Prior to his first appearance on this year’s Strictly Come Dancing, Tom Skinner revealed he had a two-week “fling” behind his wife Sinead’s back, just weeks after their wedding.
09:22, 12 Oct 2025Updated 09:23, 12 Oct 2025
Tom Skinner’s wife Sinead revealed she kicked him out after he came clean about his affair
Thomas Skinner’s wife has revealed that after his affair, she kicked him out of their family home. He made headlines for all of the wrong reasons prior to his short stint on Strictly Come Dancing after admitting to having a “fling” behind his wife Sinead’s back, and now Tom‘s other half has revealed exactly what happened when he came clean about the affair to her.
One week before his first appearance on the BBC One show, The Apprentice star, 34, confessed to a “two-week fling” with a beauty clinic boss and said, “it was the biggest mistake of my life.”
Speaking about her husband’s infidelity for the first time, Sinead admitted she kicked him out of the family home after being left devastated by the news. She explained: “When he first told me what had happened, I made him leave. I was devastated.
“I will never forget Thomas telling me. I remember thinking, ‘I never thought this would happen to me’. It was one of the worst days of my life. I only told one friend, nobody else.”
Sinead added to The Sun: “But we eventually worked it out. I just knew how much I love him and I wanted to work it out. He made a mistake. It was a tough time. One of his friends had just died.”
She explained that the cheating was in the past for them and they are now “stronger than ever”. Despite his scandal, Sinead admits that the couple are stronger than ever and have gone on to welcome their twin daughters together. But it was his stint on Strictly which brought the cheating to light. “It has been hell,” she revealed.
The mum-of-three went on to explain that it’s been “horrendous” having to re-live that chapter all over again, especially since the pair had put it behind them in an effort to start again.
Back in September, the BBC star said that he had a two-week fling with Amy-Lucy Rourke, 35, and “it is the biggest mistake of my life.” He continued: “I met her in a pub. She was a single mum. We chatted on the phone, and she offered me some kind of cosmetic slimming treatments.”
He told The Sun: “It was nothing more than that. It was the one time; it was a mistake. I woke up feeling absolutely terrible about it. I felt so guilty. I told my wife. I let her down in that brief moment of madness where I wasn’t thinking, where I didn’t appreciate what I had. I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”
However, just days after he went public with the affair, Amy came forward and claimed he had told her she was the “love of his life” and the fling had actually been three months long.
She claimed to the Daily Mail: “We were originally friends, but with his sweet-talking and his lies, he made me believe we were in love. He would stand in the mirror with me and say, ‘Look, we’ll be Mr and Mrs Skinner’. That is actually traumatising to me.
“You don’t say that to someone when you’re already happily married. I fell in love with him, but Thomas is nothing but a liar and a cheat.” Thomas and Sinead first met at a bar in London in 2018 and got engaged two years later. The fling occurred shortly after their wedding in May 2022, when they were already parents to their son, now four years old.
The pair also now have identical twin daughters who are two years old. Tom and his Strictly partner Amy Dowden were the first to be eliminated from this year’s show after landing in the bottom two with Chris Robshaw and Nadiya Bychkova. All four judges unanimously decided to save Chris over Tom.
During his exit interview with Tess Daly, he gushed: “Thank you, Amy – sorry that we haven’t done too good, ’cause you’re a different class.
“I’ve never danced before and my stay was short, but Amy’s amazing. It’s been great fun and I’ve enjoyed it. I can’t really dance that well but I’ve had fun!”
Strictly Come Dancing continues on Sunday night at 7:15pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
BBC RADIO legend ‘Diddy’ David Dickinson has opened up about an affair he had with a sex worker behind his wife’s back, and said that “having children spoils a marriage”.
The well known broadcaster, 87, confessed all as he opened up about his astonishing personal life.
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DJ ‘Diddy’ David Hamilton has confessed all about having an affair behind his first wife’s backCredit: Louis Wood – The Sun
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David revealed he was seeing a sex worker in the 70sCredit: Getty
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David seen here with his second wife Dreena in 1989 – who is still married to, to this dayCredit: Rex
Today the former Top Of The Pops legend has talked about the affair he had behind his first wife’s back.
David wed make-up artist Sheila Moore in 1962, when he was just 24.
The couple went on to have two children, Jane and David Jr, before splitting up in 1970.
However, David, who is known as ‘Diddy’ thanks to a nickname given to him by the late Ken Dodd, has revealed all about an affair he had when he was wed to Shelia.
Speaking to this week’s Best magazine, he confessed: “I was happily married. Until I fell in love with someone else.
“I went to meet her at Liverpool Street station. She was sitting on her suitcase wearing a fur coat, which she told me later she’d borrowed.
“I just looked at her and thought, wow. I think if anything spoils a marriage, it’s children. Suddenly, the man is taking a back seat.
“Then he meets someone young free and single and thinks, ‘Crikey, I could go back to that happy state I was in before.'”
Continuing his story, David said: “My wife found out because I talked about Roz a lot. I was head over heels. I left my wife and children, and we lived together for four years.”
Secrets of Top of the Pops 60 years on – from Spice Girls’ outrageous demands to raciest dances & bands’ dirty tricks to get played
Speaking about his relationship with an escort David said: “She asked if I would open her new shop, and how much I’d charge. I said ‘£500’.
“She told me she charged £100 for her services, so ‘If you give me five I’ll give you one.’
“That sounded fair, so I collected the first one that evening.
“I thought that would be it. But we’d become very fond of each other.
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David has enjoyed a long career in broadcastingCredit: Alamy
“She was still working at the club and I was getting in too deep.”
David is now married to second wife Dreena, an aerobics teacher, who he was set up with on a blind date.
They were wed in 1993, and have been together ever since.
Reflecting on the early years of their relationship, Dreena told the Mail: “There was quite a brouhaha when we got together.
“My friends did say, ‘You can’t marry him. He is a womaniser’, but we’ve been together for 40 years now, married for 30.
“And there are no regrets there.”
While David told Best magazine: “Dreena is the wind beneath my wings. One of the reasons it works is she doesn’t take any c**p from me!”
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David seen here hosting Top Of The Pops in 1977Credit: BBC
Thomas Skinner, who is a contestant on this year’s Strictly Come Dancing, admitted he has made “big mistakes,” including cheating on his wife Sinead just weeks after their wedding
04:59, 16 Sep 2025Updated 05:06, 16 Sep 2025
Thomas Skinner is pictured at an award-ceremony after his The Apprentice stint(Image: Getty Images)
Thomas Skinner’s mistress has claimed the salesman told her she “was the love of his life” during their fling.
And Amy-Lucy has today again stressed the three-month fling was far more meaningful than Thomas, 34, had made out in his interview with reporters. Amy-Lucy, who lives near Brentwood, Essex, said: “Thomas told me I was the love of his life and sold me an absolute dream. He told me that he was in a loveless relationship of convenience.”
Thomas, who was on series 15 of The Apprentice in 2019, has claimed his wife has forgiven him, and the salesman said he and Sinead, who share three children, have “moved forward together”.
Amy-Lucy O’Rourke has hit out following Thomas’ claims(Image: instagram/amylucyclinic)
Thomas is on Strictly Come Dancing this year(Image: CREDIT LINE:BBC/Ray Burmiston)
Amy-Lucy, though, has spoken out this week, claiming Thomas’ account of thing hasn’t quite been accurate. The beauty clinic boss told the Daily Mail she and Thomas were often out in public together and acted like a couple besotted with one another.
She added: “It makes me really angry that his narrative is that he told her. He did not tell her. I can’t believe he’s trying to make out that he did the honest thing. He did not, he tried to keep the lie up for weeks and was torturing me emotionally. He was playing me and Sinead off against each other. Telling me one thing, telling her another.”
And the dad of three has said he has become a “target”, and is “being portrayed a public enemy number 1” following the affair bombshells. In a lengthy statement on X, he wrote: “My life ain’t perfect…..far from it. I’ve made big mistakes, I’ve let people down, and done things I’ll always regret in my past.
“The worst was what I did to my wife three and a half years ago…..one stupid moment I’ll carry forever. It was nothing more and nothing less despite what is being said. I told her straight away. She had every right to leave me back then, but she forgave me…….and that forgiveness changed my life.
“Since then, we’ve built a new home, had two more beautiful children, and moved forward together. We are stronger. Family is everything to me. It’s what I do everything for.
“But I’ve noticed I’ve become a target. Every part of my life is being dragged out….. even my families. People around me have been offered BIG money to sell stories. And I’ve noticed I’m being portrayed as public enemy number 1. They’re trying to break me and get me cancelled.”
EastEnders aired a much awaited ‘reunion’ between Max and Stacey in tonight’s episode – and although it wasn’t face to face, it doesn’t look like we’ll be waiting very long…
Max was left stunned when he heard Stacey’s voice on a phone call in tonight’s episode(Image: BBC)
The drama continued in tonight’s EastEnders, after last night’s cliff hanger saw Max Branning (Jake Wood) make his return to the show four years after his exit. It was revealed he was calling Zoe, with fans left wondering why. In tonight’s episode there connection was revealed, with a ‘reunion’ between Max and Stacey.
As Zoe lay fighting for her life in hospital, Stacey was the one in charge of her phone, and decided to give the “mystery man” a call, with no clue it was her former flame Max Branning.
Max Branning made a shock return to the soap last night (Image: CREDIT LINE:BBC/Jack Barns/Kieron McCarron)
Max then leant her £5,000 to assist her in tracking down her son, as a private investigator found out had been fostered.
She then went to visit the foster parents neighbour in a bid to get information, but as he attempted to sexually assault her, resulting in Zoe striking him with a lamp. He was rendered unconscious, with Zoe believing she had murdered him.
Max refused to become involved and a furious Zoe stormed out his car as she proceeded to ring Stacey Slater, although we have no idea what was said.
Cut back to the present day, and as Stacey held Zoe’s phone in the waiting room, she saw a number of messages from Max, telling Zoe he still had the necklace he bought her, and can also get money to her. Of course, Stacey had no idea who was on the other end, as she attempted to phone him.
Max and Stacey’s affair reveal in 2007 will go down as on of EastEnders’ most memorable moments
Obviously thinking it was Zoe on the other line, Max answered by saying: “Did you miss me? Is everything okay?”
With the bad signal, Stacey didn’t recognise Max’s voice, although he clearly recognised hers and she asked who he was and what he wanted.
Max stopped speaking as he was left in shock, and although he hasn’t reunited with Stacey face to face yet, it may not be long until they do as he ‘threatened’ to return to Walford in a later conversation with Zoe.
As Zoe rang Max at the end of the episode, he guessed she was in Walford, after hearing Stacey’s voice.
Zoe warned him to stay away, saying she would “end him” if he came anywhere near, but Max wasn’t having any of it, as he told Zoe he hates being told what to do.
We know Max is making a permanent return to the Square, and although Stacey is set to be leaving soon, we’re sure the soap won’t miss a chance to have them face to face once again.
They hooked up once again ten years later on Christmas Eve. They planned to run away together, but things took a tragic turn when Tanya turned up and Abi and Lauren fell off the roof of the Vic.
With their digital reunion today – how will Stacey react when she finds out who really was behind the phone?
EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
Nestle has fired CEO Laurent Freixe after just one year in the job following an investigation into an undisclosed “romantic relationship”, ousting its second chief executive in a year and throwing the Swiss food giant into its deepest leadership chaos in decades.
Freixe’s sudden dismissal followed an investigation into an undisclosed romantic relationship with a direct subordinate that breached Nestle’s code of business conduct, Nestle said late on Monday.
Freixe was replaced by Nespresso chief Philipp Navratil, a rising star at the world’s largest food company as it battles slowing sales, the impact of United States tariffs and eroding investor confidence after years of underperformance.
The Frenchman’s predecessor Mark Schneider failed to cope with the challenge, and it cost him his job in August 2024. Paul Bulcke, CEO from 2008 to 2016, will step down as chairman in April and will be replaced by Pablo Isla, a former CEO of Spanish fashion retailer Inditex.
“The loss of two CEOs and a chairman in a year is of historic proportions for Nestle,” said Ingo Speich, head of corporate governance and sustainability at Deka, a top 30 Nestle investor.
“The new CEO needs to fix the business model and bring volumes back. He needs to do better M&A [mergers and acquisitions] and focus more on emerging markets.”
The upheaval underscores the struggle not only at Nestle but also other consumer goods companies to reignite sales and recover stock values as the post-pandemic cost-of-living crisis drives consumers towards cheaper alternatives. Meanwhile, US tariffs threaten to further inflate prices and alienate already price-sensitive shoppers.
Shares in the maker of Nescafe and KitKat chocolate bars were down 0.8 percent in Zurich by 1:18pm (11:18 GMT).
Speak Up
The company said concerns about a possible relationship were raised by staff via the company’s internal reporting channel, Speak Up, although an initial investigation was unsubstantiated. Freixe had initially denied the relationship to the board, a company spokesperson said.
When staff concerns persisted, Nestle said it ordered an investigation overseen by Bulcke and Lead Independent Director Isla with the support of independent outside counsel. Swiss media reported that Swiss lawyers from the Baer & Karrer law firm helped with the inquiry.
Freixe, who spent 39 years with Nestle, will receive no exit package, the company told the Reuters news agency.
In a short statement, Bulcke thanked Freixe for his years of service at Nestle but said the dismissal was a “necessary decision”.
His dismissal adds to a list of top executives forced to resign after investigations into their relationships with colleagues.
Energy giant BP’s former CEO Bernard Looney and McDonald’s CEO Steve Easterbrook were both removed for failing to disclose relationships with colleagues.
The Swiss financial news website Inside Paradeplatz reported that Freixe met the woman in 2022 before he became CEO and when he was head of Nestle’s Latin America business.
Freixe was not immediately available to comment when contacted via email. The identity of the female subordinate has not been made public.
Swiss law does not prohibit relationships between senior executives nor does it require disclosure although most large companies have internal codes of conduct that require they are disclosed.
Corporate governance expert Peter V Kunz from the University of Bern said he was not familiar with Nestle’s rules but said requirements at most public companies were broadly similar.
“In this respect, Mr Freixe’s behaviour – regardless of whether it was legal or not – seems to me to be simply stupid and incomprehensible in this day and age,” Kunz told Reuters, adding that he did not think investors had grounds for legal action against Nestle.
Opportunity for overhaul
Nestle’s shares, a bedrock of the Swiss stock exchange, have lost almost a third of their value over the past five years, underperforming their European peers.
Freixe’s appointment failed to halt the slide, and the company’s shares shed 17 percent of their value during his leadership, disappointing investors.
One top 20 Nestle investor welcomed news of the change, saying Freixe had been a disappointment and bringing in Navratil was an opportunity for a more ambitious overhaul.
The new CEO needs to slim down the company, cut costs and above all reduce the headcount, the investor, who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter, said, adding that it is also crucial for the company to raise organic growth to boost volumes.
“The cash flow must cover the dividend,” the investor said. “That’s an absolute priority.”
In July, Nestle launched a review of its underperforming vitamins business, which could lead to the divestment of some brands after first-half sales volumes missed expectations.
Freixe’s dismissal was featured on the front page of Swiss newspapers with Neue Zuercher Zeitung noting that Nestle had lost its “legendary stability” during which CEOs stayed on for years before eventually becoming chairmen.
AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould said the company would likely face a period of uncertainty over whether Navratil will follow the same path as his predecessor.
“While Navratil is also an internal appointment, he will want to put his own mark on strategy, and that suggests the clock could be reset when it comes to the turnaround plan,” Mould said.
A KILLER gunman has been jailed after shooting a prison officer dead.
Elias Morgan, 35, murdered Lenny Scott after the prison guard exposed his affair with a female officer.
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Elias Morgan (pictured) shot Lenny Scott dead outside of a gymCredit: PA
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Lenny (pictured) exposed an affair between Morgan and a prison guardCredit: MEN Media
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The horrifying crime was caught on videoCredit: Unpixs
Morgan attacked Lenny, 33, outside of a gym in on February 8, 2024.
Lenny, a father of three, worked at HMP Altcourse and had previously confiscated Morgan’s phone while he was incarcerated.
Upon taking the phone, he discovered that Morgan has having an affair with a prison guard – prompting the 35-year-old to begin plotting his murder.
Lenny was shot six times by Morgan and was left for dead.
Today, Morgan was jailed for life with a minimum term of 45 years.
The terrifying shooting was caught on film, by a CCTV camera near to the gym.
In the video, Lenny can be seen leaving the building with four others while a sinister man – dressed in a high-vis jacket – approaches.
The gunman can be seen hiding behind a car, before calmly raising his gun and opening fire.
Six shots can be heard before the shooter hops onto an electric bike and heads for a getaway van.
Morgan was found guilty of murder, following a lengthy trial at Preston Crown Court.
He will be spending 45 years behind bars without parole
Man, 50, killed in drive-by shooting outside petrol station as cops release CCTV in hunt for car ‘with false plates’
Meanwhile, his friend Anthony Cleary, 29, was found not guilty of murder and manslaughter in court.
Jurors heard that Morgan had been having an affair with prison officer Sarah Williams and that he had offered Lenny £1,500 to “lose” the phone which contained evidence of the affair.
Four years later, after Morgan left prison
After that, Morgan began issuing “powerfully made” threats to stop the information getting out.
At the time, Morgan allegedly said: “I’ll bide my time, but I promise I will get you.”
Four days after the phone was seized, Lenny phoned 101 to tell police that a car had been “sat outside my house all weekend”.
When asked by the operator about who was threatening him, Lenny replied: “Elias Morgan. He’s described my family and me to a tee, described my house.”
After Morgan was found guilty of killing Lenny, Wendy Logan – deputy head of CPS North West’s complex casework unit – described the shooter as “cold-blooded” and evil.
She said: “Lenny Scott was a devoted father who had bravely upheld his duty when working as a prison officer by reporting an illicit phone he found in Elias Morgan’s cell in 2020.
“He did so in the face of attempts at bribery and also threats and intimidation by Morgan – and his commitment to public service will not be forgotten.
“Morgan – driven by revenge and believing he was above the law – carried out a cold-blooded murder.
“We were determined to deliver justice and see Morgan brought to book for his evil crime – and our case set out in clear terms how he planned and carried out his callous act.
“Our thoughts remain with Lenny’s family – particularly his three young children – and all those who cared for him as they deal with his loss.”
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Lenny had told police that he was worried about his family’s safetyCredit: Lancashire Police
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Morgan and Anthony Cleary were both found guilty in courtCredit: Lancashire Police
LaToya Cantrell is accused of ‘defrauding’ the city, paying Jeffrey Vappie as if he were on duty while on trips and trysts.
The mayor of New Orleans has been indicted on conspiracy, fraud and obstruction charges by a federal grand jury after a long-running investigation.
The charges released on Friday against LaToya Cantrell were based on accusations that she tried to hide a romantic relationship with bodyguard Jeffrey Vappie, who was paid as if on duty while the pair conducted their affair.
The indictment states that Cantrell and Vappie “developed a personal and intimate relationship” in 2021, defrauding the city as they attempted to “hide their relationship and maximise their time together”.
Acting United States Attorney Michael Simpson said the pair met in an apartment while Vappie claimed to be on duty, and that Cantrell had arranged for Vappie to attend 14 trips.
The trips, which included wine tasting at vineyards, were described by her as times “when they were truly alone”, said Simpson.
He dubbed the affair a “three-year fraud scheme that we allege exploited their public authority and positions”.
Cantrell allegedly lied in an affidavit that she had activated a function on her phone that automatically deleted messages in 2021, when she had not activated the feature until December 2022, one month after the media began speculating on the pair’s conduct.
When a private citizen took photos of the pair dining together and drinking wine, Cantrell filed a police report and sought a restraining order, said Simpson.
The mayor’s office didn’t immediately comment.
“This is a sad day for the people of New Orleans,” said Monet Brignac, a spokesperson for City Council President JP Morrell.
Vappie is accused of hiding a romantic relationship with Cantrell and filing false payroll records claiming he was on duty.
He has pleaded not guilty following his indictment on charges of wire fraud and making false statements.
Cantrell, the city’s first female mayor, is term-limited and will leave office in January.
Emmerdale has a massive week of episodes lined up next week as revealed in new spoilers, with a possible death, a double exit teased and hints of a reunion for Robron
Emmerdale has a massive week of episodes lined up next week as revealed in new spoilers(Image: ITV)
It’s a big week next week Emmerdale fans, with spoilers teasing some huge twists and turns you do not want to miss. There’s a Robron update that will no doubt send fans of Aaron Dingle and Robert Sugden into meltdown.
There’s a double exit hint too, as well as possible murder given the recent rumours about a certain Mackenzie Boyd. One married couple look set to be torn apart, before fate may decide on things for them.
It’s a big week next week Emmerdale fans, with spoilers teasing some huge twists and turns(Image: ITV)
There’s also concern for Moira Dingle and Vinny Dingle faces turmoil. Let’s kick off with one of the biggest twists of the week ahead, and something some fans have been manifesting for months.
Robron could well reunite as an affair is teased for exes Aaron and Robert. Amid Aaron’s marriage to Robert’s villainous brother John, the pair give into temptation once more weeks on from their kiss.
Robert is in utter turmoil, struggling to cope with recent events. As things escalate further and his mental health spirals, he’s truly in a dark place – not helped by twisted John.
John is still intent on getting rid of his brother, and next week he cruelly manages to drive a wedge between Robert and their sister Victoria over her young son Harry. Tearing apart their bond, John leaves Robert more alone than ever at a time where he needs all the support he can get.
Luckily for him Aaron comes to the rescue, walking into the house to check on him only to find him trashing his room and he quickly intervenes. As for Victoria, she’s been manipulated over the events with Harry the days before now, with John exaggerating what happened and it truly turns her against her brother.
There’s a Robron update that will no doubt send fans of Aaron Dingle and Robert Sugden into meltdown(Image: ITV)
Robert’s in total despair by the time Aaron arrives, with John having made Robert very aware he’s now lost both his sister and his ex. It seems Aaron thinks otherwise though as he sits Robert down and gets him to open up.
Aaron is in shock to see just how broken Robert is having never seen him like this before, and he does his best to support him as Robert claims he’s lost everything. It’s then that Aaron can’t hold it in anymore and he blurts out his true, unresolved feelings, admitting this is why he’s been distancing himself and pushing Robert away.
One thing leads to another though as they give into passion and end up in bed together. But it’s teased John and Victoria could walk in on the pair as they head back to the house to check in on Robert – so what will they find?
Later in the week there’s heartbreak when guilty Aaron tells him it was a one-off and a mistake. Robert thinks wrongly though, believing he and Aaron are about to reunite and that he’s been picked over John – only to find out Aaron feels otherwise. Robert insists they are destined to be together, but this only heightens Aaron’s turmoil.
And this is where the plot intertwines with John’s killer storyline, with Nate Robinson’s murder case reopened. By the end of the week there could be another victim, but more on that later on. For now, John is rattled after hearing there’s been a development.
There’s a double exit hint too(Image: ITV)
So when Aaron, equally rattled, suggests they move away for a fresh start it seems a double exit could loom. Aaron needs to get away from Robert, and John wants away from the village as his guilt over Nate threatens to tear him apart.
It’s an inconsistency in Owen’s suicide note, the note John made to frame Owen for the murder, that leads to the police investigation being reopened. John is all over the place but decides to jump on the exit plan with Aaron, leaving the latter’s mum Chas Dingle devastated to hear they might be moving away.
John takes some holiday leave and they make plans to take some time away – but when John makes a chilling phone call what is it about? As the police look into the new evidence, the fresh questions about the murder leave Nate’s loved ones in turmoil all over again.
Suddenly the man who came to collect Nate’s belongings from his house months ago as part of an ordered removal service shows up, and when Tracy shows him a photo of her murdered husband he admits he’s never seen him before, confirming it wasn’t Nate. But there’s a twist when he identifies the man who contacted him as being Owen.
This leaves Nate’s loved ones sure Owen is the killer, and Robert starts to believe he may have been wrong after suspecting John was the true murderer. But the plot is turned on its head when Mackenzie finds a clue about a mystery something, linked to John, so what has he found?
It comes amid reports Mack will be killed off(Image: ITV)
Given reports state Mack exposes John and ends up being killed as a result, this could well be the end of the character this coming week. It comes as he falls out big time with wife Charity Dingle amid her offering to be a surrogate for her granddaughter Sarah Sugden.
With a pregnancy confirmed, things turn sour when Charity becomes distant and distracted. Mack is drowning his sorrows in the pub and after being taunted by Ross Barton, he admits it’s been three years since he and Charity sadly lost their baby and he claims she hasn’t remembered.
The pair end up rowing, and he blurts out his issues about the surrogacy. Charity ends up kicking her husband out so is it over for the pair? Mack is also upset after Aaron confesses to him what’s happened with Robert, but could he end up letting slip to John?
Mack’s sister Moira Dingle is in for more heartbreak next week too, when the deal she and new farmer Celia have been working on has fallen through. But is Joe Tate to blame after he vows to sabotage once more?
Moira fears this is the end of her farming days, and soon Celia urges her to sell up – so is Celia up to no good? Villain Ray manipulates teen Dylan Penders next week, after dragging April Windsor into his dodgy deals.
With a job search not working out, he’s left tempted to work for Ray once more but he lies about it to April. Elsewhere, Kammy Hadiq and Belle Dingle agree to another lunch date.
Finally next week, Gabby Thomas urges Vinny Dingle to report Kammy to the police – but what has happened? Vinny’s tormented by his guilt, clearly hiding something about newcomer Mike – and soon the police come knocking wanting to know more about a man named Graham… so what will he say?
Coronation Street’s Abi Webster (Sally Carman) was dealt with some major truths as her affair with her brother-in-law Carl Webster (Jonathan Howard) heated up on Monday night’s episode
20:55, 04 Aug 2025Updated 21:08, 04 Aug 2025
Coronation Street’s Abi Webster discovered the truth about Carl on Monday night’s episode(Image: ITV)
Abi Webster on Coronation Street was dealt with a series of truth bombshells as her affair with her brother-in-law Carl heated up during Monday night’s episode.
The mechanic, played by Sally Carman, is married to Kevin Webster (Michael Le Vell) on the ITV soap but viewers have seen things bubbling away between her and Carl (Jonathan Howard) for several weeks now. Things came to a head last week when she found out that Kevin, who was diagnosed with testicular cancer earlier this year, had chosen not to tell her that he had been given the all-clear as he suspected something was up.
It was then that Abi finally decided to act on her feelings for Carl and they became physical at the garage, but Abi called the whole thing off just hours later when Carl urged her to go back to her husband. As viewers will know, this was because Kevin discovered that Carl that he and accomplice Fiona Morley (Sara Poyzer) had organised the theft of an expensive car, and could have him arrested at any moment. It comes as one Coronation Street star announced an abrupt exit which saw their alter-ego ‘killed off’ without warning.
Abi had spent the day trying to cool things off with Carl but had discovered that her husband Kevin (Michael Le Vell) had also been lying to her(Image: ITV)
On Monday, when barmaid Glenda Shuttleworth (Jodie Prenger) asked Kevin how his cancer treatment was going, he could not come up with a lie quick enough, so Abi took it upon herself to announce that Kevin had finished his chemo and had been given the all-clear, but covered for him by not revealing that this had actually been the case for several weeks. Glenda announced the news to the pub, and Kevin kept up his pretence as she insisted on giving him a pint on the house as the other Weatherfield residents congratulated him.
While it initially looked like Carl had set his sights on Tracy Barlow (Kate Ford) after buying her a drink in the pub, he was soon seen in bed with Abi, who had called round after becoming jealous that Carl had possibly invited Tracy round. Afterwards, he told her: “I didn’t have that on my to-do list. I will have to go to the Rovers more often!” But when Carl received a threatening text message from Fiona about their dodgy dealings, he had to reveal all to Abi after they got dressed. He confessed: “I have seriously messed up. I’ve been doing illegal MOT inspections. For that Fiona. Write-offs, cut and shuts. You name it, I’ve passed them all. And I’ve been doing it from Kev’s garage.”
He tried to explain to a shocked Abi that he had only been doing it to settle huge debts he had accrued but she shot back: “You told me that debt was paid! You lied?! Oh there’s a surprise! Those cars were not roadworthy. Someone could’ve died. Did it give you a bit of a thrill, ruining your brother’s business and then bedding his missus for good measure?!”
In the end, Abi agreed to be Carl’s ‘little secret’ and the pair leapt back into bed together for the second time that day(Image: ITV)
Amidst all this, Kevin invited Abi on a last-minute holiday with him but she told him that she has not forgiven him for all the lies he told her about his cancer. Following a heart-to-heart with her sister-in-law Debbie Webster (Sue Devaney), who was diagnosed with vascular dementia earlier this year, she accepted the invitation but demanded to know from Kevin why he failed to tell her about the MOT scam.
He explained: “Firstly, we couldn’t report it to the police, not without doing damage to the business. And secondly, he’s still my brother and I suppose I’m trying to protect him. For now, we forget about Carl, and concentrate on our marriage. He’s gone from the garage, he’s out of our lives and now it’s about us.”
Despite this, as Kevin was speaking to Abi, she received a text message and quickly read it before putting her phone back in her pocket. She then confronted Carl about the lies he had been telling, and he told her that he had been ‘blackmailed’ after he found out that about the cancer lie. She said: “I came here to call it off, to tell you that I’d forgiven him and I was going to make my marriage work,” but Carl quickly told Abu that she was no longer in love with Kevin.
She confirmed: “Yeah, but he loves me and even with the lies he makes me feel safe,” and reminded Carl that she has her son Alfie to think about as well. In deciding to keep their affair going, Carl vowed to be Abi’s ‘little secret’ for the time being and the pair promptly hopped back into bed together.
He told The Mirror : “Being in Coronation Street is just as big a thrill as being in a Hollywood film or an American TV series. It’s all the same, everyone’s telling stories, whether it’s a big $200m movie or a soap like Corrie. As a Lancashire lad born and raised, the dream was to be in Coronation Street – that was the ceiling, so it feels wonderfully surreal to now be acting with people like Kevin Webster that I watched religiously as a kid.
“My friends ask me, ‘what you have been up to today?’ and I reply ‘I took Tracy Barlow for a drink in the Rovers Return!’ It’s just incredible to say these things.”
Rebecca Loos candidly wiped away tears as she opened up on her infamous alleged affair with David Beckham as she made her debut on Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins
Rebecca Loos candidly discussed her alleged affair with David Beckham as she made her debut on Celebrity SAS(Image: Channel 4)
Rebecca Loos candidly wiped away tears as she discussed her alleged affair with David Beckham on the first episode of Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins. The model, 48, infamously claimed that she and football legend David, 50, had an affair in the early 2000s.
It was one of the biggest showbiz scandals of the time, and came about just a few years after he tied the knot with Victoria Beckham. And on Sunday night, viewers watched as the then-PA of the former Manchester United star broke down in tears as she addressed the whole thing during a tense interrogation scene.
Asked if she would do things differently, she said: “If I went back in time, yes, of course.” She added: “I was unhappy with the way I had been treated so I didn’t want to go around anymore carrying this secret, rumours started spreading.” It comes after Cruz Beckham ‘steals’ his dad’s tiny white trunks and family have epic response.
Rebecca was the PA of the former Manchester United star until their alleged affair catapulted her into the limelight(Image: FilmMagic)
She added: “I decided it would be better if it came from me, so I gave an interview thinking it would be something and it ended up being something else and I spent a few years seeing if I could get it back. I really put it really far behind me.”
Asked what she hoped to get out of the programme, Rebecca added : “I want to grow from this course as a person, I want to see how far I can push myself.” And then Rebecca seemed to have adopted a confident front, as she declared in a confessional: “I think I’ve definitely taken most of the blame for what happened, and rightly so. It was part of my life but we were two and he was all over me and he was my boss.”
But when mingling with her fellow recruits, she was seen breaking down in tears. It was then that former footballer Adebayo “The Beast” Akinfenwa rushed to put her arms around her as he spotted her wiping away tears. “You good?” he asked her and the two shared a hug.
Back in her confessional, she added: “You can’t change the things that have happened is my attitude. I just roll my sleeves up and get on with it because everything that I have experienced has brought me to where I am today and it has made me a little bit stronger.”
Rebecca, who has sons Magnus and Liam with her husband Sven Christjar Skaiaa, decided to sign up for the programme following a long break from the spotlight, as she explained: “I said yes to this because I felt that it was a really good time in my life to do this.
“I’d had a break from reality TV for a few years, become a mother, moved to Norway, changed quite a bit, and when I was younger I loved doing extreme things. I was finalist in Spanish Survivor where I was surviving on an island for three months in Honduras, and I’ve done quite a few extreme things, and adventurous shows. So I just felt like it would be really interesting to do.”
The drama began in 2003 after Beckham had just completed a high-profile move from Manchester United to Real Madrid, a career-defining transfer that promised fresh footballing glory in Spain. With the move came a new entourage, including 26-year-old Rebecca Loos, who was hired as a personal assistant to help the Beckhams settle into Spanish life.
In September that year, Beckham and Loos were photographed leaving a Madrid nightclub together. Whispers of an affair quickly began circulating, although both parties remained silent.
But everything changed in April 2004 when Loos sold her story in an exclusive interview with News of the World. She claimed that the pair had been romantically involved for four months.
Explaining why she chose to embark on the alleged fling, she said: “We just connected. People noticed it.” Explaining that the idea of group drinks back at the hotel were floated after a night out, she claimed David told her: “Why don’t we just lose the rest and why don’t we just go back together?”
“I gave him a look I was very surprised, very taken aback. I said, ‘**** off’ in a joking manner. But there was a look and he was still looking at me and I was looking at him. I think one of the girls we were with came up and sat between us. I think the chemistry between David and I was so strong.
Admitting she knew he was a married man and that she was worried about jeopardising her job, she shared her reason for agreeing. “I think the chemistry between David and I was so strong and people were not happy because I was being very unprofessional and he’s a married man.
“Then it dawned on me what he had asked me and I decided I did want to go back with him so we gave each other a look and paid the bill and left.
“I couldn’t wait to be alone with him and I knew he felt the same. We dropped off the other two people in the car and starting kissing quite passionately all the way back to the hotel… It was like magnets, pretty amazing.”
Seoul, South Korea – When Sideny Sim had a chance to visit the United States on business several years ago, it was the fulfilment of a lifelong dream.
Like many South Koreans, Sim had long admired the US as a cultural juggernaut and positive force in the world.
These days, Sim, a 38-year-old engineer living near Seoul, feels no such love towards the country.
As US President Donald Trump threatens to impose a 25 percent tariff on South Korea from August 1, Sim cannot help but feel betrayed.
“If they used to be a country that was known to be a leader in culture, the economy and the perception of being ‘good,’ I feel like the US is now a threat to geopolitical balance,” Sim told Al Jazeera.
South Korea and the US share deep and enduring ties.
South Korea is one of Washington’s closest allies in Asia, hosting about 28,000 US troops as a bulwark against North Korea.
The US is home to a larger South Korean diaspora than any other country.
But with the return of Trump’s “America First” agenda to Washington, DC, those ties are coming under strain.
In a Pew Research Center survey released earlier this month, 61 percent of South Koreans expressed a favourable view of the US, down from 77 percent in 2024.
Like dozens of other US trading partners, South Korea is facing severe economic disruption if it cannot reach a trade deal with the Trump administration by the August deadline.
The Asian country, which is a major producer of electronics, ships and cars, generates more than 40 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) from exports.
In addition to sending a letter to South Korean President Lee Jae-Myung outlining his tariff threats, Trump earlier this month also claimed that Seoul pays “very little” to support the presence of US Forces Korea (USFK).
Trump’s comments reinforced speculation that he could demand that the South Korean government increase its national defence spending or contributions to the costs of the USFK.
After Trump last week told reporters that South Korea “wants to make a deal right now,” Seoul’s top trade envoy said that an “in-principle” agreement was possible by the deadline.
With the clock ticking on a deal, the uncertainty created by Trump’s trade policies has stirred resentment among many South Koreans.
Kim Hyunju, a customer service agent working in Seoul, said that although her company would not be directly affected by the tariffs, Trump’s trade salvoes did not seem fair.
“It would only be fair if they are OK with us raising our tariffs to the same level as well,” Kim told Al Jazeera, adding that the Trump administration’s actions had caused her to feel animosity towards the US.
“I can’t help but see the US as a powerful nation which fulfils its interests with money and sheer power plays,” Kim said.
“I’ve always thought of the US as a friendly ally that is special to us, especially in terms of national defence. I know it is good for us to maintain this friendly status, but I sort of lost faith when Trump also demanded a larger amount of money for the US military presence in our country.”
Kim Hyun-ju says Trump’s policies have made her feel animosity towards the US [Courtesy of Kim Hyun-ju]
Kim Chang-chul, an investment strategist in Seoul, expressed a more sanguine view of Trump’s trade policies, even while acknowledging the harm they could do to South Korean businesses.
“The US tariff policy is a burden for our government and businesses, but the move really shows the depth of US decision-making and strategy,” Kim told Al Jazeera.
“Trump wants South Korea to be more involved in the US’s energy ambitions in Alaska. It’s part of the US pushing for geopolitical realignment and economic rebalancing.”
Earlier this year, the US held talks with South Korean officials about boosting US exports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to South Korea, a major LNG importer.
Keum Hye-yoon, a researcher at the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP), said it has been difficult for a US ally like South Korea to make sense of Trump’s comments and actions.
“When Trump cites ‘fairness’ in his tariff policy, it’s based on unilateral expectations of improving the US trade balance or restoring economic strength to certain industries,” Keum told Al Jazeera.
“As allies like South Korea share supply chains with the US and work closely with its companies, disregarding these structures and imposing high taxes will likely create burdens on US businesses and consumers as well.”
While Trump’s most severe tariffs have yet to come into effect, South Korean manufacturers have already reported some disruption.
South Korea’s exports dropped 2.2 percent in the first 20 days of July compared with a year earlier, according to preliminary data released by Korea Customs Service on Monday.
Kim Sung-hyeok, the head of research at the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) Labour Institute, said exporters in the auto, steel, semiconductor and pharmaceutical sectors had been especially affected.
“As exports in these fields decreased considerably since the tariff announcements, production orders in domestic factories have declined,” Kim told Al Jazeera.
“Some automotive and steel production lines have closed temporarily, while other manufacturing sites have closed altogether. Voluntary resignations and redeployments have become rampant in some of these workplaces.”
Kim said small companies may face the brunt of the tariffs as they are not capable of “moving their manufacturing plants to the US”, or “diversifying their trade avenues outside of the US”.
“And as major companies face a general decline in exports, these small companies will consequently face a shortage in product delivery volume that will cause employment disputes,” he said.
Vehicles for export at a port in Pyeongtaek, southwest of Seoul, on July 8, 2025 [Anthony Wallace/AFP]
The Korea Development Institute estimated in May that the number of employed South Koreans would increase by just 90,000 this year, in part due to the economic uncertainties, compared with a rise of 160,000 last year.
Even before Trump’s arrival on the political scene, US-South Korea relations had gone through difficult periods in the past.
In 2002, two South Korean middle-school girls were killed when they were struck by a US Army armoured vehicle.
After the American soldiers involved in the incident were found not guilty of negligent homicide by a US military court, the country saw an explosion in anti-US sentiment and nationwide protests.
In 2008, nationwide protests took place after the South Korean government decided to continue importing US beef despite concerns about the risk of Mad Cow Disease.
More recently, President Lee, who was elected in June, has emphasised the importance of maintaining positive relations with China, Washington’s biggest strategic rival and competitor.
The KIEP’s Keum said the US-South Korea relationship has evolved into a partnership where the US has become a “conditional ally”, where “economic interests take precedence over traditional alliance”.
“The US is increasingly demanding South Korea to cooperate in its containment strategy of China among its other socioeconomic policies,” she said.
Keum said that South Korea will need to seek out alternative markets and diversify its exports to mitigate the fallout of Trump’s agenda.
“South Korea also doesn’t need to act alone. The country can seek joint action with countries such as EU members, Japan and Canada to come up with joint responses to the current predicament,” she said.
In the summer of 2021, Priscilla Presley seemed to be riding high.
The ex-wife of the King of Rock ’n’ Roll had appeared at Graceland during the annual Elvis Week celebration and later hosted a three-day festival at the famous manse extolling the virtues of elegant southern living. Then there were the highly anticipated upcoming biopics: director Baz Luhrmann’s “Elvis” and Sofia Coppola’s “Priscilla” based on her 1985 memoir, for which she served as an executive producer.
Privately, however, it was a difficult time for the actress. Priscilla was mourning the passing of her mother, just a year after her grandson, Benjamin Keough, the only son of her daughter Lisa Marie Presley, had committed suicide at 27. Adding to her personal woes, Elvis’ former bride was in a serious financial hole, as court filings would later claim.
Then she met Brigitte Kruse, a flamboyant, fifth-generation auctioneer and self-styled philanthropist who specialized in high-profile celebrity memorabilia, royal objects, estates and fine jewelry sales. In 2017, Kruse gained a measure of renown when she sold an abandoned private plane known as the “lost jet” once owned by Elvis for $498,000.
After the pair were introduced, they launched a joint venture that would cash in on Priscilla’s famous name, image and likeness through her paid public appearances and other projects.
Within months of their initial meeting, Priscilla began lending her name to some of Kruse’s online Elvis memorabilia auctions with GWS Auctions Inc., based in Agoura Hills.
Priscilla Presley at a 2014 event held at Graceland in Memphis.
(Lance Murphey / Associated Press)
Less than two years later, their partnership was in tatters, with the two women trading bitter allegations in dueling lawsuits.
Priscilla, 80, called Kruse, who was half her age, a “con-artist and pathological liar” who had forced her into a “form of indentured servitude,” leading her into signing away 80% of her income and conning her out of more than $1 million, according to the fraud and elder abuse lawsuit she filed against Kruse and her business associates in Los Angeles last year.
Kruse, who did not respond to requests for comment, has disputed Priscilla Presley’s claims, depicting herself in court filings as her financial savior who faced retaliation after she sued Priscilla for breach of contract a year earlier.
The litigation is the latest in a string of legal battles that Priscilla and the Presley heirs have been involved in since Elvis died nearly 50 years ago, leaving a financial legacy as messy and fraught as the King’s life.
While the storied Presley family has forever been enshrined in celebrity as America’s reigning pop culture icons, Elvis’ estate has long been the spigot of his heirs’ fortunes and misfortunes, spilling out from the gates of Graceland.
As Joel Weinshanker, managing partner of Elvis Presley Enterprises once said about another dispute involving the estate:
“People have been trying to take from Elvis since Elvis was Elvis.”
Inheriting a messy estate
When 14-year-old Priscilla Beaulieu met Elvis Presley in 1959, he was already Elvis. She was the stepdaughter of an U.S. Air Force officer, living in West Germany where the rocker, then 24, was stationed during his military service.
Four years later, Priscilla moved to Memphis and stepped inside the gilded cage of Elvis’ fame. In 1967, the couple married in Las Vegas. With the birth of their daughter Lisa Marie nine months later, a rock ‘n’ roll dynasty was born.
Lisa Marie was born in 1968, nine months after Elvis and Priscilla married in Las Vegas.
(Associated Press)
But life inside of the irresistible mythology of Elvis proved stifling. He was mostly on tour and in a haze of drugs and affairs. At 28, Priscilla divorced the rocker, but not his stardom.
She built an agile career out of the ashes of their romance. Priscilla went on to become an actress with a recurring role in the 1980s CBS hit series “Dallas,” starred in several of the “Naked Gun” movies and appeared in other television shows; she also authored books and launched a fragrance.
But she never strayed far from the buzzy afterlife of Elvis’ orbit.
When Elvis died in 1977, their daughter Lisa Marie was just nine and his father, Vernon Presley, took the reins as executor of his estate. After Vernon died in 1979, Priscilla, a successor trustee, assumed the role of primary manager.
Despite the celebrated influence and global popularity of Elvis, who was estimated to have earned anywhere between $100 million to $1 billion, his estate was in shambles — worth only about $5 million. Graceland’s costly maintenance and massive IRS bills were fast depleting Lisa Marie’s inheritance.
The poor state of affairs was due in part to Elvis’ profligate spending. He was known to lavish Cadillacs and jewelry on friends, many of whom were also on his payroll. But his fortune’s wane was exacerbated by the abusive control that his longtime manager Col. Tom Parker exerted over his business affairs.
Elvis performing in Honolulu in 1973.
(Pål Grandlund)
The cigar-chomping Parker, who died in 1997, was a former carnival barker and a compulsive gambler. He wasn’t, however, a colonel — the Dutch-born “Parker’s” real name was Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk.
During his time as Elvis’ manager, Parker took commissions as high as 50%, and frequently cut deals that enriched himself at the rocker’s expense.
Four years before Elvis died, Parker sold off his back catalog to RCA for $5.4 million (with Parker taking $2.6 million and Elvis $2.8 million), depriving the estate of untold millions in royalties.
In 1981, the co-executors of Elvis’ estate (an attorney separately represented Lisa Marie), sued Parker for massive fraud and mismanagement, claiming he received the “lion’s share” of Elvis’ income, even after his death. The parties eventually reached an out-of-court settlement.
Reviving Graceland
But the years of profound missteps and mismanagement left Elvis’ estate facing the prospect of bankruptcy and worse, having to sell Graceland. Priscilla brought in a team of financial advisors and lawyers who engineered a stunning financial turnaround.
In 1981, the Elvis Presley Trust created Elvis Presley Enterprises Inc. to conduct business and manage the trust’s assets, including Graceland, which was opened to the public the following year. Now a National Historic Landmark, the tourist shrine generates an estimated $10 million annually.
By the time Lisa Marie inherited her father’s estate upon her 25th birthday in 1993, the estate had rebounded. Two decades later, Graceland, along with the merchandising of Elvis’ image and managing his music royalties, was worth upward of $500 million.
Elvis on the grounds of his Graceland estate circa 1957.
(Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
Then, in 2005, Elvis’ estate changed hands. Lisa Marie agreed to sell 85% of EPE’s assets, including her father’s likeness rights, to music entrepreneur Robert F.X. Sillerman and his company CKX Inc. for $114 million.
Under the deal, Lisa Marie retained 15% of the trust and received $50 million in cash as well as $26 million in CKX common and preferred stock. She also retained sole ownership of Graceland and her father’s personal items. Priscilla received $6.5 million for the use of the family name, Fortune reported.
But in 2013, CKX Inc. sold its majority interest in the estate to the intellectual property firm Authenic Brands Group for a reported $145 million.
The problems that had long trailed the estate surfaced again five years later.
This time it was Lisa Marie who alleged she had been duped. Then 50 and in the middle of divorcing her fourth husband Michael Lockwood, the father of her twin girls, she sued her business manager Barry Siegel. She claimed that as a result of his “reckless and negligent mismanagement” the trust had dwindled to just $14,000 and was left with $500,000 in credit card debt.
Lisa Marie Presley in her childhood bedroom at Graceland in 2012.
(Lance Murphey/AP)
Siegel denied the allegations and countersued, claiming that she had “squandered” her fortune as a result of her “excessive spending.” At the time, court filings related to her divorce from Lockwood, revealed that she was $16.7 million in debt.
A mother, daughter feud
When Lisa Marie died suddenly in January 2023 at the age of 54, another tense legal battle erupted over the estate and the trust Lisa Marie had set up.
Within weeks of her death, Priscilla went to court to challenge an amendment that removed her as a trustee, making her granddaughter, the actress Riley Keough, sole trustee. Priscilla’s lawyers argued that the signature was “inconsistent” with Lisa Marie’s handwriting.
The matter was settled five months later. Keough was named sole trustee. In exchange for stepping down, Priscilla received a $1-million lump sum payment paid out of Lisa Marie’s $25-million life insurance policy and was made a special advisor for a trust relating to EPE, for which she would receive $100,000 annually for 10 years or until her death.
Priscilla was also granted permission to be buried in the Meditation Garden at Graceland near Elvis’ gravesite and to be given a memorial service on the property.
‘Dame’ Kruse
By spring 2023, as Priscilla resolved her dispute with her daughter’s estate, Kruse’s presence and influence in her personal and business affairs deepened.
When they met, Priscilla was in her mid-70s and her main source of income derived from her paid personal appearances. Kruse’s suit described Presley’s celebrity as “a mere shadow of what it once was, and her earning potential was only a fraction of what it previously was.”
Moreover, she claimed that Priscilla was 60 days away from financial disaster, and drowning under $700,000 in outstanding tax debts.
Then 39, Kruse was publicly portrayed as a success, active in the worlds of celebrity and philanthropy and who spoke multiple languages. She highlighted her advocacy for children with autism and AIDS research; donating money to related causes and delivering toys to orphans in global conflict zones with her husband, Vahe Sislyan.
On social media and in news releases, Kruse showcased her activities and accolades, posting images alongside various marquee names such as the pop star Gwen Stefani and President Trump and his wife Melania.
In 2016, seven years after Kruse and her husband founded GWS, she was the first female auctioneer to make it into the Guinness Book of World Records (for selling the largest abandoned world property). Kruse formally added the honorific title “Dame” to her name after a member of the royal Italian Medici family conferred the title of Cavaliere, a kind of knighthood, on her.
In media interviews, Kruse liked to say that the sale of Elvis’ “lost jet” had seared her reputation as the rocker’s memorabilia dealer. Over the years she was prolific, selling a number of his items, including the Smith & Wesson that he was said to have purchased in 1973 after he was attacked onstage in Las Vegas.
According to Priscilla, she first met Kruse in June 2021 after the auctioneer texted her saying she’d like to meet for lunch.
They dined at Gucci Osteria in Beverly Hills followed by numerous other get-togethers in Los Angeles. Kruse introduced her to her “business partner,” Kevin Fialko, “an investor, experienced businessman, and financial expert,” who “would help Kruse get my financial affairs in order,” according to a declaration submitted by Priscilla.
Dame Brigitte Kruse and Priscilla Presley at an event in Orlando in 2023.
(Gerardo Mora/Getty Images)
“When I first met Brigitte Kruse, she wanted to involve me in her auction business,” she wrote in her March declaration.
From there, Kruse “quickly immersed herself” in Priscilla’s life, “often sending her multiple text messages a day, and “telling her how much she loved her and admired her,” according to her elder abuse complaint. She also talked up her credentials, lineage and expertise in the auction business as well as her “connections to celebrities.”
In September 2021, Priscilla participated in one of GWS’ online auctions that featured a private lunch with her and Kruse, with a portion of the proceeds going to a charity. A number of Elvis items were also auctioned off, such as the white eyelet jumpsuit cape he wore during his 1972 performances at Madison Square Garden and a jar of his hair.
“She’s just such a wealth of experience and knowledge. You don’t study and learn about Elvis without learning about Priscilla as well. Their names are synonymous,” Kruse told People.
The following year, Kruse’s GWS conducted an online auction billed as “The Lost Jewelry Collection of Elvis Presley and Colonel Tom Parker,” including watches, rings and cuff links that Elvis had bought or commissioned for his manager.
Although she didn’t own any of the items, Priscilla provided “letters of recollection” vouching for her personal historical memories of many of them, according to the auction’s online catalog notes.
“There is so much product out there that is not authentic at all and that worries me,” she said in a video with Reuters after viewing the collection. “I want to know for sure that that is going to go to someone who is going to care for it, love it.”
By January 2023, Priscilla and Kruse agreed to set up several companies to exploit Priscilla’s name and image and to bolster Kruse’s Elvis memorabilia auctions through Priscilla’s written “recollections.”
The terms of their agreement gave Kruse 51% and Presley 49% of Priscilla Presley Partners LLC, according to court filings.
Soon after, however, Priscilla alleged Kruse and Fialko “expanded the scope of their interest in my affairs, seeking to inject themselves into every area of my life.”
They gained her trust and isolated her from key advisors, setting the stage for “a meticulously planned and abhorrent scheme,” intended “to drain her of every last penny she had,” Presley alleged in her lawsuit.
Presley says that she was “fraudulently induced” to sign documents without the opportunity to review them in advance or “advised as to the nature of the paperwork.”
The contracts gave Kruse a controlling interest in her name, image and likeness in perpetuity. They also granted her power of attorney over Priscilla’s affairs and healthcare and named Kruse a trustee on her personal and family trusts, according to Priscilla’s declaration.
Along with Fialko, Kruse closed Priscilla’s bank accounts and opened new ones “in an effort to transfer the funds of Presley’s various personal, business and trust accounts.”
Priscilla claims she also signed a five-year lease on a house in Orlando, Fla., owned by Sislyan, that she never asked for or wanted.
Further, Priscilla alleges in a declaration that Kruse and Fialko leaned on Coppola to get a credit on the biopic and diverted $120,000 of money Presley earned from the film into their own accounts.
When Lisa Marie died, Priscilla contended that Kruse and Fialko improperly inserted themselves into her legal dispute over her daughter’s trust, she said in her complaint. They also had the “audacity” to demand that they were allowed “ to attend any memorial service for Presley in the future,” she added.
By August 2023, Priscilla severed ties with Kruse.
A lawyer representing Kruse and Fialko did not respond to a request for comment.
A few months later, Kruse, through Priscilla Presley Partners, sued for breach of contract, saying Priscilla asked Kruse to take over her business affairs, requiring her to “devote her attention full-time to managing Priscilla’s life” in order to “monetize various aspects of her [Presley’s] life.”
Kruse and Fialko maintained they worked tirelessly to keep Priscilla from “financial ruin and public embarrassment,” and that she fully understood the agreements she was signing.
Meanwhile, others began to question the authenticity around some of GWS’s Elvis sales.
When GWS held another online auction of Elvis memorabilia in January 2023 that included a one-of-a-kind grommet jacket that Elvis wore in 1972, it drew the attention of Elvis Presley Enterprises.
“We know there was only one made, and guess what? We have it in our archives,” Weinshanker, EPE’s managing partner, told NBC News, last July.
GWS said the claims were unsubstantiated: “GWS stands behind everything that it sells, and categorically denies tracking in fake or inauthentic items attributed to Elvis Presley, or otherwise.”
The tensions escalated last November, after GWS announced another “lost” collection auction of Elvis and Col. Parker memorabilia, comprising 400 items.
Priscilla Presley, her daughter Lisa Marie and grandaughters: Riley Keough, Harper Lockwood and Finley Lockwood at an event honoring the Presley family at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles in 2022.
(Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
The cache of documents included telegrams Elvis and Parker sent to Frank Sinatra, the Beatles and others, handwritten notes and Elvis’ signed 1956 contract with the New Frontier Hotel in Las Vegas, included in the auction, that rang alarm bells.
The estate’s lawyers in December sent a cease and desist letter to GWS, claiming the listed auction items were the property of Graceland and demanded their immediate return. Nonetheless, GWS went forward with the sale, contending in a letter it had acted appropriately. , On Dec. 24, the estate sued GWS, Kruse and two others, claiming the items belonged to Graceland and were “improperly and illegally offered for sale at auction.” They sought to recover at least 74 “irreplaceable documents,” and alleged that the defendants were in “possession of perhaps thousands more such items.”
According to the suit, the allegedly “stolen” items were part of an enormous trove that the estate acquired from Parker in 1990 for $1.25 million. GWS has denied that it had engaged in “any wrongdoing whatsoever.”
Elvis’ estate alleges that a former Parker employee named Greg McDonald “took possession” of the documents that should have been turned over to Graceland after Parker died.
Instead, when McDonald died in 2024, his widow Sherry and son Thomas McDonald, who are named as defendants, “took possession of the Property and then delivered it to Brigitte Kruse for sale at GWS,” the lawsuit states.
The suit further asserted that Kruse was aware of the circumstances in which Greg McDonald obtained the items before putting them up for sale. In an email thread between Kruse and Graceland’s longtime archivist in 2021, included in the filings, Kruse wrote that she had a video of her in conversation with McDonald in which he “admits to knowing of the theft,” in regards to the documents.
Over 600,000 visitors go to Graceland each year, earning the estate an estimated $10 million annually.
(Raymond Boyd/Getty Images)
An attorney for Kruse disputed the claim, saying in a statement that when she had informed the Elvis estate of the existence of McDonald’s collection in 2021, “they did not make a claim to Mr. McDonald alleging that the collection was not rightfully his.”
GWS “never maintained care, custody or control of any of the items” that were auctioned,” the statement read. “We will continue to respect the judicial process and the outcome of the ongoing litigation.”
In a statement to The Times on behalf of himself and his mother, Thomas McDonald said: “The property in which Graceland and Elvis Presley Enterprises are asserting ownership has been in my family’s possession for over forty years as gifts from the Colonel. I am committed to resolving this dispute and vindicating my family’s rights as expediently and fairly as possible.”
Lawyers for EPE and Graceland Holdings did not respond to a request for comment.
As the various lawsuits were unfolding, last April, GWS Auctions was suspended by the Franchise Tax board in California, effectively losing its standing to operate legally due to noncompliance with tax requirements.
In court filings, Kruse and her co-defendants are cited as saying that GWS is “defunct.” However, GWS’ website remains active and currently lists the results of its most recent auction: the Artifacts of Hollywood and Music sale held on June 7 (that included the racing helmet Elvis wore in “Viva Las Vegas,” that sold for $6,500).
Last month, Elvis’ former wife scored a legal win when a Los Angeles Superior Court judge denied a motion by Kruse and her business associates to temporarily put a hold on the elder abuse lawsuit in an effort to move the litigation to Florida.
In his ruling, Judge Mark H. Epstein expressed frustration with the defendants’ “never-ending series of motions,” underscoring that this was not a a contract-based case. Presley “is suing these defendants for fraud and elder abuse, an aspect of which was allegedly bamboozling her into signing those agreements in the first place.”
The ongoing clash with Kruse has left Priscilla “devastated,” said her attorney, Wayne Harman. “We look forward to the court holding defendants fully accountable for their actions,” he said in a statement.
Amid the fallout with Kruse, the estate faced another controversy.
A mysterious company, Naussany Investments & Private Lending, presented documents claiming that Lisa Marie had borrowed $3.8 million and put up Graceland as collateral but had failed to repay the loan before she died.
But it was an elaborate scam, according to federal authorities, who in August arrested a Missouri woman, Lisa Jeanine Findley, alleging she used fake documents to “steal the family’s ownership interest in Graceland” and attemped to put it up for sale.
In February, Findley pleaded guilty to mail fraud for her role in the scheme and is scheduled to be sentenced this week. She faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
Kevin Williamson, whose previous screen creations include teen romantic drama (“Dawson’s Creek”), meta slasher horror (“Scream”) and teen supernatural gothic (“The Vampire Diaries”), has thrown his hat into the popular dysfunctional-family-doing-crimes ring with “The Waterfront,” premiering Thursday on Netflix. Set in North Carolina, like “Dawson’s Creek,” it’s a soap opera with drug smuggling.
Welcome to Havenport. As crime families go, the Buckleys are not the Corleones, although their involvement with the darker side of life is generational. (Legitimately they run fishing boats and a fancy restaurant and are sitting on a prize piece of undeveloped seafront property.) Grandpa (deceased) was some kind of troublemaker; father Harlan (Holt McCallany), who fondly remembers the cocaine trade of his younger days, when people dressed well and were polite, has checked out of all family affairs after a heart attack or two in favor of drinking and cheating on his unusually understanding wife, Belle (Maria Bello).
Meanwhile, without telling Harlan, Belle and son Cane (Jake Weary), a disappointed former high school hero, have been providing boats to idiot drug smugglers in order to pay off mortgages and loans that might cause them to lose their aboveboard businesses and cherished identity as the Buckleys of Havenport. When things go south, they get drawn in deeper — Cane, reluctantly, and Harlan, almost enthusiastically. It makes him feel like his old self again and gives him a reason to bully Cane — in order, he imagines, to toughen him up. But he’s basically a bully — imposing yet somehow bland.
Cane had a chance to play college football in Miami, but his father undercut his confidence; he is still waiting for it to return.
“I’m really good at almost,” he tells high school girlfriend Jenna (Humberly González), whose unexpected return to town has him emotionally unsettled, in spite of having a perfectly lovely wife, Peyton (Danielle Campbell), and a young daughter. “Almost good enough. Almost a good guy. I’m almost a good husband, father, son. Just not quite, you know.” (Jenna is nominally a journalist, working in Atlanta. “I read some of your articles online,” says Cade. “You’re a good writer!”)
Maria Bello stars as Belle Buckley in “The Waterfront.” (Dana Hawley/Netflix)
Holt McCallany plays patriarch Harlan Buckley. (Dana Hawley/Netflix)
The remaining Buckley, younger sister Bree (Melissa Benoist), is not currently doing any crimes, though she earlier burned her family’s house down and is now permitted to see her sulky teenage son, Diller (Brady Hepner), only in the presence of a court-appointed chaperon. Not that Diller wants to see her at all; she did burn his house down. (“No one was hurt,” Bree points out. “Physically,” Diller replies.) But manners are manners, whatever your mother’s done, and she was an addict, after all. Now she’s out of rehab, going to meetings and working in the family restaurant, though asking to get back into the front office. Perhaps she has an ulterior motive; so many of these characters do.
Also in the intertwined mix: Gerardo Celasco as too-buff-by-half Drug Enforcement Administration agent Marcus Sanchez; Michael Gaston as dangerous Sheriff Clyde Porter, an old frenemy of Harlan, seething with class resentment; and Rafael L. Silva as Shawn, the new bartender at the Buckleys’ restaurant, whose poor knowledge of mixology raises alarms. Topher Grace is on the cast list for a future appearance.
Given that Williamson grew up where the series is set and is the son of a fisherman, one might have hoped for more local color and a little insight into the fishing business, rather than concentrating on the criminal shenanigans and sexy stuff that could happen anywhere and does. (Yes, I have odd hopes.)
Instead, everything’s a little fuzzy, lacking in detail. Characters put on attitudes and get in and out of trouble — there are shootings and scrapes, surprising reveals and shocking events — but few are, or seem about to develop into, interesting people. (Only three episodes of eight were out for review, so something might well pop; still, that’s three hours of television down.) They’re a little bland, even, and what happens to any of them, though of idle interest, is never really a compelling question. Belle stands out by virtue of being played by Bello and given at least one scene in which she seems like a regular, empathetic person, and Bree can be sympathetic, given how much her son hates her. I would counsel Peyton, one of the few without an agenda — so far, anyway — to take her daughter and leave town, but I’m guessing that won’t happen.
If in some ways “The Waterfront” feels assembled off the shelf, there’s enough activity that some viewers, possibly a lot of them, will dig in just to see how this thing caroms into that. That’s the engine that runs no small amount of television. It’s easy enough to watch. And sometimes “just OK” equals “good enough.”
