Melissa Rein Lively is a Scottsdale public relations company founder who tore masks off a shelf at a Target store in Arizona. You can watch the viral video later in this article, but be aware that it contains profane language.
The video shows Melissa Lively tearing masks off the shelf and unleashing a stream of expletives. Some people have labeled Lively a “Karen” on Twitter – “Target Karen” and “QAnon Karen,” the latter because she claimed to be the global spokesperson for QAnon in a video. Others videos show her using a racial slur repeatedly and accusing Target shoppers of not working so they could get unemployment.
“Finally we meet the end of the road. I’ve been looking forward to this s— all my f—— life. So, Target, I’m not playing anymore f—— games. This s— is f—— over. This s—’s all f—— over. This s—’s f—— over,” Lively says in the viral video.
In the video, she repeats over and over again, as she pulls mask after mask off the shelves: “This s—’s over. Yeah, wooh!” The masks ended up in a pile on the ground.
“F— this s—. No, I’m not doing it. I’m not doing it. We don’t want any of this anymore. This is over,” she says in the video as two employees approach.
“Why? You let everybody else do it,” she tells them. “I can’t do it because I’m a blonde white woman? That’s wearing a f—— $40,000 Rolex. I don’t have the f—— right to f— s— up?”
The video has had more than 4.5 million views. On Twitter, Lively calls herself “Melissa ‘F——‘ Reinbows” and says she’s a “Reporter, We The People News.” She also uses the name Melissa Reinbows on Facebook. She’s from Denver, Colorado, originally but lives in Scottsdale.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. In Another Video, Lively Told Police She Was a ‘QAnon Spokesperson’ & Accused Them of Doing ‘Nazi B——-‘ When They Came to Her Home
A second video shows the police at the same woman’s home. “They drained the swamp. They did everything that Donald Trump was elected to do. You can read about it on Twitter. You can read about it on the news. All the deep state politicians. It’s done,” she tells the officers, although it’s not clear who she’s talking about when she says “they.” You can see what appears to be a Range Rover in the video.
She said she wouldn’t give the police information, saying it was a secret and told them, “I was hired to be the QAnon spokesperson.”
The officer says, “You’re a spokesperson correct? … I think we have enough here.” At one point in that video, the woman tells the officer, “All of this is being broadcast live. All over the world on Instagram. Millions of viewers. Say cheese. You’re on candid camera.”
The officer eventually says, “Put your phone down. I’m sorry.”
“You’re doing it to me because I’m Jewish. This is a Nazi f—— game. This is Nazi b——-,” Lively says.
In one very disturbing video, Lively repeatedly used the n word after taking an Uber. You can watch that video here, but be aware that the language in it is extremely disturbing.
2. Lively Is the Founder of a Scottsdale PR Firm Who Started an Anti ‘Fake News’ Fundraising Effort; Her Husband’s Facebook Page Chronicles Their Many Travels to Luxurious Destinations
Lively’s LinkedIn page describes her as “founder, CEO at The Brand Consortium PR.”
The firm says it provides: “Public Relations · Brand Marketing · Event Marketing · Real Estate Marketing · Content Marketing · Social Media Marketing · Marketing Consulting Public Relations · Brand Marketing · Event Marketing · Real Estate Marketing · Content Marketing · Social Media Marketing · Marketing Consulting.” It’s located in Scottsdale, Arizona.
She describes herself as an “experienced Chief Executive Officer with a demonstrated history of working in the public relations and communications industry. Strong business development professional skilled in Crisis Communications, Hospitality Industry, Event Management, Media Relations, and Corporate Communications.”
Lively has run the firm for 11 years, saying it is, “Arizona’s #1 lifestyle and luxury public relations firm. We are a collective of public relations, buzz marketing, consulting and event design services specializing in hospitality, hotel & travel, real estate, retail, health & wellness and consumer brands.”
Before that, she was director of public relations and regional director at two other public relations firms. She was a PR account executive for another firm in Los Angeles. Lively is a graduate of Arizona State University and Cherry Creek High School. Her LinkedIn page lists volunteer experience for the American Heart Association, Make-A-Wish America and Phoenix Children’s Hospital.
She wrote on Facebook that she is married to Jared Lively, whose Facebook page says works at a commercial real estate firm. Photos on his Facebook page show their travels, including trips to Italy, Greece and France, and playing polo in Buenos Aires.
In 2019, he shared a video and wrote, “Lively Travels Summer Home Movie: escaping to my 3 favorite places- Santorini, Mykonos and Barcelona with my lovely life adventurist Melissa a Lively by my side.”
In another post, he wrote, “Back from my 40th bday bash with my amazing #1 human Melissa Lively. Such incredible experiences thanks to my love, everything was so wonderful. Appreciate my mates from London and Copenhagen coming out for a few days in Mykonos. Can’t wait to go back.”
A GoFundMe page in Lively’s name says was starting a campaign “to help us launch We The People News, which is a brand new kind of media organization that will include TV/video, audio/radio, and digital/text-based formats. Our goal is to launch the first phase this New Media Organization with funding from this campaign by Fall 2020.”
The page rails against “fake news.”
“Fake News is the Enemy of the People. Sensationalism always sold. By the early 19th century, modern newspapers came on the scene, touting scoops and exposés, but also fake stories to increase circulation. The New York Sun’s ‘Great Moon Hoax’ of 1835 claimed that there was an alien civilization on the moon, and established the Sun as a leading, profitable newspaper,” reads the fundraiser, which was created just days before the Target rant.
“Now, the Fake News media has spiraled completely out of control, leading an Insurgency that has just one goal: destroy the American Republic. Now is the time to #StopFakeNews once and for all.” It’s raised a little over $800 with a set goal of $1 million.
3. In a Radio Interview, Lively Was Described as a Political Expert & Local Mover & Shaker
Lively recently appeared on the radio talking about the future of Scottsdale. You can listen to that appearance here.
The Scottsdale mayoral race was one topic of the radio show discussion on June 10. Radio host Billy Harfosh described her as a mover and shaker and “political expert.” Harfosh said he sees Melissa “all around town. You’re tapped into what’s happening in Scottsdale.” He asked for her initial thoughts on how Scottsdale comes out of the pandemic, on social distancing and relaxing the lockdown.
“Where does government overreach take place and where does personal responsibility begin? When is it appropriate for a mayor or a governor or a federal government or anything to put restrictions on what people can do and what businesses can do?” she said in the radio interview.
Lively said it “looked like a great night out in old town Scottsdale … the energy has been great. People want to be out.”
She said she was disappointed by the mayor’s “aggressive comments” trying to “put pandora back in pandora’s box.” Harfosh brought up the question of wearing masks.
She said “no one is a bigger cheerleader” for Scottsdale than her. She said governmental overreach on business owners was a concern.
“She knows everybody in Scottsdale,” Harfosh said.
4. Lively Recorded Live Video Inside the Target Before & Posted on Facebook That She Is a Global Press Secretary for QAnon
On July 2, Lively did a “live report” in Target and said, “people are standing around like f—— idiots because no one wants to come to work because they can collect unemployment.” She then said, “Can you see the line here. Yeah, we’re all f—— social distancing.”
She used the hashtag #Q on that video.
“People need to f—— get it through their head that you have to work for money,” she said in one video.
In March 2020, Lively wrote an article for the Scottsdale Independent in which she adopted a different tune about COVID-19. In that article she indicated that COVID-19 cases were then still low but were growing and stated, “we must act now to keep it that way to protect our state.”
She implored local business owners to “collectively make the decision to put people before profits now. We must.” She indicated that “everyone must come together and make decisions that will keep us all safe.” She urged business owners to help to “grossly mitigate the impact of this crisis.”
She wrote on Facebook that she was QAnon’s global press secretary. “Allow me to reintroduce myself. I am Q,” the caption read.
5. Lively Once Engaged in a ‘Feud’ With Her Former Firm That Resulted in Restraining Orders
A 2019 article in the Phoenix New Times described a “feud” between Lively and two co-founders at a “heavyweight” PR firm in Scottsdale.
The article said Lively accused the firm of using “its power for evil” but one of its principals accused Lively of engaging in a “smear campaign against her.” The situation resulted in two restraining orders being filed against Lively.
The newspaper reported that the restraining order alleged that Lively had engaged in “unwanted and uninvited electronic communications.” The firm’s lawyer said the co-founders had a lot of concern for Lively and her “mental health.”
The news site reported that Lively had recorded a phone call and placed it on YouTube, calling it a “phone call worthy of reality television.”
She has an active Twitter page. Her tweets include things like, “Has anyone told the MSM they cancelled yet? They just named the new Queen of England” and “Trump/Reinbows 2024.” She also wrote, “Where is Hilary? I’d really like to get A good sleep tonight” and “Mossad literally picked me up after lunch today and had ‘the talk’ with me.”
She shared a post about “leftist protesters” blocking the road to Mount Rushmore and wrote, “I thought we caught em all. What happened?”
Lively shared a CNN article that read, “Since its origin three years ago, QAnon has festered in the darker corners of the internet,” and wrote, “Why would you write this story without talking to me? I do their PR.”
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