“[My friends and I] were just messing around, so I swiped right,” Kylie, 32, said of coming across her now-husband’s Tinder account during the Sunday, January 12, episode of the “Sunday Sports Club” podcast. “We matched [and] I sent him a pick-up line. I said, ‘I need LifeAlert. I’ve fallen for you and I can’t get up.’”
Jason, 37, apparently was not a fan of Kylie’s opening line.
“He messaged back and was like, ‘No, you got to try harder,’” Kylie recalled to fellow NFL wifeAllison Kuch. “I then messaged, ‘If I told you I work for UPS. Would you let me handle your package?’ He was like, ‘Much better. I like that one a lot better.’ … And here we are, almost four kids later.”
Jason and Kylie matched on the dating app in 2015 during his early tenure as a center with the Philadelphia Eagles. At the time, Kylie was a student at Cabrini University but never realized the extent of Jason’s professional football career until meeting in person. (He retired in 2024 after 14 seasons playing for the Philly team.)
“His profile bio on Tinder [said] that he wanted to cuddle and have intimate conversations about having babies and it was sarcastic but ended up being very ironic,” Kylie quipped. “But then, we continued messaging and it was, like, playful, get to know you [conversations] and after a little while I kept thinking to myself that his photos looked familiar.”
Kylie and her friends had tried to look up Jason online using “all the information [they] had,” which led them straight to the Eagles.
“My friends and I, of course, were like, ‘It’s a catfish,’” the “Not Gonna Lie” podcast host recalled. “So, when he said, ‘You should meet us at this bar,’ my one friend who’s like my ride-or-die friend … she was like, ‘We have to go because if it’s him, it’s hilarious [and] if it’s not him, it’s even funnier.”
Kylie met up with Jason at a local bar in Philly hours after his team holiday party. As he’s previously mentioned on his and brother Travis Kelce‘s “New Heights” podcast multiple times, he fell asleep on the bar top within 45 minutes. His then-teammate Beau Allen was enlisted to “fireman-carry” him home.
Jason ultimately apologized to Kylie for his inebriation, asking for a second chance at a first impression that, ultimately, went much smoother. Per Kylie, they seamlessly talked for three hours — and kept talking during subsequent dates.
“The year that I was an R.A. [at Cabrini] … he would come to campus and, like, he stayed over in my dorm more than once,” Kylie recalled. “I would have people in class two days later say, ‘Oh, so-and-so was talking about how they were walking to their 8 a.m. and [saw] Jason Kelce just walking across campus to go to his truck.’ I was like, ‘This man must really love me because why the hell else would he be on [campus].’”
Jason and Kylie eventually got married in 2018, one year before welcoming daughter Wyatt. Daughters Ellie and Bennett followed in 2021 and 2023, respectively, and they are currently expecting another baby girl in 2025.
Joe Lando and Jane SeymourMichael Tullberg/Getty Images
As the Los Angeles wildfires continue to devastate the city and surrounding area, actor Joe Lando is grateful for his former Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman costar Jane Seymour’s support.
“The Lando family is intact. All of us and our dogs and our two birds, thankfully, there are angels in this world,” Lando, 63, said in a Saturday, January 11, Instagram video, revealing that his house was burnt to the ground in the blaze. “We’re left with nothing except each other. My friend Jane Seymour allowed us to come over to her house and opened it up for us without any hesitation and thank God [she] gave us someplace to come and sleep.”
A string of wildfires broke out in the Pacific Palisades and other surrounding L.A. neighborhoods on Tuesday, January 7, going on to ravage thousands of acres of property. According to local officials, at least 16 individuals have died and tens of thousands of residents have fled their homes under mandatory evacuation orders.
Lando and Seymour, 73, played love interests on Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman between 1993 and 1998. The show starred Seymour as Dr. Michael Quinn, who worked in Colorado Springs after the Civil War, while Lando played Byron Sully. In his Saturday message, Lando detailed his evacuation experience.
“The electricity just came on for the first time in three days,” Lando said on Saturday, noting that Seymour’s neighborhood has also been impacted by wildfires. “There hasn’t been any gas and you can’t drink the water and you can’t breathe the air because it’s all poisonous. I’ve never been through anything like this. It’s indescribable.”
He continued, “You see people on TV who go through these things and you think, ‘Oh, my God, that must be a terrible thing. Thank God, it’s not me.’ And now we’re those people. If it was just us I’d be OK with this, but it’s everybody. It’s everything and I’m just devastated and heartbroken for everybody.”
Joe Lando and Jane SeymourCBS
Lando started crying in his social media video, reflecting on “all the people we know that don’t have houses” anymore.
“There’s a lot of wealthy people in my neighborhood, but that’s not the majority of this neighborhood. Most are just hard-working folks [who have] lived there for generations,” he said. “My wife’s parents live down the street or did. They lost their house after 40-something years. Our house wasn’t big or fancy, but it was our home. I worked so hard on it. Whenever I wasn’t on an acting job, I would be working on it, trying to stay out of trouble and save money.”
In addition to their family’s houses, Lando noted that his children’s school was also completely destroyed by the fires. (He has been married to wife Kiersten Barlow since 1997 and they share four kids.)
“Everything’s gone,” Lando tearfully added. “And there’s no rich or poor, black or white, red or blue. This fire’s evil and it will kill everything.”
Dora the Explorer provided some much-needed comic relief during the Houston Texans and the Los Angeles Chargers’ Wild Card playoff game.
The Saturday, January 11, matchup was concurrently broadcasted on CBS and Nickelodeon, with the animated character serving as an analyst alongside SpongeBob and Patrick from the hit kids’ show SpongeBob Squarepants.
After the Chargers forced a fumble to take possession of the ball in the first quarter, Dora couldn’t resist getting in a subtle dig at the Texans.
“Did you see the defense player?” Dora popped up to say, referring to Chargers safety Derwin James Jr. “I guess the quarterback didn’t either.”
Swiper, one of Dora’s onscreen frenemies, chimed in to add, “Now, that’s how you swipe!” (The animated explorer notably tells the fox, “Swiper, no swiping” whenever he tries to steal something.)
The NFL shared footage on its TikTok page with the caption, “She didn’t hold back ,” inspiring many social media comments about her shady antics.
“Dora messy for that,” one user wrote, while another quipped, “Dora dissing CJ Stroud.”
Derwin James Jr., Dalton SchultzAlex Slitz/Getty Images
A third pointed out that Nickelodeon was “making NFL Games far better than usual.”
Dora stuck around for the entire game, popping up here and there to define illegal holding and other terms for the (presumably younger) audience before lamenting the game’s score.
“Who needs a map to find the end zone?” Dora quipped, which she previously said during the first quarter of the 2024 Super Bowl featuring the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers.
Nickelodeon has broadcast several NFL games, including the 2023 Christmas game — featuring a dedicated Taylor Swift camera as she cheered on boyfriend Travis Kelce and the Chiefs — and the most recent championship matchup. At both games, Dora teamed up with Swiper and SpongeBob to explain the plays and share the scores with viewers.
Despite the Chargers forcing a fumble and subsequent turnover early on in Saturday’s game, the Texans recovered and handily won 32-2. The L.A. team’s season is now officially over, while the Texans move forward to the divisional playoffs.
In addition to the Texans, the Chiefs — who have a bye week during NFL’s Wild Card weekend after earning the No. 1 seed ranking — are still in the running alongside the Buffalo Bills, the Denver Broncos and the Baltimore Ravens. The Pittsburgh Steelers also lost their Saturday game to the Ravens, eliminating them from playoff contention.
The AFC teams are all fighting for a chance to represent the conference in February’s Super Bowl against the winner of the NFC playoffs.
Super Bowl LIX takes place on Sunday, February 9, at New Orleans’ Caesars Superdome and will feature a halftime performance from Kendrick Lamar.
“I have had periods of my life where I truly believe I was experiencing postpartum [depression],” Kelce, 32, said during the Sunday, January 12, episode of the “Sunday Sports Club” podcast. “I know with Wyatt that I had severe baby blues. We left the hospital and I was like, ‘So, you’re telling me this is mine?’”
She continued, “I always tell people the biggest milestone for me with Wyatt was when she could smile and on purpose, because it showed that there was a connection. Most people will take their baby home and it’s this sensitized social media of, ‘Look at how beautiful my baby is.’ No, my baby cried from the bewitching hour at 8 p.m. until 4 a.m. if I wasn’t holding her or she wasn’t on my boob.”
Kylie welcomed her first child, daughter Wyatt, with husband Jason Kelce in October 2019. They later welcomed daughters Ellie and Bennett in 2021 and 2023, respectively. Kylie is currently pregnant with baby No. 4 — another girl.
While speaking with podcast host Allison Kuch on Sunday’s episode, Kylie joked that she and Wyatt “were not cool” during their first few weeks together.
Wyatt is also Kylie and Jason’s rainbow baby after the field hockey coach said that she previously suffered a pregnancy loss.
“When we were about to have our first [child], my brain immediately [went] to, ‘We’re going to do it, like, there is no wavering here,” Kylie recalled. “That held true because I originally got pregnant the year before and miscarried when I went into our 13-week appointment. I found out I had a missed miscarriage and had to end up having a D&C a few days later.”
Courtesy of Kylie Kelce/Instagram
She added, “I was extremely fortunate [and] I think my body [and I] just weren’t on the same page. My body was like, ‘Oh, sorry, I didn’t know what we were doing.’ In my next full cycle, I got pregnant with Wyatt.”
With Wyatt, Kylie was due to give birth during Jason’s NFL season. (The 37-year-old Super Bowl champ played center for the Philadelphia Eagles for 14 seasons until his retirement in 2024.)
“The most frequent question was, ‘What happens if you go into labor on game day?’” Kylie said. “Well, thank you so much for your concern about me. I am the type of person who’s just like, ‘I’m going to do it.’ So, a conversation I had if I go into labor … [while Jason had a game was], ‘I’m not telling you. I’ll tell you when you’re done. I’m not going to ask you to leave the game.’”
Luckily, Wyatt was born on a Wednesday “with a full induction” in between Jason’s Eagles commitments. He was able to witness his eldest child’s birth and then leave for his next game two days later.
Now that Jason is retired, baby No. 4’s birth will be less stressful.
“It’s significantly less planning, honestly,” Kylie said. “With Wyatt, there were so many conversations with our OBs, who are my saviors. I love them.”
Selling Sunset star Mary Fitzgerald Bonnet apparently was not pleased with the service she received during her recent commercial flight.
“Seriously, [American Airlines] oversold business and I have to go economy even though [I] paid for business,” Fitzgerald Bonnet, 44, claimed via Instagram Story on Saturday, January 11, sharing footage of her seat. “Never again!!!”
Fitzgerald Bonnet also tagged the airlines in her impassioned upload. American has not publicly addressed the reality TV star’s claims. Us Weekly reached out for comment.
Fitzgerald Bonnet was traveling for a business trip, arriving in the Big Apple with her pets and husband Romain Bonnet.
“Everything’s safe, everything’s good,” she said in a follow-up Instagram Story video, seemingly referring to the ongoing and devastating wildfires surrounding the greater Los Angeles area. “Now, I’m going to rest and go do the conference tomorrow. I’ve got some business stuff here, but … it’s always fun [in the city].”
Fitzgerald Bonnet has not further shared an update on her alleged drama with American Airlines.
Amid Fitzgerald Bonnet’s work trip, her home state of California is facing a terrifying string of wildfires that have destroyed thousands of structures in Los Angeles and its surrounding neighborhoods. So far, 16 individuals have died.
Courtesy of Mary Bonnet/Instagram
Alongside her Oppenheim Group bosses, Fitzgerald Bonnet has committed to donating her services to help victims find new rental properties.
“If you’ve lost your home in the Los Angeles fires and you need to find a place to rent until your home is rebuilt, all Oppenheim Group agents will represent you for free or credit you back any commission we receive in the transaction,” boss Jason Oppenheim, wrote in a Thursday, January 9, Instagram post. “Please reach out to us at [email protected].”
Jason, 47, co-owns Oppenheim Group with his twin brother, Brett Oppenheim. Fitzgerald Bonnet, who is one of the agents at the brokerage, commented on Jason’s upload with a series of heart emojis.
Jason also shared a video, explaining why the O Group pledged to support those in need.
“I woke up this morning to a lot of friends and clients reaching out because they lost their homes over the last couple of days and they need help with places to live now,” Jason said. “Their families are displaced and as real estate agents, we obviously have an obligation to help them find a place — even when it’s going to be difficult with thousands of people [are] looking for places and [there are] not nearly as many houses available.”
He further urged all of the city’s realtors to “come together and work hard for the community,” noting, “This is our time to be able to give back.”
“The great @tylerhenrymedium called it! Less than three months ago, on Oct 15th, 2024, Ross [Burningham] and I were on Tyler’s show and guys, he SAW the fire,” Lake, 56, wrote via Instagram on Saturday, January 11. “Praying for all those impacted by this ongoing nightmare, including my new friend, @tylerhenrymedium and @rachaelharris whose homes I hear may be at risk.”
Lake and husband Burningham, 57, were guests on an October 2024 episode of Netflix’s Live From the Other Side With Tyler Henry.
“I urge you to watch it,” Lake concluded on Saturday. “Omg.”
In each episode of the live special, Henry, 28, meets with a different celebrity guest and a panel of their loved ones for a spontaneous reading. During Lake’s segment, he predicted that a fire would take place.
“There might end up being a coincidence where, not only do we lose everything, something,” Henry speculated. “I think this might have already happened. If there was a loss of material objects from both fire and water. It’s too separate things. We’re gonna end up finding there’s a story where there was a house fire or something along those lines; a fire risk. … There’s something about watching water seepage into places it shouldn’t and damaging [pictures].”
Lake’s home was destroyed in the Pacific Palisades wildfire earlier this week.
“1/7/25 The day we lost our home. ,” she wrote via Instagram several days later on Thursday, January 9. “Timeline of our efforts to save our beloved home in Malibu: 11:24 am early signs of smoke in Temescal Canyon, 11:54 am setting up our fire defense system, 4:10 pm Ross hosing down our neighbor’s palm tree (baller move), 6:17 pm Ross attempting to siphon gas for the fire defense system motor. (Even bigger baller move, though it didn’t work.) , 6:55 do we stay or do we go?”
Less than two hours later, Lake and her husband “surrendered [their] efforts” and evacuated the area.
“Grateful to have made it out alive and uninjured. Forever grateful to @kirbykotler_ our absolute angel,” Lake wrote on Thursday. “He did everything to try to save our precious property. No doubt had we stayed, we would not have survived. Sharing for all who have been asking. Thank you for the love and well wishes.”
She concluded, “Again, please pray for those impacted by this catastrophic event and help if you are able.”
After remembering Henry’s prediction and sharing it on social media, it also struck Live From the Other Side cohost Amanda Kloots.
“This is WILD,” Kloots, 42, wrote via Instagram Story on Saturday. “@RickiLake losing her home in a fire in October on our show Live From the Other Side.”
“This image hits me hard in the heart today. This is a photo taken of my front porch in 2018 after losing our house in the Woolsey fires,” Cyrus, 32, wrote in a social media message on Saturday, January 11, sharing a picture of the rubble. “It’s a feeling you don’t ever forget. Walking up to the door you would pass through daily, looking forward to being greeted by the ones you love like you always do but instead being met by a pile of ash and rubble.”
Cyrus continued, “My soul aches for those who are experiencing this devestation [sic] firsthand and I cry for my city. It’s beyond heartbreaking. Los Angeles represents ‘living the dream’ but the reality today is wreckage and destruction.”
The Grammy winner also shared a link to the Malibu Foundation, a nonprofit that helps victims rebuild after wildfires, and a handful of other GoFundMe campaigns for specific victims.
“Time, resources and dedication from inside and outside of our community will heal us, but it hurts deeply for now,” Cyrus concluded her Saturday note.
A string of wildfires broke out in Los Angeles on Tuesday, January 7, rapidly devastating thousands of acres of property across surrounding neighborhoods. Many celebrities and other residents have lost their homes to the blaze. Others, meanwhile, left the city limits following mandatory or voluntary evacuation orders.
It is not publicly known whether Cyrus’ current residence was affected by the ongoing natural disaster, but one of her previous houses was burnt to the ground in a 2018 fire. At the time, Cyrus was married to actor Liam Hemsworth. (Cyrus and Hemsworth, 34, split in 2019, finalizing their divorce the next year.)
Courtesy of Miley Cyrus/Instagram
“It’s been a heartbreaking few days. This is what’s left of my house. Love,” Hemsworth wrote via Instagram in November 2018, sharing an image of their front porch and a “Love” sign. “Many people in Malibu and surrounding areas in California have lost their homes also and my heart goes out to everyone who was affected by these fires.”
He continued at the time, “Malibu is a strong community and this event is only going to make it stronger. Thankful for all the great local guys [who] helped keep smaller fires out around my property. I love u guys. I love you, Malibu. Thank you to all the hero firefighters around California.”
Cyrus and Hemsworth had evacuated with their menagerie of pets.
“My brother Luke called and said, ‘Get ready, they’re going to issue an evacuation.’ The whole time that I was packing up these animals, I had moments where I’m like, ‘It’s not going to get this far; this is a waste of time, and my house isn’t going to burn down,’” Hemsworth recalled to Men’s Health in a 2020 profile. “And, of course, it did burn down, and it was a s—-y thing to live through.”
While the then-couple and their animals were all safe, he added to the outlet that “pretty much everything” left in the house was “replaceable to a point.”
Three years later, Cyrus appeared to reference their relationship and the fire in her Grammy-winning 2023 single, “Flowers.”
“We were right ’til we weren’t / Built a home and watched it burn,” she sings in the opening stanza. “Mm, I didn’t wanna leave you / I didn’t wanna lie / Started to cry, but then remembered / I can buy myself flowers.”
Cyrus and Hemsworth have since moved on with Maxx Morando and Gabriella Brooks, respectively.
“I think, today, the biggest financial mistake people make is that they spend more than they can make, and that’s it,” Rancic, 53, exclusively told Us while discussing his new “Dollar Bill” podcast. “I always go back to what my father told me. ‘It’s not how much money you make, it’s how much money you save.’ So, you have to be a disciplined saver, even if it’s $10, $20, $50 a week — whatever it is, get in that habit. Don’t ever not do it, and you’ll be shocked at what happens in 20 or 30 years from now.”
Rancic is best known as the original winner of The Apprentice. After his reality television success in 2004, Rancic went on to launch a string of successful businesses, including the RPM restaurant chain with his wife, Giuliana Rancic. Bill’s latest venture is his “Dollar Bill” podcast, which further delves into the world of finance.
In terms of his savings tips, he gave Us further clarification on how to keep assets safe and secure.
“The money you save is really going to be up to you and [you should] find a good financial advisor,” Bill told Us. “[It should be] someone who can give you guidance on how you should invest it, but it definitely should be going to work for you.”
Bill also explained why individuals should “never sell anything unless [they] have to.”
“It depends on what it is,” he noted. “If it’s a depreciating asset, you should sell it. If it’s something like real estate, investment property [or] something that God isn’t making any more of, you want to keep it and pass it down from generation to generation, if you can.”
Bill RancicUs Weekly
In fact, Bill believes that financial health is “just as important” as a person’s physical health, going on to add that he believes the two are actually linked.
“When you’re financially stressed, it causes stress on your body and if you look at a number one cause for divorce, it’s money,” he told Us. “Money, in many cases, is very troublesome for people and it causes them a lot of pain and suffering. So, you have to have good financial health in order to have a healthy life, a healthy marriage [or] a healthy family.”
“One is [to] embrace a term called ‘practical execution,’ which essentially means stop talking, start doing — actions speak louder than words,” Bill said. “Secondly, you have to be agile. You have to adapt, adjust, react, and if you’re not agile, you become extinct. And thirdly, it’s about risk. It’s about understanding risk, respecting risk, and converting risk into success.”
For more of Bill’s financial words of wisdom, watch the video above.
“If you’ve lost your home in the Los Angeles fires and you need to find a place to rent until your home is rebuilt, all Oppenheim Group agents will represent you for free or credit you back any commission we receive in the transaction,” the Selling Sunset star, 47, wrote in a Thursday, January 9, Instagram post. “Please reach out to us at [email protected].”
Jason co-owns his agency with twin brother Brett Oppenheim, further explaining his new pro bono mission in an uploaded video.
“I woke up this morning to a lot of friends and clients reaching out because they lost their homes over the last couple of days and they need help with places to live now,” Jason said. “Their families are displaced and as real estate agents, we obviously have an obligation to help them find a place — even when it’s going to be difficult with thousands of people [are] looking for places and [there are] not nearly as many houses available.”
“This is our time to be able to give back,” the Netflix personality stated. “Everyone stay safe, thanks.”
Several of Jason’s employees reiterated their willingness to help in the comments section, including Alexandra Jarvis, Davina Potratz, Mary Fitzgerald Bonnet, Polly Brindle and Chrishell Stause.
“We are ready to help down in OC! ,” Selling the OC’s Brindle, 38, replied, while Fitzgerald Bonnet, 44, sent a flurry of heart emojis.
A string of wildfires broke out in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood and the surrounding Los Angeles area on Tuesday, January 7, causing mass devastation. As of publication, 11 people have died as the fires have burned more than 37,000 acres of land. In addition, more than 12,000 structures have reportedly been destroyed and tens of thousands of residents have been forced to flee their homes under mandatory or voluntary evacuation orders.
As the wildfires continue to tear across the L.A. area, many of the victims are starting to figure out their next steps. Jason, for his part, lamented the subsequent real estate struggles he faced on Friday, January 10.
“I’ve been searching on the MLS [directory] trying to help displaced families from the fires find rental properties,” he said in an Instagram Story video. “I’m noticing dozens of examples of people trying to do things like this, where they’re unable to get $9,500 or even $9,000 and then yesterday increase the rent over 30 percent to $12,000.”
While Jason noted he “is all for free market capitalism,” he claimed that at this time it is “blatantly taking advantage” of the natural disaster. Stause, 43, concurred with her boss, whom she previously dated in 2021.
“This is disgusting,” Stause wrote via her Instagram Stories. “Other realtors that have a moral compass, let’s please report to the board.”
The first round of the NFL postseason kicks off this weekend with Wild Card Playoffs in both the AFC and the NFC conferences — but the reigning Super Bowl champs will not be playing a game.
The Kansas City Chiefs clinched the No. 1 seed in the AFC following their 2024 Christmas victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“I thought it was a full-team performance. Defense stepped up, offense stepped up [and] everyone had their imprint on the game,” quarterback Patrick Mahomes told reporters after the game. “I told my pregnant wife [Brittany Mahomes] I was going to get the No. 1 seed, so we can have the baby.”
The No. 1 seed pick does not have to play in a Wild Card game. (Meaning in the NFC, the Detroit Lions also have a bye week.) The other top seven teams in the conference will take the field, while the Chiefs and the Lions get what is best described as a hard-earned day off. For Patrick, it is also when his wife is due to give birth to their third baby.
The Chiefs will play the winner of one of the Wild Card games later this month in a divisional playoff round. The divisional winners eventually face off in an attempt to advance to the conference championship, which, of course, determines the NFC and AFC teams that will play in the 2025 Super Bowl.
Super Bowl LIX will be held in New Orleans on Sunday, February 9, and the Chiefs are hoping to make history and win a third consecutive Lombardi trophy.
Matthew Stockman/Getty Images
“To win one is extremely difficult, to win two back-to-back like the Chiefs have done — as we know in the history of the sport — nearly impossible,” retired quarterback Tom Brady said during a September 2024 Fox Sports broadcast. “To win three in a row? There is a reason why no one has done it. To put three of those together … with drafting last, a very hard schedule, all the turnover in free agency, guys continuing to be motivated, it is a big challenge.”
Brady, 47, added, “Fortunately, they have a tremendous coach in Andy Reid [who] doesn’t ever look backward. He is not going to say, ‘Hey, because we were great last year, we’re going to be great again this year.’ He holds those guys accountable. But to win it all again is a momentous task.”
During the last regular season game and head of the divisional round, Reid made the decision to sit out a number of top starters including Patrick, 29, Travis Kelce, Chris Jones and more. Backup quarterback Carson Wentz started the January 5 away game against the Denver Broncos that ultimately ended in a 38-0 Chiefs’ loss, eliminating the Cincinnati Bengals and the Miami Dolphins from the playoffs.
Not every NFL athlete is signing a multimillion-dollar contract to play pro football, leaving their families to supplement their income elsewhere.
“I’ll just set the record straight: We have multiple sources of income that we’ve built over the past seven years,” Allison Kuch, who is married to free agentIsaac Rochell, said on a November 2023 episode of her “Sunday Sports Club” podcast. “Also, if you’re in the NFL for seven years and you need to immediately get a job the second you’re cut, something’s not adding up.”
Kuch and Rochell, who welcomed daughter Scottie in December 2023, don’t just rely on his NFL salary — especially while he remains unsigned. They also have her podcast, his Husband PSA merchandise and various other social media deals and endorsements that contribute to their family’s income.
Jason Kelce, meanwhile, played all 14 seasons of his NFL career with the Philadelphia Eagles before retiring in March 2024. He also is an ESPN broadcaster and cohosts a “New Heights” podcast with brother Travis Kelce. While the podcast was recently sold to Wondery for millions, Jason and wife Kylie Kelce still keep their home life relatively humble. (They share three daughters, and as of November 2024, are expecting baby No. 4.)
“We make sure that anything that we’re doing that they feel supported by their family and friends and then also not really putting them in any places of privilege,” Kylie exclusively told Us Weekly in June 2024. “[We’re] trying our best to make sure that when they grow up and they turn 16, they will be driving a [used vehicle]. We can’t let them have a hand-me-down car at this point. You’re not getting dad’s [Tesla] CyberTruck as your hand-me-down. You will be driving a basic model, hopefully, having to roll the windows down with a crank.”
Keep scrolling for more about the behind-the-scenes realities of the NFL and the stars’ finances:
Salary Talk
Courtesy of Bryce Watts/Instagram
Despite players like Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott and Aaron Rodgers raking in the big bucks, not all NFL contracts are created equal. Retired athlete Chad Hansen’s wife, Bryce Watts Hansen, shut down the claims that “all NFL players are millionaires” in a series of December 2024 TikTok videos.
In fact, Bryce said that the couple lives in a 700-square-foot apartment with the same beat-up couch they’ve kept since he signed his rookie contract with the New York Jets.
“He was on eight different NFL teams, which means eight different contracts are being signed and broken,” she explained in a video. “When you’re on a team, it is good money — no matter [if you’re on a] practice squad or active roster, it is all good money.”
She added, “But since contracts aren’t guaranteed … [once you are cut] you get nothing, especially if you sign at the beginning of the offseason and then you’re cut during the offseason. You’re not seeing any of that money because you haven’t played again and again, you haven’t gone to practice.”
According to Bryce, they also spent most of his paychecks on the costs associated with moving between teams, and in addition to doctor appointments and other necessary expenses.
“The costs really do start adding up, so you have to [decide], ‘We’re not gonna buy new furniture, we’d rather spend it on something for his body or a recovery tool,’” Bryce added. “It ended up helping us and helping him.”
Dealing With Insurance
Courtesy of Allison Kuch/Instagram
Like any employer, the NFL offers insurance to active players in the league.
“They don’t even get lifetime insurance,” Kuch said in a July 2024 TikTok video. “Some players who only play one game, I get it, but Tom Brady? He’s only insured for another four years.”
Kuch is on Rochell’s plan, which “restarts” any time he signs with a new team.
“Last year, because my husband was employed by the Las Vegas Raiders, he got insurance for the full employment year,” she said. “Since that employment year is up, we get insurance for another five years. Every year my husband continues to play, it restarts another five years.”
So, even though Rochell was cut from the Raiders weeks before Kuch gave birth, her delivery bill was still covered by their insurance provider.
According to Bryce, the athletes don’t get to keep their jerseys without paying for them. She revealed in another December 2024 TikTok that Chad only purchased helmets for two of the eight teams he played for during his career.
“I think the jerseys can be up to $600 or something like that, so when [athletes] swap after the game, you have to pay for it,” she said. “He wished he bought a helmet for a few more, but when you’re cut the last thing you want to do is buy a helmet that’s a couple hundred dollars.”
Providing Game Day Tickets
While many NFL wives and their kids are staples at the football games, it’s not always easy to secure tickets.
“NFL tickets are not free, even if your husband or boyfriend is on the team,” Bryce said in a third December 2024 TikTok video. “They get a set amount and they have to get them transferred from another player if they don’t get enough for family members — but they also pay tax.”
According to Bryce, the tickets are scattered around the stadium in different sections next to other fans.
“You don’t get some ‘primo’ front-row seat,” she explained. “Also, when you see people in the box? Even the big players? They pay for them. They paid for those boxes, they don’t get them for free.”
Travis Kelce, for his part, spent upwards of $3 million for a box at the 2024 Super Bowl for girlfriend Taylor Swift, both of their families and a slew of famous friends. The big game was played at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium, which also has a “Field Club” right on the sidelines complete with tables and bottle service.
“It’s a crazy amount of money to get one of those booths in the Field Club,” Kylie Cole, who is married to Raiders punter AJ Cole, said on Kuch’s podcast in October 2024, confirming the seats sell for approximately $30,000 per table.
Over in Los Angeles, Kelly Stafford has needed to pay for a suite to accommodate her and Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford’s four daughters.
“There’s this section in the suite where the food is and you can sit and have a cocktail or something to eat, and my kids are sitting there coloring,” Kelly said on her “Morning After” podcast in October 2024. “I’m going, ‘Hey, there’s a reason I bring you to these games. To be honest, this is a wasted ticket. You could do this at home, watch on TV and color.’”
Kelly added, “As much as I really want them to be there because I know their dad wants them there, I’m also like, am I wasting money bringing you to these games?”
All Sorts of Fines
Courtesy of Chanen Johnson/Instagram
Many athletes have also needed to allocate part of their salaries to paying off league debts.
“You can get fined for a lot of different things in the NFL,” Saints star Juwan Johnson’s wife, Chanen Johnson, said in an October 2024 TikTok video. “The fines come from either the NFL itself or from your team specifically, like if you’re late to a practice or you’re late to a meeting … or do something in a game that’s bad.”
According to Channel, Juwan has only been fined for “failing a weight test” for $2,000 throughout his five-year NFL career.
The year before, Rochell revealed on his TikTok that in his rookie year with the Los Angeles Chargers he was fined $30,000 for a tackle mid-game.
“Everyone in the NFL knows if you have a FedEx package in your locker, you’re getting fined,” Rochell quipped. “You’re paying somebody. I opened it up, and sure enough, it’s $30,000. Keep in mind, at that point I was making $500 a week during training camp, so this was far more than I even made in training camp.”
“For wives, for sure, [there’s a hierarchy]. It has varied team to team, but if you think of any group of 53 girls in a room, you’re not gonna get along with every single one of them,” Kuch said on “The Viall Files” podcast in August 2024. “You’re gonna gravitate toward different girls, whatever. There have been teams that [Isaac] has played for, where girls won’t give you the time of day unless your husband has a certain contract size or if he’s a veteran.”
Rochell, for his part, stated that the same hierarchy exists in the locker room too, but “it’s not as bad.”
“I think guys are chill,” he said. “But there’s such a difference in how much people make that it’s hard not to have that [be a thing]. Your teammate could be making 30 times what you make. If you got a guy who’s making $4 million a game and then me — remember [I made] $7,000 every two weeks — he doesn’t care about me. There’s no way. If he’s really worried about winning, he’s not worried about Isaac on [the] practice squad [in] his rookie year.”
Christina HaackCourtesy of Christina Haack/Instagram
Christina Haack has a new man in her life amid her divorce, Us Weekly can confirm.
Haack, 41, recently started dating Christopher LaRocca, who is the CEO of Network Connex in Orange County, California.
According to the Daily Mail, Haack and LaRocca were spotted on a joint trip to Italy in October 2024 via since-deleted Instagram photos posted by Ferrari of Newport Beach. The outlet also obtained footage of the pair together at influencer Amy Sexton’s holiday party in Laguna Beach last month.
Neither Haack nor LaRocca have publicly addressed their reported romance.
The HGTV star was last married to Josh Hall for two years before they both filed for divorce in July 2024. (It was Haack’s third marriage as she was previously married to Tarek El Moussa and Ant Anstead, respectively.)
In the most recentUs Weekly cover story, Haack exclusively revealed whether she would ever tie the knot again and for a fourth time.
“I’ll always love love,” she gushed to Us. “I probably will [get married again] eventually. But, not anytime soon.”
According to Haack, she would need to “be engaged for a minimum of, like, five years” before she would consider walking down the aisle once more.
Elsewhere in her joint cover story with Tarek and his wife, Heather Rae El Moussa, Haack detailed her mindset amid the divorce.
“I’ve been very busy, which is probably a blessing,” she told Us. “It’s really been a big growth period.”
Haack costars with Tarek, 43, and Heather, 37, on HGTV’s The Flip Off, where she competes against the El Moussas in rival renovation projects. Hall, 44, was slated to be a part of Haack’s team but was later cut from the program amid their divorce. (TheFlip Off premieres on Wednesday, January 29.)
“This isn’t Josh’s show. No one’s going to miss that he’s not in it,” Haack told Us. “Josh is not a TV host, he’s not a house flipper, he’s not a designer. He was just my husband in it. With Tarek, we built everything together, and I still have respect for him. I have no respect for Josh.”
Hall has also allegedly moved on, with a source exclusively telling Us that is dating Nashville-based model Stephanie Gabrys.
“Josh met someone wonderful in Nashville, and they have been happily dating for some time,” a source told Us. “Josh wasn’t trying to date, but he met someone, and it was a perfect match.”
Per the insider, Hall hasn’t “made a show” of his new romance but it’s not “a secret.”
“Josh is just low-key,” the source added. “He is very happy with his life and looking forward to 2025 and what’s on the horizon. This is the happiest he’s been in some time.”
Stephen “tWitch” Boss’ 2022 funeral reportedly sparked family tensions over the use of nondisclosure agreements.
Two years after Boss died by suicide at the age of 40, several of his relatives and friends claimed that widowAllison Holker allegedly forced them to sign NDA documents in order to attend the service.
“We all had to sign some weird NDA to attend his funeral — even his own mother who you’ve treated like garbage this entire time,” So You Think You Can Dance alum Courtney Platt, who competed alongside Boss on season 4 before they both returned as All-Stars in season 7 alongside Holker, alleged via Instagram earlier this week. “Let’s just remember you wouldn’t have even had a husband if it wasn’t for her.”
Holker’s daughter Weslie, 16, responded to Platt’s claims, asserting that there was more to the story and explaining why the NDAs were requested in the first place.
“Y’all love to argue about the NDAs,” Weslie said in a Friday, January 10, Instagram video. “But in one day, we had an open casket viewing for Stephen. We had a funeral, and then we had a week, and my mom asked for NDAs to be signed when we were seeing Stephen’s body because God forbid somebody that went to that took a photo of Stephen and put it on the internet or shared it with somebody else. That’s the type of thing that NDAs are for. It’s not so you can never talk about Stephen.”
Weslie further praised Holker, 36, for deciding to ask family members and friends to sign NDAs prior to the service.
“NDAs are so important, and if you guys don’t agree, that’s cool,” she added. “I’m grateful for my mom making sure that everybody signed NDAs, and she put up that rule.”
Stephen “tWitch” Boss and Allison HolkerMichael Rowe/Getty Images
According to Weslie, her mom was ultimately “lenient” with the NDA request that allegedly allowed Boss’ loved ones to attend the funeral.
“She understands at the end of the day, like, this is family,” Weslie said. “So y’all want to disrespect her [while] she’s still nice, she’s still kind, she’s still forgiving, but you have to know, like, even when Stephen was alive people that attended our events, they would have to sign NDAs. But now, just because it’s my mom handing the paper, it’s different.”
She added, “That whole day was supposed to be beautiful, and instead, it was less than that. We were gonna say our goodbyes, and instead, people were yelling at each other and bashing my mom and, like, that’s a day that’s taken away from her. She can’t remember it as being the day that we all wanted to be because his family was making it otherwise.”
Boss is survived by his parents, siblings, Holker and their children. In addition to Weslie, the two dancers shared Maddox, 8, and Zaia, 5. (Weslie is Holker’s daughter from a previous relationship, claiming on Friday that Boss never legally adopted her despite “literally raising” her since she was a toddler.)
Holker recently wrote her This Far memoir about her life and marriage to Boss, which prompted online criticism that she publicly disclosed Boss’ addiction struggles and excerpted his personal diary entries. Members of Boss’ family and other friends condemned Holker for allegedly trying to profit off his death, but she denied the claims and explained that she only wanted to further shine a spotlight on the prevalence and danger of substance abuse and mental health issues.
Weslie also denounced the accusations that her mom is “money hungry” or seeking “more fame.”
“That’s not how my mom is. Trust me when I say my mom is good — she doesn’t need [money],” Weslie stated. “It’s just disappointing. … My mom’s made her efforts [with his family]. She’s tried for as long as she could, but this is the kind of turning point where it’s like, this stops like, it’s beyond, just like, trying to maintain a relationship now it’s like y’all burn bridges and literally it’s OK.”
Paul Feig, Blake LivelyMichael Kovac/Getty Images ; Jeff Spicer/Getty Images
Blake Lively’s upcomingA Simple Favor 2 hasn’t been canceled amid her ongoing legal battle, according to the film’s director.
Paul Feig responded to online rumors on Friday, January 10, that film studio Amazon decided to shelve the project indefinitely as a result of Lively’s lawsuit against her It Ends With Us costar Justin Baldoni.
“This is total BS. Sorry. The movie is finished and coming out soon,” Feig, 62, wrote via X. “Don’t believe anything you read on social media these days.”
In a follow-up post, Feig praised Lively and costar Anna Kendrick for their work on the project.
“The movie is awesome, and Blake and Anna turn in amazing performances,” he gushed. “I can’t wait for you all to see it. Stay tuned for more details. Simple Favor 2 is coming soon!”
Feig directed Lively, 37, and Kendrick, 39, in 2018’s A Simple Favor about a single mommy vlogger named Stephanie who investigates the mysterious disappearance of her friend Emily. Kendrick portrays Stephanie opposite Lively’s Emily.
Nearly six years later in 2024, Lively and Kendrick reunited to film the upcoming sequel. That same year, Lively also worked with Baldoni, 40, on the adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s It Ends With Us. (Baldoni also served as the film’s director, while Lively was an executive producer.)
Lively sued Baldoni in December 2024 for alleged sexual harassment, claiming the Jane the Virgin alum fostered a “hostile work environment” on the set of the summer blockbuster. She also claimed that Baldoni attempted to launch an alleged “social manipulation” campaign to destroy her career and reputation. Baldoni has vehemently denied the accusations and subsequently filed a $250 million lawsuit against the New York Times for their report outlining Lively’s claims.
“In this vicious smear campaign fully orchestrated by Blake Lively and her team, the New York Times cowered to the wants and whims of two powerful ‘untouchable’ Hollywood elites, disregarding journalistic practices and ethics once befitting of the revered publication by using doctored and manipulated texts and intentionally omitting texts which dispute their chosen PR narrative,” Baldoni’s lawyer Bryan Freedman said in a statement last month. “In doing so, they pre-determined the outcome of their story and aided and abetted their own devastating PR smear campaign designed to revitalize Lively’s self-induced floundering public image and counter the organic groundswell of criticism amongst the online public. The irony is rich.”
“This lawsuit is based on the obviously false premise that Ms. Lively’s administrative complaint against Wayfarer and others was a ruse based on a choice not to file a lawsuit against Baldoni, Wayfarer, and that litigation was never her ultimate goal,” the actress told Us Weekly in a statement.
The Duggar family celebrated the birth of their 34th and 35th grandchildren after Jed Duggar welcomed newborn twins with wife Katey Duggar.
“They’re here!! Introducing Elsie Kate and Emma Kate,” Katey wrote via Instagram on January 9. “Both girls are healthy and beautiful!”
Jed and Katey, who have been married since 2021, also share eldest children Truett and Nora.
The Duggars aren’t the only stars “counting on” this year. Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence’s wife, Marissa Lawrence, gave birth to daughter Shae in January.
“Mommy and daddy love you so much,” Marissa gushed via Instagram, introducing her daughter. “Thank you Jesus for our girl!!”
The Lawrences were high school sweethearts, who first met in fifth grade. After three years of marriage, Marissa announced she was expecting baby No. 1.
Keep scrolling to see which other stars welcomed babies in 2025:
The former UFC star and pro wrestler gave birth to her second child, daughter Liko’ula Pā’ūomahinakaipiha, in January.
“Our little girl came into this world during a windstorm into a city on fire, so grateful she made it safe and sound,” Rousey wrote via Instagram on January 9.
The couple also share eldest daughter La’akea Makalapuaokalanipō.
The newborn Duggar twins were born seven minutes apart on January 8. Elsie is the oldest twin.
“Both girls are healthy and beautiful,” an Instagram announcement read.
The Botched star and his wife welcomed their second baby together, son Paul Jr., on January 9.
“Mother and son are safe and sound; our hearts have never been fuller,” the plastic surgeon wrote via Instagram one day later. “Our family is complete and we’re so excited to begin this new chapter together. Thank you for all of the love, prayers and well wishes. We’ll keep you all posted!”
Paul and Brittany also share daughter Paulina. Paul also shares adult sons Gavin, Colin and Christian with ex-wife Adrienne Maloof.
“My stepdad’s been gone for two years and I’m still getting hate comments,” Weslie, 16, said in a Friday, January 10, Instagram video. “It’s just complicated and for no reason. It’s not just a social media gig; this is literally my life. I’m so sick of getting hate comments and seeing my mom get hate for literally losing the person that she loves and I have siblings. This is their dad — this is who they’re gonna grow up and they’re gonna see all this on social media that’s so hurtful.”
Holker, 36, was married to Boss from 2013 to 2022, when he died by suicide at age 40. In addition to Weslie, they shared son Maddox, 8, and daughter Zaia, 5. (According to Weslie, she was never legally adopted by Boss, though she says he “literally raised” her.)
“I get that my relationship with Stephen seems complicated, but this man raised me my entire life — since I was 1,” Weslie explained. “I have a biological dad [and] I have a relationship with him, but Stephen was the person that raised me. He literally raised me and it’s hurtful to see… so many new stories. It’s so much more complicated and I don’t know how to explain it well.”
She added, “This is my dad, this is not, like, a joke to me. For 13 years, my parents were together, and for 13 years he was the person that I would go to about everything. He’s the person that I would cry to. He would wake me up every morning, we’d get breakfast and he was the person I’d see when he’d get home from work. We lived in the same four walls and now I’m getting hate for him leaving — and I don’t get it. It’s hurtful.”
Holker’s upcoming memoir, set to be released later this year, has made waves amongst Boss’ family and friends. After Peoplepublished an interview with Holker regarding her book, many members of his family slammed the Dancing With the Stars alum for writing about Boss’ alleged addiction struggles and publishing his private journals. Holker, meanwhile, has denounced the accusations and stated that her “only intention” is to raise awareness for those with similar substance abuse and mental health issues. She also says she plans to donate all book proceeds to a nonprofit founded in Boss’ honor.
“I see people saying it’s not my place because I’m not his biological daughter, but he never made me feel like anything besides his daughter — and I think that speaks to who he was,” Weslie said of her decision to speak out in the wake of the online backlash and criticism towards her mother. “Nobody’s sitting up here trying to bash him, like, he was a good person.”
She continued, “I’m still trying to be respectful to everybody. I’m just so over, for instance, his family, everyone’s headlining now — and these are big players in my life and big players in my siblings’ life and my mom’s life. These are all people I’ve grown up with. And to see them now … it’s like, I don’t know. I’m trying to be respectful but it’s complicated because I speak to Stephen’s mom weekly at some point.”
Weslie HolkerCourtesy of Weslie Holker/Instagram
According to Weslie, she would only see Boss’ family “once or twice a year” while he was still alive.
“But, you guys have to understand that it’s because they live in another state and we literally live in another state,” she explained. “It’s not, like, we’re neighbors. It’s not, like, we could just see them whenever we wanted, and now my mom’s constantly making the effort so the kids are a part of their lives. I don’t make the effort, but that’s just how I am.”
Weslie now claims that she feels “disrespected by them” and no longer wants to be in communication.
“They’ve gone on social media saying that ‘Blood’s thicker than water,’ and that’s a direct [hit to] me and my mom,” she alleged. “And if you don’t see me as Stephen’s daughter, that’s cool, take it how you want. I know for a fact that’s never how he saw it, and it’s literally just hurtful. … I’ve slowly started to remove myself from [them] because they don’t make me feel comfortable, and my mom’s the one making the effort and feeling like it’s a need and a necessity to see them because she cares.”
Boss’ family also claimed that Holker made everyone sign a nondisclosure agreement before attending his 2022 funeral service.
“Y’all love to argue about the NDAs,” Weslie explained. “But in one day, we had an open casket, like, viewing for Stephen. We had a funeral, and then we had a week, and my mom asked for NDAs to be signed when we were seeing Stephen’s body because God forbid somebody that went to that took a photo of Stephen and put it on the internet or shared it with somebody else. That’s the type of thing that NDAs are for. It’s not so you can never talk about Stephen.”
Weslie added, “I’m fed up because NDAs are so important, and if you guys don’t agree, that’s cool. I’m grateful for my mom making sure that everybody signed NDAs, and she put up that rule.”
Holker was apparently “lenient” with her NDA request, according to the teenager.
“She understands at the end of the day, like, this is family,” Weslie stated. “So y’all want to disrespect her [while] she’s still nice, she’s still kind, she’s still forgiving, but you have to know, like, even when Stephen was alive people that attended our events, they would have to sign NDAs. But now, just because it’s my mom handing the paper, it’s different and it’s just annoying. Like, for that whole day was supposed to be beautiful, and instead, it was less than that. We were gonna say our goodbyes, and instead, people were yelling at each other and bashing my mom and, like, that’s a day that’s taken away from her — she can’t remember it as being the day that we all wanted to be because his family was making it otherwise.”
Weslie Holker and Alison HolkerAnna Webber/Getty Images
Weslie further denounced claims that Holker is “money hungry” or seeking “more fame.”
“That’s not how my mom is. Trust me when I say my mom is good — she doesn’t need [money],” Weslie said. “It’s just disappointing. … My mom’s made her efforts [with his family]. She’s tried for as long as she could, but this is the kind of turning point where it’s like, this stops like, it’s beyond, just like, trying to maintain a relationship now it’s like y’all burn bridges and literally it’s OK.”
Weslie further implored her followers to “leave the family alone.”
“I’m not a person to sit up here and cry. I’m not going to be here and get emotional. But like, y’all could not just leave somebody passing away and leave the family alone?” she said. “Like, Oh my gosh, you guys just have to add to it for what, like, I don’t know, and it’s just it’s disappointing because if all of you say that you held him in such high regard, like, this is not the type of family dynamic we had and whatever y’all want to push on social media, like, I’m gonna grow up seeing it like my siblings are gonna grow up seeing it. Also, they’re gonna have to form their own opinion of who their dad was and we only speak about him in such a beautiful light. I loved him. I have nothing negative to say about him.”
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.
“It is with great sadness that I have to announce the death of my beautiful son @Rorysykes to the Malibu fires yesterday. I’m totally heartbroken,” Rory’s mother, author Shelley Sykes, wrote via X on Thursday, January 9. “[He was a] British-born Australian living in America, a wonderful son, a gift born on mine and his grandma’s birthday 29 July 92.”
Rory, who was best known for his childhood role on England’s Kiddy Kapers series, lived in Los Angeles and worked as a humanitarian, author and motivation speaker. According to Shelley, 62, he “had his own cottage” on their family’s 17-acre Mount Malibu estate.
Shelley further noted in her X tribute that Rory’s house “burnt down” on Wednesday, January 8, in the wildfires.
“I couldn’t put out the cinders on his roof with a hose because the water was switched off by @LVMWD Las Virgenes Municipal Water,” Shelley claimed. “Even the 50 brave firefighters had no water all day! He will be incredibly missed by [his] mama, his pet peacocks Edgee & Mickie and all his online fans around the world!”
A string of wind-induced wildfires broke out on Tuesday, January 7, devastating buildings across the Pacific Palisades neighborhood in Los Angeles. In addition, many locals left the city limits following mandatory or voluntary evacuation orders.
“He said ‘Mum, leave me’ and no mum could leave their kid. I’ve got a broken arm, I couldn’t lift him, I couldn’t move him,” Shelley told local Australian outlet 10 News, noting she drove to a local fire station for assistance. “When the fire department brought me back, his cottage was burnt to the ground.”
Many celebrities lost their homes to the blaze, like Rory’s self-contained house on his family estate. Per the author’s social media obituary, Rory’s cottage was “decked out with all the latest Apple gadgets” that were also lost in the fire.
“[Rory] was the founder with me of @happycharity a true humanitarian. He saw himself as the number one fan of @Apple & @tim_cook and most importantly an avid @RuneScape gamer,” Shelley continued in her X statement, adding that her son was “born blind with cerebral palsy and had difficulty walking.”
She continued, “He overcame so much with surgeries and therapies to regain his sight & to be able to learn to walk. Despite the pain, he still enthused about traveling the world with me from Africa to Antarctica.”
Rory had also overcome his disabilities to have a career as an author and motivational speaker.
“@rorysykes was a sought-after inspirational speaker for @TonyRobbins when he was only 8 years old,” Shelley added. “@CallumsCure book first published by @simonschuster in Australia was about his courage.”
McMahon confirmed in June 2022 that he was resigning from his post while the company investigated misconduct claims against him.
“I have pledged my complete cooperation to the investigation by the Special Committee, and I will do everything possible to support the investigation,” he said in a statement at the time. “I have also pledged to accept the findings and outcome of the investigation, whatever they are.”
Several hours later, McMahon opened SmackDown Live with great fanfare. “It is a privilege as always to stand before you here tonight, the WWE universe,” he said during the June 17, 2022, broadcast. “I’m here simply to remind you of the four words we just saw in what we call our WWE signature. Those four words are: then, now, forever, and the most important word is together. Welcome to SmackDown!”
Amid McMahon’s exit from the WWE executive suite, federal law enforcement officials have continued investigating the allegations. The former pro athlete has not yet been charged with a crime.
Nearly two years later, McMahon faced a second misconduct scandal when a former WWE employee accused him of sexual assault, trafficking and abuse in a January 2024 lawsuit. He denied all claims before resigning from WWE’s parent company, TKO Group.
Keep reading for a breakdown of McMahon’s misconduct scandal:
What Was Vince McMahon Accused of?
Days before McMahon stepped down from his WWE position, the Wall Street Journalreported that he paid a $3 million settlement to a former employee after an alleged affair. He has not publicly addressed the allegations.
In January 2024, former WWE staffer Janel Grant accused McMahon of sexual assault, trafficking and abuse in a lawsuit.
How Did Vince McMahon React to the Scandal?
Vince McMahonDave Allocca/Starpix/Shutterstock
McMahon left his position as CEO and Chairman of the board in June 2022, pledging in a statement to cooperate with the ongoing investigation and “accept the findings and outcome.” He ultimately returned as a board member six months later in January 2023, agreeing to reimburse WWE for any expenses pertaining to the investigation. According to an SEC statement the following August, McMahon has since paid approximately $17.4 million to cover the costs.
Regarding the 2024 lawsuit, McMahon vehemently denied all claims.
“This lawsuit is replete with lies, obscene made-up instances that never occurred, and a vindictive distortion of the truth. He will vigorously defend himself,” a spokesperson for McMahon told Us Weekly in a statement.
Who Replaced Vince McMahon as the CEO of WWE?
McMahon’s daughter, Stephanie McMahon, was appointed interim CEO and Chairwoman in her father’s absence.
“I love this company and am committed to working with the Independent Directors to strengthen our culture and our Company; it is extremely important to me that we have a safe and collaborative workplace,” Stephanie said in a statement at the time. “I have committed to doing everything in my power to help the Special Committee complete its work, including marshaling the cooperation of the entire company to assist in the completion of the investigation and to implement its findings.”
Is Vince McMahon Still Involved in WWE Operations?
Chief Creative Officer Triple H (real name Paul Levesque), who is married to Stephanie, revealed during an August 2023 press conference for WWE’s Summer Slam that Vince is not currently working with the WWE creative team.
“As far as contributions, I would just say this. The reason WWE is what it is … you could make an argument — a very valid one — that without Vince and his vision for this business, maybe it wouldn’t be here anymore,” Triple H said at the time. “There was some things at that time, back in the day, that were very popular … that just disappeared off the face of the planet. Vision of what he did changed the business, changed all of it for 50 years. Incredible run of success. No greater mind in the business.”
He continued: “In this point in time, if all of us didn’t look at moments in time for counsel from him on thoughts or ideas or if we had a question to go to him and ask, we’d be silly not to. It’s sitting next to somebody that knows more about this, or has forgotten more about this, than you’ll ever know, and to not utilize that in some aspect. But is he day-to-day? No. Is he in it all the time? No. If anybody has, he’s earned that right to be able to do that.”
Vince formally resigned from his position as executive chairman of the TKO Group, which is the parent company of WWE, in January 2024.
“Out of respect for the WWE Universe, the extraordinary TKO business and its board members and shareholders, partners and constituents, and all of the employees and Superstars who helped make WWE into the global leader it is today, I have decided to resign from my executive chairmanship and the TKO board of directors, effective immediately,” he said in a statement shared with Us. “I stand by my prior statement that Ms. Grant’s lawsuit is replete with lies, obscene made-up instances that never occurred, and is a vindictive distortion of the truth. I intend to vigorously defend myself against these baseless accusations, and look forward to clearing my name.”
Has Vince McMahon Cooperated With the Federal Investigation?
Several days before Triple H’s comments about the lack of Vince’s day-to-day involvement in the media brand, the SEC executed a search warrant and issued a subpoena to both Vince and the WWE. According to CNN, U.S. federal agents requested copies of certain documents. Vince has not addressed the warrant or subpoena.
How Did the Hush Money Payments Get Settled?
In January 2024, McMahon agreed to pay a $400,000 civil penalty while reimbursing WWE $1.3 million. McMahon was not forced to admit or deny the SEC’s findings.
McMahon released a statement via X shortly after the settlement was announced.
“The case is closed,” McMahon wrote. “Today ends nearly three years of investigation by different governmental agencies. There has been a great deal of speculation about what exactly the government was investigating and what the outcome would be. As today’s resolution shows, much of that speculation was misguided and misleading.”
He continued, “In the end, there was never anything more to this than minor accounting errors with regard to some personal payments that I made several years ago while I was CEO of WWE. I’m thrilled that I can now put all this behind me.”
McMahon’s statement is a bit of a misnomer, however, as Grant’s civil suit will still move forward in the wake of the settlement.
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.”
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.
