Jacky Oh’s Death Ruled Accidental, Doctor Who Performed Her Cosmetic Surgery Won’t Face Any Charges
Amid the revelation of the cause of Jacky Oh‘s untimely death in May, the 33-year-old’s passing has been ruled an accident brought on by her cosmetic surgery.
On Oct. 3, a Miami-Dade medical examiner ruled Jacky’s death “accidental due to complications from cosmetic surgery,” TMZ reports. As a result, there will be no criminal investigation into her death, and the doctor who performed her last cosmetic procedure won’t face any charges.
The ruling comes days after the former “Wild ‘N Out” actress’ autopsy revealed her true cause of death.
The MTV personality was pronounced dead at a hospital on May 31 after traveling to Miami for a cosmetic procedure.
In a previous Instagram post, Jacky announced her plans to undergo a “Mommy Makeover” with Dr. Zachary Okhah. She was reportedly prescribed medications after the procedure and went back to the surgeon for a postoperative appointment after getting a headache.
Jacky, born Jacklyn Smith, decided to get a massage to alleviate her pain and was advised to change the pills she’d been taking. That’s when the mother of three felt “burning” in her head and had trouble speaking. A family member dialed 911 but Jacky was reportedly unresponsive once first responders arrived.
The model and entrepreneur leaves behind three children, Nova, Nala, and Prince, that she shared with comedian DC Young Fly. The couple met while working together on Nick Cannon’s sketch comedy show and were longtime partners.
In June, DC appeared on “The Steve Harvey Morning Show,” where he broke his silence on dealing with the loss of his spouse.
“There’s no human secret way of dealing with things, especially when real life hits you,” DC Young Fly explained.
“And I think a lot of people don’t know real life — you make and create how your life can go today, but you don’t know where your life is going to go tomorrow.”
He followed up with an emotional eulogy during Jacky Oh’s funeral where he praised her role as a mother.
Jamarcus Glover, Breonna Taylor’s Ex-Boyfriend, Charged With Drug Trafficking
Jamarcus Glover, the ex-boyfriend of former Kentucky EMT Breonna Taylor, has been arrested on drug trafficking charges after a raid on a Kentucky home.
CBS WLKY reports Glover and at least two other men who have not been named were trafficking drugs out of a home in the Taylor Berry section of Kentucky. Glover allegedly used minors to transport and sell heroin, fentanyl, and other drugs.
According to the citation, police searched a home in which Glover was present and where “a number of narcotics and several firearms were recovered.” Equipment used for weighing and packaging drugs was also discovered during the search. Glover was arrested and charged with conspiracy to traffic drugs, unlawful transactions with a minor, engaging in organized crime, and possession of a handgun by a convicted felon.
Glover was the target of the raid at Taylor’s apartment, resulting in her being shot six times and killed. Taylor and her current boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, were sleeping the night of March 13, 2020, when Louisville police knocked on Taylor’s door before forcing their way in. Walker, believing intruders were robbing the home, fired one shot toward the front door. Police responded, firing 32 shots at Taylor and Walker. Walker was uninjured, but Taylor was hit multiple times and died at the scene.
After the shooting, Glover said in a series of statements that Taylor had no involvement in his drug operations and held money for him as a favor. Taylor’s death, along with the death of George Floyd, kicked off nationwide and worldwide protests as part of the resurgence of the 2020 Black Lives Matter movement and led to the Defund the Police movement.
In the following months, numerous cities and municipalities cut their police budgets, giving more money to social services. However, less than a year later, many of those same cities reversed these cuts amid rising crime and rumors of a recession, the Daily Mail reports.
American Airlines Offers Apology To Black Father Accused Of Kidnapping His Own Children On Flight
American Airlines has extended a formal apology to David Ryan Harris, a Black father who was questioned by police at Los Angeles International Airport after a flight attendant accused him of trafficking his own biracial children.
As BLACK ENTERPRISE previously reported, the musician took to Instagram to detail his and his children’s experience while flying from Atlanta to Los Angeles on Sept. 15. According to Harris, his 7-year-old son was approached by a flight attendant who attempted to communicate with him, and when the boy failed to respond, the airline employee made a report.
“A flight attendant had called ahead with some sort of concern that perhaps my mixed children weren’t my children because they were unresponsive during an interaction with her,” Harris recounted.
After being ignored by the company’s customer service, Harris posted an apology from American Airlines to his account on Oct. 3.
“To summarize our investigation….we and our flight attendant realized that our policies regarding suspected human trafficking were not followed, and through coaching and counseling … our flight attendant realizes that their interaction and observations did NOT meet the criteria that human trafficking was taking place,” reads the statement.
“Our flight attendant in question wanted to make sure that you were aware that they sincerely offer a heartfelt apology to you and your family for their actions and the results that their actions generated.”
Harris had already called out the company’s true intentions and approach to determining minor passengers’ safety.
“I don’t care what you say if this had been a white dad/mom with 2 little Black kids, they would probably been offered an upgrade, not an interrogation,” he said in one of two posts about the incident.
“And if they’re so concerned about child trafficking, shouldn’t the airlines have some protocol in place to stop me from flying with a child I stole long before I’m ON THE PLANE?? You’re telling me that they can stop me from carrying a capri sun through TSA, but they can’t put safeguards in place for actual human beings?”
Carmelo Anthony Pulls Back The Curtains To His ‘Modern Vintage’ Mansion In Westchester, New York
Carmelo Anthony has been living the good life since retiring from the NBA. The New York native is opening the doors and pulling back the curtains to his “modern vintage” mansion in Westchester, NY.
In May, Anthony retired from the NBA after a 20-year career, including seven years with the New York Knicks. During his tenure, the 10-time NBA All-Star and 3-time Olympic gold medalist would commute to Madison Square Garden from his condo in Chelsea, Manhattan.
While he spent years living in the heart of NYC inside his 4,500-square-foot condo, Anthony also developed an appreciation for the quiet and more spacious parts of New York close to the Big Apple. The Denver Nuggets alum was seemingly preparing for his retirement since last year when he packed up his things and moved into his 13,000-square-foot mansion in Westchester County.
“I love land, I love space. Once you start getting out [of the city] and traveling and going to these other places, you realize that [a 25 to 30-minute drive] is not that far from the city,” Anthony toldArchitectural Digest.
The lavish home matches his eclectic style and serves as a museum-inspired tribute to creativity and self-expression.
“The idea for the house [and the vision for] this space was to create my own personal [rotating] art gallery,” Anthony said.
Working with interior designer Cassandre Bonhomme, Anthony sought to fill his home with a mix of decor spanning a variety of styles, time periods, and continents. The duo developed their own style of “modern vintage,” Bonhomme said, that matched with the classic approach the original owner took when building the home in 2006.
Anthony’s personal collection of artwork, furniture, and figurines guided Bonhomme.
“All the different places he goes, he collects things. We wanted to use them as the backdrop of the home,” Bonhomme said.
Among the standout pieces, includes a large mural of Muhammad Ali done in polished wood by the artist Cryptik. The piece was personally commissioned for Anthony and sits in the foyer above the double-arched staircase.
A trio of large marlins that Anthony caught years ago were painted red, black, and white by Bonhomme and placed on the foyer’s right wall. Artworks by Nathaniel Mary Quinn, Kehinde Wiley, and Delphine Diallo line the walls. The level parlor is where Anthony likes to entertain.
“I sit there. I throw my record player on. I can chill. I can see outside…. You get to listen to music,” he says. “You get to vibe to the art, you get to read the books…. It’s just a vibe.”
As for where he stores his massive shoe collection, there’s a personal bedroom for that. His son Kiyan also has a bedroom decked out with vintage furniture and art.
Now, as Anthony settles into retirement and watches his son carry the torch, the father and son are enjoying the peace and tranquility of the ‘burbs and relishing in their art deco-styled home.
Soulja Boy’s Property To Be Seized By Ex He Owes $472k For Pistol Whipping And Holding Hostage
Soulja Boy is being forced to pay off the $472,000 debt he owes the ex-girlfriend he allegedly held hostage and pistol-whipped for six hours.
On Friday, September 29, a judge agreed to let the sheriff’s department seize property and money from the rapper’s home in Los Angeles, Radar Online reports. It comes months after Soulja Boy was ordered to pay his ex-girlfriend Kayla Myers $471,900 for the “physical and mental pain and suffering” he caused when he allegedly kidnapped and assaulted her inside his Malibu home in February 2019.
The judge presided over the case tentatively granted Myers’ motion but would not sign off on Soulja’s ex taking any cash in excess of $1,000. Myers noted Soulja’s admission of owning multiple luxury cars including a yellow Bentley, a red Lamborghini, and a Dodge Charger Hellcat.
The “Crank That” rapper also testified to owning an iced-out “Soulja Boy” necklace worth $10,000 and a black Cartier watch worth $8,000. Myers claimed that Soulja has “other items of jewelry and chains” he didn’t mention and “large stacks of cash (typically kept in backpacks)” which he “regularly posts photographs on Instagram.”
Considering all these assets, a judge authorized the sheriff’s department to enter Soulja’s home and “seize and levy” his Los Angeles property. The ruling came after the rapper attempted to claim he was broke and unable to pay the “excessive” punitive damages Myers won.
The “Turn My Swag On” hitmaker noted a $1 million tax lien filed against him and said that he doesn’t own any real property since he stopped touring consistently after the COVID-19 pandemic. But a judge scolded the rapper for spending $20,000 on rent in Los Angeles if he was so hard on cash.
In April, Myers won her assault and kidnapping lawsuit against Soulja and was awarded compensatory damages totaling $235,900—$1,800 for “mental health expenses” and the remaining $234,100 for “physical and mental pain and suffering.” The rapper was also ordered to pay an additional $236,000 in punitive damages.
Myers filed the lawsuit after allegedly being kidnapped and assaulted for six hours following a party at Soulja’s home in Miami, Billboard reports. Soulja’s ex claims she tried to leave but that one of the rapper’s assistants prevented her. She also accused Soulja of holding a gun to her head while threatening her and even striking her with the gun.
Peep These Innovating Insights From BE’s Women Of Power TECH Summit
For tech and gaming pioneer Jacqueline Shorter-Beauchamp, tackling tall challenges with belief in self, innovation, and the creation of integration is all in a day’s work. She recently introduced her methodology, dubbed FTSO, to a stunned audience at the Women of Power TECH Summit. She said, “Figure that sh– out.”
As an evolution of the virtual conference that began in 2020, the first-ever live Women of Power TECH summit welcomed a host of fearless founders, business leaders, entrepreneurs, and influencers within the tech industry on Sept. 27. Power professionals came and left with more gems on their crown, thanks to the empowering words of advice and incentives.
“When you’re struggling, just think about it: the cream always rises to the top,” said Winona Taylor Lee, executive director of Enterprise IT, Merck. She had only been in her role for 90 days when she accepted BLACK ENTERPRISE’s invitation to discuss closing tech’s Black talent gap at the summit.
Here are a few other takeaways from the candid panel discussions.
Closing Tech’s Black Talent Gap
Merck’s Taylor Lee believes that tech’s Black talent gap will never close without available talent. So, she learned to lead.
“I should be pushing you to do the next job,” she said, adding that people should research and choose a role beyond the “flavor of the month.” The lack of ready-to-deploy talent with in-demand skills constrains business and tech transformation. “You have to do the job to get the job,” she said. Everyone should “stay up” on their personal and professional development.
From her vantage point, Brittany Clark, senior director of Technology Strategy & Innovation at Walmart Global Tech, sees a lack of women who look like her at the table.
“If you don’t know what’s there, you can’t seek it,” she said. So, she created her own personal KPI (key performance indicator) to dedicate time and resources to mentoring and opening doors.
“Be mindful of the network and the community you’re developing at work. Put your best foot forward because your name will be mentioned when you’re not in the room,” she added.
Shorter-Beauchamp, CEO of Engaged Media Studios, operates her business as a big corporation, serving museums, sports, entertainment, and the industrial sector with immersive experiences.
“They’re all utilizing the same underlying development platform I’ve used for gaming,” she said, adding that the intentionality behind utilization makes the execution successful. With a story in mind, Shorter-Beauchamp intentionally repurposes skill sets into different verticals and stays abreast of newer technologies.
“Do not integrate a technical solution just for the sake of technology,” she advised.
Sterling Ingui, Workplace Investing Product area leader at NextGen DC of Fidelity Investments, is proud to have helped create a first industry consortium of record keepers to help the underserved and the undersaved. This is just one of the ways technology has enabled Fidelity to provide access to education and ongoing support to its customers. Ingui also recalled creating a program for associates to upscale into technology.
“You have to find the companies that value what you value,’ she said.
Serial entrepreneur Tina Williams-Koroma, founder and CEO of CyDeploy, is building her company to exit. This means she can sell the company or co-own a company to other investors or firms. With dilutive and non-dilutive funding, Williams-Kormoma raised $1.1 million pre-seed from grant and accelerator programs like Google for Startups, Black Founders Fund, and Tech Stars.
She advised, “Look for as many non-dilutive options as possible,” which allows companies to obtain the capital they need while preserving ownership. The executive also recommends having enough savings in the bank to cover at least 2-3 months of your company’s payroll.”
Lenore Champagne Beirne, founder and managing partner at Bright Ventures, delivers capital, coaching, and community to a diverse group of founders and innovators.
“If you’re at an early stage, use that non-dilutive capital to help you get a sense of product-market fit. The more evidence of that, the better terms you can get at your pre-seed, which is another way to reduce dilution,” she advised.
To gear up for a venture meeting, the executive coach offers some tips: establish your internal team and advisers and the business goals for the next 18 months.
Former NFL Lineman John Urschel Joins MIT Faculty As A Math Professor
John Urschel, the Baltimore Ravens lineman who once starred in a Bose commercial breaking down the math behind sound due to his MIT education, is now a professor at the prestigious university.
According to Urschel’s homepage on the MIT website, he is currently an assistant math professor at MIT and has authored several research papers. Urschel describes his focus: “My interests largely consist of topics in numerical linear algebra, spectral graph theory, and certain topics in theoretical machine learning.”
In 2017, Urschel retired just days after a study concerning the effects of CTE (chronic traumatic encephalitis) on NFL players and their brains was released. This fueled speculation that the lineman had retired because of the study, but he did not mention head injuries in his press release. The Baltimore Sun reported that team officials believed that a report published in the Journal of the American Medical Associationshowed that of the 111 ex-NFL players brains they examined, 110 showed signs of CTE, pushing Urschel to retire.
Urschel insisted that his reasons were unrelated to the study but instead revolved around his desire to attain his doctorate from MIT and to raise his family. Urschel posted a press release on Twitter, which read in part: “I’m excited to start working on my doctorate in mathematics full time at MIT. I’m looking forward to the chance to take courses that are only offered in the fall semester, while spending time with my fiancé and preparing myself for the new challenges that come with fatherhood.”
At Penn State, Urschel completed two degrees, taught two undergraduate math classes, and won the William V. Campbell Trophy. According to Sports Illustrated, that award is the academic version of the Heisman Trophy.
After his graduation, his father, who is a renowned surgeon and fan of mathematics, tells SI that he was in the unenviable position of choosing the NFL or an academic career, saying, “he was a top-five pick,” and he was also “An elite math mind.”
Following his rookie season, Urschel applied to MIT, and as he became more involved in the program, his desire to do math outstripped his desire to be a professional football player. By Urschel’s third year in the program, he had fallen for MIT, telling SI, “It’s my favorite place in the world,” Urschel says with a huge smile.
“I love being here. I love every day I’m here. The happiest I’ve ever been in my life is when I’m at MIT. Ever in my life,” he shares. “EVER in my life! Happiest ever.”
And now, Urschel gets to be there every day teaching applied mathematics to young mathematical minds.
The incident occurred on Oct. 2 in Apopka, Florida, in the parking lot of a recreation center football field. The video shows the boy going to his mother’s car and grabbing a gun. Next, he is seen firing one shot that hit two teens. According to Apopka Police Chief Mike McKinley, one of the victims was shot in the torso and is in stable condition after undergoing surgery. The other teen was struck in the arm and released from the hospital.
A witness says all three boys were engaging in a physical altercation over a bag of chips, with the victims being the aggressors. Another witness said he saw one of the victims slap the shooter in the face. According to the arrest report, after football practice, one of the victims, labeled as Victim 1, was seen chasing the 11-year-old boy while he ran toward his mom’s car. As the suspect grabbed the gun, one victim was already walking away.
The shooter was approximately 6 to 8 feet from the first victim when he fired the gun.
The small 9-mm purple handgun with live ammo was in a box under the front passenger seat, according to what the suspect’s mother told police. She said her son knew the gun was in the car, “but she had told him prior not to handle the gun and that the gun was for her protection.” However, Chief McKinley says it’s still a crime. “It is a crime to allow your children to have access to your firearm in an unsecured box,” Chief McKinley said, TMZ reports.
“Nobody wants to arrest an 11-year-old by any means, but based on our investigation, we feel those charges are warranted.”
He has been charged with attempted second-degree murder, and police say “additional charges are probably pending against some adults.”
Taco Bell Customer Shoots Employee In Dispute Over Change
A dispute over the amount of change given to a Taco Bell customer in North Carolina has led to the worker at the fast-food restaurant being shot.
According to Fox Business, the fast-food worker has been hospitalized with “life-threatening injuries” after the incident around 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 30. According to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, police officers responded to a phone call reporting an assault with a deadly weapon. An argument ensued after the customer, 67-year-old Doll McLendon, argued with the unidentified employee about what he thought was incorrect change given him while he was in the restaurant’s drive-thru.
“Upon arrival, officers located an employee suffering from multiple gunshot wounds,” police said in a written statement. “Witness statements indicate that after ordering food, the suspect became aggressive in the drive-thru when he believed he had been given an incorrect amount of change.”
“The suspect proceeded to leave the drive-thru and come inside the restaurant where he became more aggressive, produced a firearm, and began shooting inside the restaurant.”
Based on surveillance footage and statements from eyewitnesses at the fast-food chain, police officers could identify McLendon’s vehicle because the car was a “distinctive model.” That information led them to track the suspect to his home. Police stated that he was arrested without incident.
“The suspect walked out and surrendered where officers were able to take him into custody without incident,” the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said.
Authorities have charged McLendon with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, inflicting serious injury, and discharging a weapon into occupied property.
“We are shocked to hear that this happened,” Taco Bell said in a statement to FOX Business. “We understand that the franchise owner and operator of this location is working with the local authorities in their investigation and will be offering support to all team members present.”
No information was revealed on the condition of the shooting victim.
Maryland Town Elects Its First Black Lawmakers In 200 Years
On Oct. 3, Federalsburg, Maryland, swore in its first Black lawmakers in the town’s 200-year history. Last month, Brandy James and Darlene Hammond, both Black, were elected as council women to represent District 1.
For James, politics is a family affair. Her father, Rev. Charles T. Cephas, Sr., was elected as the first Black mayor of Hurlock, Maryland, in 2021. According to Dorchester Star, the pastor served on the Hurlock Town Council for two decades before announcing his bid for mayoral office. Now, James is following in her father’s footsteps.
“It was a thankful moment that I was able to win this election not only to help my community but to pay homage to those who paved the way for people of color and different ethnicities to be able to go to the town hall and vote, to be able to have the right to vote.”
However, despite their achievements, the women’s political journey has not been easy. Their appointment came after several voting advocacy groups launched a campaign calling for changes to Federalsburg’s election system.
In August 2022, different voting rights groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union, drafted a letter to the Federalsburg mayor requesting changes to the town’s flawed election system. As it was, lawmakers were determined by government officials, who often excluded minorities from office despite the town’s large Black population.
In the letter, representatives discussed the ramifications of this system, claiming that such practices keep Black residents uninformed about the town’s happenings. “Inattentiveness to the needs of Federalsburg’s Black residents also leaves unaddressed their concerns regarding the lack of transparency and communication about Town functions, health care issues during the pandemic, housing, the educational needs of Black children and the lack of diversity among teachers in Federalsburg schools,” it read.
After months of inaction, the issue eventually culminated in a lawsuit against the town. The ACLU of Maryland and seven Black residents, including Hammond, filed a suit, alleging that the town’s election process was to “override and dilute the influence of Black voters” and “suppress Black candidacies.”
The organization’s efforts proved successful as, in June, the Federalsburg town council passed a motion to adopt a new two-district voting system map. With this new system, many residents hope Black voters’ voices will finally be heard.
