- The lawyer of an influencer facing 6 felony charges said media criticism of her client is racist.
- She described it as an “all-out assault on black and brown people.”
- The influencer livestreamed herself laughing and cheering as a crowd looted stores in Philadelphia.
The lawyer of an influencer who is facing six felony charges after livestreaming herself as a crowd looted stores in Philadelphia claims that the media’s criticism of her client is rooted in racism.
In a thought-provoking Instagram post published over the weekend, Jessica Mann, a managing attorney at Shaka Johnson, strongly denounced the “unfair portrayal” of Dayjia Blackwell.
Blackwell, also known as “Meatball” online, was arrested mid-livestream and charged with six felonies and two misdemeanors, including burglary and conspiracy.
In her own footage, Blackwell can be heard laughing, cheering, and declaring, “Tell the police they either lock me up tonight or it’s going to get lit — it’s going to be a movie.”
However, Johnson argues that the media’s response has been unjust.
“It saddens me to see the media complicit in what can only be described as a full-fledged attack on black and brown individuals, as they mercilessly vilify their character and actions,” she wrote.
Mann described Blackwell as a vibrant and charismatic black woman who gained fame through her social media content.
This content, according to Mann, consists of lighthearted skits and pranks that uplift her audience.
However, Mann emphasizes that this image does not generate as much attention on websites.
“So you choose to publish her mugshot with tears streaming down her face and disheveled hair in order to satisfy your desire for ‘clicks’ and sell a sensational story,” Mann wrote.
Mann also argued that the media should have focused on the fact that Blackwell was “simply capturing the raw reality of public outrage” during her livestream on September 26.
Mann claimed that the media ignored the “underlying catalyst” for Blackwell’s actions, which was the dismissal of charges against a former Philadelphia police officer involved in the fatal shooting of Eddie Irizarry during a traffic stop (covered by Insider in initial reporting).
However, Philadelphia’s interim police commissioner, John Stanford, accused Blackwell of leading a “caravan of looters” from store to store and participating in burglaries while encouraging others to do the same in an interview with 6ABC Philadelphia.
According to him, those looting Apple, Lululemon, and other stores were “criminal opportunists” taking advantage of the anger surrounding the Irizarry case.
As the open letter concludes, Mann asked, “How can we passively accept the media’s depiction of Dayjia as the wrongdoer when she was simply holding a mirror up to Philadelphia, reflecting its own ugly reality?”
Mann and Blackwell have not yet responded to Insider’s request for comment.
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