Hale, 35, showed off her effortlessly chic street style while strolling through Los Angeles on Thursday, January 9. For her laid-back outing, Hale rocked a gray crewneck and rolled her sleeves up while carrying her phone, a coffee and a green juice.
The piece de resistance was her baggy blue jeans featuring a high-waist and strategic rips. Hale further dressed up her look with a silver ring, layered gold bracelets, a number of hoop earrings and a dainty necklace. Hale tied her low-key look together with a woven leather purse and a blue baseball cap. In true Lucy Hale fashion, she wore her go-to Adidas Sambas.
Matching her chill outfit aesthetic with her glam, Hale donned a fresh face and tied her hair into a bun.
This is hardly the first time Hale has commanded attention for her low-key denim while roaming through Los Angeles. In July 2024, she gave Us major French girl vibes while rocking blue straight jeans that hugged her in all the right places. Hale’s hair, which was cut into a chic bob at the time, was blown out and bounced off her shoulders as she accessorized with gold hoop earrings.
ZZHollywood To You/Star Max/GC Images
Hale again looked timeless in a denim jacket while out and about in March 2024. She styled the cropped piece with a burnt orange hoodie underneath and a white tank. Hale kept her look cozy to walk in with black leggings, white socks and running shoes.
The Pretty Little Liars alum perfectly elevated her look with round brown sunglasses and a leather crossbody bag. Hale completed her look by twisting her hair into a messy bun with her curtain bangs framing her face.
When she’s not showing off her street style, Hale can be seen looking gorgeous on the red carpet. Most recently, she stunned in a little red Markarian dress at the Friendly House Humanitarian Awards in September 2024. The trendy number featured a flowy silhouette and a scarf that she tossed over her shoulders. Hale matched the piece to her pointed-toe leather heels.
Jennifer Aydin is weighing in on Andy Cohen calling her Jersey Mike’s drama a “self-inflicted wound.”
“I did not see it. Somebody told me about it. I did not hear that,” the Real Housewives of New Jersey star, 47, exclusively told Us Weekly on Wednesday, January 8. “But you know what? I would say that’s accurate.”
Aydin made headlines earlier this month for her unexpected feud with multiple Jersey Mike’s employees. The Bravo personality posted a video on her social media page claiming she waited for “what felt like forever” for service from the sandwich shop. An employee who was there subsequently fired back at Aydin via TikTok.
Cohen, 56, later took to his radio show to call the moment an “a self-inflicted wound.”
“She melted down. And you know what, before you hit send on the post, take a beat and say, ‘How is this gonna land?’” Cohen said during the Monday, January 6, episode of his SiriusXM show Radio Andy. “How are you going to cause so much trouble for yourself? … You’re at the airport, you’re getting a sandwich. … It’s just, how is this gonna land?”
Upon further reflection, Aydin acknowledged she should not have posted the video of her interaction with several fast food workers.
“I have to realize that me posting it is, in fact, a self-inflicted wound. I did not think it was going to go down that way,” she explained on Wednesday. “I thought that people would see the video and be like, ‘How rude was this guy to you?’ And he doesn’t even know you, so it’s fine. It’s all good. Lesson learned.”
Jennifer Aydin and Andy CohenGetty Images (2)
While sitting down with Us, Aydin gave us her recollection of what happened. According to the reality star, the incident happened while traveling with husband Bill Aydin, their five kids and additional family members over the holidays.
“[Bill] took all the kids, went to another stand that had a table, ordered food. It was about 5:30 in the morning,” Jennifer said. “Jersey Mike’s did not open until 5:30, and my cousin and I got on the line pretty much around 5:45 a.m. and there were not that many people on the line. Again, it was a little slow-moving, but we weren’t going to complain.”
When Jennifer did place her order, Bill was not with her. When he later joined her, Bill shared that one of their kids ended up wanting a sandwich and Jennifer tried to add the item after already placing her order. The employee allegedly told Jennifer if she wanted another sandwich she would have to get in line again or ask the man who was next in line if it was OK if she went to the counter to order another item.
“In the video, they were still working on my sandwich. It’s not like I had paid. I didn’t check out,” she claimed. “So for them to tell me to wait to the end of the line or that I had to ask this guy’s permission — that just really started an altercation. They shouldn’t have done that and that’s just customer service. I’m realizing now that I can’t say, ‘I’m a celebrity.’ People are very angry. … I will no longer say I’m a celebrity since people are so angry about it. But, obviously, this wouldn’t have gone so viral as it did if I wasn’t a public figure.”
After Jennifer’s social media blow-up went viral, the fallout included her being dropped from an upcoming reality stars cruise. In addition to the firing, the RHONJ cast’s future remains up in the air after the show was put on pause following season 14. While the show’s direction is in limbo, Jennifer has faith that everything will work out and says she has “respect” no matter what Bravo decides.
“I feel like by the time they’ve regrouped to even consider who they’re going to recast or if they’re going to recast, this will be such water under the bridge. So I don’t really think that’s a thing,” she told Us. “Plus, by the time they reconfigure who’s going to be on the staff, I don’t know where I’m going to be at that point in my life. I am a big believer in that God protects me and my blessings are in the proof of my lifestyle in the good that I do. I always constantly pay it forward.”
“I’m divorced. Thank you, God,” Lindsay, 39, said during the Friday, January 10 episode of her “Higher Learning” podcast. “Give me some freedom music. Some freedom music.”
After joking around for a minute, Lindsay became serious explaining to cohost Van Lathan that it’s “a very weird feeling” to actually be divorced.
“From the moment he finally left the house, after being here for seven months post-separation, I felt divorced,” she continued. “I’ll be honest, there’s a lot I want to say.”
Lindsay noted that “from the beginning” she has wanted to share her side of the story — but not quite yet.
“I haven’t talked, but I will and I’m just figuring all that out,” she continued. “There [are] so many things that I want to address.”
Elsewhere in the episode, Lindsay revealed what “bothered” her “the most” about how Abasolo was acting.
“On his end, there were certain things that were said to play into certain stereotypes that really were hurtful or bothered me. … Saying things that particularly play into the stereotype of me being an angry Black female,” she said, claiming that “a narrative” played out in which she “placed a career” over the relationship and kids.
“Those things are emphatically so not true,” Lindsay said. “To see people run with that because it’s the low-hanging fruit and it fits a certain stereotype, were really hurtful.”
Bryan Abasolo and Rachel Lindsay.Leon Bennett/Getty Images for Alzheimer's Association
Lindsay and Abasolo, 44, met and got engaged during season 13 ofThe Bachelorette, which aired in 2017. He filed for divorce from Lindsay in January 2024 after more than four years of marriage. After a messy back and forth, which included details of their finances and the pair continuing to live together, their divorce was finalized on Tuesday, January 7. (They did not have a prenuptial agreement.)
Us confirmed in July 2024 that Lindsay was ordered to pay Abasolo $13,257 a month in temporary spousal support along with $20,000 in attorney’s fees and forensic expert expenses. Their divorce documents, obtained by Us on Tuesday, share that Abasolo “waives, discharges and releases” Lindsay from “any and all” future payments. (She still owes him $460,229.)
Lindsay did not address any specifics of their split during Friday’s podcast episode but did say that there was a point she had to become “the bigger person” in their divorce.
“When someone is fighting you in this way and willing to die on every hill and not willing to compromise at all for whatever reason they have — and [I’ll] talk about that later,” she said. “You have to at one point let go and just be the bigger person and prioritize what is most important to you.”
Lindsay explained that she got to the point where she was “trying to move on” and “had to make concessions that I didn’t necessarily want to do.”
“My peace of mind is priceless at the end of the day, and I really want to start rebuilding, and I want to move forward,” she added. “I’m able to do that now. And that feels really, really good.”
She concluded that she “wouldn’t get married without a prenup again,” adding: “It’s, like, changed my whole perspective on everything. I don’t even know if I would get married again. I can’t even fathom that.”
Let the cameras roll. Chrisley Knows Best is certainly not without drama, but its stars have been at the center of more controversies than a single reality show can handle.
Fans met Todd Chrisley, Julie Chrisley and their kids — Chase, Savannah and Grayson — when the series premiered on USA Network in March 2014. The businessman’s children from his first marriage to Teresa Terry — Lindsie and Kyle — also appeared on early seasons of the show.
However, the former real estate tycoon’s relationships with his older kids broke down as the family became more high-profile. The feuds soon became public knowledge and often played out for the world to see.
When Todd revealed in April 2020 that he was hospitalized after testing positive for COVID-19, a social media user sent Lindsie a DM, which she shared via her Instagram Story. “Hi Lindsie!” the note read. “Did you see your Dad has Covid? I guess the good guys really do win in the end.”
The “Coffee Convos” podcast cohost fired back at the negative sentiment. “The audacity of some people blows my mind,” she retorted. “This is disgusting. My inbox is flooding with similar messages & I’m not here for it. Get right or get off my page.”
Lindsie took her reaction one step further, exclusively telling Us Weekly at the time, “I don’t want anything bad to happen to my father.”
Her attorney, meanwhile, added that the reality star “was very saddened to hear that her father was diagnosed with COVID. She does not feel happy he has the virus.” Todd, for his part, eventually recovered.
Although Lindsie wished her father well when he was sick, their relationship was not mended. Kyle, on the other hand, revealed in August 2019 that he and Todd had reconciled after years of tension.
“My mom [Julie] and dad raised me,” Kyle wrote via Instagram. “I haven’t been the best dad to [daughter] Chloe, I’ve had a problem with drugs, I’ve acted completely ridiculously, and through all that, they have stood by my side. Nine months ago, I went to my dad with an apology. His words were ‘I love you always, and you are forgiven’ and just like that, I was welcomed back into his life with open arms. I will be forever grateful for his love [and] graciousness.”
The Chrisleys’ drama only got more intense in June 2022, when Todd and Julie were convicted of tax evasion, bank fraud and conspiracy. Though the Chrisley family patriarch denied the allegations three years prior — claiming that an ex-employee set them up — Todd and Julie were later sentenced to 12 years in prison and seven years in federal prison, respectively.
Scroll through the gallery below to revisit all of the scandals the Chrisleys have been involved in during their time in the spotlight.
The patriarch’s relationship with his eldest child has been strained since she eloped with Will Campbell in January 2012. Although he later forgave his son-in-law for not getting his approval before the wedding, Todd was not happy, telling E! News that Lindsie “should have never condoned that kind of disrespect.”
“I had a problem with the way the marriage started,” he elaborated. “Not just on Will’s side but on my daughter’s side as well. I don’t think that the marriage started out the way that it should have, and certainly not the way that a father would like to see a marriage start.”
Todd’s bond with Lindsie only deteriorated more from there, with her last appearance on Chrisley Knows Best airing in 2017 during season 5. He claimed in August 2021 that her issues with the family actually started because of her animosity toward Savannah.
“There was just some kind of emotional battle that Lindsie has had within herself and jealousy amongst her siblings,” he told Entertainment Tonight. “It started out with Savannah having way more social media followers, and then [she] wasn’t getting enough time on the show.”
Todd’s eldest son struggled with addiction after welcoming daughter Chloe with ex Angela Johnson in November 2012. The “Chrisley Confessions” cohost was awarded shared custody — alongside Johnson — of his granddaughter in 2013 after Kyle was arrested and charged with assault.
Kyle alleged in 2014 that his dad “stole” Chloe from him because her appearance on the reality show “would be good for his demographic.” However, Todd seemingly addressed the accusations via Twitter, writing, “My son Kyle is bipolar, he suffers from mental illness, he will struggle for life.”
Todd gained full custody of Chloe after Johnson was arrested in 2016 for allegedly defrauding Medicaid and food stamps.
Kyle faced more legal troubles in May 2019 when he was arrested and charged with felony possession of methamphetamine after police found drugs in his car in Oklahoma. He also had a warrant in Georgia for death threats he allegedly made against his ex Alexus Whilby.
The district attorney opted to drop the drug charges against Kyle in Oklahoma. As for the case in Georgia, he was booked for terroristic threats and released on his own recognizance.
The couple were charged with tax evasion, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud and conspiracy to defraud the United States in August 2019. They surrendered to authorities and posted bond but denied wrongdoing at the time. Todd and Julie went to trial in May 2022 and were found guilty of 12 counts of tax evasion, bank and wire fraud and conspiracy.
Lindsie claimed in a July 2019 police report that Todd and Chase “were going to release [a] sex tape involving her.” Her father subsequently alleged to E! News that the family had “tried to keep Lindsie’s extramarital relationships with Robby Hayes and Josh Murray [during her marriage to Campbell] private for her sake since August of 2016.”
Murray insisted that he and Lindsie had “been friends for years” amid the allegations, while Hayes said he “did not make a sex tape” with her. Instead, he claimed that they “got caught on [a] security camera.”
Lindsie’s attorney alleged that she had “been a constant target of lies, harassment and threats from her family and, as a result, has been distancing herself from the Chrisley family since 2017.”
Lindsie announced her split from Campbell in July 2021 after nine years of marriage. Todd posted a message of support for her, although he had her blocked on social media. “I truly was shocked when I saw something so personal shared as we do have each other’s numbers,” she said on her “Coffee Convos” podcast.
Todd told E! News in August 2021 that he was “not reaching out” to Lindsie about her divorce because it was not his place. “It’s not my business, I was not a party to it, I don’t know what happened,” he added.
Two years after the couple were charged with several counts of bank and wire fraud, tax evasion and conspiracy, Todd and Julie’s trial began in May 2022 in Atlanta. During the court hearing, the duo were accused of exaggerating their earnings to banks to allegedly borrow more than $30 million. The Chrisleys, however, claimed that their former employee Mark Braddock committed the crimes behind their backs and was therefore fired back in 2012. In June 2022, a jury ruled that the twosome were guilty on all counts, which included five counts of bank fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and one count of tax fraud. Julie, for her part, was previously accused of creating a fake credit report and false bank statements to rent a home, which led to an additional charge of one count of wire fraud and one count of obstruction of justice, according to The Tennessean.
Todd and Julie, who now face up to 30 years in prison, are planning to appeal the conviction, per a statement from their attorney. Their sentencing hearing is scheduled for a later date. Beverly Hills-based legal expert Jeffrey W. Steinberger, who is not affiliated with the case, told Us that the duo could be looking at "enormous jail time."
Todd and Julie were convicted on tax evasion, bank fraud and conspiracy charges in June 2022. Though the couple didn't agree with the ruling, the "Chrisley Confessions" podcast host said he was "praying" for the prosecutors and the judge.
Five months after their conviction, the twosome were sentenced to several years in prison in November 2022. Todd received a 12-year sentence and Julie received a seven-year sentence. In January 2023, the pair reported to their respective prisons, with Todd surrendering at FPC Pensacola in Florida and Julie reporting to the Federal Medical Center in Lexington, Kentucky.
Two months after his dad and stepmom reported to prison, Kyle was arrested in March 2023, Us confirmed at the time. Kyle was booked on March 14 for "felony aggravated assault," a representative for Tennessee’s Rutherford County Jail told TMZ, noting he was released after posting a $3,000 bond.
Per a state warrant obtained by Us the following day, the person Kyle assaulted was his boss, Deven Campbell. The document stated that Kyle allegedly attacked the victim "by striking him multiple times in the face and upper body." The warrant also noted, "The victim stated that the defendant also displayed a fixed blade knife and threatened to kill/stab him."
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.
Mel Gibson opened up about his life and career in a wide-ranging two-hour interview with podcaster Joe Rogan, including how he creates his film roles.
“Sure, I’ve planned a lot of murders in my life — we all have,” Gibson, 69, said on the Thursday, January 9, episode of the “Joe Rogan Experience” podcast, while discussing his upcoming project The Resurrection Of The Christ and how he develops story lines and characters. “In your head, you plan them and you think, ‘Well, that’s not a very good idea, but I think I can get away with it.’”
“I actually spent a long time in my animal brain, which is a very horrible place to be,” Gibson said. “[Where] you’re in ‘fight or flight’ all the time, you don’t even sleep. It’s really not a good place to be and if anybody looks at you the wrong way, you want to bite ‘em — and sometimes you say and do things that are socially unacceptable.”
The actor revealed that he even underwent a “brain scan” to understand his perspective.
“[The neurologist] looked at my brain and he was like, he opens the file … and he goes, ‘Are you OK?’” Gibson recalled. “He sat next to me, but very slowly and cautiously, and said, ‘No, you’re not. You’ve got the worst case of PTSD I have ever seen.’”
Gibson then “started to well up” over the doctor’s admission.
“He had a very miraculous and great remedy for it, which was to eat a bunch of fish oil, vitamin B complex and get into a hyperbaric chamber for 40 sessions — but make sure you do at least two or three a week,” he said. “It fixed my head, really. It got me out of that wacky place.”
After working with the doctor, Gibson found that he was less irritable — his brain trauma was the result of past injuries while playing rugby growing up — and eventually came to the realization that he didn’t want to follow through on any of his apparent murder plots.
“When I kill somebody, you know, it’s terrible and it’s not socially acceptable,” Gibson said. “Plus, I don’t want to go to prison.”
Gibson is now focused on his acting career, asserting to Rogan, 57, that he wants to tell a story about “good and evil.”
“It’s the resurrection story, but it’s not linear because it’s hard to understand,” he explained. “It’s got be put in a framework where you answer a few other questions as well and you have to juxtapose the event itself against everything itself so that it makes some kind of sense in a bigger picture, which is a hard thing to do.”
Hoda Kotb officially closed her Today show chapter on Friday, January 10. The longtime anchor wrapped up her nearly 30 years on NBC with an emotional farewell to the iconic morning show, and there were a few special guests on hand to send her off. Kotb, 60, got emotional throughout the broadcast as she was honored by fellow Today hosts past and present — from Savannah Guthrie to Kathie Lee Gifford. “She’s sunshine in a bottle,” Gifford, 71, gushed over her former cohost before sharing a toast to Kotb. “May you walk into the most joyful, prosperous, purposeful time in your life with those precious daughters that I watched come into your life. What a blessing that was. I’ll never forget it.” Kotb previously announced in September 2024 that she would be leaving the Today show, and Friday’s episode marked the end of a week-long “Hoda-bration” in her honor. Scroll below for more of Us Weekly’s top stories:
Tom Holland’s father confirmed the actor’s engagement to Zendaya in a recent blog post, revealing that Holland was “very well-prepared” to propose.
Mandy Moore explained why she shared a GoFundMe launched to help her brother-in-law and his pregnant wife, who “lost their home and everything they own” in the Los Angeles wildfires.
HGTV star Christina Haack exclusively opened up to Us about whether she wants to get married again following her divorce from third husband Joshua Hall.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are lending a helping hand amid the devastation in L.A. by opening their California home to friends and donating essential items.
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If you’re anything like Us, the new year is off to a busy start. Along with returning to work, we’re tackling our resolutions right along with it. In some cases that means running from leading a business meeting to running to an afternoon workout class and heading right back to the office. No matter how your calendar looks this 2025, you should put your best foot forward with stylish footwear. Right now, Zappos is hosting a winter clearance sale, offering up to 70% off!
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Kelly Stafford came through in the clutch for Los Angeles Rams fans trying to see their team in the playoffs.
After the Rams home playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings scheduled for Monday, January 13 was relocated to Glendale, Arizona due to the wildfires in southern California, fans called on the organization to provide transportation for season ticket holders who had been left stranded.
That’s when one of them received a DM via Instagram from Stafford, the wife of Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford.
“I will gladly rent a charter bus for fans! There and back! Lemme know!” Kelly messaged a Rams superfan named Robert.
Robert responded, “Omg no way?! We would appreciate that so much! We just want to be there!!!!! Praying for your safety .”
Courtesy of Robert Balderrama/Instagram
The plan was quickly set in motion, with Kelly offering to charter a second bus after demand was so high.
“We all love and appreciate the Staffords for everything they do for the Ramily,” Robert posted via his Instagram Story.
Kelly indicated she’d be in attendance at the game in Arizona with her four daughters, as well. Via her Instagram Story, she shared an old video of her girls — twins Sawyer and Chandler, 7, Hunter, 6, and Tyler, 4 — cheering on Matthew at the Rams game in Glendale against the Arizona Cardinals last year.
“Heading back there soon with these cuties ,” Kelly posted.
Kelly Stafford and Matthew Stafford with their daughters.Harry How/Getty Images
During a press conference on Thursday, January 9, before the game against the Vikings had officially been relocated, Matthew — who noted the wildfires had briefly knocked out the power at his family’s home — addressed the devastation impacting his community.
“It’s a tough thing to watch on the news, to be around, to see,” Matthew told reporters. “Driving around seeing all that, it’s just really sad to see what’s going on. Obviously, a bunch of people doing everything they possibly can to try and get things under control and get people back to normal as quickly as possible.”
Matthew added, “Every time we suit up, we’re the Los Angeles Rams. We play for the people in this community. The people in this community support us. This week will be another example of that, obviously. Hopefully a great escape for people who have been going through a lot of tough times.”
The Rams-Vikings Wild Card playoff game kicks off from Glendale, Arizona’s State Farm Stadium on Monday, January 13 at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Check the LAFD website for local wildfire alerts and click here for resources on how to help those affected.
“This last Sunday, my father passed away,” Katie, 37, wrote via Instagram on Friday, January 10. “Since I have been met with a variety of emotions, numbness, peace, complete udder sadness and even at times guilt. My dad was everyone’s favorite, he was so charming, made everyone feel welcome and comfortable. We shared the love of dad jokes and he had an endless supply.”
While paying tribute to her beloved family member, Katie shared photos from recent vacations including a snowy trip to Salt Lake City, Utah.
“He was always so supportive of my brothers and I growing up and as adults championed our endeavors,” she wrote. “I cannot smell Irish spring without immediately thinking about him, how the scent almost covered up the smell of wheel grease from his job. It’s a core memory that I have always held and hold closer now.”
Soon after sharing her personal news, the “Disrespectfully” podcast host received well wishes from her Bravo family.
“Sending you love ,” The Valley’s Janet Caperna wrote in the comments section. Summer House’s Amanda Batula added, “So sorry for your loss Katie .”
Earlier in the week, Katie’s brother, Rocky Maloney, also paid tribute to his father via Instagram, calling him “such an amazing person, dad and friend.”
Katie MaloneyGreg Doherty/Getty Images for DIRECTV
“Dad, I will think about you everyday,” he wrote. “I will always look at my phone waiting for our daily phone call to talk sports.”
As the Maloney family continues their grieving process, Katie is focused on all the positive memories she made with her father away from any camera crews.
“Dad, I love you forever, thank you for the million laughs, for the father-daughter dances throughout life and for the love you gave us,” she said. “I feel like I am a stranger to grief. As much as it has touched my life and so many I love. It’s not something I have become comfortable or well acquainted with.”
Katie is an original cast member of Vanderpump Rules and documented her life in West Hollywood for 11 seasons.
Although Bravo announced in November 2024 that the show would be revamping for season 12 with a brand-new cast, the reality star has her hands full with a variety of projects including her Something About Her sandwich shop with costar Ariana Madix.
“It’s a mixed bag. But I wouldn’t change a thing,” Katie shared via her Instagram Story after the news was announced. “Thank you for the memories and the love the last 11 years.”
Matt Lauer, Hoda Kotb, Ann Curry.Noam Galai/WireImage ; Nathan Congleton/NBC ; George Lange
Several Today show hosts have come and gone from the NBC morning show over the years — both on good and bad terms.
Hoda Kotb, for her part, surprised fans in September 2024 with news that she would be leaving Today after nearly 30 years at NBC. “I just turned 60, and it was such a monumental moment for me when I turned 60 years old because I started thinking about that decade, like, what does that decade mean? What does it hold? What’s it gonna have for me?” she tearfully announced at the time. “And I realized that it was time for me to turn the page at 60 and to try something new.”
Kotb recalled how celebrating her 60th birthday on the show the month prior helped her realize it was time to step back from Today. “I remembered standing outside, looking at this beautiful bunch of people with all these gorgeous signs, and I thought, ‘This is what the top of the wave feels like for me,’ and I thought, ‘It can’t get better,’” she explained. “And [I] decided this is the right time for me to, kind of, move on.
Additionally, Kotb said wanting to spend more time with her daughters, Haley and Hope, whom she shares with ex-fiancé Joel Schiffman, played a big role in her decision. “I was thinking they deserve a bigger piece of my time, the pie that I have. I feel like we only have a finite amount of time,” she stated. “And so, with all that being said, this is the hardest thing in the world.”
Kotb officially bid farewell to Today on January 10, 2025.
Scroll down to see more of the Today show’s most dramatic host exits:
Deborah Norville
Bettmann Archive/Getty Images
Norville replaced longtime host Jane Pauley on Today in 1990. After one year on the series, she exited the show while on maternity leave due to criticism and a decline in ratings.
“I was pushed out while on maternity leave, having just given birth to my first child. It was personally devastating to, in less than two years, go from ‘NBC’s fastest-rising star’ to a pariah in television. It was awful,” she recalled in a June 2012 column for The Hollywood Reporter. “But, just as an earthquake forces you to check the foundation of your home, having my career shatter forced me to reevaluate everything.”
She continued: “The depression I battled pushed me to investigate the power of the mind and led to my writing a number of books grounded in positive psychology, as I rebuilt my career first at ABC Radio, then CBS News and Inside Edition.”
Norville has served as the anchor of Inside Edition since 1995.
Katie Couric
James Devaney/WireImage
Couric took over Norville’s hosting spot in 1991 and remained on Today through 2006. She recalled her decision to leave the show in her 2021 memoir, Going There, writing, “By 2005, I was at a crossroads. I loved the Today show, but after 15 years, I was getting restless. I longed to be respected for my journalistic chops, and although I’d done many serious interviews in the morning, the fun stuff, which I had a blast doing … [that] was what people remembered. I felt like the show was getting softer, the hard news interviews getting shorter, the segments getting more sensational.”
Couric went on to anchor CBS Evening News, becoming the first solo woman to anchor a nightly news broadcast. She left the role after five years, telling Today in October 2021 that she didn’t think “the country was ready for a female anchor.” She added: “Maybe they weren’t just ready for me as a female anchor because of their perceptions of me. But I really went there to say a woman can do this job with confidence and competence, and that’s really what motivated my decision.”
Ann Curry
William D. Bird/Getty Images
Curry, who served as Matt Lauer’s coanchor for one year, unexpectedly announced on-air in 2012 that she was leaving the show. At the time, rumors spread that the network was not pleased with her lack of chemistry with Lauer, resulting in lower ratings.
“I still don’t really understand,” Curry told Elle of her Today exit in a September 2020 interview. “I know I did nothing wrong. I know I was good at my job. They say where there’s smoke, there’s fire. You can read the tea leaves. But you know, I’m a fact-based reporter, so it’s hard for me to go out there, with something so close to the vest. I don’t know. I don’t know.”
She continued: “The bottom line is that it still hurts. It honestly hurts really deeply, because I really think I did nothing wrong. But in spite of the pain of it, which still lingers, I know that I contributed to some people suffering less.”
Billy Bush
Roger Wong/INFphoto.com
Us Weekly confirmed in October 2016 that Bush had been suspended from his role as a cohost of the third hour of Today after a video was leaked that showed him making lewd comments during a conversation with Donald Trump. He officially exited the series later that month after reaching a settlement with NBC.
“I am deeply grateful for the conversations I’ve had with my daughters, and for all of the support from family, friends and colleagues,” Bush told Us in a statement at the time. “I look forward to what lies ahead.” Bush has served as the host of Extra since 2019.
Tamron Hall
Noam Galai/WireImage
News broke in February 2017 that Hall would be leaving NBC News and MSNBC. The announcement came shortly after it revealed that Megyn Kelly would be taking over the third hour of Today, which Hall cohosted with Al Roker.
“Tamron is an exceptional journalist, we valued and enjoyed her work at Today and MSNBC and hoped that she would decide to stay. We are disappointed that she has chosen to leave, but we wish her all the best,” NBCUniversal said in a statement at the time.
A source exclusively told Us that the network wasn’t “fighting that hard” to keep Hall ahead of Kelly’s Today entrance, noting that Kelly was seen as “more valuable.” A second insider later told Us that Hall was blindsided by the switch-up and was only told “minutes before going on-air” that Kelly was taking over her and Roker’s time slot.
Hall moved on from Today with her eponymous talk show in 2019.
Matt Lauer
Noam Galai/FilmMagic
Savannah Guthrie and Kotb shocked Today viewers in November 2017 by announcing Lauer had been fired from NBC as a result of sexual misconduct allegations. At the time, Variety published a report accusing the longtime anchor of sexually harassing multiple women. The allegations included sending a woman a sex toy, dropping his pants in front of another and becoming angry with a woman for not engaging in sexual relations with him, among other claims.
Lauer broke his silence on the scandal shortly after his firing. “There are no words to express my sorrow and regret for the pain I have caused others by words and actions. To the people I have hurt, I am truly sorry,” Guthrie read on-air in a statement on Lauer’s behalf.
His statement continued: “Repairing the damage will take a lot of time and soul-searching and I’m committed to beginning that effort. It is now my full-time job.”
Kotb was named as Lauer’s replacement in 2018. NBCUniversal released their findings from a monthslong investigation into Lauer’s actions that May, revealing that network executives did not receive any complaints about his behavior prior to November 2017 when a woman, later revealed as Brooke Nevils, filed a complaint against Lauer. Per the report, Lauer admitted to engaging in sexual activity with the woman one day later.
In Ronan Farrow’s 2019 book, Catch and Kill, Nevils accused Lauer of anally raping her in his hotel room during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Nevils claimed that she confided in former Today host Meredith Vieira about the incident and was encouraged to report it to human resources.
Lauer slammed the rape accusations in an October 2019 statement to Us, calling Nevils’ claims “categorically false” and stating that their encounter was consensual. “But within a year she was reportedly out trying to sell a book. And it appears that she also sought a monetary payment from NBC,” he added. “Now she is making outrageous and false accusations to help sell a different book and stepping into the spotlight to cause as much damage as she can.”
Hoda Kotb
Nathan Congleton/NBC
During her September 2024 departure announcement, Kotb shared that she would remain on the show until early 2025 and would not be completely parting ways with NBC. “She’s the person that everybody loves,” an NBC insider exclusively told Us at the time. “She’s the same off-camera as she is on-camera, and I think that’s what’s the hardest thing because that can’t be said for everybody.”
Calling Kotb’s exit a “huge blow” for the series, the source noted that the TV personality was “very focused” on wellness for her next career steps.
“I am starting a wellness app and company that will involve retreats and a podcast and all kinds of things that we can get together, do things that I love,” she shared on a January 2025 episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show. “It’s not like going to Mexico with your girls, which is fun, but this is something that when you leave, you’ll go like, ‘Oh my gosh, I feel transformed. I feel different.’”
At the time, she noted that the app was still “in the building process” but was expected to launch in that spring.
Kotb rang in her final week of Today with a “Hoda-bration” full of surprise guests, emotional reunions and heartfelt tributes. “I’ve become who I am on this hour of this show, and you were there with me every step of the way,” she read from a “love letter” she wrote to fans on her final episode of Hoda & Jenna. “So, as I sit here today in my final moments on this final day in this chapter of my career, I want to say thank you from the bottom of my very full heart for the ride of a lifetime. I love you.”
For the past five years, I’ve participated in Dry January. Well, actually, I took Dry January one step further in 2024 and decided to quit drinking altogether. I can confidently say that it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made — the benefits are truly life-changing.
While I don’t expect anyone to completely ditch alcohol (it’s a very personal decision), I do get giddy when January rolls around because of how popular Dry January has become. The thought of other people experiencing the mental clarity that comes with swapping a gin and tonic for a mocktail makes me giddy! That said, choosing not to drink isn’t easy by any means. Everyone will go through different trials on their journey, but there are things that can make the process easier.
The below items are what helped me through my first year of sobriety. Keep reading to discover informative books, relaxing mocktails and more. You’ve got this!
Whether you plan on doing a dry month or want to go longer without imbibing, it’s really valuable to find your why. Figuring out your goals when it comes to alcohol is easier said than done, but this book can help. Filled with thought-provoking prompts, this workbook forces you to get real about your relationship with alcohol and what you hope to change, while also offering tips and tricks for staying on track. You’re also more likely to follow through with your goals and aspirations if you write them down, and this book gives you designated space to do so.
My favorite beverage before I stopped drinking was rosé, and I hated the thought of cheersing with a soda on special occasions. This N/A rosé is the closest thing I’ve tasted to the real deal. It’s not too sugary sweet nor does it remind me of grape juice. Pouring myself a glass feels like a little treat, and I’m able to enjoy it even more knowing I won’t wake up in the morning with a dreaded hangover.
Once I ditched the booze, my new vice became coffee. While I enjoy espresso or a fancy latte every once in a while, I prefer to drink this mushroom alternative to coffee. It enhances my energy and focus while also improving digestion — and it actually tastes great, unlike some other options that remind me of dirt. Plus, I like that all I need to do is stir it into water or milk. I even like adding it to my pre-workout shake for an extra boost before the gym.
When I go to parties, I like having these mocktail cans on hand for a few reasons: 1. They’re pretty. 2. They taste good. 3. With the included adaptogens, I feel more at ease in social settings — sans alcohol. Sometimes I’ll sip on one before bed for better sleep, too.
When I was debating what I wanted my relationship with alcohol to be, this book opened a whole new world of possibilities. I discovered what the sober curious movement entailed, began learning about the positive changes I’d experience once I ditched the booze and ultimately realized that I could live a full life without alcohol. I consider it a must-read for anyone wanting to cut back.
Author Sarah Levy beautifully described so many of my own feelings surrounding alcohol in her memoir. Reading this book made me feel like I was reading my own story, helping me recognize that my drinking patterns weren’t the healthiest and were harming my relationships. It can feel scary cutting out something that is so ingrained in our culture, but Sarah’s vulnerability proves that it’s possible and that there’s a full technicolored life waiting for you once you put down the glass.
Hoda Kotb has shared many life milestones — both triumphant and difficult — with TV audiences for years.
Kotb notably missed several episodes of the Today show in early 2023. Her cohosts Craig Melvin and Sheinelle Jones announced that March that her absence was due to a “family health matter,” which Kotb later revealed involved her youngest daughter, Hope.
“[Hope] was in the ICU for a few days and in the hospital for a little more than a week,” Kotb shared during a March 2023 episode of Today. “I’m so grateful she’s home. … I was waiting for that day to come. And we are watching her closely. I’m just so happy.”
Kotb, who left Today in January 2025, coparents Hope and her eldest daughter, Haley, with her ex-fiancé, Joel Schiffman, They called it quits after eight years together in January 2022. At the time of Hope’s health scare, a source exclusively told Us Weekly that Schiffman had “been by their side.”
The insider added: “Hoda has dropped everything and focused on being there for her youngest — by her hospital bed — and taking care of anything she could need. Hope is better now and recovering at home.”
Keep scrolling to see Kotb’s ups and downs through the years:
Kotb was secretly married to Burzis Kanga for three years before things went public amid their divorce in 2008. Her former Today cohost Kathie Lee Gifford later outed Kotb’s split during a Valentine’s Day episode of the morning show — much to Kotb’s chagrin.
"I was telling her that I was married once before and I met my husband on Valentine's Day, and I got the divorce papers on Valentine's Day and it was Valentine's Day," Kotb said on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen in 2018.
"We go out to the set. It's all decorated with flowers and hearts, and I go, 'Good morning! Happy Valentine's Day!' And [Kathie Lee] looks at me and she goes, 'Not for you!'" Kotb was shocked at her costar’s gall. “I go, 'What are you doing?' But I remember that grenade fell right on the table. I didn't know what to do. I was so new, I didn't know what to say. I said, 'That was makeup room talk. That wasn't for out here, because we're happy out here.’”
One year before her divorce from her ex-husband, Kotb began her Today show reign by cohosting Kathie Lee and Hodawith Gifford. The former Regis and Kathie Lee cohost was replaced by Jenna Bush Hager in 2019.
Kotb revealed that she was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a mastectomy. Cancer and the specific types of treatment she underwent meant that freezing her eggs was “pretty close to a dead-end,” Kotb recalled to Good Housekeeping in 2022. She was devastated by the fertility news.
“I was in my room, and I just sobbed. I thought, ‘Well, that’s that, isn’t it?’ Like, you almost blame yourself. ‘Why didn’t I do this? Why didn’t I do that?’” she shared. “So I just pushed it away, because the reality seemed impossible to bear. How do you survive knowing you can’t have what you desire and what you feel like you actually physically need?”
The couple got engaged after six years together, with Kotb excitedly sharing the news via Instagram at the time. She posted Schiffman’s beachside proposal with a photo of her showing off her engagement ring while at dinner and another snap of rose petals scattered in the sand.
The parents of two called off their engagement, Kotb announced on the Today show at the time, revealing her romance with Schiffman was over after more than eight years together.
"Joel and I have had a lot of prayerful and meaningful conversations over the holidays and we decided that we're better as friends and parents than we are as an engaged couple, so we decided we are going to start this new year ... on our new path as loving parents to our adorable, delightful children, and as friends," she shared at the time.
Two months later, Kotb exclusively told Us that coparenting was going well. “He sees the kids,” she shared in April 2022. “He takes them to school some, and he sees them on weekends. We’ve got a really nice, easy situation. … We make sure the kids get plenty of him and plenty of me.”
When asked whether she and Schiffman remained “close friends,” Kotb replied, “Yeah, we are.”
Several months after announcing her split, Kotb told People that she can “see” herself dating someone else in the future.
“I haven’t really thought about who I would see myself with, but I do have to say something. My sister even said and asked me at one point, ‘Are (you) afraid to be by yourself?’” she recalled. “And I said to her, ‘I’m not going to be by myself.’ And I don’t know why I said it so clearly, but I actually knew that my heart is open. I have an open heart.”
Kotb praised Hope on Today upon returning to the series after her daughter’s health scare. “She's vibrant and brilliant,” she told Bush Hager. “I’m over the moon that she’s home.”
In addition to thanking the doctors and nurses who “stood by [Hope] all the way,” Kotb shared a sweet moment she had with Hope amid her recovery. “The other day ... she had in her hand two little confetti stars, and she said, 'I got two, Mom. One for me and one for you,’” Kotb recalled. “And I thought to myself, ‘Even when she's not feeling good, she's still giving everything away.’”
One year later, Kotb looked back on the scary time in an interview with People but did not give specifics about Hope’s condition. “Any parent who’s been through a scary thing with their child understands. It’s like you just can’t believe that your child’s sick,” she said in March 2024. “You can’t believe that there’s nothing you can do. You can’t believe that no matter what you do, you can’t will it away or protect her, or all the things that we’re supposed to be doing as parents. And it’s a position I’ve never found myself in.”
She went on to note that she doesn’t want Hope to be defined by her health issues. “It’s really tricky, because I don’t want Hope to get labeled,” she explained at the time. “She’s a kid who is so vibrant, and most days everything is totally fine. I don’t want people to look at her differently.”
Five months after revealing she went on her first date in two years, Kotb confirmed her relationship with her mystery man was over after three dates. “I did go on the third date, but I did kind of decide in that space — because this person who’s a lovely human being has a lot of … things that are being worked out — that I think I’m looking for more … simplicity,” she explained during an episode of “The Jamie Kern Lima Show” podcast.
She continued: “That has been tabled beautifully, like, nothing funky, all good. He’s very cute, by the way, extremely handsome. I’ll show you a picture after, but [things are] tabled for now.”
Several months after Kotb announced her plans to move out of New York City with her daughters, the family were settled in the suburbs.
“Everything changed like that. I have a whole new town and a whole new school and all the new things,” Kotb said of the move during a September 2024 episode of Hoda & Jenna. “We went for our first day of school, I carried a coffee and I had sneakers [on], and I walked my kids to school like normal people. It was awesome.”
Kotb surprised Today viewers by announcing her plans to leave the show in January 2025 after working 26 years at NBC. “I just turned 60, and it was such a monumental moment for me when I turned 60 years old because I started thinking about that decade, like, what does that decade mean? What does it hold? What’s it gonna have for me?” she tearfully shared on the morning series. “And I realized that it was time for me to turn the page at 60 and to try something new.”
Kotb noted that she came to the decision shortly after celebrating with special 60th birthday episodes one month prior. “I remembered standing outside, looking at this beautiful bunch of people with all these gorgeous signs, and I thought, ‘This is what the top of the wave feels like for me,’ and I thought, ‘It can’t get better.’ And [I] decided this is [the] right time for me to, kind of, move on,” she said.
Her kids also played a big role in her decision to step down from the show. “I had my kiddos late in life, and I was thinking they deserve a bigger piece of my time, the pie that I have. I feel like we only have a finite amount of time,” she noted. “And so, with all that being said, this is the hardest thing in the world.”
Despite leaving Today, Kotb assured fans she would remain a part of the NBC family in the future.
Kotb’s final week at Today was filled with celebrity guests, emotional tributes and reunions with past guests whose lives Kotb touched over the years. Her last episode, which aired on January 10, featured appearances from Gifford, Jimmy Fallon, Gayle King, Simone Biles, Maria Shriver and Walker Hayes.
“16 years ago, I sat next to Kathie Lee and she changed my life. She chose me. And truth be told, I was scared. I’d never done anything like this before,” Kotb reflected in a “love letter” she wrote to fans during her last Hoda & Jenna episode. “I ripped off that news corset, we poured ourselves a glass of wine, and so it began.”
She recalled how cohosting with Bush Hger felt like a “new era started,” adding, “Six unforgettable years, uncontrollable laughter and pure friendship,” she gushed. “I can hardly even say her name without laughing out loud, but that is not the part I fell in love with. I fell in love with her tears, her vulnerable, lovable self.”
Kotb concluded her message on a heartfelt note, stating: “I’ve become who I am on this hour of this show, and you were there with me every step of the way. So, as I sit here today in my final moments on this final day in this chapter of my career, I want to say thank you, from the bottom of my very full heart, for the ride of a lifetime. I love you.”
Her grand finale on Today ended with a clip of her and her kids riding away from the Today Plaza in her minivan.
The former reality star’s sprawling 6,788 square-foot mansion was first listed at $9.95 million through Tim Thompson of Tim Thompson Premier Realtors in August 2024. The original listing was taken down on Wednesday, January 8, and relisted that same day at a lower price point. (It was originally listed for $11 million in June 2024.)
Following a $1 million price cut, the four-bedroom, five-bathroom house is now listed at $8.9 million. The home, which she purchased for $3 million in 2020, sits on 28 private acres of land and features a barn, guest house and pool.
Cavallari revealed in October 2024 that she had moved into a new Tennessee home with her three kids, son Camden, 12, son Jaxon, 10, and daughter Saylor, 9. (The Laguna Beach alum shares her children with ex-husband Jay Cutler.)
“I am currently sitting in my half-empty kitchen, but actually there’s just boxes stacked everywhere,” she shared on her “Let’s Be Honest” podcast at the time amidst massive floor-to-ceiling windows and a lengthy wooden dining table. “Just moved into my new house a couple days ago.”
While Cavallari hasn’t shared too many details into her new abode, keep scrolling for a look inside the Nashville mansion that’s on the market:
It’s a conversation so many are having this week amidst the devastation.
According to Ashley Etheridge and Dandelion Family Counseling, it’s important to only “share just enough information.”
“If a child witnesses a fire, or the aftermath of a fire, it can be helpful to only share brief, factual, age-appropriate information,” Etheridge writes. “Children need a way understand scary or confusing news and integrate it into their brains.”
In addition to sharing what is necessary with your children, Etheridge adds that a parent should “validate” their children’s feelings.
“Validating a child’s feelings is always important. This creates safety and connection. You could reflect, ‘Learning news about a fire can be scary. My job as a parent is to keep you safe.’”
It can also be helpful to give your child purpose by helping out those in the community affected by the tragedy, Etheridge writes.
Courtesy of Jen Atkin/Instagram
“Sometimes children and individuals can feel powerless after a fire.” By making donations or bringing the fire fighters food and water can help kids “regain some sense of safety and control.”
“In chaotic or emotional times, it is critical for your child that you stay consistent with mundane routines, such as pick-up and drop-off schedules and family meals,” the IAFF reports, adding that giving children even more of your time and attention can be helpful as they cope.
“These rituals help convey a sense of normalcy to your child and send the message, ‘Even though this tragedy occurred, I am still here for you and your world is not changing.’”
And the City of Petaluma suggests encouraging kids to talk about what they are feeling.
“Let children talk about the disaster and ask questions as much as they want. Encourage children to describe what they’re feeling. Listen to what they say.”
And it’s important to stay together.
“While you look for housing and assistance, you may want to leave your children with relatives or friends. Instead, keep the family together as much as possible and make children a part of what you are doing to get the family back on its feet,” the City of Petaluma reports.
“Children get anxious, and they’ll worry that their parents won’t return.”
Check the LAFD website for local wildfire alerts and click here for resources on how to help those affected.
David Muir’s tailored wildfire ensemble was apparently short-lived.
Muir, 51, headlined the Thursday, January 9, broadcast of World News Tonight from Los Angeles, where he reported on the ongoing wildfires devastating the city. He wore a flame-retardant yellow jacket over a black T-shirt, leaving the coat unzipped and appearing to omit the now-viral clothespin he previously used to cinch the fabric.
On the Wednesday, January 8, broadcast, Muir had clipped the clothespin to the back of his safety jacket that appeared to make the fabric fit snug.
“Prayers for Los Angeles. We’ll be back out there today,” he wrote via Instagram several hours before Thursday’s programming.
While Muir hadn’t addressed the use of the clothespin, fans went wild trying to decide whether he should have omitted it on camera.
“People are losing everything they own, no one cares how you look,” one social media user wrote via X, with another adding, “David Muir is more concerned with his appearance than he is about the fires.”
A third social media user, agreed, chiming in, “California is burning and he doesn’t want his jacket to look baggy on camera. Priorities people!”
David MuirABC
Other fans were staunchly on Muir’s side and had his back.
“Y’all leave David Muir and his clothespin fire jacket alone,” an X user wrote. “A little waist snatchin’ ain’t hurt nobody.”
Another added, “Leave david muir ALONEEEEEEEE. He probably just clothes pinned it cuz the wind is insane there. Let him look snacky.”
A string of wind-caused wildfires broke out in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles on Tuesday, January 7, quickly causing mass devastation. Many residents have left the city limits under mandatory or voluntary evacuation orders.
While some prepared to embrace a new experience in a Scotland castle, others were a bit hesitant to find out what the reality show would be about.
“When you go to Rome, you got to do what Romans do. Everybody is basic as f—. I got to be basic too,” Ayan, 46, shared via Instagram on January 3. “Why play fair, when I can play fabulous?”
Previously, The Traitors has featured Bravo stars like Summer House’s Kyle Cooke and Shahs of Sunset’s Reza Farahan. Season 2 also featured a powerful Bravo alliance made up of Sheree Whitfield, Mercedes “MJ” Javid and Kate Chastain.
As season 3 kicks off, get to know the Bravo stars entering the candle for an unforgettable adventure hosted by Alan Cumming:
Chanel Ayan — ‘The Real Housewives of Dubai’
Chanel AyanEuan Cherry/Peacock
Before The Real Housewives of Dubai was put on pause after season 2 in November 2024, Ayan brought the fashion, glamour and drama. As she begins The Traitors, the Bravo star admitted this experience will be a whole new ballgame.
“I have no idea what’s going on,” Ayan said via Instagram before the season 3 premiere. “As a model on Housewives, I don’t think so much. Here, I need to activate my brain so I can literally start getting into this game.”
Dolores Catania — ‘The Real Housewives of New Jersey’
Dolores CataniaEuan Cherry/Peacock
If there’s one thing The Real Housewives of New Jersey fans know about Catania, 54, it’s that loyalty is everything. No matter how much drama enters New Jersey, the Bravo star tries to see both sides and keep the peace.
While Catania can lose her temper — never forget her fight with Margaret Josephs about an alleged reunion meeting — the Jersey girl tries to keep it cool, until you cross her.
In August 2024, Catania had the support of Medley, 60, and Ayan at her annual charity softball game in Brooklyn, New York.
Robyn Dixon — ‘The Real Housewives of Potomac’
Robyn DixonEuan Cherry/Peacock
After eight seasons, Dixon, 45, said goodbye to The Real Housewives of Potomac in April 2024. While some costars questioned the state of her relationship with longtime partner Juan Dixon, nobody could doubt her friendship and bond with costar Gizelle Bryant.
While Dixon has proven to be a loyal friend in Potomac, fans are curious to see if she will continue to be trustworthy or choose to be reasonably shady.
Dorinda Medley — ‘The Real Housewives of New York City’
Dorinda MedleyEuan Cherry/Peacock
From 2015 to 2020, Medley did her best to make it nice on The Real Housewives of New York City. While she was put on pause by Andy Cohen, she returned to participate in The Real Housewives: Ultimate Girls Trip and became friends with Catania by playing softball together.
While Medley has been known for her iconic one liners, could her temper make her a threat in the house? Time will tell. Clip!
Ciara Miller — ‘Summer House’
Ciara MillerEuan Cherry/Peacock
Miller is exchanging weekends in the Hamptons for a new adventure at a Scotland castle. The Bravo star was a nurse who chose to put her career on the back burner to pursue a career in modeling.
In her last season of Summer House, Miller, 29, dealt with heartbreak when she developed feelings — and disappointment — for her costar West Wilson. With the fling in her past, Miller is ready to win the hearts of her Traitors cast — and some big money.
Tom Sandoval — ‘Vanderpump Rules’
Tom SandovalEuan Cherry/Peacock
As an original cast member of Vanderpump Rules, Sandoval, 42, has faced his fair share of OMG moments. Most recently, he faced the consequences of cheating on his longtime girlfriend Ariana Madix with her close friend and costar Rachel “Raquel” Leviss.
While the former SUR employee has tried to move on, some of his Traitors peers may not be so willing to forgive and forget.
Miller previously called Sandoval “annoying” when filming Winter House together. “The sound of his voice was annoying,” she shared on an August 2023 episode of the “Viall Files” podcast. “He talked a lot about himself, his business ventures … himself. That was just on an hour-long car ride to the mountain.”
The Traitors season 3 is streaming now on Peacock with new episodes premiering Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET.
Hoda Kotb’s tenure on the Today show was full of many memorable moments.
The TV personality announced in September 2024 that she would be departing the iconic morning show after 26 years on NBC, 16 years as a Today cohost and seven years as Savannah Guthrie’s co-anchor.
“I just turned 60, and it was such a monumental moment for me when I turned 60 years old because I started thinking about that decade, like, what does that decade mean? What does it hold? What’s it gonna have for me?” she shared on the show at the time. “And I realized that it was time for me to turn the page at 60 and to try something new.”
Kotb went on to explain that her daughters Haley and Hope, whom she shares with ex-fiancé Joel Schiffman, played a large part in her decision to depart Today. “I had my kiddos late in life, and I was thinking they deserve a bigger piece of my time, the pie that I have,” she explained. “I feel like we only have a finite amount of time. And so, with all that being said, this is the hardest thing in the world.”
Prior to her final episode in January 2025, Kotb revealed on The Kelly Clarkson Show that she was developing a “wellness app and company that will involve retreats and a podcast and all kinds of things that we can get together, do things that I love.” She added: “It’s not like going to Mexico with your girls, which is fun, but this is something that when you leave, you’ll go like, ‘Oh my gosh, I feel transformed. I feel different.’”
Scroll down to take a look back at some of Kotb’s biggest — and most tear-jerking — Today show moments:
Kotb cried while announcing she had adopted her eldest daughter, Haley, via a call-in on a February 2017 episode of Today. She broke the news by sharing a sweet photo of herself holding her then-newborn with her on-air cohosts.
“She is the love of my life,” Kotb happily told her colleagues over the phone. Her announcement prompted tearful reactions from Jenna Bush Hager and Kathie Lee Gifford.
“My mom who’s here with me … [she] goes, ‘Hello, miss Haley. We’ve waiting so long for you.’” Kotb stated.
While on maternity leave, Kotb celebrated her 9th anniversary cohostingToday’s fourth hour with Gifford in April 2017. “I want to say something to you, Kath, on our ninth anniversary, that my life has changed so profoundly since I met you. Profoundly,” she told Gidfford while calling into the show to commemorate the occasion. “I told you this before, but I cannot believe the path my life took after our lives intersected, so for every single day of the nine years, I love you.”
Kotb’s words made Gifford tear up. She quipped: “I think she said, ‘I love you.’ I hope that’s what she said.”
Kotb, for her part, also got dewey-eyed on air during her first episode back from maternity leave that same month. “I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy,” she said before grabbing a box of tissues.
Making History
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images
Kotb took over as Guthrie’s Today coanchor in January 2018 after Matt Lauer was fired following sexual harassment allegations made against him. The promotion was a historic decision as she and Guthrie became the first female co-anchor duo in Today history.
“This has to be the most popular decision NBC News has ever made, and I am so thrilled,” Guthrie said during their first episode together. She added: “Hoda, you are a partner and a friend and a sister, and I am so happy to be doing this.”
Kotb replied: “Well, there’s no one I’d rather be sitting next to in 2018 than you.”
Similar to her first baby announcement, Kotb called into Today in April 2019 to reveal she adopted her daughter Hope. Just like the first time, Bush Hager burst into happy tears along with more of the Today crew.
“In your life, you think that maybe you’ve gotten what you deserve, but man, I’m so happy she’s here,” Kotb gushed, noting that Haley was “digging” being a big sister.
“Joel and I were standing there when they hand you the baby, and it’s the closest thing to a live birth, I think, you’ll ever see,” she added. “But in that moment, I was like, ‘Oh, my God! My heart just grew ten times. It’s amazing!’ Anyway, I just can’t believe it’s happening, y’all.”
Willie Geist followed up Kotb’s heartfelt words by joking, “I’ve been giving out Kleenex, but I think I’m gonna need a mop.”
Put a Ring on It
Steve Granitz/Getty Images
Kotb continued her trend of sharing major life moments on Today by announcing she and Schiffman were engaged during a November 2019 episode of the show. “A friend of mine, a friend of ours asked me to let you guys in on a secret,” she stated. “I’ll give you her initials. Her initials are Hoda Kotb and she’s engaged.”
The news came as a major shock to her cohosts, who cheered and jumped out of their seats and gave Kotb congratulatory hugs. “You’ve got two built-in flower girls,” Al Roker quipped, to which Bush Hager responded, “Who? Savannah and me?”
Getting Serious
Hoda KotbToday
During a March 2020 episode of Today, Kotb got choked up after Drew Brees announced he would be making a $5 million donation to help Louisiana COVID-19 efforts. The pair share a special connection to New Orleans, as Brees formerly played for the city’s NFL team the Saints and Kotb got her career started at one of the city’s local news stations.
“I’m sorry,” she said while attempting to fight back tears after the interview. Guthrie comforted her cohost by stating, “I know, it’s a lot. Hoda, I’m so sorry, hun. Take a moment.” Guthrie then offered to read Kotb’s tease for the episode’s next segment.
Bush Hager was by Kotb’s side as she revealed that she and Schiffman had ended their engagement during a January 2022 episode of Today With Hoda & Jenna. “We decided that we are better as friends and parents than we are as an engaged couple, so we decided we are going to start this new year on our new path as loving parents to our adorably delightful children and as friends,” she revealed at the time.
“They say sometimes, relationships are meant to be there for a reason, for a season or for a lifetime, and I feel like ours was meant to be there for a season,” she said, adding that she was “struggling” with how to announce the news.
Bush Hager supported her cohost by stating, “Watching you sit right here strong, I can’t think of anybody stronger.”
Kotb wrapped up the discussion by noting: “[Joel is] a great guy. He’s a very kind and loving person, and I feel privileged to have spent eight years with him.”
Hope’s Health Scare
Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb.TODAY
Kotb was noticeably absent from several episodes of Today in early 2023 after her daughter Hope experienced a health scare. Upon returning to the show that March, Kotb revealed that Hope had been “in the ICU for a few days and in the hospital for a little more than a week.”
She added: “I’m so grateful she’s home. … I was waiting for that day to come. And we are watching her closely. I’m just so happy.”
Kotb got emotional while talking about going “through a divorce and breast cancer simultaneously” during an October 2023 episode of Hoda & Jenna. Kotb fought breast cancer in 2007, around the same time she and her ex-husband, Burzis Kanga, had called it quits. (The exes were married from 2005 to 2008.)
“I remembered in that time barely functioning, and I was thinking to myself, ‘Is this it? Is this how it goes?’” she shared at the time. “I was thinking about some of my lowest moments during that time what was contributing to all of it was I was in horrible health, and I didn’t care about that piece of it, and you don’t realize how bad it gets and then you’re compounding it, your health gets worse, because you’re not well, and [it] went on and on.”
Celebrating Partnerships
Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager on ‘Today.’Nathan Congleton/NBC
Kotb gushed about her friendship with Bush Hager while celebrating their 5th anniversary as Hoda & Jenna cohosts in April 2024. “We started off as colleagues/friends. We didn’t really know each other. Over the five years, there’s such a deep understanding of the other’s soul and purpose, we have traveled down these roads together,” she shared. “A lot of times, friendships don’t grow. They are: you talk about the old days. Not ours.”
She also thanked Bush Hager for leading her “down a path because of people who you know in your life and people who are, kind of, healers who’ve helped heal me. And, I mean, it’s all meant to be. This is all meant to be.”
Getting Sentimental
Hoda got choked up while reminiscing on her father, Abdel Kader Kotb, on what would have been his 91st birthday, particularly about how he would be as a grandfather today. “I was actually thinking about him with the girls,” she told Bush Hager on a May 2024 episode of Hoda & Jenna. Bush Hager finished Hoda’s thought by noting her father would be “so, so proud” of her and her daughters.
The Today cast and crew commemorated Hoda’s milestone birthday with a special dedicated to her, during which Guthrie surprised Kotb by bringing back the subjects of some of her most memorable human interest stories over the years. The guests greeted her with hugs and bouquets of flowers, causing her to cry.
She shed many more tears during her birthday episode of Hoda & Jenna after Bush Hager presented Hoda with a painting of her and her daughters created by former President George W. Bush. “It’s too much,” a speechless Hoda managed to get out while admitting the homemade gift.
Starting a New Chapter
Hoda KotbNathan Congleton/NBC
“Hoda, we love you so much, and when you look around and you see these tears, they’re love. You are so loved. And honestly, I don’t think any of us can imagine — we don’t want to imagine this place without you,” Guthrie told Hoda after she announced her exit from the series in September 2024. “So, it’s complicated ‘cause we love you so much and we don’t want you to ever go. But also, I just want to say I am so proud of my friend.”
Guthrie went on to praise Hoda for having “guts” to “leave at the top of their game, to leave something that’s wonderful, that you love, where it’s easy and comfortable and beautiful and fun and say, ‘But I dream even bigger for myself.’”
Bush Hager kept the waterworks flowing later that day on Hoda & Jenna, telling her cohost: “You’re who I come to when I’m feeling joyful, when I’m feeling unsure. You are who I come to and you believed in me first. We have a lot of bosses and I love them, but this lady, on October 28, 2013 — I looked it up — said, ‘Hey, wanna come sit next to me? There’s room.’”
Kotb cheered Bush Hager up by telling her it’s “your turn” to shine, adding, “And whoever sits in this seat, whoever sits in this seat, is going to have the easiest job in the world ‘cause they’re sitting next to you.”
Time to Say Goodbye
Today
Several of Kotb’s celebrity friends gathered together to celebrate Kotb’s final episode of Today in January 2025, including Gifford, Jimmy Fallon, Gayle King, Simone Biles and Maria Shriver. While Bush Hager shared her own heartfelt tribute to Kotb on their last Hoda & Jenna episode, Kotb read a “love letter” she wrote to the fans and those who have joined her on her Today journey.
“I’ve become who I am on this hour of this show, and you were there with me every step of the way,” she said in an emotional video package. “So, as I sit here today in my final moments on this final day in this chapter of my career, I want to say thank you from the bottom of my very full heart for the ride of a lifetime. I love you.”
Kotb’s daughters and dozens of Today cast and crew members stood by her side during her final send-off, during which she thanked Hoda & Jenna’s executive producer, Talia Parkinson-Jones. “You’ve loved me and Jenna since the very beginning, the day you started, and I just want to say thank you,” she gushed.
In her final moments on Today, a clip was shown of Kotb and her daughters riding away from 30 Rock in her minivan, which had cans and a “Just Repotted” sign attached to the back.
‘Tis the season to bundle up. Old Man Winter continues to rage on with massive snowstorms in cities like Atlanta and Dallas. The chilly temps are the perfect time to showcase your personality with the help of cold-weather accessories, like oversized scarves.
Most of Us like to bundle up with classic outerwear styles that we can wear again and again. Oversized scarves are a fun way to add a pop of personality to your look no matter what your winter coat looks like. We’ve rounded up everything from bestselling styles that shoppers can’t get enough of to trendy ones that come in viral shades. Get ready to bundle up in style with our cozy oversized scarf picks below!
1. Our Absolute Favorite: More than 900 shoppers snagged this chocolatey brown infinity scarf in the past month, proving just how popular it is!
2. We Also Love: Looking for a style from a celeb-loved brand? A-listers ranging from Goldie Hawn to Kylie Jenner have been spotted in Kurt Geiger. The brand’s Yarn Dye Rainbow Fringe Scarf is an effortless way to nail the viral trend and stay warm at the same time!
3. Fuzzy Find: Love soft fuzzy fabric? This Urban Outfitters Scarf features a fringe trim and a lively color pattern!
4. Night Out: Heading to a festive occasion? This oversized shawl looks amazing layered over evening gowns!
5. Trending Topic: This Topshop Sydney Plaid Scarf has an assortment of brown shades, including one that looks just like Pantone’s 2025 color of the year mocha mousse!
6. Colorful Cutie: This vibrant scarf features so many colors that you’ll be able to wear it with just about everything in your closet!
7. All About Oversize: This Alo Merino Wool Scarf puts the over in oversized. Made from buttery soft fabric, this lightweight scarf comes in a versatile black shade that you can style with so many outfits!
8. Sophisticated Style: If you ask Us, cashmere is one of the best fabrics to wear in the winter. This sophisticated scarf earned Amazon’s ‘Customer’s Usually Keep’ badge proving just how much shoppers love it!
10. Bestseller: This shopper-loved scarf has a cool pattern and is so oversized it looks like a blanket!
11. Massive Markdown: This J. Crew Brushed Woven Scarf delivers rich mom vibes and it’s on sale starting at just $26!
12. Last but Not Least: You’ve got to be seen in this gorgeous green scarf. It’s made from luxurious wool fabric that’s sure to protect against winter’s chilly weather!
Zendaya and Tom HollandKarwai Tang/WireImage/Getty Images
Tom Holland’s dad, Dominic Holland, is giving insight on his son’s recent engagement to Zendaya.
“The big news this week is a good example of just such an opportunity for me — are they/aren’t they engaged? Zendaya wearing a ring and Tom nowhere to be seen adding to the intrigue,” Dominic, 57, wrote in a Friday, January 10, blog post via his Patreon account. “The engagement has now been confirmed and why I am writing about it here but without adding anything new and juicy like a date, venue, guest list …”
On his Patreon page, Dominic, who is an author and comedian, usually shares unseen blogs, snippets from his books, podcasts that sometimes features members of his family. But in the recent post, he wanted to highlight the news of Tom and Zendaya’s relationship milestone.
Dominic confessed that while he’s been “showered with parenthood praise” over the years, he joked that it’s more of a “fluke” how great Tom and his other kids turned out. (In addition to Tom, Dominic is also the father of Paddy Holland, Harry Holland and Sam Holland.)
However, Dominic teased that Tom’s plan to pop the question to Zendaya, 28, was thoroughly thought out.
“And this I can demonstrate now by contrasting the different approaches of father and son to proposing marriage.Tom, as you know by now was very incredibly well prepared,” Dominic continued. “He had purchased a ring. He had spoken with her father and gained permission to propose to his daughter.”
While Tom, 38, had “everything planned out” from the location to his speech, Dominic confessed that his proposal to wife Nikki Holland was not done in a similar fashion.
Tom Holland (R) and his father Dominic Holland.Karwai Tang/WireImage/Getty Images
“I on the other hand was woefully ill-prepared, almost as though I wasn’t taking it seriously,” he said. “I do fret that their combined stardom will amplify their spotlight and the commensurate demands on them and yet they continually confound me by handling everything with aplomb.”
While Dominic acknowledged that his son and Zendaya’s relationship is in the public eye, he has no doubts that the couple will achieve a lifetime of happiness.
“And even though show-business is a messy place for relationships and particularly so for famous couples as they crash and burn in public and are too numerous to mention,” he continued. “With us an example, with Nikki helming this family and my ‘wisdom’ on tap and a study in getting things mostly wrong and yet somehow right at the same time, I am completely confident they will make a successful union.”
Us Weekly confirmed that Tom and Zendaya were engaged after the actress was spotted rocking a diamond on her ring finger while attending the 2025 Golden Globes Awards.
“Tom figured the holidays were the best time to propose in a very low-key way,” a source exclusively told Us shortly after news of Tom and Zendaya’s engagement broke on Monday, January 6. “She didn’t want anything over the top.”
Following their engagement news, Tom and Zendaya got matching tattoos of each other’s initials.
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