Dallas, TX
A Dallas Woman Traveled to Ireland to Find a Boyfriend. He Still Cheated.
Erin Leigh
There are lots of D words that have been used to describe dating in Dallas: dismal, dumpster fire, damned, disheartening. We don’t need anecdotes to prove it’s a nightmare, though, unlike many men in this city, the numbers don’t lie. So it’s not hard to understand why Theresa Rowley, a local comedian, traveled to Ireland to kiss her Prince Charming, though he, too, turned out to be a frog.
Once upon a time (spring 2024), in a land not far away (East Dallas), Rowley got the modern equivalent of a handwritten love letter, a flirty Instagram direct message sans fire emoji. The message from an Irishman across the country sparked her interest, and soon, the two were an international item. After a couple of months of constant communication, as much as you can possibly have with someone in a time zone five hours ahead, Rowley hopped across the pond to meet her situationship.
“I was not about to be official with a man that I had never met before,” she tells the Observer.
She also took a friend for enhanced security, because a first date with a guy from the internet is scary, no matter where he lives. But all went well, and with her new boyfriend’s permission, she posted a TikTok video about her soiree, and it immediately struck a chord.
“[I did not think] that it would get any type of traction at all because it’s very different than my normal content,” she says. “It popped off, just went real viral.”
Rowley is a comedy influencer with more than a million followers across several platforms. Her video amassed more than a million views, was the subject of a feature from the Washington Post and caught the attention of Tourism Ireland, which sponsored a second bae-cation back to the Emerald Isle.
“It was a fairy tale,” she says.
All Good Things Must Come to an End
Soon, it was time for the Irishman to come to Texas. He spent Thanksgiving with her family and lived his cowboy dreams. Rowley was hopeful this was the beginning of forever. But then the poisoned apple came. A dreaded “Hey, girly” message paired with screenshots landed in her direct messages just 12 hours before Rowley was supposed to board another flight so they could spend Christmas together in Ireland. She canceled her flight and spent the holiday with her family in Amarillo instead.
“It was a gut punch to read,” she says of learning her knight, and the people’s prince, was infidelious. “But also necessary because with the nature of our relationship, you never know who’s messaging you and why they’re saying what they’re saying. But the proof was in the pudding.”
Rowley, having shared their love story up to this point, couldn’t leave the shocking plot twist out of the fairytale turned horror story. That video sits at four million views. It sounds like a PR stunt, but the story is true, and Rowley said she doesn’t have any non-believers.
“I always expect trolling, but it really was not that,” she says. “It was just a light-hearted story in a time where those are few and far between. People seemed to latch onto it as a beacon of hope, and I hated to let them down, but I didn’t want to keep up a ruse.”
Rowley hasn’t sworn off the Irish forever, but she’s not exactly looking for her next Emerald Isle resident to come sweep her off her feet.
“It’s so funny how the comments have changed, too, because in the first videos, when it was lovey-dovey, it was all like, ‘Irish guys are the best. You’ve got to go outside of America,’” she tells us.
Now, the Irish (according to her comments sections, anyway) don’t have the best reputation. But Rowley doesn’t want her tale to dissuade the city’s other hopeless romantics.
“I don’t want this to be a story that there’s no hope for women. Not all men are dogs, not all men cheat,” she says. “I have to hold on to that hope for myself… People make bad choices based on tough experiences that they’ve had in the past, and we can learn from that. We can shake hands, we can kiss on the cheek and we can move on.”
So there you have it. Dating in Dallas is bad. But it may not be better anywhere else, either. C’est la vie.
MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE – APRIL 18: Head Coach Jason Kidd of the Dallas Mavericks reacts against the Memphis Grizzlies during the game of the Play-In Tournament at FedExForum on April 18, 2025 in Memphis, Tennessee. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)
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Masai Ujiri is making his presence felt with the Dallas Mavericks already.
The team’s new president parted ways with head coach Jason Kidd, the franchise announced Tuesday evening.
Kidd had four years and more than $40 million remaining on his contract, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.
“Jason has had a meaningful impact on the Dallas Mavericks, both as a Hall of Fame player and as the head coach who helped lead this franchise back to the NBA Finals,” Ujiri said in a statement. “We are thankful for Jason’s leadership, his professionalism and his commitment to the team. In my short time here, I’ve developed an enormous amount of respect for what he has built. He will always be an important part of the Mavericks family.”
Kidd, 53, won an NBA championship with the team as a player (2011). He coached the Mavericks for five seasons, taking the team to the Western Conference Finals in 2022 and the NBA Finals in 2024. Dallas finished 26-56 this season.
“As we evaluate the future of our basketball program, we believe this is the right moment for a new direction for our team,” Ujiri said. “We have high expectations for this franchise and a responsibility to build a basketball organization capable of sustained championship contention. We will conduct a thorough, disciplined search for our next head coach and continue to evaluate our entire basketball operations staff to ensure we compete at the standard Mavs fans expect and deserve.”
Former Dallas GM Nico Harrison traded Luka Doncic at the deadline in 2025 in what is considered by many among the worst trades in NBA history, if not the worst.
The Mavericks then proceeded to win the NBA Draft Lottery and earned the right to draft Duke star Cooper Flagg last summer. Flagg, who enjoyed a close relationship with Kidd, went on to win NBA Rookie of the Year honors.
Harrison was fired last November and the Mavericks finished 26-56 this past season while dealing with a slew of injuries, including to Kyrie Irving (ACL) and Dereck Lively II (foot surgery).
The Mavericks own the No. 9 and 30 picks in this summer’s NBA Draft.
Kurt: Signed just two days after the draft, the Valdes-Scantling deal did slide in a bit under the radar, but this seems a wise move to add a veteran to the wide receiver room and perhaps even build in a little security in the event the George Pickens situation goes haywire.
Now entering his ninth season, the 6-foot-4, 206-pound Valdes-Scantling certainly brings size and experience. And you’re right, he’s topped 30 catches and 500 receiving yards three times in his career, which includes finishing third on the Chiefs with 687 yards during their 2022 championship season. He also had a touchdown grab in Kansas City’s 2023 Super Bowl victory.
Of course, the last two years have been more nomadic for Valdes-Scantling as he split 2024 between Buffalo and New Orleans and then spent time with both San Francisco and Pittsburgh in 2025. Last season in particular wasn’t exactly pretty, as he battled a calf injury on his way to just 120 receiving yards combined off 14 catches.
Meanwhile, Ryan Flournoy, who is five years younger, enjoyed a breakout effort in his sophomore campaign for the Cowboys, finishing with 40 catches for 475 yards and four touchdowns a season ago. At this point, the team clearly sees him as the first option for that third wideout spot.
So Valdes-Scantling will be in a battle for playing time (and perhaps even a roster spot), but taking a flier on a two-time Lombardi Trophy winner with a contract for less than $1.5 million, and only $187,500 of that guaranteed, made perfect sense. It’s a small investment that could potentially pay big dividends.
The Dallas Mayor’s Summer of Safety initiative is back for a fifth year.
The program aims at keeping Dallas residents ages 13-17 safe and out of trouble during the summer months by offering free or low-cost access to programs and attractions that might otherwise be out of reach for them and their families.
Several city departments partner for Summer of Safety, including Dallas ISD, the Dallas Police Department, the Dallas Public Library and Dallas Park and Recreation.
John Jenkins, who leads the city’s park and recreation department, named off some of the more popular destinations featured in the popular ‘All Access Pass: “Arboretum, Trinity River Audubon Center, Holocaust Museum, Southern Skates Roller Rink, Perot Museum. New venues this year are Dave and Buster’s, Dallas Love Field and the State Fair of Texas.”
The website detailing each program is now up and running, but keep in mind the estimated all access passes distributed across the city’s rec centers will not be available for pick up until June 30, according to the website.
Dallas ISD is also taking on the responsibility of providing students a place to go during the day, according to Dr. Pamela Lear, Dallas ISD Deputy Superintendent.
“In June and July, Dallas ISD is offering fun and engaging summer opportunities, learning opportunities, offering everything from camps focused on cheer, mariachi and robotics,” she said during Monday’s photo opportunity.
Curbing summer crime is also top of mind as Dallas prepares for the FIFA World Cup.
The host city is set to welcome thousands of visitors from across the world to downtown Dallas and Fair Park.
Dallas Police Chief Daniel Comeaux was asked how DPD plans to increase visibility to keep youth and fans safe during the busy summer months.
“We’re really looking at some of the extras, like the mounting unit, we have more horses that’s going to be available this year,” said Comeaux. “We just purchased eight new horses. They’re in training right now, and hopefully you’ll see them walking the streets a little bit more. We added some additional motor units. So we’re going to have more officers on motorcycles out there”.
For more information about the Mayor’s Summer of Safety program, click here.
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