State Sen. Tillett’s Ex-Daughter-in-Law Says She Recorded N-Word Rant

State Sen. Jerry Tillett’s former daughter-in-law said in an affidavit filed last month that she recorded a 2016 conversation in which he allegedly used the N-word and joked about shooting a Black man. 

Briana Daniels made the admission as part of a defamation lawsuit Tillett filed in February against her, her husband, the publisher of the right-wing website National File, and local social media antagonist Richard Burrus in Dare County Superior Court. The lawsuit followed The Assembly’s reporting on the recording and Tillett’s attempts to criminally prosecute Burrus, who first posted it online. 

Tillett has denied using racist slurs and, through his attorney, argued that the recording had been manipulated. Tillett and his attorney did not respond to requests for comment on Thursday.

On Tuesday, Tillett, a former Dare County superior court judge, defeated Democrat Melissa Zehner with 52% of the vote in the 1st District in Eastern N.C. In August, local Republicans nominated Tillett to complete the term of state Sen. Bobby Hanig, who retired.  

On December 11, 2025, Burrus posted a 23-second audio clip on social media that he claimed revealed Tillett using the N-word. A source provided The Assembly with an identical version of the recording. The Assembly interviewed Daniels, though she asked not to be named, citing fear of retribution. She had previously alleged in court documents that Jeremy Tillett, her ex-husband, abused her during their marriage. Jeremy Tillett denied those allegations.  

Daniels identified the speakers as Jerry Tillett; his wife, Tanya Tillett; and Jeremy Tillett. She told The Assembly that the recorded conversation took place in April 2016, while she was driving the “extremely intoxicated” Tilletts home from Basnight’s Lone Cedar Cafe in Nags Head. In the affidavit, she said a fourth person, a man, was in the car, though she did not identify him. She did not mention that person in her interview with The Assembly.  

Daniels could not be reached for comment on Thursday. Her current husband, Teddy Daniels, declined to comment. 

Briana Daniels previously told The Assembly that the Tilletts were recounting an incident that happened to Jerry Tillett in a bathroom in Norfolk, Virginia. A Black man had turned off the light as he exited, leaving Tillett alone in the dark. Tillett was angry because he thought the man did it intentionally, she said. 

According to the recording, this is what happened next: 

“He turned the light off!” a man exclaims.

A younger-sounding man says, “You should have shot his Black ass.” 

“Should have shot that n—,” a male voice agrees, using the racial slur. 

“He came out so pissy,” the woman says. “I’m like, ‘What in the world?’ ‘Somebody cut the light out on me.’ I laughed all the way home from [unintelligible].”

“He thought it was funny!” a man says. 

“N—, n—, I’d have been like, n—, please,” the younger-sounding man says. 

“N—, pleeease,” a man interjects, drawing out the last word. The recording cuts off shortly after that. 

Daniels produced a longer version of the audio at The Assembly’s request prior to our initial reporting, in which her voice can briefly be heard. In that version, the younger-sounding man refers to himself as “Mr. Tillett.” This version contained the 23-second clip that Burrus posted. 

In the affidavit, Daniels said she never provided the recording to Burrus or the National File, which also posted it online. Teddy Daniels, who lost the Republican primary for Dare County sheriff in March, said that he did. Neither of the Danielses provided the recording to The Assembly. 

Briana Daniels said in the affidavit that she had started recording conversations with the Tilletts because she was having “stressful and, at times, frightening violent interactions with Jeremy Tillett and with [Jerry Tillett].” She and Jeremy Tillett have since divorced and have been involved in contentious litigation, including a defamation lawsuit Jeremy Tillett filed against her. 

The elder Tillett’s defamation lawsuit against Daniels, Burrus, and the National File’s publisher (he did not sue the publication itself) is still pending. The stalking and cyberstalking charges that Tillett and his allies filed against Burrus, based on his online comments, have since been dropped.