Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove sent a memo to the acting FBI director Friday evening directing him to terminate eight FBI employees and identify all current and former bureau personnel assigned to Jan. 6 and Hamas cases for an internal review, Fox News has learned.
Bove's memo to acting FBI Director Brian Driscoll, which was obtained by Fox News, asserts the Department of Justice cannot trust the FBI employees to carry out President Donald Trump's agenda.
"This memorandum sets forth a series of directives, authorized by the Acting Attorney General, regarding personnel matters to be addressed at the Federal Bureau of Investigation," Bove wrote.
Bove, a former Trump defense attorney, directed Driscoll to fire eight specific FBI employees by Monday, Feb. 3, at 5:30 p.m.
"I do not believe that the current leadership of the Justice Department can trust these FBI employees to assist in implementing the President’s agenda faithfully," Bove wrote in the memo.
Bove cited comments made by President Trump on his first day back in office, in which Trump accused the Biden administration's law enforcement and intelligence agencies of going after Biden's political adversaries.
"The American people have witnessed the previous administration engage in a systemic campaign against its perceived political opponents, weaponizing the legal force of numerous Federal law enforcement agencies and the Intelligence Community against those perceived political opponents in the form of investigations, prosecutions, civil enforcement actions, and other related actions," Bove's memo noted. "This includes the FBI."
Bove said the FBI’s "prior leadership actively participated in what President Trump appropriately described as ‘a grave national injustice that has been perpetrated upon the American people over the last four years’ with respect to events that occurred at or near the United States Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
"The weaponization of the FBI’s security clearance process is similarly troubling," Bove continued. "So too are issues relating to the FBI’s reticence to address instructions and requests from, among other places, the Justice Department."
Bove said the problems "are symptomatic of deficiencies in previous leadership that must now be addressed."
Bove wrote that he "deem[s] these terminations necessary, pursuant to President Trump’s January 20, 2025 Executive Order, entitled ‘Ending the Weaponization of the Federal Government’ in order to continue the process of restoring a culture of integrity, credibility, accountability, and responsiveness to the leadership and directives of President Trump and the Justice Department."
Beyond the terminations of the eight employees, Bove directed Driscoll to identify by noon Tuesday, Feb. 4, "all current and former FBI personnel assigned at any time to investigations and/or prosecutions" relating to "the events that occurred at or near the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021" and United States v. Haniyeh, a terrorism case against six Hamas leaders charged with planning and carrying out the Oct. 7, 2023, attack in Israel.
The defendants in that case include Ismail Haniyeh and Yahya Sinwar, high-level Hamas leaders believed to have been assassinated in 2024 by Israeli operatives.
Bove ordered that the lists of employees Driscoll should compile "should include relevant supervisory personnel in FBI regional offices and field divisions, as well as at FBI headquarters."
"For each employee included in the list, provide the current title, office to which the person is assigned, role in the investigation or prosecution, and date of last activity relating to the investigation or prosecution," Bove directed. "Upon timely receipt of the requested information, the Office of the Deputy Attorney General will commence a review process to determine whether any additional personnel actions are necessary."
Fox News also obtained the letter Driscoll sent to bureau employees Friday evening after receiving Bove’s memo. In it, Driscoll notified employees he was directed to fire the specific employees Bove identified "unless these employees have retired beforehand."
"I have been personally in touch with each of these impacted employees," Driscoll wrote.
As for the directive to compile a list of FBI employees involved in the Jan. 6 and Hamas cases, Driscoll said that request "encompasses thousands of employees across the country who have supported these investigative efforts."
"I am one of those employees, as is acting Deputy Director Kissane," Driscoll wrote. "As we’ve said since the moment we agreed to take on these roles, we are going to follow the law, follow FBI policy, and do what’s in the best interest of the workforce and the American people — always.
"We will be back in touch with more information as soon as we can. In the meantime, stay safe, and take care of each other."
The FBI declined to comment on any personnel matters, including names, titles or numbers.
The DOJ directive comes after Acting Attorney General James McHenry earlier this week fired more than a dozen key officials who worked on special counsel Jack Smith’s team prosecuting Trump. Fox News Digital exclusively reported the action Monday.
A DOJ official Monday used similar language to that seen in Bove's letter, telling Fox News Digital McHenry "does not trust these officials to assist in faithfully implementing the president’s agenda."
The directive also comes a day after Fox News Digital exclusively reported that whistleblower emails were shared with Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, revealing that a former FBI agent, Timothy Thibault, allegedly broke protocol and played a critical role in opening and advancing the bureau’s original investigation related to the 2020 election, tying President Donald Trump to the probe without sufficient predication.
Bove's memo also comes a day after President Trump's nominee to lead the bureau, Kash Patel, testified during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Trump and allies have maintained the law enforcement agency was weaponized against him and conservatives across the nation.
The House Judiciary Committee, for months, investigated the FBI for the creation of a memo targeting Catholics and parents at school board meetings during the COVID-19 pandemic.
President Trump on Friday evening denied any involvement in the DOJ directive.
"We have some very bad people over there," Trump said Friday. "They came after a lot of people like me, but they came after a lot of people. No, I wasn't involved in that.
"I'll have to see what is exactly going on after this is finished," he added. "But if they fired some people over there, that's a good thing, because they were very bad. They were very corrupt people, very corrupt, and they hurt our country very badly with the weaponization. They used, they used the Justice Department to go after their political opponent, which in itself is illegal. And obviously it didn't work."
The Eagles are in the Super Bowl for the second time in three years, but it’s hard to envision a more circuitous route for a team to have so much success in a short period of time.
Energy giant Shell is due to install a multi-billion pound gas platform in the North Sea this spring despite being blocked from drilling, Sky News understands.
Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel’s romance has endured plenty of ups and downs over the years — but they’ve weathered the storms together.
The couple, who went public with their relationship in January 2007, briefly split in February 2011. They reconnected in July of that year and tied the knot in October 2012.
Us Weekly broke the news in November 2014 that the 7th Heaven alum and former ‘NSync singer were expecting their first child together. In April 2015, the duo welcomed their son Silas and second son Phineas followed five years later.
The pair’s relationship was tested in November 2019 when photos surfaced of Timberlake holding hands with his Palmer costar Alisha Wainwright. The musician publicly apologized for a “strong lapse in judgment” and privately worked to make it up to Biel.
“He’s bending over backwards to get Jessica to forgive him,” a source exclusively told Us in February 2020. “And to make sure he’s there for her.”
Scroll down to relive Timberlake and Biel’s ups and downs over the years.
Timberlake and Biel first took their relationship public in January 2007, shortly after the singer split from actress Cameron Diaz. "She's the perfect girl for him," a Timberlake pal told Us after the two first began dating. "It grew from friendship to full-on romance. Now they're serious and monogamous."
Amidst split rumors, the two went on a PDA parade at the L.A. Lakers home game. After Dustin Hoffman made the crowd go wild by smooching his wife on the Lakers' Kiss Me Cam, Timberlake had to outdo the actor: "So I mounted my girlfriend in front of 18,000 people."
One month later, the hot Hollywood couple attended the Met Costume Institute Gala in NYC. "I just love it!" Biel told Us of her red-hot Versace gown. Timberlake looked handsome in a William Rast tux.
Several months earlier, the lovebirds relocated to a new loft in NYC's Tribeca neighborhood. "The apartment is great. He is loving it," his mom, Lynn Harless, told Us.
Hours before seeing the Broadway show In the Heights, the pair strolled in NYC's West Village. "Jessica loves how funny he is," a source once told Us. "Plus, let's face it: Justin is gorgeous."
According to a Timberlake insider, the singer toned down his partying to appease his actress girlfriend. "They're supporting each other, and he hasn't been hitting the clubs; he's on good behavior."
As rumors swirled that Timberlake cheated on Biel with Perfect Couples actress Olivia Munn, the pair put on a united front at the 5th Anniversary of Glamour Reel Moments event in L.A.
One month after cuddling at the Vanity Fair Oscars party in West Hollywood, their reps confirmed their split to Us. "They mutually have decided to part ways. The two remain friends and continue to hold the highest level of love and respect for each other."
Us exclusively confirmed in July 2011 that the couple were giving their relationship another try. "Jessica really wanted to get back together with him and Justin realized single life is not what it's cracked up to be," an insider told Us. After another year strong, and an engagement in January 2012, the couple stunned at the Costume Institute Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC.
Round two! The "Sexy Back" singer took advantage of the Kiss Cam once again with then-fiancee Biel during a Lakers game in May. The embrace left the Total Recall actress blushing.
Marriage bliss! After a 10-month engagement, Timberlake and Biel said "I do" in southern Italy in October. That same month, they shared a rare public kiss while attending Variety's 4th Annual Power of Women Event in Beverly Hills.
Music royalty night out. The pair sat front row next to Beyoncé and husband Jay-Z at the Grammy Awards at the Staples Center in L.A. "You can tell she's completely proud of her husband," an eyewitness told Us. "[She] was clapping like crazy" during his "Suit & Tie" performance.
The twosome matched in black as they attended the Time 100 Gala at Lincoln Center in NYC. Biel wore a chic Tom Ford dress, and the couple were spotted inside shaking hands with Vice President of the United States Joe Biden.
Prom moment! The lovebirds sweetly posed together during the premiere of Timberlake's film Inside Llewyn Davis at the 66th Annual Cannes Film Festival in France. Biel stunned in a Marchesa gown with feather detail.
Biel and Timberlake stole the red carpet show as they were photographed leaving Le Grand Journal studio during the Cannes Film Festival. That same month, the "Mirrors" crooner subtly announced the second half of his 20/20 Experience album would be released in September.
A smooch in the stands! Biel snuggled up to her beau as the pair attended a match between Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic at the U.S. Open in NYC. "It's nice to marry your best friend. It suits me," Timberlake told Ellen DeGeneres a few months earlier in April.
The duo stepped out for the premiere of Timberlake's film Runner Runner at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. "I have the best wife in the world. She's been great this week," the singer told DeGeneres that month while promoting the project. He added that his beautiful wife gives him "a lot of sympathy" when he's sick.
Timberlake and Biel attended the GQ Men of the Year dinner in NYC one month after celebrating their first wedding anniversary. In November, the striking brunette also addressed why she didn't attend the American Music Awards with her leading man. "I'm watching from home tonight," she tweeted on Nov. 24. "Calm down, Internet."
Hanky-panky! The Blunderer actress couldn't keep her hands off the "Mirror" singer following her birthday trip to Barbados. "Justin wasn't very good at wakeboarding. Jessica was much better!" an onlooker told Us. "They looked madly in love as they joked around."
Timberlake shared a rare photo of the pair while spending time in New Zealand. "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it," he captioned, quoting the 1986 classic Ferris Bueller's Day Off. The following month, Us broke news that the couple were expecting their first child.
Making it official! Proud future dad Timberlake planted a giant kiss on Biel’s growing baby bump on his birthday. Prior to the Instagram photo, the couple hadn’t publicly acknowledged the actress’ first pregnancy. “Thank you EVERYONE for the Bday wishes!” the “Suit & Tie” singer captioned the pic. “This year, I'm getting the GREATEST GIFT EVER. CAN'T WAIT.#BoyOrGirl #YouNeverKnow #WeDontEvenKnow#WeAreTakingBets.”
Biel gushed about her husband on Good Morning America in September 2015, saying, “He supports everything that I do, and that’s, I think, why he’s a wonderful partner.” The following month, Timberlake returned the praise as he was inducted into the Memphis Music Hall of Fame, calling Biel his rock. “Baby, I love you more than I could put into words and more than any song I could ever write,” he added.
The couple collaborated on the film The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea. Biel executive-produced and starred in the drama, and she brought on Timberlake as a music composer. “I like to say that I was his boss,” she joked to Entertainment Tonight at the time.
TMI alert! When Extra’s Mario Lopez asked Timberlake if he and his wife were thinking about working on giving Silas a little brother or sister, the singer replied, “I’m having a lot of fun practicing.”
The “Say Something” singer honored the 7th Heaven alum with an Instagram post on Mother’s Day in 2017, writing, “I marvel at you. It’s so hard to put into words EVERYTHING a Mother does. And, you do it with such grace. Thank you for giving me the greatest gift and continuing to show him what it means to be a good person in the world.”
In a cover story for Marie Claire, the actress explained why her and Timberlake’s marriage works so well: “We have similar values; we believe in loyalty, honesty. We like to have fun. We like a lot of the same things. Also, in the business, we’re all very career-oriented, and you have to be a little selfish. I understand that about my peers — about being focused and driven — and if you can find that and someone who shares the same values as you, it’s like: Score!”
The couple seemed too infatuated with one another to pay much attention to the tennis court at the 2017 U.S. Open. They were photographed sharing laughs and smooches during a match.
The Grammy winner made his wife the leading lady in his “Man of the Woods” music video, which featured shots of the couple dancing in a barn and enjoying a romantic stroll.
A source exclusively told Us in July 2018 that Biel and Timberlake’s marriage was rock-solid. “Justin and Jessica are really in love, and their marriage is so strong right now,” the insider said. “Even with Silas, they still make their relationship with each other a major priority and have fun with each other.”
As they celebrated Biel’s 2018 Emmy nomination for her performance in The Sinner, the couple sent son Silas a special signal from the red carpet. “I’m just so proud to be here and see this happen for her,” Timberlake told E! News of his wife’s honor.
Biel commemorated Timberlake’s 38th birthday with an underwater throwback photo in January 2019. “Since the days of embarrassing pink ruffled bikinis and underwater photo shoots, you have been infusing my life with so much joy and laughter that I blame YOU for my smile lines,” the actress captioned the silly snap via Instagram. “But I wouldn’t trade them for the world. I wear them with pride knowing that I am the luckiest human around to have the honor of hearing your jokes, your words, your voice, every day of my life. Happy birthday to the man of my blue ocean dreams. I love you.”
On November 23, reports surfaced that the “Can’t Stop the Feeling” singer was spotted in New Orleans holding hands with his Palmer costar Alisha Wainwright. A source told Us exclusively that despite the pictures that surfaced, the two are “just friends.” The images caused fans to think Timberlake’s marriage to Biel was on rocky terrain since he didn’t appear to be wearing his wedding ring at the time.
A month after PDA-filled photos surfaced of Timberlake and his Palmer costar, the musician issued a public apology to his wife and his fans. “A few weeks ago, I displayed a strong lapse in judgment — but let me be clear — nothing happened between me and my costar,” Timberlake wrote in a statement posted on Instagram in December 2019. “I drank way too much that night and I regret my behavior. I should have known better. This is not the example I want to set for my son.”
The Grammy winner added: “I apologize to my amazing wife and family for putting them through such an embarrassing situation, and I am focused on being the best husband and father I can be. This was not that.”
The couple were spotted having dinner at Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles in January 2020, two months after Timberlake’s PDA scandal. “Jessica and Justin kept to themselves and other restaurant-goers left them alone,” a source told Us at the time. “Justin had his attention focused on Jessica and after they had dinner they left together.” The pair enjoyed a staycation at the hotel with their son, a second source confirmed to Us.
The Sinner alum shared a sweet tribute to her husband on his 39th birthday. “Happy birthday to the most timeless man I know,” Biel wrote via Instagram. “You somehow grow up without growing old. We love you so much ❤️🎂.”
The couple attended the season 3 premiere of The Sinner in West Hollywood in February 2020. “They happily posed with their arms behind each other’s backs,” an eyewitness told Us of the event, noting Biel arrived solo but was later joined by Timberlake.
The “Sexy Back” crooner honored his love on Valentine’s Day. “Throwback to our first year together. It ain’t hard to tell from my face!!! When you know, you know,” Timberlake captioned an old photo of the pair on Instagram. “I love you, my funny Valentine. Every day the 14th!!! Happy Love Day, y’all!!” Biel shared a photo of her husband and her son on the holiday, captioning it, “My valentines.”
The Friends With Benefits actor threw his wife a pajama-themed party for her 38th birthday at their L.A. home amid the coronavirus pandemic. “Justin was dancing and making everyone laugh and doting on Jessica,” a source told Us in March 2020. “He really made the night all about making her happy.” The birthday girl thanked Timberlake for the bash on social media, writing, “Thank you, you wonderful human, for really listening to me, and for throwing my kinda party. And thank YOU ALL for the birthday wishes. Feeling the love.”
After a few rocky months, a source told Us that the family’s time quarantined together was a blessing in disguise. “Although the pandemic is very stressful, Jess is trying to look on the bright side of things and thinks the extra downtime that comes along with the situation is great for her and Justin’s relationship,” the insider said in April 2020. “They of course both have their moments of being irritated, but it has ultimately brought them closer and having the main focus be each other and [son] Silas has been a good thing.”
News broke in July 2020 that the couple secretly welcomed their second child. Singer Brian McKnight confirmed during an interview that the two recently “had a new baby.”
Timberlake confirmed during an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show that he and Biel welcomed son Phineas in 2020. He joked that the pair “don’t see each other anymore” after expanding their family. “It’s a lot of fun but I guess the saying goes, ‘Go from a zone defense to a man-to-man very quickly,’” he quipped. “‘You go get that one, I’ll get this one.’”
Timberlake shared a sweet tribute for Biel on her 39th birthday that included multiple photos of the couple through the years. “Happy Birthday to my favorite person in the world,” the singer wrote via Instagram. “The strongest, funniest, best, brightest and most beautiful mom/partner/BOSS there is. I’m lucky to learn from you and laugh with you and celebrate you every day. But, today we do it with 🎂!!!! Here’s to more slow-mos in the wind, jumping into bushes to save our kid’s toys, and timing out jump pics perfectly... I ❤️ U with all that I know.”
During an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Biel joked about the difficulties of raising two children instead of one. “A very wise friend of mine said, ‘One is a lot. And two is a thousand,’” she said, adding that "nobody" was sleeping while son Phineas' teeth grew in. “That’s exactly the way it feels. You’re like, man-on-man defense, one person’s here, one person’s over there.”
Timberlake honored Silas and Phineas' mom with a sweet Instagram tribute on Mother's Day. "Moms are the strongest people on the planet," he wrote. "I am constantly in awe of the mothers in my life. Jess — you’re the heart of this family. Your boys look up to you and love you unconditionally. And so do I."In the same post, he thanked his own mother, Lynn Harless, for her support throughout the years. "And mom — your strength and support have taught me everything I know about being a parent," he continued. "I’m so grateful for your guidance and I hope I make you proud. Happy Mother’s Day to all the BADASS Moms out there! I bow down to you all!"
The Sinner actress shared a gushing tribute to her other half for Father’s Day. “Baby, you are the moon, the stars and the sour cream pound cake of my life,” Biel captioned an Instagram post. “You put a roof over our heads, and then fix it when the home made rocket goes terribly wrong. You put food on the table, so the baby can throw it under the table. You let us use the couch as an indoor trampoline even though we have one outside. You love the noise and the chaos of it all even though you’ve worked all night [and] are trying to sleep. We are grateful for you for all the big things and the things we don’t see. Thank you for making it so fun. We love you dearly.”
The couple had a Scrabble game night date on September 21. Both the “Mirrors” crooner and the 7th Heaven alum shared an Instagram snap of their spouse playing a round with matching “GAME ON” captions.
Biel marked Timberlake’s 41st birthday by posting a photo of the pair on the beach in neon outfits. “Happy birthday, '80s baby,” she wrote via Instagram.
Biel gushed over her husband and their kids in an Instagram post celebrating her 40th birthday. "Thinking of birthdays past and remembering all the amazing ones Justin and I spent solo," she wrote, sharing a throwback photo that showed her and Timberlake eating dessert sans kids. "Now celebrating 40 with 🎂 and 🎈 with my other two favorite guys on the planet. Love you family. Thanks for all the birthday love. 40 feels fresh y’all."
The Palmer actor paid tribute to his wife in his own Instagram post, writing: "Whether it's laid up on a couch, kicking my ass at the gym, or dressing up at ridiculous costume parties ... you make it all look good. I love you and I celebrate you every day."
Months before celebrating 10 years of marriage, Biel gushed over her relationship with the pop star. "I sometimes feel like 10 years has just flown by in the blink of an eye and other times I feel like, 'Oh, my gosh, 10 years, that's a really substantial amount of someone's life,'" she Access Hollywood. "I just feel really proud of it. ... We've had our ups and downs like everybody and I'm just really proud of it, and I'm still the happiest and loving my life."
Timberlake escorted his wife to the L.A. premiere of her series Candy. "I'll have to give Justin the credit in this moment, for this one thing that he always says to me: 'We might be married, but we have to keep dating,' and it's true," Biel told Entertainment Tonight on the red carpet, saying it felt "special" to have her man by her side. "You just have to keep making time for each other and you have to keep making each other a priority. And do the things that you love together."
“10 years ain’t enough! You make me a better husband and father every day,” Timberlake captioned an Instagram tribute to Biel to celebrate their wedding anniversary. “I love you so much you beautiful human! Run it back!”
The Candy actress, for her part, shared her own social media tribute, in which she confirmed the pair had secretly renewed their vows that summer.
Biel took to social media to celebrate her hubby turning 42.
"Happy birthday to the person who challenges and inspires me every day. The person who keeps me laughing and creating and risking it all," she wrote via Instagram alongside a carousel of images of the twosome enjoying a day on a boat. "The person who makes the ordinary extraordinary. You know who you are. I love you 🫶.”
"Let me tell y’all about this human … she is the most badass, most graceful, most gorgeous DREAM of a partner I could have ever wished for," Timberlake wrote via Instagram in celebration of Biel's 41st birthday. "And today is her bday! I’m so glad you were born, my love. And, I’m so lucky that you are choosing to do this thing called life with me. Aging like a FINE🍷!!!! I love you to the moon and back. —Huz."
“POV: Trying to get anything done the past 24 hours,” Biel wrote via TikTok alongside a video of her brushing her teeth, doing some casual yoga and lip-syncing to the camera while listening to Timberlake’s new song, “Selfish.” “ON 👏🏻 REPEAT 👏🏻@Justin Timberlake,” Biel captioned the video.
Days later, Biel shared a video montage via Instagram of her life with Timberlake in honor of his 43rd birthday. “I ALWAYS got you,” she captioned the clip, which was set to Boom Forrest’s rendition of “I Got You Babe.” She added, “Happy birthday, babe.”
In celebration of Valentine’s Day, Timberlake penned a heartfelt note to his wife.
“Love at first sight isn’t limited to the first time you lay eyes on your person,” he wrote via Instagram. “You make me believe that because every time I look at you, I fall in love bigger and better than I ever could have imagined. Every day I get to share with you reminds me how lucky I am to experience love without limits or conditions. You make me laugh like a child and love with a fierceness that takes me aback.”
As Timberlake traveled the world for The Forget Tomorrow Tour, Biel made special appearances backstage to show her support.
“It’s a family affair y’all,” she wrote via Instagram with photos from life on the road.
While celebrating Father’s Day weekend, Biel took a moment to share just how great of a father Timberlake is.
“You’re so many things to so many people. But to us you are THE ROCK,” she wrote via Instagram. “The rock we climb on, we lean against. The rock that shades us from the sun. And when we recline on you, as we always do, hopefully our butts will keep you eternally grounded and warm. We LOVE YOU 🪨❤️.”
If there’s one thing we learned from January 2025, it’s that a month can sometimes feel like a year. Thankfully, celebrities and their impeccable outfits got us through the past 31 days, pointing us in the direction of luxe-looking staples we can wear now and when spring arrives (which is hopefully soon). One star who had us adding to cart was Reese Witherspoon. While promoting her movie, You’re Cordially Invited, earlier this week, the 48-year-old actress completed her ensemble with a timeless brown leather purse. The actress’ version was designer, of course, costing close to $3,000, but miraculously, we discovered a lookalike on Amazon for just $40. The affordable alternative featured the same gold hardware as well as an adjustable strap, and we know the pick will come in handy for years to come, whether we’re rocking it with jeans or dresses.
Aside from Witherspoon’s enviable accessory, celebrity outerwear was a big winner over the past week, with three different stars showing off trendy jacket styles we can’t wait to work into our own rotation. Check out the items we felt were worth shopping with our Slays of the Week, ahead. Hopefully, there are more where these came from in February!
Hailey Bieber is saying yes to suede! The model and Rhode founder was spotted wearing a cognac brown suede jacket while out in NYC — which means this $43 Amazon lookalike will be flying off the shelves in no time!
As a fashionista with thick thighs, I’m always on the prowl for styling tips and tricks to make them appear smaller. During my quest, I’ve found that wide-leg trousers, midi-length skirts and sculpting leggings get the job done. Their roomy silhouettes and intricate designs often distract from just how thick my thighs are. Of course, styling all-black trousers is another staple that comes in handy. If you’re looking for new winter pieces to help slim your thighs, I’ve got a stylish list of picks you don’t want to miss.
From celeb-loved leggings to jeans with built-in shapewear, this list will help you look good and feel even better. From Amazon and Walmart to EverLane and Athleta, there are so many great brands to choose from. Shop the best winter pieces to slim thick thighs ahead!
1. Our Absolute Favorite: There’s nothing like the flattering sculpt that leggings deliver. These Kyle Richards-approved pants have almost 58K reviews, proving just how comfortable and stylish they are!
2. We Also Love: We can’t get enough of lively bold colors as we prepare for spring. This vibrant orange midi skirt has flattering flowy pleats!
3. Affordable Find: Don’t want to splurge on new pieces? No problem! You can snag this ultra-flattering Free Assembly Midi Skirt for just $8!
4. Built-In Accents: We love SPANX for its dynamic shapewear, however, the brand’s EveryWear High-Rise Jeans are special because they have built-in core shaping, booty and leg-lifting and medium compression for overall shaping!
5. Inclusive Sizing: Looking for a pair of cozy jeans that you can snag in a wide range of sizes? Abercrombie & Fitch’s Curve Love High-Rise Jeans come in sizes 23-38!
6. Ultra-Stretch: These high-waist jeans are so stretchy and flattering you’d swear they’re leggings!
7. Chic Comfort: Everlane’s Classic Chino Pants have an oversized silhouette perfect for concealing thick thighs!
8. On the Go: These Athleta Pinnacle High-Rise Trousers are structured and stretchy making them an ideal pick for busy days when you’re commuting or traveling long distance!
9. Trending Topic: We can’t get enough of loose-fitting Palazzo pants. These affordable trousers have stretchy fabric that slims and flatters all types of shapes. Best of all? You can snag it for just $20!
10. Olive It: Looking for a neutral shade to add to your growing pants collection? These cozy Gap 365 High-Rise Trousers come in a classic olive shade named Forbidden Forest Green that pairs so well with other colors!
11. Midi Magic: Add a sophisticated touch to your wardrobe in this stunning Eloquii midi skirt. It features a double belt design and a flattering wrap silhouette!
12. Nowstalgic Nod: Channel classic ’70s style in these groovy wide-leg jeans!
13. Mid-Rise Moment: These Abercrombie & Fitch trousers come with a relaxed fit and tapered partial pleats to camouflage thick thighs!
14. Last but Not Least: These Pixe Trousers from Old Navy feature a flattering high-waist design and a flowy wide-leg silhouette!
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Justin Timberlake has come a long way since his humble beginnings in Memphis, Tennessee.
Timberlake competed on Star Search in 1992 one year before he became a cast member on The All-New Mickey Mouse Club with Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera,JC Chasez, Ryan Gosling and Keri Russell.
Timberlake and Chasez stayed friends after their Mouseketeer days and became bandmates in ‘NSync alongside Lance Bass, Joey Fatone and Chris Kirkpatrick. The boy band released three albums (plus a Christmas record!) between 1997 and 2001 before splitting up to pursue individual projects.
The Grammy winner has also pursued an acting career, starring in The Social Network, Alpha Dog, Bad Teacher and Friends With Benefits. Timberlake even made a brief cameo in wife Jessica Biel’s Candy.
Scroll down to see photos of Timberlake through the years:
At age 11, the singer performed as Justin Randall (his first and middle names) on Star Search in 1992. He sang Alan Jackson’s “Love’s Got a Hold on You” while dressed as a cowboy, but lost by .75 stars.
‘NSync released their self-titled debut album overseas in 1997 and in the U.S. in 1998. It included the singles “I Want You Back,” “Tearin’ Up My Heart” and “(God Must Have Spent) A Little More Time on You.”
The performer began dating Spears in early 1999, shortly after her own career took off with her debut single, “…Baby One More Time.” They were nearly inseparable during their relationship, and famously wore matching denim outfits at the 2001 American Music Awards. The pair broke up the next year amid cheating rumors.
‘NSync’s blockbuster sophomore album, No Strings Attached, was released in 2000. It sold 2.4 million copies in its first week, a record that lasted until 2015 when Adele’s 25 moved 3.38 million copies. No Strings Attached featured the hits “Bye Bye Bye” and “It’s Gonna Be Me.”
The group’s final album, Celebrity, hit shelves in 2001. It included the singles “Pop,” “Gone” and “Girlfriend.” ‘NSync announced a hiatus the next year, but it ultimately turned into a permanent breakup.
Timberlake proved that he was fine on his own with his debut solo album, Justified, which dropped in 2002 and featured the hits “Like I Love You,” “Cry Me a River,” “Rock Your Body” and “Señorita.” He received five Grammy nominations and won Best Male Pop Vocal Performance and Best Pop Vocal Album.
Timberlake started dating Cameron Diaz in 2003 after meeting at the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards. They kept much of their romance out of the public eye before splitting in 2006. They later worked together in the movies Shrek the Third and Bad Teacher.
The hitmaker came under fire after tearing off part of Janet Jackson’s costume on stage at the Super Bowl during the lyric, “Gonna have you naked by the end of this song.” The incident coined the term “wardrobe malfunction” and led the FCC to fine the network, CBS.
Timberlake’s sophomore record, FutureSex/LoveSounds, hit stores in 2006 to critical acclaim. Its singles included “SexyBack,” “My Love” and “What Goes Around … Comes Around.” Like Justified, FS/LS landed five Grammy nominations and won two: Best Male Pop Vocal Performance and Best Dance Recording.
Timberlake teamed up with The Lonely Island in 2006 for an SNL sketch titled “Dick in a Box,” which became a viral sensation and won a Primetime Emmy Award for its hilarious lyrics.
The multihyphenate starred opposite Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield and Armie Hammer in the 2010 biographical drama The Social Network, which followed the founding of Facebook. Timberlake played Napster founder Sean Parker.
Timberlake and Biel tied the knot in Italy in October 2012 after five years together. Their guests included Jimmy Fallon, Andy Samberg, Timbaland and the bride’s 7th Heaven costar Beverly Mitchell.
More than six years after releasing FutureSex/LoveSounds, Timberlake returned to music in 2013 with The 20/20 Experience. The jazzy album included the singles “Mirrors” and “Suit & Tie,” the latter of which won a Grammy for Best Music Video.
Timberlake reunited with his former ‘NSync bandmates for his career-spanning performance at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards. He was also honored with the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at the ceremony.
The singer released The 20/20 Experience – 2 of 2 later that year, featuring the singles “Take Back the Night,” “TKO,” “Not a Bad Thing” and “Drink You Away.”
The musician voiced Branch in the 2016 movie Trolls and executive-produced the soundtrack, which featured his Grammy-winning and Oscar-nominated megahit “Can’t Stop the Feeling!”
Timberlake dropped his fifth album, Man of the Woods, in 2018. It included the hits “Filthy” and “Say Something,” the latter of which was nominated for a Grammy.
Fourteen years after Nipplegate, Timberlake was invited back to the Super Bowl to headline the 2018 halftime show. He performed hits including “Rock Your Body,” “SexyBack,” “Cry Me a River” and “Mirrors,” and made headlines for stopping to take a selfie with a fan in the middle of the performance.
The Palmer actor came under fire in 2019 after he was photographed holding hands with his costar Alisha Wainwright at a bar in New Orleans. He later apologized on Instagram for his “strong lapse in judgement,” admitting, “I should have known better. This is not the example I want to set for my son.” Multiple sources told Us that Biel was upset about the scandal, but she ultimately forgave her husband.
Timberlake opened up about baby No. 2 for the first time during a January 2021 appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. “His name is Phineas and he’s awesome and he’s so cute and nobody is sleeping, but we’re thrilled and couldn’t be happier,” he gushed. “Very grateful.”
Timberlake slowed down to enjoy some family time, relocating to his home state of Tennessee. “[He and Biel] made the decision to get out of Los Angeles and take some time away, and they’re both so happy they did,” a source told Us Weekly in August 2021. “They both prefer the country life. It’s great for the boys because they have so much space and freedom. … He always said that’s where he wanted to settle down and raise kids.”
Timberlake and Biel renewed their wedding vows on their 10th anniversary.
"It was very intimate. It was very small, a couple of our friends, and we literally barely put this thing together," Biel revealed on the Today show in November. "We almost canceled it. We thought, 'This is silly, are we going to feel goofy doing this?' And actually, it was so moving. I felt like, 'Wow, we're going to keep doing this. Look at us!' It felt really nice."
Timberlake and his former ‘NSync bandmates made a surprise appearance at the MTV VMAs in September, presenting Taylor Swift with the award for Best Pop Video. The surprise award show appearance teased the band’s first new project in 20 years, a song titled “Better Place.” (The single was recorded to accompany Timberlake’s animated film Trolls Band Together.)
In January, Timberlake dropped a new single, “Selfish,” along with an accompanying music video. The release marked the singer’s first endeavor as a solo artist since his 2018 album, Man of the Woods. He also announced that his sixth studio album, Everything I Thought It Was, is coming on March 15.
Timberlake made headlines in June 2024 after he was arrested and charged with a DWI for driving under the influence in the Hamptons. The singer reportedly refused to take a breathalyzer test at the time of the arrest and claimed he only had one drink before getting behind the wheel. (A bartender at New York’s American Hotel supported Timberlake’s one drink claim to People at the time, stating, “If he was drinking more, it wasn’t here.”)
Timberlake initially pleaded not guilty to the drunk driving charge virtually in court that August, as he was in Europe on his Forget Tomorrow World Tour. He changed his plea to guilty one month later, accepting a plea deal which involved completing 25 to 20 hours of community service, paying a $500 fine and issuing a public safety announcement.
“What I’d like to say to everyone watching and listening: Even if you have one drink, don’t get behind the wheel of a car,” he said in a September 2024 press conference outside the Sag Harbor, New York, courthouse. “There’s so many alternatives, call a friend, take an Uber, there’s many travel apps [or] take a taxi. This is a mistake that I made, but I’m hoping that whoever is watching and listening right now can learn from this mistake.”
Sean Combs.Kevin Mazur/VF22/WireImage for Vanity Fair
Since Sean “Diddy” Combs was arrested in September 2024, multiple documentaries — two in total as of January 2025 — have detailed the allegations against the rapper.
The first, Peacock’s Diddy: The Making of a Bad Boy, started streaming on January 14. The 90-minute film included interviews with the mogul’s childhood friends and former employees as well as Sara Rivers, who appeared on his MTV series Making the Band.
“That’s my little bro,” Tim Patterson, who grew up with Diddy in New York, said in the movie. “I know Sean, not Diddy, not Daddy Love. I don’t know those people, I don’t know them, I swear I don’t know them, I never met those people.”
Weeks later, Investigation Discovery released The Fall of Diddy, a five-part docuseries produced in collaboration with Rolling Stone. In one episode, Diddy’s ex-girlfriend Kat Pasion alleged that she had a nonconsensual encounter with him during their relationship, circa 2021.
Bryan Bedder/CP/Getty Images for CP
“His whole tone, everything changed,” she claimed. “I just don’t wanna go into detail of it. … I didn’t even recognize him. And I knew I was never gonna see him and I never wanted to remember or repeat what happened.”
In response to Pasion’s allegation and others in both documentaries, a rep for Diddy told Us Weekly: “As we’ve said before, Mr. Combs cannot respond to every new publicity stunt, even in response to claims that are facially ridiculous. Mr. Combs has full confidence in the facts and the integrity of the judicial process. In court, the truth will prevail: that the accusations against Mr. Combs are pure fiction.”
Diddy is currently in jail awaiting trial after his September 2024 arrest on charges of sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has denied all the allegations against him and pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Keep scrolling for a breakdown of the biggest revelations from the documentaries about Diddy:
Diddy’s Childhood
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Both docs included interviews with people who knew Diddy during his youth in Mount Vernon, New York. According to Patterson, Diddy may have inherited his interest in wild parties from his mother, Janice Combs.
“Sean’s house, our house, there was always things going on. On the weekend, you partied in the house, and we did that a lot,” Patterson claimed in Diddy: The Making of a Bad Boy. “He was around all types of alcohol, he was around reefer smoke, he was around drug addicts, around lesbians, around homosexuals, he was around pimps and pushers, that was just who was in our house. … At night, it wouldn’t be a thing to mistakenly walk into one of the bedrooms and you got a couple in there butt naked. That’s what we were privy to. This is what we were fed. Was it desensitizing us? I’m sure it was. Were we aware of it? No. That was just Saturday night.”
Patterson also alleged that Janice was hard on Diddy as a kid. “I’m sure everything from Janice’s way of raising him was coming from love,” he said in The Fall of Diddy. “But there were times that I would see Janice’s personality go from hot to cold, and he had to be on the receiving end of a hot night or a cold night. Janice didn’t take no s—, none at all. She ruled with an iron fist. … And she didn’t let him get away with nothing. Nothing. And that’s how it was in Sean’s house. If he did something wrong, he’d get his ass beat. Simple as that.”
An anonymous woman who claimed to have attended Howard University with Diddy in the late 1980s alleged that she once saw him physically abuse a girlfriend on campus. At the time, the woman was looking out the window of her dorm room.
“We heard someone yelling and screaming so we pushed up the window just enough to get a little idea of what was going on,” the woman alleged in The Fall of Diddy. “We saw that it was Sean ‘Puffy’ Combs, a fellow student, and he was screaming, ‘Get your ass downstairs, come downstairs right now.’ And he had taken his belt off and he was whipping the wall, mad, angry.”
When the subject of Diddy’s alleged tirade met him outside, the interviewee claimed she saw him hit the woman. “He started beating on her, whipping her with that belt, and she’s taking it,” she claimed. “So we’re yelling, ‘Get off of her, stop hitting on her, leave her alone.’ He’s yelling back, ‘Mind your business, mind your f—ing business.’ But we’re yelling back, ‘Get off of her, leave her the f— alone.’ He pushes her back into the doorway of the dorm. We don’t know what’s going on in that space, we can’t see.”
‘Vibe’ Cover Story
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In The Fall of Diddy, former Vibe editor Danyel Smith alleged that Diddy threatened her after she refused to let him preview a 1997 magazine cover he’d done for the outlet. “I told him again we don’t show the covers, we don’t share the story,” she explained. “I told him that I wouldn’t be making an exception. And he said that he would see me dead in a trunk if I did not show it to him. I said to him, ‘You need to take that back.’”
Smith went on to claim that “two tough guys” came to the Vibe office looking for her at one point. “In order for my safety and in order for the magazine pages to remain intact, I was shuttled from office to office until the coast was clear and waited outside standing on the corner with the proofs, the pages of the magazine, that were being prepared to go to print,” she said. “And then my managing editor came down and got the pages from me and put me in a cab to Brooklyn. But the thing is, sitting right here right now, I have no memory of any of that happening. When our research chief was telling me this story, I was just like, ‘I don’t remember.’ … And she said, ‘Of course you don’t — you blacked it out, you were terrified.’”
Wardel Fenderson, who previously worked as a driver for Diddy, claimed that he saw the rapper holding a gun after the 1999 nightclub shooting in NYC that resulted in the conviction of Moses “Shyne” Barrow.
“Mr. Combs got in the vehicle, and I happened, at one point, to glance over my shoulder, and I noticed him holding a black handgun,” Fenderson alleged in The Fall of Diddy. “No words were exchanged, we made eye contact, he said nothing, I said nothing. And I proceeded en route to Club New York.”
Fenderson claimed that Diddy later threw the gun out the window and offered him $50,000 to take the one that his bodyguard Anthony “Wolf” Jones was holding. He then testified in the trial. “Yes, I was nervous about cooperating but I had to,” Fenderson said. “You have to stand up for what’s right in this world. (Diddy and Jones were both acquitted on charges of bribery and illegal possession of handguns.)
New ‘Making the Band’ Allegations
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In Diddy: The Making of a Bad Boy, Rivers — who was part of Da Band on Making the Band 2 from 2002 to 2004 — said she didn’t want to be around the mogul unless cameras were present.
“He touched me [in] a place that he shouldn’t have. That was inappropriate,” Rivers alleged. “I felt intimidated. I felt like, ‘Oh, my God, what the heck happened just now?’”
When asked for comment on Rivers’ claims, Diddy’s team issued the following statement: “This documentary recycles and perpetuates the same lies and conspiracy theories that have been slung against Mr. Combs for months. It is disappointing to see NBC and Peacock rolling in the same mud as unethical tabloid reporters. By providing a platform for proven liars and opportunists to make false criminal accusations, the documentary is irresponsible journalism of the worst kind.”
D. Woods, meanwhile, shared her story in The Fall of Diddy, claiming that her former boss said “the most degrading things” to her during her time in Danity Kane. She also claimed her former bandmate Aubrey O’Day told her Diddy sent her “very inappropriate pictures.”
“I saw a lot of things that he would email her, very sexual in nature, very just overtly pornographic things that he wanted to do to her,” Woods alleged. “She was just kind of like, ‘What do I do?’ I remember telling her, ‘Girl, put that in a folder, send it to your mama, save that.’”
When asked about Woods’ allegations, Diddy’s team issued the following statement to Us: “These documentaries are rushing to cash in on the media circus surrounding Mr. Combs. The producers failed to provide sufficient time or details for his representatives to address unsubstantiated claims, many from unidentified participants whose allegations lack context. By withholding this information, they made it impossible for Mr. Combs to present facts to counter these fabricated accusations.”
Al B. Sure, who was in a relationship with Kim Porter before she met Diddy, spoke out about the producer in Diddy: The Making of a Bad Boy, alleging that the rapper never adopted his and Porter’s son, Quincy. Diddy has long maintained that he adopted Quincy, now 33, as a toddler after he began dating Porter, who died in 2018 at age 47.
“There’s no adoption. None,” Sure alleged in the film. “And if you haven’t noticed, [Quincy’s] name is still Brown. People thought I was absent and things of that nature.”
Sure went on to repeat his belief that Porter did not die of natural causes. As the documentary noted, medical professionals have found no evidence that Porter died of unnatural causes. Her children, meanwhile, said in 2024 that they accept the official cause of her death.
“Our lives were shattered when we lost our mother. She was our world, and nothing has been the same since she passed,” Quincy, Christian, Jessie and D’lila said in a joint statement in September 2024. “While it has been incredibly difficult to reconcile how she could be taken from us too soon, the cause of her death has long been established. There was no foul play. Grief is a lifelong process, and we ask that everyone respect our request for peace as we continue to cope with her loss every day.”
In The Fall of Diddy, the Vibe editor, Smith, claimed that she once saw Diddy verbally abuse Porter during a night out with friends. “I’ve seen him act around Kim in ways that were just awful and very mean,” Smith alleged. “It was not a cool situation at all. He just started hollering at her that she should be at home, not out. And then he grabbed her handbag and literally turned it upside down he just emptied it out in front of everybody. I was so in shock.”
Phil Pines, a former executive assistant for Diddy, detailed allegations about so-called “wild king nights” that happened while he worked for him between 2019 and 2021. Pines claimed that he had to procure supplies for these parties as part of his job.
“We usually had a laundry list of items that included lights, alcohol, marijuana, ketamine, molly,” Pines alleged in The Fall of Diddy. “Baby oil and Astroglide were very important, candles, incense, Apple TVs, electronics, computers, iPads. Obviously, there [were] male libido supplements, stuff like that. Those requests started to become more frequent, they started to occur on a daily basis. There was a requirement we had to keep those things stocked.”
In Diddy: The Making of a Bad Boy, an anonymous former employee claimed that his boss preferred red lighting for parties. “Any time where the studio or any rooms is [lit] red, it’s red because he feels like [that’s] the frequency for f—ing and making love and sex,” the former employee alleged.
Working for Diddy
Peacock
Pines claimed that he had to provide “emergency cleanup” after wild king nights. “That means that he destroyed the hotel room,” he alleged. “That was, for me, probably one of the hardest things to do. When you get there and you see the wreckage, you see the stains, you see the bodily fluids, you see the used condoms, you see the baby oil, half-used Astroglide oozing down the sides of the bottle and you have to pick it up. Broken glass, urine, blood. It wasn’t uncommon for there to be stains on furniture, stains on sheets that we needed to remove.”
He added: “It’s a little triggering for me because the smell of baby oil is just something that I don’t ever want to have to smell again. I kid you not, you could slip because there was baby oil all over the floor. There would be baby oil surrounding the bathtub and there would be a bathtub full of water, and you would reach down there to unplug and you feel the baby oil was in the tub.”
Pines further alleged that he once witnessed Diddy kicking a woman. Another time, he claimed he had to take a woman home after a party and believed her to be in distress. “I don’t know what took place,” Pines said. “All I can say is that when I brought her down to the car she was shaking. Physically shaking. She didn’t look like how she looked the night before. She said something to the effect of, ‘I’ve never done anything like this before.’”
In response to Pines’ claims, Diddy’s team directed Us to a previous statement issued after Pines filed a lawsuit against the rapper in December 2024: “No matter how many lawsuits are filed, it won’t change the fact that Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted or sex trafficked anyone — man or woman, adult or minor. We live in a world where anyone can file a lawsuit for any reason. Fortunately, a fair and impartial judicial process exists to find the truth, and Mr. Combs is confident he will prevail in court.”
Jourdan Cha’taun, who worked as a personal chef for Diddy in the 2000s, said that she began “having constant anxiety attacks and heart palpitations” while in his employ. “I was diagnosed with stress-induced alopecia,” she recalled. “My hair started to fall out. And then I saw a cardiologist who said that my body couldn’t handle the stress levels. He said to me, ‘If you keep this job any longer than a year, you’ll be dead.’”
Cha’taun alleged that Diddy became “enraged” with her and shoved her after she told him she wanted to quit. “I went flying outside of the doorway and I ended up on my elbows and my butt,” she claimed. “I’m telling the office, ‘I’m gonna sue this motherf—er.’ They understood that I was upset but they were like, ‘If you sue him, your career is over. You will be blackballed. He does have the power to do that and he will do that.’ Puff scared me, so I kept quiet about things that I knew because I was afraid that something might happen to me.”
Feeling Pressured
In The Fall of Diddy and his lawsuit against the rapper, Pines claimed that his former boss once pressured him into having sex with a guest at a party.
“I think my life changed a lot on that day and I’ve never really recovered from it,” Pines alleged. “This particular incident, he’d been drinking all day. … He’s out of his mind at this point. You could tell. Again, he’s in rare form, as we would call that. Rare form. I remember hearing the words, ‘Prove your loyalty to me, king.’”
Pines claimed that Diddy then gave him “a quick massage like a coach would give a player that’s about to enter the game” before handing him a condom and directing him to a guest who was on the couch.
“I froze before it took place, didn’t know what was really happening,” Pines said. “In the moment, it just felt like, ‘What? Is this fun for him? Is this a test? Is this for entertainment? Does he know that he’s actually doing this? Is he that gone?’ I didn’t know what to do. She gave me the consent, like, ‘Yeah,’ nodded her head. And I performed for a little bit. And then I ran out of there as soon as I didn’t see him in my sight anymore.”
Diddy: The Making of a Bad Boy is now streaming on Peacock. The Fall of Diddy is available on Max.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). If you or someone you know are experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.
J.T. Miller is headed back to the Rangers in a blockbuster deal with the Canucks, who will receive Filip Chytil, Victor Mancini and a 2025 first-rounder in return, sources told ESPN.
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