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Family of shooting survivor says ‘defamatory’ true-crime doc painted Olympic equestrian shooter as real victim
The family of the New Jersey woman who made headlines after she was shot by her Olympic equestrian trainer is condemning the case’s portrayal in a pair of true crime documentaries, alleging the coverage is biased and leans in favor of her attacker.
Netflix’s 2026 documentary titled “Untold: The Shooting at Hawthorne Hill” and a 2022 episode of CBS News’ “48 Hours” follows the harrowing story of Lauren Kanarek, a dressage rider who was shot twice in the chest by Olympian Michael Barisone outside his Long Valley farm in 2019.
Kanarek survived the incident, and Barisone was later arrested on various charges, including first-degree attempted murder.
In 2022, a Morris County jury found Barisone not guilty by reason of insanity, and he was released from a psychiatric facility one year later.
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The shooting quickly became a popular topic within true crime media, with “48 Hours” and Netflix both releasing shows retelling Kanarek’s story. But shortly after Netflix’s release earlier this year, her family began disputing filmmakers’ version of events, alleging both documentaries put a larger emphasis on Barisone’s side of the story while portraying him as the victim.
“It’s horrible. In the case of ‘48 Hours’, we were just flabbergasted at the time,” Jonathan Kanarek, Lauren’s father, told Fox News Digital. “It was so defamatory about Lauren.”
The release of both shows opened the door to a public harassment against Kanarek, including endless social media comments and ostracism within the equestrian community, according to her father.
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“CBS has a big audience of true crime fans,” Jonathan Kanarek said. “These true crime people, this is what they do. Lauren’s getting all this hate mail, [saying], ‘You should be dead, you miserable b—-. He should have shot you in the head.’”
Steven Beer, the Kanarek family attorney, echoed the father’s sentiments surrounding the case’s portrayal in mainstream media.
“I don’t think anyone who viewed ‘48 Hours’ or ‘Untold’ on Netflix could view that as a slice of victim advocacy,” Beer told Fox News Digital.
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Beer added that upon watching Netflix’s trailer for the show, they grew suspicious that the documentary was not giving air to Kanarek’s side of the story and approached Netflix and Propagate, the film’s production company, to request a screener ahead of its release.
“We asked Netflix and Propagate for a copy of the screener of the film beforehand so we could help Lauren manage her anxiety,” Beer said. “And they turned us down, [which was] just shocking. So that certainly was a confirmation of what we could expect.”
According to Beer, Kanarek and her family were especially disheartened by what they believe was an attempt by Netflix and “48 Hours” to reframe her story for the sake of profits and popularity.
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“After all the things that have happened in the world of sports and in the world in general, where powerful people have victimized or intimidated young women, that in this particular environment where we feel we are shining a light on this and talking about support and holding powerful people accountable,” Beer said. “It’s just a head-scratcher that Propagate and Netflix would disregard that conversation and the opportunity to do well.”
“All they had to do was be responsible and tell a story that wasn’t solely geared at giving the audience the impression that maybe [Lauren] could have driven [Barisone] to that point,” Beer continued. “As if anything Lauren could have done would have merited Michael Barisone from getting a gun and attempting to kill her.”
Kanarek began training under Barisone in 2018 and eventually moved into an on-site apartment with her fiancé at his training farm, Hawthorne Hill. However, the pair’s working relationship quickly turned sour, with the Netflix documentary revealing both individuals blamed each other for the fallout.
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Posts made by Kanarek to Facebook at the time played a large role in both the criminal trial and subsequent documentary, with Barisone telling “48 Hours” the fallout was substantial.
“There were things coming out on social media that were horrific,” Barisone said in an episode of “48 Hours” about the shooting. “I remember complete and total panic. Everybody says I was unglued. I was unglued.”
However, both Kanarek and her family have vehemently denied that the posts were intended to make Barisone feel uncomfortable, with Kanarek telling Netflix the posts were made in response to Barisone’s girlfriend trying to keep her from riding at the farm.
Months of tension came to a head on Aug. 7, 2019, when Barisone confronted Kanarek and her fiancé, Rob Goodwin, while the pair were staying on his property, and shot her twice in the chest.
“I’m walking over to him, and he is just staring at me,” Kanarek said in the Netflix documentary. “There was just something not right. And immediately, Michael pulls out a gun, shoots at me, bang, bang.”
She was subsequently transported to a hospital and placed in a medically induced coma for several days as doctors raced to save her life.
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“After a month in the hospital, she was able to leave and they spent the last several years going through her recovery, which – at least the physical parts – will never end,” Jonathan Kanarek told Fox News Digital.
Kanarek ultimately walked away with a damaged left lung and required several reconstructive surgeries stemming from the shooting.
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Barisone was arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree attempted murder, with authorities adding he also fired at Goodwin but narrowly missed.
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After being found not guilty by reason of insanity, Barisone was civilly committed to Ann Klein Forensic Center in Trenton before moving to Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital in Morris County, according to NJ.com. He was later released in 2023.
In 2025, Barisone was permanently banned from riding in events sanctioned by the U.S. Equestrian Foundation by SafeSport on the grounds of “sexual harassment; emotional misconduct; violated NGB policies/bylaws,” according to its website. The decision is eligible for appeal.
A disclaimer at the end of the Netflix documentary notes that additional documents and evidence provided by both sides were not included in the show.
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Additionally, Kanarek was paid an unspecified amount for her appearance in the documentary, according to NJ.com. Barisone, however, was not paid, according to a GoFundMe created on his behalf.
“Despite wild claims of us being paid upwards of six figures for our interviews, we did not ask for nor receive a dime,” a March 4 update to the fundraiser read. “We were told the show has a small budget to pay for some documents, which we declined, as we did not want to give them exclusive rights to certain documents.”
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The fundraiser has received more than $85,000 in donations for Barisone.
In light of the show’s release, Kanarek is hoping her story of survival and victim advocacy will inspire change within institutions that have a responsibility to protect women.
“[Lauren] has a purpose as she moves forward. She is not a professional victim,” Beer told Fox News Digital. “She wants people to learn from her experience and to help spark that constructive conversation.”
“She is healing, and that is paramount,” Beer added. “Part of her healing is trying to bring light from darkness, and trying to bring good from her tragic circumstances so that fewer women have to endure this kind of toxic environment – where they are vulnerable to intimidation, harassment and worse from powerful gatekeepers.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Barisone’s attorney, Netflix, CBS News and Propagate for comment.
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Supreme Court Delivers Emergency Decision – It’s Finally Happening
President Donald Trump scored another significant legal victory Monday after the U.S. Supreme Court sided with his administration in a case challenging controversial Biden-era energy regulations that critics say would have reduced consumer choice and driven popular appliances out of the marketplace.
The ruling marks the latest setback for former President Joe Biden’s regulatory agenda and comes as the Trump administration continues working to roll back federal rules that conservatives argue placed unnecessary burdens on businesses and American consumers.
In *American Gas Association v. Department of Energy*, the Supreme Court vacated a lower court ruling that had upheld Biden administration regulations targeting non-condensing furnaces and commercial water heaters. The decision sends the case back for further review and opens the door for the Trump administration to pursue a different approach.
At the center of the dispute were Department of Energy efficiency standards that industry groups argued would effectively eliminate certain categories of gas-powered appliances by making compliance nearly impossible.
The American Gas Association and a coalition of trade organizations challenged the regulations, contending that the federal government had exceeded its authority and ignored statutory protections designed to preserve consumer choice.
Solicitor General John Sauer, representing the Trump administration, argued that federal law does not permit regulators to wipe out entire classes of products through aggressive efficiency mandates.
“The Department may not adopt standards that effectively eliminate from the market products that have distinct ‘performance characteristics,’” Solicitor General John Sauer wrote in a brief to the high court.
The Supreme Court ultimately agreed that the lower court should reconsider its ruling, delivering an important win for businesses, manufacturers, and consumers who opposed the regulations.
The Trump administration has already indicated that it intends to revisit the rules entirely.
“The Department has determined that the rules at issue are factually and legally flawed, and the agency is considering a new rulemaking in which it would correct those errors,” Sauer wrote.
The decision represents another major blow to Biden’s environmental and energy agenda, which frequently sought to use federal agencies to push stricter efficiency standards across a broad range of household products and appliances.
The legal victory comes just days after Republicans in the House of Representatives approved legislation targeting another Biden-era regulation that became a symbol of government overreach for many Americans.
Lawmakers voted 226-197 to pass the Saving Homeowners from Overregulation with Exceptional Rinsing Act, commonly known as the SHOWER Act.
The legislation attracted support from 11 Democrats and aims to reverse restrictions affecting multi-nozzle shower systems.
Republicans argued that Biden administration regulations unnecessarily reduced water pressure by limiting the combined flow rate of multiple shower heads connected to a single fixture.
Representative Russell Fry of South Carolina, who introduced the legislation, framed the issue as one of personal freedom and consumer choice.
“Washington bureaucrats have gone too far in dictating what happens in Americans’ own homes,” said Rep. Russell Fry (R-SC) who sponsored the legislation.
“This is about defending consumer choice, pushing back on regulatory overreach, and standing up for commonsense policy,” Fry added.
Supporters of the legislation argued that the rule reflected a broader pattern of federal agencies attempting to regulate everyday aspects of American life.
“It seems like the Democrats want to tax you out of existence and overregulate you,” said Rep. John McGuire (R-VA). “So, this is a step in the right direction. Less regulation.”
The SHOWER Act would permanently codify an executive order signed by President Trump that restored a more consumer-friendly interpretation of federal law. Under Trump’s order, each nozzle in a multi-head shower system is treated individually rather than having all nozzles combined under a single flow-rate limit.
House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Brett Guthrie praised the legislation as a practical solution that returns decision-making power to consumers.
“By codifying how different nozzles are categorized, the SHOWER Act offers a commonsense fix that will allow households to choose what meets their needs, not what Washington mandates,” said Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-KY) chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
Fry echoed those concerns and argued that the Biden administration’s approach had become a symbol of excessive federal interference.
He said, “The SHOWER Act reaffirms that each nozzle is a shower head — plain and simple — and that homeowners, not the federal government, should decide how much water pressure they want.”
Taken together, the Supreme Court’s ruling and the House vote represent major victories for President Trump’s broader effort to reduce federal regulations, expand consumer choice, and rein in what supporters view as years of bureaucratic overreach by Washington agencies.
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Trump Sends Haters Into Full Meltdown With Who He Brought To NBA Game
President Donald Trump made a high-profile appearance Monday night at Madison Square Garden as the New York Knicks hosted Game 3 of the NBA Finals, bringing national attention to an already historic evening for New York City.
The Knicks entered the game with a commanding 2-0 series lead over the San Antonio Spurs and stood just two victories away from capturing their first NBA championship in decades. The matchup marked the first NBA Finals game played at Madison Square Garden since 1999, creating enormous excitement throughout the city.
Security around the arena was significantly heightened as President Trump attended the game alongside members of his administration, close advisers, and longtime allies. The increased security presence came just one day after six people were injured during a stabbing incident at nearby Penn Station, located directly beneath Madison Square Garden.
The president arrived to a packed arena and watched the game from a private suite alongside a number of prominent administration officials and advisers.
Among those reportedly attending with the president were:
Sec. Sean Duffy
Sec. Doug Burgum
Administrator Lee Zeldin
Deputy COS Dan Scavino
Jared Kushner
Envoy Steve Witkoff
Walt Nauta
Boris Epshteyn
Natalie Harp
🔥 BREAKING: PRESIDENT TRUMP just WALKED OUT to look over the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden
There he is, 47 becomes the FIRST US sitting president to attend the Finals in history 🇺🇸
The man is peak New York, in his element! pic.twitter.com/4ZFo616Z7m
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) June 9, 2026
The appearance highlighted Trump’s continued visibility on the national stage while also underscoring his deep connection to New York City, where he built his business career long before entering politics.
Meanwhile, as the president attended one of the biggest sporting events of the year, he continued drawing attention to another issue that has become a central focus of his administration: election integrity.
Trump has repeatedly criticized California’s election system as state officials continue counting ballots from last week’s primary elections. The prolonged counting process has reignited debate over election administration and voter confidence in the nation’s most populous state.
The controversy intensified after U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli disclosed that the Department of Justice has spent more than a year attempting to review California’s voter registration records.
“For over a year, the Department of Justice has been trying to audit California’s voter rolls,” Essayli said.
“Federal law gives the Attorney General the authority to review state voter files and confirm that only eligible U.S. citizens are voting in federal elections,” he added.
The dispute comes as California election officials continue processing large numbers of ballots days after polls closed. Unlike many states that report nearly complete election results within hours, California’s system routinely requires days or even weeks to finalize outcomes.
The lengthy process has fueled concerns among many voters who question why election results remain unresolved long after Election Day.
Essayli also highlighted several aspects of California’s voter registration policies that have attracted attention from federal officials.
Among the forms of identification accepted for certain voter registration purposes are gym membership cards, employer identification cards, credit and debit cards, prescription drug labels, and insurance cards.
Critics argue that such policies deserve closer scrutiny, while supporters maintain that safeguards are already in place to protect election integrity.
The issue has also renewed discussion surrounding the SAVE America Act, legislation supported by many Republicans that would establish nationwide proof-of-citizenship requirements for federal voter registration.
California officials continue to defend the state’s election system and insist that existing safeguards adequately protect the voting process. They also maintain that there is no evidence that widespread non-citizen voting has affected election outcomes.
Nevertheless, the Justice Department’s ongoing efforts suggest that federal scrutiny of California’s election practices is likely to continue in the months ahead.
As President Trump watched the Knicks pursue a championship before a national audience, the broader debate over election security, voter roll maintenance, and ballot-counting procedures remained front and center in American politics.
For the administration, both issues reflect themes that have become central to Trump’s presidency: public safety, government accountability, and restoring confidence in institutions that many Americans believe deserve greater transparency.
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Iran Makes Shocking Admission About Trump’s Strike On Ayatollah
New details released by Iran’s own foreign minister are shedding light on the operation that eliminated Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and reshaped the balance of power in the Middle East.
The account, offered by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi during a televised interview, provides one of the clearest descriptions yet of the strike that launched Operation Epic Fury. According to counterterrorism experts, the remarks serve as powerful evidence that the joint U.S.-Israeli operation was not designed to indiscriminately destroy an entire complex but instead to surgically target the leadership at the center of Iran’s regime.
Araghchi revealed that he survived the February 28 strike because he was located in a different section of Khamenei’s compound when the attack occurred.
“Well, the building we were sitting in was targeted, but the wing we were in remained intact while the other wing of the building was destroyed,” Araghchi said in an interview that aired June 4 on the Lebanon-based, Hezbollah-backed Al Mayadeen television network.
The revelation immediately drew attention from military analysts, who pointed to the extraordinary accuracy required to destroy one section of a heavily protected compound while leaving another standing.
According to Araghchi, Khamenei was in his office at the time of the attack. Other officials inside portions of the compound also survived because they were not located in the targeted area.
Dr. Omar Mohammed, a counterterrorism expert and director of the Antisemitism Research Initiative at George Washington University’s Program on Extremism, said the description confirms what many military observers suspected from the beginning.
“In the Arabic version, Araghchi says he was in a different wing of the compound, briefing another official, and his wing survived while the leader’s office was destroyed,” Mohammed explained.
Araghchi also disclosed that he had arrived at the compound for a meeting related to negotiations in Geneva and indicated that Khamenei was expected to be present in his office according to standard procedures.
Based on those details, Mohammed argued that the operation demonstrated an unprecedented level of intelligence gathering and precision targeting.
“They did not flatten a building; they took one wing and left the one next to it standing. That is President Trump’s whole doctrine in a single strike — he does not want a war of occupation, he wants to show the United States can reach the center of a hostile regime with precision and then offer it a way out,” Mohammed said.
Military officials later confirmed that the strike involved Israeli aircraft employing dozens of precision-guided munitions alongside advanced air-launched ballistic missiles. The attack reportedly killed Khamenei, Defense Minister Amir Nasirzadeh, IRGC Commander Mohammed Pakpour, and several additional senior security officials.
President Trump later publicly acknowledged U.S. involvement in the operation.
“He was unable to avoid our intelligence and highly sophisticated tracking systems, and, working closely with Israel, there was not a thing he or the other leaders killed alongside him could do,” the president wrote.
Mohammed believes the strike sent a message that Tehran should have immediately understood.
“Iran was handed the clearest message an adversary can get — we can reach your leader in his own office, and here is the off-ramp,” Mohammed noted. “A rational state takes the exit. Tehran did the opposite. It fired on Israel, killed a civilian in Bahrain, struck Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, and closed the Strait of Hormuz, setting off a global energy crisis. The surgical strike was American. The months-long war that followed was Iran’s choice.”
Following Khamenei’s death, leadership passed to his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, a transition that Mohammed believes revealed deeper contradictions within Iran’s political system.
“In Arabic, Araghchi calls the new leader ‘the young Khamenei in place of the elderly Khamenei.’ That is the language of a monarchy, not a republic of clerics,” Mohammed observed. “They are rewriting the theology on air to fit a son who lacks the religious rank, who was wounded in the same strike and who then vanished for weeks. A revolution that came to power by ending a monarchy is handing the throne from father to son.”
For many analysts, the operation has become a defining example of President Trump’s national security philosophy: use overwhelming precision to neutralize threats, avoid prolonged military occupations, and leave adversaries with a clear opportunity to de-escalate.
“The real story is not that Iran is strong,” Mohammed continued. “It was shown the precision of American power and the door was held open, and it chose to widen the war instead.”
Araghchi’s account appears to reinforce what American and Israeli officials have maintained from the start. The strike was not an act of indiscriminate destruction. It was a carefully planned operation aimed directly at the leadership of one of America’s most persistent adversaries, demonstrating both the reach and precision of modern U.S. military capabilities.
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