Conservative commentator Candace Owens is known to rub people the wrong way. The outspoken black author and Republican activist has regularly made comments in opposition of the black community, and while she has faced backlash for her past remarks, it hasn't deterred her from speaking her mind. Candace Owens has had quite a bit to say about George Floyd's death and it shouldn't come as a surprise that she's made a few controversial statements.

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In her 15-minute video that she uploaded to social media, Candace Owens stated that while she believes former police officer Derek Chauvin should be prosecuted to the fullest extend of the law, she doesn't agree that Floyd should be made out to look like a hero. "George Floyd was not an amazing person and as soon as this video hit the internet, I did just basic searches and everyone jumped on it and was looking at the police officer and everyone agrees that the police officer was wrong and the police officer has been arrested... He has been turned into the devil that he is and there is no reason for us to harp on that any longer. White Americans are not uplifting Derek Chauvin [like] he's an amazing human being."

However, Owens said Floyd is being touted as a good person, and that's something she doesn't agree with. "George Floyd is being uplifted like he's an amazing human being, and for those of you who have not yet seen the clips or did not pursue or wait for more clips to come out—first and foremost, George Floyd, at the time of his arrest was high on fentanyl and he was high on methamphetamine." She went on to describe the way Floyd was acting, how he allegedly had drugs on him at the time of his arrest, and then she detailed his reported criminal past that included armed robbery.

According to Candace Owens, Floyd's death shouldn't be used as a launching pad for protests and riots because he wasn't an upstanding citizen that everyone has painted him out to be. Unsurprisingly, Owens's video went viral and she was met with quite a bit of backlash. You can watch her commentary below and read through a few reactions. 

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#PressPlay: Conservative commentator #CandaceOwens attacks #GeorgeFloyd’s character, calling him a violent criminal, & downplays police brutality ??? Thoughts? ?? @realcandaceowens

A post shared by HOLLYWOOD UNLOCKED (@hollywoodunlocked) on Jun 3, 2020 at 9:21pm PDT

Over the last few days, President Donald Trump shut off the White House lights and hid in a bunker while protests erupted in Washington D.C., only to later emerge and have peaceful protesters tear-gassed so they would make room for a photo opportunity in front a church. The president's tweets and speeches have caused many to fear that he's implementing excessive and unnecessary military force on American citizens, while also calling for civilians to arm themselves against their neighbors. Former presidents Barack Obama, Jimmy Carter, and George W. Bush have issued statements about George Floyd, the protests, and-or the Black Lives Matter movement, but for Dwyane Johnson, he's still wondering where America's "compassionate leader" is.

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The Rock shared a video on Wednesday (June 3) where he gave a moving declaration about the United States needing a leader to help its frustrated and hurt citizens. "Where are you? Our country is crippled and on its knees, begging to be heard and pleading for change," the actor penned in the caption. "Where is our compassionate leader? The leader who unifies and inspires our country at our most painful time when we need it the most. The leader who steps up and takes full accountability for our country and embraces every color in it. The leader who picks our country up off its knees and says you have my word - we got this - and together, change will happen."

"Where are you? Because we’re all here," he continued. "Maybe one day that galvanizing leader will emerge. Either way, the process to change has already begun." Watch Dwayne Johnson give his moving message to, and about, the president below.

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Our country is crippled and on its knees, begging to be heard and pleading for change. Where is our compassionate leader? The leader who unifies and inspires our country at our most painful time when we need it the most. The leader who steps up and takes full accountability for our country and embraces every color in it. The leader who picks our country up off its knees and says you have my word - we got this - and together, change will happen. Where are you? Because we’re all here. Maybe one day that galvanizing leader will emerge. Either way, the process to change has already begun. #normalizeequality #blacklivesmatter

A post shared by therock (@therock) on Jun 3, 2020 at 7:33pm PDT

As conflicting stories about George Floyd’s autopsy continue to be up for discussion, new reports state that he previously tested positive for COVID-19. George Floyd lost his life at the hands of Minneapolis police officers on May 25 while handcuffed, face-down on the ground. On Wednesday (June 3), details of his autopsy results made by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office and Chief Medical Examiner Andrew Baker that stated Floyd was asymptomatic after testing positive for coronavirus back on April 3. 

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Yahoo News reports that the 20-page document also states that George Floyd’s “lungs appeared healthy but he had some narrowing of arteries in the heart.” Previously, the medical examiner shared that Floyd’s death was caused by a number of factors including health issues, fentanyl intoxication, and methamphetamine use. The findings didn’t list asphyxia as a cause of death.

However, the Floyd family enlisted world-renowned forensic pathologist Michael Baden to perform an independent autopsy. Dr. Baden didn’t agree with the medical examiner’s report and stated in a press conference that George Floyd “died of asphyxiation due to neck and back compression.” His finding caused the third-degree murder charges against former police officer Derek Chauvin, who kneeled on Floyd’s neck, to be increased to second-degree. The three other officers on the scene were arrested and charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder.

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In light of the Black Lives Matter and social justice protests that have gone global after George Floyd's murder, many celebrities are stepping forward to put their money where their mouths are. People like Rihanna, Drake, The Weeknd, Ryan Reynolds, Chrissy Teigen, G-Eazy, Don Cheadle, Seth Rogen, Steve Carrell, and many others have donated to Black Lives Matters efforts, the NAACP, or bail out organizations. Twitter has been taking hard hits from users after failing to reign in President Donald Trump's recent tweets, but CEO Jack Dorsey has announced his support of social justice efforts by saying he's donating Colin Kaepernick's "Know Your Rights" campaign.

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"More #startsmall grants," Jack Dorsey tweeted on Wednesday (June 3). "$3mm to Colin @Kaepernick7’s @yourrightscamp to advance the liberation and well-being of Black and Brown communities through education, self-empowerment, mass-mobilization to elevate the next generation of change leaders."

"Know Your Rights" wasn't the only organization Dorsey donated to; he also shared that he gave "$5m to @WCKitchen to provide fresh meals to those in immediate need and keeps small businesses open in the midst of our ongoing health, economic, and humanitarian crises. Funds will support the Restaurants for the People Program in Oakland, CA." Check out his tweets below.

Insecure and How to Get Away with Murder actor Kendrick Sampson has been using his voice to speak on Black Lives Matter and issues pertaining to the black community for years. So, it wasn't surprising that when protests were being organized following the police-involved killing of George Floyd, Kendrick Sampson made sure that he was on the ground and in the crowd among members of his community in solidarity with supporters worldwide. 

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Last weekend, Kendrick joined marchers in Los Angeles and for those tuned in, he streamed much of his experiences on Instagram Live. There were a few of his fans among the protesters, as well, but instead of approaching the actor for an autograph, they filmed him being beaten by members of the Los Angeles Police Department.

"Glad I y’all witnessed this," he tweeted. "Esp the video of them actually targeting us. He didn’t try to ricochet the bullets of the ground - one tactic - he pointed the gun DIRECTLY AT ME. I actually got hit 7 times with rubber bullets and many with batons. My boy has stitches. #DEFUNDPOLICE."

In a recent op-ed for Variety, Kendrick Sampson detailed his experience and why it's important for him to stand for marginalized communities. "I’m still working through stuff that happened when I was a kid, stuff that happened at Standing Rock four years ago, working through these videos of public Black death, these lynchings that we’ve continued seeing, so I don’t know the scope of the trauma that I experienced Saturday," he wrote. "I feel very strong and I’m really exhausted at the same time. But I also feel a resolve to move forward. I feel like we need to liberate folks and we cannot let up." Check it out below.

Cancel Culture was on full display yesterday (June 2) after Business Insider released a report about Muy Cos. CEO James Bodenstedt. According to the outlet, Bondenstedt has been an avid supporter of President Donald Trump, reportedly giving $440K to his re-election campaign and $200K to the Trump Victory Pac. After the news circulated, the fast-food chain Wendy's began to trend on social media as people called for the restaurant to be canceled. However, Muys Cos., who owns Wendy's, also owns hundreds of Pizza Hut and Taco Bell restaurants as well, but those businesses weren't included in the outrage.

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On Wednesday (June 3), Wendy's popped up on Twitter with a lengthy statement about their support of equality, equity, and Black Lives Matter. "Our voice would be nothing without Black culture. Right now, a lot of people are hurting because of blatant racism against Black people. Their voices need to be heard. Period. #BlackLivesMatter," the company tweeted. "We’re about putting our money where our mouth is. So here’s our money and here’s our mouth. We are committed to donating $500k to support social justice, the youth and education in the Black community starting with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and we’ll have receipts."

They added, "Our employees and customers have spoken loud and clear. We know we have a lot more to do than a donation. We’re committed to doing the work and we hear you. In the coming days, we’ll be using our Twitter account to amplify Black voices. Because what’s the point of this big platform if we don’t use it for what matters during times like these?" Yet, some people weren't letting the company off that easy, considering their CEO still backs Trump and the president's agenda. Check out Wendy's tweets below.

The civil rights era film co-starring Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Foxx has been made available to rent for free for the month of June on digital streaming platforms by Warner Bros. Pictures because of the company’s belief in the “power of story.”

Just Mercy, originally released in theaters back in 2019 to limited reception, is a film about the work of civil rights attorney Bryan Stevenson in the 80s. Directed by Daniel Cretton, the film stars Michael B. Jordan as Stevenson, the lawyer who defends Walter McMillian against a wrongful murder conviction. McMillain is played by Jamie Foxx. Throughout the film, Stevenson not only attempts to fight the murder conviction, but also the systemic issues within the United States legal system. 

Along with a tweet announcing the news, Warner Bros. also released a statement explaining the move. “We believe in the power of story,” the company said. “Our film Just Mercy, based on the life work of civil rights attorney Bryan Stevenson, is one resource we can humbly offer to those who are interested in learning more about the systemic racism that plagues our society. For the month of June, Just Mercy will be available to rent for free across digital platforms in the US.”

The company offers the film as a resource for those who want to learn more about the systemic racism that persists in this country. 

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While most of Boosie Badazz’s conversation with Theo Von centered about Black issues and Boosie’s response to the protests, towards the very end of the conversation, Boosie casually reveals that he’s got a new business in the works, and it’s one to rival the UFC.

When Theo Von asks Boosie if he wants the UFC, he quickly replies no, before revealing his own fight-business plans:

“I’m finna start my own backyard, across-the-track fights. We just going through the lawyers right now, I got my logo together.”

Boosie says, “Every place got across the track. So we going to be setting up by train tracks. I got the steel gate. Got all my paperwork together. I’ma do five fights in each city.”

As far as Boosie’s role, beyond the business side, he’ll be taking a cue from Joe Rogan and putting on his commentator hat, before elaborating on just how tough his fights will be.

“And it gon’ be funny cause I’ma be the commentator. I’m going to be going off. And how mine is, you gotta be dropped five times. A TKO is five times. The fight keeps on going through out the fifth round if you haven’t been knocked out five times, or you out cold. That’s the only way the fight stops.”

Boosie adds, “We gon’ kill it bro, across the track street fights.” 

Check this out at the 1 hour, 2 minute mark in the video below.

Do you think this will really come to fruition? Would you tune in?

A Sarasota, Florida police officer has been put on leave by his superiors after a video surfaced showing him exercising excessive force on a citizen. Last week, 46-year-old George Floyd was killed as former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on the back of his neck. Floyd pleaded for his life, cried out for his mother, and repeatedly said he couldn't breathe. Witnesses begged Chauvin to move his knee over while three other officers held Floyd's body down or were complicit and didn't say anything as Floyd suffocated for nearly nine minutes.

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On Monday, a white officer who wasn't identified was shown in a recently released video arresting a 27-year-old black man named Patrick Carroll. The Sarasota Police Department shared details of the arrest, stating the Carroll was being detained after allegedly violently assaulting a woman. According to USA Today, Carroll "was later charged with felony possession of ammunition by a convicted felon."

After Sarasota Police Chief Bernadette DiPino was shown the clip of the arrest and the officer kneeling on the back of Carroll's neck, the unidentified officer was reportedly put on leave. “Chief DiPino was disturbed to see an officer kneeling on the head and neck of an individual in the video,” SPD said in a statement. “While it appears the officer eventually moves his leg to the individual’s back, this tactic is not taught, used or advocated by our agency.”

The person filming told the arresting officers, “You got your knee on my man’s neck, man, on his neck, bro.” At the time of his arrest, police reportedly stated Carroll didn't complain of any injuries and didn't require medical attention. However, in a recent interview, Carroll stated that he was pushed to the ground while asking why he was being detained and suffers from asthma and scoliosis. Watch below.

Days ago, Star Wars actor John Boyega gained international attention once again after sharing an impassioned video supporting Black Lives Matter. Not only did he say he hates racists, but the British actor also implored his followers to delete him if they were either racist or justified the behaviors of the officers involved in George Floyd's death. John Boyega began trending on social media as there were mixed responses from fans, as some people supported him using his platform while others took the time to criticize him for his remarks.

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As Black Lives Matter protests have begun popping up worldwide, Boyega surfaced in London at Hyde Park where he delivered a rousing, emotional speech. “Black lives have always mattered,” Boyega said to protesters. “We have always been important. We have always meant something. We have always succeeded regardless. And now is the time. I ain’t waiting…We are a physical representation of our support for George Floyd. We are a physical representation of our support for Sandra Bland. We are a physical representation of our support for Trayvon Martin. We are a physical representation of our support for Stephen Lawrence.”

“I’m speaking to you from my heart. Look, I don’t know if I’m going to have a career after this, but f*ck that," he tearfully added. “Today is about innocent people who were halfway through their process. We don’t know what George Floyd could have achieved, we don’t know what Sandra Bland could have achieved, but today we’re going to make sure that won’t be an alien thought to our young ones.”

When news of Boyega's latest speech circulated, Jordan Peele made sure to let the actor know that his career would be just fine. Someone shared photos of Boyega holding his bullhorn and Jordan Peele retweeted the message along with a caption that read, "We got you, John." Check it out below.