GoneTrending

No parent is perfect, even though some social media stars and mommy bloggers want us to think they have it all figured out. In the real world, parenting isn’t that easy. Every parent is beautifully imperfect, and every kid is delightfully quirky. So, as long as we do our best, it’s more than enough.

A Reddit user who goes by brookeaat wanted to feel better about how she has fallen short of parental perfection. So she asked the followers of the BreakingMom subforum to “share their mom secrets so that I don’t feel so bad about myself.”

She started the conversation by leading with her dark secret. “Sometimes I give my 5-month-old a little bit of water (like a capful from a plastic water bottle),” she wrote. “She loves it so much, and since it’s such a tiny amount, I don’t mind, but I know most other moms would judge the sh** out of me if I said that.”

For those who didn’t know, pediatricians say that you shouldn’t feed a baby water until they are 6 months old. “It’s because babies’ bodies aren’t suited for water until several months after birth. Tiny tummies and developing kidneys put them at risk for both nutrient loss and water intoxication,” Healthline reports in a medically-reviewed article.

Many of the responses centered around screen time, and many moms admitted to allowing their kids to have as much as they like. That opposes the recommendations that children under 2 years old should have zero screen time and those over 2 years old no more than two hours a day.

Many moms also admitted that they have given up trying to feed their children consistently healthy meals, and they have given in to their kids’ desire to each chicken and french fries for every meal.

Here are 18 of the most revealing “deep dark” mom secrets the mothers admitted to on the Reddit post.

1.

“Sometimes I just seriously want everyone in my house to leave me the f**k alone.” — transponster99

2.

“My 2.5yo had two slices of cheese and an ice cream sandwich for dinner.” — GroundbreakingTale24

3.

“Oh man… I don’t care what my child eats. I mean, I CARE. I TRY. But it’s so draining for me to fight him about food. He turned 3 in April and you know what? He gets almost all of the important vitamins/nutrients from smoothies. I hide zucchini and carrots in banana bread. Spinach is tasteless in smoothies. Eats pasta. Refuses veggies most of the time. Will eat chicken if fried or in nugget form but no other meat and no other way. If my child is gonna sit there and eat a whole loaf of bread, I really do not care anymore. I DO care about his sugar consumption. That’s all lol.” — Inner-Membership-175

4.

“Screen time is ongoing at my place. I’m 37 weeks pregnant and I don’t think I could do toddlering without Blues Clues. When this baby comes, I def will continue the screen time. Survival.” — MaleficentMouse666

5.

“I’m tired of being nice to my kid all the time. She is like, the nicest lil 6 year old ever. Nice to toddlers. Popular with all ages. Sticks up for others. Would literally give me her last bite of ice cream if I asked. But, oh, man, I want to scream I DONT F****** CARE!!! the next time she says ‘Mom, look at me…’ do whatever inane thing she’s already done 10000x. I want to scream SHUT UP FOR ONE DAMN MINUTE every time she runs out of her limitless words and begins just making stupid noises to entertain herself. I want to say OMG I DO EVERYTHING FOR YOU the next time she hits me with a weaponized ‘you’re weeelllcooom’ when she does the barest minimum of anything and I’m supposed to fall over myself with gratitude. I want to ignore her every time she narrates her every friggin action to me, oh hey, she’s telling me a riddle right now that makes no sense, oh god it’s still going and I’m smiling and pretending to get it. Ha ha, that’s a good one.
Seriously. The best kid ever. Teacher’s favorite. Emotional intelligence far beyond her years. I’m a monster. I would never actually say any of this. But my poor brain, just let it hear itself think. Just let me be still. Let me stop having to react all the time.” — throneofthornes

6.

“I regret having my oldest child. He has ruined my life and I’m stuck in a hellscape I never wanted for myself. My literal only hope some days is that he leaves at 18.” — redtonks

7.

“My 11yo doesn’t have a bedtime or screen time restrictions (he has site/app restrictions).” — Its_Me_Jess

8.

“I rarely wash my kiddo’s hair. I brush it and she takes baths daily, but I can’t justify her screaming every night.” — Weekly Pie

9.

“I don’t usually bother to put anything more than a diaper on my one-year-old while we’re at home unless it’s cold or she’s going to bed. She eats in her pjs and they get covered in oatmeal, so I take them off and she just stays like that, not worth the fight and distress of the manhandling that she hates just so I can do even more laundry. Also, it’s interesting how even given the choice to watch as much TV and screens as she wants because I don’t limit it she watches only pretty much an hour a day.” — PeachGotcha

10.

“I let my 2-year-old sleep on my butt most nights. He has a beautiful, woodland-themed bedroom complete with a large Montessori bed, camper-shaped tent, and Hatch machine.But he’d rather sleep to cat videos on the couch with my butt as a pillow.” — Choice-Examination

11.

“Kids wear the same clothes for school and sleep 2 days straight because we bath every other day and I’m too lazy to change their clothes other than after bathing or if very dirty.

I only brush their teeth once a day.

I ditched safe sleep because my first had a horrible flat head, my second slept so much better in his stomach, and my third I didn’t even try safe sleep and I don’t feel guilty at all.

I also sometimes drink too much while watching the kids. That I feel guilty about.” — babystay

12.

“I’d half charge the iPad and when the battery died, they were out of screen time for the day. Now they can turn on computers and the Xbox so they don’t use the iPad anymore, but it always bought me enough time in the mornings to have some coffee and get ready.” — CrimeBrulee_

13.

“My husband cleans the house while I breastfeed my kid to sleep. I almost always lay next to her for a bit longer and scroll on my phone and enjoy her presence until I can hear him finished, so that I don’t have to help.” — HollyBethQ

14.

“My son slept in our bed until he was like 13 years old. Sometimes when he visits (he’s 23 now and turned out fine!) he will still get in my bed with me and read or watch videos. He also camps out in our bed (on my side) when I’m not there, so I think he just likes our bed.” — Apprehensive_Set_151

15.

“I honestly can’t stand to be around my 8-year-old son anymore; I don’t like who he is. His behavior is awful and he does things purposely to shock and irritate me. He got mad and threw a toy at me the other night when I sent him to his room for time-out; he threw it so hard that it hit the floor and it bounced up and cut my leg. I feel like an awful mother/human being for feeling this way and it breaks my heart. I just don’t know what to do with him anymore. He’s in counseling and takes medication, but it only does so much.” — NorwegianMuse

16.

“I let my 15-year-old drink. Sometimes. With family and food. If I, or my mother, has- cooked full, fancy, meal, and we’re all sitting down to with either a full bottle or a split, he can have a up to a glass with his meal.” — [deleted]

17.

“I really don’t think I should have ever been a mom, I regret it a lot and wish I could do my life over. I do love my child with all my heart and try to do as best as I can and I will never let them know how I feel.” — purplejanuary14

18.

“I just wanna say….I love all you ladies so much. This thread is hella refreshing!” — Bob-Bhlabla-esq

What do you do when you find out your kid bullied someone? For many parents, the first step is forcing an apology. While this response is of course warranted, is it really effective? Some might argue that there are more constructive ways of handling the situation that teach a kid not only what they did wrong, but how to make things right again.

Single dad Patrick Forseth recently shared how he made a truly teachable moment out of his son, Lincoln, getting into trouble for bullying. Rather than forcing an apology, Forseth made sure his son was actively part of a solution.

The thought process behind his decision, which he explained in a now-viral TikTok video, is both simple and somewhat racial compared to how many parents have been encouraged to handle similar situations.

---

“I got an email a few days ago from my 9-year-old son’s teacher that he had done a ‘prank’ to a fellow classmate and it ended up embarrassing the classmate and hurt his feelings,” the video begins.

At this point, Forseth doesn’t split hairs. “I don’t care who you are, that’s bullying,” he said. “If you do something to somebody that you know has the potential end result of them being embarrassed in front of a class or hurt—you’re bullying.”

So, Forseth and Lincoln sat down for a long talk (a talk, not a lecture) about appropriate punishment and how it would have felt to be on the receiving end of such a prank.

From there, Forseth told his son that he would decide how to make things right, making it a masterclass in taking true accountability.

“I demanded nothing out of him. I demanded no apology, I demanded no apology to the teacher,” he continued, adding, “I told him that we have the opportunity to go back and make things right. We can’t take things back, but we can try to correct things and look for forgiveness.”

@thehalfdeaddad Replying to @sunshinyday1227 And then it’s my kid 🤦‍♂️😡 #endbullyingnow #talktoyourkidsmore #dadlifebestlife #singledadsover40 #teachyourchildren #ReadySetLift ♬ Get You The Moon – Kina

So what did Lincoln do? He went back to his school and actually talked to the other boy he pranked. After learning that they shared a love of Pokémon, he then went home to retrieve two of his favorite Pokémon cards as a peace offering, complete with a freshly cleaned case.

Lincoln would end up sharing with his dad that the other boy was so moved by the gesture that he would end up hugging him.

“I just want to encourage all parents to talk to your kids,” Forseth concluded. “Let’s try to avoid just the swat on the butt [and] send them to their room. Doesn’t teach them anything.”

In Forseth’s opinion, kids get far more insight by figuring out how to resolve a problem themselves. “That’s what they’re actually going to face in the real world once they move out of our nests.”

He certainly has a point. A slap on the wrist followed by being marched down somewhere to say, “I’m sorry,” only further humiliates kids most of the time. With this gentler approach, kids are taught the intrinsic value of making amends after wrongdoing, not to mention the power of their own autonomy. Imagine that—blips in judgment can end up being major character-building moments.

Kudos to this dad and his very smart parenting strategy.

This article originally appeared on 3.24.23

Like many of us, Bonny Doon were moved by Waxahatchee‘s music. But unlike many of us, they were actually invited to collaborate on the singer’s hit 2020 album, Saint Cloud, and act as a backing band on her subsequent tour. “The experience raised the ceiling on our imagination,” says vocalist/guitarist Bobby Colombo.

Traces of their time collaborating with Waxahatchee can be heard throughout the album. Not only because Katie Crunchfield offers backing vocals to three of the tracks, “Let There Be Music,” “San Francisco,” and “You Can’t Stay The Same,” but also in the twangy vocal delivery and pastoral, Americana-leaning ballads. Throughout 10 tracks, Bonny Doon focus on finding joy in small moments, like the serenity that comes with watching the trees sway in the wind on “Crooked Creek.”

Staying grounded is a central theme of the band’s music, particularly since the album was recorded amid a few health scares for the band. Drummer Jake Kmiecik was healing from complications due to a chronic health condition and Colombo was healing from a brain injury and undiagnosed Lyme disease. Despite the setbacks and many doctors visits, Boony Doon managed to come together for Let There Be Music, their most refined and joyous work to date.

Ahead of the release of Let There Be Music, Bonny Doon sits down with Uproxx to talk Grateful Dead, You’ve Got Mail, and living in the moment in our latest Q&A.

What are four words you would use to describe your music?

Understated, humane, simple, thoughtful.

It’s 2050 and the world hasn’t ended and people are still listening to your music. How would you like it to be remembered?

As something special from a simpler time.

What’s your favorite city in the world to perform?

Detroit, but also anywhere and everywhere.

Who’s the person who has most inspired your work, and why?

Neil Young. We have Neil tattoos. He has always been an uncompromising artist who knows how to keep the essence of a feeling intact.

Where did you eat the best meal of your life?

Lake Inez in Toronto.

What album do you know every word to?

Dookie, American Beauty.

What was the best concert you’ve ever attended?

Roscoe Mitchell at Kerrytown Concert House in Ann Arbor, 2018, there were about fifteen minutes where he played solo, circular breathing to a crowd of about fifty people and I’m convinced it’s the closest to the divine I’ve ever seen a person get.

What is the best outfit for performing and why?

A suit, clean and simple.

Who’s your favorite person to follow on Twitter and/or Instagram?

The insta page for Apology Magazine.

What’s your most frequently played song in the van on tour?

Grateful Dead Sirius station.

What’s the last thing you Googled?

Dead & Company Cornell 5/8/2023 soundboard haha

What album makes for the perfect gift?

The Brenda Ray collection D’Ya Hear Me!: Naffi Years, 1979-93. It’s hard to find but it’s perfect music.

Where’s the weirdest place you’ve ever crashed while on tour?

Massive co-op in Berkeley, going into after a fifteen-hour drive unaware that it was a co-op. First thing I saw walking in was about thirty bikes and got very alarmed.

What’s the story behind your first or favorite tattoo?

The aforementioned Neil tattoos, an homage to the man.

What artists keep you from flipping the channel on the radio?

Whenever I catch “Somebody’s Baby” by Jackson Browne it’s a good day.

What’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for you?

My girlfriend came to see Phish with me last summer, but most importantly she enjoyed it.

What’s one piece of advice you’d go back in time to give to your 18-year-old self?

Be here now.

What’s the last show you went to?

Last band I saw was our friend Kacey Johansing, very special music.

What movie can you not resist watching when it’s on TV?

You’ve Got Mail.

What’s one of your hidden talents?

Somehow still avoiding T*kT*k.

Let There Be Music is out 6/16 via Anti. Find more information here.

On Tuesday, about a month-and-a-half after being canned by Fox News, Tucker Carlson debuted his follow-up show on Twitter. It wasn’t the slick, long or even energetic program his viewers were used to. Instead it ran a mere 10 minutes, looked like it was filmed in a rec room, and featured him being decidedly low-energy. At one point one could hear the sound of someone off-screen closing a door. Hope it was worth it because, one day later, the inevitable happened.

As per a letter obtained by Axios (and verified by Mediaite), Fox News notified Carlson’s lawyers that their client had breached his contract. Thanks to a noncompete clause, the news network can keep him off the airwaves (and maybe Twitter) all the way through January 2025, i.e., another year-and-a-half. Carlson has vowed to give them hell over the contract he’d signed, but so far his only move is to create an online show for a social media service, despite any legal headaches it may cause him.

Carlson’s lawyers told Axios that any legal action is purely hypocritical. “Fox defends its very existence on freedom of speech grounds. Now they want to take Tucker Carlson’s right to speak freely away from him because he took to social media to share his thoughts on current events,” lawyer Bryan Freedman said in a statement.

Fox News abruptly fired Carlson in late April the week after they agreed to a whopping $787 million settlement with Dominion Voting Systems over false claims they made about the 2020 election. The reason(s) for Carlson’s firing have never been made public.

In his maiden Tucker on Twitter episode, Carlson offered a dense thicket of conspiracy theories involving everything from Ukraine to BLM protests to 9/11 to aliens to the assassination of John F. Kennedy Jr. As of this writing, the video has racked up over 90 million views.

(Via Axios and Mediaite)

Taco Bell has, hands down, the best vegan and vegetarian menu in the fast food universe. Sure there are vegan-focused chains like Loving Hut and Monty’s Good Burger, but those chains are region specific and don’t have the nationwide reach of something like Taco Bell. While most fast food chains are dropping plant-based burgers and chicken (and then quietly discontinuing them while hoping no one will notice) at Taco Bell you can turn just about every menu item into a vegan or vegetarian meal, and so long as Taco Bell doesn’t have some sort of special meat-based fried menu item (like wings, or fried chicken), the frying oil is free of animal by-products as well.

That’s great for vegan Taco Bell heads. But unfortunately, it has also allowed Taco Bell to f*ck around all of these years and not have a true vegan meat taco, something that is almost guaranteed to sell well. I’ve been to many Taco Bell tastings at the Taco Bell Test Kitchens, and they’ve tried all sorts of different formulations of plant-based non-meat “meats,” but in all of that time they haven’t cracked a true vegan taco that lives up to their OG. Well today, I’m happy to report that they are officially one step closer.

Beginning today, select Taco Bell locations in Los Angeles, New York City, and Orlando, Florida will be selling the Vegan Crunchwrap for one week (or while supplies last), a dish that has now become — spoiler warning for the review — our favorite vegan meal in all of fast food. The Crunchwrap features proprietary seasoned vegan beef, proprietary nut-free vegan blanco and nacho sauce, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, and a crunchy tostada shell wrapped up in a giant grilled tortilla.

So how good is it? Let’s break it down.

Vegan Crunchwrap Review

Tasting Notes:

Before we start talking about how this thing tastes I think it’s important to mention that I am not vegan or vegetarian. I like eating meat and, as such, I’m not the biggest fan of “meat substitutes.” Give me a dish that tastes good and I won’t care if it has meat or not, but the minute you ask me to pretend a plant-based burger tastes as good as the real thing, I’m out. I’ve had very good plant-based fast food, Umami burger in particular, but most plant-based fast food (KFC’s vegan nuggets come to mind) just can’t nail texture and flavor the way real meat does.

Having said all that, I think I like Taco Bell’s Vegan Crunchwrap more than the real thing. Let’s be honest, Taco Bell’s ground beef isn’t great and while I love a Taco Bell crunchy taco (see our Taco Bell ranking here), the primary flavor profile of the ground beef is grease and salt. The meat substitute used in the Vegan Crunchwrap delivers so much more flavor, I’m tasting chili powder, garlic, onions, black pepper, and a hint of cumin — resulting in something that is incredibly savory and mildly spicy, no sauce packet required.

When it comes to texture I can’t really say how it compares to the real thing because a Crunchwrap, true to its name, is full of crunch courtesy of the tostada shell and lettuce, which means I’m not thinking about the texture of the pea-protein based “meat.” All I’m getting is the flavor, which is objectively more complex and interesting than the real thing.

I’m also liking the vegan blanco and nacho cheese sauce a lot more, the sauces here are made totally nut-free (a lot of fake cheese is made with nuts) and still come across as complex adding an indulgent quality to this Crunchwrap that makes each bite incredibly addicting. Best of all, you get that without the overly salty notes of the regular nacho cheese sauce. It’s almost eerie how delicious this thing is, and that’s coming from someone who isn’t even the target audience of this dish.

The Bottom Line:

Taco Bell is absolutely knocked it out of the park with the Vegan Crunchwrap. It’s delicious, packed full of the sort of zesty flavor Taco Bell is beloved for and doesn’t cut any corners in the process. It manages to take a beloved dish on the Taco Bell menu and actually improve upon it. We can’t wait until you’re able to substitute the vegan meat into other classic Taco Bell dishes like the Crunchy Taco and Mexican Pizza.

Sadly, as of now, you can’t. Trust me, we asked!

Right now this dish is priced the same as the OG Crunchwrap which means if you’re in the test market, there is absolutely no reason for not trying this if you already love the Crunchwrap.

Here is a list of locations currently carrying the Vegan Crunchwrap:

Los Angeles—6741 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90028
New York City—976 6th Ave., New York, NY 10018
Orlando—11893 East Colonial Dr., Orlando, FL 32826

Find your nearest Taco Bell here.

Rap fans were impressed — and confused — when by Barbra Streisand‘s hip-hop knowledge when the 81-year-old quoted New York rapper Memphis Bleek on Twitter.

Streisand, who has long had a reputation for political activism, tweeted a dire warning about a future Donald Trump presidential candidacy. “Trump is going to be indicted for stealing classified documents,” she wrote. “He is going crazy with his tweets urging his cult to ‘FIGHT.’ We remember what happened on January 6th. ‘The strong are quiet, the weak start riots.’ – Rapper Memphis Bleek.” (The lyrics in question are from a song on the Jay-Z-led compilation album The Dynasty, “1-900-HUSTLER,” which features Beanie Sigel, Memphis Bleek, and Freeway.)

Although largely recognized within the culture as being Jay-Z’s protege throughout the late ’90s and early 2000s, Bleek did have an expansive solo career that saw him release minor hits like “Is That Yo Chick” and “Like That.” However, he was never much of a fixture on mainstream charts, leaving fans nonplussed that Streisand would quote him, of all people.

The idea that Streisand would be a huge Memphis Bleek fan turned out to be a source of amusement, though — much like a similar incident with actress Sharon Stone donning a movie prop that got her tagged a fan of underground rapper MF DOOM.

Check out some of the more amused reactions below.

Pete Davidson is famously a pretty chill dude. When he was on SNL, he regularly took his real-life problems and mined them for comedy gold. You probably have to really do something bad to piss him off. That, apparently, is what PETA did. A higher-up at the animal rights organization received a, shall we say, colorful voicemail from Davidson after they torched him for purchasing, not adopting, a new dog. As per Entertainment Weekly, he later explained to TMZ why he did what he felt he had to do.

In the message, Davidson revealed that the Cavapoo puppy he bought at an NYC store was for his mother, who’s dog Henry had just died.

“I haven’t seen my mom and sister cry like that in over 20 years. I was trying to cheer up my family,” Davidson explained. “I was already upset that the store had filmed me without my permission or acknowledgement. Then this organization made a public example of us, making our grieving situation worse. I am upset. It was a poor choice of words. I shouldn’t have said what I said, but I am not sorry for standing up for myself and my family.”

The mishegoss began when video surfaced of Davidson buying the puppy. PETA slammed Davidson for not going with a “borough-born mutt from a city animal shelter,” adding that the organization “urges Pete to show some big heart energy by adopting, not shopping, in the future.”

So Davidson rang up PETA’s Senior VP of Cruelty Investigations Daphna Nachminovitch and left her a message. “Thank you so much for making comments publicly that I didn’t adopt a dog,” he said in the voicemail, noting that he’s “severely allergic to dogs,” and that he had to “get a specific breed.”

Davidson also slammed Nachminovitch for not checking up on his possible motivations — including the death of his mother’s dog — urging her to “do your research before you [bleep] create news stories for people because you’re a boring, tired, [bleep].” He wrapped up his message by saying, “[Bleep] you and suck my [bleep].”

PETA responded to Davidson’s explanation to TMZ by telling the publication that “there’s no such thing as a hypoallergenic dog,” adding that “at least a quarter of dogs in shelters are purebreds, and that Petfinder has listings for homeless dogs of every breed under the sun, including the one he purchased.” They also said their “hearts go out to the Davidson family for the loss of their dog” before again urging him to “adopt next time.”

Davidson later acknowledged that he was unaware he could adopt a “specific hypoallergenic dog” and that he was told that “it wasn’t an option, and if it was, it was rare.”

In other new Pete Davidson news, he also admitted that he was “very stoned” when he and Colin Jost bought a Staten Island ferry last year and that they’re still “figuring it out” as to what they’re going to do with a big boat.

(Via EW & TMZ)

In news that should have Donald Trump shaking in his ill-fitting suits, former chief of staff Mark Meadows is reportedly cooperating with a special counsel investigation that could land the ex-president behind bars.

After Trump’s legal team spent weeks worrying where the hell Meadows was after the MAGA insider went dark, CNN is now claiming he’s testified before a grand jury convened by special counsel, Jack Smith. This latest federal probe is intended to uncover any illegal behavior from Trump during the Jan. 6th insurrection and after, when he ferried classified documents to his Mar-a-Lago residence. As his then-right-hand-man, Meadows had unparalleled access to the former president during that time which means, if he’s decided to squeal, Trump should be worried.

“We have a statement from his lawyer which will make the hairs on the neck of Donald Trump’s team stand, frankly, because it’s very ominous,” CNN correspondent Evan Perez said. “He doesn’t confirm that Mark Meadows has testified in front of the grand jury, but he says this: ‘Mark Meadows has maintained a commitment to tell the truth where he has a legal obligation to do so.’ Again, if you’re the Trump team… it doesn’t sound very good to them.”

Meadows was instrumental in Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election and he was in the room with Trump as the Jan. 6th attacks took place, when the president refused to condemn the MAGA mob. So yeah, he’s seen some things. Enough things in fact to earn a tweet from Fox News old-timer Bill O’Reilly, warning Trump fans that their MAGA mascot might be enjoying his fish filet sandwiches from a prison cell in the future.

(Via RawStory)

Former supermodel Helena Christensen is totally in on the joke of Tenacious D‘s new video. About a week ago, the two-man band released a cover of Chris Isaak’s 1989 hit “Wicked Game” in which Jack Black and Kyle Gass frolic in the water on a beach in skimpy swimsuits, lightly parodying the original’s artsy, black-and-white video which starred the model canoodling with Isaak on the coast. You can check out the cover above and the original below, but the real highlight here is Christensen’s response on Instagram.

Posting a screenshot of herself and Isaak from the original video, Christensen added Black and Gass to the background, running along in the water. In the caption, she joked, “I was very confused that day.” Stunning and funny; what a combination.

Tenacious D’s cover arrived ahead of a new slate of fall shows, including a performance at the Hollywood Bowl for the Video Game Awards, where they’ll be performing their new song “Video Games.” You can see those dates below.

6/7/23 Berlin, Germany @ Zitadelle
6/8/23 Nickelsdorf, Austria @ Nova Rock Festival
6/10/23 Milan, Italy @ Carroponte
6/12/23 Zurich, Switzerland @ The Hall
6/13/23 Brussels, Belgium @ Forest National
6/14/23 Rotterdam, Netherlands @ Ahoy
6/16/23 London, England @ O2 Arena
6/18/23 Clisson, France @ Hellfest Open Air Festival
6/25/23 Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl (Video Game Awards)
9/6/23 Charlotte, NC @ PNC Music Pavilion
9/7/23 Franklin, TN @ Firstbank Amphitheater
9/9/23 Indianapolis, IN @ All IN Music Festival
9/11/23 Rogers, AR @ Walmart AMP
9/13/23 Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall
9/14/23 Grand Prairie, TX @ Texas Trust CU Theatre
9/15/23 Austin, TX @ Germania Insurance Amphitheater

Chris Paul is going to hit the free agent market this summer. According to Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report, the Phoenix Suns have made the first major move of the Frank Vogel era, as the team has made the decision to waive Paul and let him hit the open market.

Paul, who just turned 38 in May, could have remained under contract with the Suns for the next two seasons at $30.4 million a year, although his salary was partially guaranteed for 2023-24 and non-guaranteed for the following year. Paul’s deal would have been fully guaranteed if the team did not make a decision on his future by June 28, and his partial guarantee is worth $15.8 million.

After coming to Phoenix ahead of the 2020-21 season, Paul was a major reason why the team was able to make the NBA Finals in 2021 and had the best regular season record the following year. But in 2022-23, Paul started to show signs of Father Time catching up to him, as he averaged 13.9 points, 8.9 assists, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.5 steals in 32 minutes per game while only appearing in 59 contests during the regular season.

With both Devin Booker and Kevin Durant in town, the Suns are trying to win as soon as possible and must believe that they can build the best possible team without Paul. Now, the Point God will be free to sign with any team he wants, and it’s not hard to imagine a squad with a need for a veteran presence in the backcourt jumping at the opportunity to bring him on board.