Template:VFTG USA 8 Notable Events

Expansion and realignment

With the arrival of the new moderators, Passalt inheriting her father's role and the return of Hillary Matthewson joining the 14 (ten females and four males) existing moderators, the main moderator panelists and villains were realigned into eight divisions: two villains in each division in the Men's Conference with four moderators in each division in the Women's Conference and four divisions in each conference. In creating the new divisions, the producers and directors tried to maintain the historical rivalries from the old alignment, while at the same time attempting to organize the moderators geographically. Legally, two pink team moderators (Tracia Ward and Holly Everman) and two purple team moderators (Ava Zinn and Kathi Jameson) were required to be in different divisions as part of any realignment proposals; this was because Tracia Ward and Ava Zinn share the Fort Wayne market and Holly Everman and Karly Jameson share the Indianapolis market.

The major changes were:

• The Pink, Purple, Red, and Blue teams were split into two divisions: East and West.
• Thia Tola and Kendra Ray swapped divisions, with Tola becoming the fourth female moving from the pink to purple team and Ray becoming the first (with the exception of Perri Johnson and Hillary Matthewson) transwoman moving from the purple to pink team.
• New Red Team moderators Phil Allen and Kye Sanchez were placed into the newly formed Red Team East.
• New Blue team moderators Tavon Savage from Little Rock and Bill Delagatto from Milwaukee were placed into the newly formed Blue Team West.
• Holly & Perri, new duo moderator Sophia & Maci, new moderators Nadia Lorenzo and Breeanna Sorensen were placed into the newly formed Pink Team East.
• Tracia & Hillary, the reassigned Kendra Ray, new moderator Marti McDaniel and new duo moderator Ann & Kylie were placed into the newly formed Pink Team West.
• Clark Jones and Luka Runecraft remained on the Red Team and placed into the newly formed Red Team West.
• Archibald Coolranch and Glenn Swaringen remained on the Blue Team and placed into the newly formed Blue Team East.
• Ava & Kymberly, Rachael Passalt, new duo moderator Jenny & Tulissa, and the reassigned Tola (with her new girlfriend Natasha Gower as a duo moderator) were placed into the newly formed Purple Team West.
• Kathi & Karly, Lanise & Danni, and new moderators Donna Doogan and Peta-Alyce Kaizer were placed into the newly formed Purple Team East. Doogan's husband, Tim, joined the panelist and becomes the first man on the moderator panel.

Additional changes during the season were:

• Nadia Lorenzo became the fifth woman (after Kymberly Alvaraz, Lanise White, Karly Jameson, and Thia Tola) to move from the pink to purple team after the Pruple Team's dismal performance and Peta-Alyce would eventually announced she had sold her virginity to Lorenzo.
• New moderator Jacqui Fountaine filled in as a guest moderator for Purple Team East's Lanise & Danni during White's maternity leave. Fountaine would later move to the Blue Team East and becomes the first woman on the Villain panel.
• New moderator Maribel Mort was placed in the Purple Team East as Lorenzo's replacement.

This season is largely intended to preserve the traditional rivals in the same division. Plans are in the works add more moderators in the future.

Assassination of Christina Grimmie

See also: Christina Grimmie

Christina Grimmie (1994-2016), was assassinated following a concert in Orlando, Florida.

On June 10, 2016, Vote for the Girls supported contestant Christina Grimmie was shot by 27-year-old Kevin James Loibl while she signed autographs following her performance with Orlando-based band Before You Exit at The Plaza Live in Orlando, Florida. Loibl then fatally shot himself after being confronted by Grimmie's brother Marcus. Grimmie was taken to the Orlando Regional Medical Center in critical condition; she later died from her injuries on June 11.

The Orlando Police Department reported that Loibl did not have an arrest record in his home county, and did not appear to know Grimmie personally. A department spokesman said Loibl had traveled to Orlando "apparently to commit this crime"; Loibl had brought with him two handguns, two extra magazines full of ammunition, and a hunting knife. One theory confirmed by Ava Zinn confirmed Loibl was reportedly stalking Grimmie. Zinn said immediately the murder of Rebecca Schaeffer came as a theory the second Loibl was named as the suspect.

Aftermath, Coverage, and Reaction

Shortly following Grimmie's murder, the entire moderator panelists of Vote for the Girls anchored and reported coverage of the assassination of Christina Grimmie.

Grimmie's life and death became the topic of the season eight premiere episode, which will air in September 2016. Grimmie's death and a brief overview will also be highlighted in the 200 Women Picked special.

However, the children's edition of Vote for the Girls is being put on hiatus in response to Grimmie's death. However, the moderator panelists except Zinn, Alvaraz, and White decided to participate in the thirteenth season of So You Think You Can Dance (aka So You Think You Can Dance: The Next Generation.)

In the closing credits of Vote for the Girls (of which on nearly all episodes feature the supported contestants), "Christina Grimmie (1994-2016)" now appears in the end credits.

Hairstyle changes

Holly Everman, Tracia Matthewson and Karly Jameson stopped using hair straightners and began appearing on Vote for the Girls USA for the first time with curly hair. It is interesting to note that all three women were on the pink team during the third season of the of Vote for the Girls UK.

Three female moderators decided to let their hair go to a naturally curly state by the start of the eighth season. Two pink team moderators Tracia Matthewson and Holly Everman and a purple team moderator Karly Jameson all stopped using hair straightening products as Everman and Jameson have passed the age of 30.

Everman, who had shaved her head in May 2014, allowed her hair to grow to a natural state for two years before going naturally curly near the end of the seventh season.

Matthewson went on Fort Wayne CBS affiliate WTOR-FTV with curly hair for the first time in her career on July 18, 2016 as well as having her on-air name changed from Tracia Ward to Tracia Matthewson as WTOR had recently changed their news graphics, despite being afraid of what viewers might say. "I was a bit nervous as I was touching my hair to clam down the bendiness," Matthewson said during a taping of the revival of Jameson's talk show. At the taping Jameson also taped the first episode with curly hair also for the first time in her career.

WEWS-TV sportscaster Lauren Brill also went curly in 2016.

Tavon Savage becomes Bria Savage

Announced on December 22, 2016, that Tavon Savage was undergoing a gender transition to female.

Discipline for on-set incidents

Pink and Purple Team altercations

Upon seeing that her pick of Lauren Diaz (chosen by Ava & Kymberly) was not saved by Miley Cirus, two altercations involving Kymberly Alvaraz and Donna Doogan with Ann Dwyar and Karly Jameson, respectively broke out causing the four women to be ejected for the rest of the episode. Doogan's shoes, Alvaraz's ring, Jameson's necklace, and Dwyar's hairpiece were torn off, then punches were exchanged in return with Alvaraz's girlfriend and Doogan's husband to break-up the fight. Despite the four women being ejected, only Alvaraz and Doogan were suspended for one show, but three of the four duo moderators involved (Donna & Tim, Ann & Kylie, and Kathi & Karly) were fined $10,000 each for their actions with Alvaraz fined $25,000 for her actions. The fines will be deducted from their winnings.

Discipline for off-set incidents

Glenn Swaringen is guilty of DWI, suspended 6 shows

Vote for the Girls villain Glenn Swaringen was arrested on August 30 near his home in Kokomo, Indiana on suspicion of driving while intoxicated (DWI) after failing field sobriety tests. Preliminary charges of DWI were filed against Swaringen, who was jailed overnight. Swaringen had undergone treatment for alcohol addiction previously in the late 1980s. Swaringen returned to the villain panel October 10.

On September 2, 2016, Swaringen was charged with one misdemeanor counts in the incident: operating a vehicle while intoxicated, which is a Class C misdemeanor in Indiana.

Prosecutors alleged Swaringen was under the influence of alcohol and noted an unrelated incident during the site's previous season which Swaringen was speeding through I-69 north at 100 miles per hour in an effort to save his wife after she had an allergic reaction to macadamia nuts and eventually succumbed to the food allergy. Given the charges it is likely that Swaringen will avoid any jail time. Swaringen's daughter, Cathryn (also the sister of the late VFTG moderator Ariel Swaringen), was asked to take over Swaringen's role while he was in rehab, but she declined due to her commitments at WIFX competitor and Indianapolis ABC O&O WHOO (a station Swaringen previously worked for and his wife owned and previously worked at).

On September 4, 2016, Swaringen was sentenced to one year of probation during which he is forbidden from consuming or possessing alcohol and his driving privileges were revoked for a period of six months. He will be subject to random drug testing as a condition of his probation. In addition, the judge stipulated that any subsequent DWI charge in a two year period will be treated as a felony. Ava Zinn suspended Swaringen for six shows and also levied a fine of $100,000. As a result, Swaringen will have to forefit the $100,000. He was also forbidden from doing any media interviews or making comments related to the blue team on social media during the suspension.

Kymberly Alvaraz domestic violence suspension; placed on leave

Purple team west moderator Kymberly Alvaraz was arrested on charges of domestic violence after an altercation with her girlfriend, Ava Zinn, which took place near a dentist's office on January 19, 2017. Alvaraz was arrested at the Marion, Indiana Police headquarters at approximately 3:30 p.m. Thursday, January 19, 2017, and charged with second-degree strangulation, second-degree battery, second-degree threatening and disorderly conduct for allegedly choking her girlfriend.

Alvaraz will plead no contest to the charges after she immediately requested a trial by jury which under Indiana's legal system means that the terms of the sentencing are put on hold pending the jury trial.

Because the legal process had not yet played out, Alvaraz immediately took a leave of absence from her position at CBS 41 and placed on the inactive list until the charges are adjudicated. Alvaraz will continue to get paid, but was not allowed to have any contact with Zinn or any Vote for the Girls moderator.

On January 29, 2017, Alvaraz announced as a result of her actions, Ava & Kymberly were disqualified for the remainder of the season; therefore ending Zinn's seven season winning moderator record streak and Alvaraz's two season winning moderator record streak. Although disqualified, Ava Zinn will continue to host, while Zinn & Alvaraz were fined $500,000 with $250,000 forfeited as they had 25 unused flex picks.

Records, milestones, and notable statistics

Many of the site's moderator or villains season broke records or made history for the show in a number of ways.

• Archibald Coolranch's six season winning streak on America's Got Talent ended after his final pick Julia Scotti was eliminated.
• Bill Delagatto was the first villain to be disqualified for mistakenly picking a Vote for the Girls pick.
• Tavon Savage (now Bria Savage) became the first male moderator at the time or villain to win on Vote for the Girls upon Grace VanderWaal's win on America's Got Talent.
• Phil Allen became the first transman moderator on Vote for the Girls to have a "double victory" upon the America's Got Talent 11 third place finish of Jon Dorbenos.
• Ava Zinn and Kymberly Alvaraz's respective seven and two season winning moderator record streak came to an end after Alvaraz's domestic violence arrest on January 19, 2017, resulting in their disqualification for the remainder of the season.

This season also marked a first in the site's history:

• This season is the first to not use the "Moderator's Save" to decline Tate McRae's third place finish, and therefore making the first time a "loss" was declared on So You Think You Can Dance. The Moderators' Save was introduced in the sixth season.
• It is the first Double victory where the winner and runner-up of America's Got Talent were both VFTG picks chosen by Zinn's Villains.
• Tim Doogan became the first male to join the moderator panel joining his wife, Donna.
• Jacqui Fountaine, Jenna Monroe, Marla McClinton, Sonia Donbar, Sal Brock, Carrie Ewan, and Nadine Cole became the first females to join the Zinn's Villain panel.
• Despite the Moderator's Save" being used to decline Lauren Duski's second place finish, Ava Zinn overruled the decision, making all four teams losers and marking the first time in the history of Vote for the Girls that no moderator had won (although Sophia & Maci did get their third moderator victory when Chris Blue was announced the winner of the twelfth season of The Voice and Kathi & Karly earned their second moderator victory Rashad Jennings won the 24th season of Dancing with the Stars).
  • Had Normani Kordei and Lauren Duski won, the reward would have been a week at Indiana Beach with lunch and dinner at Brook's Upper Crust Pizza in Marion, Indiana. Instead, all four teams were forced to clean the Vote for the Girls set and prepare for the next season in addition to the America's Got Talent and So You Think You Can Dance competitons.

Nadia Lorenzo, Peta-Alyce Kaizer, Kathi Jameson, Karly Jameson, Sophia Williams, and Maci Blanca respectively became the seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth, thirteenth, and fourteenth winning moderator on the site with Lorenzo, Kaizer, Williams, and Blanca joining Ava Zinn, Tracia Ward, Kymberly Alvaraz, Thia Tola, Kendra Ray, and Perri Johnson to win as a moderator in their first season. Kaizer and Lorenzo became the winning moderator of the thirteenth season of SYTYCD with Leon "Kida" Burns and n the process becoming the second winning duo moderator after Ava & Kymberly. Kathi & Karly became the second Vote for the Girls moderator when it was declared that Laura Bretan was the winner of Romani au Talent five days after her America's Got Talent audition aired. As previously mentioned Bria Savage (as Tavon Savage) and Phil Allen became the 11th and 12th winning moderators, respectively. Sophia Williams and Maci Blanca became the winning moderator of the twenty-third season of Dancing with the Stars with Laurie Hernandez and the eleventh season of The Voice with a double moderator victory.

References

Footnotes