Cal Ripken Jr.'s floating head crashes wife's Zoom judicial swearing-in

Baseball legend Cal Ripken Jr.'s floating head crashed his wife’s judicial confirmation hearing over Zoom this week.

While Maryland Judge Laura Ripken was being confirmed to the Court of Special Appeals on Monday, she said, "joining me here today in our home office is my husband Cal, who has been my biggest fan and the most wonderful husband imaginable."

The former Baltimore Orioles player joined his wife on the video conference, but the virtual background being used made him seem bodiless. Judge Ripken's hair looked purple during the confirmation hearing.

"Here’s proof that I haven’t transformed into just a head and Laura hasn’t dyed her hair purple," Cal Ripken Jr., also known as "The Iron Man," tweeted while sharing a picture of himself hugging his wife.

Judge Ripken was first appointment to the bench in 2010. Since January 2019, she has served as the chair of the Conference of Circuit Court Judges. She is also the judge who has been presiding over the case of Jarrod Ramos, who pleaded guilty to fatally shooting five people at The Capital Gazette in 2018.

The floating head event occurred in the same week a Texas lawyer showed up to a virtual court hearing using a filter that made him look like a white cat.

Also this week, Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., appeared upside down during a virtual committee hearing. Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., asked if he was OK.

“I don’t know how to fix that,” Emmer responded after several members told him he was upside down. A representative jokingly pointed out during the hearing that "at least he's not a cat."

Emmer later reappeared right side up.