In February 2024, longtime Hendersonville aquarium owner Brenda Ramer was front and center, posting on Facebook Live that Charlotte, the stingray she rescued, was pregnant with no male ray present.
News 13 spoke with a top North Carolina marine veterinarian on Monday, July 1, who spoke on the condition his name would be withheld amid the controversy surrounding Charlotte's story. He confirmed what Ramer told News 13 at the end of May, that marine veterinarians involved in the consulting on the case did not want their names disclosed due to the international scrutiny of Charlotte's story.
Ramer has not responded to multiple emails and calls by News 13 requesting an interview after Charlotte's death.News 13 reported that Aquarium and Shark Lab by Team ECCO staff first thought the stingray's swelling might be cancer.