Birdlady, self-named Atlanta Falcons superfan, pleads not guilty to theft charge

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - The self-described Atlanta Falcons “Birdlady” appeared in court Tuesday and pleaded not guilty to allegedly stealing thousands of dollars from Kansas City Chiefs fans for a tailgate in September that never happened.

Carolyn Freeman, 65, is charged with one count of theft-by-deception for allegedly taking more than $14,000 from Chiefs fan club members after promising “to cater and provide a tailgate party event, which said accused did not intend to perform,” according to the indictment by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.

Outside of the courtroom on Tuesday, Atlanta News First Investigates asked Freeman if she had the evidence to prove her innocence, which she had claimed she would share with us in an interview hours before she was arrested.

Freeman responded “Of course,” but was quickly quieted by a person accompanying her. The person then said she would not be talking to the media.

The DA indicted Freeman after an Atlanta News First investigation into allegations she stole thousands of dollars from fans for tailgates, including the Chiefs this season and the Seattle Seahawks two years ago.

“I expected her to show up, and I wanted her to see us with our shirts on. She pleaded not guilty, which I assume she would do,” said Atlanta-based Kansas City Chiefs fan Jerry Peterson. “She’s guilty. She’s very guilty.”

David and Kelly Douglas, who said they also paid for the tailgate in September, drove to the courthouse from their home in Gainesville.

“Chiefs don’t come here very often. And we’re born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri,” David Douglas said. “We had a hotel room down here. We were excited about the game and excited to tailgate with fellow Chiefs fans. It was disappointing. It ruined the whole event.”

“It’s the principle of it, and she needs to be held accountable for what she’s doing, and has gotten away with. It’s pathetic, actually,” Douglas said.

Atlanta News First Investigates first reported on Freeman in October after several NFL fan groups accused her of sham tailgates and Super Bowl trips. The alleged incidents involved a Seattle Seahawks fan club in 2017 and a Kansas City Chiefs fan club in 2024.

Freeman’s Oct. 30, 2024, arrest warrant said she obtained $14,000 from about 300 fans to orchestrate a party for the Kansas City Chiefs-Atlanta Falcons game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sept. 22, but did not show up for the event and did not return the money.

Atlanta police arrested Freeman at the Dallas Cowboys-Atlanta Falcons game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Nov. 3, 2024.

Southwood, an organizer for the Kansas City Chiefs Arrowhead South Georgia Chapter filed a police report with Atlanta Police on Oct. 7. Southwood said on game day, Freeman kept saying she was on her way, but she had been hospitalized for asthma and later said she had an incident with the police.

Freeman claimed she did follow through hosting the tailgates, but she was late due to several reasons, including hospital visits and her trailer unhitching.

The fan groups also claimed Freeman said part of the money collected for tailgates would go to her nonprofit, Birdlady Cares Inc., which has been registered as a 501(c)(3) with the Internal Revenue Service for almost a decade. Guidestar, a philanthropic research website, details the nonprofit’s mission as serving children affected by abuse, domestic violence and bullying.

Catherine Baskett, a member of the Kansas City Chiefs fan club who helped plan the event, said the Georgia Attorney General’s office and Atlanta police contacted her after the first Atlanta News First investigation aired.

Freeman’s arrest warrant shows police tried to call her and left voicemails. It also said police were sent to Freeman’s house for a welfare check, and tried contacting her family members and even the local hospital, but could not find her.

Freeman, who was named a 2016 Bud Light NFL Super Fan, was featured on an Equifax billboard inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium this season. The credit bureau company removed her image after Atlanta News First Investigates inquired about recent allegations that she had taken money from the Chiefs fan club.

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Atlanta News First Investigates reached out to Freeman for comment after the indictment, but did not hear back.

Freeman bonded out on Nov. 8, 2024, in the amount of $2,500, and did not have to attend a preliminary hearing on Nov. 27.

A spokesperson for AMB Sports and Entertainment, which owns the Atlanta Falcons and Mercedes-Benz Stadium, declined to comment on the claims or the arrest.

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