25 newsmakers that had Haitians talking in 2025  

Fabrice Rouzier — Copyright and culture collide in lawsuit

Haitian music veteran Fabrice Rouzier shook the diaspora music world in April when he sued Franco-Haitian artist Joé Dwèt Filé, Nigerian superstar Burna Boy and comedian Tonton Bicha. Rouzier, co-founder of Mizik Mizik and composer of the 2002 song Je Vais, alleged unauthorized sampling and performance of Je Vais in Joé Dwèt Filé’s 2024 global hit “4 Kampé.” Rouzier’s argument is that cultural homage doesn’t excuse unauthorized exploitation.

The lawsuit raised urgent questions about intellectual property, generational respect and the commercialization of culture. Despite the suit, the song’s success has been massive: 4 Kampé and its sequel have topped 100 million streams, far surpassing the original’s modest reach.

Melchie “Corventina” Dumornay — Earns second Women’s Player of the Year award

At just 22, Melchie Daëlle Dumornay, known globally as “Corventina,” had already etched her name among the greats with her 2023 Women’s World Cup performance. In 2025, she made history again by winning CONCACAF Women’s Player of the Year for the second consecutive year, joining American legend Alex Morgan as the only women to achieve that honor twice.

Dumornay’s 2025 was also named UEFA Women’s Champions League Young Player of the Season for the second year in a row, selected to the Champions League Best XI — among an array of honors. As Haiti’s most visible and accomplished international athlete, her rise reflects not only personal excellence but the emerging strength of Haitian women’s football.

Hurricane Melissa — Tragedy sparks mourning and anger in Petit-Goâve

Hurricane Melissa killed at least 25 people in Haiti’s Petit-Goâve commune, including 10 children swept away by the overflowing La Digue River. A mass funeral on Nov. 15 drew hundreds of grieving residents demanding action. Local leaders blamed years of neglected river maintenance and deforestation for worsening the disaster.

Despite widespread devastation, no provisional government officials attended the funeral, deepening public frustration. The storm highlighted Haiti’s extreme vulnerability amid climate change, ongoing political instability and state collapse.

Boulos and Vorbe — Arrested as US targets Haiti’s elite for alleged ties to gangs

Two of Haiti’s most powerful oligarchs — Reginald Boulos and Dimitri Vorbe — were arrested in the U.S. in 2025, accused of supporting armed gangs and destabilizing Haiti. Both are being held by immigration authorities amid allegations of immigration fraud, corruption and criminal conspiracy.

Boulos, who renounced his U.S. citizenship to run for president in Haiti, was detained in Miami for allegedly funding criminal groups and concealing political ties on immigration forms. Weeks later, Vorbe, whose family controls the private utility power company SOGENER, was also taken into custody in Florida.

Their arrests came as Congress passed the Haiti Criminal Collusion Transparency Act, mandating investigations and sanctions against elites tied to gangs. The new law, signed into the 2026 U.S. defense bill, reflects a turning point in U.S. policy toward Haiti’s entrenched power players.

Sanctioned Haitian elites — Facing international accountability reckoning

Several Haitian political and business leaders — including unnamed figures in the current sanctions list — faced travel bans, asset freezes or immigration detentions in 2025 due to alleged gang ties, corruption and human rights abuses. Their growing legal troubles underscore the shifting balance of impunity and accountability at the highest levels of Haitian power.

Erik Prince — Mercenary’s deal raises alarms over Haiti’s sovereignty

Erik Prince, a Trump ally and founder of the disgraced private military firm Blackwater, emerged as one of the most controversial figures tied to Haiti’s security crisis. His company, Vectus Global, signed a long-term contract with Haiti’s transitional government to fight gangs, deploying foreign fighters, drones and helicopters in and around Port-au-Prince.

Reporting revealed that Prince’s network attempted to recruit Haitian American military veterans as paid mercenaries—prompting sharp backlash from diaspora leaders and U.S. Army veterans like Rod Joseph, a congressional candidate in Florida.

Prince’s involvement revived painful memories of Haiti’s history with mercenaries, especially after Colombian contractors were implicated in the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse. While some residents say safety matters more than who provides it, critics warn the deal threatens national sovereignty, transparency, and human rights.

Aland Etienne — Security officer shot dead, turned into a civic symbol

Aland Etienne, a 46-year-old father of four, was killed on July 28 while shielding others during a mass shooting at 345 Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan.

His heroism inspired the Aland Etienne Safety and Security Act, passed by New York City Council in December. The law sets minimum wage, benefits, and PTO standards for the city’s 81,000+ private security officers—many of whom are immigrants like Etienne and people of color.

Etienne’s legacy now safeguards an entire workforce.

Thad Jean — The ‘Silverback’ who claimed the cage

In August, Thad “Silverback” Jean became the 2025 PFL Welterweight World Champion, remaining undefeated at 11-0. But for Jean, a Broward County-born son of Haitian immigrants, the win was never just about belts or money.

It was about faith, pride and visibility for Haiti. He speaks Creole fluently, has church-bred discipline, and carries the dreams of a generation into the MMA cage. His silverback nickname came from a divine dream.

Haiti’s air travel — IBC Airways and Sunrise help refuel sector

With Haiti’s main airport in Port-au-Prince shut to U.S. airlines due to gang violence, IBC Airways launched the first direct commercial flights from Miami to Les Cayes’s Antoine Simon Airport in November 2025. The historic milestone gives Haiti’s long-isolated south a much-needed aerial link to the U.S. diaspora, paving the way for regional growth.

Meanwhile, Haitian-owned Sunrise Airways continued operating from Cap-Haïtien throughout the hemisphere — despite challenges, including aircraft damage and service suspensions. Though criticized for high fares and delays, Sunrise remained a vital connector while major carriers stay away.

Together, the two airlines became lifelines for Haitians during a period of extreme insecurity and growing international isolation.

Pras Michel — Sentenced to 14 years for foreign donations dealings

Fugees rapper Pras Michel was sentenced to 14 years in prison in November 2025 for illegally funneling millions from Malaysian financier Jho Low into Barack Obama’s 2012 campaign. Convicted on 10 counts — including conspiracy, acting as a foreign agent and witness tampering — Michel’s case featured testimony from Leonardo DiCaprio and sparked controversy over alleged trial misconduct.

Michel’s defense is appealing, citing bias, improper use of AI by his lawyer and prosecutorial overreach. His sentencing is among the most severe for political finance crimes in U.S. history.

Ben Mathurin and Lu Dort — Haitian pride brought to NBA Finals

Haitian Canadian NBA stars Bennedict Mathurin (Indiana Pacers) and Luguentz Dort (Oklahoma City Thunder) made history in the 2025 NBA Finals, becoming the first players of Haitian descent to face off on basketball’s biggest stage.

Raised in Montreal by Haitian parents, both players credit their culture for shaping their identity, resilience and community ties. Their Finals showdown brought global visibility to Haitian talent and pride.

Baptiste, Eugène & Dieujuste — Haitian fashion designers edit the global style script

In 2025, Haitian creatives didn’t just walk the runway. They reshaped what it means to design from memory, culture and diaspora identity. From red carpets to runways, three Haitian designers — Daveed Baptiste, Patrick Eugène, and Charles Dieujuste — turned recognition into revolution.

Daveed Baptiste: Crowned the winner of the 2025 CFDA Empowered Vision Award, Baptiste brought his signature fusion of high fashion and lakou memory to the industry’s most elite stage. Raised in Miami’s Little Haiti and living in Brooklyn, Baptiste centers community over celebrity, drawing from his immigrant childhood, art scene roots and experiences as a queer Haitian creative.

Patrick Eugène: Atlanta-based Patrick Eugene, painter-turned-designer, made waves with a collaboration that stunned Paris: his collection of three redesigned Dior Lady handbags premiered at Art Basel Paris, part of the iconic house’s 10th anniversary Dior Lady Art Project.

Eugene’s designs, titled Pearl of the Antilles, reclaimed a colonial term to honor Haiti’s history and elegance. His Dior collection became a global conversation piece, inserting Haitian aesthetics into the center of fashion luxury.

Charles Dieujuste: In the New York’s garment district, Charles Dieujuste, founder of Scorcesa, disrupted the bridal industry with nontraditional gowns inspired by Haitian women, family memory and bold fabric choices.

A self-described romantic who’s “never been in a relationship,” Dieujuste designs for women who want their gowns to reflect independence, color, and legacy—not conformity. His “Heritage” collection, shown at both Fashion and Bridal Weeks, honors his grandmothers and community seamstresses in Haiti. With touches like Barbancourt bottles in his studio, Dieujuste keeps his Caribbean roots visible in every stitch.

Haitian migration — Countries curtail Haitian movement across borders

From the Western Hemisphere to farther afield, countries began implementing stricter migration rules that have limited the movement of Haitians seeking safety and stability as Haiti falls further into decline.

In North America, the U.S., Canada and Mexico introduced new policies affecting Temporary Protected Status (TPS), humanitarian parole and family reunification programs, leaving many families scrambling.

Neighboring countries such as the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Panama, The Bahamas and Turks and Caicos updated visa requirements and eligibility for residency. France and its territories in the Caribbean also tightened entry requirements and began returning many Haitians.

Dominican Republic abuses — A year of racialized violence and resistance

In 2025, a series of tragedies exposed yet again the systemic mistreatment of Haitians and Black Dominicans in the Dominican Republic:

• Stephora Joseph, an 11-year-old Haitian student, drowned on a school outing in Santiago amid gross negligence.
• Lourdia Jean-Pierre, a pregnant Haitian woman, died during a home birth after avoiding a hospital for fear of deportation.
• A report from NYU’s Global Justice Clinic details abuses under the DR’s 10,000-people-per-week deportation policy, including:
  • Racial profiling
  • Family separations
  • Targeting of pregnant women
  • Detentions based on skin color and surname pronunciation

The incidents sparked protests, international petitions and demands for accountability—but also laid bare the human cost of anti-Haitianism.

Gepsie Metellus — Street renamed in her honor

In recognition of her decades of community leadership, the City of North Miami renamed NE 134th Street as “Gepsie M. Metellus Street.” As the longtime executive director of Sant La Haitian Neighborhood Center, Metellus has been a tireless advocate for equity, education and Haitian American empowerment.

The tribute came as Sant La celebrated its 25th anniversary and Metellus prepared for retirement.

Chef Leen — Cooking up new records for Guinness and feeding diaspora pride

Danaisa “Leen Excellent” Orchestre, also known online as Chef Leen, completed a record-breaking 192-hour cooking marathon in April, aiming to earn a Guinness World Records title for cooking while celebrating Haitian cuisine and culture.

Originally from Guinaudée in Jean-Rabel, a commune in Haiti’s Northwest Department, Orchestre has become a symbol of Haitian resilience and national pride. She cooked for a total of eight days.

Melissa Sapinni — Haiti in the spotlight in global pageantry

Melissa Sapinni made waves with her participation in the Miss Universe 2025 pageant. She represented Haitian culture in her presentations, including wearing a costume inspired by Haiti’s national bird, the “Kanson Wouj” trogon found only on the island of Hispaniola.