Share and Follow
A heartbroken mother from North Carolina is speaking out against Hollywood’s elite and their Grammy speeches, which she believes fail to acknowledge victims of crime like her own family. This comes just weeks after her teenage daughter and her daughter’s boyfriend died in a crash allegedly caused by an intoxicated driver who is an undocumented immigrant.
Shannon Swiderski Hamrick, the mother of 19-year-old Skylar Provenza, shared her feelings in a statement with Fox News Digital. She expressed the overwhelming grief she felt as she prepared to return to work for the first time since the tragedy.
“This morning, I woke up consumed by it,” Hamrick said. “It’s Monday, and I’m supposed to be back at work in six minutes. I’ve prayed, I’ve cried, I’m angry, and I’m sad. It’s just not fair.”
While Hamrick has tried to distance herself from the political discourse surrounding the incident, she emphasizes that her daughter’s death transcends politics. To her, it’s about a tragic and avoidable choice that led to a loss of life.
In the aftermath of the fatal accident, family members of both Skylar Provenza and her boyfriend, Fletcher Harris, have come together to mourn the devastating loss of the two young lives.
“I’ve tried to keep my frustration toward the fact that this was solely due to drinking and driving,” she said. “It could have been anyone.”
But she said watching the Grammy Awards pushed her to break her silence, leaving her overwhelmed as celebrities used their platforms to promote political messages and what she viewed as a culture that excuses reckless behavior.
“I watched the Grammys last night — I shouldn’t have,” Hamrick said. “Some of my favorite artists used their voices to advocate for something they probably haven’t personally been affected by. Instead, they promoted drinking and pretty much promoted being above the law.”
Fletcher Harris and Skylar Provenza are shown in a photo taken before their deaths. The two were killed in a DUI crash, according to authorities. (Instagram/ skylar_provenza)
She accused Hollywood elites of being insulated from the real-world consequences families like hers now live with and questioned whether those speaking out have ever experienced the kind of loss she now carries.
“It’s sickening!” Hamrick said. “Honestly have any one of those wealthy artists that are advocating against ICE been personally affected in any way? Try fighting that anger!”
“I’m sure most of these wealthy people with ‘voices’ had drivers to wherever they were going,” she said. “They weren’t home grieving the loss of their daughter and our future son-in-law.”
Provenza and her boyfriend, Fletcher Harris, 20, a standout college soccer player at Catawba College, were killed just after 11 p.m. on Jan. 16 in Rowan County, North Carolina, when prosecutors say a Chevrolet Silverado driven by Juan Alvarado Aguilar, 37, crossed the center line and slammed head-on into their vehicle.
Juan Alvarado Aguilar is shown in a booking photo released by authorities. Police said Aguilar, 37, was identified as the driver of a Chevrolet Silverado involved in a DUI crash that killed two people. (Rowan County Sheriff’s Office)
Authorities allege Aguilar was driving under the influence at the time of the crash. Investigators said officers noted a strong odor of alcohol and that Aguilar appeared unsteady on his feet when he was arrested. Both Provenza and Harris were pronounced dead at the scene.
Court records reviewed by Fox News Digital show Aguilar had a prior driving-while-impaired charge from 2020 that was dismissed by a district attorney, along with two prior failures to appear. Authorities say Aguilar is an illegal immigrant, and an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer has been placed on him. He now faces two counts of felony death by vehicle, driving while impaired and other charges, and is being held on a bond of more than $5 million.
As family and friends gathered to mourn the young couple, Republican lawmakers said the tragedy never should have happened.
A memorial display features a framed photograph of Fletcher Harris and Skylar Provenza surrounded by flowers honoring the teens’ lives. (Shannon Swiderski Hamrick)
“Fletcher Harris and Skylar Provenza — two bright young lives full of promise — were brutally taken in a head-on crash allegedly caused by an illegal alien with a prior DUI who never should have been on our roads,” Rep. Mark Harris, R-N.C., previously told Fox News Digital. “Where’s the outrage? If this were any other tragedy, the streets would be filled.”
North Carolina House Speaker Destin Hall also blamed what he described as failures in federal immigration enforcement.
“I think it’s a failure of policy,” Hall said, arguing that illegal immigrants accused of serious crimes are too often not taken into custody. He emphasized that lawmakers are fighting to prevent similar tragedies from happening again.
For Hamrick, the focus remains on accountability, faith and decency and on honoring the life her daughter lived.
“I’m an American citizen living my life right,” she said. “My child got stolen from me, and we don’t even have support from our people — people who could make a difference.”
“Just be decent humans,” Hamrick added. “Make better choices.”
Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send story tips to stepheny.price@fox.com.