The wife of a New Orleans police officer has accused Mayor LaToya Cantrell of having an extra-marital affair with her husband. Vappie was the former member of Cantrell’s security detail.
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In an exclusive by WDSU, the documents state Danielle Watkins Vappie and Jeffrey Vappie had been married since 2002 and said Jeffrey allegedly committed “continuous acts of adultery” throughout their marriage. Jeffrey and Mayor Cantrell were listed in the woman’s divorce papers, citing their affair as the reason for her filing for divorce.
Divorce papers obtained by @wdsu allege Mayor LaToya Cantrell was involved in an affair with NOPD Officer Jeffrey Vappie.His wife filed papers claiming she was made aware of a relationship between Vappie and Mrs. L.C. in Nov. A source has confirmed to WDSU that LC is the mayor. pic.twitter.com/UQkFSkfeyX
— Cassie Schirm (@Cassiewdsu) January 17, 2023
“Particularly, petitioner avers that the defendant has been in an ongoing affair with a person identified as Mrs. L.C. Upon information and belief, Mr. Jeffrey Vappie is in an ongoing sexual relationship with L.C. since approximately May 2021. On approximately November 2022, your petitioner became aware of the relationship between Mr. Jeffrey and Mrs. L.C.”
Mayor Cantrell is married to lawyer Jason Cantrell and has a daughter. However, she has yet to release a statement regarding the affair.
Wishing a very Happy Birthdayy to the 1st Gentleman of New Orleans, my husband Jason Cantrell!❤️🎉⚜️🥂 pic.twitter.com/YOFe9eUhe4
— Mayor LaToya Cantrell (@mayorcantrell) June 25, 2021
Months before the divorce filing, Vappie was removed from Cantrell’s security team after he was under investigation over payroll irregularities. He was also accused of spending $916 for a night at a Washington, D.C., hotel room. According to the Daily Mail, Vappie accompanied the mayor to a party in Los Angeles for dinner and another trip to Scotland. The overall cost of her security detail was over $50,000, which affected taxpayers.
Vappie did confess the affair to his wife, and the couple has been living apart since November 2022. He has worked for the New Orleans Police Department since 1997, and his wife, Danielle, is the Chief Academic Officer at Einstein Charter Schools. The police officer could also face criminal and ethical consequences for the affair if it is discovered he didn’t perform police duties while on the clock.
New Orleans citizens react to the alleged affair and say the city has a lot of issues that need to be addressed.
After news of the scandal broke out, many residents expressed their feelings regarding the city’s high crime rate and lack of focus on improving the quality of life in New Orleans.
Look i don’t care who @mayorcantrell sleeps with @NOPDNews or not, but the fact this city is run worse than an elementary school student council just makes this the cherry on top of an old ass Mackenzie’s king cake. Reduce crime, fix infrastructure, restore old parade routes
— Bradley Schneller (@BradSchneller) January 18, 2023
Meanwhile, Cantrell has filed an interesting response to the council’s lawsuit, which claims the mayor illegally deprived the city of its own assets by extending the trust and taking it private.
— Ben Myers (@blevimyers) January 18, 2023
You are an absolute disgrace to the city and the people of New Orleans! So embarrassing…
— Conscious Sugar (@ConsciousSugar) January 18, 2023
When you ask @mayorcantrell when she had time to have an affair with a married man pic.twitter.com/xoIDLEDFHq
— Avo Johnnie Marzouwanian (@Levons_Dad) January 18, 2023