Florida

Does Volodymyr Zelenskyy live in Florida? What to know about social media claim

Published

8 months ago

March 5, 2025

Press Room

Does Volodymyr Zelenskyy live in Florida? What to know about social media claim

Zelenskyy does not live in Florida despite online claims he purchased a mansion in Vero Beach.
News agencies like USA Today and Reuters debunked the claims.
President Donald Trump paused aid to Ukraine on Monday following the clash between him, Vice President JD Vance and Zelenskyy on Feb. 28 at the White House.

There is no proof Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy lives in Florida, much less Vero Beach, despite such rumors circulating since 2023 and many people searching for that information online this week.

A right-wing activist and failed U.S. Senate candidate started the rumor with a social media post, which has been debunked by media outlets such as USA Today and Reuters.

Here’s what to know about the social media claims that Zelenskyy owns a Florida home.

Does Zelenskyy live in Florida?

Lauren Witzke, a Delaware Republican who unsuccessfully ran for U.S. Senate in 2020, claimed Zelenskyy is a U.S. citizen and had bought a $20 million mansion in Vero Beach, according to her post on the social media platform X on Dec. 13, 2023.

Since then, the post has received a community note on X saying the naturalized citizenship document was photoshopped and the photo of the home is not in Vero Beach.

The post includes photos of a mansion in Ponte Vedra Beach, which is in St. Johns County, Florida. Property records for Indian River and St. Johns counties do not list Zelenskyy as a property owner in either location.

The Ponte Vedra Beach home was being auctioned on Feb. 23, 2024, and sold on March 25 for $7.5 million, according to St. Johns County property records. See the home here.

Is Zelenskyy a U.S. citizen?

An aspect of the viral tweet was a naturalized citizenship document for Zelenskyy, which claimed his residence in Vero Beach.

Zelenskyy’s photo in the document is an edited version of an image distributed to media outlets by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, USA Today reported. In both images, Zelenskyy is wearing the same jacket and shirt, and the garments are oriented identically, with the left collar slightly opened.

An authentic certificate of naturalization includes the person’s full name and signature, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The document shown in the post is missing Zelenskyy’s middle name of Oleksandrovych and missing his signature.

Who is Volodymyr Zelenskyy?

Zelenskyy is Ukraine’s sixth president and was elected in April 2019. The 47-year-old unseated incumbent Petro Poroshenko, who had been in office since 2014, with 73% of the vote.

Since Russia invaded in February 2022, Zelenskyy has been the face of Ukrainian resistance, notably for his visibility online and his pleas to other countries for support.

Former U.S. President Joe Biden provided Zelenskyy with billions of dollars in arms, cash and loans for Ukraine to fight the war against Russia. However, President Donald Trump’s approach to Ukraine has been a complete change, with him pausing aid to Ukraine on Monday, March 3.

The pause followed the clash between Trump and Vice President JD Vance on Feb. 28 in the Oval Office after Zelenskyy complained about Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The clash between the world leaders ended with Zelenskyy being asked to leave the White House, and a planned news conference with both presidents was canceled.

The meeting came after Trump opened negotiations in February with Putin to end the war in Ukraine in a dramatic break from longstanding U.S. policy and the Biden administration’s complete support for Ukraine.

USA Today writers Francesca Chambers and Joey Garrison contributed to this report.

Gianna Montesano is TCPalm’s trending reporter. You can contact her at gianna.montesano@tcpalm.com, 772-409-1429, or follow her on X @gonthescene.

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Florida

‘It’s unfair:’ SNAP cuts leave Central Florida seniors struggling for food

Published

14 hours ago

November 2, 2025

Press Room

‘It’s unfair:’ SNAP cuts leave Central Florida seniors struggling for food

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. – SNAP benefits for thousands of families here in Central Florida are cut off, leaving many scrambling to afford the food they need, including local seniors. Many have medical needs that require special diets, and they say food banks just can’t always meet them.

“Being a citizen and being on the income that I’m on—it is hard. To tell you the truth, it’s unfair,” said senior Shirley Williford, who is among those impacted by the delay.

On Saturday, Williford and another local senior, Kim Augenstein, received notifications that their SNAP benefits for November would be pushed back. For Williford, who lives on a fixed income and doesn’t have transportation, it’s a nightmare.

“I only have high blood pressure. I kind of went on a diet myself. The food that I need for my diet—I’m not going to be able to get it,” Williford said.

Augenstein, who was recently diagnosed with diabetes, said losing those benefits could put her health at risk. “When you’re almost a diabetic or you are a diabetic, you have to have that food for your insulin. If you go without food, that’s a big problem,” she said.

[VIDEO: Central Florida food programs face challenges as federal SNAP support stops]

Now, the seniors are relying on local organizations in Osceola County, such as Clarita’s House Outreach Ministries and the Black Empowerment and Community Council, which are already seeing a rising demand.

“Families are already so tight with money and resources. For us to be at this critical time, it’s important that we rally together,” said Tiffany Jeffers with the Black Empowerment and Community Council.

But those groups say the ongoing government shutdown is also limiting the resources they can offer. “The grant writers keep saying we can’t do this one or that one. So many programs are being cut. Some of the grants we would normally get—recurring grants—we’re no longer getting, and that’s definitely because of government funding,” said Doreen Barker, founder of Clarita’s House Outreach Ministries.

In the meantime, seniors are helping each other by sharing rides and picking up groceries—but they’re still hoping the shutdown ends soon.

“I don’t think it needs to be cut down. It doesn’t need to be cut off—because I depend on those food stamps,” Williford said.

The Black Empowerment and Community Council is partnering with Solid Rock Community Church in Kissimmee and AARP next week to distribute food and resources to those impacted by the SNAP delays.

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Florida

Condon Named to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award Watch List – Florida Gators

Published

2 days ago

October 31, 2025

Press Room

Condon Named to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award Watch List – Florida Gators

Florida men’s basketball junior Alex Condon has been named to the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Top 20 Preseason List, the Basketball Hall of Fame announced on Friday. The Abdul-Jabbar Award is part of the Naismith Starting 5 positional awards.

Condon averaged 10.6 points and a team-leading 7.5 rebounds for the Gators’ 2024-25 national championship team and posted seven double-doubles and earned third-team honors on the coaches All-SEC team. The Perth, Australia, native has totaled 668 career points and 508 rebounds through his first two seasons at UF. Condon has already picked up preseason AP All-America, first-team All-SEC and NABC Player of the Year Watch List recognition heading into the 2025-26 season.

Condon joins a trio of teammates as preseason Naismith Starting 5 honorees previously announced this season: Boogie Fland (Bob Cousy Award), Xaivian Lee (Jerry West Award) and Thomas Haugh (Karl Malone Award). The Abdul-Jabbar Award has been presented since 2015, and Condon is the first Gator to make its watch list since Colin Castleton (2022-23).

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award Preseason Watch List

Malique Ewin	Arkansas
Moustapha Thiam	Cincinnati
Owen Freeman	Creighton
Patrick Ngongba	Duke
*Alex Condon*	*Florida*
Chris Cenac	Houston
Tomislav Ivišić	Illinois
Flory Bidunga	Kansas
Jayden Quaintance	Kentucky
Ernest Udeh Jr.	Miami
Aday Mara	Michigan
Rienk Mast	Nebraska
Henri Versaar	North Carolina
Nate Bittle	Oregon
Oscar Cluff	Purdue
Robbie Avila	Saint Louis
Magoon Gwath	San Diego State
Zuby Ejiofor	St. John’s
Felix Okpara	Tennessee
Tarris Reed, Jr.	UConn

2025-26 Florida Men’s Basketball Ticket Information
Traditional season tickets are officially SOLD OUT for the upcoming 2025-26 season.

Arena Pass
Arena Passes are officially SOLD OUT for the upcoming 2025-26 season.

Single Games
Single-game tickets for the 2025-26 Florida men’s basketball season are now on sale.

Fans can purchase tickets at FloridaGators.com, by calling the Gator Ticket Office at (352) 375-4683, or in person at Gate 2 on the west side of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

All Gators Weekend Pack
The All Gators Weekend Pack is now available, which includes the Florida men’s basketball game against Merrimack on Friday, November 21, and the Florida football game against Tennessee on Saturday, November 22, for only $149 plus taxes/fees.

All fans attending the Merrimack men’s basketball game will receive a 2025 NCAA National Championship replica ring, presented by Meldon Law.

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Florida

Haugh Named to Karl Malone Award Watch List – Florida Gators

Published

3 days ago

October 31, 2025

Press Room

Haugh Named to Karl Malone Award Watch List – Florida Gators

Florida men’s basketball junior Thomas Haugh has been named to the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Top 20 Preseason List, the Basketball Hall of Fame announced on Thursday. The Malone Award is part of the Naismith Starting 5 positional awards.

Haugh averaged 9.8 points and 6.1 rebounds as Florida’s sixth man on the 2025 national championship team. Haugh had four double-doubles and led the Gators in rebounding on eight occasions last season, also the only player to score in all 40 games for Florida. The New Oxford, Pa., native earned 2025 NCAA West Region All-Tournament Team honors after posting 20 points and 11 rebounds in the Gators’ Elite Eight win vs. Texas Tech. He has been the recipient of preseason second-team All-SEC honors by media vote heading into the 2025-26 campaign.

Haugh joins teammates Boogie Fland (Bob Cousy Award) and Xaivian Lee (Jerry West Award) as preseason Naismith Starting 5 honorees. The Malone Award has been presented since 2015, and Haugh is the first Gator to make its watch list since Dorian Finney-Smith (2015-16).

Karl Malone Award Preseason Watch List

Koa Peat	Arizona
Keyshawn Hall	Auburn
Michael Rataj	Baylor
Alex Karaban	UConn
Cameron Boozer	Duke
*Thomas Haugh*	*Florida*
Graham Ike	Gonzaga
Joseph Tugler	Houston
Alvaro Folgueiras	Iowa
Joshua Jefferson	Iowa State
Malik Reneau	Miami
Yaxel Lendeborg	Michigan
Caleb Wilson	North Carolina
Nick Martinelli	Northwestern
Trey Kaufman-Renn	Purdue
Baye Ndongo	Georgia Tech
Bryce Hopkins	St. John’s
Donnie Freeman	Syracuse
JT Toppin	Texas Tech
Tyler Bilodeau	UCLA