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Two recent news reports detail a significant legal victory for two Black Texas state troopers who successfully sued the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), exposing what a jury agreed was a pattern of racial discrimination and retaliation. Together, the reporting shows a case that not only resulted in a nearly $1.7 million payout, but also laid bare the deeply entrenched inequities the troopers say defined their careers. According to TheGrio, the lawsuit—filed in 2020—centered on Special Agent Jari McPherson and former Corporal Jerald Sams, both of whom alleged years of racially hostile treatment. The outlet reports that the men described being passed over for promotions, assigned more difficult and less desirable work, and subjected to racist remarks from colleagues and supervisors. McPherson also faced retaliation after filing an internal complaint, allegedly being denied opportunities and reassigned to a unit composed largely of minority troopers that handled disproportionately burdensome workloads with fewer days off. A jury ultimately agreed that DPS either knew or should have known about the discrimination and failed to take meaningful corrective action. Meanwhile, FOX 7 Austin focuses on both the outcome and the personal toll of the case, reporting that a jury awarded nearly $1.7 million in damages between the two men. Sams received approximately $875,000 in emotional distress damages, while McPherson was awarded just under $800,000 for economic and emotional harm combined. The station also highlights the long arc of Sams’ career, noting that after more than two decades with DPS, he endured repeated instances of racist behavior, including derogatory comments and stereotyping that eroded his sense of pride in the profession. Despite the verdict, DPS is pushing back, seeking to challenge the jury’s decision and arguing that the findings were inconsistent—an effort the plaintiffs’ attorney criticized as a refusal to fully confront systemic issues within the agency. Ultimately, the case represents more than a financial judgment. For McPherson and Sams, the verdict stands as both validation of their experiences and a broader reckoning for discriminatory practices within one of Texas’ most powerful law enforcement bodies. The post Still Negro: 2 Black Texas State Troopers Awarded $1.7 Million In Racial Harassment Lawsuit appeared first on Bossip.

Angela Simmons is opening up about her 2025 split from longtime boyfriend, Yo Gotti, and dating after ending things with the devoted DM whisperer who “manifested” their relationship. Angela Simmons shares what led to Yo Gotti breakup in 2025 on Funky Friday. During her March 27 interview with Cam Newton on his “Funky Friday” podcast, Angela Simmons opened up about life after her highly publicized 2025 breakup with Yo Gotti. Fans may remember that Yo Gotti famously called Simmons his “crush” in his 2016 track “Down in the DM,” which eventually led to them dating years later in 2022. Reflecting on the relationship, Cam Newton asked the Hollywood star bluntly: “After that relationship, do you ever think that the crush should have just remained? The crush.” Simmons responded with a resounding “no.” “No, no, not at all. It’s good, it’s fine,” she replied. Newton gave her a curious look, prompting her to laugh nervously. “What? What more are you looking for? It didn’t need to remain the crush. Like, I had a great relationship.” Newton then asked, “What did that relationship teach you?” “That I’d be a great wife,” Simmons answered honestly. Newton wondered whether the breakup happened because Simmons thought Yo Gotti “would not be a great husband,” but she quickly reassured him that wasn’t the case.  So what ultimately ended things? The Growing Up Hip-Hop alum explained that they simply weren’t on the same page when it came to taking the next step in their relationship, presumably marriage. “At some point if it came to an end, it was just because I feel like, maybe he just wasn’t ready,” she explained.”And then, we’re not in the same space. But my relationship was great. Love him, love him down, love his family, respect them so. Maybe he wasn’t ready.” Angela went on to reveal that she remains close to the rapper and his family. When Newton asked if she might give love a second chance with Yo Gotti, she said: “I can do what God wants me to do.” https://www.instagram.com/reels/DWfps-ADOHp Angela Simmons has been back on the dating scene. Here’s what she’s looking for in a man. Later in the conversation, Simmons shared that she has been “taking dates” since the breakup but is still single. And for anyone hoping to win her over, she playfully added that gifts are welcome on a first date. When Newton asked about her type, following her brother Joseph Simmons’ comment that she was into “street dudes,” she clarified: “I’m attracted to real. And so if the person is real, that’s what it is. It’s not even about just necessarily a street dude… I go by character, [the] type of person it is. It’s so many other things that play into the equation.” Simmons also revealed she’s drawn to men who are protectors and providers and that she pays close attention to how someone “carries themselves” to see if she’s genuinely interested. And when it comes to dealbreakers, dishonesty is a big red flag. “Don’t lie to me. You want to lie to me is stupid. Like cuz I rather just have a conversation with you. If you have something you need to hide, I don’t like that,” Simmons said flat out. “Cuz if I’m putting everything on the table, you put everything on the table and we’re all being honest here. Or if you feel like you want to do something that ain’t right, like let me know. Put me in….I can handle the conversation and then let me figure out what I want to do with my time.” Watch the full episode of Cam Newton and Angela Simmons’ Funky Friday interview below. Thoughts? RELATED CONTENT: The Feeling Is Not ‘Mutual’: Angela Simmons Recounts Blind Date With Cam Newton, Says He Gave Her The ‘Ick’ The post Angela Simmons Details Yo Gotti Breakup, Wonders Whether Rapper Was Ready For Marriage–‘We’re Not In The Same Space’ appeared first on Bossip.

On Monday, a Santa Monica jury found Bill Cosby liable for drugging and sexually assaulting a woman in 1972 and ordered Cosby to pay the victim nearly $60 million in damages. According to AP, the victim, Donna Motsinger, filed her suit against Cosby in 2023. In her lawsuit, Motsinger said she was working as a server in a restaurant near San Francisco when Cosby approached her. Cosby invited her to a nearby comedy show, where she said Cosby gave her a glass of wine and two pills she believed to be aspirin. Motsinger said she was going in and out of consciousness when two men put her in a limousine. “She woke up in her house with all her clothes off, except her underwear on – no top, no bra, and no pants,” the lawsuit said. “She knew she had been drugged and raped by Bill Cosby.” They both were in their 30s at the time of the assault. After a nearly two-week civil trial and two days of deliberation, the jury awarded Motsinger $17.5 million in past damages and $1.75 million for future damages, which include “mental suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, inconvenience, grief, anxiety, humiliation, and emotional distress.” During the second phase of the trial on Monday afternoon, the judge also awarded Motsinger an additional $40 million in punitive damages. The New York Times reports that Cosby has said he’s run into financial difficulties in recent years. “Due to allegations, whether they be newspaper, radio, television, magazines or just plain internet, I have not worked in about 10 years, or more,” Cosby said in a deposition for the case. “That means I have not earned a cent through my being an entertainer, a writer, a television performer, except in reruns, and my net worth has gone down like a submarine with no motor.” An expert witness brought in by Motsinger’s lawyers disputed the idea that Cosby was destitute and estimated that his worth was approximately $128 million. “This verdict is not just about me – it’s about finally being heard and holding Mr. Cosby accountable,” Motsinger said in a statement. “I have carried the weight of what happened to me for more than 50 years. It never goes away. Today, a jury saw the truth and held him accountable. That means everything. I hope this gives strength to other survivors who are still waiting for their moment to be heard.” Motsinger added that while it was not a criminal trial with a guilty verdict, she expressed gratitude “that I’m believed and he, in some way, has to be accountable for what he did to me.” Cosby’s lawyer, Jennifer Bonjean, argued against the punitive damages and said that they fully intend to appeal. “This is not about providing deterrence,” Bonjean told the jury. “A blind 88-year-old man can’t leave his house.” I don’t think anyone assumed this was about deterrence. It’s about getting justice for a woman who’s had to live with a trauma no one should have to endure. The ruling comes five years after Cosby was released from prison after serving three years of a three-to-10-year sentence for sexually assaulting Andrea Constand. Cosby was released from prison after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court tossed his conviction after finding that a deal Cosby had made with a previous prosecutor should have prevented him from being criminally charged in the case. Constand testified during Motsinger’s trial along with two other women who have accused Cosby of sexual assault. While it’s not the justice the victims deserve, at the very least, the court acknowledged the pain that Cosby caused Motsinger. SEE ALSO: Bill Cosby Forced To Sell His $7 Million NYC Mansion Women Sue Cosby For Sex Assault In New Lawsuit  

Yung Miami isn’t backing down from her decision to defend Sean “Diddy” Combs during his sex trafficking and prostitution trial. The City Girls alum addressed her relationship with Diddy during a new sit-down interview with Charlamagne Tha God for The Breakfast Club. While discussing her three-year relationship with the disgraced music mogul, she also revealed why she didn’t turn her back on him following his numerous allegations of sexual abuse and conviction on prostitution charges. Once the topic of Sean “Diddy” Combs came up in the conversation, which premiered on Mar 24, Yung Miami—born Caresha Romeka Brownlee—was asked how she differentiates between the person she had a relationship with versus the allegations against him. “I think in life you always get put in a situation where you gotta, you know, make a life decision,” she began. “And you gotta look back and say like, ‘What makes sense for me right now?’ I can love this person, but I can love this person from a distance, or no, I can have a relationship with this person, but maybe I gotta come back to it. Like, maybe I gotta come back around, and I think that this was one of those situations.” During Diddy’s highly-publicized trial, Caresha was one of the celebrities who wrote a character letter in support of the rapper and producer. In the letter, she described him as a “loving” and “supportive” person, even declaring at the end that he’s a “good man.” Once the letter was released to the public, there was a negative reaction from fans, which Miami was asked about during the interview. “I think I wrote a letter for a changed man,” she explained. “I think that the man that I met and that I experienced was changed. I’m not gonna justify some bulls**t or like, support some bulls**t. I felt like the person that I met was changed. It was a different experience, so that’s why I wrote the letter.” As for whether she thinks she owes her fans an explanation or if her personal relationships aren’t their business, she said she feels she has to do “both.” “I feel like, as people that’s supporting you, that’s buying into you and that love you…They gotta be able to connect with you,” she said. “I can’t just be like, ‘F**k y’all, this is my personal life. I don’t owe y’all.’” Ultimately, Combs was found guilty on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution and sentenced to four years and two months in prison. He was found not guilty on racketeering and sex trafficking charges. Yung Miami spoke more on her decision to support Diddy by insisting that she’s unable to comment on things she didn’t personally experience. “I can’t speak to nothing that I don’t know of. I can only speak to the person that I met. And if I met this person that changed my life, that helped me grow, that treated me like a queen, that made me believe [in] myself…That’s what I know,” Caresha explained. “I feel like people can have opinions, but I can only judge a person off of what I know and what I experience. Like, I can’t speak on nothing that I never was a part of, that I never knew. I can only judge who I met. I can only judge who I was in a relationship with.” Charlamagne also asked the rapper if she was afraid of being called to testify during the trial, to which she replied, “I never hid nothing, I don’t have nothing to hide.” Miami went on to add that many people turned their back on her following her support for Diddy, saying the whole situation “really” impacted her brand. “I lost deals. I lost money. I lost relationships. I lost a lot,” she concluded. “The only person I try to trust is God and my kids.” Check out the whole interview up above. The post Doubling Down On Diddy: Yung Miami Defends Her Decision To Write A Letter To The Judge Gushing Over ‘Good Man,’ Sean Combs appeared first on Bossip.