When They Go Low We Go High ( Halle Berry is Engaged and Trump Racist Post)

Summary

The Breakfast Club – "When They Go Low We Go High"

Date: February 6, 2026
Host: Lauren LaRosa (segment: The Latest with Lauren LaRosa)
Co-hosts: DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, Charlamagne Tha God (not present in this segment)
Episode Focus: Halle Berry’s engagement update and President Trump’s racist social media post

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Episode Overview

This episode of "The Latest with Lauren LaRosa" (a pop culture segment within The Breakfast Club) kicks off with a check-in on Lauren’s weekend plans before diving into two main stories: Halle Berry’s publicly clarified engagement with Van Hunt, and the controversy over a racist video posted and then deleted from President Donald Trump’s Truth Social account targeting Michelle and Barack Obama. Lauren explores the nuances behind each story with her characteristic candid and empathetic tone, commenting on the complexities of celebrity relationships and the exhausting persistence of racism in American public life.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Check-in and Community Event Announcement

[02:14–03:47]

• Lauren shares her enthusiasm for a chill weekend in New York amid cold weather and promotes an upcoming Black Family Reunion event at American Dream Mall with DJ Envy.
• She invites listeners, especially from the local Black community, to attend and support Black-owned businesses during Black History Month.

Notable Quote [03:00]:
“If you are a low rider, if you are in this community and you live in or near New Jersey, please, please meet us at American Dream Mall… Let's have a good time.”
— Lauren LaRosa

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2. Halle Berry & Van Hunt Engagement – Timeline & Public Perceptions

[03:48–09:06]

Background

• Lauren recounts Halle Berry’s complicated public relationship history, marked by three divorces, and how it has shaped public commentary and Berry’s own caution toward marriage.
• Berry and Van Hunt have been together six years; Lauren references a June 2025 interview where it was revealed Berry hadn’t accepted Hunt’s proposal.

The Cut Interview Highlights

• Berry discussed public scrutiny and stereotypes:
  “...People started to ask, like, what's wrong with Halle Berry? Is she crazy? She can't keep a man…her pushback would always be, ‘Who says I want to keep a man if he's not the right man?’”
  [05:04]
• Berry emphasizes self-reflection, accountability, and refusal to be seen as a victim: “Halle Berry is not a damsel in distress. Halle Berry is not a victim of a failed relationship. Halle Berry never said it was anyone else's fault.”
  [06:22]

Engagement Clarification

• Confusion mounted after Berry’s Cut interview, where she said she hadn’t said yes yet.
• On “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” Berry cleared the air:

  “But that is not—no, that’s not the case. I did not say no. We just don’t have a date. But of course I said yes, I would marry.”
  — Halle Berry (via Lauren quoting Fallon, [08:55])

Lauren’s Analysis

• Lauren celebrates Halle’s personal growth and Van Hunt’s patience: “Girl, marry that man. I don’t know what you talking about, Halle Berry, marry that man with your beautiful, fine self…They are a beautiful, fine couple. Can’t wait to see the wedding photos.”
  [09:06]
• Acknowledges the healing journey after multiple relationship hardships:
  “If someone's there and they're doing everything they're supposed to be doing, and she's like, this is the best relationship I've been in ever. Girl, marry that man.”
  [09:06]

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3. Trump’s Racist Social Media Post Targeting the Obamas

[09:06–14:26]

The Incident

• Lauren details seeing a viral AI-generated meme where Michelle and Barack Obama's faces were merged onto “Planet of the Apes” characters, set to “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.”
• Trump’s official Truth Social account reposted the video without captioning, amplifying racist tropes.

“On this sixth day of Black History Month, our President Donald Trump gave to us a racist video of Michelle Obama and Barack Obama.”
— Lauren LaRosa [09:16]

White House and Public Response

• The White House secretary (Caroline Levitt) initially attempted to downplay the controversy, claiming it depicted Trump as “king of the jungle” and others (including the Obamas) as “characters from the Lion King,” urging:
  “Please stop the fake outrage and report on something today that actually matters to the American public.”
  [10:50] (paraphrasing official statement)
• Lauren sharply rebukes this spin, asserting:
  “I don’t care who all over there, who else is included. You can’t put Black people anywhere on no monkey. Like, what?”
  [11:32]
• Trump’s team later claimed the post was “erroneously made” by a staffer and removed it. Lauren calls out the inconsistent explanations.

Broader Reflection and Community Reaction

• Lauren notes the flood of support for the Obamas from across the political spectrum, including Republican voices.
• She reflects on the fatigue and numbness in facing continued racism: “It’s so bad to be numb to this type of stuff, but we’ve lived through worse attacks...Sad, you know, 2026, we’re still dealing with these things. But hey, such is life. Such is to be Black in America.”
  [13:35]
• Ends with optimism and a call to celebrate love and community, especially during Black History Month: “Let's celebrate the good when we have it, the love when we have it. Because, I mean, y’all see what we’re dealing with on a day to day.”
  [14:08]

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On relationship accountability:
  “Halle Berry is not a damsel in distress…never said it was anyone else’s fault.”
  — Lauren LaRosa, paraphrasing Halle Berry ([06:22])

• On Trump’s post:
  “You can’t put Black people anywhere on no monkey. Like, what?”
  — Lauren LaRosa ([11:32])

• On resilience and Black community:
  “That man ain’t gonna ruin my Black History Month.”
  — Lauren quoting Loni Love ([13:03])

• On enduring racism:
  “Such is life. Such is to be Black in America. So let’s celebrate the good when we have it, the love when we have it...”
  — Lauren LaRosa ([13:35])

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Timeline of Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |-------------|-------------------------------------------------| | 02:14–03:47 | Check-in, American Dream Mall event announcement| | 03:48–09:06 | Halle Berry engagement story and analysis | | 09:06–14:26 | Trump’s racist post about the Obamas |

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Tone & Style

Lauren LaRosa’s style is conversational, insightful, and community-oriented, blending humor, support, and directness—especially when discussing injustices or the lives of pop culture figures she admires. She creates an inclusive space for her “lowriders” (audience) with empathy and authority, never shying away from controversial subjects or emotional truths.

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Summary

This episode underscores the persistence of public scrutiny Black women face in their personal lives (via Halle Berry’s story) and the wearying, blatant racism still surfacing at the highest levels of government. Lauren LaRosa navigates both topics with admiration, frustration, and hope, offering cultural analysis, personal advice, and a resilient vision for her audience as Black History Month unfolds.

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Host sign-off:
“You guys choose to be right here with me. And for that, my lowriders. I appreciate you guys. I'll see you at American Dream this weekend or I'll catch you in my next episode.”
— Lauren LaRosa ([14:36])

Transcript

[Lauren LaRosa]

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[Lauren LaRosa]

I'm the homegirl that knows a little bit about everything and everybody.

[Co-host or Guest]

Exclusive.

[Lauren LaRosa]

No, she don't lie about that.

[Commercial Announcer]

Right? Lauren came in hot.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Hey y', all, what's up? It's Lauren LaRosa. And this is the latest with Lauren LaRosa. This is your daily dig on all things pop culture, entertainment, news, and all of the conversations that shake the room. Baby Friday or Behind the scenes of the Grind. I guess we gotta check in. We do it every episode, so let's check in. Behind the scenes of the Grind Real quick. Before we get to the latest behind the scenes of the grind, y', all, today is Friday. I am just happy it's Friday. This weekend is a lot more of a chill weekend for me. I am feeling good. That that is just it. And that is all. Literally, that is it, and that is all. We're dealing with the cold weather here in New York still. We're dealing with the cold weather here in New York still. So just kind of navigating and going through that whole thing. But this weekend, we will be at American Dream Mall. I'll be there with DJ Envy. He's doing his black family reunion, which is going to be a ton of vendors and conversations, fashion, cars, performances, all of these things just to celebrate Black History Month, get some business flowing amongst the black businesses. So if you're listening to this, this is an instruction. If you are a low rider, if you are in this community and you live in or near New Jersey, please, please meet us at American Dream Mall, Saturday, February 7, 2026 at American Dream Mall between 12 and 7pm I'll be there hosting things, but I'll also have some brown girl grinding merch for you guys that no one has even seen yet. You guys will be the first to shop it if you come in person. So please pop out. Let's have a good time.

[Co-host or Guest]

Now.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Let's get on into the latest. So Halle Berry is having to backtrack things a bit. Okay. My girl and Halle Berry, when she say something, she say it. And when she mean it, she stand on it. But she's having a backtrack. So she just announced that her and her boyfriend Van Hunt are actually engaged. Ask for claps. Ask for claps. Ask for claps. Taylor. Taylor made it. Is over there on the engineering side of the podcast right now. I am so happy for my girl. They've been together for about like, six years, and y' all are like, damn, six years. And they're just now getting engaged. Here's the thing. Halle Berry never gave him an answer to the proposal. So let me. Let me give you guys some background. So back in 2025, in June of 2025, Van Hunt spoke about the fact that he had already proposed to Halle Berry. And he said that, you know, she said no. He said he put the proposal out there. It was still floating in the air. But at the time, they weren't engaged. She had said no. So Halle Berry, who people always have conversations about her relationships and about her not being able to stay in them, she is very well aware of that she's been divorced three times, and she has said that she didn't rush, and she isn't rushing to marriage with Van because she's had three marriages that didn't work out right. And it's like, okay, I understand the logic, But I do feel like if you have a person that's there, that's willing, that you've obviously been with for six years, I mean, I don't know. I don't know what the hesitation is. But again, she knows herself. She's the one who's been through these past situations. She knows what's going on, so we gotta trust it. But last week, Halle Berry did this interview with the Cut magazine. And it was a written interview, so you won't hear her. But in the interview, she talked about the fact that, like, after her third divorce, people started to ask, like, what's wrong with Halle Berry? Is she crazy? She can't keep a man. And she would. She said that her pushback would always be, who says I want to keep a man if he's not the right man? And then she talks about, you know, being in the best relationship that she ever had. Her and Van met in. During COVID in 2022, and it was, like, set up by his brother. She says they text and talked on the phone for four months before their first in real life date. Then she talks about the fact that she had actually. Halle Berry had stopped doing interviews because she felt like, for, like, 10 years, every interview she did, it always became about her in relationships and how they didn't work. She says it was always, poor Halle unlucky in love. Again. When I. And then. So the editor of the Cut magazine is like, well, why don't you come up with your headline like your own? If you could come up with your own headline about Halle Berry and relationships, what would it be? And so she closes her eyes and she goes, halle Berry is not a damsel in distress. Halle Berry is not a victim of a failed relationship. Halle Berry never said it was anyone else's fault. So she's very well aware of the conversations that are out there. She obviously is very well aware of herself. And she talks a lot in this article about learning to take accountability for what went right and wrong, both in her relationships, her work life, everything, right? But in this article, mind you, mind y', all, this was, like, not even a week ago. In this article, she volunteers the information that Van Hunt proposed to her this past June, and she still hadn't said yes. So in the article, she goes, this Past June, Hunt proposed. And the interviewer goes, and. And she says, so Halle Berry leans in, and she says, I haven't said yes. I don't think we need to be married to have a full, meaningful relationship. I don't know if we will ever get married. Then she says, so then she's talking about, you know, because of health reasons or having full access and the right to make crucial medical decisions as a legal spouse is one of her, like, exceptions to the rule. So it didn't even sound like in this article that marriage was something on her mind. She admitted that this was one of the best relationships she's ever been in. She admitted that she's at a place of taking full accountability. She admitted that she barely even talked to people, you know, and hasn't for a while. But now she's been out, you know, promoting all of the work that she's doing in the menopause space. So she has been more active. But she says that she even at one point, stayed away because she didn't want to have a conversation about relationships. And now here we are, and Halle Berry is volunteering information about the relationship. So fast forward, we're like, what, a few days after she's now on Fallon, and she lets us know. She's, like, clearing up the confusion. She says that people have their relationship confused. They are actually engaged. Let's take a listen.

[Commercial Announcer]

There's some confusion. It's going around that I. That my guy, Van Hunt, I've been dating him now for almost six years.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Yes, I know him.

[Co-host or Guest]

He's great.

[Commercial Announcer]

He is great, right?

[Lauren LaRosa]

Yeah.

[Commercial Announcer]

Well, there's some confusion that he asked to marry me, and I said no.

[Lauren LaRosa]

That's yes.

[Co-host or Guest]

No, no, no, sir, stop.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Oh, my God.

[Commercial Announcer]

But that is not. No, that's not the case. I did not say no. We just don't have a date. But of course I said yes, I would marry.

[Co-host or Guest]

All right, good. Come on.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Yes. So I don't know what's going on over there, but congratulations. Question mark. To Halle Berry and Van Hunt. I don't know. But I'm glad that she's cleared it up, because I do feel like when I read the article with the cut, I was like, damn. She still didn't say yes to that man. That is a very patient man, because I understand you come with your bruises and all that. Girl, listen. And for any woman out there listening to this, who has been through some things in a relationship, you already know you're never fully together for that next relationship the way that you think you are you're not until you get in it and you realize those triggers and, like, it's just a whole process. But if someone's there and they're doing everything they're supposed to be doing, and she's like, this is the best relationship I've been in ever. Girl, marry that man. I don't know what you talking about. Halle Berry, marry that man with your beautiful, fine self. They are a beautiful, fine couple. Can't wait to see the wedding photos. Now, in other news, because, I mean, I guess that was black history. Halle Berry is finally engaged again. Oh, she would hate that headline. In other news, you know, there is a latest update over at the White House. So on this sixth day of Black History Month, our President Donald Trump gave to us a racist video of Michelle Obama and Barack Obama. So randomly today, I minded my black business and I'm scrolling on my timeline and I see this video. It's like an AI video where Michelle Obama and Barack Obama, their faces are infused with, like, characters from Planet of the Apes. And I'm like, what the hell is this? And then I see that is being reposted from Truth social media posted by the White House. And I'm like, what? Like, first of all, why? Secondly, I mean, we know Donald Trump is racist, but, like, I'm like, did something, did something happen within the last, like, 10 minutes? Like, did Barack Obama, like, I don't know, post the Black History Month post or something? Like, what triggered the shots he's throwing his way now? Like, what is it? So the clip was posted and this actual. So this video that was posted was actually a part of an old video that talked about these unverified alleged voter fraud claims, something that happened allegedly back in 2022, which we all know anything that is alleged from that side of things is typically the furthest from the truth. But, yeah, so the clip showed what I. What I told you guys. Barack Obama, Michelle Obama with their. It was like animated with their heads on two characters from the Planet of the Apes. And then the song that was playing is the Lion Sleeps Tonight. Now, Trump's account reposted this with no caption at all on Truth Social. And then when the White House secretary, Caroline Levitt was asked about it, this is a statement she gave. She said, this is from an Internet meme video depicting President Trump as the king of the jungle and Democrats as characters from the Lion King. Please stop the fake outrage and report on something today that actually matters to the American public. So what Caroline Levitt is referring to is the original Meme that was posted that had Trump, like his body superimposed on the body of a lion. And then he had the faces of other politicians, including Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton, but also the Obamas on these, like, jungle characters or whatever. Right? But I don't care who all over there, who else is included. You can't put black people anywhere on no monkey. Like, what? And then I tried to go find the post myself on his True Social account because I just couldn't believe it. I'm like, this is so blatant. Like, Trump is very blatant. But I'm like, I don't know, I. I just need to see it myself. So I went to Truth Social three times, actually. I thought maybe I missed it because there were all these other videos that he had been reposting and I couldn't find anything. And then there was an update. So the White House sent out another statement that said a White House official or White House staffer uraniously made the post. It has been taken down. So they're blaming like a random White House staffer after Caroline Levitt already stood 10 toes down on it ain't that serious. The post has been removed, though. That's why I couldn't find anymore. The post has been removed, I was going to say. And now all is well. But I mean, is anybody surprised here? Lowriders, like, are any of you guys surprised that this happened at all? But I'm gonna keep on having a great Black History Month. Listen, I saw Loni Love comedian Loni Love post that man ain't gonna ruin my Black History Month. Because, you know, after that happened, there was like a big outpouring of love to Michelle Obama and Barack Obama across various Twitter accounts, Instagram accounts, media outlets, and not just the black censored ones, and not just Democratic ones. You know, Republicans were also really upset. I saw some people speaking out about this as well too. But hey, look, I mean, it's so bad to be numb to this type of stuff, but we've lived through worse attacks on the most beloved presidential husband and wife, Michelle Obama, Barack Obama. So we'll be okay. It's just Sad, you know, 2026, we're still dealing with these things. But hey, such is life. Such is to be black in America. So let's celebrate the good when we have it, the love when we have it. Because, I mean, y' all see what we're dealing with on a day to day. I'm Lauren LaRosa. This has been another episode of the Latest with Lauren LaRosa, your daily dig on all things pop culture, entertainment news, and all of the conversations that shake the room, baby. Now look, I tell you guys, every single episode, y' all could be anywhere with any old body talking about all of these things. But you guys choose to be right here with me. And for that, my lowriders. I appreciate you guys. I'll see you at American Dream this weekend or I'll catch you in my next episode.

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[Lauren LaRosa]

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