Rebecca Boldrick, David Hogg’s mom, came under Internet scrutiny after her son, David Hogg, appeared on frequent television newscasts discussing his experiences during the horrific shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. People began wondering if Hogg was a “crisis actor,” but this was disproven by reviewing evidence that clearly shows he and other students really were at the high school and really did suffer through that horrifying day. However, rumors began circulating about Boldrick’s job too, as people wondered if she was connected to CNN. Here’s what you need to know about Rebecca Boldrick and why that CNN photo is really just an innocent picture and not a sign of a deeper conspiracy.
1. Rebecca Boldrick Is a Teacher and Does Not Work at CNN
FacebookRebecca Boldrick’s photo that started the rumors.
This is the photo that started the rumors that Rebecca Boldrick was somehow connected to CNN. She shared the picture on her Facebook page in March 2016 and tagged it “CNN World Headquarters, Newsroom.” The pictures shows her children, David and Lauren Hogg, sitting behind an anchor desk.
No, this isn’t an indication that she works for CNN. It’s actually from a tour taken of CNN in Atlanta, which is a normal thing for an aspiring journalist like David Hogg to want to do. Boldrick even labeled the series of photos on Facebook as a “Great VIP Tour.” “VIP Tour” is actually the name of a tour package that you can purchase when you visit CNN. The tour currently costs $33. The description for the tour reads: “Enhance your experience with VIP treatment and get expanded access into live newsrooms, the HLN control room and a state-of-the-art studio that CNN uses daily.”
Others have said that when they visited CNN in Atlanta, they got to role play being an anchor or take “fake photos” on set. Read some of the Yelp reviews here to get an idea of what happens on the tour. In a 2013 article posted on “Mom Voyage,” this was written about the CNN tour: “Start with a ride on the world’s longest escalator to the working studios of CNN. Then, from behind the glass, you’ll look into a live newsroom, complete with anchors, reporters, camera people…the works! At the end of the tour, future television stars will certainly appreciate the ability to sit behind an anchor desk and take their turn at reporting the news. It makes for a fun experience and a great photo opp!”
Boldrick teaches in the Broward County School system, ABC reported, so the shooting affects her on many levels.
2. Boldrick Said Her Daughter’s Phone Died During the Shooting, Leaving Her Very Worried
In the video above, Boldrick appears on an ABC News interview with her children David and Lauren Hogg. She talks about the harrowing shooting and how she and Kevin Hogg, David and Lauren’s dad, got a text from Lauren that just read: “CODE RED. At school. I love you too.” She didn’t hear from Lauren again after that because her phone had died. Those minutes when she didn’t know what happened to Lauren were terrifying. Lauren lost four friends in the shooting.
“You never think it will happen to you,” she said. She later shared that she and Kevin had taught David and Lauren to always consider where they will run if something happens, even if they’re at the mall.
3. Boldrick Doesn’t Like Trump, But She Tries to Respect Other People’s Viewpoints
FacebookFacebook photo from 2017.
Boldrick hasn’t been shy about sharing her political opinions. She’s not a fan of President Donald Trump, and she supports Planned Parenthood. But she also tries to respect other people’s beliefs and opinions.
As far as Trump goes, she’s been outspoken online ever since he won the election. About a year ago on Facebook she wrote: “I can’t be silent any more. I tried to be respectful during the elections. I can’t sit by and do nothing with what is going on currently in the USA. It’s horrifying. If you like what Trump is currently doing please unfriendly or block me because you won’t like what I am going to begin posting.” She later said that she was creating a private group to share her thoughts, and she did respect other people’s opinions. She wrote: “Sometimes it just isn’t worth the stress of hurtful things people have said to me. I believe we all have a right to our opinions and try to be respectful of others views.”
When Trump held a listening session with students on Wednesday, he invited David Hogg to attend, but he declined. Boldrick told Metro: “His point was (Trump needs) to come to Parkland, we’re not going there.”
4. Her Family Has Received Death Threats Since the Shooting
YouTubeDavid Hogg on his YouTube account.
As if the Hogg family hadn’t been through enough already, they’re now receiving death threats online, multiple news outlets have reported. Boldrick said the whole thing has been very stressful, but she was proud of how her children had held up under all the stress. “I’m under so much stress,” she said. “I’m angry and exhausted. Angry, exhausted, and extremely proud.”
David Hogg himself addressed the crisis actor claims, saying: “I am not a crisis actor. I’m somebody that had to witness this and live through this and I continue to have to do that.”
5. Her Husband, Kevin Hogg, Is Retired from the FBI
Her husband, Kevin Hogg (and David and Lauren’s father), is retired from the FBI. Before joining the FBI, Kevin, 51, was a Navy pilot and an elementary school teacher, he told CNN in the video above. The Daily Beast reported that Kevin Hogg was assigned to the Los Angeles International Airport before he retired in 2014. Every time an FBI agent’s child outgrew a stuffed animal, they passed the animal on to Kevin because he liked to give stuffed animals to refugee children who were just arriving in America.
Kevin, a Republican, retired from the FBI because he was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson’s disease, his wife Rebecca Boldrick told The Washington Post.
David told The Daily Beast that his dad worked long hours while he was with the FBI, often leaving at 6 a.m. and not getting home until midnight. Sometimes as soon as he got home, he had to immediately leave for an emergency. That was when David learned to admire his dad and other FBI agents, which was reflected in his recent interviews.
David said in an interview with CNN that his dad walks the dog every day. “Half the time I come home and he’s fallen asleep and he’s snuggling with my dog, watching Netflix,” David said. Kevin, who was sitting next to David during the interview, chuckled at that visual image.