Selfcare & Sexual Wellness

TikTok: Influencer Valeria Márquez Shot Dead During Livestream, Investigations Point to Femicide and Possible Cartel Link

The brutal killing of 23-year-old beauty influencer Valeria Márquez during a livestream has sent shockwaves through Mexico and across social media, highlighting once again the country’s deep crisis of gender-based violence — and possibly revealing ties to organized crime.

Márquez, who had more than 100,000 followers on Instagram and a growing presence on TikTok, was live on camera from her beauty salon in Zapopan, Jalisco, when someone arrived at the door with a small parcel. Smiling, she opened the package on stream, revealing a stuffed animal. “He’s a little piglet!” she exclaimed, tossing her long blonde hair over her shoulder and addressing her fans with cheer.

Moments later, she was shot in cold blood. Viewers witnessed her slump over in her chair, blood pooling on the desk in front of her as the broadcast continued. The stream only ended when another person picked up her phone, their face briefly appearing on screen.

According to the Jalisco Attorney General’s Office, the attack is being investigated as a suspected femicide. A spokesperson stated that the suspect had arrived at the salon earlier that day, asking specifically for Márquez. He returned later, when she was present, and carried out the shooting.

Although the Prosecutor’s Office emphasized that the crime is not officially being investigated as cartel-related, other reports suggest a possible link. According to Milenio, authorities are also considering a revenge motive tied to Ricardo Ruiz Velasco, alias “El RR” or “El Tripa,” a leader in the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG). Sources claimed that Márquez had previously been in a romantic relationship with “El RR,” and that the cartel figure became jealous over the luxury gifts she was receiving from fans on social media. This alleged personal conflict may have escalated into deadly violence.

The mayor of Zapopan, Juan José Frangie, confirmed that Márquez had never filed any complaints of threats or requested protection, including through Zapopan’s “Pulso de Vida” alert system. “There is no record of her requesting help — not from us, nor from the state prosecutor,” he stated to Informador MX.

Security officials are currently reviewing surveillance footage from the salon, and while information remains limited due to the ongoing investigation, authorities urged the public to allow time for due process.

The killing comes amid a disturbing wave of violence against women in Mexico. Just days before Márquez’s death, a mayoral candidate in Veracruz was also gunned down during a livestream, along with three others. According to Amnesty International, a quarter of all female homicides in Mexico are investigated as femicides, and every one of the country’s 32 states reported at least one such case in 2020.

Official data shows 847 femicides in 2023, and 162 more in just the first three months of 2024. In 2022, over 4,000 women were killed — 12% of all homicides in the country — yet Human Rights Watch reports that only 67% of cases result in a verdict, pointing to widespread impunity.

The suspect in Márquez’s case remains unnamed, and no formal cartel charges have been filed so far. But the tragic loss of another young woman, caught live in front of her audience, once again highlights the deadly intersections of misogyny, fame, and unchecked violence in Mexico.

Selfcare & Sexual Wellness

U.S. Supreme Court Upholds Mail Delivery of Abortion Pills in 7-2 Vote

The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected an anti-abortion challenge targeting federal rules that allow abortion pills to be prescribed online and delivered through the mail.

In a 7-2 decision, the court granted an emergency appeal from the makers of Mifepristone and blocked a ruling from the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in Louisiana that would have banned the mailing of the medication. Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel A. Alito Jr. dissented.

Justice Alito criticized the decision, arguing it undermined the court’s ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which returned abortion regulation authority to individual states.

The ruling represents a setback for abortion opponents who argue that abortion medication is unsafe. The case will now return to the 5th Circuit for further review.

Mifepristone was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2000 as a safe and effective medication for ending early pregnancies and treating miscarriages. It is commonly used together with misoprostol, a second drug that causes cramping.

Since 2016, the FDA has gradually eased restrictions on the medication. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, the agency temporarily suspended the requirement for patients to obtain the pills directly from a clinic or doctor, before permanently removing the rule in 2023.

Medication abortions now account for nearly two-thirds of abortions in the United States, while telehealth services are used in approximately 27% of abortion cases nationwide.

The lawsuit was brought by Liz Murrill, who argued that allowing abortion pills to be mailed weakened Louisiana’s strict abortion ban. A federal judge initially delayed a final decision while the FDA conducted a separate review of the drug’s safety.

However, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals later ruled that the FDA had improperly relaxed its regulations, immediately reinstating restrictions on mailing the medication beginning May 1.

Abortion law experts described the appeals court decision as highly unusual, noting that courts rarely force the FDA to restore safety restrictions that the agency previously reviewed and deemed unnecessary.

Cam Sites

Chaturbate: Health + Wellness Event Returns Sept 17

Chaturbate announces its fifth annual Health + Wellness Event for September 17, 2025, themed “New Age of Self-Care.” The site frames self-care as a strategy for creators—covering unplugging without losing income, eating better without guilt, and setting boundaries that stick—through candid talks with creators and experts. Attendees can ask questions live in the chat during each session.

Schedule (PDT)
10:00–10:45 AM — Rest is Radical: Sleep, Balance & the Burnout Epidemic
Creators share strategies for downtime and prioritizing rest without sacrificing growth.
Speakers: Raquel Savage (Therapist), VioletttFlowers (Chaturbate Creator), BlondeFoxSilverFox (Chaturbate Creator).

11:00–11:45 AM — Glow Up From the Inside Out: Nutrition, Movement & Sex-Positive Wellness
How fueling your body and staying active can enhance confidence, libido, and overall well-being on—and off—camera.
Speakers: Chris Boss (Registered Dietitian), SaraLoveRays (Chaturbate Creator), LailaGetsNaked (Chaturbate Creator), DCHCCO (Chaturbate Creator).

12:00–12:45 PM — Wellness on a Budget: Affordable Self-Care for Creators
Small, sustainable habits and routines that don’t break the bank.
Speakers: Dr. Shawn (Board-Certified Anesthesiologist), AdalineStar, AlphaZack14, TiffaniLove (Chaturbate Creators).

1:00–1:45 PM — Mind Over Media: Mental Health in the Age of Always Being “On”
A candid discussion on anxiety, burnout, boundaries, therapy, and the pressures of always being online.
Speakers: Romi Rain (Adult Industry Icon), Heatherbby (Chaturbate Creator).

Chaturbate invites creators to join the live sessions and engage with the panelists throughout the day. More details: chaturbate.com/healthandwellness.

Selfcare & Sexual Wellness

Italy: Senate Passes Law Introducing Life Imprisonment for Femicide

In a historic move aimed at combating gender-based violence, the Italian Senate has unanimously passed a bill that formally enshrines femicide as a distinct criminal offense in the country’s Penal Code. With 161 votes in favor and none against, the legislation mandates life imprisonment for anyone found guilty of killing a woman out of gender-based hatred or with the intent to suppress her rights and freedoms.

According to Italy’s national press agency ANSA, cited by Agerpres, the law defines femicide as the act of murdering a woman “out of discrimination or hatred rooted in her gender, or with the goal of repressing her rights, freedoms, or identity.”

Beyond setting the maximum penalty, the bill also imposes tougher restrictions on access to prison benefits for femicide convicts and mandates new national programs focused on education and awareness to help prevent gender-based violence before it escalates.

The bill now moves to the Chamber of Deputies for final approval. Its introduction comes amid growing public outrage over the rise in femicide cases across Italy. In 2024 alone, official data from the Interior Ministry recorded 113 femicides, of which 99 occurred in family or intimate contexts. Tragically, 61 women were killed by current or former partners.

If adopted, Italy will join a small but growing number of countries that have codified femicide as a standalone crime—marking a pivotal moment in the nation’s efforts to protect women and address systemic violence rooted in misogyny.