In 1959, Paschal’s Restaurant & Coffee Shop opened at 830 Hunter Street. The new facilities were financed with a $75,000 loan from Citizens Trust Bank in conjunction with Atlanta Life Insurance Company. This was one of the largest loans made by the bank at that time, according to the restaurant’s website.
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Another marriage has ended in Atlanta’s word of reality TV.
Porsha Williams and Simon Guobadia have called it quits after about a year and a half of marriage, according to People Magazine. The couple, who starred on Bravo TV’s The Real Housewives of Atlanta, announced on February 22, 2024 that they are getting a divorce.
Porsha, and Simon, a Nigerian-born businessman, got married in a traditional Nigerian ceremony in November 2022.
The couple had a whirlwind romance on and off the screen as they got engaged in May 2021. What followed were magical trips to Africa, including one in which Porsha an ancestry DNA test confirmed that she was 44% Nigerian, from the same part of the nation where Guobadia’s mom is from.
Back then Porsha was a ball of energy and so excited about her nuptials.
“I am ridiculously excited,” Williams told People Magazine before the wedding. “I am just so ready. I’m not even nervous. I mean, I know I’m marrying the love of my life, and it’s just going to solidify our relationship and our family bond. I’m calm and excited.”
Why Are Porsha and Simon Guobadia Divorcing?
There’s no official word yet on why the Guobadias are ending their marriage, although there may be some indications.
The news of the divorce comes as Porsha announced that she will return to RHOA for its 16th season. She is also set to produce scripted shows with NBCUniversal.
“I’m incredibly thankful for the vision and faith NBCUniversal has put in me to be a larger part of their family,” she said in a statement. “I’m looking forward to being back on The Real Housewives of Atlanta, and showing the world my new world!”
Real Housewives of Atlanta Divorces
Is there something in the water, or better yet, the sweet tea. RHOA has been plagued by divorces since its inception.
- In 2005, cast member Lisa Wu married former NFL player Ed Hartwell. He filed for divorce on August 24, 2011; it was finalized October 7, 2011.
- May 5, 2023 — Former NFL player Kroy Biermann and Kim Zolciak-Biermann each filed for divorce after 11 years of marriage.
- In 2014, Porsha famously divorced former NFL player Kordell Stewart. Per the divorce agreement, she received none of his retirement money or assets.
- 2007 — Shereé Whitfield’s and former NFL player Bob Whitfield divorced after seven years of marriage, just before RHOA’s premiere episode.
Atlanta has so much to do that you need a curated guide to help you sort through it all. Make sure you subscribe to our #ATLHaps newsletter that gives you a weekly tab of Atlanta events you don’t want to miss.
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If you’re ready for a “Sluttified” morning with breakfast, you’ll love the new offerings in store for Atlanta’s favorite vegan burger joint.
Slutty Vegan is launching a breakfast menu at one of its Atlanta locations very soon.
Owner Pinky Cole Hayes shared the news on social media, saying: “Y’all, so I’m about to start Slutty Vegan breakfast starting at my Edgewood location on March 1. Not a lot of vegan breakfast in the city so I’m excited and anxious because it’s a whole new world. Y’all think it’s gon do good? Scratch made vegan buttermilk biscuits is the selling point.”
Vegan buttermilk biscuits from scratch? We’re in?
Since its first brick-and-mortar restaurant opened in Atlanta’s Westview neighborhood opened in 2019, Slutty Vegan has become known for its risque menu items and good food.
The former TV producer made the leap into the food business in 2018 when she started a food truck that sold “vegan junk food.”
Now she’s a multi-millionaire with major expansion plans, including plans to open up scores of Slutty Vegan restaurant locations across the South and Northeast.
Final Word
There are multiple Slutty Vegans in the city, but only one will serve breakfast. If you want to know what’s cooking with Atlanta’s breakfast scene, check out our Atlanta Breakfast Guide.
Atlanta is a foodie paradise, and its festivals are no exception. Each event boasts a distinct culinary identity, from the authentic Mexican cuisine and birria tacos to delicacies you’ll find only along the Buford Highway corridor. Every bite is an explosion of flavor that complements the festive atmosphere.
We invite you to indulge in our Best of Atlanta’s New Restaurants Food E-Book to explore your personal food preferences without having to compromise with others, whether it’s choosing your favorite cuisine or treating yourself to a special meal.
Solo dining can also save you big money as you don’t have to splurge on another person.
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Do you want to eat like the locals eat in Sandy Springs. With the Dine Like a Local program, you can.
If you call yourself a foodie, it’s time to get with the (meal) plan and head to Sandy Springs..
What Is Dine Like a Local?
Dine Like a Local is program design to raise the profiles of some of the best restaurants in Sandy Springs.
Diners can join in on the “feastivities” by signing up online to receive a free Dine Like a Local digital passport which features signature dish recommendations from each participating restaurant
This is Year #2 for Dine Like a Local, which runs from January 2 through March 31.
As you stop by a participating restaurant, make sure you check in for a chance to win an assortment of prize, including weekly restaurant gift card giveaways.
“Sandy Springs has one of the best restaurant scenes in the Metro area,” said Jennifer Cruce, Executive Director at Visit Sandy Springs. “We hope residents and visitors will come out to experience all this great food this city has to offer. I guarantee you’ll be surprised by just how many amazing restaurants reside in Sandy Springs.”
What Are the Participating Restaurants?
Returning restaurants include:
- Banana Leaf Thai + Bar
- Big B’s Fish Joint
- Breadwinner Café
- Chef Rob’s Caribbean Café
- Cubanos ATL
- Food Terminal
- il Giallo Osteria & Bar
- Just Love Coffee Café
- McDaniel’s QN2
- O’Reilly’s Public House
- Sunnyside Pizzeria
- The General Muir
- The Select
- Tre Vele
- Under the Cork Tree
- Baraonda
- Cupanion’s
- Fuego Mundo
- Mutation Brewing Co
- Okiboru
- Ray’s on the River
- SabaRaba’s
- Strive Foods
- Zambawango
Final Bite
Up to 24 restaurants in Sandy Springs, Georgia, are participating in Dine Like a Local, the city’s culinary campaign to promote the best of its restaurants and chefs.
North Fulton County has some great spots to enjoy a meal, including at The Avalon in Alpharetta and in Johns Creek.
If you want to check out some other food spots in the area, here are the best restaurants in Buckhead. Or you might like to read our Buckhead Steak Guide to find all the best eateries offering mouth-watering prime cuts.
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Movie mogul Tyler Perry was in the midst of an $800 million expansion of his southwest Atlanta movie studio but has stopped it indefinitely due to the advances of artificial intelligence, also known as ai.
Perry, who’s latest film, Mea Culpa is on Netflix, says that ai is something that will radically transform the movie business — and he and others need to be prepared. He mentioned that Sora, Google’s new AI text-to-video platform, is a game-changer.
Tyler Perry Says AI Is ‘Game Changer’ For Movies And More
“Being told that it can do all of these things is one thing, but actually seeing the capabilities, it was mind-blowing,” he told the The Hollywood Reporter. “I had gotten word over the last year or so that this was coming, but I had no idea until I saw recently the demonstrations of what it’s able to do. It’s shocking to me.”
Perry is talking about OpenAI’s Sora project, which has not been officially released, but is still a research project. Some demonstration videos have been making the rounds on social media.
Sora’s latest demonstrations, which have been stunning in their realism and quality.
Perry told the publication that there’s no doubt that jobs will be lost to AI and that is one of the things that concerns him the most. When asked if he’s using AI in his films, Perry says he’s done so already.
“I just used AI in two films that are going to be announced soon. That kept me out of makeup for hours. In post and on set, I was able to use this AI technology to avoid ever having to sit through hours of aging makeup,” he told THP.
Final Word
AI is not coming down the road, it’s already here. Businesses need to prepare themselves.
While AI is sure to take jobs, there will also be an opportunity for professionals to specialize in mastering it to some degree.
See Atlanta Casting Calls And Auditions Available Right Now
Want to work in Georgia film & TV? Here are the latest Atlanta casting calls
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If you like to nerd out on the scientific things in life, then you’ll love the Atlanta Science Festival. The event, presented by Delta Air Lines, is one of the best festivals in Atlanta.
When Is The Atlanta Science Festival?
The Atlanta Science Festival takes place March 9 – 23 this year and promises to be a science-filled adventure.
Here’s what’s in store if you decide to attend the festival.
GEORGIA TECH SCIENCE & ENGINEERING DAY
Saturday, 03/09/2024 – 10:00am to 2:00pm
Kickoff the 2024 Atlanta Science Festival with Georgia Tech!
Whether you’re interested in robotics, brains, biology, space, art, nanotechnology, paper, computer science, wearables, bioengineering, chemical engineering, or systems engineering, there will be activities for you!
Visit campus for hands-on STEAM activities, exhibits, demonstrations, opportunities to meet student researchers, learn about the research, and so much more happening at Tech.ANIMALS IN MOTION: BIOMECHANICS DAY AT ZOO ATLANTA
Saturday, 03/09/2024 – 11:00am to 12:00pm
Ever wonder how orangutans swing, or how an elephant trunk works? Join us at Zoo Atlanta to celebrate the diversity of animals on Earth and the incredible ways they move. With help from biomechanics experts at Georgia Tech, guests can participate in live demonstrations and presentations sure to generate excitement about biomechanics and applications in Bio-inspired Design.
ATLANTA FERMENTATION FESTIVAL
Sunday, 03/10/2024 – 12:00pm to 7:00pm
For the love of fermentation! Fermentation Fest in conjunction with Atlanta Science Festival is a family event providing education, hands-on fun, and a diverse experience for all ages.
TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2024
ADVENTURE LAB AT MASON MILL
Tuesday, 03/12/2024 – 7:00am to 7:00pm
You are invited on a secret adventure on the trails of Mason Mill Park. The Adventure Lab app will guide you to special natural and historic sites in the forest. Using your phone’s GPS technology and your brain, locate the secret destinations, learn about nature, and answer a question to prove you were there.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 2024
ADVENTURE LAB AT MASON MILL
Wednesday, 03/13/2024 – 7:00am to 7:00pm
You are invited on a secret adventure on the trails of Mason Mill Park. The Adventure Lab app will guide you to special natural and historic sites in the forest. Using your phone’s GPS technology and your brain, locate the secret destinations, learn about nature and more.
Those are just some of the things you’ll learn at the Atlanta Science Festival. Check out the full schedule.
Final Word
The Festival is brought to you by Science ATL and community partners, with generous support from presenting sponsor Delta Air Lines, founding partners Emory University, Georgia Tech, and the Metro Atlanta Chamber, as well as other sponsors like NCR Foundation, UPS, Lenz Marketing, Cox Enterprises, Kennesaw State University, Lockheed Martin, Mercer University, and many more.
Atlanta has a thriving cultural, food, sports and music scene, with venues like the Tabernacle and the Fox Theatre hosting concerts and shows throughout the year. The city is also home to the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and the Atlanta Opera, offering world-class performances for music lovers.
Atlanta has a lot of cool things to do and places to eat, including some of the top soul food joints and remarkable Thai food spots. Explore the city.
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Atlanta’s history is full of treasures that are still with us in one form or another. One of the more astonishing relics from the Jim Crow era is The Negro Travelers’ Green Book: The Guide to Travel and Vacations.
The Green Book was an important part of American-American safety during a period of oppression, racism and discrimination.
The book was first published in 1954 by New York City’s Victor Hugo Green, an African-American who was a mailman and travel writer based in Harlem.
In this article we’re going to look at the most famous Atlanta locations mentioned in The Green Book.
Here Are All The Green Book Locations In Atlanta
Atlanta played a pivotal role in Green Book locations for hotels, restaurants, beauty salons and barber shops.
This list is not an exhaustive one showing all of the Atlanta locations. For that, we recommend you buy the literal Green Book to benefit its publisher. Here it is below:
Not unsurprisingly, many of these sites were located in the Sweet Auburn district. This area was a black section of the city just east of downtown that thrived amid Jim Crow.
Hotel Royal
214 Auburn Ave NE Atlanta, Ga
This hotel located in the Citizens Trust Bank building was originally called the McKay Hotel, but was changed in 1949 to Hotel Royal.One year later, Carrie Cunningham, a former circus performer, bought the Top Hat Club and renamed it Royal Peacock. Under the control of “Mama” Cunningham, it became a top-tier music venue on the “Chitlin Circuit.”Cunningham’s daughter Delois Scott said this about the famed Auburn Avenue institution: ““In some of the articles that have been written about the Royal Peacock, it has been likened to the Apollo, but the Peacock was the Peacock, and the Apollo was the Apollo, in my estimation. Everybody calls the Royal Peacock the ‘incubator’ for artists. When Little Richard first started playing here, he was an unknown. When Ray Charles was first starting out and unknown, he played here. James Brown, unknown. Gladys Knight and Pips, unknown. Nat King Cole played here before he even started singing. He was just playing piano in the Nat King Cole Trio — I have the picture, from those days before he sang.”The Royal Peacock would become a top venue for live performances in the South. The likes of Etta James and more would stop by to hone their skills on their rise to stardom.‘Mack Hotel’
548 Bedford Place, Atlanta, Ga. 30312
Bedford Place no longer exists. It is now Central Park Place and lofts and apartment complexes dot the landscape. This street is in the heart of Midtown Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward.Bedford Place used to be a longtime residential area for blacks under the poverty line. Nearby, there are still some pockets of disenfranchisement that exist.‘Shaw Hotel’
245 Auburn Avenue, Atlanta, Ga.
Photo credit: Google Maps From its address, this building appears to be part of a block of buildings constructed by black millionaire entrepreneur and former slave Alonzo Herndon, the founder of the Atlanta Life Insurance Company.In the Green Book, the listing says “Shaw” for reasons not apparent. I have not been able to find a “Shaw Hotel” in any historical information.Butler Street YMCA
22 Jesse Hill Jr Dr NE, Atlanta, GA 30303
Photo credit: aaregistry.com The Butler Street YMCA was known as the “Black City Hall” for much of its existence. In addition to being a meeting place for the city’s black leaders, The Y had some mean basketball going on inside.So much so that a Butler Street YMCA team often scheduled against collegians, according to the Black Fives Foundation, a historical group.Butler Street was later renamed in honor of civil rights activist and businessman Jesse Hill, who actually lived at the YMCA for a time.Waluhaje Hotel Apartments
Photo credit: Google Maps The Waluhaje Hotel Apartments were constructed by Atlanta developer Walter H. “Chief” Aiken in the early 1950s.
The name Waluhaje originated came from combining the first two letters of the names of Aikens (Walter), his wife (Lucy), and two of her siblings (Hazel and Jefferson), according to AtlantaTimeMachine.com.This building now serves as home offices for the Atlanta Job Corps.Suttons restaurant
Photo credit: Google Maps Suttons was a restaurant known across the country as a place African-Americans could get a good home-cooked meal.It was owned by one Scottie Sutton, who was affectionately called “Ma” Sutton.Here’s an account from the book, “Living Atlanta: An Oral History of the City, 1914-1948” by Clifford M. Kuhn on Ma Sutton told by one Horace Sinclair:“They called her Ma Sutton,” recalls Sinclair. “Everybody all over the country would come to Atlanta and go get a decent meal at Ma Sutton’s. She would really set the table. You’d get everything on the table just like you would be at home, serve yourself. You’d have meats and vegetables of all kinds, light rolls, cornbread, coffee, milk or tea. She’d even put preserves on the table, all that stuff.”Paschals Bros restaurant
180 Northside Dr SW #B, Atlanta, GA 3031
837 Hunter St. Atlanta, Ga.
Photo credit: Google Maps The most famous black restaurant in Atlanta, Paschals traces its roots back to 1947. That’s when brothers James and Robert Paschal opened their first location at 831 West Hunter Street.Paschals became an unofficial meeting place for the civil rights movement.Today Paschals is located on Northside Drive in Castleberry Hill section of downtown Atlanta. The famed eatery is one of the best black-owned restaurants in Atlanta.‘The Blackeret’
848 Mayson Turner Rd, Atlanta Ga. 30314
The Blackeret was a tavern located on Mayson Turner Road not far from black Atlanta’s educational center of colleges and universities.
Poro Beauty Parlor
250 Auburn Avenue, Atlanta, Ga. 30303
Photo credit: Google Maps The Poro Beauty Parlor sprang up at 250 Auburn Avenue when Ella Martin moved o Atlanta in 1930.
Martin was a representative of the Poro Beauty College founded by black cosmetics pioneer Annie Malone out of St. Louis, according to the book “Historical Roots of the Urban Crisis: Blacks in the Industrial City 1900-1950.”
None other than Madame C.J. Walker began her career in beauty products as a selling agent for Malone’s Poro business. Walker would go on to build her own hair care empire within the African-American community and the world.
Walker’s impact on the U.S. hair care industry is undebatable. Right off Auburn Avenue, the Madam CJ Walker Museum sits at 54 Hilliard St NE, Atlanta, GA 30312.
Atlanta Daily World
145 Auburn Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30303
Photo credit: Google Maps The Atlanta Daily World, the city’s oldest black newspaper, has a long and rich history of documenting the plight of African-Americans and the world around them. This was also a place of unrequited truth for blacks traveling through town looking for some news.
The newspaper was founded August 5, 1928 by William Alexander Scott II, a 26-year-old wonderkid with keen business sense.
Headquartered on Auburn Avenue, Scott would go on to circulate The Chattanooga Tribune, The Memphis World, and The Chattanooga Tribune, establishing the first chain of African American newspapers.
Final Thought
Auburn Avenue has been overshadowed lately by other streets with headline-grabbing development, but it holds a special place in the hearts of native Atlantans.
If you have a chance to visit, patronize one of the businesses on Auburn Avenue. Stop in and take a look at The Apex Museum or other historical places there.
And don’t forget to read the book below.
In the 1950s, Auburn Avenue was once known as “the richest Negro street in the world.” The moniker “Sweet Auburn” was purportedly coined by John Wesley Dobbs, the grandfather of the city’s first black mayor Maynard Jackson.
The rest, as they say, is history.
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The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival is back in Atlanta from February 13 to 26 across five metro-Atlanta venues. The festival also features a total of 83 screenings in theaters, with select films available to stream from February 27 to March 7.
The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival is an annual must-attend event for the city and continues to showcase an exciting and diverse lineup of international and independent cinema.
Atlanta Jewish Film Festival 2024: Everything You Need To Know
As a sample, here are just some of the films screening at the 2024 AJFF:
- The Plot Against Harry
- Breaking Home Ties
- Call Me Dancer
- Crown Heights
- Home To Come Alive With Norman Mailer
- Occupied City
- Paper Clips
- Rabbi on the Block
- This World Is Not My Own
The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival was founded in 2000 by the Atlanta Regional Office of American Jewish Committee (AJC), which is a nonprofit.
Now let’s get into the complete lineup of films for this year’s Atlanta Jewish Film Festival:
Atlanta Jewish Film Festival Full Lineup
The full film lineup and official schedule will be announced i in the near future. For tickets, visit AJFF.org.
The festival has since produced year-round programming, including AJFF Selects, AJFF On Campus, Cinebash, the Icon Award and more.
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Atlanta movie king Tyler Perry is back with another drama for your streaming pleasure, on Netflix to be exact. He and the stars of the movie recently attended a screening in New York.
The film, which begins streaming on Feb. 23, 2024, centers on an overconfident criminal defense attorney that, in his desire to make it to the top of a law firm, takes on a murder case of an artist.
If you’re a Tyler Perry fan, keep reading. This article is going to tell you all you need to know about Mea Culpa.
Where Was Mea Culpa Filmed?
Mea Culpa was filmed at Tyler Perry Studios in southwest Atlanta. The studio is the home of all of Perry’s productions as well as where he films his projects with Netflix, Amazon Studios and BET+.
The casting calls for Mea Culpa went out June 2023, with several extras and actors cast from the surrounding area.
What Is Mea Culpa About?
Mea Culpa is one part steamy thriller, one part murder mystery. When criminal defense attorney Mea Harper (played by Kelly Rowland) agrees to represent artist Zyair Malloy (played by Trevante Rhodes) in a murder case, she quickly realizes that the truth is far from clear-cut.
As she delves deeper into the case, trying to unravel the innocence or guilt of her enigmatic and alluring client, she discovers that everyone involved is harboring secrets.
Tyler Perry’s Mea Culpa delves into the consequences of unchecked desire, where passions ignite and danger lurks around every corner.
Who Are the Cast Members in Mea Culpa?
The cast of Mea Culpa includes the following actors:
- Kelly Rowland
- Trevante Rhodes
- Kerry Thornton
- Sean Sagar
- Nick Sagar
- RonReaco Lee
- Kerry O’Malley
Tyler said working with Rowland was a dream come true. “I’d been a huge fan for such a long time. Every time I saw her do something, I said, ‘There’s so much more there’ and if we could ever work together,” he told the Today Show.
“I never had an experience where I was working with someone who had so many great ideas to bring to the table,” Tyler said of Rowland. “As a producer, she was fantastic.”
Speaking to Netflix, Rowland said Perry was very positive about any creative ideas she came up with as well. “It was just so easy to work with him and if there was ever any moment where he was uncertain about something, he would say, ‘Well, let’s discuss it and then let’s try it.’ But it was all about communicating.”
Where Can I Watch Mea Culpa?
You can watch Mea Culpa streaming on Netflix.
Final Word
Mea Culpa is the fourth project for Netflix that Perry has done as part of his deal. He also has a four-picture deal with Amazon Studios.
Next on your streaming device will be Six Triple Eight,, which was filmed in Atlanta like the others. Six Triple Eight chronicles the tale o the first and only Women’s Army Corps unit of color to be stationed overseas during World War II. Kerry Washington plays the lead role.
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It’s official: Usher Raymond, 45, has tied the knot with his longtime girlfriend Jennifer Goicoechea, 40, in Las Vegas. Usher came clean on his Instagram with the release of several photos of the nuptials.
When Did Usher Get Married?
Usher and Jennifer got married on Feb. 11 on Vegas, which is where the singer performed at Super Bowl LVIII. Instead of opting for a huge ceremony with hundreds of people, the couple got hitched via a drive-thru wedding package.
It was reported that Usher’s mother Jonetta Patton witnessed the nuptials and signed the marriage certificate as such.
Goicoechea, who is Italian and Puerto Rican, was reared in Miami.
In an interview with People, Usher said he felt a type of way when fans learned that he had married his first wife, Tameka Foster.
“I think I became very closed and then felt attacked in many ways,” he said. “It was a bit unconventional in a time when I felt like my female fans were judgmental of the woman that I chose.”
Looking back, he says that colorism played a major role.
“She was a dark-skinned woman, and maybe they didn’t want to love her in a way because of maybe some reason that had to do with themselves,” he explained while adding, “I don’t know. Or maybe she was not the best reference because of how she handled herself. That’s not for me to be concerned about. I did my part and what I thought was right.”
He also told People.com that his hit album Confessions was largely based on what his producer Jermaine Dupri was going through, but much of it was his own storyline as well.
“The reality of where it landed and the expression of what that was about, it wasn’t exactly in order of the way or better yet in the moment when I delivered that song,” Usher said. “We go through things in life and sometimes we make decisions based off of what we feel is best or right, and more than likely, will best serve the child. But the reason why I talked about it is because I’m not the only person who will experience that as men.”
Final Word
We at AtlantaFi.com wish the Raymonds all the best not just this weekend, but every Atlanta weekend.
Usher has two sons from a previous relationship with ex-wife Tameka Foster — “Cinco” V and Naviyd Ely — as well as a daughter — Sovereign Bo and a son, Sire Castrello — with his wife, Jenn Goicoechea.
There are so many Atlanta events popping off every week it’s hard to keep up with it all. That’s why I suggest you subscribe to AtlantaFi.com to get all the freshest gatherings, Atlanta happenings, parties and more delivered to your inbox.
Things to do in Atlanta on a weekly basis can range from going golfing mid-week to checking out the latest restaurant openings. At AtlantaFi.com, we curate the city for you!
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All eyes were on a Fulton County courtroom on Thursday, Feb. 16, as a judge is commenced a hearing to determine whether Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis should be removed from the election interference indictment case.
Willis took the stand after Nathan Wade, whom she hired and admitted to having a personal relationship with, detailed his spending when the two were together on trips here and abroad.
Willie also testified under oath, openly sparring with defense attorney Ashleigh Merchant.
At one point, Willis said that she couldn’t wait to testify, “so I ran to the courtroom.”
Willis: ‘You Think I’m on Trial’
She also scolded Merchant on several occasions, telling her at one point, “You think I’m on trial. These people are on trial for trying to steal an election in 2020,” she said, gesturing toward the attorneys representing defendants in the criminal case. “I’m not on trial, no matter how hard you try to put me on trial.”
She later accused Merchant of being “intrusive.”
Political pundits are watching the case closely as Willis has had to defend her name more than once from allegations of impropriety after taking on presumptive Republican candidate for president.In 2021, shortly after assuming office as district attorney, Willis launched an investigation into former President Donald Trump and his co-defendants for potential election interference.
A year later, in 2022, Willis successfully petitioned for the impaneling of a special purpose grand jury to further investigate the matter. The grand jury’s proceedings commenced in May and concluded in December of the same year.
Thursday’s hearing has been extended into Friday and will determine whether Willis and her office can continue to prosecute the case. Co-defendant Michael Roman and his legal team have claimed in court filings that Willis and special prosecutor Nathan Wade had an inappropriate relationship before Wade was hired.
In response, Willis and Wade acknowledged a personal relationship but stated that there is no conflict of interest and it began after he was hired and did not lead to any financial advantages.
Willis stuck to her story that the hiring of Wade was done because he is a consummate professional and nothing else.
Earlier in the day, when Wade was on the stand,
Nathan Wade said his romantic relationship with Willis ended around June 2023 but that they remain friends. “We’re very good friends,” Wade said under questioning from a Trump attorney. “Probably closer than ever because of these attacks.”
That statement and timeline was contradicted by Robin Yeartie, a former friend and employee of Willis, who said that the DA and Wade began their romantic relationship in 2019.
Final Word
Willis has inferred that she has had to do her job amid intense pressure on her personal life.
Speaking to a church in January, Willis said that she is far from perfect.
““You cannot expect black women to be perfect. We need to be allowed to stumble. We need grace. We are all sinners,” she said.“We need your prayers, We need to be allowed to stumble. We need grace. With that type of support, we will move mountains and do Jesus’s will — stumbling all of the way!”
We’ll see how the hearing unfolds, but it’s no doubt that Republicans will celebrate if Willis is taken down and Democrats will breathe a sigh of relief if she is found to stay.
Last fall, she wrote a scathing letter to GOP Rep. Jim Jordan in response to his attacks.
