Essence.com: Where's the Sympathy for Tameka Raymond?
Thursday, July 12, 2012 at 8:59AM Last Friday, while swimming on a lake in Georgia, Tameka Raymond's son was involved in a horrific accident that left him reportedly brain dead. A jet ski collided with 11-year-old Kile Glover, one of Tameka’s three sons from her marriage to Atlanta clothier Ryan Glover.
In the days since the tragedy, countless celebs — Russell Simmons, Monica, Toni Braxton, and Justin Bieber among them — have sent prayers and condolences to Tameka and her family, including Kile’s former stepfather Usher, who rushed to the hospital to be by Tameka’s side despite their ongoing custody battle. There’s been significant media interest in the story, but I can’t help but notice that it’s gotten a less-than-sympathetic reaction from readers.
Sure, there have been tweets and story comments wishing the best for Tameka during this time. But they don’t seem to compare to the outpouring of sympathy that, say, Rihanna received when her grandmother Dolly passed on June 30. Twitter was flooded with condolences calling Rihanna a “poor thing” and noting how “it must be so hard for her.” For Tameka, too many people seem to have gone mute — or worse, they’ve deemed her family tragedy some sort of “karma” for however they think she did Usher and/or her ex-husband.
I don’t get it. I know she’s not Black America’s favorite person; she’s about as likable as Robin Givens circa her divorce from Mike Tyson. But none of this should have anything to do with whether Tameka should be offered sympathy under the current circumstances.
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