After Jelena Ostapenko said Taylor Townsend had “no class” and “no education” during a heated post-match exchange during the US Open, other Black players are coming to Townsend’s defense. 

On Thursday, August 28, Naomi Osaka, who is of Japanese and Haitian descent, told reporters during a press conference that the remarks were “one of the worst things you can say to a Black tennis player in a majority white sport.” 

“I know Taylor and I know how hard she’s worked and I know how smart she is,” she said. “She’s the furthest thing from uneducated or anything like that.”

Osaka added, “But if you’re, like, genuinely asking me about the history of Ostapenko, I don’t think that’s the craziest thing she’s said. I’m going to be honest,” 

“I think it’s ill timing and the worst person you could have ever said it to,” she continued. “And I don’t know if she knows the history of it in America.”

Since the moment has led to a considerable amount of backlash for Ostapenko, Osaka noted, “I know she’s never going to say that ever again in her life.”

Meanwhile, Coco Gauff echoed Osaka’s condemnation during a press conference after her own match on Thursday.

“I think it was a heat-of-the-moment thing. I think Jelena was probably feeling emotions after she lost,” Gauff said. “I do think that it shouldn’t have been said, regardless of how you’re feeling.” 

She added, “Knowing Taylor personally, she’s the opposite of that. She’s one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. Whenever I’ve had a tough moment on court, she’s texting me checking in on how I am. I really hate to see that.”

Gauff also noted that for many, this may be the first time they’re learning about Townsend, something the fellow tennis player felt might be unfair.

“Maybe this is some of the first people hearing who Taylor Townsend is. I don’t want that to be the main focus of who she is. She’s a lot more than that,” Gauff explained. “She’s a mom, she’s a great friend, a talented tennis player and a good person. At the end of this tournament, I hope that people will do a deep dive into her and get to know her more than what was said in the previous match.”

Reiterating those sentiments, 2017 US Open women’s singles champion Sloane Stephens also noted her frustration that the moment she condemned might overshadow Townsend’s success.

“I don’t like the fact that she’s playing some of the best tennis of her life, she’s gotten to #1 in the world in doubles, she’s playing amazing singles, and these are the types of situations she’s dealing with,” Stephens said. “This should be celebratory. This should be happy. She shouldn’t have to be dealing with this outside situation.”

When it comes to Ostapenko, Stephens said, “I do think Ostapenko is a great player. She didn’t show her class and education here.”

The controversy began after Townsend’s second-round win over Ostapenko on Wednesday, August 27. Following the match, Ostapenko confronted Townsend at the net, accusing her of lacking “class” and “education” because she did not apologize for winning a point off a net cord. 

Osaka’s point about timing may have been referring to the fact that the 2025 US Open is marking the 75th anniversary of Althea Gibson breaking barriers as the first Black player to compete at the tournament. The celebration has been marked with tributes ranging from in-stadium films narrated by Venus Williams to a Florida A&M University marching band performance honoring Gibson’s legacy. Against that backdrop, Ostapenko’s words are that much more jarring.

Calling a Black person “uneducated” or “classless” isn’t just an insult. It taps into Jim Crow–era tropes that sought to demean Black people as intellectually inferior and socially unworthy, justifying their exclusion from schools and other public spaces. 

Ostapenko later defended herself in a lengthy post to her Instagram stories, per People magazine, insisting she is not racist and saying her frustration was about etiquette, not race. 

“I was NEVER racist in my life and I respect all nations of people in the world, for me it doesn’t matter where you come from,” she wrote, while stopping short of offering a direct apology.

8

Listen, the internet has seen a lot, but nothing could have prepared us for Sabrina Carpenter twirling in a foggy field like she just clocked in at the Kent family barn. Yes, pop’s reigning mischief maker dropped her Tears music video alongside her brand new album Man’s Best Friend and immediately sent social media into meltdown. The gag? People swear she filmed it on Clark Kent’s actual farm. Smallville hive, rise.

The Clark Kent Farm Conspiracy

It all started with a viral gif of Sabrina dancing in the grass, posted with the caption, “What is she doing on clark kent’s farm.” The tweet has already racked up over a million views, and the replies are unhinged in the best way.

• “If Clark Kent’s farm had a strip club 😂”






• “lol she lowkey was my face claim/fancast for Kara”






• “giggling extra hard bc I’m currently watching Smallville”






• “Someone make fanart of David’s Superman and Sabrina I’m so serious”






• “This is Smallville Lois Lane.”

Like… Clark Kent’s tractor is literally shaking.

Rocky Horror Meets Victoria’s Secret

But Sabrina didn’t just serve farmcore. She gave us cinema. Picture this: she crashes her car, finds a spooky house, and suddenly she’s living her own Rocky Horror Picture Show. Colman Domingo appears in drag, the two share a fabulous dance break, and Sabrina switches looks faster than Taylor Swift changes boyfriends.

The fashion? Camp. Iconic. A little unholy. She even wore Naomi Campbell’s actual Victoria’s Secret outfit from 2003, a silver fringe bra top with matching pink underwear. Only Sabrina could make a vintage runway lingerie moment feel like a pop exorcism.

Death, Drama, and Heels as Weapons

And because she’s a showgirl with no time for subtlety, the video ends with her resurrected boyfriend returning from the dead, only for Sabrina to hurl her heel at him to finish the job. “It’s a thing. Someone has to die every video,” she quips. Theatrical, deranged, and perfect.

The Bigger Picture

Tears marks the second single from her seventh studio album Man’s Best Friend, a 12 track project already making waves for its risqué cover art and unapologetic sexuality. Sabrina brushed off the criticism on CBS Mornings like the professional provocateur she is: “Y’all need to get out more.” Honestly? Period.

And let’s not forget, this is the same woman set to feature on Taylor Swift’s upcoming The Life of a Showgirl. Sabrina Carpenter is no longer just “the Espresso girl.” She’s the campy, Clark Kent’s farm conquering, Rocky Horror referencing, Naomi Campbell costume stealing pop villainess we’ve been begging for.

Clark Kent, call her. She’s already in the field.

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A Shocking Economic Reality 📊

Noir Nation, newly released labor market reports have uncovered some troubling news—over 300,000 Black women have lost their jobs in 2025 alone. The findings confirm what many in our community have been feeling firsthand: the job market is shifting, and Black women are bearing the brunt of the impact.

According to reports from ABC News data shows that industries such as healthcare, retail, and education—fields where Black women are heavily represented—have been hit the hardest. While overall unemployment has fluctuated across the country, the reality is clear: Black women are being disproportionately impacted by layoffs, fewer opportunities, and systemic inequities.

A Trend Rooted In Longstanding Disparities ⚠️

According to reports from The Root, this issue is not new. During the pandemic, over 518,000 Black women lost their jobs and never returned to the workforce. Now, with the rise of artificial intelligence, federal layoffs, shrinking DEI initiatives, and persistent pay inequality, another wave of losses is unfolding—pushing hundreds of thousands more out of the job market.

Experts warn that this combination of systemic barriers and technological disruption could widen the already troubling economic gap Black women face, threatening not only financial security but also long-term career advancement.

A Call For Solutions ✊🏾

The crisis highlights the urgent need for targeted support and policies that ensure Black women are not left behind. Advocates are pushing for fairer hiring practices, stronger DEI accountability, and government interventions to protect vulnerable workers in high-risk industries.

For many, the question isn’t just about recovering jobs—it’s about creating equitable spaces where Black women can thrive, not just survive. Noir Nation, one thing is certain: this story is far from over, and the fight for workplace equality remains as critical as ever.

U.S. Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., slammed President Donald Trump for calling for the reinstatement of the death penalty in Washington, D.C.

“Like Donald Trump himself, the death penalty is flawed and deeply racist. It is a fundamentally unjust punishment that has no place in any society,” said Pressley in a statement after Trump said on Tuesday that the death penalty is a “very strong preventative” against crime.

Pressley, who has sponsored federal legislation to prohibit the death penalty, noted that capital punishment has been “disproportionately weaponized against Black and brown communities,” adding “[it] failed to make America any safer—which is why we’ve worked persistently to abolish it and successfully partnered with President [Joe] Biden to re-sentence most of federal death row.”

An execution of a defendant has not happened in Washington, D.C., since 1957. The D.C. Council moved to abolish the death penalty in 1981.

Pressley recalled the ’80s, when Trump, then just a New York real estate mogul and tabloid figure, took out a nearly six-figure newspaper ad calling for the Central Park Five, then teenage Black and Latino boys, to be executed. In 2002, the five men were exonerated and are now known as the Exonerated Five.

“In 1989, Donald Trump paid for multiple ads calling for the execution of five innocent teenagers of color who were coerced and beaten to confess to a murder they did not commit,” said Pressley. “To this day, he has yet to change his views or apologize to these men—who have since been exonerated—and is now seeking to expand capital punishment in Washington, D.C. and across the country.”

The Massachusetts congresswoman excoriated President Trump’s first seven months since returning to the White House, describing his second term as a host of “broken promises.”

“Rather than militarize our cities, weaponize the federal government to terrorize communities, and continue distracting from his many broken promises, Donald Trump should instead prioritize what actually keeps people safe: community-based, trauma-informed solutions like affordable housing, mental health care, and gun violence prevention programs—the same initiatives he has attacked and defunded since taking office,” said Pressley. “That’s how we break cycles of violence and build safe, healthy, and thriving communities.”

Since 2019, during Trump’s first term in office, Congresswoman Pressley has introduced the Federal Death Penalty Prohibition Act alongside Senator Dick Durbin, D-Ill. If passed into law, the bill would prohibit the use of the death penalty at the federal level and require re-sentencing of those currently on death row.

Pressley has also been a vocal criminal justice advocate in Congress since her election in 2018. During former President Joe Biden’s presidency, Pressley urged him to use his clemency powers to address racial disparities in the criminal justice system.

After Biden commuted the sentences of 37 mostly Black and brown individuals on death row and re-sentenced them to life in prison during his final days in office, Pressley applauded him.

“There is no action more powerful or righteous than sparing someone’s life,” said Pressley. “The President’s decision to commute the death sentences of 37 individuals on federal death row is a historic and groundbreaking act of compassion that will save lives, address the deep racial disparities in our criminal legal system, and send a powerful message about redemption, decency, and humanity.”

15

The girls are at each other’s throats! …Or at least that’s what the internet would have you believe. To the misfortune of the drama junkie hordes, Camilla Araujo is not providing you some Hunger Games epiphany by Sophie Rain. Instead, she’s delivering chill composure, a well-manicured hand, and a curt “next question.”

No, She Does Not Resentfully Hate Sophie Rain

“Everybody wants to stir the drama, and it’s particularly when women are prospering,” Camilla said, throwing cold water on the conspiracy that she and Sophie are secretly plotting against each other. “Sophie and me have had flare-ups, don’t get me wrong,” she stated. “We’re not adversaries. If anything, I admire her grind. Do we see eye to eye on absolutely everything? No. But the narrative that we personally despise one another is exaggerated.”

Translation? They’re not braiding each other’s hair come Friday night, but they’re not going to be tossing stilettos around a Beverly Hills restaurant either. Sophie can have her handbag, Camilla can have one of her own, and both of them can exist without the internet fabricating WWE style feuds. Daring me.

Goodbye Bop House, Hello Main Character Era

If you closed your eyes this summer, you may have missed Sophie Rain theatrically storming out of Bop House, the OnlyFans girlboss mansion that hit screens in December 2024 starring Aishah Sofey, Alina Rose, Ava Reyes, Julia Filippo, Summer Iris, and Joy Mei. Barely a week later, Camilla dived in. Coincidence? Fans screamed “plot twist.” Camilla says, “calm down.”

“We were in business together, but at some level, you realize that a chapter has come and gone,” she said. “This was not about giving up on any person personally, it was about moving toward something more aligned toward goals.” Period. You know when you just want to roller out a suitcase, out of the influencer sorority house, and just unleash that main character energy.

Camilla isn’t tumbling into subtweets and seemingly inscrutable IG stories, she’s lapping up magazine covers, campaigns, and what she’s dubbing her “new era.” The rest of us will just have to wait and stay pressed.

Keep Her Brother’s Name Out Your Mouth

Internet critics have attempted to fault Camilla for “using” her bro for OnlyFans publicity. To that, she essentially responded: mind your own business.

“I and my brother are close. We’ve gone through a lot and at the end of the day, family is family,” she said. “And as for the aegyoeros, I don’t think it’s fair.”

Just picture waking up and determining that that was the angle of attack? Camilla’s got six working brand deals and picking up campaigns one after another, and you’re whining about her sibling? Please.

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Red Lobster’s triumphant return to the cultural mainstream is owed squarely to Black America, whose love, nostalgia, and joy have reignited the brand’s popularity.

That’s according to CEO Damola Adamolekun, who recently told The New York Times that Black diners have played a pivotal role in the restaurant’s epic comeback. 

“Black Americans tell me it was a celebratory experience, and I think people were sad to lose that and want to get it back,” he told the publication.

For many, Red Lobster has always been more than a place for seafood. From being one of the first restaurants to welcome Black diners and workers with open arms in the late 1960s to becoming the venue for countless family dinners, graduation celebrations, and first dates, to even earning a mention in Beyoncé’s iconic song “Formation,” the chain has been deeply rooted in Black culture. Adamolekun is leaning into that legacy, restoring Red Lobster as a space for Black joy, connection, and celebration.

The 36-year-old Nigerian-American executive became Red Lobster’s youngest-ever CEO in August 2024, after successfully leading P.F. Chang’s out of the dark as its first Black chief. As he approaches his one-year anniversary leading Red Lobster, the results are already clear. Sales are up, the buzz is louder than ever, and the brand feels relevant again. Social media chatter has surged, influencers are raving, and pop culture is embracing the chain.

Earlier this month, after partnering with the BIG3 Basketball League, founded by Ice Cube, Red Lobster hosted a celebratory dinner with Adamolekun ahead of the league’s championship at a location in Orlando, Florida. Then Adamolekun joined top influencers for an event at the New York City’s Red Lobster location in Times Square, tapping tastemakers to help tell its comeback story. Days later, the brand hosted a surprise album release party for Ciara’s “CiCi” at the same location, Complex reported.  

The Grammy winner, joined by her husband Russell Wilson, turned the seafood staple into a hotspot complete with her own special off-menu item, CiCi’s Combo, featuring the Sailor’s Seafood Boil with Roasted Garlic and Cajun Butter.

 “Red Lobster has always been a go-to for me,” Ciara said, per Complex. “Russell and I even had one of our first dates there!”

Afterward, Ciara shared her gratitude with fans, writing, “The album release party at @redlobster was lit and the in-store signing was so beautiful. I am truly grateful!”

With nostalgia, cultural resonance, and community pride fueling the resurgence, Adamolekun is hoping this wave of momentum continues. 

His vision is clear: “I want Red Lobster to be a place where you celebrate big occasions and daily occasions.”

7

The Wayne Ayers Podcast has released a new episode that features A-listers Lili Reinhart and Joel Fry and there couldn’t be a more timely release: their new thriller American Sweatshop hit theatres today. Today, August 29th. Call off the weekend.

What Went Down During the Podcast?

Wayne Ayers has a way of summoning Tinseltown’s biggest names just before their most talked-about films drop, and this week was no exception. Reinhart and Fry drove by for a visit about their new movie, but what transpired was more than a promo tour roadstop, it was a glimpse into the mental turmoil at the center of American Sweatshop.

Talking on the pod, Reinhart admitted Daisy Morris, her content moderator character, is one of her most disturbing roles yet. And Joel Fry? He reiterated just how timely (and HORRIFYING) this film is in the age of bottomless scrolling. Get it in your queue. Now.

From Nightmarish Job to Obsession

We meet Daisy, a female working a nine-to-five watching the internet’s darkest corners. Don’t worry about memes and kitten videos, her day’s dose is hate rants, physical attacks, animal abuse, and child mistreatment. All for a buck and some change. No medical coverage. No sick leave. Trauma on the computer monitor. Period.

And then there’s the video that breaks her. A hammer-and-nail beating. Daisy faints. She reports it. The system shrugs. Now she’s not only deleting content, she’s out for it. From dark web to barroom fights, Daisy goes rogue and gets addicted to violence. And the most horrifying part? It makes her feel good.

Get To Know Minds Behind Madness

American Sweatshop is the feature directional debut of Emmy-nominated titan Uta Briesewitz, who applies a slick, gimlet eye to Matthew Nemeth’s script. Casting is highly impressive:

• Lili Reinhart (Riverdale) exchanging teen soap for genuine psycho-h.
• Joel Fry (Cruella, Game of Thrones) bringing understated grit.
• Daniela Melchior, Jeremy Ang Jones, Josh Whitehouse, Tim Plester, and Christiane Paul filling out.

Behind the scenes, some big names like Barry Levinson and Tom Fontana support the project, so this isn’t some indie shock humor, this is prestige nightmare fuel.

Why Everyone’s Talking

Because it’s not just a thriller. It’s a cultural punch in the face. American Sweatshop forces audiences to think about the unseen army of moderators scrubbing the internet clean while corporations rake in billions. These are the people keeping your feeds “safe,” and they’re breaking under the weight of humanity’s worst impulses.

The movie doesn’t just pose the “what if someone snapped?” question, it demonstrates what happens when they did. And it’s visceral.

The Big Dates Today, August 29, 2025: American Sweatshop opens in select theaters. September 19, 2025: The film shall be released on On Demand for the bold at heart that would rather have nightmares from their own home.

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