An Emmy Award-winning sports journalist is calling out a fellow Black creator after he had Nolan Wells’ friends on his platform to tell their version of events.
Sports journalist Jemele Hill commented on Threads after Nolan’s “best friends” Morgan Seymour, Warren Hudson, and Jax Pitalo appeared on “The Officer Tatum Show.”
“Choosing to do that podcast in particular is quite the choice,” Hill wrote on Threads, referring to conservative creator Brandon Tatum.
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‘Tap-Dancing Tatum’
Tatum is known for creating conservative political commentary, law enforcement analysis, and Christian faith-based content. He is a former Tucson police officer and college football player.
The podcaster is also known for his support for law enforcement and his regular pushback against movements like Black Lives Matter. He’s also criticized high-profile figures for their activism regarding police conduct.
Many people commented in support of Hill’s post, saying the optics were strange.
“That’s tap-dancing Tatum; what else would you expect,” one user said.
“Just the optics are wild,” another commented on Threads.
“Tatum doesn’t know how to conduct an interview, certainly not an impartial one, and those boys don’t seem like the sharpest tools in the shed, so they’re adding to Crump’s discovery file,” one added.
The controversial Black host previously said he didn’t believe race was a factor in Wells’ death.
“In this situation, it does not appear that race was a factor,” he said in a video. “A young man lost his life, and I think that’s what we need to focus on.”
“That was the WRONG platform to get on…who in the world is advising these kids?!” one user wrote.
Picking a Platform
The friends’ comments on Tatum’s podcast have also sent social media into an uproar. One moment in particular sparked a fierce reaction after a friend blamed Wells’ mother for pointing fingers at them.
“The fact that she posted a picture of me, Morgan, and another guy, and Nolan on the boat blasting that out there, pushing this narrative, kind of. I wish that would’ve never happened,” said Pitalo.
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When Nolan went missing on July 4, Wonsley posted a picture of him and three other boys. Her son was the only Black person in the group.
The group of friends and Nolan were celebrating Independence Day on Horn Island, Mississippi, before the 18-year-old disappeared. His friends claim he refused to get back on the boat to return to the mainland.
Nolan was found two days later, near where he was last seen alive. His family is conducting an independent investigation into what happened.
“I think about this every day. I wish we would have never went out on the Fourth of July because I know this wouldn’t have happened. Nolan wouldn’t be gone,” said Hudson.
The group of friends said they’ve received threats, causing them not to go out in public much.
Wells’ family has also received threats in the form of hate mail and even workplace threats.
No arrests have been made in the case.
Atlanta Black Star reached out to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office for an update but has not heard back.
