Love, Lies, and a Fatal Ending: The Story of Steve McNair and Sahel Kazemi
The tragic story of Steve McNair, a beloved NFL quarterback, takes a shocking turn as it reveals how a 20-year-old waitress, Sahel Kazemi, orchestrated his death. Set against the backdrop of Nashville in 2009, McNair appeared to live the perfect life, but beneath the surface lay devastating secrets that would ultimately lead to his untimely demise. As their intertwined lives spiral into chaos, we explore the complexities of relationships, fame, and the dark side of celebrity. This episode delves into the events leading up to their deaths, including Kazemi's struggles with financial and emotional turmoil. Through a detailed investigation, we uncover how one tragic moment can ripple through a community, leaving lasting scars and unanswered questions.
- 5 things we learned from Netflix's Steve McNair murder documentary
- Details on McNair Murder Come to Light
- Fall of Titan Steve McNair Murder: Jenni Kazemi text messages, details
- Steve McNair & Sahel Kazemi Policy Case Summary
- Steve McNair's Net Worth Was the Subject of Lawsuits
- Sahel Kazemi: A study in the woman police say killed Steve McNair a year ago - ESPN
- Today.com: Who Killed Air McNair? The True Story Behind the 'Untold' Episode
- Where Are Steve McNair’s Sons Now? A Look at His 4 Kids' Lives
- Where Is Steve McNair’s Wife Now? Inside Mechelle McNair’s Life Today
- Widow of murdered NFL player gets $2.5 million – The Mississippi Link
Judy
Hi crime fans.
Judy
I'm your host, Judy and you're listening to fangirl Crime.
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Today.
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We're covering a case that shook not just the NFL world, but an entire city to its core.
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This is the story of Steve McNair, a beloved football star whose life was cut tragically short in a case that would leave Nashville reeling and raise questions about fame, relationships and the dark side of celebrity.
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Be advised that this episode contains discussions of domestic violence, murder and suicide.
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Please listen with care.
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Today's story is not your typical one.
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Usually we're telling you about young women who fall victim to predatory men.
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But this case flips the script entirely.
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This is a story about how a 20 year old woman orchestrated the death of one of the NFL's most celebrated quarterbacks.
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Let me paint the picture for you.
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It's 2009 in Nashville, Tennessee.
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Steve McNair is living what appears to be the perfect life.
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He's a three time Pro bowl quarterback, beloved by fans, married with four children and just retired from a 13 year NFL career where he was known as Air McNair.
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But beneath that perfect surface lurked a devastating secret that would ultimately lead to his death.
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On July 4, 2009, police responded to a condo in downtown Nashville.
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Inside, they found the bodies of 36 year old Steve McNair and 20 year old Sahel Kazemi.
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But here's where this story gets truly Sahel wasn't just another victim.
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She was both the perpetrator and a victim of her own actions.
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She was a young waitress who had become entangled in a relationship with McNair, believing he would leave his wife for her.
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When that fantasy began to crumble, she made a decision that would shock the entire NFL community.
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Chills.
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If you're wondering how a celebrated NFL quarterback and a 20 year old waitress ended up in this tragic situation, stick around.
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We're going to tell you everything we know about the case of Steve McNair where the victim became the headline and the perpetrator was someone no one would have suspected.
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Full disclosure.
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As a football fan, this case hits particularly close to home.
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Steve McNair wasn't just a football player.
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He went to a small college and stunned the NFL, bringing Tennessee to their first super bowl and creating a fan base in Nashville after the Houston Oilers uprooted the team and moved there in 1997.
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But today we're going to look beyond the touchdown passes and the glory days to uncover the complex and tragic story of his death.
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At 1:35pm, a 911 dispatcher gets this call about two bodies found in a downtown condo.
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But here's the thing, and this detail literally gave me chills when I first read it.
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The person who called 911 wasn't even the person who found them.
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A man named Wayne Neely drives up to a condominium in Nashville, Tennessee.
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Now, this isn't just any condo.
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It belongs to former NFL quarterback Steve McNair.
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And Wayne has a key because they're friends.
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Here's where things get wild.
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It's 12:40 in the afternoon when Wayne uses his key to enter the condo.
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And what he finds inside.
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Fangirls, I literally cannot make this up.
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He sees two bodies, One slumped on the couch, another lying on the floor near the first person's feet.
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Now, you might be thinking, okay, but maybe they're just sleeping.
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That's exactly what Wayne thought at first.
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But here's the thing that makes absolutely no sense.
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There is blood everywhere, like, pools of it.
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But somehow, Wayne doesn't process this right away.
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And what does he do next?
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Fangirls, prepare yourselves, because this is bananas.
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Instead of immediately calling 911, Wayne goes to the kitchen and drinks a beer.
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Crazy right then, and I know this sounds completely unhinged, he looks at the bodies again, finally notices all the blood.
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And instead of calling the police, he leaves the scene and calls McNair's friend, Robert Gatty.
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When questioned later by police, Wayne claimed he was too shocked to process what he was seeing.
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But fangirls, I have so many questions.
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Like who drinks a beer when they find two bodies?
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Why leave the scene?
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And most importantly, how do you not notice pools of blood immediately?
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Remember, if you're ever in a situation where you discover something suspicious, call the police.
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Don't drink a beer.
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Don't leave the scene.
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Don't call a friend first, fangirls, what happens next just blows my mind.
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Robert Gatty races over to the condo and goes inside with Wayne.
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And let me tell you, Gatty knows immediately what they're dealing with.
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These aren't people sleeping.
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This isn't some misunderstanding.
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He recognizes one of the bodies as his friend Steve McNair.
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But here's where I'm absolutely losing it.
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Instead of calling 911 right then and there, they both leave the scene.
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Finally, finally, Gatty makes the call to police.
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When law enforcement arrives at 1:39 in the afternoon, what they find is absolutely devastating.
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There on the Sofa is Steve McNair, a legend, one of the NFL's most celebrated quarterbacks, with not one, not two, but four gunshot wounds.
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Two to his body.
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Two to his head.
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And fangirls, this next part gives me full body chills.
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Lying on the floor near Steve's body is 20 year old Sahel Kazemi, who, who everyone knew as Jenny.
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She has a single gunshot wound to her head.
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And underneath her body, police find a 9 millimeter pistol.
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Let that sink in.
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Two bodies, five gunshot wounds, one weapon, and so many questions about what happened in those final moments.
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But to understand how we got here, we need to go back.
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Let me tell you about Steve McNair, because his story is absolutely incredible.
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Picture this small town called Mount Olive, Mississippi.
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Steve is one of five kids in a family where money is tight.
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Steve would often do farm chores before going to school and resume then after he got back.
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But that did not hold Steve back.
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Hard work was not a problem.
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He lettered in four sports in high school and was even drafted by the Seattle Mariners baseball team after graduating high school.
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But football was his destiny.
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He turned down a scholarship to the University of Florida to attend Alcorn state.
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That's where McNair's fame grew.
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He becomes this absolute sensation at Alcorn State University.
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Now, if you're not a football fan, let me explain why this is such a big deal.
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Alcorn State is what's called an hbcu, a historically black college, and it's way smaller than the big football powerhouses.
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But McNair, he balls out so hard that he comes in third for the Heisman Trophy.
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This is literally unheard of for a player from a small school.
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Like it hadn't happened before and it hasn't happened since.
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He gets drafted third overall by the Houston Oilers in 1995.
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And, y'all, this is where his legend really begins.
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The team moves to Tennessee, becomes the Titans, and McNair becomes this absolute superstar.
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We're talking Super bowl appearance, three Pro Bowls, the works.
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He was so important to the franchise that they retired his number nine jersey.
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Fangirls, we need to talk about who Steve McNair was beyond the headlines.
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Because this part of the story, it's going to break your heart.
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In Nashville, Steve wasn't just some NFL player passing through.
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He became part of the city's soul.
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Picture this.
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You're walking down the street in Nashville and there's Steve McNair just stopping to chat with fans and sign autographs like it's no big deal.
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Because to him, it wasn't.
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This was his home.
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And fangirls, when I tell you he was involved in the community, he went all in.
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He's running this youth Football camp, helping kids chase their dreams.
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When Hurricane Katrina hits, he's there helping with disaster relief.
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He even opens this restaurant called Steve McNair's Gridiron 9.
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That becomes the place to be in Nashville.
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Now let's talk about his family life, because this is important.
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Steve marries his college sweetheart, Michelle, and they have two beautiful boys together, Tyler and Trenton.
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He also has two sons from previous relationships, Steve Jr.
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And Stephen O'Brien.
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And every single person who knew him said the same thing.
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This man was a devoted father.
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But here's what makes this story so powerful.
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Steve McNair grew up in poverty, and he didn't just make it out, he thrived.
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He becomes this incredible sports star.
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But more than that, he becomes a leader in his community.
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He was living proof that the American dream could be real.
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Let that sink in.
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A man who had everything.
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Family, success, respect, community, love.
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And fangirls.
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Knowing how this story ends, it just makes everything we're about to tell you that much more tragic.
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But as we know, in true crime, public Personas don't always tell the whole story.
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Let me tell you about the final chapter of Steve McNair's NFL career.
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Because what happens next changes everything.
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Steve had hung up his cleats and was trying to figure out what life looked like after football.
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And this part, this is where things start getting complicated.
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That picture perfect marriage to Michelle, it wasn't so perfect anymore.
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Divorce was looming on the horizon.
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And that downtown condo he had, fangirls, it wasn't just some innocent crash pad for late nights at his restaurant.
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This condo becomes the space where Steve is entertaining other women.
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And then In December of 2008, something happens that will ultimately lead us to that tragic July morning.
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Steve McNair walks into a Dave and Buster's and meets a young woman named Sahel Kazemi.
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Now, fangirls, everyone called her Jenny.
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And I need you to remember that name.
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Because what unfolds between these two people over the next seven months, the details of their relationship, they become absolutely crucial to understanding everything that happens next.
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We're talking about a relationship that starts in an arcade and ends in tragedy.
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And every single detail, every decision, every moment between them, it all matters.
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Kazemi's story is equally important to understand.
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Born in Iran, she and her family fled to Turkey when she was nine years old, eventually making their way to the United States as refugees.
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By the time she was 20, Kazemi was working as a server at Dave and Buster's in Nashville.
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Steve McNair is a regular there and it's where he first crosses paths with Sahel, Jenny Kazemi, and fangirls.
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The word is that Jenny was absolutely smitten from the moment she saw him.
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I mean, can you blame her?
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We're talking about an NFL superstar.
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But here's where things get complicated.
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Despite Steve being married and their 23 year age gap, I'll say that again.
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23 years, they start dating.
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And when I say dating, I mean dating.
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We're talking full on romantic getaways to the beach, fancy dinners out, trips to party cities, the works.
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They're not exactly trying to keep things under wraps.
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Not now.
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Here's something that's going to be super important later.
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Jenny is telling her friends that Steve is in the process of getting divorced.
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But fangirls, this is where we need to pause.
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Because this detail, this might not have actually been true.
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And I cannot stress enough how crucial this misconception becomes to our story.
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Let that sink in.
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A young woman in love believing she's building a future with someone who might not have been as available as she thought.
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Or we need to talk about the red flags that started appearing in the months before this tragedy unfolded, because they are everything.
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Let me paint this picture for you.
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Jenny's life is starting to unravel, both financially and emotionally.
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And when I tell you the stress she was under.
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First, let's break down the financial nightmare she's dealing with.
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Her roommate just moved out, leaving her stuck with an extra thousand dollars in rent every single month.
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But that's not all.
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She's also juggling payments on not one, but two vehicles.
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There's this Kia that a friend was supposed to take over the payments for but didn't.
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And she's making payments on a Cadillac Escalade that she co owns with Steve.
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But y'all, the emotional turmoil, that's where this story takes an even darker turn.
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According to Emily Andrews, Jenny's former roommate, Jenny and Steve had been talking about marriage.
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She thought they were building this future together.
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This whole life she had planned out in her head.
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But then.
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And this detail makes my stomach drop.
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Jenny finds something in Steve's condo that changes everything.
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We're talking tampons and used condoms in the trash can.
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Let that sink in.
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Evidence that Steve might be seeing other women, shattering this perfect future she thought she was going to have.
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Fangirls.
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When someone's world starts crumbling both financially and emotionally like this, that's when people can start making decisions from a place of desperation.
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The events of July 2, 2009, just 48 hours before the tragedy are about to show us just how complicated this situation had become.
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Jenny is driving with Steve McNair in the passenger seat when she gets pulled over and arrested for dui.
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Steve isn't charged at all because police say he had no idea she was intoxicated.
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But fangirls, what happens next is going to make your blood boil.
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Instead of staying to support Jenny through this crisis, Steve McNair takes a taxi from the scene.
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And yes, he does arrange for her bail bond.
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But this next part, he leaves Jenny to deal with the aftermath of her arrest alone while he goes to spend the night at another woman's apartment.
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Let me say that again.
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While Jenny is dealing with the consequences of a DUI arrest, the man she believes is planning a future with her is sleeping at another woman's place.
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And can we talk about those text messages between them?
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Because they are absolutely heartbreaking when you read them.
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Now.
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On July 3rd, just hours before everything went down, Jenny texts McNairy, Baby, I might have a breakdown.
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I am so stressed.
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Then later, baby, I need to pay the cell phone bills.
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And the hospital, can you transfer 2000 to my account?
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McNair responds that he's getting someone to transfer the money.
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But, y'all, you can feel the desperation building in these messages.
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And it gets worse.
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Then later on July 3rd, Jenny does something that changes everything.
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She buys a 9 millimeter handgun from this guy named Adrian Gilliam.
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Now, this detail becomes super important later because Gilliam was actually a convicted felon on parole.
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And the story of how Jenny got the gun becomes this whole other controversy.
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Now let's talk about July 4, 2009.
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We already know about Neely eventually finding the bodies after first seeing them and drinking a beer.
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We also know about Gatti being called by Neely coming by the condo and finally calling 91 1.
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The police investigation was led by Detective Charles Robinson, his first major case.
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And fangirls, what a case it was.
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The crime scene told a horrific story.
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McNair was on the couch, shot twice in the head and twice in the chest.
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Jenny was lying face down on the floor beside him with a single gunshot wound to her head.
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A 9 millimeter pistol was found underneath her body.
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The positions of the bodies led Robinson to conclude Jenny had meant to fall in McNair's lap after shooting herself, but instead slid down to the.
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The investigation that followed would reveal the tragic sequence of events that led to their deaths.
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And I have to tell you, crime fans, this is where the story becomes particularly heartbreaking.
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And one where our hero's Story took a turn none of us could have anticipated.
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Through extensive police work and interviews with witnesses, investigators pieced together the final days of both McNair and Jenny.
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On July 3, just hours before the murders, Kazemi had purchased the 9 millimeter pistol from Gilliam in the parking lot of Dave and Busters.
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The transaction was legal under Tennessee law at the time, though it would later spark discussions about private gun sales.
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Cell phone records showed that in the early morning hours of July 4, Kazemi texted McNair, saying she was so stressed and needed to talk.
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McNair replied that he would come over after dropping a friend off at home.
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Surveillance footage showed McNair arriving at the condo around 1:30am the investigation revealed that Kazemi had become increasingly desperate in the days leading up to the murder suicide.
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She was struggling financially despite McNair's help with her bills.
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She had maxed out her credit cards and was making payments on two cars.
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The one McNair had bought with her and another she had co signed for with her former boyfriend.
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Friends reported that she suspected McNair was seeing other women and she had followed him to another condo where she believed he was meeting someone else.
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But here's what's fascinating about how Nashville police handled this.
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They were under intense pressure to solve this case quickly.
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We're talking national media attention, sports networks camping out in Nashville, and this whole city holding its breath.
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The Titans training facility was getting bombarded with media requests.
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Local sports bars where McNair used to hang out were being swarmed by reporters.
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The investigation had to look into every angle.
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They subpoenaed phone records, interviewed dozens of witnesses, and had to piece together this incredibly complex timeline.
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They talked to everyone from Kazemi's co workers at Dave and Buster's to the guy who sold her the gun.
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The investigators mapped out McNair's and Kazmi's movements in the days leading up to their deaths with incredible precision.
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They analyzed text messages, interviewed restaurant staff where the couple had been seen, and even reconstructed timeline details from gas station security cameras.
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Remember, this was 2009, before many of the technological advances we take for granted in investigations today.
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They concluded that Kazemi shot McNair while he was sleeping on the couch, then took her own life.
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The evidence supported this conclusion.
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Gunshot residue was found on Kazemi's left hand and the gun was found under her body in a way consistent with it falling after she shot herself.
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Fangirls, I know some of you know this story and are waiting to hear about Vincent Hill.
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And his theories.
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Hill has written two books on McNair, claimed a police conspiracy and raised the following great questions.
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Why did Neely not notice the bodies were dead when he entered the condo?
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Why did he call Gatti instead of 91 1?
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Did the $13,000 dispute between McNair and Gatti have anything to do with the murder?
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What about the felon Gilliam that Jenny bought the gun from, his lies to the police?
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And the 203 calls and texts between the two of them?
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What do we think, fangirls?
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The police got it right.
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Why was Jenny calling and texting a felon?
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She was building up a friendship so she could ask for a gun.
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She knew about the other women and knew her time with McNair was approaching an end.
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What about the $13,000 dispute?
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It was a bump in the road between college friends.
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Mc McNair was worth millions and was generous with his friends.
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How about Gatti and Neely?
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Neely was likely hungover or drunk and probably did not notice.
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Gatti delayed calling the police to be protective of Steve.
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Maybe it was strangers in the condo that Steve had something to do with.
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So he waited.
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Sometimes crime girls, the simple solution is the right one.
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The case has recently gotten new attention because of Netflix's untold documentary series.
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And even McNair's former coach Jeff Fisher admits there are things that don't quite add up.
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But you know what he says?
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Just let it go.
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Let it go.
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And maybe that's the hardest part of this whole story.
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Knowing that some questions will never be completely answered.
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This case changed Nashville.
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It changed how the city deals with celebrity deaths, how the police handle high profile investigations, how the media covers personal tragedy.
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It's still affecting people today.
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And I think that's what makes it such a powerful story.
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It's not just about what happened on July 4, 2009.
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It's about everything that came after and how one tragic event can ripple through a community for years to come.
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Fangirls, I need to take a moment to talk about the bigger picture here.
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Because this case isn't just about a murder suicide or football star's tragic end.
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It's about human beings caught in circumstances that spiraled beyond their control.
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When I look at this case, I see Steve McNair not just as a football legend, but as someone's son, someone's father, someone's friend.
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A man who rose from that small town in Mississippi to achieve incredible things, who gave back to his community, who made mistakes, but also touched countless lives.
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His legacy isn't just about how he died.
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It's about the kids he mentored in Greenville, the fans he inspired, the barriers he broke as a black quarterback from an hbcu.
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And I see Jenny not just as the other woman or the person who ended this story, but as a 20 year old trying to find her way in the world.
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Someone's daughter who came to America with dreams, who worked hard, who got caught up in something bigger than herself.
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Her story reminds us how quickly things can unravel when mental health struggles, financial pressure and relationship complications collide.
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The ripples from that July 4th continue today.
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McNair's sons have each found their own paths.
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Tyler threw dance Trent through basketball, while Steve Jr and Stephen O'Brien forged their own ways forward.
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Michelle McNair had to rebuild a life while protecting her children's future.
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The Nashville community had to reconcile the hero they thought they knew with a more complicated reality.
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The complexity of this case lies not just in the tragic events of July 4, but in the broader context of celebrity culture, particularly in a city like Nashville.
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Here's something many people outside Tennessee might not understand.
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Nashville isn't just Music City.
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It's a place where celebrities and locals often coexist in surprisingly intimate ways.
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Stars regularly shop at the same grocery stores as everyone else, eat at local restaurants, and become part of the community fabric.
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This created a unique dynamic where someone like McNair could feel both incredibly public and surprisingly private at the same time.
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If there's anything we can learn from this tragedy, it's that we never truly know what battles people are fighting.
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Those text messages between McNair and Kazemi in their final days show two people reaching out, trying to connect, maybe not saying everything they needed to say.
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Fangirls, if you're struggling with relationships, with finances, with mental health, please reach out for help.
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The National Domestic Violence hotline is available 24.
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7 at 1-800-799-SAFE.
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There's also the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK, which provides free and confidential support for people in distress.
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If you're feeling trapped, overwhelmed, or like there's no way out, I promise you there are people who want to help.
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Stay safe, stay kind, and remember, behind every headline is a human story that deserves to be told with compassion and understanding.
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This has been fangirl crime.
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I'm your host, Judy, and remember, the truth is complicated, but understanding starts with listening.
