Dana and Mark Gerstle, the couple rescued from their overturned Ford Explorer by George Zimmerman, have canceled a press conference. According to Gawker, the press conference was going to be hosted by Mark O'Mara, the lawyer who defended Zimmerman and successfully had him acquitted of charges of second-degree murder and manslaughter in the killing of Trayvon Martin.
"[T]hey called today and said they were more worried about blow back from saying anything that would be favorable to George," said O'Mara.
O'Mara took advantage of the opportunity to address the conspiracy theory that the entire thing was a stunt to boost Zimmerman's public image.
"I will acknowledge it was coincidental four or five days after the verdict, but it was not set up, or staged," he said. "Really, do you think we would’ve set up a family of four on the side (of the road), destroying an SUV?"
Gawker also reports that the scene of the rescue was "not far from the spot" where Zimmerman shot and killed Trayvon. A family friend of the Gerstles told the Daily Mail that while they're grateful for Zimmerman's actions, a press conference would be embarrassing for their family. "Let's face it, George Zimmerman is pretty toxic right now," said a friend.
Read more at Gawker and the Daily Mail.
Jozen Cummings is the author and creator of the popular relationship blog Until I Get Married, which is currently in development for a television series with Warner Bros. He also hosts a weekly podcast with WNYC about Empire called Empire Afterparty, is a contributor at VerySmartBrothas.com and works at Twitter as an editorial curator. Follow him on Twitter.