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The sudden passing of the Obama family's personal chef Tafari Campbell certainly shocked many. However, the already heartbreaking situation was made even worse when a slew of conspiracy theorists tried to link Campbell's death to the famous family he'd worked for. And, as if that wasn't enough, rumors continued even after an autopsy revealed that Campbell's passing was an accident.
Some may remember that back in July 2023, reports emerged that Campbell had drowned while paddleboarding in a Martha's Vineyard pond. Right from the start, CBS News reported that local authorities believed it had been an accident. However, that didn't stop tinfoil hatters from formulating absurd rumors about the Obamas' involvement. Some looked for similarities to the drowning of Walter Scheib, who had been a chef for both the Clintons and the Bush family. Others used AI to create videos seemingly showing Campbell's widow "Expose" the family. There was also a rumor that Campbell had been writing a book about the time he spent with them. And then, there was a since-deleted Instagram post claiming that Barack Obama's "personal coroner" (we're not even sure that's a thing) would be performing the autopsy. We'd say you can't make this up but ... they did.
Fact-checkers from AP, USA Today, and more debunked the theories in no uncertain terms. And, some of the investigators said the top-secret investigation may have spurred on the rumors.
Insiders were frustrated by the secrecy of the investigation
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As many raised questions, an unnamed public safety officer spoke to the Daily Mail, saying, "It's driving me absolutely nuts because it's making it seem like there's something going on, when there's not ... As far as I know, some poor guy went out on a paddle board, and he wasn't a great swimmer and he drowned." With that in mind, they felt as though the fact that state police had told them not to give the press any information was a bad move, PR-wise. "From what I've seen, there's no drama to this. If you guys just had everything, you'd see there's really nothing to this and move on. Instead, you're left with what appears like a mystery," the person added.
As has been the case with many of the rumors about the Obama family, neither Barack nor Michelle Obama ever addressed the drama over the autopsy. They did, however, share that they were grieving his loss, both in an official joint statement and then in personal Instagram posts. Michelle displayed how close they were, writing, "I will miss my friend, Tafari ... Rest in peace, my brother." Barack's post was slightly more formal, speaking to the late chef's personal character. However, he also signed off with a more personal, "I'll miss him every day." We're sending our condolences to Tafari Campbell's loved ones — and that includes the Obama family.
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