Carlee Russell’s boyfriend was Thomar Latrell Simmons, a Birmingham-area man who had been with her for five years when she staged her July 2023 kidnapping. He initially defended her in public and pleaded with people to stop cyberbullying her, but after Hoover police revealed the suspicious internet searches on her devices, he scrubbed her from his social media and ended the relationship, later saying he had been “blindsided.”
Who Thomar Latrell Simmons Is
Simmons and Russell had been together for five years at the time she disappeared. He co-hosts a podcast called “205 Boyz” with Marcus Moody, which later became the venue for his most detailed public account of the ordeal.1Oxygen. Carlee Russell’s Ex Says They Argued Before Kidnapping Hoax He told the podcast that the couple had traveled to New York City together just weeks before her disappearance, visiting the Statue of Liberty and the Brooklyn Bridge. “We were good, we were having fun,” he recalled.2People. Carlee Russell Ex-Boyfriend Argument Before Kidnapping Hoax
How He Defended Her at First
When Russell reappeared at her parents’ home on the night of July 15, 2023, after being missing for 49 hours, Simmons took her abduction story at face value. He posted on Facebook and Instagram with photos of the couple, writing that she had been “fighting for her life for 48 hours” and was not yet “physically or mentally stable” enough to speak publicly. He thanked the public for its support during the search.3The Independent. Carlee Russell Boyfriend Statement, Thomar Simmons
By July 22, skepticism was spreading online. Simmons gave a statement to the New York Post asking people to back off. “The only thing I can say is, I want everyone to stop bullying her,” he said. “I know what it seems like what she did. Just stop bullying on social media.” He asked the public to “think about her mental health,” adding, “She doesn’t deserve that. Nobody deserves to be cyberbullied.”4New York Post. Carlee Russell’s Boyfriend Asks People to Stop Bullying Her At that point, Hoover police had already held a press conference flagging inconsistencies in her account, but Russell had not yet admitted the hoax.5NBC DFW. Carlee Russell’s Boyfriend Pleads With People to Stop Bullying Her
When He Turned
On July 19, after police disclosed the damning internet search history on Russell’s phone and work computer, Simmons wiped all traces of her from his Facebook and Instagram accounts. The couple photos and his earlier post defending her were deleted. He offered no public explanation at the time.6New York Post. Carlee Russell Boyfriend Deletes Her From Social Media Posts
The public break came after Russell’s attorney, Emory Anthony, released a statement on July 24 admitting the whole incident was fabricated. Simmons posted a new message on Instagram around that time referring to Russell as his “ex” for the first time. “I was made aware of the false narrative after coming to the defense of my ex Carlee Russell,” he wrote. “Myself and my family’s nature was to react in love, and genuine concern. We are disgusted from the outcome of this entire situation. I strongly feel exactly like you all. Blindsided with Carlee’s actions.” He added that her confession at least provided “closure.”7Today. Carlee Russell’s Ex-Boyfriend Speaks, Condemns Kidnapping Hoax
What He Said on His Podcast
In early September 2023, Simmons spoke at length on “205 Boyz” in an episode running roughly 24 minutes. He confirmed the five-year relationship and acknowledged the couple had a “little argument” around the time of the New York trip, but dismissed it as any kind of motive. “It wasn’t nothing to kidnap yourself over,” he said.2People. Carlee Russell Ex-Boyfriend Argument Before Kidnapping Hoax
He described hearing she was missing and racing to Hoover. “I was doing a dash to Hoover. I got there in 15 minutes.” He said he did not learn the abduction story was a lie until the police press conference on July 24. “I was mad, I was sad. I was all types of emotion,” he said. “I’m confused, like, ‘What happened? What made you do that?’ I don’t understand.”8Fox 5 Atlanta. Carlee Russell Disappearance Boyfriend Thomar Latrell Simmons Podcast
What bothered him most, he said, was that Russell let him defend her publicly without ever telling him the truth. “If you really want to tell me the truth, you could’ve told me before all this happened, before the police came out. You had time to tell me.”9CBS 42. What Happened, What Made You Do That: Ex-Boyfriend of Carlee Russell Talks About Kidnapping Hoax
He also addressed what the hoax did to him. Online commenters called him a “cheater,” a “player,” and a “clout chaser,” and some suggested he had been involved in the disappearance. “It made me mad because people were talking down on my character,” he said. “Our relationship was five years, man.” He said he could not go anywhere in Birmingham without being recognized and was “trying to get back to my normal life, but it’s never going to be normal for me.”10Fox 5 San Diego. What Happened, What Made You Do That: Ex-Boyfriend of Carlee Russell Talks About Kidnapping Hoax He ended the episode by saying, “This is my last time talking about this situation.”8Fox 5 Atlanta. Carlee Russell Disappearance Boyfriend Thomar Latrell Simmons Podcast
The Hoax in Brief
On July 13, 2023, Russell called 911 to report a toddler walking along Interstate 459 in Hoover, Alabama, then called a family member who heard her scream before the line went dead. When Hoover police arrived, they found her car, wig, cellphone, purse, and Apple Watch on the roadside, with no sign of her or any child.11NewsNation. Carlee Russell Disappearance Timeline She reappeared on foot 49 hours later and told investigators she had been abducted by a man who emerged from the trees, blindfolded her, took her to a house, forced her to undress, and that she eventually escaped through the woods.12NPR. Carlee Russell Pleads Guilty, Avoids Jail Time
Her devices told a different story. Searches in the days and hours before she vanished included Amber Alerts, the maximum age for an Amber Alert, one-way bus tickets from Birmingham to Nashville, “how to take money from a register without being caught,” and the 2008 kidnapping thriller “Taken.” Hoover Police Chief Nicholas Derzis called the Amber Alert and “Taken” searches “highly, highly unusual.”13ABC 33/40. Amber Alert Information, the Movie Taken Among Internet Searches On July 24, Russell’s attorney released a statement admitting there had been no kidnapping and no toddler, and that she had acted alone. Authorities still do not know where she was during the 49 hours, beyond her attorney’s statement that she never left the Hoover area.12NPR. Carlee Russell Pleads Guilty, Avoids Jail Time
What Happened to Russell
Russell was charged with two misdemeanors: false reporting to law enforcement authorities and falsely reporting an incident. On March 21, 2024, she pleaded guilty before Jefferson County Circuit Judge David Carpenter, who sentenced her to two six-month jail terms but suspended both, saying it would be a “waste of government resources” to incarcerate her. She received 12 months of supervised probation, 100 hours of community service, a requirement to continue mental health counseling, and an order to pay $17,974.88 in restitution to the City of Hoover.14WBRC. Birmingham Woman Who Faked Her Own Abduction Will Not Serve Jail Time She also lost her job at Woodhouse Spa in Birmingham, where the owner confirmed she was fired on July 21, 2023.15Yahoo Entertainment. Carlee Russell Fired From Spa Job
Simmons has not spoken publicly about Russell since the September 2023 podcast episode in which he said he was done.