Kelly Osbourne is calling out the celebrities she thinks are using the Los Angeles wildfires for personal attention.
While Osbourne, 40, didn’t name names, she slammed the “disturbing” trend of stars continuing to post about how they are helping victims of the wildfires that have so far killed 25 people.
“’Is it just me being my normal overthinking, cynical self or is it really disturbing to see all of these celebrities using other people’s pain and suffering as a photo op to say, look, I’m helping, I’m doing this, I’m doing that?” she asked in a video posted via TikTok on Tuesday, January 14.
“I don’t believe you help because you get attention for helping, I believe you just help because you want to. I’m so confused, I think it’s so wrong,” she continued. “No one asked you to come out and give hugs, go home.”
Kelly’s comments come as celebrities around the world are donating their time and money to wildfire relief efforts. Many have done so publicly, sharing photos and videos of themselves volunteering.
Last week, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle visited a food bank where they met with victims and first responders, while handing out food to those affected by the fires.
“They really buoyed the spirits of the first responders,” Pasadena mayor Victor Gordo said, per the Daily Mail. “We visited the command post at the Rose Bowl and people were very happy to see them.”
OnMonday, January 13, Jay Leno served meals to firefighters in the Pacific Palisades area and visited the rescue crews stationed at the Rose Bowl.
“Pacific Palisades, it doesn’t exist and probably won’t exist for the next four, five years. I don’t know how you rebuild from this,” Leno told Anderson Cooper in an appearance on CNN on Monday. “But we’ll get through it. We always do.”
AFD public information officer Erik Scott also praised Leno via X, writing, “Amid the #PalisadesFire, actor @jayleno stopped by to serve meals to #firefighters coming off the line. We’re grateful for his kindness & the support from our community during this challenging time.”
Actress Jessica Alba, meanwhile, spent Tuesday helping Baby2Baby, an organization she serves on the board of, by packing relief hygiene kits. She posted photos to her Instagram story and encouraged her followers to donate what they could.
A host of other celebrities, including Beyoncé, Paris Hilton, Jamie Lee Curtis and Eva Longoria have donated money to organizations supporting wildfire relief. As of Wednesday, January 15, the Palisades and Eaton fires have damaged or destroyed more than 12,300 structures, according to CNN. That includes the homes of many celebrities, including Hilton, Mel Gibson, Anna Faris and Billy Crystal.
Paris Hilton, Beyoncé, and Jamie Lee Curtis.Getty Images (3)
Wildfires continue to tear through the Los Angeles area, devastating thousands of acres and forcing even more people to flee their homes. As relief efforts are just getting underway, some of Hollywood’s most prominent stars are coming together to help those in need.
The Eaton and Pacific Palisades fires, which are burning concurrently, are already two of the top five most destructive fires in California’s history according to CNN. At least 24 people have died, with that number expected to grow as firefighters continue to search the rubble.
The Pacific Palisades fire has impacted scores of celebrities, destroying homes in affluent neighborhoods and forcing many to evacuate. Paris Hilton, Anna Faris, Billy Crystal and Mel Gibson are among the stars whose houses have burned down.
But many — even those who have been evacuated or lost everything — are stepping up to help their fellow Angelenos. Celebrities from film, sports, music and more have stepped up to donate their time, money and supplies.
Keep scrolling to see how celebrities are helping aid in the wildfire relief effort.
Beyonce
Beyonce’s BeyGood foundation donated $2.5 million to the newly established L.A. Fire Relief Fund.
“Los Angeles we stand with you. ” the fund wrote via Instagram. “The fund is earmarked to aid families in the Altadena/Pasadena area who lost their homes, and to churches and community centers to address the immediate needs of those affected by the wildfires.”
Jamie Lee Curtis
Michael Rowe/Getty Images for IMDb
The day after an emotional appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, on which she said “everything” in her community had been destroyed, the Halloween actress committed $1 million to wildfire relief.
“My husband and I and our children have pledged $1 million from our Family Foundation to start a fund of support for our great city and state and the great people who live and love there,” she wrote via Instagram. (Curtis shares daughters Annie, 34, and Ruby, 25, with her husband, Christopher Guest.)
Daniele Venturelli/Getty Images for The Red Sea International Film Festival
Longoria donated $50,000 to This Is About Humanity, which benefits families and workers impacted by the fires. She also pledged to donate $1 million through her foundation to the Latino Community Fund and California Community Foundation.
Josh Gad
Gad, who released his memoir, In Gad We Trust: A Tell-Some, on Tuesday, January 14, announced he would donate a portion of the proceeds from his book to several organizations benefiting wildfire relief.
He added in an appearance on The Today Show that same day that he knows at least 15 families who have lost their homes.
“I would encourage all of you, if you have a chance, to go onto my Instagram: I’ve posted links for where you can donate, even $10, anything helps right now,” Gad added. “There’s so many people, animals [and] babies affected by this tragedy.”
Paris Hilton
Presley Ann/Getty Images for LACMA
Hilton launched an emergency fund of $100,000 for wildfire victims, while pledging to match up to another $100,000 in donations. She announced on Tuesday that she has raised $800,000 so far and pledged another $150,000 to the GoFundMe Wildfire Relief Fund.
Jenner announced she is making an unspecified donation to the California Fire Foundation Wildfire & Disaster Relief Fund.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex made an unspecified monetary donation through their Archewell Foundation and volunteered their time alongside World Central Kitchen workers, distributing meals to those impacted in the area.
Jennifer Love Hewitt
Hewitt has partnered with two non-profits, BFFs and Babes and Baby2Baby, to sell her Love Angeles clothing line. All proceeds will go to Baby2Baby, which is helping provide supplies, including diapers, food, formula and water, to children impacted by the fires.
“Needed to do something with all this hurt in my heart,” she wrote via Instagram. “My friend @bffsandbabes said let’s take what’s in your heart and make it happen. Love Angeles is now yours to purchase and support @baby2baby”
The rock band has pledged $2.5 million to FireAid, a benefit concert coming to the Intuit Dome on January 30. Proceeds from the concert will go toward an organization created to help rebuild Los Angeles’ infrastructure. An estimated 12,300 structures have been damaged or destroyed as of Wednesday, January 15, according to CNN.
Freedie Freeman
Jason Kempin/Getty Images
Freeman and his wife Chelsea are donating $100,000 each to the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, the Pasadena Fire Department and the Salvation Army. Chelsea also announced she will match donations to Pasadena Humane, which is caring for pets impacted by the fires.
Metallica
Metallica’s foundation, All Within My Hands, is donating $500,000 to support the California Community Foundation’s Wildfire Recovery Fund and the Pasadena Community Foundation’s Eaton Canyon Fire Relief and Recovery Fund.
“Numbers cannot articulate the magnitude of anguish as the disaster upends families and dismantles livelihoods,” the band said in a statement.
Leonardo DiCaprio
DiCaprio announced via Instagram that he will donate $1 million to “support both urgent needs and post-fire recovery efforts.”
“Initial aid will immediately benefit the LA Fire Department Foundation, California Fire Foundation, World Central Kitchen, California Community Foundation, Pasadena Humane Society, and SoCal Fire Fund — organizations on the frontlines providing much-needed resources to our first responders and firefighters, and the people, animals and communities who need it most,” he added.
Kevin Love, Bonnie BlueArnold Jerocki/Getty Images; Courtesy of Bonnie Blue/Instagram
The Miami Heat lost a tough game to the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night, but at least veteran forward Kevin Love has a sense of humor about it.
Love, 36, took to Instagram the morning after his team’s 109-98 loss, lamenting a third quarter in which the Clippers outscored the Heat, 36-20.
“When someone asks me how f—ed our 2nd half was last night…” he captioned the post, under a pic of viral OnlyFans star Bonnie Blue holding up a piece of paper with “1,000” written on it.
Love logged 15 minutes of playtime in the loss, scoring nine points on a trio of made threes.
The photo references the 1,057 men that Blue, 25, allegedly had sex with in the span of 12 hours last weekend. It’s also a nod to the iconic photo of Wilt Chamberlain holding up a piece of paper that said “100” on it after his 100-point game in 1962.
Over the past few years, other NBA players have followed Chamberlain’s lead by posing for similar pictures after delivering milestone scoring performances.
Of course, Love only meant that the Heat’s second half was off-the-charts bad, but his fellow NBA stars found the humor in his post. Kyle Kuzma, CJ McCollum, Baron Davis and Brendan Haywood were among the current or former players to comment on the post with laughing emojis, while another user urged Kevin’s wife, Kate, to take her husband’s phone away.
“Oh my goodness gracious,” his teammate, Josh Richardson, commented.
For her part, Blue seems to have recovered well from her record-setting venture. She thanked her clientele via her Instagram account in a video shared after the escapade.
“I don’t need a wheelchair. I’m fine,” she said. “Just feels like I’ve had a heavy day in the bedroom. Which is exactly what I’ve had.”
In a video via TikTok, Blue recounted the day, explaining how she went about setting her record.
“The room was absolutely full,” she said. “Then we did groups of five. Like, one after the other. … I wanted to give people more time, so then it went down to, like, one on ones. So, like, one person would watch when I was with somebody” and then “it would rotate in a circle like that.”
Blue’s feat comes a month after another OnlyFans influencer, Lily Phillips, slept with 100 people in a span of 24 hours. She later said her January 2025 goal would be to have sex with 1,000 men in a single day.
Jessica Alba and Cash Warren have called it quits and are working on making their split official.
Alba, 43, plans to file for divorce “soon,” a source close to her and Warren exclusively told Us Weekly. In the meantime, the Los Angeles wildfires have slowed the process — the pair are spending more time together and with their three kids, Honor, 16, Haven, 13 and Hayes, 6.
“Cash has been slowly moving things out of their house but since the fires, they have been spending more time under one roof as a family,” the source explains. “They are being there for each other right now as it is a very stressful time.”
Alba has also been spending her time working with Baby2Baby, a nonprofit on whose board she serves, by putting together fire relief hygiene kits. She posted photos and videos of the kits via her Instagram story on Tuesday, January 14, urging her followers to donate to relief efforts.
The source adds that Alba plans to keep the couple’s Beverly Hills home and that they are “working it all out behind the scenes.”
Alba and Warren, 46, married in 2008 — four years after the two met on the set of The Fantastic Four in 2004, where Alba played Sue Storm and Warren was a production assistant. After 16 years of marriage, on January 8 news broke of their split.
Jessica Alba and Cash WarrenAmy Sussman/Getty Images
“They have had many ups and downs as any marriage would after being together for so many years,” the insider says. “They have tried therapy and have worked out past issues over the years.”
Noting that “at the end of the day, the romance was gone between them,” the source adds that “there were trust issues in the past which led to many arguments.”
Alba has spoken publicly about the challenges in her marriage before, including on Katherine Schwarzenegger Pratt’s “BDA Baby” podcast in April 2024.
Courtesy of Jessica Alba/Instagram
“It’s all rosy for 2 and a half years, but then after that you become roommates,” she said at the time. “And it’s just, like, you’re roommates. You’re just going through the motion. It’s the responsibility. It’s a lot of, like, checking the boxes.”
Pratt empathized with Alba, asking how she balances work with making sure “your husband feels tended to.’
“If you’ve figured it out in your relationship, let me know,” Alba replied. “You know, I think that [Warren] probably gets the short end of the stick. … It’s hard. It’s impossible.”
Warren, for his part, opened up about the “hard work” that went into his marriage in an exclusive interview with Us in July 2024.
“I think, ultimately, the friendship and support and just knowing that your partner has your back means everything to us,” he said. “I think that would be the secret, is just having each other’s back. It’s hard work, but we roll up our sleeves and we do it. It’s wild. It’s the longest relationship I could have ever imagined.”
Renée Zellweger has finally revealed what she was really up to during her six-year acting hiatus.
The Jerry Maguire actress decided to take some time off in 2010, not appearing in another film until 2016. Zellweger, 55, admits she “needed” the break.
“I was sick of the sound of my own voice,” she said in a discussion with her Bridget Jones’s Diary costar Hugh Grant, published by British Vogue on Wednesday, January 15. “When I was working, I was like, ‘Oh, my gosh, listen to you. Are you sad again, Renée? Oh, is this your mad voice?’ It was a regurgitation of the same emotional experiences.”
That’s not to say Zellweger sat around the house during her hiatus. She loaded her schedule with just about everything except for acting.
“I wrote music and studied international law,” she said. “I built a house, rescued a pair of older doggies, created a partnership that led to a production company, advocated for and fundraised with a sick friend, and spent a lot of time with family and godchildren and driving across the country with the dogs. I got healthy.”
Nikolai von Bismarck
Zellweger’s hiatus came on the heels of her starring in Case 39, a supernatural horror film that was panned by critics and struggled at the box office. Though she’s had far more success since then, including as Judy Garland in 2019 biopic Judy, she isn’t about to go running to social media to read reviews of her performances. She never has.
“I promise you. I’ve never looked at the box office or Rotten Tomatoes,” she said.
Zellweger added she doesn’t have X, doesn’t read reviews and has never googled herself, saying, “Why care? It’s none of my business.”
Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, the fourth installment in the Bridget Jones series, is set for a February 13, 2025 release on Peacock. Zellweger and Grant also discussed how the films have endured since the original came out in 2001.
Nikolai von Bismarck
“What I think is, don’t you meet a lot of people who say, ‘I am Bridget Jones’!?” Zellweger asked. “I think maybe folks recognize themselves in her and relate to her struggles and feelings of self-doubt. Bridget is authentically herself and doesn’t always get it right, but whatever her imperfections, she remains joyful and optimistic, carries on and triumphs in her own way.”
She added, “She seems to make her quirky individuality and shortcomings charming, lovable and acceptable — and, in turn, she makes us feel lovable and acceptable too.”
See the full feature in the February issue of British Vogue, available via digital download and on newsstands from Tuesday 21st of January.
When Craig Melvin was announced as Hoda Kotb’s replacement on the Today show for 2025, coanchor Savannah Guthrie and the entire NBC family were quick to celebrate the news.
At the time, Kotb herself told Melvin — who has worked for NBC since 2011 and joined Today as a weekday news anchor in 2018 — he was “made for this job,” adding, “You are that kind of good. You have all the things that this job needs. You’re the right person for it.”
Melvin’s family outside of work has been just as supportive.
“My heart is honestly bursting. Craig Melvin – I am so proud of you and so beyond grateful for the man you are,” his wife, Lindsay Czarniak, wrote via Instagram in November 2024, shortly after news of his new gig broke. “The opportunity to watch the person you love see their dream come true is such a gift. I will never forget this day and the crowds’ excitement to share your good news.”
Melvin and Czarniak met in 2008 and tied the knot three years later. The pair share son Delano and daughter Sybil, who were born in 2014 and 2016, respectively. Melvin’s relationship with his kids has been shaped by his own upbringing, from his hardworking and supportive mother to his father, who struggled with addiction but is now one of the most important figures in his life.
Melvin was joined on air by his wife, kids, parents and younger brother during his first episode as Today’s new coanchor in January 2025.
Keep scrolling to meet Melvin’s entire family, including his wife, kids, parents and more.
Lindsay Czarniak
Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images
Melvin and Czarniak met while both were working in the news industry in Washington, D.C. After more than a year of friendship, Melvin finally asked her on a date in July 2009.
“That night when we met, there was something that clicked. And it wasn’t necessarily that I knew, ‘I have to be with this guy.’ But it was like, ‘I don’t want to be with anyone else that I’d hung out with,’” Czarniak recalled to the Washington Post in 2011.
Three years after they tied the knot, Melvin and Czarniak welcomed son Delano in March 2014, then daughter Sybil in November 2016. On Father’s Day 2024, Czarniak said her husband “crushes the role of fatherhood despite the wildest schedule on a daily basis” in an Instagram post.
Czarniak currently works for Fox as an NFL and NASCAR reporter. She was previously a Sports Center anchor on ESPN and has covered everything from the Olympics to the Daytona 500.
Delano
Rob Kim/Getty Images for Lotte New York Palace
Melvin credits his son with inspiring his latest children’s book, “I’m Proud of You,” released in May 2024.
“A few years ago, I found myself marveling at Delano on the high dive,” he told Good Housekeeping at the time. “He was trying to conquer his fear and jump off for the first time. When he did it, I saw how proud he was and how proud my wife and I were, and I thought, ‘we should document this.’”
The day Delano turned 10, Melvin and Czarniak honored him in a joint Instagram post.
“In the blink of an eye our little boy went from the baby who made us parents to the fun loving, caring 10 year old kid we adore,” they wrote. “I think one of the coolest things is when you find yourself just really enjoying the time you get to spend together as they grow, experiencing the things they love and seeing it all through their eyes.”
Melvin told People that Delano played a role in naming his younger sister. While Cznarniak was pregnant with her, the family referred to the baby as “Sibby,” for Delano’s younger sibling. The family soon grew to love the name and it turned into Sibyl.
Melvin and Czarniak have described their youngest as athletic and “the life of the party,” according to Hello Magazine. Melvin added that Sybil’s confidence, even at eight years old, makes him “teary.”
Lawrence Melvin
Craig and his father, Lawrence, have had a complicated history. The anchor was open about his dad’s struggles with addiction in his book, “POPS: Learning to be a Son and a Father,” published in 2021. The book recalls the times Lawrence did not show up for Craig and his siblings, earning him the nickname “Ghost” among Craig’s friends.
“The nickname really bugged me,” Craig wrote. “Most of my other friends, their dads were present. I had written mine off. It got to a point where I thought, ‘Oh damn it to hell. I got a dad, but I don’t really have a dad.’ He was like a ghost: there, but not there.”
Today, their relationship is different as Lawrence is “PopPop” to Delano and Sibyl.
“He overcame addictions in his life,” Craig said on the November 2024 episode of Today. “He’s become one of my favorite human beings.”
After Craig wrote POP, he said he felt guilty for not including his mother in the title when she has been the most consistent figure in his life.
“The reality is, for most of my life, she played the role of Mom AND Pops,” he said. “And here, I wrote 200-plus pages celebrating fatherhood and celebrating my dad climbing this mountain. And the reality is, I would not be where I am professionally and personally had it not been for my mother.”
Betty was the first in Craig’s family to graduate from college and later worked as a teacher, then bank teller. At a time when Lawrence was struggling the most, squandering money on drugs, alcohol and gambling, Betty Jo got a Master’s degree and took a second job to help make ends meet.
Craig’s older brother Lawerence died in 2020 at age 43 after a four-year battle with colon cancer. Lawrence was a minister who co-owned a funeral home in South Carolina and held a Master’s in divinity and Doctorate in ministry from Gardner-Webb University.
After his brother’s death, Craig partnered with the Colorectal Cancer Alliance to raise money for colon cancer research and family support.
“The reality is, had Lawrence gotten checked earlier, he might still be with us,” Craig told People. “But we didn’t know about our family history and there were signs that he ignored.”
Ryan Melvin
Craig’s younger brother has joined the Today anchor on TV several times, including in 2022 when Ryan learned to swim at age 36 as a way to promote how important it is to be comfortable in the water. Ryan also let Today tag along when he got a colonoscopy in 2021 to raise awareness for the procedure after losing his older brother to colon cancer.
The NFL minimum salary for rookies was $795,000 in 2024, representing the smallest payday of any of the league’s nearly 1,700 active players who stay signed all year. It sounds lucrative, but as the wife of former NFL playerChad Hansen explained, life in the league isn’t always as opulent as it seems.
In a December video posted to TikTok, Bryce Watts Hansen debunked the misconception that everyone in the NFL is a millionaire.
Chad, now 29, spent five years in the NFL, bouncing between the New York Jets New England Patriots, Tennessee Titans, Denver Broncos New Orleans Saints, Houston Texans, Detroit Lions and Atlanta Falcons.
“He was on eight different NFL teams,” Watts Hansen said in the video. “That means eight different contracts are being signed and broken.”
She acknowledged that even at its worst, players still make considerable money, but it also comes with expenses many don’t consider — including Watts Hansen until she was confronted with the realities of having to constantly relocate.
“I know how to get a flight, move all our stuff. It’s kind of just like a cost that you have to eat.” she continued. “It’s just, like, all these little things that you can like have to play out in your head.”
Courtesy of Bryce Watts Hansen/Instagram
The “NFLadies” podcast host added that at one point, she and her husband were paying rent in three different cities because of the unpredictable nature of his job. And for the month and a half that the wide receiver was a member of the Falcons, they paid $10,000 to move to Atlanta.
Watts Hansen also admitted to previously believing that all players were millionaires, but that’s not the reality for those who are constantly signed and then cut.
“That would have been really great if that was the case, if we were one team and all that stuff,” she explained. “But you know, that’s just not the reality for everybody.”
“[Chad] signed a contract. Then a couple months later you get nothing, especially if you sign at the beginning of the offseason and then you’re cut during the offseason,” she added. “You’re not seeing any of that money because you haven’t played again and again, you haven’t gone to practice.”
Players also must account for the risky nature of their job. Watts Hansen said that the couple had to spend a considerable amount on doctors appointments, just another one of those “weird little things here and there.”
And even for players who have more stable careers, the money doesn’t go as far as some might think. The average NFL player only lasts three to four years in the league before being forced into retirement with no other professional experience. Even a six- or seven-figure salary in those few years won’t last for life.
The Weeknd’s sixth album, Hurry Up Tomorrow, may be the last that he releases under his stage name.
The singer, whose real name is Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, said he is considering retiring the persona that has helped define his music and acting career after the album’s January 25 release.
The Weeknd, 34, opened up about the next chapter of his life in a cover story for Variety published on Friday, January 10.
“It’s a headspace I’ve gotta get into that I just don’t have any more desire for. I feel like it comes with so much,” he explained. “You have a persona, but then you have the competition of it all. It becomes this rat race: more accolades, more success, more shows, more albums, more awards and more No. 1s. It never ends until you end it.”
That thinking came in part from an onstage incident at SoFi Stadium during his After Hours Til Dawn tour in 2022. The Weeknd found his voice breaking at the beginning of his show and could not recover. He eventually had to offer the audience refunds and promise a rescheduled date.
“Part of me actually was thinking, ‘You lost your voice because it’s done; you said what you had to say. Don’t overstay at the party — you can end it now and live a happy life,’” he continued. “You know? Put the bow on it: Hurry Up Tomorrow. Now we’re here. When is the right time to leave, if not at your peak? Once you understand who I am too much, then it’s time to pivot.”
That’s not to say The Weeknd is quitting music. Though he has also delved deeper into acting, including in the accompanying Hurry Up Tomorrow film, which also stars Jenna Ortega, he admitted that music will probably always be a part of his life.
“I don’t think I can stop doing that. But everything needs to feel like a challenge,” he said. “And for me right now, The Weeknd, whatever that is, it’s been mastered. No one’s gonna do The Weeknd better than me, and I’m not gonna do it better than what it is right now. I think I’ve overcome every challenge as this persona, and that’s why I’m really excited about this film, because I love this challenge.”
The Weeknd isn’t out to satisfy anyone else. For example, he admitted it was “unfortunate” that his short-lived HBO show, The Idol, was met with so much criticism, but that’s not why he did it. It was about his expression as an artist. It’s why he’s looking forward to his next challenge, whatever it may be.
“I just want to know what comes after,” he said. “I want to know what tomorrow looks like.”
As wildfires continue to ravage the Los Angeles area, Angelina Jolie and her son Knox are doing what they can to help.
Jolie, 49, and Knox, 16, were spotted at the grocery store while loading up on essentials, including water, according to a story published by the Daily Mail on Friday, January 10.
“We’re having people at our house,” she said while packing up her trunk in a video obtained by the outlet. When asked if she plans to donate toward relief efforts, she replied, “Yeah I will, right now I’m taking care of people close to me and having them at my house.”
Knox is one of six kids that Jolie shares with ex-husband Brad Pitt. The exes are also parents to sons Maddox, 23, and Pax, 21, and daughters Zahara, 20, Shiloh, 18, and Knox’s twin sister, Vivienne.
The wildfire crisis has been raging in the Los Angeles area since Tuesday, January 7, when high winds sparked fast-burning brush fires that have continued to spread in an area that has not had significant rainfall in months.
As of Friday, January 10, 10 people have died, 9,000 structures have been damaged and 150,000 people are under mandatory evacuation orders, according to the Los Angeles Times. Jolie’s $25 million Los Feliz home has remained outside of the evacuation zones.
Because of the fires’ locations, a slew of other celebrities have not been as fortunate, with many living in the affluent Pacific Palisades section of Los Angeles. Paris Hilton, Anna Faris, Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt, Billy Crystal,Mel Gibson and Milo Ventimiglia are among the celebrities who have confirmed that they’ve lost their homes.
“Sitting with my family, watching the news, and seeing our home in Malibu burn to the ground on live TV is something no one should ever have to experience,” Hilton wrote via Instagram on Wednesday. “This home was where we built so many precious memories. It’s where Phoenix took his first steps and where we dreamed of building a lifetime of memories with London.”
Meanwhile, Jolie isn’t the only celebrity to lend a helping hand. Jamie Lee Curtis announced on Thursday that she is donating $1 million to the relief efforts. Sharon Stone is working with LA store The Coop to gather donations for those displaced, and Halle Berry said she is donating her “entire closet.”
Overall, CBS News reports that more than 200,000 people have been ordered to evacuate their homes with 166,000 more people under evacuation warnings.
Derrick Levasseur, Wes BergmannWil R/Star Max/GC Images; Art Streiber/E! Entertainment
Fans of The Traitors were shocked on Thursday, January 9, when the first three episodes of the show’s third season were released and two unexpected players dropped in — literally.
The announced cast, which Peacock shared last June, arrived at their second mission to find three new players suspended above them in cages. One was Rob “Boston Rob” Mariano, who they elected not to invite into the game during the premiere episode.
Those who recognized Wes and Derrick, both 40, reacted with a predictable mix of excitement and apprehension at unleashing two masterminds into the game, while others clearly had no idea what either was capable of.
Both new players will begin as faithfuls, while Boston Rob will try to exact his revenge on those who didn’t invite him to enter the game by joining the traitors’ side.
Learn more about Wes and Derrick below.
Wes Bergmann
Trae Patton/E! Entertainment
Not many people have more reality TV experience than Wes, who first appeared on The Real World: Austin in 2005. Since then, he’s played 14 seasons of The Challenge, two seasons of The Challenge: Champs vs. Stars, one season of The Challenge: All-Stars, one season of The Challenge: USA and played in The Challenge: World Championship. He was also runner-up on House of Villains season 2.
Known as a master strategist and relentless competitor, Wes’ scheming has been both a blessing and a curse in his reality history. On The Challenge, It landed him in hot water and forced him into plenty of eliminations. But he also owns the franchise’s record for consecutive elimination wins with eight.
Wes has combined his physical prowess with a fearlessness that has continued to help him land roles across the reality competition universe. Two Challenge alumni (Chris “CT” Tamburello and Trishelle Cannatella) won season 2 of The Traitors and Wes can match up with either of them.
Derrick Levasseur
Euan Cherry/Peacock
Widely considered one of the greatest Big Brother players of all-time, the Big Brother 16 winner has the social ability to be a mastermind without ever appearing to be a threat. On Big Brother, he is both credited for his strategy and derided by some for “ruining” the game by showing future players how to dominate from start to finish.
On his season of Big Brother, Derrick formed a majority alliance early on with big competition threats, ensuring his side was almost always in power. As a result, he was never up for eviction and coasted to victory. Some argue Derrick had an easy path to his win because of the relatively low skill level of his competitors, but the season also included two future winners — former The Traitors contestant Cody Califiore and Nicole Franzel — as well as Frankie Grande, who some consider one of the most underrated players ever.
Another key for Derrick, both on Big Brother and The Traitors: He is a former undercover police officer. He kept this from his housemates on BB16, but with him already knowing several players on The Traitors, it’s only a matter of time before the rest of the cast catches wind of his ability to deceive, read and react.
Connie Boss Alexander, mother of the late Stephen “tWitch” Boss, has an army of So You Think You Can Dance alumni behind her as she deals with allegations of her son’s drug abuse from her daughter-in-law’s memoir.
Boss Alexander took to Instagram on Thursday, January 9, where she refuted the claims from Allison Holker’s upcoming book, This Far: My Story of Love, Loss, and Embracing the Light. In it, Holker says she found a “cornucopia” of drugs, including mushrooms, pills and “other substances I had to look up on my phone” after Boss died by suicide in December 2022. Holker also claimed Boss was a victim of sexual abuse as a child.
“Our family is absolutely appalled by the misleading and hurtful claims made about my son, Stephen Boss,” Boss Alexander wrote. “The recent publications spreading untruths about Stephen have crossed every line of decency. As his mother, I will not let these accusations go unanswered. We will not stand by while his name and legacy are tarnished. He doesn’t deserve this, and the kids don’t deserve this.”
Courtesy of Stephen 'tWitch' Boss/Instagram
“For the last two years, I have remained quiet and away from the public eye to protect my family,” she continued. “My primary focus has been on healing and attempting to remain connected to my grandchildren. But when I read these dreadful claims about my baby, our beloved Stephen, I realized I could not stay silent any longer. Our family will ensure his name and memory are protected, and we are committed to defending his honor.”
Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures
Eskridge was on Boss’ “Team Street” on season 12, placing in the top eight.
“ we are right with you,” he wrote.
Blake Andler McGrath
McGrath’s time on So You Think You Can Dance predates Boss’, but he made sure to send his support to his mom.
“Sending you so much love. we stand with you!” he commented.
Hannahlei Cabanilla
Cabanilla, the season 15 winner, commented with a heart and prayer hands emoji.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
(L-R) Dylan Efron, Tom Sandoval, Britney Haynes, Jeremy Collins, Dolores Catania, Dorinda Medley, Bob Harper, Ciara Miller, Gabby Windey, Bob The Drag Queen, Nikki Garcia, and Chanel Ayan.Euan Cherry/Peacock
Murder is afoot in Scotland once again, and your favorite reality stars are falling victim to the newest batch of traitors.
The Traitors, the Peacock reality hit, began its third season on Thursday, January 9, and Dorinda Medley from The Real Housewives of New York City was the first casualty.
Ousted in the second episode by traitors Danielle Reyes, Carolyn Wiger and Bob the Drag Queen, Medley, 60, was devastated to leave the castle so early.
“I cried my eyes out,” she told Decider in an interview published Friday, January 10. “When I saw that envelope, it was so unexpected. First of all, I think I should have been a traitor. But it was so devastating because unlike the Housewives, where you can sort of go on and you’re in control of what you say, how you say it, what you’re doing…this, you just have no control over.”
The traitors decided to target the Housewives on the cast early, hoping to turn them against each other and cause chaos among the faithfuls.
“I just think they realized that the Housewives are strong characters. We’re opinionated, and we’re strong,” Medley added. “I think people especially think of me as a strong woman who’s been through a lot of stuff and doesn’t take a lot of bulls–t.”
Dorinda MedleyEuan Cherry/Peacock
While others might assume the Housewives wouldn’t match up with the former Survivor and Big Brother players who have already excelled on competitive reality shows, Medley said she did her best to be ready to play. She even admitted to preparing “too much.”
“I read The Art of War twice, I read every philosopher. I wrote in my journal. I planned my outfits to a T. My outfits were off the charts,” she said. “But I just think it all falls to the wayside once you’re there. You don’t know what to expect. That’s the problem. So you have to just sort of go with the flow.”
Though Medley’s time on The Traitors was short-lived, other housewives have gone deeper into the game. Shereé Whitfield made it to the finale of season 2, while Phaedra Parks was marked a traitor immediately and lasted until the penultimate episode.
As for a potential season 4, Medley has her own pick for who she wants to see in Andross castle.
“I think Luann [de Lesseps] would be great,” she said. “I think Ramona [Singer] would be amazing. Because Ramona’s very, very good at looking at things. She’s like a producer. I think they’d be the best.”
New episodes of The Traitors stream Thursday nights at 9 p.m. ET on Peacock.
Survivor hasn’t done a Faithfuls vs. Traitors theme yet, but this season of The Traitors could be an adequate substitute.
Four players from the long-running CBS hit reality show are battling it out on season 3 of The Traitors, including three former winners and a recent fan favorite.
Rob “Boston Rob” Mariano, Tony Vlachos, Jeremy Collins and Carolyn Wiger are all part of the cast, which features stars from around the competitive reality and Bravo universes.
One former Survivor player, Cirie Fields, has already won the game. She took home the $250,000 prize pot in season 1, out-dueling other reality favorites like Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick (Survivor), Rachel Reilly (Big Brother) and Brandi Glanville (Real Housewives of Beverly Hills).
Survivor winners Parvati Shallow and Sandra Diaz-Twine both came up short in season 2, as Chris “CT” Tamburello and Trishelle Cannatella (The Challenge) shared the title.
This crop of Survivor alums on season 3 have a lot to live up to, but they also have a track record that inspires confidence. Keep scrolling for everything you need to know:
Jeremy Collins
PEACOCK
Jeremy made the most of his do-over on Survivor: Cambodia — Second Chance, returning to the game and winning just one year after his 10th-place finish in Survivor: San Juan del Sur. He was remembered that season for learning on the famed “loved ones” visit that his wife, Val, would be having a baby boy — a fact he did not reveal to his tribemates until the final Tribal Council.
He won the game unanimously and returned for season 40, Survivor: Winners at War, where he played with Boston Rob and eventual winner Tony. Jeremy placed eighth out of 20 contestants on the all-winners season, falling victim to a Tony blindside. At the final Tribal Council, he called out Tony for his betrayal and gave his vote to runner-up Natalie Anderson instead.
Outside of host Jeff Probst, perhaps no one is more closely associated with Survivor than Boston Rob. As a player on five seasons and a mentor on another, Rob won Survivor on his fourth go-around, Survivor: Redemption Island in 2011, before any other Survivor alumni from this season of The Traitors even got on the show for the first time.
His only experience playing with Tony and Jeremy came in Winners at War, but it was short-lived as he was voted out on day 14. He voted for Tony to win the game at the final Tribal Council.
Tony Vlachos
PEACOCK
One of only two players to ever win Survivor twice (Sandra is the other), Tony is widely regarded as one of the best players in Survivor history. On his first season, Survivor: Cagayan — Brawn vs. Brains vs. Beauty, he formed the now-legendary Cops-R-Us alliance with Sarah Lacina.
Known for his aggressive and sometimes reckless gameplay, Tony has been so successful on Survivor because of his strategic chops, ability to recover from his mistakes and his eavesdropping from his spy shack (or bunker, or nest).
The Traitors doesn’t necessarily lend itself to a secret eavesdropping location, but his power of observation should help him figure out the threats to his game.
Tony has compared himself to Boston Rob in the past, which could either make him an ally or an enemy in the castle. We will also have to see if he and Jeremy have patched things up.
Carolyn Wiger
PEACOCK
Carolyn is the only former Survivor player on The Traitors season 3 who has not competed with anybody else on the cast. She placed third on Survivor 44, quickly becoming a fan favorite thanks to her eccentric personality and moving story as an addict in recovery. As a player, she wore her emotions on her sleeve, which could either rub fellow competitors the wrong way in the castle or take her further as she may not be perceived as a threat.
On Survivor, Carolyn will also be remembered for her friendship with Carson Garrett, the season’s fourth-place finisher who is 15 years her junior. The two have remained close since then and now host a Survivor podcast together.
The actress and model appeared on SiriusXM’s Andy Cohen Live on Thursday, January 9, where she opened up about her relationship with Lee, to whom she was married from 1995 to 1998.
“I mean, we used to talk a lot more,” said Anderson, 57. “Not recently, unfortunately, but you know, I wish we did have a better rapport right now.”
Anderson and Lee share two sons, Brandon Thomas, 28, and Dylan Jagger, 27. She added that with Dylan now engaged, she hopes the two will be on better terms going forward.
“My youngest son is engaged and we’re gonna have grandkids together,” she said. “It’ll be OK, eventually. It’s just kind of a moment right now.”
Anderson and Lee, 62, began dating in December 1995 and married just four days later in Cancún, Mexico. When they returned to the United States, Anderson moved in with Lee, whose home was being renovated at the time. An electrician who had been fired then stole a sex tape of the two, leading to a $10 million lawsuit to try and stop its dissemination. Lee admitted that the now-infamous ordeal put a strain on their relationship.
“Not being able to do anything … about [the tape] was adding so much frustration and stress to our relationship,” he said in a 2014 episode of 20/20. “It was just consuming us.”
In 1998, Lee was arrested for felony spousal battery and was sentenced to six months in jail as Anderson filed for divorce. She called her divorce the “hardest, lowest, most difficult point of my life,” in her 2023 memoir, Love, Pamela.
Anderson and Lee briefly reunited after Lee’s release, but the relationship did not last.
In the time since, Anderson has been married four additional times. She and Kid Rock tied the knot in 2006 before getting divorced just a year later. She was then married to professional poker player Rick Salomon twice, from 2007 to 2008 when they had their marriage annulled, then from 2014 to 2015. Anderson married her bodyguard Dan Hayhurst in 2020 and they divorced in 2022.
As for Lee, the Mötley Crüe drummer married actress Brittany Furlan in 2019.
Anderson further explained her feelings toward Lee in her memoir, writing about the importance of having him as a coparent.
“Tommy is the father of my kids and I’m forever grateful,” she wrote. “My relationship with Tommy may have been the only time I was ever in love.”
Jonathan Van Ness is taking weight-loss medication to help him deal with a binge-eating disorder that, he says, caused him to rapidly gain and lose weight in the past.
The hairstylist and Queer Eye alum, 37, shared in a post via TikTok on Wednesday, January 8 that he is using a GLP-1, a category of medication that includes Ozempic and is used to treat diabetes and aid in weight loss.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, GLP-1 medications mimic the GLP-1 hormone that the small intestine makes naturally. The hormone slows stomach emptying and increases how full you feel after eating.
“Alright, I have a confession to make. Yes, I am on a GLP-1 or a weight-loss medication,” Van Ness said in his post. “If you have been following me for a long time, you’ll know that I gained and lost weight several times very publicly. And this time in my life, I knew that I needed a little bit of extra help.”
While Van Ness said he tried taking the medication as a pill in the past, it did not work. Now, he’s using an injectable GLP-1.
“With everything I’ve been through publicly and privately in the last couple years, I gained quite a bit of weight, wasn’t feeling good,” Van Ness added. “The most important thing was, my binge-eating disorder was out of control.”
Jonathan Van NessEmma McIntyre/Getty Images for Netflix
He continued, “I was consistently making decisions that I regretted with compulsive eating and with bingeing that just left me feeling really not good, depressed and out of control.”
Van Ness began taking the injections in September and he says he “felt immediately better.”
“I, for the first time in my life, have had control over my food intake,” he explained. “It has helped me so massively, and that’s part of why I wanna be honest with you about it because I know how important asking for help is, and how much asking for help can change your life in terms of healing. This time, I needed help.”
Van Ness added that he had Dr. Terry Simpson, a surgeon and culinary medicine expert, on his “Getting Curious” podcast this week to talk more about weight loss medications and whether they are the “future of weight loss and metabolic health” or “just another wellness trend.”
“I got so many questions, so we will be revisiting this,” he said. “We love you, I love you, and thank you for listening, and I wish you all a good day.”
If you or someone you know struggles with an eating disorder, visit the National Alliance for Eating Disorders website or call their hotline at +1 (866) 662-1235. Text “ALLIANCE” to 741741 for free, 24/7 support.
Five months later, Frankel, 54, has a better idea of what happened. Around the time of the film’s New York City premiere, rumors started swirling about a rift between its stars Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni.
Lively, 37, has since sued Baldoni, 40, alleging sexual harassment on set. Baldoni has denied those claims and, in a lawsuit against The New York Times for its reporting on the controversy, alleged that Lively pursued a “strategic and manipulative” smear campaign against him.
A lawyer for Baldoni also said that he plans to sue Lively on behalf of his client.
But none of that was public knowledge when Frankel walked the red carpet at the AMC Lincoln Square in August 2024. The Real Housewives of New York City alum took to TikTok on Wednesday, January 8, to share her strange experience with her followers.
“I have the craziest It Ends With Us premiere story that I totally forgot about and am putting the pieces together now,” she began. “And I’m gonna share something with you. I haven’t told anyone because I thought it would get me canceled.”
The story starts off innocently enough, with Frankel describing her pink dress then finding an odd hour-long break between the red carpet and the actual film screening. To kill time, she and her friend Danielle had a few margaritas and even encountered Anna Wintour.
“Always, unless it’s a weird, different screening, the premiere is in one giant theater and there might be an overflow theater. But here, he’s in one theater, something’s going on somewhere else,” she described. “So they take us and they put us all the way to the left in this theater where nobody was. It felt like everyone was separated.”
Baldoni has since accused Lively of trying to ban him from the movie premiere despite him also directing the film. In his lawsuit against the Times, Baldoni claimed he and his family were “escorted into a separate theater” to watch the movie after Lively had left.
“What I didn’t tell anybody because I was like, ‘We’ll be canceled,’ was we left because the vibes were not vibing,” Frankel continued. “Wasted hair, makeup, outfit to go to the city, drink a margarita in a mason jar, take a bucket of popcorn, take two bites, see Anna Wintour, see Justin Baldoni, and left to go back to Connecticut. Talk about blue balls.”
“I remember calling my publicist and being like, ‘The vibes are not vibing, we left,’” she concluded. “It felt like I was doing something wrong, but it felt like I was doing something right. Something was f—ed.”
Derick Dillard.Courtesy of Derick Dillard/Instagram
Derick Dillard is setting the record straight about being seen with his father-in-law, Jim Bob Duggar, on Christmas.
Dillard, 35, and wife Jill Duggar, Jim Bob’s estranged daughter, were seen seated on a couch, appearing to talk to the family patriarch in an Instagram photo that Jill’s brother James Duggar, posted on Christmas Day. Jill, 33, and Dillard’s three sons — Israel, 9, Samuel, 7, and Freddie, 2 — were also pictured.
The photo led to speculation that Jim Bob, 59, and his daughter may have mended fences, but Dillard says that is not the case. In a comment via People’s Instagram on Thursday, January 9, Dillard refuted the outlet’s characterization that he and Jill were “mingling” with Jim Bob.
“Just so people know, Jim Bob approached me while we were there on Christmas Day for about 5 minutes, and I do not respect him,” he wrote. “I don’t think that is considered ‘mingling.’ There were over 100 people, the house is 8000 square feet, and Santa Claus was there, so this isn’t your typical intimate family gathering.”
He added that he is trying to keep things civil for the sake of the rest of the family, but that should not be misinterpreted as anything more.
“I have spoken with him less than 10 minutes since the last time we were at that house, which was over a year ago,” he continued. “We’re trying to be civil for the sake of our family, but that doesn’t mean everything is all hunky dorey, and it sure doesn’t mean that I’m not going to comment when people try to warp reality for their own purposes.”
Jill previously revealed that she shares a complicated relationship with her parents after the release of her 2023 memoir, Counting The Cost. In the book, the Counting On alum discusses her family’s involvement in the controversial Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP) religion and her allegedly abusive upbringing as one of 19 kids.
“I feel like we are in a rebuilding phase now with healthy boundaries still in place,” she wrote via Instagram in November 2024. “We try to hang out whenever it works well and we have the bandwidth to navigate things.”
She had previously revealed in January 2024 that she believed her parents were aware of her allegations in Counting The Cost.
“I’ve heard that they did [read my Counting the Cost memoir],” she said on the “Unplanned” podcast at the time. “I heard they, like, listened to it on audiobook or something. I don’t know. … They’re my parents and I’m gonna tread lightly.”
She also spoke of her family dynamic in the 2023 Prime Video docuseries, Shiny Happy People: Duggar FamilySecrets.
“Family relationships were already kinda rocky,” she said in the documentary. “Everything within the family dynamic has shifted, and not for the better.”
Kate MiddletonSamir Hussein/WireImage/Getty Images
Kate Middleton is celebrating her 43rd birthday by putting herself first.
Less than one year after revealing her cancer diagnosis, the Princess of Wales is finding the balance between her health and work.
“She is looking after herself and is wise to do so. She will know when she wakes up if she is well enough or not [to do something],” a family friend told People in a story published Thursday, January 9, which is Kate’s birthday.
Her husband, Prince William, took to Instagram to celebrate Kate on Thursday morning, posting a black-and-white photo of her smiling.
“To the most incredible wife and mother. The strength you’ve shown over the last year has been remarkable,” William, 42, captioned the post. “George, Charlotte, Louis and I are so proud of you. Happy Birthday, Catherine. We love you. W.”
Kate’s family has been instrumental in helping her through the past year, a separate insider told the outlet.
“Family has seen [Kate] through thick and thin this year,” the source said. “There is a sense of optimism going forward.”
Kate announced that she had completed her chemotherapy treatment in September and since begun her return to her royal duties. While she is settling back into a daily routine, another source told People that she is pacing herself.
“She has been allowed to get back in her own way,” the insider explained. “She has been able to pace it and do it her way, and that’s great.”
Kate most recently appeared publicly on Christmas Day, where she joined William and their kids, Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6, for a service at St. Mary Magdalene on the Sandringham estate. There, she addressed her cancer battle and thanked those who have wished her well.
“The amount of people who have written this year is extraordinary and I think cancer just really does resonate with so many families,” Kate said, according to the Daily Mail.
That same day, her father-in-law, King Charles III, offered his appreciation to those who have supported both Kate and himself amid his own cancer battle. Charles, 76, was diagnosed last year when doctors discovered cancer during a procedure to correct an enlarged prostate. Buckingham Palace announced his diagnosis in February.
“From a personal point of view, I offer special, heartfelt thanks to the selfless doctors and nurses who, this year, have supported me and other members of my family through the uncertainties and anxieties of illness, and have helped provide the strength, care and comfort we have needed,” he said in his annual Christmas address. “I am deeply grateful, too, to all those who have offered us their own kind words of sympathy and encouragement.”
Scott DisickJoe Scarnici/Getty Images for Theatre Box
Scott Disick knows first-hand the dangers of substance abuse after multiple stints in rehab, and now, he’s committed to making sure his son Mason doesn’t follow in his footsteps.
Mason, 15, is the eldest of the three kids he shares with ex Kourtney Kardashian. The former couple, who split in 2015, are also parents to daughter Penelope, 12, and son Reign, 10.
Disick, 41, appeared on the first episode of Khloe Kardashian’s “Khloe in Wonder Land” podcast on Wednesday, January 8, where he shared that he’s had those tough conversations with Mason.
“The truth is, I do explain to Mason how drinking affected me and how badly it put me in certain places,” he said. “I talk to him all the time about it.”
Disick’s ups and downs have played out publicly, starting when he first appeared on Keeping Up With the Kardashians in 2007. He and Kourtney dated on and off from 2006 to 2015, with his substance abuse being a point of tension throughout their relationship.
They split shortly after both of Disick’s parents died, with the added trauma exacerbating the problem. He first checked into rehab in 2014 before returning multiple times in 2015 and again in 2020.
Courtesy of Kim Kardashian/Instagram
When Khloe praised Disick for his honesty with his son, Disick added that he will treat Mason like any other kid when it comes to alcohol.
“He, for a while, thought I was going to treat him differently because of that,” Disick said of his substance abuse history. “And I said, ‘I’m not treating you any different because of my mistakes or how I lived. But if I see a problem with alcohol with you, I will take action. But other than that, you are just like every other kid. You’re going to try drinking when you’re going to try drinking, but if I see a problem that might be hereditary, then I’ll jump in. But until then, you’re treated like every other kid.'”
Khloe also speculated that Disick going through the worst of his problems in the public eye could help keep Mason from making the same mistakes.
“Maybe if he sees the outlandishness of you, like the Miami days and all that, maybe that would prevent him from drinking because he’ll see how…” she suggested.
“[He’ll say,] ‘Wow like my dad was a real d— then,’” Disick joked.
“But he also knows how incredible you are now,” Kardashian interjected. “So it’s not like you’re still like this.”
In just one episode, Luke Olejniczak established himself as a historic Deal or No Deal Islandplayer, albeit for all the wrong reasons. Fortunately for reality TV fans, he’s not the only season 2 cast member who may go down in DONDI infamy.
Luke, 29, the first player eliminated in season 2, made waves for his questionable decision-making, which culminated in him banking only $1 for the game’s final case in a disastrous round of Deal or No Deal at the end of the episode.
Luke spoke to Us Weekly exclusively about his game and castmates, who will continue on for what could be a multi-million-dollar payday. That roster includes Sydnee Peck, whose assertive gameplay and open flirting with castmate and Survivor Australia legend David Genat rubbed other players the wrong way.
“She’s not as toxic as she appeared on the TV, seriously,” Luke insisted. “But she definitely overestimated her skill set and it was shown and it irritated the cast.”
Sydnee’s brash approach to the game was brought up throughout the episode, culminating during Luke’s game of Deal or No Deal, when she both offered unsolicited advice and ordered other players not to do the same. She also told host Joe Manganiello, in front of everyone, that she considered herself to be her team’s leader.
Even though the episode showed other players talking about Sydnee, 27, behind her back, Luke said there was more to her than what was shown and that the cameras could not pick up “every little thing.”
“There were also some great qualities about Sydnee that weren’t shown on camera,” he said, adding that the premiere would have needed to be six hours long to tell her story in full detail.
Luke also revealed his plan if he had made a “good” deal at the end of the episode and stayed in the game. He would have had to choose between David and Seychelle Cordero to eliminate and while David, an obvious physical and strategic threat, would have been the obvious candidate, he would have instead cut Seychelle.
“Seychelle claims not to be a threat, but she could be crafty,” Luke explained. “At the end of the day, I looked for something that was familiar to me, and David seemed like he could be a trustworthy guy. I like working with people that are like-minded. I didn’t trust Seychelle nearly as much, so I felt, ‘Hey, let’s roll with David.’”
Instead, David and Seychelle lived to fight another day, and they’ll soon have a new player to contend with. In episode 2, Big Brother 2 winner Dr. Will Kirby will join the game in a twist that will introduce another outspoken and aggressive player to the island.
Deal or No Deal Island airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET on NBC and streams the next day on Peacock.
