NEWS
Flavor Flav stepped up to help an Olympic athlete who expressed urgent need.
Veronica Fraley, a student at Vanderbilt University who is currently competing with Team USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics, took to social media to vent her financial frustrations, leading to assistance from the Public Enemy hypeman.
“I compete in the Olympic Games TOMORROW and can’t even pay my rent,” she wrote on X Thursday (Aug 1). “My school only sent about 75% of my rent while they pay football players (who haven’t won anything) enough to buy new cars and houses,” adding several emojis through the post.
Upon seeing the message, Flavor Flav responded by offering to cover the 24-year-old’s housing costs. As the 2024 NCAA discus champion, Fraley is set to compete in the discus throw qualifications on Friday. The finals are scheduled for Monday, Aug. 5.
“I gotchu, DM me and I’ll send payment TODAY so you don’t have to worry bout it TOMORROW,” he replied. “And imma be rooting for ya tomorrow LETZ GO!!!”
Still, Fraley launched a GoFundMe campaign to, “support my track and field journey as I start my professional athletic career and continue to represent Team USA, with a goal of $20,000.” As of Friday morning, she has raised $16,111.
“Thanks for the supporting messages but I want to clarify my irritation isn’t with the school itself,” clarified Fraley in a follow-up post on X. “Mainly the rules that bar me from making the amount I’m WORTH as a collegiate athlete such as NIL which favors popularity over performance. that’s all I’m sayin. Wish me luck tm!”
Fraley is not the only Olympic athlete to see financial support from the Hip-Hop veteran this year. Last month, the USA Water Polo team revealed the 65-year-old signed an unprecedented five-year sponsorship deal as the official hype man for the USA Water Polo Women’s and Men’s National Teams.
As part of the sponsorship, Flavor Flav made undisclosed monetary contributions to the 2024 USA Women’s Water Polo Olympic Team.
“This is one of the biggest things that I feel that I could have ever done in life, outside of the other accomplishments that I’ve made to music,” explained the New York native, per CNBC. “By sponsoring a water polo team and helping these girls out, this is bigger than me winning a Grammy.”
Perry Farrell has released another public apology following an on-stage confrontation involving his bandmate Dave Navarro.
The Jane's Addiction frontman was involved in a physical altercation with guitarist Dave Navarro last year during a live performance, an incident that prompted the band to cancel their reunion tour and eventually led to their split.
“I'd like to address what happened on stage last year,” Perry, 66, said in a statement shared across both his personal Instagram account and Jane's Addiction’s official page. “I've reflected on it and know I didn't handle myself the way I should have. I apologize to our patrons and my bandmates for losing my temper and for disrupting the show.”
He went on to admit that he did not meet fan expectations and described himself as deeply remorseful toward everyone impacted by the incident.
“Jane's Addiction has been at the center of my life for decades. The band, the songs, the patrons, and the impact that we've had on music and culture mean more to me than any words I could ever possibly write down,” he shared.
“My aim has always been to give our audience the best possible show, something real, honest and positive. In Boston, we fell short of that, and I'm truly sorry to everyone who was impacted.”
Jane's Addiction also issued its own statement regarding the altercation, which ultimately led to the group’s remaining members filing a lawsuit against Perry alleging assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, and breach of contract.
“Today we are here to announce that we have come together one last time to resolve our differences, so that the legacy of Jane's Addiction will remain the work the four of us created together,” the band wrote, signaling that the group would not move forward with Perry. “We now look forward to the future as we embark on our separate musical and creative endeavors.”
