Shocking twist in tiny Texas town dispute as 'viagra-gobbling tyrant king' is found DEAD
George Coulam, better known as 'King George,' founded the Texas Renaissance Festival in 1974 and fashioned it into a two-month-long extravaganza that takes place every year in Todd Mission, 50 miles northwest of Houston.
Coulam died on May 21, two weeks after he lost a $60 million court battle and was ordered to sell up the iconic festival.
Grimes County Sheriff Donald Sowell immediately stated that there were no signs of foul play and that there was no threat to the community.
On Wednesday, it was revealed that the 87-year-old died by suicide, according to Grimes County Precinct 3 Justice of the Peace Mark Laughlin.
Coulam's death came shortly after a turbulent time in his life and a major setback in terms of his continued ability to run the festival that enjoyed its 50th anniversary last year.
At least since last summer, Coulam has expressed a desire to retire from running the festival. An HBO documentary revealed this was because he wanted to have more time to focus on art, gardening and 'chasing p****'.
Throughout the series, Coulam also talks about how much Viagra he takes and his desire to die with an erection. He even specified that he wanted to find 'a nice thin lady between 30 and 50 years old'.
At some point, Coulam changed his mind because he decided not to relinquish control after all. The only problem was, he already agreed to sell all the faire's assets in 2023 to a group of investors.
The investors — RW Lands, Texas Stargate, and Royal Campground — claimed that Coulam backed out after he received a down payment and closing costs from the trio.
They said he ultimately failed to comply with the closing process, which was supposed to wrap up by August 8, 2023.
They launched a $60 million lawsuit against the embattled king, who vigorously defended himself in court.
The nearly two-year legal battle came to bitter end in early May, with a Grimes County judge ruling against Coulam and awarding ownership of the faire to the plaintiffs.
Coulam was ordered to go through with the original deal, plus pay over $23 million in damages to the three companies who bought the faire.
He was dealt yet another blow earlier this month, when he was defeated in a general election to be the mayor of Todd Mission by challenger Stephen Messing.
Coulam had been the first and only mayor of Todd Mission, a town with just 121 people in it, since it was incorporated in 1982.
Despite Coulam's tragic end and the lawsuit, the festival's organizers have pledged that the 2025 season will continue as planned.
'We are shocked and deeply saddened to hear of the death of George Coulam. Like everyone else who loves the Texas Renaissance Festival, we remain committed to ensuring that the festival lives on,' said Meril Rivard, president of Texas RF, Inc., in a statement.
This year, it is scheduled to happen over eight weekends in October and November.
Coulam will still loom large over the 2025 festival, as his mansion, Stargate Manor, still sits in the center of the 200 acres of land where the annual event takes place.
The regal abode features a throne room, a gilt-adorned bedroom filled with 'regalia' and a custom, gold-plated golf cart.
The grounds also feature a cathedral built for Coulam's personal use.
The festival draws about half a million people each year to eat turkey, set up campsites and watch jousting competitions.
It bills itself as the nation's largest Renaissance event and more, with a village filled with themed performances, foods, and displays.
Coulam has previously expressed a desire to see his estate turned into a museum upon his death which will be open to the public.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
7 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Boost to socialist NYC mayor hopeful as the Big Apple's most conservative borough swings his way
Socialist New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani has received a huge boost as Democratic leaders in even the city's most conservative borough publicly backed the controversial nominee. Staten Island Democrats announced this week they are supporting the 33-year-old in the general election after previously backing his moderate rival, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, during the primary in June. The former governor is now running in the general election on an independent along with incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, while Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa runs on the Republican line. Explaining why the Staten Island Democratic Party has swung for Mamdani, Chairwoman Laura LoBianco told the New York Post: 'Zohran is the Democratic nominee. The voters have spoken.' 'We want to work together. I want to make sure Staten Island has a seat at the table,' she added. The announcement comes weeks after Brooklyn Democrat chairwoman Rodneyse Bichotte, who also endorsed Cuomo during the primary election, shared her support for the '100 percent communist' following his primary victory. Mamdani has also been in contact with party leaders in Queens, particularly those who represent black neighborhoods that largely went for Cuomo during the primary. 'While Zohran builds real support across all five boroughs, Cuomo's campaign is withering as New Yorkers learn he stands for absolutely nothing but his own ambition, dogged by scandal, corruption and a record of sexual harassment and humiliation,' a spokesperson for Mamdani's campaign has said. Mamdani has campaigned on a series of woke policies that would drastically reshape the City that Never Sleeps. He has said he wants to raise taxes on millionaires and corporations by $9 billion to subsidize his plans for fare-free buses, free child care and housing. Mamdani, who is currently serving in the New York State Legislature, also wants to spend $65 million on transgender care and has pushed populist ideas including grocery stores that would be owned by the city. Additionally, the controversial figure has advocated for defunding the city's police department - but vowed to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he were to set foot in the Big Apple. Mamdani seemed to double down on those remarks by expressing his support to 'globalize the intifada' - and defending the controversial phrase, which many see as a call for violence against Israeli and Jewish people around the world. Yet LoBianco Sword said Mamdani's messaging is clearly getting through to the public as she praised the socialist candidate for bringing new voters into the Democratic Party. She then went on to argue that Mamdani has correctly identified the problems plaguing the city, claiming that whether or not voters agree with his plan for government-run grocery stores it is evident that there are 'food deserts' in the city. When she was then asked about Mamdani's plans to raise taxes, LoBianco Sword said she agreed that the wealthy 'should pay their fair share.' In an effort to further his base, Mamdani is now planning a large general election campaign launch on August 17 on Staten Island. He is apparently hoping to close the gap between him and the former governor, who narrowly beat Mamdani in the primary - with 46.5 percent of the vote compared to 37.5 percent during the initial round of ranked-choice voting. But Staten Island Republican Chairman Michael Tannousis said he still does not see the island going for Mamdani in the general as he blasted the Democrat's support for the socialist candidate as a 'shotgun wedding.' Instead, Tannousis said he believes many moderate Democrats will vote for Sliwa, who won 65 percent of the vote in the borough against Adams in 2021, when Adams ran as a Democrat. 'There is no appetite for socialism and the socialist agenda,' he argued. 'Curtis will win Staten Island,' the state assemblyman added. 'He may get a bigger vote than four years ago.' 'Staten Islanders will have a choice: either the Mamdani socialist Democrats or the Republican ticket.' Sliwa also told the Post: 'If I lose Staten Island, shame on me. It's a real battleground but I've been there forever.' He then went on to suggest Staten Islanders would never forgive current Mayor Eric Adams for bringing migrant shelters into the borough and argued that Cuomo is running on his legacy - making him the only viable rival to Mamdani. Meanwhile, a representative for the Cuomo campaign called Mamdan the second coming of former Mayor Bill de Blasio - and not in a good way. Spokesman Rich Azzopardi said the socialist 'reeks of insecurity' and has a 'history of anti-cop, anti-capitalist rhetoric that will go over as well on Staten Island as Bill de Blasio eating pizza with a fork and a knife. 'Ladies and gentlemen: Bill de Blasio 2.0,' he argued. But late night host Bill Maher has seemed to suggest Mamdani may be worse, as he warned that the Democratic Party is headed for collapse if it continues to appease radical leftists like the New York City mayoral hopeful. Speaking during the Overtime segment of his show Real Time with Bill Maher on YouTube, the comedian said Democrats are gripped by an 'identity crisis' and running out of time to choose a side. 'The world is a complicated place and it's not just about oppressor and oppressed,' Maher argued. 'They have a thought in their head that white people did some very bad things and white people did some very bad things, BUT so did everybody else in the world. 'But they don't know that, they see the world through this one prism. And until they do, I don't think you're going to get them off this issue and I don't think the Democratic Party is going to go forward until they make a decision: whose side are you on here? 'Are you on the side of Western civilization and Western values or are you on the side of the terrorists?' He then pointed to Mamdani as an example of how extreme the party's fringe has become. 'There's a lot of opposition [to Mamdani] because we've never had someone this radical,' Maher said. 'Some of the things he says, you know he quotes Marxists, "each according to their need." I mean, that's straight up communism.' Maher was backed in his argument by his guest, Secret City author and columnist James Kirchick, who accused Democratic leaders of showing 'cowardice and spinelessness' by failing to denounce Mamdani. He likened their silence to how Republicans failed to stop Donald Trump's rise.
Daily Mail
7 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Shock images capture aftermath after roof collapses on unsuspecting dollar store shoppers - leaving one dead and multiple injured
Shocking images have captured the aftermath of a horror roof collapse collapsed roof at a dollar store which left one dead and another with debilitating lifelong injuries. Tammy Martin filed a lawsuit against Family Dollar in Missouri after she was crushed by the caving roof at the Kansas City store on July 27. Horrific pictures of the aftermath revealed an enormous hole in the corner of the dollar store, with debris strewn across the road and parking lot. Martin has accused the store owners of negligence leading to the accident, which tragically left a 68-year-old man dead. 'The heavy debris which fell onto Plaintiff caused severe and permanent injuries to Plaintiff's entire body, including but not limited to her head, face, neck, back, spine, pelvis, arms, hands, and legs,' the lawsuit stated. She is seeking more than $25,000 in damages. Officers descended on the scene soon after the collapse and taped off the area as bricks and wooden beams piled up on the footpath. The lawsuit claims the main cause of the roof collapse was a 2016 car crash which knocked down one of the main support pillars in front of the building. The pillar was never repaired, the lawsuit states. According to the lawsuit, store operators had been repeatedly told that the roof 'looked as it it was going to fall.' 'Defendants knew or should have known The Store, including the roof, was not reasonably safe,' the lawsuit stated. Martin was in the store and shopping at the time of the tragedy, and was caught off guard when the roof collapsed on top of her. 'As a direct and proximate result of Defendants' failures, Plaintiff suffered the above referenced injuries which resulted in substantial healthcare expense, loss of enjoyment of life, permanent disability, pain and suffering, future healthcare treatment and expense,' the lawsuit stated. According to the lawsuit, store operators had been repeatedly told that the roof 'looked as it it was going to fall.' It also noted a 'loss of earning capacity and lost wages, all in the past and is reasonably likely to incur same in the future.' She is seeking a jury trial. According to KCTV, a property violation report had been filed by code enforcement officers just two days before the tragedy. The report said the building appeared to be slowly 'tilting.' Kansas City police and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration are investigating the incident.
Daily Mail
7 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Pamela Anderson and Liam Neeson share lip balm and act like a loved-up couple on WWHL
Pamela Anderson and her Naked Gun leading man Liam Neeson brought their undeniable chemistry to Sunday night's episode of Watch What Happens Live, which was technically pre-taped last Tuesday. The 58-year-old Baywatch alum and the 73-year-old Oscar nominee acted like every bit the coy couple on the Bravo talk show including intimately sharing the same $22 tube of 'Basic' lip balm from her company Sonsi Skin. 'The question that I'm not asking the two of you tonight is what's going on between the two of you,' host Andy Cohen declared. 'But I do just want to say as a very old friend of [Liam's]. All of your friends are very much stanning this relationship, as the kids say.' 'Awww,' Pamela smiled. The 57-year-old Bravo exec then addressed Neeson's son Daniel Jack Neeson, who was seated in the ' Oprah ' chair of the studio audience: 'Right, Danny?' Pamela Anderson and her Naked Gun leading man Liam Neeson brought their undeniable chemistry to Sunday night's episode of Watch What Happens Live, which was technically pre-taped last Tuesday The 58-year-old Baywatch alum and the 73-year-old Oscar nominee acted like every bit the coy couple on the Bravo talk show including intimately sharing the same $22 tube of 'Basic' lip balm from her company Sonsi Skin 'Yeah,' the 28-year-old De Nada Tequila co-founder smiled and agreed. Andy has previously stated he believed the knighted Northern Irishman might be ready for love again after losing his wife of 15 years, Natasha Richardson, to traumatic brain injury she suffered in a skiing accident. Cohen asked Liam and Anderson how many times they've 'truly been in love' and he answered 'two' while she hedged on 'one and a half.' Neeson famously lived with his Excalibur co-star Helen Mirren between 1980-1985 and is said to have loved and left Barbra Streisand, Julia Roberts, Brooke Shields, Janice Dickinson, and Freya St. Johnston. The Canadian-American beauty has been married an eye-popping, five times to four different men - Dan Hayhurst (2020-2022), Rick Salomon (2007-2008 and 2014-2015), Kid Rock (2006-2007), and Tommy Lee (1995-1998). When Andy challenged Pamela to rank her ex-husbands from favorite to least favorite, the 6ft4in action star chivalrously argued 'Oh that's not fair' before she responded: 'Plead the fifth!' Cohen also asked Anderson and Liam what they found 'sweetest' about each other. 'He's so kind and generous,' the 15-time Playboy cover girl gushed. Neeson - who loves her homebaked sourdough bread - answered 'her spirit' before adding that 'she's a giggler like me, and I love that.' Cohen asked Liam and Anderson how many times they've 'truly been in love' and he answered 'two' while she hedged on 'one and a half' The Canadian-American beauty has been married an eye-popping, five times to four different men - Dan Hayhurst (2020-2022), Rick Salomon (L, 2007-2008 and 2014-2015), Kid Rock (2006-2007), and Tommy Lee (R, 1995-1998) When Andy asked Pamela if she had seen the former Guinness Brewery worker chop wood before, she replied: 'No but I bought him an axe. I sent him an what I was hoping for! It's a hint.' Anderson and Liam looked like every bit the blended family as they posed with their two sons - including Micheál Neeson, 30; (with Richardson) and son Brandon Lee, 29; and Dylan Lee, 27; (with Lee) - at the New York premiere last Monday. They are the happiest they've looked in years, as a source first confirmed to People: 'They're enjoying each other's company. It's a budding romance in the early stages. It's sincere, and it's clear they're smitten with each other.' The SAG Award nominee portrays grieving sister Beth Davenport opposite Neeson's Lieutenant Frank Drebin Jr. in Akiva Schaffer's slapstick comedy continuation, which has earned $28.5M back from its $42M budget since opening worldwide last Thursday. The Naked Gun is 'certified fresh' with a 91% critic approval rating (out of 212 reviews) and a 77% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. It also features Danny Huston, Paul Walter Hauser, CCH Pounder, Kevin Durand, Busta Rhymes, Cody Rhodes, Liza Koshy, and Eddie Yu. Jerry Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and David Zucker wrote and directed the original trilogy spanning 1988-1994, which amassed a total $476.4M at the global box office, following the short-lived ABC series Police Squad in 1982.
