The photos also showed Morris enjoying her downtime by playing cards, visiting a bar, drinking cocktails and reading Rebecca Yarros’Fourth Wing while at the beach.
The vacation comes a year after the “People Still Show Up” singer finalized her divorce from songwriter Ryan Hurd.
Morris filed for divorce in October 2023 after five years of marriage, which was ultimately finalized in January 2024.
The two singers met in 2014 during a songwriting session, tying the knot four years later and welcoming their son Hayes in March 2020.
Morris opened up about navigating coparenting with her ex during a candid podcast interview in September 2024.
“The coparenting thing has been going well,” Morris said during an appearance on the “Armchair Expert” podcast. “We’re trying our best in this way, but it’s still pretty fresh.”
That same month, Morris shared details about what it was like to dip her toes back into the dating scene, including joining exclusive dating app Raya, after coming out as bisexual last year.
“[I’m dating] a little bit,” Morris said during an appearance on the “Chicks in the Office” podcast in September 2024. “I mean, I’ve never really dated. Like, I’ve been in two long, monogamous relationships with men, and I never really had this dating phase because I was just always working [and] I ended up with long relationships with people I worked with or had proximity to.”
She added at the time, “Dating for the first time, like, in your 30s is wild, and [joining app] Raya is wild. Like, I’ve had some good experiences from it and, luckily, nothing crazy traumatizing.”
The country singer said she was enjoying the dating experience so far.
“Dating right now is great and it’s fun, but I feel bad for saying this, it’s just giving me fodder for songwriting,” Morris added on the podcast. “Like, ‘Sorry to be using you.’ It’s like helping me get into the POV, like, an actor preparing. I’m going method [acting], like bad date, good date [or] whatever in between, it’s really fueling me.”
Emmy Sharrett had a complete breakdown during the latest episode of Southern Hospitality after being ambushed by her friends over issues with boyfriend Will Kulp.
During the Thursday, January 23, episode of the Bravo series, Michols Peña voiced his concerns over how Will has been treating Emmy to no avail.
“I’m laughing because Will is my person,” Emmy said in response. “That is my rock. Will is my safe space.”
Michols made it clear that his first interaction with Emmy’s boyfriend “was not good,” claiming he heard Will call Emmy “anorexic” and slamming her for allegedly only being “worried about herself and her body.”
Emmy, however, claimed that Will told her everything following his drunken night out in Charleston. “I give him the grace because I know that he was just deflecting,” she argued, noting, “If there was something toxic going on I would tell you.”
When Emmy and Michols’ conversation was brought up in front of the group later that night, Emmy grew even more frustrated. She claimed she was “OK,” but Will wasn’t, and they should back off.
Maddi Reese, TJ Dinch and Lake Rucker were among the friends who confirmed they all heard Will make demeaning comments about Emmy when he was out at a bar. Emmy shared what she had heard, but the group was concerned it wasn’t the full truth.
Bravo
“Everyone is claiming to be his friend and Will is not here. I don’t feel comfortable having a conversation about Will when he’s not here to speak for himself,” she yelled.
Emmy proceeded to slam the table and storm off. When she called Will from inside the house, she had mascara tears streaming down her face.
“They’re trying to make you look bad,” Emmy told Will while crying and hyperventilating. “They’re saying that Will said that ‘you’re not the love of his life and that you don’t make him happy.’”
Will claimed it was “bulls—” and told Emmy not to “engage with their bulls—.” (Emmy and Will faced cheating rumors during season 2, but remained a united front.)
Emmy’s overreaction worried her friends, so Maddi tried to console her amid the breakdown.
“It was one night, and I have gotten drunk and said s— I didn’t mean,” Emmy told Will and Maddi. “I forgave you for it. I know you didn’t mean it.”
Maddi explained, “I feel like people just wanted the situation to be addressed” and said they weren’t trying to “attack” her.
Bradley Carter later came inside to console Emmy, telling her, “We care about you. We love you.”
Emmy remained adamant that Will told her everything he said, and they had moved forward. Once she left the lake house, Emmy doubled down on her comments and took shots at her friends — not Will — for the situation.
“I am livid. These are my good friends,” Emmy told the cameras, claiming they didn’t come to her or Will alone to discuss their fears (which, per video footage in the episode, they all did). “You don’t do this to people you care about.”
Once back at her house, Emmy and Will revealed that they were disappointed in how their friends treated Emmy.
“It’s infuriating that two people we really loved and trusted failed to protect us from the harm that I am seeing Emmy go through right now,” Will said, referring to TJ and Bradley. “I think that is certainly some of the worst betrayal you can have from a friend.”
Emmy, meanwhile, confessed, “I don’t trust anyone. I don’t believe anyone.” She called everyone’s actions “pathetic,” “disgusting” and “evil.”
Emmy exclusively told Us Weekly earlier this month that she and Will are going strong. She revealed that she is hopeful an engagement is coming by the end of 2025 despite their recent ups and downs.
Southern Hospitality airs on Bravo Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET.
From Katie Holmes to Kate Middleton, celebrity moms have made the sleeveless sweater vest cool again. Meghan Markle now even decided the style chic enough to make it into her new Netflix special. Her exact pick comes from a pricey mall brand but we found a near-exact lookalike for just $20 on Amazon.
In the trailer for her special, With Love, Meghan, Markle wore one of her favorite go-to mall brands she’s been spotted in on many occasions, J. Crew. She wore their Knit Sweater Shell top right at the beginning of the tease, getting ready to whip something up in her kitchen. While you can snag her top affordably at J. Cream you can get this $20 lookalike with the convenience of Amazon.
If you’ve long been a lover of Markle’s timeless aesthetic, you’re definitely going to want to pick up the Anrabess Sleeveless Knit Sweater Vest. With its simple knit fabric, lightweight feel and sleeveless design, it perfectly channel’s the Duchess’s posh aesthetic. It’ll also feel just as soft and breathable as her pick, made of viscose, nylon and polyester. This also means it’s machine washable as well!
Great for the transitional months, the sweater vest’s sleeveless design can be worn over long sleeves or button-ups in the winter, just like Holmes and Middleton did. It can be worn in the spring or fall months while layered up with a cardigan or jacket and can be worn all by itself with some like linen pants and some slide-on sandals . . . an outfit that would be totally Markle approved!
Markle picked a clean white colorway for the occasion, which she paired with a sleek white pencil skirt and designer gold jewelry. White can be a tough color to keep clean though, so we’d totally understand if you wanted to grab it in another option like grey, beige, pink or olive. It comes in sizes S to XL as well.
Though a smaller pool, the sweater has gotten some rave reviews from shoppers as well, now with over 200 five-star ratings.
As evidence of its excellence, listen to this buyer who said they were “instantly impressed by the quality” of it.
“[The] material is so nice,” they said. “[It] would have easily been $50+ at the mall. [It’s very soft and comfy on too!”
Join the style icon crowd and invest in a sweater vest . . . particularly this timeless style that Markle picked for her first lifestyle show. Plus, you really can’t go wrong when it’s just $20 . . . literally the cost of a few Starbucks runs!
Looking for something else? Explore more from Anrabess here and more sleeveless sweaters here! Don’t forget to check out all of Amazon’s Daily Deals for more great finds!
Zoe Saldaña as Rita Moro Castro in Emilia Pèrez.PAGE 114 - WHY NOT PRODUCTIONS - PATHÉ FILMS
Emilia Pérez leads the pack of 2025 Oscar hopefuls with a whopping 13 nominations, but the movie has faced several different controversies.
Karla Sofía Gascón is at the center of the musical drama as a powerful Mexican mob boss who hires a lawyer (Zoe Saldaña) to help her fake her death and undergoes gender-affirming surgery. Gascón became the first openly transgender woman to score nominations for Best Actress at both the Golden Globes and Academy Awards.
Directed by French director Jacques Audiard, Emilia Pérez premiered in May 2024 at France’s Cannes Film Festival, where it immediately received a warm reception. Gascón, Saldaña, Selena Gomez and Adriana Paz were honored with Best Actress while Emilia Pérez was given the Jury Prize. However, criticism came once the movie hit Netflix the following September.
The cast and crew are aware of the controversies, and the director has encouraged people to see the film before forming opinions. “I would like to tell the people who are participating in this controversy that the film has not even been released in Mexico. They have not seen it,” Audiard told CNN en Español in a January 15 interview while discussing the backlash. “So, please, if you want to criticize the film, criticize it after having seen it. Then we will discuss it.”
Below are the biggest points of contention among Emilia Pérez critics:
Mexican Representation
Emilia Pérez is set in Mexico and tackles sensitive topics like drug trafficking, gang violence and missing persons. Critics note that someone who hasn’t lived in Mexico under such threats might not be the best person to tell such a story, and some even accused the movie of perpetuating stereotypes.
“If there are things that Mexicans find scandalous in Emilia, I apologize,” Audiard told CNN en Español.
It isn’t just the subject-matter that has sparked backlash. Gascón is from Spain, not Mexico. Paz is the only Mexico-born actor among the leads. The film is also set in Mexico — but Audiard largely filmed Emilia Pérez in France.
“I came to scout locations. At that time, I had every intention of filming the movie here,” Audiard added. “All of it, in its entirety, in natural locations. But in the end I couldn’t. I even thought that when I couldn’t do it in natural locations, I could do it at Churubusco Studios,” he said. “However, there were more financial facilities in France. But the artistic director came here to Mexico to do research. She found many elements. We even came here to Mexico [and] did rehearsals.”
Shanna Besson/PAGE 114 – WHY NOT PRODUCTIONS – PATHÉ FILMS
Questionable Spanish
Many Spanish-speaking viewers raised their eyebrows while watching Emilia Pérez. Audiard wrote the script and French singer Camille wrote the songs, and both had to work with a translator since neither speak Spanish. The songs and dialogue have been criticized as stilted and awkward, and several social media users have noted that the English subtitles aren’t exact translations.
“Camille worked with a great translator, Karla Aviles, who’s Mexican,” the director told The New York Times in November. “But throughout the shoot we had problems, for instance, with Selena’s accent in Spanish. She is Texan. Karla Sofía Gascón speaks Castilian Spanish. She’s from Madrid. Given that I don’t speak Spanish, the nuances of the Mexican accent versus the Castilian were lost on me. We had all these problems with accents, but we fixed them in the edit. We did a lot of dubbing.”
Audiard expressed his appreciation of the language to CNN en Espanol in January, explaining, “Although I don’t speak Spanish, I think its musicality is very beautiful and I wanted to do an opera in Spanish.”
Meanwhile, Gomez, who is not fluent in Spanish, has faced backlash for her performance in the film with critics claiming they can tell she doesn’t know what she’s saying. Eugenio Derbez called her accent “indefensible,” adding, “I feel like she doesn’t know what she’s saying. If she doesn’t know what she’s saying, she can’t give her acting any nuance.”
Gomez responded directly via TikTok in December 2024. “I understand where you are coming from,” Gomez commented in Spanish. “I’m sorry. I did the best I could with the time I was given.” He later apologized for his comments.
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Trans Representation
GLAAD called Emilia Pérez “a step backward for trans representation,” in one article. The film was noticeably missing from the nominations for the GLAAD Media Awards on Wednesday, January 22. The honorees are commended for meaningful representation of the LGBTQ+ community.
Many trans critics have cited various issues with the film, from the unrealistic portrayal of gender-affirming surgery to the way Emilia’s transition seems to be equated to morality.
Autostraddle slammed the movie as “unique cis nonsense” for being filled with overplayed tropes about trans people. “It’s not about offense or something being not allowed,” critic Drew Burnett Gregory wrote. “It’s that it’s boring. I don’t understand why a movie that’s so bonkers in other ways chooses to undercut its strengths with this shallow understanding of its titular character.”
Meanwhile, Pink News noted the biggest offense was that it didn’t feel at all like an honest story of transition. “The point isn’t that trans representation must be perfect, but that it has to be earnest, and Emilia Pérez does not feel earnest,” critic Amelia Hansford wrote.
Sound designer Cyril Holtz said an artificial intelligence company Respeecher was used to alter Gascón’s voice. For a song taking place before Emilia’s gender-affirming surgery, the director wanted Emilia’s voice to sound different. They used AI to blend the voice of Gascón and Camille, who wrote the musical numbers.
“In the case of Karla Sofía, it was more complicated because there were really parts of the field that were extremely difficult, especially because she had already made her transition and there were registers that were no longer accessible to her,” Holtz said in French during an interview about technology at Cannes.
“My whole life is business now. That’s the fun stuff for me now,” Craig told Austen Kroll during season 10, episode 4, which aired in January. “Making money, getting healthy and f—ing my girlfriend.”
Craig’s life motto for season 10 — which was filmed before he and Paige parted ways in December 2024 after three years of dating — isn’t the only thing that makes Us do a double take watching it back.
Many of Craig’s plans were made with Paige in mind, including his choice to freeze his sperm and delay his vision of becoming a dad until she was ready. The two also were very relaxed about their hopes for marriage, which hits differently now that they aren’t a couple.
“She is doing housewife duties,” Madison LeCroy pointed out during episode 5 after Paige made floral arrangements for a party at Craig’s house. She then asked, “What about just engagement without being engaged?”
Craig responded that the duo were “basically” engaged — and Paige didn’t disagree.
Scroll down to see which of Craig and Paige’s comments from season 10 haven’t gotten better with age:
A Home for 2
Rich Polk/Getty Images for MTV
“For Paige and I, time spent in the backyard, that’s our quality time,” Craig revealed during episode 3, which aired in December 2024, showing off his finished Charleston house. “When we first started dating, we were out and about all the time.”
He explained, “We just I guess [have] grown with each other. We’d rather spend the time at home relaxing than out partying. I built this sanctuary for us to be away from the world and be able to relax and connect.”
Craig shocked pals Austen and Shep Rose during episode 4 when he revealed, “Me and Paige have decided to freeze my sperm.”
His conversation with Paige, however, was equally as surprising. “I was thinking about freezing my sperm,” Craig told his then-girlfriend. “That’s like the craziest thing in the world,” a stunned Paige said in response.
Craig went through with the process, telling his friends that it was Paige’s decision to hold off on having kids, confessing that “without any influence from Paige” he would have his own timeline. “You date a little while, then you get married, then you have kids,” he said.
Switching Up the Plan
Jason Davis/WireImage
During the same episode, Craig said, “I want kids one day. Have I ever told you that I want kids right now?” He claimed, “I never said I want kids right now.”
Austen, however, told the cameras, “Ever since I’ve known Craig, he’s wanted to get married, wanted to have kids.” Austen added, “I’m not entirely sold that Craig wants what Paige wants.”
Craig later confessed that his timeline had shifted after meeting the Summer House star. “The version of life that I saw myself living isn’t what I’m living, which is this stable home that I grew up with,” he told the cameras. “Every night at dinner, my mom and dad were there with my brother. I just loved that.”
He concluded: “But I think If you find the right person and they happen to be a feisty Italian from New York things aren’t always going to go how you have them planned.”
Sew What?
Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for David Yurman
Paige was supportive of Craig’s Sewing Down South company throughout their romance. They even joked about his crafts during episode 4, which aired on January 2, while envisioning one of the rooms in his house.
“Don’t worry about me, you do what you want in that room,” Paige told Craig, who revealed he wanted the space to be “a multifunctional room where I can craft.”
Paige teased, “I want you to be able to hem things for me. It’s been three years, and you haven’t hemmed a single pair of freaking pants for me!”
While Paige was on board with a sewing nook, she shut down one of Craig’s more outlandish suggestions for the room. “What about a wrapping paper wall?” he asked to which Paige replied, “What the f—? No.”
Babies in the Bank
David Becker/Bravo
During episode 5, Craig joked about hosting a party to celebrate him freezing his sperm. He then revealed that he was leaving Paige his sperm if he dies, and she wants more kids.
“Is there a return policy,” she said with a laugh. Craig, however, was serious because of his dreams of their future.
“In the rom-com world that I live in, I die and you’re like, ‘But I still want to have his children,’” he said. Paige, however, noted she “would never do that.”
She argued, “What, I’m going to have a child and then actively not give them a dad?” Craig responded by saying he understood that, but “instead of throwing it away immediately” she would now have a “choice” and it was a “gift” from him.
The White Picket Fence
Michelle Watt/Bravo
Craig and Shep had a heart-to-heart during episode 7, which aired on January 23, talking about his ups and downs with Paige. “You have been itching for this white picket fence existence. Now you have it,” Shep said, applauding Craig for his new life.
Craig admitted, “I think everyone knows, if it was up to me we would just get engaged. But she changes her mind a lot about stuff.”
He detailed Paige’s inner thoughts, explaining, “One day she’ll text me and say, ‘Let’s build a f—ing farmhouse in the middle of nowhere.’ Or like, ‘I’m moving to Charleston.’ Then she’ll have a good day in New York and be like, ‘I love it up here.’”
Shep asked if that’s “hard to hear” to which Craig confessed, “It gets confusing.” He added, “I think that’s life. It’s a bunch of decisions and compromise.”
Craig later told the cameras that he did have some reservations about going off of Paige’s timeline and not his own. “Me waiting a few years to have a kid, not a big deal. But what I’m risking is, ‘What if Paige wants to turn those couple years into 10 years?’” he asked.
Southern Charm airs on Bravo Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET.
Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag.(Photo by Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images)
Spencer Pratt admitted he duped fans with some tricky editing surrounding Bad Bunny’s buzz around wife Heidi Montag’s viral music release, “Superficial.”
Speaking on the Thursday, January 23 episode of podcast “Deux U by Deux Moi,” Pratt admitted not all was as it seemed with the clip.
“I edited that,” Pratt, 41, confessed, adding that “the original Bad Bunny’s music comes on” in the real, original clip as opposed to Montag’s song “Superficial” in the edited version.
Pratt’s sneaky change made it appear as though Bad Bunny was supporting Montag’s chart topper instead of his own release.
“So now everyone thinks that Bad Bunny did like a Heidi promo but he initially… his real video that didn’t go viral was him, like, showing off to me,” Pratt explained.
He added, “That is my favorite thing right now on the internet. Shoutout to People magazine. They don’t know, but they just posted like, ‘“Superficial”’ getting endorsed by Bad Bunny.’”
Bad Bunny.(Photo by Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images)
During the podcast, Pratt also touched on his beef with Call Her Daddy podcast host Alex Cooper. Cooper caught The Hills star’s ire by refusing to use a TikTok sound of Montag’s music via her social media account after the couple’s house burned down. (Pratt and Montag are hoping to use the revenue made to rebuild their home and Pratt’s parents’ home, which both burned down in the Los Angeles wildfires earlier this month.)
“I wanted to be like, ‘Hey girl, we don’t have a house, my parents don’t have a house, I just need a TikTok audio, I’m not asking you to send me money or give me a cut of your Unwell network,’ so I took it so personally,” Pratt said. “Then the people in the comments section were like, ‘She doesn’t owe you…’ No, I do feel like she owes me a TikTok sound when I’ve helped market her stuff, promoted it, invested in her success.”
However, Pratt said he’s putting the bad blood behind him as he focuses on raising money to rebuild his home and his parents’ home in Pacific Palisades – both of which went up in flames.
“I need to make like $10 million fast so going in that low frequency energy where… it’s not going to help the cause. I got caught up,” he said. “And that’s why I do like comments sections because a lot of people who do care about me were like, ‘Spencer, stay on the path you’re on, focus on the music.’ But part of me was like, ‘This is me focused on the music but I don’t need them.’ I have enough of these new people all over the world with their smaller platforms posting non-stop, creating a way bigger wave than just one person with their niche audience.”
Donna Kelce.Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Glamour
Donna Kelce is not ready to step into the dating pool according to Susan Noles.
“Of course I talked to her [about dating],” Noles, 67, said to cohost Amy Robach after asking if Kelce, 72, was “ready to mingle” on the Wednesday, January 22, episode of iHeartRadio’s “I Do, Part 2” podcast.
Noles and Kelce spent some time together at the recent Kansas City Chiefs game. While the women were chatting, the Golden Bachelor alum teased that she “quizzed” Kelce about her love life.
“And honestly, she’s like ‘Really? I am good.’ She’s doing just fine,” Noles explained “She’s enjoying her life, as she should. I don’t think she’s where I am.”
While cohost T.J. Holmes was surprised that Kelce and Noles were discussing their love lives while watching the game, the reality star noted that she and Kelce were just catching up.
“We’re women. It wasn’t our first meeting, we know each other,” she said.
Noles explained that she and Kelce met “last year” while collaborating on a project together.
Michael Owens/Getty Images
“We did a job for a company and we were hired again this year and [the game] was part of it,” she said. “We did filming all day … Donna and I go way back.”
It appeared that the women were in attendance to raise awareness about shingles for THRIVE@50+, a GSK campaign. Brooke Shields, Gina Torres and Roselyn Sanchez were also spotted at the game.
While Noles is on the hunt for her soulmate, Kelce is content with her life as is. Donna tied the knot with Ed Kelce in the late ‘70s. The couple welcomed sons Jason Kelce in 1987 and Travis Kelce in 1989. When both their boys got older, Donna and Ed divorced after 25 years of marriage.
Donna has been candid over the years about how she thought it was important for her and Ed to remain together for the sake of their family during those developmental years.
“My husband and I knew that our marriage was not working, but we stayed together for the kids,” Donna said in an October 2024 interview with Glamour. “Ours was a very friendly relationship. So, we could do that and make sure that their life was normal as possible. But in that one respect, I did stand still for several years until I could move on on my own.”
Ed echoed similar sentiments in the 2023 documentary Kelce, which followed Jason’s career with the Philadelphia Eagles.
“If we had split as we probably both would have preferred, that would have been a nightmare with the logistics, getting kids where they had to be and providing all the support,” Ed explained in the film, with Donna adding that “trying to keep it all together when you’re being a parent is tough.”
Despite their split, Donna and Ed have remained on good terms as both parents have been spotted cheering on their sons on the football field over the years.
Liam Payne.Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images
Several people have been charged and arrested in connection to the death of Liam Payne.
In October 2024, Payne died at age 31 after falling from a third-floor balcony at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires. Following his death, an investigation was conducted and the hotel was searched multiple times.
According to a preliminary autopsy, Payne’s cause of death was cited as “multiple traumas” which included hemorrhages in his chest, skull and abdomen. A partial autopsy reportedly found “pink cocaine” — a mix of methamphetamine, ketamine and MDMA — cocaine, benzodiazepine and crack in Payne’s system.
In November 2024, the prosecutor’s office charged three individuals — who were not named at the time — with abandonment leading to death and the supply and facilitation of narcotics. According to a 180-page indictment, the suspects included a “companion” of Payne, a hotel employee and a narcotics supplier. Prosecutor Andrés Esteban Madrea requested that the suspects provide a deposition and be placed under arrest.
The following month, a local Argentinian news outlet reported that five people were charged in connection to Payne’s death. Payne’s friend Roger Nores was among those facing manslaughter charges, along with two CasaSur Palermo employees Esteban Grassi and Gilda Martin. Braian Nahuel Paiz, a waiter, and CasaSur employee Ezequiel Pereyra were charged with allegedly supplying drugs to Payne ahead of his death. All five individuals were summoned to appear in court.
Keep scrolling for a break down on who’s been charged in the case and what their current status is:
Braian Nahuel Paiz
At the beginning of the investigation, Paiz was immediately deemed a suspect. Paiz, a waiter who was accused of supplying Payne with narcotics, ultimately denied dealing drugs to the late musician. Paiz claimed he met Payne when he dined at the restaurant where Paiz worked at in Puerto Madero weeks before his death.
While Payne dined at the establishment, Paiz alleged the singer “was already under the effects of drugs and he didn’t actually eat anything.” However, the duo exchanged information and met up another time.
“We took drugs together, but I never took drugs to him or accepted any money,” Paiz claimed in a November 2024 interview with Argentina’s Telefe Noticias.
That same month, Paiz exclusively told Us Weekly that he wanted to aid the authorities in their ongoing investigation.
“I want to contribute everything: my phone, everything to the investigation,” Paiz said. “I have nothing that can harm me. … The other thing is to contribute what I saw personally and what I experienced firsthand.”
In December 2024, Paiz was charged with allegedly supplying drugs to Payne. Us confirmed in January 2025 that he was arrested and could face between four and 15 years in prison.
Ezequiel Pereyra
Pereyra, who was a CasaSur employee, was charged with allegedly supplying drugs to Payne before his passing. Local outlets reported Pereyra was arrested in January 2025, nearly one week after Paiz, per CBS News.
Jeff Spicer/Getty Images for ABA
Roger Nores
Nores, who was a close friend of Payne, was accused of abandoning Payne ahead of his death and was charged with manslaughter. Nores has vehemently denied the allegations.
“I never abandoned Liam. I went to his hotel 3 times that day and left 40 minutes before this happened,” Nores told the Daily Mail in a November 2024 statement. “There were over 15 people at the hotel lobby chatting and joking with him when I left. I could have never imagined something like this would happen.”
“Because of his addictions, Payne continued to attend rehab centers of his own free will in an attempt to overcome them,” Nores said in a court filing. “Unfortunately, these treatments were not successful and his addiction worsened as he began to use harder drugs, such as heroin.”
While Nores has been charged with manslaughter, he has not been arrested.
Esteban Grassi
Grassi served as the hotel’s receptionist. Grassi has been accused of asking others to take Payne to his room before his death and subsequently charged with manslaughter. Grassi has not been arrested.
Gilda Martin
Martin worked as a manager at the CasaSur Palermo hotel. Grassi was charged with manslaughter for allegedly failing to stop Payne from being taken to his hotel room before his deadly fall, per the BBC. An arrest has not been made.
Jamie Foxxis the ultimate supporter of his two daughters, Corinne and Anelise — even when they’re not with him.
The Oscar winner welcomed his eldest child, Corinne, in February 1994 with ex-girlfriend Connie Kline. The Django Unchained actor became a father for the second time when his daughter, Anelise, was born in October 2008. He shares his youngest child with ex-girlfriend Kristin Grannis.
Over the years, Foxx has reflected on being a girl dad, detailing what it is like to see his children grow up into young women.
“Your daughters are special, man. Your daughters are special. And as a father you want that person who is dating your daughter to know that there will quite possibly be a chance that they won’t survive life,” the Law Abiding Citizen star joked during an April 2021 appearance on E!’s Daily Pop.
Scroll down to relive Foxx’s sweetest moments with his two children:
Corinne wrapped on season 1 of her Netflix series Dad, Stop Embarrassing Me!, which was inspired by her childhood diary. Foxx, for his part, played Brian Dixon on the series, which premiered in 2021.
Jamie walked Corinne down the aisle during her wedding to Joe Hooten on September 21. They were also seen sharing a dance, per photos uploaded via Garcelle Beauvais’ Instagram. The happy celebration came more than one year after Jamie was hospitalized in April 2023 following a brain bleed and stroke while he was on set in Atlanta.
The actor brought Anelise with him to Dodgers Stadium to watch game six of the 2024 National League Championship Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Mets. After the win, the Dodgers went on to play the New York Yankees in the 2024 World Series, which they won.
“Audrina and I met 12 years ago,” Katie, 40, exclusively told Us Weekly at a Let’s Help LA fundraiser event on Saturday, January 18. “I was working for Back9Network, which was on Direct TV Channel 262, and I was a reporter, and she was an investor. We met, and we hung out a lot.”
The pair became friends long before Katie became a cast member on The Real Housewives of Orange County. Once she joined the show for season 18 in 2024, it was Audrina, 39, who proved to be a supportive friend.
“I actually leaned on her a lot doing this reality TV thing,” Katie explained to Us while raising funds for Emergency Network LA. “She was so kind and so helpful.”
Before stepping away from the cameras to live a quieter life in Orange County, Audrina appeared on The Hills and the reboot, which concluded in 2021.
Although Bravo has not confirmed any casting decisions, The Real Housewives of Orange County is expected to return for season 19.
“I would love for [Audrina] to join the Housewives,” Katie said. “She’s super spicy and super sharp, and she’s also got a lot of soul. I would love it, but I don’t think she’s interested. She’s a great friend of mine though.”
Ryan Crociante
Back in October 2024, Us caught up with Audrina and asked about her friendship with Katie.
“I talk to her from time to time about what she’s going through on the show, which is wild,” Audrina said at ChainFEST LA. “Sometimes I sit back and go, ‘Wow, for once, I’m not in the mix of it. I get to sit on the outside and listen in.’”
At the time, the swimsuit designer expressed little interest in returning to reality TV.
“If I ever did reality again, it would have to be totally positive and inspirational, and I’ve done enough drama and chaos in my 20s,” Audrina joked. “I think I’m done with that.”
As fans wait to hear news about the new season of Real Housewives of Orange County, Katie joined costars Jennifer Pedranti and Shannon Beador for a fundraiser event at The Bungalow in Corona Del Mar, California.
Inspired by the Los Angeles wildfires, the Bravo stars wanted to come together and raise money to help those impacted.
“Jen, Shannon and I saw that our neighbors in LA, which is only 40 miles north of us, were hurting,” Katie said. “We thought if we came together and had a sweet cocktail hour, people would feel better about donating their money and that’s what we did.”
The Real Housewives of Orange County is streaming now on Peacock.
Marlee Matlin and actor William Hurt arrive at the 1987 Academy Awards.Frank Trapper/Corbis via Getty Images
Marlee Matlin is looking back on her turbulent two-year relationship with actor William Hurt and what she called his “habit of abuse.”
Matlin, 59, met Hurt, who died in 2022 at age 71, while filming 1986’s Children of a Lesser God. She portrayed Sarah, a deaf woman who falls in love with her speech teacher, James (Hunt). The role landed her an Oscar for Best Actress, making her the first deaf actress to ever win the award.
Hunt was the one presenting that night, and Matlin said she was scared to go up on stage and accept the Oscar.
“I was afraid as I walked up the stairs to get the Oscar,” she recalls in Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore, a new documentary about her life that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival this month. “I was afraid because I knew in my gut that he wasn’t happy. Because I saw the look on his face, and my thought was, ‘s—!’”
Matlin described approaching the stage and hesitating, afraid to take the award from her boyfriend’s hands.
“I wish it were different,” she admitted. “I wish I had shown my joy. But I was afraid because he was standing right there.”
Marlee Matlin and actor William HurtBettmann/Getty Images
This isn’t the first time Matlin has spoken about that night. In Dave Karger’s 2024 book, 50 Oscar Nights, Matlin recalled an exchange she had with Hurt, who minimized her achievement.
“‘So you have that little man there next to you. What makes you think you deserve it?’” she remembered him saying. “I looked at him like, ‘What do you mean?’ And he said, ‘A lot of people work a long time, especially the ones you were nominated with, for a lot of years to get what you got with one film.’”
The documentary also features Matlin’s sign language interpreter Jack Jason, who recounted an incident with the two on a private plane. Matlin, he claimed, had been in a room with Hurt and exited with a black eye.
Children of a Lesser God director Randa Haines recalls seeing alleged bruises on Matlin during filming.
“I could see that they were having arguments, fights,” she claimed. “I remember once noticing a bruise. But I didn’t know. Nobody felt that they had license to enter into a private relationship or comment on it or ask questions about it.”
Haines also spoke about how Hurt “would tell a joke and turn his back to [Matlin] so that she couldn’t see.”
“I tried to understand what was going on,” she added. “But I saw that she was suffering from it.”
Before his death, Hurt said that he had apologized to Matlin.
“My own recollection is that we both apologized and both did a great deal to heal our lives,” he said in a statement to E! News in 2009. “Of course, I did and do apologize for any pain I caused. And I know we have both grown. I wish Marlee and her family nothing but good.”
“I went back into the Palisades for the first time and it was a very intense day,” Hudson, 45, shared in a Thursday, January 23, personal update via Instagram Story video with 6-year-old daughter Rani Rose. “It was a very intense day. We’re very lucky your house is still standing. We are in the center of a lot of our friends and people we love very much … they’ve lost their homes and their jobs. We are definitely trying to support our community.”
Hudson further thanked the first responders for their tireless efforts in extinguishing the wildfires over the past month.
“And [thanks to] all the neighbors — like Daddy and Uncle Michael — who stayed behind to put out spot fires,” she added. “A lot of brave people fighting to protect us and we’re so grateful. That’s our check-in. Love you guys.”
Hudson shares daughter Rani with Fujikawa, 38, who proposed in 2021. She also shares son Ryder, 21, with ex-husband Chris Robinson and son Bingham, 13, with ex Matt Bellamy.
A string of wildfires broke out in L.A. earlier this month, devastating thousands of acres of property and killing more than 25 individuals. Even more residents left the city limits under mandatory or voluntary evacuation orders.
“Thank you for your thoughts and prayers,” Hudson captioned her Thursday upload. “Been a wild, life-changing couple of weeks for us in the Palisades and other affected areas. And so, we’ve been going through it. Long road ahead, but so grateful for all your love and kindness.”
Courtesy of Kate Hudson/Instagram
The Almost Famous actress also pledged to “keep [her followers] posted” on her family’s safety and additional “efforts to rebuild our community.”
It is not currently known whether other members of Hudson’s family were affected or needed to evacuate following the fires. She is the daughter of exes Bill Hudson and Goldie Hawn, who also share eldest son Oliver Hudson. In addition to Kate and Oliver, Hawn, 79, shares son Wyatt Russell with longtime partner Kurt Russell.
“We’re a very tight family. We all live very close to each other,” Oliver, 48, previously told Us Weekly exclusivelyin April 2021. “They’re amazing people, amazing grandparents, amazing parents.”
Check the LAFD website for local wildfire alerts and click here for resources on how to help those affected.
Simpson, 44, took to Instagram on Wednesday, January 22, to show off her figure while modeling in a neon yellow maillot as part of her new Walmart fashion collection. Her one-piece featured a plunging neckline that hugged her curves with a fitted silhouette. The sunny piece came complete with dainty straps with a gold hoop detail.
Simpson teamed her swimwear with a similarly cheerful brightly colored knit cardigan while posing with her daughter, Birdie, 5, whom she shares with Eric Johnson. (Simpson and Johnson, 45, are also the parents of Maxwell, 12, and Ace, 11.)
Birdie looked adorable in a mommy-and-me matching suit with a cinched top, cutouts and high-waisted bottoms, just like Simpson’s. Offering proof that a penchant for personal style runs in the family, Birdie layered a heart-shaped charm necklace over her swimwear and added a pair of cowgirl boots to match her mom.
For Simpson’s part, tthis isn’t the first stylish swimsuit that she has posed in for her collaboration with Walmart. Last year, she slayed in a neon green triangle top and patterned bottoms while gazing into the camera with a cowgirl hat on. She tied her sultry look together with a dainty gallery and a gold belt denaturing turquoise embellishments.
Simpson’s steamy photoshoot came one week after she confirmed her split with Johnson in a statement on January 13. “Eric and I have been living separately, navigating a painful situation in our marriage. Our children come first, and we are focusing on what is best for them,” she wrote. “We are grateful for all of the love and support that has been coming our way, and appreciate privacy right now as we work through this as a family.”
Walmart
In November 2024, Us Weekly confirmed that the duo were “living separately” but still planning to spend the holidays together.
“Jessica and Eric plan on being all together for the holidays with the kids,” an insider told Us. “It’s all about the kids and family. They don’t hate each other.”
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Jessica Simpson Collection
Simpson and Johnson started dating in 2010. After spending six months together, Johnson got on one knee and proposed. The duo later tied the knot in 2014.
We can’t think of a better way to celebrate the almost weekend than with a sizzling hot deals roundup. Today, I’ve spotted some seriously on sale tech like an editor-tested robot vacuum (I can confirm the suction is more powerful than pricier models I’ve tried). And even more exciting, Apple AirPods Pro 2 are $50 off at Walmart — and it’s not even a major holiday! Scroll on to scoop up today’s hot deals before they disappear.
Treat yourself to the gift of time and spotless floors by upgrading to this top-rated Eufy Robot Vacuum while it’s 44% off — $139 (was $249) at Amazon!
Want the Ugg bootie look for less? Today’s your lucky day now that these Tasman slipper-lookalikesare 42% off — $28 (was $49) at Amazon!
It may be blistering cold outside to wear anything but a long puffer coat, but come spring you’ll be happy to show off your more fashionable outerwear. This 50% off Bernardo Belted Trench Coat is just the pick — $82 (was $165) at Nordstrom!
I hardly catch Apple products on major sale, so trust Us when we say these $50 off the Apple AirPods Pro 2 are the best deal on top-rated tech I’ve seen in a while — $199 (was $249) at Walmart!
If you’re a Drew Barrymore fan like me, you’ll be ecstatic to hear the viral Beautiful Swivel Chair is $100 off right now — $198 (was $298) at Walmart!
Dave Coulier’s wife, Melissa Bring, is providing an update on his health amid his cancer diagnosis.
“He has some really tough days, and as the chemo has been accumulating it gets a little tougher and more difficult,” Bring said during an interview with WXYZ published on Thursday, January 23.
Bring shared that Coulier’s humor has carried him through the harder days. “He has such a positive attitude, and you need that in order to really fight it,” she said. “Every morning, if he’s feeling up for it, we try to put on a song and do a little dance party with the dogs, because when you do feel good, you have to celebrate that too.”
While sharing that “everyone is really rallying around all of us,” Bring explained that she thinks Coulier’s strength is “just innately in him.”
“He has had a lot of loss in his life when it comes to having to deal with cancer. He lost his mother, his sister, his niece. His other sister had it,” she said. “I think for him, he takes every stride and really pulls strength from seeing the women that were so close in his life to powering through it, and he just wants to honor them,” she said.
The Full House alum told People in November 2024 that he had been diagnosed with stage 3 non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Coulier, 65, explained that he had received his diagnosis the month before after an upper respiratory infection resulted in severe swelling of his lymph nodes. Coulier underwent PET and CT scans and a biopsy after one area grew to the size of a golf ball.
Michael Kovac/WireImage
“Three days later, my doctors called me back and they said, ‘We wish we had better news for you, but you have non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and it’s called B cell and it’s very aggressive,’” he told the outlet. “I went from, I got a little bit of a head cold to I have cancer, and it was pretty overwhelming. This has been a really fast roller coaster ride of a journey.”
Coulier shared that Bring, whom he wed in 2014, advised friends of theirs in the medical field and worked to create “a very specific plan for how they were going to treat this.” Coulier claimed that his recovery rate “went from something low to [the] 90 percent range” after a bone marrow test came back negative.
Coulier shared during an appearance on Today in November 2023 that he’s had “three surgeries” and if his treatment goes as planned, he would be in “total remission” by the time he completes chemotherapy in February.
The Hot Bench judges believe it’s too soon to reach a ruling in Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively’s ongoing legal battle.
“I think there is so much more to come in this one that you could change your mind every two minutes,” Judge Rachel Juarez exclusively shared with Us Weekly before celebrating Hot Bench’s2,000th episode on Thursday, January 23. “Every time someone says something, you can change your mind. I’m withholding judgment. I have some strong opinions that are starting to form. But I think we don’t know yet.”
Juarez and her fellow Hot Bench judges Michael Corriero and Yodit Tewolde are not affiliated with the case.
In December 2024, The New York Timesbroke the news that Lively was suing Baldoni for sexual harassment and for allegedly launching a “social manipulation” campaign against her to “destroy” her reputation. (Baldoni has denied the allegations via his attorney Bryan Freedman.)
Baldoni later suedThe New York Times for libel and false light invasion of privacy. (A New York Times spokesperson stood by the story saying it was “meticulously and responsibly reported.”)
Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images
The Jane the Virgin star also sued Lively for $400 million in damages and accused the actress of being “determined to make Baldoni the real-life villain in her story.” (Lively has also denied all of his allegations.)
“When you’re filing a lawsuit like that and you’re picking a number, you really are just starting out with a number from thin air,” Juarez explained to Us when reacting to the $400 million number. “No one’s actually calculated the specific damages.”
She described Freedman as a “smart guy” and “strategic attorney” who may have “wanted the sticker shock value of the $400 million.”
“That would seem to me, even if he does recover, to be an unlikely amount for him to actually recover,” Juarez continued. “But I think they were sending a message saying, ‘This is how bad what she did is. It’s a $400 million problem.’”
Robert Voets / CBS Media
Judge Tewolde joked that she’s waiting “to see more receipts” before picking a side in the highly publicized legal battle.
She pointed to a new video of an It Ends With Us scene that Baldoni’s team believes proves his side of the story.
“Justin Baldoni’s team releasing that unedited footage of that one clip and having watched the movie now and now piecing it together and comparing it to the words in her complaint, I’m kind of not really seeing things,” she shared, “but I’m gonna wait and see how this thing plays out.”
What all judges can agree on is this case will be a “fascinating” one to watch unfold.
Robert Voets / CBS Media
“I saw the movie, and I thought it was a great movie with a good message and I thought it was done very well, but I think what this is all going to turn on are the actual unedited versions of the scenes that are an issue,” Judge Corriero predicted. “I think that’s going to be very important for the judge and jury to see.”
Juarez added, “It’s such an evolving process. This is going to be a fascinating one.”
The Hot Bench judges have been tackling their own unique cases on the small screen for several years now. On January 23, the trio celebrated 2,000 episodes of their courtroom show that features the first-ever three-judge panel.
While their litigants are far less famous, Juarez, Corriero and Tewolde are determined to make the right verdict in every case.
“You’re getting to hear why we come to a conclusion and whether we can have a consensus together or what’s our rationale,” Corriero teased. “I think that makes it a little bit more intriguing because it gives us an opportunity perhaps to educate and test our views with each other and entertain.”
Kaitlyn Bristowe got candid about her recent eyelid surgery — and what slowed down her healing journey.
The former Bachelorette, 39, opened up about why she decided to get an upper blepharoplasty — a cosmetic surgery that removes excess skin around the eyes — via Instagram on Wednesday, January 22.
She started off the reel by pulling a photo of herself 10 years ago, sharing she’s always had very hooded eyes. “I tried to over correct it by doing Botox but I got too much bad Botox and it actually drooped my lid even more,” she explained, also pointing out that she’s had lip filler, cheek filler and bonded some of her teeth in the past. “I haven’t touched my cheeks in years though,” Bristowe added.
The reality star then cut to a recent picture of her eyes, proving she had the correct amount of Botox but still had a hooded lid. “I realized it’s not that bad but it’s something that had bothered me for a very long time,” she said.
“I wanted to tone down the Botox so I figured that getting a bleph would help me open that eye without getting all the Botox,” Bristowe continued. “This was my first ‘plastic surgery’ where I did go ‘under the knife.’ I got a little bit of my lid skin removed.”
Courtesy of Kaitlyn Bristowe/Instagram
Bristowe went on to share photos of her after surgery, revealing bruising and stitches across her lids — but experienced a setback when one of her dogs scratched her stitches.
Courtesy of Kaitlyn Bristowe/Instagram
“My dog clawed at one of my eyes so I had to get one restitched,” she said in the clip. “So that one is healing a bit slower than the other eye.”
Vanderpump Rules alum James Kennedy’s substance abuse issues played apart in his split from girlfriend Ally Lewber, a source exclusively tells Us Weekly.
“Ally gave James an ultimatum when he relapsed many months ago as alcohol was the problem and they worked it out,” an insider close to Kennedy, 32, and Lewber, 28, tells Us. “Everything between them was loving until the night of Kathy Hilton’s holiday party [when] she saw the old James behavior.”
Kennedy and Lewber, who started dating in 2021, jointly attended Hilton’s annual Christmas party in December 2024 where they got into an argument.
“Her friends and family told her it was time to make a decision to stay or go,” the source adds. “She chose to go. It’s unfortunate because they both brought the best out of each other and prove alcohol can mess up any strong relationship.”
Lewber confirmed on Wednesday, January 22, that she and Kennedy were no longer together. Hours earlier, they learned that Kennedy wouldn’t face charges following his arrest.
Amanda Edwards/Getty Images
“Thank you all for your support and kindness. I am happy that prosecutors decided not to file against James, as I never desired criminal charges,” Lewber wrote via her Instagram Stories. “We had an argument outside of his home related to him drinking again, however, I was not physically hurt.”
She continued, “We are no longer together, but I’ll always support James and wish him the best with his sobriety and healing. Thank you for your understanding.”
Lewber and the British DJ had been taking space after the incident and she even moved out of their shared home.
After leaving Hilton’s party, a neighbor heard Kennedy and Lewber arguing outside their house. Los Angeles Police Department officers were later discharged to break up the alleged altercation, and Kennedy was arrested for misdemeanor domestic violence. He was released within hours after posting bail.
Following an investigation, all charges were dropped.
David Becker/Getty Images for iHeartRadio
“I was just informed by the Burbank City Attorney’s Office that no charges will be filed against James Kennedy,” Kennedy’s attorney Scott Leemon told Us on Wednesday. “I want to thank them for conducting a thorough and professional review of the matter, involving my client.”
The statement continued, “Their diligent investigation confirmed what we have maintained from the beginning — there were no grounds for any charges to be filed against Mr. Kennedy. James is grateful to have this matter behind him and is looking forward to continuing to focus on his sobriety and his DJ career.”
“I am committed to making meaningful changes in my life,” he wrote via Instagram Story last month. “I am taking time to focus on my sobriety, personal growth, and being present for my loved ones. Navigating challenging moments is not easy but I am determined to learn, grow and move forward with the incredible support system around me.”
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.
“I did get cussed out in the street by an ex,” JoJo, 34, exclusively told Us Weekly while promoting her new EP, NGL. “He didn’t like the way that I … I don’t know. We didn’t even talk about it.”
While JoJo did not name the ex she was referring to, she noted that it was “weird” to have a “man in his 40s telling me to F off.” JoJo quipped, “But you know what? We’re all on our own journey.”
JoJo explained that she had sent her former flame the manuscript for her book. “He told me to F off. And I was like, ‘Dang. That’s crazy,’” she recalled. “But I still said what I said, and I had to accept that not everybody was going to be happy about it.”
Raymond Hall/GC Images/Getty Images
In Over the Influence, which was released in September 2024, JoJo recalled her unhealthy relationship with sex, drugs and alcohol. JoJo candidly shared details of her love life — including that she lost her virginity at age 14 to 16-year-old soccer player Freddy Adu.
After having an affair with Adu’s friend, JoJo said she stayed abstinent for a year before moving on with an unnamed person whom she referred to as “my man” in the memoir. JoJo claimed that her mystery man proposed to her on her birthday in December 2021, but the relationship unraveled afterwards. (While she did not refer to him by name, JoJo previously got engaged to actor Dexter Darden in 2021.)
“It is my story. Look, if I had written it a year from now or five years from now, I would tell different stories probably in a different way,” JoJo told Us. “But this is what the story was.”
Many of the themes in Over the Influence are mirrored in JoJo’s new EP, NGL. While reflecting on her EP release, JoJo said she “can’t believe” it’s been four years since the drop of her last album.
Us Weekly
“This album was so about being single and moving to a new city and feeling strong and really feeling more comfortable and confident in my own skin than I ever had before,” she told Us. “Just having fun, not taking things as seriously as I’ve taken them before. It’s not life or death. There’s serious things going on in the world and music does not need to be one of them for me right now.”
JoJo’s new EP, NGL, is set to be released on Friday, January 24.
George Gojkovich/Getty Images; Jim McIsaac/Getty Images
The MLB has experienced its fair share of public scandals over the years, some of which involved more than one player — and in some cases, an entire team.
After years of speculation, The Athleticpublished an exposé in November 2019, revealing that the Houston Astros had been stealing signs from opposing teams. This quickly became the biggest controversy in the MLB of recent years.
A former Astros pitcher explained to a reporter at the time that the team placed a video camera in center field, which was aimed at the opposing team’s catcher to film how pitches were called. The livestream was being watched during each game with players and team staffers signaling to Astros players — by banging on trash cans — which pitch was coming next.
Following an MLB investigation into the claims, the organization determined in January 2020 that the Astros had stolen signs throughout the entirety of the 2017 baseball season and some of the 2018 regular season.
Keep scrolling for a breakdown of the some of the biggest scandals in baseball over the years:
Pete Rose’s Betting Scandal
Pete RoseRon Vesely/MLB Photos via Getty Images
Following his playing career, Rose — who is the all-time hits leader in MLB history — took on a role as the Cincinnati Reds manager. During his managerial career, Rose was accused of gambling on games during his playing career, with a strong suggestion that he bet on games that involved his own team.
While Rose vehemently denied the accusations for years, he was banned from the MLB and wasn’t eligible for inclusion in the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. In 2014, Rose admitted that the allegations were true.
While steroid scandals have run rampant throughout the MLB over the years, things reached a new level in 2013 when 20 players were accused of human growth hormone (HGH) after obtaining it from the Biogenesis of America clinic in Florida.
The scandal broke when a former Biogenesis employee linked several MLB players to the clinic. A total of 14 athletes were linked to the scandal, and several denied any involvement.
Tony Bosch, the clinic’s owner, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute testosterone in October 2014. However, USA Today reported at the time that it was not specified if the charges were related to the MLB scandal. He was sentenced to four years in prison.
Jose Fernandez’s Death
Jose FernandezAndy Marlin/AM Photography/Getty Images
The Miami Marlins player died at age 24 in September 2016 in a boating crash.
The athlete was driving a boat at 65 mph with two other men — Eduardo Rivero and Emilio Jesus Macias — on board when he struck a rock jetty in Miami Beach. All three men were found dead at the scene with Fernández cause of death being the blunt impact of the crash. A toxicology report, which was obtained by ESPN, later revealed that Fernández had cocaine and alcohol in his system at the time of the accident. (Rivero and Macias’ families sued the Fernández estate in 2017 claiming negligence and personal injury. The suits were settled the following year.)
An investigative report published in March 2017 ruled that Fernández had been driving the boat “in a reckless manner, at an extremely high rate of speed, in the darkness of night, in an area with known navigational hazards such as rock jetties and channel markers.” It was also noted that he was legally drunk at the time of the crash with a blood alcohol level of 0.147% — nearly double the legal limit.
Investigators also ruled that Fernández violated various state laws, including involuntary manslaughter, boating under the influence, vessel homicide, and reckless or careless operation of a vessel. (The Fernández family attorney eventually challenged the findings.)
All That Sign Stealing
Bob Levey/Getty Images
Following the MLB’s January 2020 ruling that the Astros had participated in sign stealing, the team’s manager A. J. Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow were suspended for one year. They were subsequently fired by Astros owner Jim Crane.
The Astros organization was also fined $5 million and lost first- and second-round draft picks in 2020 and 2021.
Former Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora (who was the Astros bench coach in 2017) and New York Mets manager Carlos Beltran (who played for the Astros in 2017) were also implicated in the scandal. Cora and Beltran were released from the Red Sox and Mets organizations, respectively, in January 2020.
The Spider Tack Ban
Pitcher Trevor Bauer first brought up the use of Spider Tack — a resin-based substance used to improve grip on the baseball — during a 2020 interview on Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel. He approximated that about 70 percent of MLB pitchers were using an illegal substance while on the mound.
The following year, the MLB looked into the baseballs being used during games. By June 2021, it was determined that pitchers who were found using illegal substances during games would be ejected from the game and subsequently receive a 10-game suspension.
Several pitchers, including Edwin Díaz and Ronel Blanco, have since been suspended for using sticky substances.
Shohei Ohtani’s Translator Makes Headlines
Ippei Mizuhara and Shohei OhtaniJUNG YEON-JE/AFP via Getty Images
It made headlines when Ohtani’s former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara was fired in March 2024. At the time, representatives for the athlete accused Mizuhara of stealing millions from Ohtani to pay off gambling debts in an illegal sportsbook.
A criminal complaint alleged that Mizuhara would wire money into the account of someone who went by the name of “Associate 1.” Months later, ESPN reported that “Associate 1” was Real Housewives of Orange County star Jennifer Pedranti’s fiancé, Ryan Boyajian.
Ohtani has maintained that he was the victim of a “massive theft” and had no involvement in Mizuhara’s wrongdoings. In June 2024, Mizuhara pleaded guilty to bank and tax fraud.
Mariano Rivera’s Alleged Sexual Abuse Cover Up
Mariano RiveraJim McIsaac/Getty Images
In January 2025, a lawsuit alleged that the former New York Yankees pitcher covered up child sexual abuse that allegedly occurred in their New York home and at a summer camp connected to their church.
“Mariano and Clara Rivera do not tolerate child abuse of any kind and allegations that they knew about or failed to act on reports of child abuse are completely false,” Joseph A. Ruta, the couple’s lawyer, said in a statement after news of the suit went public.
“The very first time they heard about these allegations was nearly four years after the alleged incident, when in 2022 a New York attorney sent a letter requesting a financial settlement. This was followed by a second letter in 2023, from a different Florida law firm, again requesting a financial settlement,” the statement continued. “The lawsuit, which seeks financial damages for the Riveras’ alleged failure to act on alleged incidents that were never reported to them, is full of inaccurate and misleading statements which we have no doubt will not hold up in a court of law.”
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