DONKEY: Florida Man Sets Ex-GF’s Apartment On Fire After Threatening Her During FaceTime Call

Summary

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The Breakfast Club: Donkey of the Day — Florida Man Sets Ex-GF’s Apartment On Fire After Threatening Her During FaceTime

Date: May 21, 2026
Hosts: DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, Charlamagne Tha God
Network: The Black Effect Podcast Network / iHeartPodcasts

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Episode Overview

In this memorable “Donkey of the Day” segment, Charlamagne Tha God highlights yet another wild story out of Florida, where a man named Jermel Freeman sets fire to his ex-girlfriend’s apartment after threatening her live over FaceTime. The hosts dissect both the incident and its broader implications, with humor, exasperation, and some unexpectedly thoughtful advice for navigating breakups and emotional reactions.

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Key Discussion Points

The Infamous Florida Man Strikes Again

• [02:18] Charlamagne Tha God opens:
  “Make sure you tell them to watch out for Florida, man. The craziest people in America come from the Bronx and all of Florida.”
  • He reiterates his long-running joke about the unique brand of chaos that comes out of Florida.
• Lauren LaRosa and Charlamagne share jaw-dropping examples of previous Florida Man antics (ATM incident, electrocution attempt, flamingo attack) to set the stage.

Breakdown of the Incident

• [03:25] Lauren LaRosa reports:
  • Jermel Freeman is accused of aggravated arson after threatening his ex-girlfriend and telling her over FaceTime that he was about to start a fire in her apartment by turning on the oven with a blanket inside.
  • The ex-girlfriend was not at home during the fire (April 10) but had previously reported to police that Freeman threatened her with a knife and threatened to kill her friends.
  • Witnesses said Freeman was actively seeking a way to flee the area following the crime.

Charlamagne’s Analysis & Advice

• [04:07] Charlamagne Tha God delivers his signature blend of humor and social commentary:
  • He jokes:
    “Damn. You do know when Usher said let it burn, he didn’t mean that literally, right? It’s a metaphor, okay?”
  • He highlights the difference between healthy ways to process a breakup and Freeman’s shocking overreaction.
  • Key insight:
    “What I don’t understand about men like Jermel is when a woman breaks up with you, then you do something like set her apartment on fire. All you doing is confirming that she made the right decision, okay?”
  • Encourages men to channel rejection into self-improvement, not destruction:
    “Go out there and get in the best shape physically, mentally, spiritually, emotionally. Let her be scrolling the ‘gram this time next year and be like, damn, when she sees your glow up.”
  • Adds:
    “Rejection doesn’t create character. It reveals it. And people got to stop ignoring red flags the first time, okay?”
  • Emphasizes the importance of therapy and emotional regulation, and challenges the stereotype that only women are “emotional creatures.”

Humor and Pop Culture References

• [04:07] Charlamagne quotes both Usher and Gucci Mane:
  • Usher: “Let it burn … it’s about facing the agonizing grief of a breakup because you know it’s the right thing to do. It’s not about setting your ex’s … apartment on fire.”
  • Gucci Mane: “Girls are like buses — miss one, next fifteen one coming.”

Recognizing Red Flags

• [06:30] Charlamagne cautions:
  • “If somebody responds to losing you by trying to destroy you or destroy something of yours, then leaving them was the smartest thing you ever did.”

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Florida Man:
  “[The] craziest people in America come from the Bronx and all of Florida.”
  — Charlamagne Tha God [02:18]

• On Overreaction to Breakups:
  “All you doing is confirming that she made the right decision, okay?”
  — Charlamagne Tha God [04:34]

• On Emotional Regulation:
  “We are not creatures of logic. We are creatures of emotion. And we do not care what’s true. We care how it feels.”
  — Charlamagne Tha God [05:05]

• On Self-Improvement After Heartbreak:
  “That’s why you don’t block none of your exes, all your haters — you gotta let them see you winning, okay? You gotta let them see you shining.”
  — Charlamagne Tha God [05:52]

• On Red Flags:
  “Rejection doesn’t create character. It reveals it. And people got to stop ignoring red flags the first time, okay?”
  — Charlamagne Tha God [06:27]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 02:18 — Introduction of “Donkey of the Day” and Florida Man theme
• 03:25 — Lauren LaRosa’s detailed news report on the arson and threats
• 04:07 — Charlamagne’s analysis, jokes, pop culture references, life advice
• 06:43 — Segment wrap-up

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Tone and Takeaways

The segment blends The Breakfast Club’s signature irreverent humor with a genuine public service message urging healthier emotional responses and the importance of recognizing dangerous red flags in relationships. Charlamagne’s delivery is both witty and earnest, making the lesson land with both entertainment value and real weight.

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For anyone who missed the episode:
This “Donkey of the Day” is a powerful reminder that wild headlines can point to deeper issues — and that, as Charlamagne says, “Rejection doesn’t create character. It reveals it.”

Transcript

[Podcast Host]

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[Nick Jonas]

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[Charlamagne Tha God]

I'm Joe. I'm Kevin.

[Nick Jonas]

And I'm Nick. And guess what? We created our own podcast called hey Jonas. Jonas.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

We invented a podcast.

[Nick Jonas]

Well, we didn't invent it.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

We.

[Nick Jonas]

We just contributed to it. First people to do podcasts.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

We get to ask other people questions because we're sick and tired of being asked questions.

[Nick Jonas]

Well, sick and tired is a strong way to put it, but you know, tired and sick. Tired and sick. Listen to hey Jonas on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it.

[Robert Smigel]

Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy. Not quite on Humor Me with Robert Smigel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Jim Gaffigan to Bob Odenkirk to Letterman help make you funnier this week. My guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel help an acapella band with their between songs banter. Worst singer in the group.

[Nick Jonas]

The worst.

[Robert Smigel]

Yeah, me. Is there anything to the idea that because you're from Harvard, you only got in because your parents made a huge

[Charlamagne Tha God]

donation to the group?

[Commercial Announcer]

To the group, the Yardbirds.

[Dish Network Advertiser]

Right.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

That's the name.

[Robert Smigel]

The Harvard Yard. But they're open if you have a name suggestion. We're open since you guys are middle age, but one erection. Listen to Humor Me with Robert Smigel and friends on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.

[Dish Network Advertiser]

Humor me. I need some jokes to make me seem funny.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Make sure you tell them to watch out for Florida, man. The craziest people in America come from the Bronx and all of Florida. Yes, you are a donkey.

[Lauren LaRosa]

A Florida man attacked an atm For a very strange reason. It gave him too much money. Florida man is arrested after deputies say he rigged the door to his home in an attempt to electrocute his pregnant wife. Police arrested an Orlando man for attacking

[Charlamagne Tha God]

a flamingo, the Breakfast Club Donkey of the day with Charlemagne to God. I don't know why y' all keep letting him get y' all like this. Well, little Duvall, donkey of the day for Thursday, May 21, goes to a Florida man named Jermel Freeman. Okay, what does your Uncle Charlotte always say about the great state of Florida? The craziest people in America come from the Bronx and all of Florida, and today is no exception. Now, Jermell has been charged with aggravated arson because he decided to bake a blanket. Okay, yes. This man put a blanket in the oven, and it wasn't even a pig in it. Now, I know what you're thinking. If Jermell wanted a heated blanket, they like 39. $39.99 on Amazon. Okay? Good Housekeeping is an amazing brand. Why didn't he just buy one? But that's not what he actually put the blanket in the oven for. Okay, what did he put the blanket in the oven for? Let's go to Lauren LaRosa for the report, please.

[Podcast Host]

Florida man is accused of setting his ex girlfriend's apartment on fire after allegedly threatening her during a FaceTime. He is now being held in Franklin County Jail. Columbus fire crews responded April 10 to an apartment fire on Belcher Drive in north Columbus. The victim told investigators she was not home at the time, but said her ex boyfriend, Jermell Freeman, FaceTimed her and turned on her oven with a blanket inside, telling her he was going to start a fire. The victim had previously reported other threats to Columbus police, including that Freeman threatened to stab her with a kitchen knife and kill her friends. I got your knife. Freeman is alleged to have said to his girlfriend, I told you I wasn't playing with you. Witnesses told investigators that Freeman was trying to find a return flight home.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Damn. You do know when Usher said let it burn, he didn't mean that literally, right? It's a metaphor, okay? Letting it burn refers to the painful but necessary release of watching a relationship completely die out. Okay? It's about facing the agonizing grief of a breakup because you know it's the right thing to do. It's not about setting your ex's, you know, apartment on fire. Okay, my brothers. Why can't y' all just deal with rejection? The great black philosopher Gucci Mane once said, girls are like buses miss one next 15. One coming. Okay, do we not remember great quotes like there are plenty fish in the sea Nowadays? It's more like, there are plenty of butt naked women on ig. Okay, Jamel, even if you felt like there are plenty fish in the sea, but she's the only one for me. Hey, man, if you love something, let it go. If it comes back to you, it's yours, okay? What I don't understand about men like Jamel is when a woman breaks up with you, then you do something like set her apartment on fire. All you doing is confirming that she made the right decision, okay? Jermell allegedly already threatened to stab her, like Lauren just said, and harm her friends. Now, I'm not the highest grade of weed in the dispensary, but those are grounds to break up with somebody, okay? Thank God that young lady wasn't home, because that could have been very bad, all right? This dude was clearly moving off emotion. And this is why I don't like when people say women are emotional creatures. No, human beings are emotional creatures, okay? We are not creatures of logic. We are creatures of emotion. And we do not care what's true. We care how it feels. And Jamel felt hurt, okay? And instead of going to therapy to learn how to regulate his emotions, he decided he wanted to project that pain onto this young lady. Artist. Young lady's apartment just because the young lady didn't want to be with him anymore, okay? My brother's rejection is a part of life, all right? Okay, what happened to, you know, when a girl breaks up with you, you decide to better yourself, right? Go out there and get in the best shape physically, mentally, spiritually, emotionally. Let her be scrolling the gram this time next year and be like, damn, when she sees your glow up, okay? That's why you don't block none of your exes, all your haters, you gotta let them see you winning, okay? You gotta let them see you shining. But no, Jamel, you want to be dusty dull, okay? Once again, you proved exactly why this woman should have been left you, okay? Rejection doesn't create character. It reveals it. And people got to stop ignoring red flags the first time, okay? Because if somebody responds to losing you by trying to destroy you or destroy something of yours, then leaving them with the smartest thing you ever did. Please give Jamal Freeman the biggest he, huh?

[DJ Envy]

All right, Charlemagne. Thank you for that donkey today.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yes, indeed. Up next, is diarrhea burning? Yeah. Okay. Just. Just ran out whenever Jess runs out like that, you know?

[DJ Envy]

Yeah, she ran out quick, too.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yeah.

[Nick Jonas]

Man.

[DJ Envy]

But up next is just fix my.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

She come back fast, too. That's what's weird about it. You don't ever notice that.

[Podcast Host]

Well, I mean, it runs out fast.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yeah, but that's. Yeah, but what about the cleaner? You know what I'm saying? Cleanup should take a little longer.

[Dish Network Advertiser]

I gave her.

[DJ Envy]

I gave her dude wipes the other day. So she. Maybe she got that.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I'm think. Y'. All. Y' all ain't self cleaning.

[Lauren LaRosa]

All y'.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

All. Lauren.

[Podcast Host]

No, you use the wipes. Okay, Just making sure y' all ain't self cleaning.

[DJ Envy]

But up next is Jess fix my mess. After she fixes her mess. 800-585-1051. So if you having some relationship issues or any type of issues, Jess will fix your mess as soon as she gets back from the bathroom. Hopefully she washes her hands.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Damn.

[DJ Envy]

It's the Breakfast Club. Good morning.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

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[Nick Jonas]

Hey guys, it's us, the Jonas Brothers. I'm Joe.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I'm Kevin.

[Nick Jonas]

And I'm Nick. And guess what? We created our own podcast called hey, Jonas.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

We invented a podcast.

[Nick Jonas]

Well, we didn't invent it.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

We.

[Nick Jonas]

We just contributed to it. People to do podcasts.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

We get to ask other people questions because we're sick and tired of being asked questions.

[Nick Jonas]

Well, sick and tired is a strong way to put it, but you know, tired and sick. Tired and sick listen to hey Jonas on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it.

[Dish Network Advertiser]

Tired of overpaying with DirecTV? Dish offers a reliable low price every month without surprises. Get the TV you love and start watching live sports news and the latest movies, plus your favorite streaming apps all in one place. Switch to Dish today and lock in the lowest price in satellite TV, starting at $89.99 a month with our two year price guarantee. Call 888, add dish or visit dish.com today.

[Podcast Host]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.