Salon owner Shelley Luther has barely been out of jail for one day after a Dallas County judge sent her to the slammer for contempt of court amidst a broader legal battle over alleged violations of coronavirus shutdown orders. Her fame has no doubt resulted in her first high-profile client: Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas).
Cruz, like many Americans who are sporting less-than-standard hair cuts these days, no doubt yearns for the services of a professional stylist, but the implications of the visit and its timing were impossible to miss.
“We’re thrilled to be with you and know the whole State of Texas is standing with you, so thank you for your courage,” Cruz told Luther according to a report on KTVT-TV, the CBS affiliate in Dallas.
Luther at one point “started crying” during Cruz’s visit, saying he exhibited “true authenticity,” the report said.
“It’s a nice gesture. His family actually called my boyfriend and prayed for him for 20 minutes while I was in jail. To me that’s not political,” Luther told KTVT. “That’s just really nice people reaching out and making sure that our family is okay.”
Luther was locked up when Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin went to see her. Texas officials, including Attorney General Ken Paxton and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick have supported her. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott told President Donald Trump that the Texas Supreme Court had ordered Luther’s release; Trump replied, “good.”
“Sen. Cruz coming is something I would have never dreamed of,” Luther said according to KXAS-TV, the local NBC affiliate. “My daughter getting to meet someone so influential — it’s overwhelming in a great way,” Luther added. “I’m not going to take any of this experience for granted.”
The case has been a rallying cry for conservatives, libertarians, and Republicans. Cruz, on Twitter, said Luther was “wrongly imprisoned when she refused to apologize for trying to make a living.”
Cruz wasted little time in spreading the press coverage he knew he would receive all over Twitter:
[Image via KXAS-TV screen capture]