Articles by Gerrard Kaonga

Technology

Matthew McConaughey breaks down his infamous 1999 'naked bongo' arrest in shocking detail

Matthew McConaughey has released an advert as a tribute to a bizarre arrest that took place at his home where police stumbled upon him naked and playing drums. Matthew McConaughey is a pretty recognizable and beloved face in Hollywood and is pretty much universally adored. But with that said, the 55-year-old actor has had his run ins with the law and it was bizarre, if nothing else. The incident on October 25 1999 saw McConaughey visited by the police after his neighbors were seemingly annoyed with the loud music coming from his home at 2.30 a.m. When authorities entered his home, they found the star, naked and playing the bongo drums... He was subsequently arrested and booked into the Travis County Jail at 3 a.m. on suspicion of 'possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, and resisting transportation.' In a recent post on his Instagram page, McConaughey issued a tribute of sorts to this incident with an advert for his Pantalones Organic Tequila brand, In the video, his wife, Camila Alves, reads from the police report of his arrest. She says: “On the 25th day of October...” McConaughey then interrupted to finish her sentence, saying 'at 2:36 in the am', all the while playing the bongos, thankfully clothed this time. His wife continued: “On arrival to the location, I could easily hear very loud music, dancing and playing bongo drums. “The nude subject yelled: 'Why are you here? You can’t be in here', glassy and very bloodshot eyes.” Alves laughed saying she could see the image so clearly, with McConaughey playfully replying that it has happened 45 times since. Amazingly, this isn’t the first time the star has opened up about the incident. In fact, the actor has playfully broken down what happened in his 2020 memoir Greenlights and created an even more vivid picture. In the book, he explained that before being arrested, he had actually been partying for 32 hours and wanted to blow off some more steam at home. He explained: "It was time to smoke a bowl and listen to the beautiful African melodic beats of Henri Dikongué play through my home speaker. “It was time to stand over my drum set and follow the rhythm of the blues before they got to Memphis, on my favorite Afro-Cuban drum. It was time for a jam session. “What I didn't know was that while I was banging away in my bliss, two Austin policemen also thought it was time to barge into my house unannounced, wrestle me to the ground with nightsticks, handcuff me and pin me to the floor.” McConaughey even explained how he got his ‘resisting transportation’ charge by going into detail of how he half-planned an elaborate acrobatic escape after being handcuffed. In the book, he added: “My rationale at the time was that after pulling off such an extraordinary Houdini-like stunt, the officers would be so impressed that they would abrogate the arrest and set me free. I know, stupid, but remember, I'd been celebrating for 32 and a half hours straight." It didn’t end up playing out like that but the actor didn’t end up in all that much trouble. He pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor charges and was fined $50 for the whole thing. Alright, alright.

Technology

Alabama inmate’s shocking final words before controversial execution for horrific 1993 murder

An Alabama inmate made a bold statement against the state in his final words before being executed. Alabama inmate Anthony Boyd has been on death row for about 30 years and has repeatedly insisted on his innocence. The 54-year-old was put to death using the controversial nitrogen gas method on Thursday, October 23, for the 1993 murder of Gregory Huguley. This is where the person sentenced wears a gas mask and inhales pure nitrogen. The method is considered an alternative to lethal injections. Those against the method have argued that it causes ‘undue suffering’ - claims that the state of Alabama has denied. The execution of Boyd is said to have taken a long time, according to witnesses, and was the state’s longest nitrogen gas execution. Boyd was sentenced in 1995 after a jury voted that he receive the death penalty by 10-2. Since then, Boyd has continued to deny any involvement, and at the trial, he testified that he went to a birthday party the night Huguley was killed, before going to a hotel with his girlfriend. Prosecutors claimed that he taped Huguley’s feet together before another person doused him with gasoline and set him alight over a $200 cocaine debt. Ahead of being executed, speaking from the prison in Alabama where he was being held, Boyd said: "This is not just about me. "This is about the injustice that's going on in this state. I'm a prime example of these crooked courts and the way they fight." Boyd refused his final meal ahead of being executed but issued a lengthy and condemning statement before being killed by the state of Alabama. According to a report by Montgomery Advertiser, in his final words, Boyd said: "I just want to say again, I didn't kill anybody, I didn't participate in killing anybody. Just want everyone to know, there is no justice in this state.” He also reiterated that all of his previous appeals, despite being unsuccessful, were valid and argued that the courts ‘all backed each other up’ to ensure his execution went ahead. Boyd added that justice happens when change occurs and insisted that an execution ‘is not about closure because closure comes from within, not from an execution." He closed by saying: “It's all political, it's all revenge-motivated. There is no justice in the state, there can be no justice in the state. “I want all my people to keep fighting, you all matter. Let's get it."