Multi-Millionaire ‘Sidewalk Sally’ Assaults Black Family Over Baby’s Photoshoot

The latest instance of an irrationally enraged white person calling the cops on African-Americans for innocuous activities has gone viral, and this time around, it involves a multimillionaire socialite.

Kelyn Alyssa was taking photographs in celebration of her one-year-old daughter’s birthday last week on the esplanade of North Boulevard in Broadacres in Houston when Franci Neely confronted her and her family.

The area is a popular destination for photographers and was affirmed as public property by the City of Houston in 2017, according to ABC13.

https://www.facebook.com/kelynalyssa/videos/10102287811296341/

Neely—who is the ex-wife of Houston Astros owner Jim Crane—appears in the video barefoot holding her dog. According to the Houston Press, the confrontation spun out of control after Alyssa asked Neely to restrain the unleashed dog because it had approached the infant.

“I told her if her dog damages my child I will be pressing charges and she takes out her phone, starting to record me, asking me if I was threatening her,” Alyssa wrote in her Facebook post. “I repeated what I said. At this point her dog wandered away.”

When the photographer approached Neely to explain they were holding a birthday photoshoot, Neely told the woman that “she brought ‘these’ people into ‘her’ neighborhood,” according to Alyssa. This was when Alyssa’s husband pulled his phone out to begin recording the incident. Several times throughout the video Neely can be seen trying to swipe the phone out of the man’s hand.

She then proceeds to aggressively dismantle the balloons and props surrounding the baby.

Alyssa mentions in her Facebook video caption that Neely had “passed people taking fashion shoots, people crouching on the walkway, ‘trampling’ her beloved grass – and came directly at the photoshoot with the gold ‘1’ balloon to cause a scene.”

“The photographers in the vicinity all approached us afterwards completely appalled by this woman’s behavior, and confused as to why they weren’t targeted by her at all,” Alyssa wrote.

The family reported the incident to the police, who confirmed that they had done nothing wrong.

https://twitter.com/MuslimIQ/status/1099042048164986880

Neely has since apologized in a 30-second video posted to YouTube, saying that “A week ago, I let my emotions overtake my better self. And I apologize from the bottom of my heart.” She went on to ask for understanding and forgiveness. “I love Houston and ask that we come together to heal,” Neely said, “and I extend my hand in friendship.”

But few were convinced, instead calling on those in charge to relieve her of her arts positions on the boards of the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, the Houston Grand Opera, The Menil Foundation, and more.

https://twitter.com/NostraDonnie/status/1098113531088719872

https://twitter.com/NightMovesPat/status/1097699381908779009

h/t ABC13, Facebook




Masha Fante

Masha is a freelance writer and editorial director of agency content as well as a contributor to the Daily Dot.