Summary of Pardon: A Book by Boosie

Overview of Pardon: A Book by Boosie

This episode of The Read is a mix of pop culture commentary, celebrity gossip, political outrage, listener advice, and two standout “reads.” The hosts celebrate Black excellence, obsess over Beyoncé’s surprise appearances and fan theories, break down several entertainment/legal headlines, answer listener questions about relationships and film, and close with a major story about Boosie allegedly getting scammed in a fake Trump pardon scheme.

Black Excellence and Pop Culture Check-In

Troy Mullins spotlight

• The hosts highlight Troy Mullins, a Black professional golfer and Cornell graduate.
• She won the 2017 World Long Drive Championship and broke the women’s world record with a 402-yard drive.
• They admire her as an unexpected Black woman dominating a largely white, MAGA-coded sport.

Beyoncé, Jay-Z, and the Hive spiral

• A big chunk of the episode is devoted to Beyoncé showing up at Jay-Z’s Yankee Stadium shows.
• The hosts marvel at:
  • Beyoncé playing piano and performing
  • Blue Ivy appearing onstage
  • Rumi not being allowed out, at least in the hosts’ imagination
  • Outfit speculation, including “Tina” comparisons and the return of heels
• They repeatedly caution the Beyhive against reading every appearance as a sign of a new album, while admitting they are also fully participating in the speculation.

Other celebrity mentions

• Rihanna appears at the show too, prompting jokes about her being outside for once.
• Tiana Taylor performs and gets online criticism, which the hosts think may have been an audio issue.
• Jeezy reportedly canceled his own show to attend Jay-Z’s performance, which they find wild.

Hot Topics and Entertainment News

Taco Bell and the cyclospora outbreak

• They discuss a cyclospora outbreak causing explosive diarrhea across the U.S.
• Taco Bell is mentioned in the outbreak conversation, leading to jokes about:
  • how hard it is to tell the difference between regular Taco Bell consequences and parasite-related illness
  • the importance of food safety regulations and public health standards

Nicki Minaj’s lawyers sue her

• A law firm that represented Nicki Minaj is now suing her, claiming she owes them over $300,000.
• The hosts joke that she seems too busy aligning herself with MAGA figures to care.

Pooh Shiesty’s father and house arrest

• Pooh Shiesty’s father is trying to loosen the conditions of his house arrest so he can manage real estate work.
• The judge and prosecutors push back, arguing he can supervise remotely.
• The hosts don’t buy the “I need to travel for work” argument and joke that it sounds like people are being asked to trust someone with a sketchy history too much.

Tyler Perry and the sexual assault lawsuit

• The hosts discuss Tyler Perry’s legal fight with accuser Mekhi/Marion Rodriguez (the transcript is messy, but the point is clear).
• Tyler is refusing a deposition because he says the accuser wants to question him about his sexual orientation, which he argues is irrelevant.
• The hosts agree that sexual orientation does not make someone more likely to assault someone, but they also question whether Tyler is really worried about reputation damage from a disclosure many people already assume.

Listener Letters

Movies and TV recommendations

• A listener asks about The Odyssey.
  • The hosts note the cast includes Zendaya, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Lupita Nyong’o, and Elliot Page.
  • They suspect some backlash is tied to Lupita or Elliot being in the film.
  • They mention the movie is three hours long, so they’re not rushing to the theater.
• Another listener asks about Obsession and Backrooms.
  • They praise Obsession as a strong psychological horror film with themes of consent, misogyny, manipulation, and the male ego.
  • They say Backrooms is still on their watch list.

Living with mom, stepdad, and late-night gym trips

• A 32-year-old listener says her mom’s husband ignores her texts when she gets home late from the gym and has to be let into the house.
• The hosts think the issue is less about the door and more about:
  • long-standing resentment toward the stepfather
  • lack of consideration for her safety
  • the fact that her mother will likely side with her man anyway
• Their advice:
  • keep the gym routine
  • use a flashlight or keychain light
  • don’t let the situation derail her progress
  • take mental notes for when she moves out

Dating a struggling boyfriend while catching feelings for coworkers

• A 22-year-old bisexual listener asks about:
  • a long-distance boyfriend who has had repeated issues with money, a car crash, and a weed arrest
  • two women at work she’s developing feelings for
• The hosts say:
  • the joblessness alone is not the main problem; the bigger issue is immaturity and lack of responsibility
  • one coworker is openly flirtatious, which is already a strong sign
  • the other is shy but still makes time to talk
  • simple flirting advice: eye contact, smiles, and light physical touch
• They also strongly caution: do not date coworkers.

Video game boss question

• A listener asks about the hardest video game boss fight.
• Their answers include:
  • Thunderblight Ganon from Breath of the Wild
  • a difficult Kingdom Hearts II Organization XIII boss with water attacks
  • Sephiroth in Final Fantasy VII
  • a major Black Myth: Wukong boss
• The shared theme: some fights were so hard they made them put the game down for weeks.

The Read: Boosie’s fake Trump pardon scam

What happened

• Boosie Badazz allegedly paid $600,000 to two men — identified as Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman — who claimed they could secure a pardon from Donald Trump.
• Boosie says they told him Trump had signed off on it, but the pardon never materialized.
• He is now suing them, seeking:
  • half of his money back
  • $10 million in damages
• The hosts note that the whole thing sounds like a scam from the jump, especially because:
  • the contract reportedly has typos and errors
  • the refund language referenced a date that came before the agreement was even signed
  • the men allegedly used influencer and political names to imply they had access they did not have

Why it’s funny and sad

• The hosts roast Boosie for:
  • believing he could buy a pardon
  • trusting known grifters
  • thinking Trump would care enough to pardon him
• They point out the obvious:
  • if you want fewer legal problems, the better move is to stop committing the crimes
  • federal clemency is not supposed to be something you can just purchase like a service package
• They also reference a White House response saying that receiving documents does not mean approval and that the people involved were not actually in the clemency pipeline.

The Read: Caitlin Clark and the Congressional overreaction

What Congress did

• The hosts react to a letter from 11 Republican members of Congress asking the WNBA to better protect Caitlin Clark.
• The letter frames Clark as:
  • a transformative figure in women’s basketball
  • a driver of ratings and fan engagement
  • someone being unfairly targeted by physical play

Why the hosts are annoyed

• They argue this is just basketball, a contact sport.
• Their bigger critique is about how:
  • Clark’s fanbase, especially MAGA-aligned white fans, weaponizes racism and sexism in her name
  • Black players get harassed and threatened after normal on-court contact with Clark
  • Clark herself benefits from the outrage without having to distance herself from it

The larger point

• They compare Clark’s public role to Taylor Swift:
  • both benefit from obsessive, often reactionary fanbases
  • both can avoid directly confronting the worst behavior of their supporters
• They emphasize that this is not about denying Clark’s talent, but about rejecting the performative “protect the white girl” energy coming from Congress and the internet.

The Personal Read: Link the dog

• The hosts end with a playful but irritated read of Link, Crystal’s dog.
• Link keeps digging through the trash for food wrappers, especially after Crystal leaves a turkey stick wrapper in the bin by her bed.
• The complaint is about:
  • the mess
  • the sneaky timing
  • Link acting innocent after making chaos
• It becomes a funny reminder that the dog knows exactly when to strike and then returns to being adorable like nothing happened.

Main Takeaways

• The episode blends celebrity worship, political absurdity, and petty domestic complaints in classic The Read fashion.
• Boosie’s pardon scam is framed as both hilarious and embarrassing, with the hosts stressing that he got played by obvious scammers.
• The Caitlin Clark conversation is the most politically sharp segment, calling out racial bias, media framing, and Congressional nonsense.
• Listener letters are treated with a mix of empathy, blunt advice, and humor, especially around relationships and workplace flirting.

Notable Tone and Style

• The hosts are at their most animated when discussing:
  • Beyoncé
  • dumb legal schemes
  • racist sports discourse
  • dogs behaving badly
• The episode is full of jokes, side comments, and rapid back-and-forth, but the throughline is clear: they are calling out foolishness wherever they see it.