Freddie Jackson, the famed New York singer died three days after celebrating his 70th birthday.
Jackson, known for his smooth ‘80s hits “Rock Me Tonight (For Old Times Sake)” and “You Are My Lady,” has died. He was 70.
A statement shared by his family on his official Instagram account confirmed Jackson died Monday, three days after his 70th birthday. No cause of death was provided.
“Freddie was more than a legendary voice. He was a kind, generous soul who loved his fans, his family, his friends, and his music with everything he had. For decades he gave us the songs that became the soundtrack to our love stories, our celebrations, and our most treasured memories. That gift will live on forever,” the statement read.
“To everyone who ever sang along, danced, or felt something when Freddie took the stage: thank you. You were family to him, and he carried your love with him always,” it continued.
Details regarding arrangements will be announced in the coming days.
Jackson was born and raised in Harlem, where he learned all about soul music and sang gospel at White Rock Baptist Church. He started his career in the New York club scene, eventually making his way out West with the band Mystic Merlin in the late ‘70s. He soon returned to New York and released his debut album, “Rock Me Tonight,” in 1985. His distinctive voice proved to be his superpower: The album, which was quickly certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, also led to his two career Grammy nominations. Those were for best new artist and best male R&B vocal performance for the single “You Are My Lady.”
“Rock Me Tonight” also created a new R&B superstar: Jackson became a mainstay of those Billboard charts and a fixture of contemporary urban radio play throughout the ’80s and early ‘90s.
His sophomore album, 1987’s “Just Like the First Time,” was also certified platinum.
Jackson shared his kidney disease diagnosis in 2024
In 2024, Jackson revealed he had been diagnosed with kidney disease in a video shared to his social media accounts.
“This journey has had its challenges but I’ve decided to face it with openness and resilience,” he said in the clip. “It’s important to me that I share this with you, not just as a part of my personal story, but as a way to make a positive difference.”
Best known for "You Are My Lady" and "Jam Tonight", Freddie Jackson was a favorite of the Quiet Storm genre.
At the time, Jackson also revealed he had partnered with the National Kidney Foundation to raise awareness of the disease.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 1 in 7 American adults has chronic kidney disease. As many as 9 in 10 don’t know they have it.
Chronic kidney disease is a condition where the kidneys are damaged and struggle to filter blood. As a result, excess waste and fluids remain and can lead to other health issues, such as heart disease.
The 1980s brought the Reagan Revolution which gave birth to the Tea Party and now MAGA movement. This Christian extremist was entrenched in the hate, bigotry and the end of times bullshit. He was a staunch supporter of that apartheid genocidial ethnostate.
Jim Bakker and his then wife Tammy Faye Bakker were synonymous with Christian nationalism.
Bakker who rose to fame with the "The PTL Club" TV show before admitting to a sexual encounter with a church clerk and being convicted of financial crimes, has died at the age of 86.
Bakker's second wife, Lori, said Jim passed away on Monday. His cause of death is unclear, and it comes after Bakker suffered a stroke in 2020.
"It is with a broken heart that I share that my beloved husband, Jim Bakker, went home to be with the Lord this evening," Lori Bakker said in a statement. "For 66 years, Jim gave his life to preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He was a pioneer of Christian television, but to me, he was my husband, my best friend, and the man I was honored to walk beside through so many seasons of life and ministry.
"Jim loved people deeply. He loved this ministry, and he loved the friends and partners who stood with him throughout the years. Even in his final days, his heart was still for the work of God and for the Gospel to continue reaching the world," she added.
Bakker was born in Muskegon, Michigan, and attended North Central Bible College in Minneapolis, where he met his first wife, Tammy Faye. They married in 1961 and dropped out of college to start their own traveling ministry. He preached, while she sang and played the accordion as they crossed the country, visiting churches and tent revivals.
"In the 1960s, he joined the Christian Broadcasting Network under the direction of Pat Robertson. Jim developed one of the first daily, one-hour, kids’ shows for Christians called 'Come On Over,'" read a biography of Bakker on his website. "He also later became the first host of a ground-breaking talk show called 'The 700 Club,' featuring many of the top ministers and singers of the day."
Bakker then left CBN in 1972 and two years later formed the PTL Satellite Network. "The PTL Club" — with PTL standing for "Praise the Lord" — became its signature show.
During the peak of its popularity in the 1980s, "The PTL Club" was drawing millions of viewers and bringing in millions of dollars annually from followers, according to The Associated Press. The show was based around chats with guests and Christian entertainers, with Bakker offering upbeat sermons and Tammy Faye singing.
Their ministry also included the Christian-based Heritage USA theme park and hotel in Fort Mill, South Carolina.
However, Bakker's empire began to unravel in March 1987 when he admitted to a sexual encounter with church clerk Jessica Hahn, forcing him to turn over operations to pastor and broadcaster Jerry Falwell.
In 1988, Bakker was indicted for mail fraud, wire fraud and conspiracy after an investigation of PTL’s finances. He was convicted and sentenced to 45 years in federal prison, though the sentence was later reduced to eight years.
The 1980s were the rise and fall of Jim Bakker and Tammy Faye.
At a news conference after Bakker was found guilty, Tammy Faye stood in front of the microphones and sang the hymn, "On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand," the AP reported.
Tammy Faye then divorced Bakker in 1992 while he was still in prison. She married Roe Messner, a building contractor whose projects included the Heritage USA theme park. Messner spent about two years in prison after being convicted of bankruptcy fraud in 1995, while Tammy Faye later died of colon cancer in 2007.
Bakker, meanwhile, was released on parole in 1995 and married Lori in 1998. The couple launched "The Jim Bakker Show" on the PTL Satellite Network five years later.
"The Jim Bakker Show is an hour-long daily broadcast featuring prophetic and Biblical revelations brought to light in today’s world. In these end times God is providing answers and wisdom to be revealed at just the right time. And the time is now!" the show says on its website.
Bakker and Tammy Faye had two children. He and his second wife adopted five children in 2002.
The Associated Press also reported that in June 2021, Bakker and his Morningside Church Productions Inc. settled a lawsuit accusing him of falsely claiming the health supplement Silver Solution could cure COVID-19. The settlement called for $156,000 in refunds to people who paid money or gave contributions to obtain the product in the early days of the pandemic.
Make a choice between the bootlickers or the noise makers.
I swear it is a swamp of incompetence from both Republican and Democratic members.
Police violence is a rapidly growing problem. A systematic alliance with the apartheid genocidial ethnostate of Israel allows the police to be executioners instead of protectors.
If the United States could be less violent, white men would not be in power.
The Pasco County sheriff's office released a disturbing body camera footage of a deputy shooting a man armed with a knife. The footage shows an irate man standing over 10 feet away from the police.
The call was for a minor disturbance where a man was raging around a Chevron.
Officers arrive and the moment this dirty cop ordered him to drop the knife, the suspect walks away. That's when the dirty cop put eight in and shot him as he went to the ground.
Now you tell me if this was justified!
A Pasco County Sheriff's Office deputy fatally shot 49-year-old Brandon Whitworth outside a Hudson, Florida shopping center on October 2, 2026, after he refused multiple commands to drop a large butcher knife.
Three deputies responded to the trespassing call and found Whitworth holding a 7 to 7.5-inch butcher knife. According to the sheriff's office, a deputy fired after Whitworth ignored six verbal commands to drop the weapon and confronted deputies.
The two deputies found the man, who they later identified as Whitworth behind a gas station. According to the colonel, Whitworth armed himself with a 7 1/2-inch butcher knife. One of the deputies told him to put the knife down multiple times, but he reportedly refused to do so.
This was forced. Shooting a man from damn near 10 feet.
The deputy was then "forced" to fire at Whitworth, according to the colonel.
"There were people walking around. This was an open business where this person was challenged by the deputies," Harrington said. "The concern was not necessarily singularly on what he did, or did not do to the deputy, but because of the safety of the people walking around."
Whitworth was taken to an area hospital, where he later died.
According to the colonel, Whitworth has been in and out of Pasco County Jail and has been convicted of 11 felonies.
So big freaking deal. This just doesn't justify the fact a deputy shoots and kills him from a safe distance. It appears the Pasco County Sheriff's office is trying to cover their tracks.
Harrington also said that, at this point, investigators believe he "didn't have a home."
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the shooting. The State Attorney's Office 6th Circuit will also be conducting an investigation.
America is so fucked up.
By the way, Israel trains U.S. police officers tactics on how to detain, arrest and restrain suspects. It is a fair exchange. Police officers still use chokeholds and lethal forces when they "fear for their lives."
The need for police reform in the case of domestic animal incidents, high speed chases, apprehension, homeless, the vulnerable and community relations with people of color.
How many civilians killed by police? How many domesticated animals killed by police?
712 people killed by police. On average 60 to 90 pets, farm animals or exotic pets.
The United States is downsizing in democracy and freedom.
I just want to say that the Second Amendment is White, period.
A bullet does not care about color. We all bleed red and so many lives are lost to gun violence. Republicans offer no solutions other than "thoughts and prayers", "send them back" with a touch of "lock em up."
Gun violence continues to be the number one threat in the United States.
I dismiss this ridiculous notion that criminals are the problem, not the guns. Firearms are often obtained through legal purchases.
Again, having more security, teachers being armed and offering safe rooms are not solving the problem. The problem is lawmakers not willing to stop gun violence.
According to the far right: White shooters are always mentally ill or lone wolves. The far right believes they should receive some sympathy for their crimes. Black shooters are unrepentant thugs and criminals who deserve lengthy time in the iron college or death. Gay and transgender shooters are active groomers who want to be pedophiles on children. Muslim shooters are terrorists who should be surveiled or deported. Hispanic and Asian shooters are illegal immigrants and they should be deported. According to the far right, almost all white [or non-white] mass shooters are registered Democrats [leftist or some progressive activist] because they have liked or done one thing common to the politics of the left. Of course, they often share or post disinformation by using the ridiculous "Sam Hyde" meme or make bogus social media platforms with the shooter's image as a way to denounce most mass shooters being white or associated with conservative causes. The far right says a white person should "protect" themselves from thugs, terrorists or protesters. They believe the use of firearms are "justified" if they are protesting or even instigating a conflict. The far right believes if a shooter is a police officer, an active military member, a veteran or a citizen who supports conservative causes, they are considered a "heroes" and use of firearms are justified. If the shooters are teens in urban communities, the far right automatically assume the gunmen are Black. Even if the evidence turns out that the shooter has alignment with conservative causes or Republicans, the far right dismisses it as a hoax or a plot to demonize the MAGA movement.
The Republicans usually amplify white victims. Anytime a person of color kills a white victim, it is often wall-to-wall coverage on Fox, Twitter and they force it into national news. They make the case to blame Black Lives Matter, Barack Obama, Kamala Harris, Democrats, Rev. Al Sharpton and rap music for Black on whatever violence. Republican lawmakers who do not live in urban neighborhoods often troll social media to talk about gun violence or crime in Chicago, Baltimore, Milwaukee and New York City while not doing a damn thing to stop it. If a white person shoots a Black person, the shooter is given the benefit of doubt. White shooters are given glowing profiles about their perfect lives and how friends noticed something but refused to do something. When it comes to Black shooters, automatic vilification. They don't see mental illness. They see it as gang violence, allegedly fatherless homes, Democratic policies or the need for more firearms.
The junk food media often uses mugshots to justify state violence.
Trump gave us open season.
WHITE PRIVILEGE IS REAL! IT'S "SUIT AND TIE" WHITE SUPREMACY ON TELEVISION, RADIO, THE INTERNET AND AMERICAN POLICY!
FOR EVERY BAD COP, THERE WILL BE A DEAD COP!
IF THE UNITED STATES CONTINUES TO AID ISRAEL, THE WORLD WILL BOYCOTT THE U.S. AND ABANDON THE DOLLAR!
I DON'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING ON THE INTERNET OR THE COP'S VERSION.
These murderers don't have mental illness. They are calculated and prepared. It happened to be a moment where they have the opportunity to take out lives.
The National Council on Problem Gambling operates the National Problem Gambling Helpline Network (1-800-522-4700). The network is a single national access point to local resources for those seeking help for a gambling problem.
Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (Lifeline) at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or 988, or text the Crisis Text Line (text HELLO to 741741). Both services are free and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The deaf and hard of hearing can contact the Lifeline via TTY at 1-800-799-4889. All calls are confidential. Contact social media outlets directly if you are concerned about a friend’s social media updates or dial 911 in an emergency. Learn more on the Lifeline’s website or the Crisis Text Line’s website.
You can get help if you, a loved one or friend is dealing with drug abuse.
SAMHSA’s National Helpline is a free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service (in English and Spanish) for individuals and families facing mental and/or substance use disorders.
If you or a loved one are a victim of domestic violence, you can call a 24-hour crisis hotline at 1-800-300-1080 or visit www.corasupport.org.
The Network/La Red’s 24-hour hotline, 1-800-832-1901 provides confidential emotional support, information, referrals, safety planning, and crisis intervention for lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer and/or transgender (LGBTQ+) folks, as well as folks in kink and polyamorous communities who are being abused or have been abused by a partner.
If you have a problem with alcohol? There is a solution. Alcoholics Anonymous has a simple program that works. It’s based on one alcoholic helping another.
Sex Addicts Anonymous National Hotline: 1-800-477-8191
If someone’s porn addiction Sex Addicts Anonymous (1-800-477-8191) occurs with a drug or alcohol problem, inpatient rehab may be a viable option to help them tackle both issues at once. However, when the only problem is porn addiction, it may feel challenging to find professional help. Counseling can also help treat a porn addiction, with a licensed sex therapist helping individual’s get to the root of their issues and discover proper coping mechanisms for stress and loneliness. The American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists has an online tool to help people find sex therapists in their area. Several hotlines may be able to provide resources for those in need.
RAINN’s mission is to stop sexual violence by supporting survivors, holding perpetrators accountable, and creating safer communities.
RAINN provides free, confidential support, services, and information to survivors of sexual violence, available 24/7 by phone, chat, or text.
Trauma is a normal response to sexual violence, and RAINN is here to help survivors heal at their own pace. Explore steps you can take to start your healing journey.
Contact RAINN 24/7. Call 1-800-656-HOPE. Text HOPE to 64673. Telephone hotline: 1-877-995-5247. Call 1-800-799-SAFE.
There's no sickness in the head. Most mass shooters legally obtain their assault rifles without little background checks. They have likely no criminal history and they are willing to use the assault weapon in the only thing it's good for: Killing numerous lives.
Holding these lawmakers accountable is not just a pledge, but a promise. You need to learn who represents your community. Your local community member, your school board member, your mayor, your state representative, your state senator, your governor, your U.S. Representative, your U.S. Senator and the president need to be held accountable for their actions.
Iran isn't a threat. The U.S. citizen with a firearm is the threat.
People, please do not resort to the levels of those who profit off the anger. The anger of right wing Americans in the wake of white nationalist Charlie Kirk's death has sparked a censorship and harassment campaign.
Erika Kirk, Joe Rogan, Elon Musk, Scott Presler, Laura Loomer, Riley Gaines, Lizzy Savetsky, Blaire White, Derrick Evans, Joey Saladino, Hermes, Eric Daughetry, Paul Szypula, Roseanne Barr, Steve Bannon, James Woods, Cam Higby, Kanye West, Tucker Carlson, Catturd, CJ Pearson, Stephen Crowder, Savanna Cannon, Tomi Lahren, Jack Posobiec, Snoop Dogg, Ray J, Waka Flocka Flame, DaBaby, James O'Keefe, Jacob Wohl, Ryan Metta, Matthew Van Swol, Buck Sexton, Clay Travis, Mila Joy, Rick Ross, Ben Garrison, Todd Starnes, Jeffrey Mead, Nick Fuentes, Donald Trump, Jr., Eric Trump, Milo Yiannapolous, Nick Shirley, James Carville, Roger Stone, Terrence K. Williams, Ian Miles Cheong, Lindy Li, Guy Benson, Andy Ngo, Alexis Wilkins, Olivia Krolcyzk, Scott Jennings, Brandon Tatum, Neal Boortz, Tom Finton, Nick Cannon, Adin Ross, Candace Owens, Nick Sorter, Jillian Michaels, Patrick Bet-David, Harvey Levin, Tommy Robinson, Phil McGraw, 50 Cent, Nicki Minaj, Harris Faulkner, Tara Bull, Theodis Daniel, DJ Daniel, Kevin Sorbo, Dean Cain, Maria Bartiromo, Simon Abeta, SNEAKO, Lily Gaddis, Rob Schneider, Gunther Eagleman, Nelly, Chaya Raichik, Erick Erickson, Meghan McCain, Tim Pool, Van Jones, Lauren Southern, Icewear Vezzo, Megyn Kelly, Andre Williams, Amir Odom, Lawrence Jones, Tony Hinchcliffe, Ainsley Earhart, Jesse Lee Peterson, Noah Rothman, Dom Lucre, Glenn Greenwald, Jesse Watters, Debra Lea, Brianna Wu, Bill O'Reilly, Mark Levin, Neera Tendan, Steve Bannon, Myron Gaines, Rochelle "Silk" Hardaway-Richardson, Mase, Juanita Broddrick, Mordechai David, Jake Lang, Larry Elder, Eylon Levy, Brett Cooper, Ben Shapiro, Enes Kanter [Freedom], Dave Rubin, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Brian Glenn, Clavicular, Matt Gaetz, Chris Cuomo, Nick Sorter, Fred Guttenberg, Alex Jones, Rachel Blevins, Owen Shroyer, Bill Cunningham, Andrew Tate, Tristan Tate, Kevin Hodge, Keith Hodge, Sage Steele, 42 Dug, Bill Maher, Forgiato Blow, Judith Sheindlin, Royce White, Rick Santorum, Vanilla Ice, Amber Rose, Greg Gutfeld, David Limbaugh, Peter Schweizer, Lauren Chen, Ian Carroll, Gordon Robertson, Malachi Maxey, April Chapman, Ali Alexander, Michelle Malkin, Ann Coulter, Shannon Watts, Brent Bozell, Dalton Eatherly, Matt Walsh, Benny Johnson, Olivia Nuzzi, Ryan Lizza, Ronna Romney McDaniel, Laura Ingraham, Matt Drudge, Greta Van Susteren, Nancy Grace, Mike Lindell, Clavicular, Vince Langman, Brian Kilmeade, Glenn Beck, Xaviaer DuRousseau, Sean Davis, Ian Jaegar, Christopher Rufo, Joey Mannarino, Sean "Softball" Hannity and every far right agitator in the junk food media scared of being taken out by a gunman. They are scared that the bullet won't miss. They want you to risk your freedom or your life to protect their right to gas you up to commit unspeakable crimes against one another.
Let me be clear: I do not condone violence towards to politicians, law enforcement, media personalities, animals and property. I am not condemning things any longer. I am getting tired of putting empathy on antipathy.
Any current or future government shutdown will definitely rile up people. When you start fucking with the money, people start going crazy. Especially when their needs outmatch the noise of Congress and the junk food media.
If you care about the future and want to voice your frustration with your federal officials, let 2026 be the call to action.
The call number to the White House and U.S. Capitol is now going to be used. This is the official White House numbers 202-456-1111 and 202-456-1414. This is the Congress official phone number, 202-224-3121. Please be respectful to operators, staff members and elected leaders. Your calls are monitored by the U.S. Secret Service and U.S. Capitol Police.
Let them know that "thoughts and prayers," "hearts going to" and "good guys with guns" are no longer acceptable and you want legislation to curb gun violence. Let them know that we are tired of police officers using immunity when committing death of suspects in custody. You want no more qualified immunity for police officers who use deadly force when it's not justified. Let them know that deporting law abiding immigrants seeking refuge is inhumane. You want the U.S. to improve the immigration process. You want the U.S. lawmakers stop dehumanizing human beings. You want the U.S. to prove to the world its a beacon of freedom. You want our American military and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents out of our cities, the Middle East and every fucking international conflict in the world. You want legislation to focus on lowering the cost of rent, lowering the cost of food, lowering the cost of hospital visits, improving healthcare and building relationships with other nations. Let them know that you tired of being lectured about oppresive regimes overseas when the very people running our state and federal government are doing the same in real time. Let them know that you will not tolerate a government shutdown which affects federal services for Americans in need or in support of services. Let them know that pulling out of the UN Human Rights Organization, World Health Organization and Paris Climate Accords will put the U.S. in danger when catastrophic event happen. Let them know that you are tired of private equity firms getting away with destroying small businesses and long established companies. Let them know that you are tired of your taxpayer money going to foreign nations like Israel and Ukraine. You are tired of hearing about "Israel having a right to..." and the bogus claims of being anti-semitic or in support of terrorism because you support the freedom of Palestinians. You are tired of the propaganda being forced on your media platforms.
We have bigger issues at home and our tax dollars should solve the housing crisis, lowering food prices, fixing roads, bridges, helping reinvest in struggling urban and rural communities. We have hospitals closing, big box retailers leaving communities and television programs dying. There are bigger issues in the country than Israel. You want an immediate ceasefire, a weapons embargo, sanctions and accountability for war crimes done by Israel. You want no more domestic or foreign influence in American elections. You also want to make sure future presidents and lawmakers avoid influence from lobbyists and special interest groups.
THERE IS NO GOD!
GOD IS NOT FIXING THIS!
FUCK YOUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS!
LET ME BE CLEAR, PRAYERS DO NOT STOP FUCKING BULLETS!
THIS IS A MAN-MADE ISSUE! WHY IS IT SO HARD TO STOP A MAN-MADE ISSUE LIKE GUN VIOLENCE?
ISRAEL IS NOT AMERICA'S PROBLEM. IT IS AMERICA'S BIGGEST BURDEN.
STOP SAYING YOU'RE PRAYING TO PEOPLE AFFECTED BY GUN VIOLENCE. IT IS FUCKING PLATITUDES. DO SOMETHING ABOUT FUCKING GUN VIOLENCE YOU WORTHLESS LAWMAKERS. PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP, THE CHOICE TO CONTINUE THE STATUS QUO WILL KEEP YOU AND OTHERS AT RISK OF VIOLENCE. MAKE A CHOICE TO STOP THE CHAOS AND ACT LIKE A FUCKING 80 YEAR OLD MAN. DO SOMETHING TO HELP THE COUNTRY. VICE PRESIDENT JD VANCE, YOU ARE TONE DEAF. AS YOU CELEBRATE THE BIRTH OF YOUR SON, YOU BASICALLY THUMB YOUR ELITIST NOSE AT THE FAMILIES OF MILITARY OFFICIALS BEING KILLED IN AN UNNECESSARY WAR. AS A 41 YEAR OLD MAN, YOU SHOULD AT LEAST REIGN IN CONTROL OF THIS CURMUDGEON. YOU TALK NASTY OF IMMIGRANTS AND MUSLIMS. YOU ARE EITHER ASHAMED OF YOUR WIFE'S FAMILY OR YOUR CHILDREN. MAKE IT MAKE SENSE. YOU ARE MARRIED TO A WOMAN OF COLOR WHO IS A DESCENDANT OF IMMIGRANTS.
IRAN IS RIGHT! THE UNITED STATES HAS A BUNCH OF PEOPLE INSTALLED WITH A SIXTH GRADE EDUCATION. AMERICANS MAKE SO MUCH MONEY OFF OF DIVISION. THEY ARE WILLING TO SOW CHAOS TO THE NEXT POTENTIAL THREATS. I WISH WE CAN STOP GASLIGHTING AND COME TO SENSIBLE SOLUTIONS. HOWEVER, WHITE LEADERSHIP IS THE LEADING CAUSE OF THE CHAOS IN THE WORLD.
If his name was Trump, he might have gotten away with it.
One for the most controversial House Speakers in modern history has passed away.
Former Illinois lawmaker, Republican, Dennis Hastert has passed away. He left behind a nasty legacy with Republicans.
Hastert, Newt Gingrich, Paul Livingston, Paul Ryan, John Boehner and Kevin McCarthy led the most unproductive House of Representatives in modern times. James Michael Johnson (Mike Johnson) will join this horrible legacy too.
Hastert, whose legacy as Congress’ longest-serving Republican House speaker was later fouled by allegations that he had molested high school athletes during his prior career as a teacher and wrestling coach, has died, a coroner said Monday. He was 84.
Hastert, who was speaker from 1999 until 2007 and spent more than a year in prison later in life, died Saturday of natural causes at his home while receiving hospice care, according to Kendall County Coroner Jacquie Purcell.
When he was sentenced in 2016 to more than a year behind bars, the former history teacher became one of the highest-ranking American politicians ever ordered to prison.
In the late 1990s, Hastert was a little-known Illinois lawmaker with a reputation for congeniality that had helped him ascend the ranks of congressional leaders. When Newt Gingrich lost support because of ethics violations and the GOP’s poor showing in an election, Republicans elected Hastert to succeed him. In his first weeks on the job in 1999, he presided over the House while the Senate conducted then-President Bill Clinton’s impeachment trial.
After the GOP reclaimed the White House, Hastert helped pass then-President George W. Bush’s legislative agenda.
In 2015 he was accused of evading banking regulations as part of a plan to pay hush money to conceal unspecified “prior misconduct.” Nearly a year later, prosecutors said Hastert’s alleged misconduct involved the sexual abuse of teenage boys on his wrestling team in Yorkville, a small town west of Chicago.
Prosecutors said Hastert sexually abused at least four team members during his coaching career, which lasted from 1965 to 1981.
The person Hastert was paying, identified in court papers only as Individual A, said the abuse occurred in a motel room when he was 14 on the way home from wrestling camp. Hastert allegedly touched other wrestlers in a locker room after saying he would give them massages. Two wrestlers said Hastert performed sexual acts on them.
Prosecutors also described a recliner where Hastert often sat in the locker room with a direct view of the stalls where the boys showered.
Hastert agreed to plead guilty to evading banking laws. In all, he paid more than $1.7 million out of $3.5 million that he had promised to Individual A, sometimes in lump sums of $100,000 cash.
At the sentencing hearing, where he received 15 months behind bars, the visibly angry judge called Hastert a “serial child molester.”
In a statement, Hastert said he was “deeply ashamed” and admitted that he “mistreated” some of his athletes. But he never referred directly to sexual abuse.
When he became House speaker, Hastert was aware of the pitfalls of holding the powerful position.
“You know, in this business, especially in a job like this, you can get your head someplace where it shouldn’t be,” Hastert said in a 1999 interview with The Associated Press. “But you come back home, and you’re home. You’re back where you’ve always been, and your feet are back on the ground.”
As the recount of the 2000 presidential election dragged on, Hastert’s aides briefed him on the possibility that he might become acting president in the event of an Electoral College deadlock.
“I really didn’t want to be president, temporary or otherwise,” Hastert wrote in a 2004 memoir.
Hastert’s journey to Congress from his boyhood farm appeared to be the result of fate and luck.
In 1980, he finished third in an Illinois House primary. But the incumbent became fatally ill, and GOP leaders chose Hastert to take his place on the November ballot, where he won in a traditional GOP stronghold.
Hastert became a congressional candidate in 1986 and beat the Democrat with 52% of the vote, his smallest margin of victory in a congressional race.
In Washington, Hastert served quietly in House leadership, working closely with Gingrich and then-House Majority Whip Tom DeLay after Republicans took control in 1995.
He was forced to step down as speaker in 2007, when Democrats gained control of the House, and he resigned his seat later that year.
Hastert became wealthy largely through a complex web of transactions that coincided with one of his own highway earmarks increasing the value of land he had purchased in his district.
Born in Aurora, Illinois, Hastert earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Wheaton College in 1964 and a master’s in education from Northern Illinois University in 1967.
In 2007, Wheaton named its new public policy center the J. Dennis Hastert Center for Economics, Government and Public Policy. After Hastert’s indictment, the school removed his name in 2015. Other organizations abandoned associations with Hastert, and his portrait was removed from a hallway outside the House chamber.
Hastert lived his entire life in Chicago’s suburbs, primarily in the Yorkville area. While growing up, he helped his father with the family’s feed business.
Survivors include his wife, Jean, and two adult sons.
Last year the Compton based rapper YG reveals disturbing stuff through a rap song.
Take discretion in the post. Will contain reference to sexual assault, statutory rape, mental health and sex addition.
The National Council on Problem Gambling operates the National Problem Gambling Helpline Network (1-800-522-4700). The network is a single national access point to local resources for those seeking help for a gambling problem.
Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (Lifeline) at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or 988, or text the Crisis Text Line (text HELLO to 741741). Both services are free and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The deaf and hard of hearing can contact the Lifeline via TTY at 1-800-799-4889. All calls are confidential. Contact social media outlets directly if you are concerned about a friend’s social media updates or dial 911 in an emergency. Learn more on the Lifeline’s website or the Crisis Text Line’s website.
You can get help if you, a loved one or friend is dealing with drug abuse.
SAMHSA’s National Helpline is a free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service (in English and Spanish) for individuals and families facing mental and/or substance use disorders.
If you or a loved one are a victim of domestic violence, you can call a 24-hour crisis hotline at 1-800-300-1080 or visit www.corasupport.org.
The Network/La Red’s 24-hour hotline, 1-800-832-1901 provides confidential emotional support, information, referrals, safety planning, and crisis intervention for lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer and/or transgender (LGBTQ+) folks, as well as folks in kink and polyamorous communities who are being abused or have been abused by a partner.
If you have a problem with alcohol? There is a solution. Alcoholics Anonymous has a simple program that works. It’s based on one alcoholic helping another.
Sex Addicts Anonymous National Hotline: 1-800-477-8191
If someone’s porn addiction Sex Addicts Anonymous (1-800-477-8191) occurs with a drug or alcohol problem, inpatient rehab may be a viable option to help them tackle both issues at once. However, when the only problem is porn addiction, it may feel challenging to find professional help. Counseling can also help treat a porn addiction, with a licensed sex therapist helping individual’s get to the root of their issues and discover proper coping mechanisms for stress and loneliness. The American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists has an online tool to help people find sex therapists in their area. Several hotlines may be able to provide resources for those in need.
RAINN’s mission is to stop sexual violence by supporting survivors, holding perpetrators accountable, and creating safer communities.
RAINN provides free, confidential support, services, and information to survivors of sexual violence, available 24/7 by phone, chat, or text.
Trauma is a normal response to sexual violence, and RAINN is here to help survivors heal at their own pace. Explore steps you can take to start your healing journey.
Contact RAINN 24/7. Call 1-800-656-HOPE. Text HOPE to 64673. Telephone hotline: 1-877-995-5247. Call 1-800-799-SAFE.
Keenon Dequan Ray Jackson was born on March 9, 1990, is a rapper, producer, media personality and activist.
He grew up in Paramount, California going to Paramount High and Mayfair High in Bellflower, California but represents the 400 block of West Spruce Street in Compton, California. The 400 block name would inspire his "4hunnid" tag, along with the names of his record label and streetwear brands.
Last year, he had a single that addressed him being sexually assaulted at age 14 by a woman who was twice his age.
In the track, YG opens up about being sexually abused at 14 years old by a 30-year-old woman (who was an older relative/aunt of his then-girlfriend).
YG shared in subsequent interviews (including an ABC News exclusive) that he kept the trauma inside for decades. He noted that his own family learned about the experience for the very first time when the record dropped.
The song, 2004 featuring Buddy, YG details as a teenager, he and his peers initially internalized and normalized the encounter as "doing something with an older woman". Only as he matured did he realize that the dynamic was predatory and constituted statutory rape.
The track—featured on his album The Gentleman's Club—was written to address men's mental health and combat the cultural stigmas surrounding male victims of sexual trauma. YG noted that after playing the song privately for other men in his circle, roughly 90% shared that they had survived similar, unaddressed experiences during their youth.
