,” he said.

The statement from the Combs children follows Diddy’s arrest in New York City last week where he was ordered held without bail on charges of sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, and transportation to engage in prostitution.