Arts & Entertainment
Donald Trump Jr. slams Adam Rippon over feud with Pence
the figure skater has stated he just wants to focus on the Olympics

Donald Trump, Jr. (Photo by Gage Skidmore; courtesy Wikimedia Commons)
Donald Trump Jr. is weighing in on the feud between out U.S. Olympic figure skater Adam Rippon and Vice President Mike Pence.
Rippon, who helped Team USA secure bronze this week, is currently competing at the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Before heading to the Olympics, Rippon commented that he didn’t agree with Pence leading the U.S. delegation during the opening ceremony. He also said he would not want to meet Pence at the pre-opening ceremony.
Rippon told CNN that he still stands by his comments but wants to just focus on the competition right now.
“I have no problem about what I’ve said because I stand by it, but I think right now the Olympics are about Olympic competition,” Rippon told CNN.
Trump Jr. responded to the interview tweeting, “Really? Then Perhaps you shouldn’t have spent the past few weeks talking about him. I haven’t heard him mention you once???”
Really? Then Perhaps you shouldn’t have spent the past few weeks talking about him. I haven’t heard him mention you once??? https://t.co/8lcCsoyBsq
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) February 14, 2018
The tweet surprised some people as Pence directly tweeted Rippon at the start of the Olympic games.
Hey, Don…It’s really not like you to get your facts wrong…What would your father say about you spreading FAKE NEWS? SAD! pic.twitter.com/yngPsDhTFj
— Eoin O’Callaghan (@EoinOCallaghan) February 14, 2018
Mike Pence tweeted about him explicitly.
— C (@c_f_392) February 14, 2018
Remember when you and your family said to keep politics out of sports? Oh wait! That’s when it fits your agenda. Leave Rippon alone JR
— ginny allee (@Crazyginny) February 14, 2018
You not paying attention isn't exactly news. But here ya go: https://t.co/nEa20WvetD
— Beth Gould (@ABGEsquire) February 14, 2018
Online Culture
Clavicular charged in alleged rape of teenage influencer
Online personality’s real name is Braden Peters
Online personality Clavicular, whose real name is Braden Peters, has been accused of rape.
According to NBC, Aleksandra Vasilevna Mendoza, an 18-year-old influencer known online as Alorah or Alorah Ziva, accused Peters of sexual assault, and the case is making its way through the court system.
The alleged incident occurred on May 23, 2025, when Mendoza was 17.
According to a criminal complaint from the Chatham (Mass.) Police Department, Peters called her an Uber to his family’s home. Once there, he allegedly got her drunk on vodka while they livestreamed on Twitch and then raped her. His mother and grandmother were allegedly in the house.
The documents allege Clavicular committed rape, drugging a person for sexual intercourse, and procuring and providing liquor to a person under 21.
According to court documents acquired by NPR, Mendoza began communicating with Peters on Instagram, where he paid her to appear on his livestreams to help her “make her name known on social media.”
According to those documents, Peters arranged for the minor to come to Cape Cod home to participate in a videostream for his 437,000 followers on Kick, 1.2 million followers on TikTok, and more than 1 million followers on Instagram.
At his home, Peters allegedly instructed Mendoza to say she was 18 on his videostream and to claim the alcohol on camera was water instead of vodka. Mendoza said she felt peer-pressured to drink the spirit and that she became noticeably intoxicated after a couple of drinks.
The allegations go on to state that after stopping the stream, Peters and Mendoza kissed on a couch and then had sex in his bed without her consent. Mendoza said she did not receive a sexual assault forensic exam after the incident. NPR does not name alleged victims of sexual assault.
The charges come months after Mendoza sued Peters in Miami, accusing him of sexual battery in connection with the events of May 2025. The civil lawsuit also separately alleges that he injected her face with a non-FDA-approved fat-dissolving substance during a November livestream in Florida.
Peters is known for his “looksmaxxing” concept of vanity, which is at the core of his online presence. The “looksmaxxing” culture he has helped cultivate combines elements of incel culture and heterosexuality, with the stated goal of attracting the opposite sex. He has gone as far as to say he has undergone “bonesmashing,” or hitting his own face with a hammer; taken anabolic steroids to more rapidly grow muscle; and used crystal meth as an appetite suppressant.
At the same time, looksmaxxing has been described as having elements of homoeroticism, with “looksmaxxers” appearing more concerned with impressing other men than women. Peters has multiple times pointed to openly gay actor Matt Bomer as the gold standard for male facial aesthetics.
Peters’s arraignment is scheduled for Oct. 14.
Photos
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