claim

Jada Pinkett Smith is asking a judge to make Bilaal Salaam cover the $49,000 in legal fees she racked up fighting claims he made in a December lawsuit.

According to a motion filed April 20 and obtained by The Times, Pinkett Smith is asking that Salaam pay $49,181.23, consisting of “reasonable attorneys’ fees incurred” in connection with Pinkett Smith’s successful special motion to strike Salaam’s complaint, “plus further fees and costs associated with this motion.”

Salaam — Will Smith’s former best friend of 40 years who also goes by Brother Bilaal — filed a lawsuit against the “Bad Moms” actor in December, alleging emotional distress and seeking $3 million in damages.

Salaam claimed that in September 2021, he attended a private birthday party for Will Smith at the Regency Calabasas Commons. According to his lawsuit, he was in the lobby of the movie theater when Pinkett Smith approached him with about seven members of her entourage and threatened him. Salaam’s suit claims that Pinkett Smith told him he would “end up missing or catch a bullet” if he kept “telling her personal business.” She also allegedly pressured him to sign a non-disclosure agreement.

In November 2023, Salaam appeared on the “Unwine With Tasha K” podcast and alleged that he walked into Duane Martin’s dressing room and saw Will Smith having a sexual encounter with the “All of Us” actor. He also made claims about Pinkett Smith’s sexual habits.

Pinkett Smith swiftly responded during an appearance on “The Breakfast Club” and said that Salaam started the rumors as part of a broader “money shakedown” and that his claims were “ridiculous and nonsense.”

“It’s not true and we’re going to take care of it,” she said. “We’re about to take legal action.”

Salaam beat Pinkett Smith to the courthouse and sued her in December, but Pinkett Smith asked the judge to toss the case in February.

According to the motion filed this week, the former “Red Table Talk” host argues Salaam should pay her hefty legal bills because she “prevailed on her anti-SLAPP motion” and the court struck all allegations relating to media statements “that formed the basis for Plaintiff’s three causes of action, as well as additional allegations regarding a cease-and-desist letter.”

Several Iranian officials have stressed that their country is united, rejecting United States President Donald Trump’s claims of a rift in the leadership in Tehran.

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf all issued statements rejecting the United States president’s assertion.

Pezeshkian and Ghalibaf joined the Supreme National Security Council in posting the same message on X.

“In Iran, there are no radicals or moderates,” it said.

“We are all ‘Iranian’ and ‘revolutionary’, and with the iron unity of the nation and government, with complete obedience to the Supreme Leader of the Revolution, we will make the aggressor criminal regret his actions.”

Mohammad Reza Aref, Iran’s first vice president, also shared the statement, adding another note in English.

“Iran is not a land of rifts, but a stronghold of unity,” Aref said. “Our political diversity is our democracy, yet in times of peril, we are a ‘Single Hand’ under one flag. To protect our soil and dignity, we transcend all labels. We are one soul, one nation.”

Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has not made a public appearance since replacing his father, Ali Khamenei, who was killed by US-Israeli strikes on February 28.

US officials have said that the younger Khamenei was wounded and “disfigured” in the strike that killed his father.

The New York Times reported on Thursday, citing unidentified Iranian officials, that Khamenei is gravely wounded but remains “mentally sharp”.

Trump and his aides have been reiterating daily over the past week that there are major disagreements among Iranian leaders.

The US president claimed that Iranians are “having a very hard time figuring out who their leader is”, alleging that there is “crazy” infighting between “moderates” and “hardliners” in Tehran.

Citing the supposed rift by Trump could serve to justify the extension of the ceasefire while also putting the blame on Iran for the stalled diplomacy.

Tehran, however, has stressed over the past days that the talks – previously scheduled to take place in Pakistan – are not happening due to the US blockade on its country’s ports.

On Thursday, Araghchi dismissed allegations that the Iranian military is at odds with the political leadership.

“The failure of Israel’s terrorist killings is reflected in how Iran’s state institutions continue to act with unity, purpose, and discipline,” he wrote on X.

“The battlefield and diplomacy are fully coordinated fronts in the same war. Iranians are all united, more than ever before.”

diplomatic impasse with the US, with Trump suggesting that he is comfortable with the status quo of blockading Iran’s ports to inflict economic pain on the country without resuming the war or rushing towards a conclusive deal.

“Iran’s Navy is lying at the bottom of the Sea, their Air Force is demolished, their Anti-Aircraft and Radar Weaponry is gone, their leaders are no longer with us, the Blockade is airtight and strong and, from there, it only gets worse — Time is not on their side!” Trump said on social media on Thursday.

“A Deal will only be made when it’s appropriate and good for the United States of America, our Allies and, in fact, the rest of the World.”

But the truce under the status quo remains tenuous. Air defences were activated over Tehran earlier on Thursday, but there has been no official confirmation of an attack against the country.

Earlier on Thursday, Trump said the US military will “shoot and kill” Iranian laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz, which could spark a response

And oil prices are once again rising due to the uncertainty and the double blockade in the Gulf – Iran closing down Hormuz and the US naval siege on Iranian ports.

Israel also appears ready to rejoin the war. Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Thursday his country is awaiting the green light from Trump to return Iran to the “age of darkness”.

“Israel is prepared to renew the war against Iran. The [Israeli military] is ready in defence and offence, and the targets are marked,” Katz said, according to the Times of Israel newspaper.

A former female staffer who worked for Beast Industries, the media venture behind the popular YouTube channel MrBeast, is suing the company, alleging she was sexually harassed and fired shortly after she returned from maternity leave.

The employee, Lorrayne Mavromatis, a Brazilian-born social media professional, alleges in a lawsuit she was subjected to sexual harassment by the company’s management and demoted after she complained about her treatment. She said she was urged to join a conference call while in labor and expected to work during her maternity leave in violation of the Family and Medical Leave Act, according to the federal complaint filed Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina.

“This clout-chasing complaint is built on deliberate misrepresentations and categorically false statements, and we have the receipts to prove it. There is extensive evidence — including Slack and WhatsApp messages, company documents, and witness testimony — that unequivocally refutes her claims. We will not submit to opportunistic lawyers looking to manufacture a payday from us,” Gaude Paez, a Beast Industries spokesperson, said in a statement.

Jimmy Donaldson, 27, began MrBeast as a teen gaming channel that soon exploded into a media company worth an estimated $5 billion, with 500 employees and 450 million subscribers who watch its games, stunts and giveaways.

Mavromatis, who was hired in 2022 as its head of Instagram, described a pervasive climate of discrimination and harassment, according to the lawsuit.

In her complaint, she alleges the company’s former CEO James Warren made her meet him at his home for one-on-one meetings while he commented on her looks and dismissed her complaints about a male client’s unwanted advances, telling her “she should be honored that the client was hitting on her.”

When Mavromatis asked Warren why MrBeast, Donaldson, would not work with her, she was told that “she is a beautiful woman and her appearance had a certain sexual effect on Jimmy,” and, “Let’s just say that when you’re around and he goes to the restroom, he’s not actually using the restroom.”

Paez refuted the claim.

“That’s ridiculous. This is an allegation fabricated for the sole purpose of sparking headlines,” Paez said.

Mavromatis said she endured a slate of other indignities such as being told by Donaldson that she “would only participate in her video shoot if she brought him a beer.”

“In this male-centric workplace, Plaintiff, one of the few women in a high-level role, was excluded from otherwise all-male meetings, demeaned in front of colleagues, harassed, and suffered from males be given preferential treatment in employment decisions,” states the complaint.

When Mavromatis raised a question during a staff meeting with her team, she said a male colleague told her to “shut up” or “stop talking.”

At MrBeast headquarters in Greenville, N.C., she said male executives mocked female contestants participating in BeastGames, “who complained they did not have access to feminine hygiene products and clean underwear while participating in the show.”

In November 2023, Mavromatis formally complained about “the sexually inappropriate encounters and harassment, and demeaning and hostile work environment she and other female employees had been living and experiencing working at MrBeast,” to the company’s then head of human resources, Sue Parisher, who is also Donaldson’s mother, according to the suit.

In her complaint, Mavromatis said Beast Industries did not have a method or process for employees to report such issues either anonymously or to a third party, rather employees were expected to follow the company’s handbook, “How to Succeed In MrBeast Production.”

In it, employees were instructed that, “It’s okay for the boys to be childish,” “if talent wants to draw a dick on the white board in the video or do something stupid, let them” and “No does not mean no,” according to the complaint.

Mavromatis alleges that she was demoted and then fired.

Paez said that Mavromatis’s role was eliminated as part of a reorganization of an underperforming group within Beast Industries and that she was made aware of this.

Former Fox News host and ex-Trump advocate Tucker Carlson is feeling remorse for the role he and others played in publicly promoting Donald Trump as a candidate and as the president.

“In very small ways, but in real ways, you and me and millions of people like us are the reason this is happening right now,” Carlson said Monday on his podcast, “The Tucker Carlson Show.” He was chatting with Buckley Carlson, his brother and a former Trump speechwriter, about the erosion of conservative values within the Republican Party under Trump.

“I do think it’s a moment to wrestle with our own consciences,” Carlson said. “You know, we’ll be tormented by it for a long time. I will be, and I want to say I’m sorry for misleading people. It was not intentional, and that’s all I’ll say.”

After nearly 10 years of yammering nightly about the greatness of Trump, Carlson picks now to cut the conversation short?

There’s a lot more to say, but this time, it’s about Carlson’s too-little, too-late mea culpa. His claim that he did not intentionally mislead the public is in itself misleading. While Carlson promoted Trump and the Big Lie ad nauseam on his prime-time Fox News show, “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” he was privately disparaging the president and discrediting Trump’s claims that the 2020 election was stolen.

His off-camera thoughts were revealed when internal communications between Fox staffers went public in 2023 due to Dominion Voting Systems’ defamation lawsuit against Fox News for knowingly broadcasting false claims that its machines rigged the 2020 election. Texts and emails from Carlson and other high-profile hosts suggested they knew Trump’s election fraud claims were unfounded, yet they still pushed the “rigged” narrative on air.

In one such example, Carlson texted that Trump needed to concede, and agreed that “there wasn’t enough fraud to change the outcome” of the election, according to the filing. Yet three nights later, he was on air claiming that there were “legitimate concerns” about election integrity. There were several more communications from Carlson where he expressed doubt about Trump’s claims. But in the public eye, he continued to assail the election results and the legitimacy of Biden’s win.

The Fox News host also privately scorned the first Trump presidency as a “disaster,” then turned around and stumped for Trump in 2024, praising him as a “national leader” at the Republican National Convention and campaigning with him in Arizona just days before the election.

If that’s not intentionally misleading the public, then what is?

Perhaps Carlson should have heeded his initial instincts about Trump. Before gaining notoriety with his Fox show, he posted on the website Slate about Trump in 1999, referring to him as “the single most repulsive person on the planet.”

Today the podcaster is among a growing number of right-wing influencers who have turned on their former leader. Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones want to push Trump out of office by invoking the 25th Amendment. Carrie Prejean Boller, who was a Trump-appointed member of the Religious Liberty Commission up until February, simply called him an “evil psychopath”.

Carlson has criticized the Trump administration’s decision to go to war in Iran, calling it “absolutely disgusting and evil” in March, and later said it was the “single biggest mistake” of Trump’s presidency. And when Trump demanded on Truth Social that Iran “open the F—– Strait, you crazy bastards,” Carlson said the post was “vile on every level” and “the most revealing thing the president has ever done. … Who do you think you are? You’re tweeting out the F word on Easter morning?” Carlson said in his podcast.

The president has responded to criticism from Carlson by telling the New York Post that his detractor is a “a low-IQ person” who has “absolutely no idea what’s going on.”

But Carlson is hardly the only American with buyer’s remorse. A recent NBC poll found that Trump is facing the lowest job approval rating of his second term, largely due to strong disapproval of how the president has handled inflation and the cost of living. Carlson, unlike the rest of the country, rode the MAGA wave to prosperity. His show kicked off in 2016, within weeks of the election, and he rose to prominence on the fervor of Trumpism. Supporting Trump was a family business. From his brother, a Republican operative who previously wrote speeches for Trump, to his son, who worked until recently in Vice President JD Vance’s press office.

Now Carlson is making his way back into the conversation by opposing the man he once claimed to revere.

He is asking for forgiveness for backing a faulty product, while also claiming to be a victim of its beguiling charms. “You and I and everyone else who supported him … you wrote speeches for him, I campaigned for him. We’re implicated in this for sure,” Carlson told his brother on the podcast. “It’s not enough to say, ‘Well, I changed my mind,’ or ‘Oh, this is bad. I’m out.’”

True, that’s not enough. Carlson should apologize for misleading the public, intentionally.

L.A. County officials want to put $2.7 million toward beefing up the team of people investigating fraud within a deluge of recent sex abuse lawsuits, suggesting a broadening probe at the district attorney’s office.

The funding allocation, part of the county’s $48.8-billion budget proposal unveiled Monday, would bring on 10 new people to the small team prosecuting alleged fraud within the county’s historic $4-billion sex abuse settlement. L.A. County Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman announced the probe last November following a Times investigation that found nine people who said they were paid to sue.

The county has agreed to pay billions to settle more than 11,000 claims of sex abuse in juvenile halls and foster homes, a flood of lawsuits spurred by a 2020 law changing the statute of limitations. Since those settlements, more than 5,000 new lawsuits have been filed with an average of 150 new claims coming in per month, according to the county, raising the prospect of future costly payouts.

Acting Chief Executive Joseph Nicchitta said Monday the new filings would continue to be an “anchor” around the county’s finances.

“It is something that’s going to weigh on us going forward,” he said at a news conference announcing the new spending plan.

Hochman said in a statement that the investigation was a priority for his office and the money would be used to “pursue every credible lead and hold fraudsters accountable.”

“It is our pledge to the real survivors of childhood sexual abuse that we will root out and prosecute those who manufactured false claims and profited or tried to profit from those lies,” Hochman said. “As for those who filed fraudulent claims of sex abuse, the time is growing short for you to turn yourselves in before you are arrested, prosecuted and punished.”

Nicchitta made a pitch for legislative change, noting the county was looking to Sacramento to “eliminate loopholes allowing abusive practices by attorneys that inject weak and potentially fraudulent claims into settlement pools.”

The push by the county to change the law has been hotly criticized by some advocates who accuse government officials of trampling on victims’ rights.

“These reforms that we are seeking are anti-fraud,” said Nicchitta. “They are not anti-survivor.”

The payouts are yet another cloud looming over the budget proposal, along with rising labor costs and federal funding cuts. The recommended budget represents a 7% decrease in spending compared to the current plan.

But Nicchitta said Monday it wasn’t all doom and gloom, with the county managing to stave off layoffs and program cuts.

The upcoming budget proposal, he said, represented the calm before the next big wave of potential rollbacks.

“Remember, we’re in the eye of the hurricane,” he said.

The budget forecast was notably rosier than last year’s, in which the county was saddled with $2 billion in new wildfire costs and had made the first round of slashes to finance the sex abuse payouts. The county froze hiring at the time and made most departments shrink their budgets by 3%.

Those cuts, Nicchitta said, went deep enough that they can avoid major slashes this upcoming fiscal year, though he warned the fallout from the Trump administration’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” will soon wreak fresh havoc on the county’s finances. Health officials say they expect more than $2 billion to be cut from the budget for health services over the next three years.

Costs from wildfire will also continue to weigh on the county’s coffers. Officials say the federal government has yet to respond to a February request for rebuilding aid. Nicchitta said he was “optimistic” the money would soon be made available.

Growth from property taxes has given the county a small new pot of funds, which will be used largely to pay for increased salaries for county workers. An additional $12 million will go to public defenders, who say they’re buckling under untenably heavy caseloads, while the Office of Emergency Management will get roughly $10 million to add 44 positions, according to the proposal.

The office, which is responsible for coordinating during emergencies, was under scrutiny following the alert failures of the Eaton fire, and officials had promised in the aftermath to revamp the small office.

The supervisors will be briefed on the budget plan Tuesday.

Bahrain has scored the first air-to-air kills by the latest Block 70 variant of the iconic F-16 Viper, taking down two Iranian drones during the conflict in the Middle East earlier this month. The incident comes as air forces around the world grapple with the emerging aerial drone threat and as interest in the advanced version of the Viper remains undiminished.

In a social media post, below a photo of a Royal Bahrani Air Force (RBAF) F-16D Block 70, Lockheed Martin stated: “Proven in combat. Two hostile unmanned aerial vehicles eliminated.”

In another post on X, Lockheed Martin linked to an article from Aviation Week, which provides more details of the landmark air-to-air kill.

On April 1, the RBAF F-16 brought down a pair of Iranian drones after these had evaded intercept attempts by ground-based air defenses in the pre-dawn hours. The fact that the jet was scrambled to respond to drones that had leaked through ground-based air defenses points to the flexibility and rapid response time offered by crewed fighters in this kind of scenario.

The pilot fired single examples of the AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) and AIM-9X Sidewinder to take down the drones. For counter-drone work, the pilot can also call upon an internal 30mm M61 Vulcan rotary cannon, although safely engaging slow-flying drones with the gun is notoriously challenging.

It should be noted that using missile-armed fighters to shoot down low-cost drones has raised repeated concerns about the mismatch in cost between the target and the interceptor. For example, the latest variants of the AMRAAM cost around $1 million each, while current-generation AIM-9X Sidewinders each have a price tag of around $450,000. Air-to-air optimized laser-Guided rockets that are already equipping USAF F-16s will help bring down this cost dramatically, although the capability is still young and few F-16 operators have been equipped with it yet.

Regardless, the Block 70 version of the F-16 is especially well-equipped to tackle drones.

Its Northrop Grumman AN/APG-83 radar, also known as the Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR), uses an active electronically scanned array (AESA), which makes it especially suitable for working against drones and cruise missiles. These typically fly at low levels, which, combined with their small size, radar cross-section, and infrared signature, makes them inherently difficult for traditional mechanically scanned fighter radars to spot.

The jets also carry an AN/AAQ-33 Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod, which can also be used to detect and identify aerial threats.

Bahrain was on the receiving end of constant barrages of Iranian missiles and drones after the conflict began on February 28.

According to the Bahrain Defense Force, its units intercepted 194 missiles and 515 drones headed toward the small island kingdom between the start of the conflict and the temporary ceasefire that was announced earlier this week.

Fittingly, for the first operator to claim an aerial kill with the F-16 Block 70, Bahrain was also the launch customer for this version of the jet. It placed an order for 16 examples in 2019, and the first of these arrived at Isa Air Base in Bahrain in 2024.

On the move! ✈️ The very first F-16 Block 70 ferry is now en route to Bahrain! This jet represents a significant leap in 4.5 generation fighter technology, revolutionizing operational capabilities and redefining 21st-century aerial combat for air forces worldwide. pic.twitter.com/yWHIvgA0uz

— Lockheed Martin (@LockheedMartin) March 6, 2024

It is worth noting that, in addition to their air defense role, the Bahraini Block 70s are well equipped for offensive missions.

During weapons tests in the United States, we have seen the jets carrying 500-pound-class Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) precision-guided bombs, including dual-mode GBU-54/B Laser JDAMs (LJDAM).

The U.S. government also approved the potential sale to Bahrain of a slew of other weapons to arm these jets. These included AGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missiles, AGM-88 High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missiles (HARM), AGM-154 Joint Stand-off Weapon (JSOW) glide bombs, 250-pound-class GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bombs (SDB), 2,000-pound class JDAMs (including LJDAMs), and Paveway-series precision-guided bombs.

While the RBAF has not revealed further details of its recent combat missions, the Block 70 is clearly a significant part of the service’s capabilities.

The new Vipers are far more capable than the Block 40 versions that Bahrain originally acquired in the 1990s.

Under the Peace Crown I and II Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programs, Bahrain received 22 F-16C/D Block 40 aircraft in two tranches. Survivors remain in service today.

As well as an AESA radar and the aforementioned advanced weapons, the Block 70 has a 12,000-hour airframe life and a host of other major upgrades over older F-16s, such as cockpits with wide-panel digital displays and conformal fuel tanks. They also have improved mission computers that give the jets a new ‘digital backbone,” and more, as you can read about in detail here.

Since Bahrain ordered it, five more countries have signed up for the Block 70, creating an order book for 148 aircraft. These aircraft are being built at a new assembly line in Greenville, South Carolina, after production was relocated from Fort Worth, Texas, to make room for F-35 expansion.

Already, the new Block 70 versions have seen a surge in demand in recent years, providing the F-16 with a new lease of life. The fact that the type has now proven itself in aerial combat, against Iranian drones, is another significant milestone in the Viper story.

Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com

WASHINGTON — Steve Bannon, a longtime ally of President Trump, on Monday won a Supreme Court order that is expected to lead to the dismissal of his criminal conviction for refusing to testify to Congress.

Prodded by the Trump administration, the justices threw out an appellate ruling upholding Bannon’s conviction for defying a subpoena from the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, attack by a mob of Trump supporters on the U.S. Capitol.

The move frees a trial judge to act on the Republican administration’s pending request to dismiss Bannon’s conviction and indictment “in the interests of justice.”

The dismissal would be largely symbolic. Bannon served a four-month prison term after a jury convicted him of contempt of Congress in 2022. A federal appeals court in Washington had upheld the conviction.

The justices also issued a similar order in the case of former Cincinnati Councilman P.G. Sittenfeld, who was pardoned by Trump last year.

Sittenfeld had served 16 months in federal prison after a jury convicted him of bribery and attempted extortion in 2022. The high court order allows a lower court to consider dismissing his indictment.

The Justice Department brought the case against Bannon during Democrat Joe Biden’s presidency, but it changed course after Trump took office again last year.

Bannon had initially argued that his testimony was protected by Trump’s claim of executive privilege. But the House panel and the Justice Department contended such a claim was dubious because Trump had fired Bannon from the White House in 2017 and Bannon was thus a private citizen when he was consulting with the then-president in the run-up to the Capitol riot.

Bannon separately has pleaded guilty in a New York state court to defrauding donors to a private effort to build a wall on the U.S. southern border, as part of a plea deal that allowed him to avoid jail time. That conviction is unaffected by the Supreme Court action.

Sherman writes for the Associated Press.

A senior Iranian official has laughed in response to US President Donald Trump’s claim that Iran’s president has asked for a ceasefire, Al Jazeera’s Ali Hashem says Trump’s comments come a day after Iran’s foreign minister said his country was not looking for a ceasefire.

THE BBC was today plunged into a fresh crisis after Radio 2 breakfast DJ Scott Mills was sacked over allegations about his personal conduct. 

The 53-year-old — who earned more than £350,000 a year — had his contract terminated after a complaint was made, understood to relate to a historical relationship. 

He was called in for a meeting after his show last Tuesday — the same day a Channel 5 drama about the conduct of axed BBC newsreader Huw Edwards was screened. 

A source said: “Scott was taken off air the following day and his ­contract was terminated at the weekend.” BBC staff were left stunned as the news broke yesterday. 

News of his sudden sacking yesterday left BBC colleagues gasping in shock, one revealed. 

Even star pals were blindsided by the announcement that the host had been given the elbow. 

SCOTT AXED

Why was Scott Mills sacked from Radio 2? What we know so far

‘SUDDEN’ SACKING

BBC Radio 2 star Scott Mills sacked over ‘historic male relationship’

And sources said friends’ immediate attempts to contact Mills all ended in failure. 

The Sun understands an allegation made against the Radio 2 Breakfast Show presenter relates to a relationship dating back more than a decade — and that his contract was terminated within five days of the complaint being made. 

BBC news correspondent Sima Kotecha said: “We heard gasps in the newsroom when people realised that he had been sacked. 

“We don’t know why he’s been sacked but we do know that it will surely be unwelcome news. 

“The fact that the bosses had to do this means there must be something potentially very significant here to let one of their big names go. As I said, this is a huge name in the BBC.”  

A source explained: “An allegation was made against Scott last Tuesday and he was called in for a meeting. 

“He was taken off air from Radio 2 the following day and his contract was terminated at the weekend. 

“It was a very fast process between the complaint being raised and Scott leaving. It happened in less than five days.” 

A source close to Mills — the BBC’s 11th highest-paid star — said: “Scott was told about the allegation in a meeting with senior staff present. He was tense. 

“He has completely shut down now and no one can get hold of him. No calls, no messages — nothing. 

“The people who know him are blindsided by all of this and they can’t get hold of him.”  

An internal message was sent around Radio 2 after Mills’ exit was made public. 

Lorna Clarke, the BBC’s Director of Music, said: “I wanted to personally let you know that Scott Mills has left the Breakfast show, and the BBC. 

“I know that this news will be sudden and unexpected and therefore must come as a shock. 

“Of course, it will also come as a shock to our audience and loyal breakfast show listeners too.”  

Rhodri-Talfan Davies, the BBC’s Acting Director- General, sent out a company-wide email saying: “I hope you all understand that we are not able to share any more information.”

Referencing the shock of BBC staffers and Scott’s listeners, he praised the team working on Radio 2 and said: “I just want to recognise the pressure this puts on them, many of whom have worked with Scott for many years.”  

In an official statement, the BBC said only: “While we do not comment on matters relating to individuals, we can ­confirm Scott Mills is no longer contracted and has left the BBC.”  

The news of his axing over the “historical relationship” led the BBC’s own bulletins. 

Jeremy Vine, who hosts the afternoon slot on Radio 2, said as he started his show: “Obviously, I was taken aback by that opening story to the news. 

“I hadn’t heard anything about it until 17 minutes ago, when it was on the BBC website, and I only had the information that was given to you in the bulletin. 

“I have nothing more, that it was allegations about Scott Mills’s personal conduct, which have led to him being sacked. 

“I have no more than that. All right, on to today’s show . . .”  

The “historical” nature of the relationship will lead to questions over what the BBC knew, if anything, at the time. 

Mills — who married boyfriend Sam Vaughan in July 2024 shortly before they won BBC’s Celebrity Race Across The World — was taken off air from Wednesday last week.

Gary Davies stepped in to host the Breakfast show and will remain on air until Thursday, with OJ Borg working on Bank Holiday Friday and Monday. 

Insiders said staff working at BBC Radio 2 were originally told Mills was having time off for “personal reasons”. 

His last social media post was made last Tuesday, where he shared a clip of an interview he did with former One Direction star Louis Tomlinson the week prior. 

A source said: “Scott was taken off air from Radio 2 on Wednesday. He clearly had no idea it was coming as at the end of his show on Tuesday, he told Vernon Kay, who hosts the next slot, ‘See you tomorrow.’ 

“When he wasn’t at work the next day, people working at Radio 2 and other stations were led to believe he was having time off for personal reasons. No one asked many questions. 

“Now it’s come out, everyone who works at Radio 2, and in the wider BBC, are in utter shock.” 

They added: “The BBC did not issue a company-wide press release and just shared the news with the radio staff. 

“People who worked for the BBC outside of the radio service were reading about Scott on news websites. The shock around Broadcasting House in London was palpable.” 

Kay, 51, has emerged as the favourite to replace Mills full time. 

FAVOURITE FOR NEARLY 30 YEARS

By Howell Davies 

SCOTT Mills became one of the BBC’s most popular presenters after nearly three decades with the corporation. 

He was obsessed with radio while growing up around Eastleigh, Hants, joining a hospital radio station aged 12 and later working for regional stations. 

After several rejections from the Beeb, he joined Radio 1 in 1998 as cover for the early breakfast slot — and was a regular on the Top of the Pops by 1999.  

But he struggled with anxiety and depression, and his drinking spiralled after his boyfriend Mitch died in 2000. 

It almost cost him his job when he turned up for his 4am show audibly drunk following the Brit Awards. 

He said: “They could have just fired me and quite rightly so.” But he was given another chance, and now says he rarely drinks. 

In 2004, he joined the station’s daytime line-up and became renowned for signing off calls with “Love you, bye”.  

He also came up with Innuendo Bingo, where players try to not spit out water as they hear euphemisms. 

In 2022, Scott jumped ship to Radio 2 to replace Steve Wright in the afternoon slot, and eventually won the coveted breakfast slot after Zoe Ball’s exit in January 2025. At the time, he told The Sun: “I’ve worked for this my whole life.” 

The allegation made against Mills appears to relate to a time when he was working for Radio 1. 

He joined the station in 1998 on its Early Breakfast Show. His profile was boosted when he took part in Strictly Come Dancing in 2014, paired with pro dancer Joanne Clifton.  

In November 2024 it was announced he would replace Zoe Ball on Radio 2’s flagship Breakfast Show — and he started what he called his “dream job” the ­following January. 

The drama plunges the BBC into a fresh crisis following the dismissals of other stars including Huw Edwards, plus John Torode and Gregg Wallace. 

The day Mills was called to the meeting was the same day a Channel 5 drama about the conduct of Edwards was screened. 

Martin Clunes starred in Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards, telling how The Sun helped expose his double life.

The former news anchor dodged a jail sentence in September 2024 after he pleaded guilty to three counts of possessing indecent images of children. 

The previous July, The Sun revealed a top BBC presenter had been accused of paying a teen £35,000 in return for sordid images. Edwards was later named by his wife Vicky Flint as the ­presenter in question. 

In July last year MasterChef hosts Wallace and Torode were both sacked after an investigation into their conduct.  

The probe had been launched at the beginning of 2025. 

Outgoing BBC Director-General Tim Davie said the corporation had “lessons we can learn,” after the scandal unfolded under his watch. Former Google boss Matt Brittin will take over the Director-General role on May 18. 

Mills’s sacking from the BBC means he will no longer be involved in the BBC’s Eurovision Song Contest coverage. 

He has previously commentated on the competition’s semi-final and hosts Radio 2’s coverage. 

Earlier this month Mills was also announced as the new host of a podcast based on the BBC’s hit show Race Across The World. 

Scott’s sacking also creates a headache for EastEnders as his voice appeared in a flash-forward scene on New Year’s Day, set a year in the future. 

A representative for Scott was contacted for comment. 

TIMELINE OF SCANDALS

THE BBC has had a number of scandals involving top stars in recent years. 

2023: The Sun reveals serious allegations against Strictly pros Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima — with both sacked in 2024.  

AUGUST 2024: One Show host and Match Of The Day pundit Jermaine Jenas was sacked following complaints of indecent behaviour.  

SEPTEMBER 2024: Former News At Ten anchor Huw Edwards dodged jail after he admitted three counts of making indecent images of children. 

JULY 2025: Masterchef hosts Gregg Wallace and John Torode were both fired over inappropriate behaviour. 

Singer-songwriter FKA twigs is suing her ex-boyfriend, actor Shia LaBeouf, claiming that he is trying to “silence” her from speaking out against sexual abuse through the use of an “unlawful” nondisclosure agreement.

The complaint, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Wednesday, seeks a court order to prohibit LeBeouf from enforcing sections of an NDA which Tahliah Barnett — the Grammy Award-winning singer’s legal name — says violates California law.

“Shia LaBeouf has tried to control Tahliah Barnett for the better part of a decade,” the filing states.

“This action was taken in response to Mr. LaBeouf’s attempt to bully and intimidate twigs through a frivolous and unlawful secret arbitration he filed against her in December in which he sought to extract money from her,” said the singer’s attorney Mathew Rosengart, national co-chair of media & entertainment litigation at Greenberg Traurig in Century City, in a statement.

Rosengart added that twigs “refuses to be bullied anymore. She is instead standing up for herself and other survivors of sexual abuse who have improperly been silenced. This is the unusual case that is not about money but about justice and upholding and enforcing California law and policy designed to protect survivors by nullifying illegal NDAs.”

LaBeouf’s attorney Shawn Holley of Kinsella Holley Iser Kump Steinsapir denied the claims.

“When Ms. Barnett and Mr. LaBeouf both decided to resolve their differences and move on with their lives, no one forced her or ‘bullied’ her to stay silent,” Holley said in a statement.
“As a woman with agency, she decided to settle the case and accepted money to dismiss her lawsuit.”

The suit arises out of litigation that Barnett brought against LaBeouf in 2020, when she accused the actor of “physical, sexual, and mental abuse” during their relationship,” as well as “knowingly infect[ing]” Barnett with a sexually transmitted disease.” That case was settled last year.

In a response to the suit, the actor told the New York Times that “many of these allegations are not true.”

But he added, “I am not in the position to defend any of my actions. I owe these women the opportunity to air their statements publicly and accept accountability for those things I have done.”

In the statement Thursday, Holley added that the claim of sexual battery “was disputed, as were the other claims made in Ms. Barnett’s lawsuit.”

Shia LaBeouf poses for photographers upon arrival at the premiere of the film “The Phoenician Scheme” at the 78th annual Cannes Film Festival May 18, 2025.

(Lewis Joly / Invision / AP)

According to the new lawsuit, LaBeouf filed a secret arbitration complaint and “improperly sought exorbitant monies” from Barnett last December, claiming she had breached their agreement by violating its nondisclosure provisions after she gave an interview to the Hollywood Reporter in October.

In the interview, Barnett was asked if she felt safe and answered that as a woman of color in the entertainment industry, she “wouldn’t feel safe” and discussed her involvement with organizations that support survivors, saying, “I think it’s less about me at this point and more about looking forward. Just, you know, moving on with my life.”

The agreement Barnett reached with LaBeouf “contained a deficient and unlawful NDA that is unenforceable,” under California’s Stand Together Against Non-Disclosure Act, according to the complaint. The law forbids NDAs from being used to silence victims of sexual misconduct.

“As the California Legislature has made clear, survivors should have the right to tell their stories without fear or coercion, and California law does not and must not allow abusers and bullies to silence them through secret agreements containing unconscionable, unlawful gag orders,” the complaint states.

The lawsuit further alleges that while LaBeouf has sought to prohibit Barnett from talking about her abuse, he has “repeatedly brought up his relationship with Ms. Barnett—on his own and without being directly asked about her—materially breaching the very confidentiality provisions that he had just contended were fully enforceable against Ms. Barnett.”

While the actor agreed to drop the arbitration in February, he has “refused to acknowledge, however, that the NDA provisions are illegal and unenforceable,” the filing states.

The latest round in LaBeouf’s legal battle with Barnett comes just weeks after a New Orleans judge ordered the actor to begin substance abuse treatment and undergo weekly drug testing after he was arrested on suspicion of assaulting two men in the city’s French Quarter. LaBeouf was also required to post $100,000 bond as part of the conditions of his release. He was charged with two counts of simple battery, the Associated Press reported.

Puka Nacua has denied a woman’s claim that he made an antisemitic comment, says the Rams wide receiver’s attorney.

Madison Atiabi made the claim this week in an application for a temporary restraining order obtained by The Times.

Atiabi asserted in the court filing that during a group New Year’s Eve dinner, Nacua said “f— all the Jews … in a manner audible to [her] and others at the table.” Atiabi added that Nacua’s “vulgar, threatening, violent and harassing conduct” escalated as the evening progressed.

After dinner, Atiabi said she was in a car with Nacua and others when the Rams star bit her on the left shoulder, leaving a substantial bite mark that was photographed. Nacua also is alleged to have bitten the thumb of Atiabi’s friend “so forcefully that she screamed in pain,” according to the filing.

Nacua’s attorney, Levi McCathern, said he has spoken to witnesses — including other Rams players who were present — who didn’t hear Nacua make the antisemitic statement. He also said the bite was innocent “horseplay.”

“Puka denies these allegations in the strongest possible terms,” McCathern said. “We will pursue all available legal remedies in response to these false and damaging statements.”

The request for a temporary restraining order was denied by a Los Angeles Superior Court judicial officer and a hearing is scheduled for April 14.

“Our office was contacted with demands of millions of dollars in exchange for not publicizing these allegations,” McCathern told TMZ. “This is not a legitimate claim — it is blackmail.”

In December, Nacua apologized for an antisemitic gesture he made while appearing on a livestream with Adin Ross and N3on.

The livestreamers, with Nacua out of earshot, discussed whether Nacua would get in trouble if he performed a move that references an offensive stereotype about Jewish people. Ross is Jewish, but he often performs the move in his livestreams.

They suggested Nacua, who led the NFL with 129 receptions and was named an All-Pro in 2025, perform the gesture the next time he scored a touchdown.

“At the time, I had no idea this act was antisemitic in nature and perpetuated hateful stereotypes against Jewish people,” Nacua wrote in his post. “I deeply apologize to anyone who was offended by my actions as I do not stand for any form of racism, bigotry or hate of another group of people.”

The Rams distanced themselves from Nacua’s gesture in a statement.

“There is no place in this world for antisemitism as well as other forms of prejudice or hostility towards the Jewish people and people of any religion, ethnicity, or race,” the team said.

A soccer star has accused a pop star of making the daughter of a movie star cry.

Chappell Roan — who, in recent years, called out fans’ “creepy behavior” and said she “pumped the brakes” on fame to protect her own privacy — was accused over the weekend by soccer star Jorginho of rough treatment of his family.

Roan (letting up on the brakes?) headlined Lollapalooza Brazil over the weekend, and Jorginho was in attendance along with his wife and child. While there, as outlined by People, the footballer said the 11-year-old was thrilled to see the singer while they were dining at their São Paulo hotel. The girl walked by the 28-year-old “Pink Pony Club” singer’s table “to confirm it was her, smiled, and went back to sit with her mum. She didn’t say anything, didn’t ask for anything,” he wrote.

Although he didn’t name the girl, his wife, Catherine Harding, shares an 11-year-old with Jude Law. Harding, aka Cat Cavelli, is a singer-songwriter and native of Ireland.

Jorginho of Brazil’s Flamengo celebrates after scoring his side’s second goal, from the penalty spot, during the Recopa Sudamericana second leg final soccer match against Argentina’s Lanus in Rio de Janeiro, Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026.

(Bruna Prado/AP)

Jorginho alleged that, after the girl sat down, a “large security guard” came over and interrupted their breakfast to generally make their lives miserable. The guard allegedly told the girl’s mother “she shouldn’t allow [her] daughter to ‘disrespect’ or ‘harass’ other people.”

The girl was “extremely shaken and cried a lot,” said Jorginho, a player for the Brazilian club Flamengo whose legal name is Jorge Luiz Frello Filho.

Jorginho knows what it’s like to be famous and have fans. (Jude Law also has a little experience in that department.)

Jorginho told his nearly 5 million Instagram followers that he knew what it was like when fans didn’t respect boundaries, and “[w]hat happened there was not that.”

On Sunday, Roan responded on Instagram. She said the guard was not her personal security and that no one — including a starry-eyed 11-year-old girl — had bothered her.

“I did not ask the security guard to go up and talk to this mother and child. … They did not come up to me. They weren’t doing anything.”

“I do not hate people who are fans of my music. I do not hate children.”

She expressed her regrets to the girl and her mom. A representative for the artist did not immediately respond to The Times’ request for further comment.

Roan has shown that she’s not afraid to speak out when she does feel a fan has overstepped. This incident comes after an episode this month in Paris when the singer filmed herself in selfie mode as a swarm of people shouted behind her.

“I’m just trying to go to dinner,” she tells the camera in a video captured by an onlooker, “and I’ve asked these people several times to get away from me.”

Even as she calmly reprimands them, one man continues to ask for her autograph.

LONDON — The BBC filed a motion Monday asking a U.S. court to dismiss President Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against it.

The British national broadcaster said that the Florida court where the case is expected to be heard does not have jurisdiction over it. It also argued that Trump could not show that it intended to misrepresent him.

Trump filed a lawsuit in December over the way a BBC documentary edited a speech he gave on Jan. 6, 2021. The claim seeks $5 billion in damages for defamation and a further $5 billion for unfair trade practices.

Last month a judge at the federal court for the Southern District of Florida provisionally set a trial date for February 2027.

The BBC argued that the case should be thrown out because the documentary was never aired in Florida or the U.S.

“We have therefore challenged jurisdiction of the Florida court and filed a motion to dismiss the president’s claim,” the corporation said in a statement.

In a 34-page document, the BBC also argued that Trump failed to “plausibly allege facts showing that defendants knowingly intended to create a false impression.”

Trump’s case “falls well short of the high bar of actual malice,” it added.

The documentary — titled “Trump: A Second Chance?” — was aired days before the 2024 U.S. presidential election.

The program spliced together three quotes from two sections of a speech Trump made on Jan. 6, 2021, into what appeared to be one quote, in which Trump appeared to explicitly encourage his supporters to storm the Capitol building.

Among the parts cut out was a section where Trump said he wanted supporters to demonstrate peacefully.

The broadcaster’s chairman has apologized to Trump over the edit of the speech, admitting that it gave “the impression of a direct call for violent action.” But the BBC rejects claims it defamed him. The furor triggered the resignations of the BBC’s top executive and its head of news last year.

England’s last-gasp defeat by France will have their fans discussing certain moments for years to come, but their indiscipline throughout the Six Nations came to the fore once again – particularly at the end of both halves in Paris.

Leading 27-17 with half-time looming, Ellis Genge was sin-binned after referee Nika Amashukeli ruled the prop had dragged down a maul, soon after two quick penalties had handed momentum back to France.

“After those three penalties in less than two minutes, England then conceded 21 points including that penalty try,” former Wales and Lions captain Sam Warburton said on BBC Rugby Special.

“Then with 14 men they conceded another 14 points, so that is 21 points in that period. It was a really crucial two minutes that they got wrong.”

Then in the dying moments of normal time with England 46-45 ahead, the referee gave France the option of a penalty kick from either of two positions, following infringements by Trevor Davison and Maro Itoje.

Thomas Ramos made no mistake to secure the title for France. Speaking on Rugby Special, former Scotland captain John Barclay said that short spell will be one England will regret.

“In the final two minutes after Tommy Freeman scored, France had a player in the sin-bin. When England look at how they managed this period, they had the game in their hands and threw it away.

“It was a really disappointing end for England. It will be a really tough debriefing on how they manage those crucial moments in the final bit of the game.

“Across the championship they are the top for penalties conceded, with eight yellows and one red, and the damage it did to them – they conceded 63 points with a player off the pitch.”

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says Tehran never sought a ceasefire with the US, and is ready for a long war.

“The US Navy at this point can’t even get anywhere close to the Strait of Hormuz without being attacked.” Experts are pouring cold water on Pete Hegseth’s claims that the US is working effectively to reopen the world’s most crucial shipping lane.

A jury found Ye, the controversial music impresario formerly known as Kanye West, liable in the legal dispute brought by his former contractor and ordered him to pay $140,000.

Tony Saxon, who also worked as Ye’s security guard and caretaker at the Malibu property, sued the rapper in Los Angeles Superior Court in September 2023, claiming a slate of labor violations, nonpayment of services and disability discrimination.

The $140,000 judgment announced Wednesday is far less than the $1.7 million in damages that Saxon’s lawyers had originally requested. Ye will also have to pay for Saxon’s legal fees, which is expected to put the total sum that West will have to pay at more than $1 million.

Although Saxon’s attorneys at the Los Angeles-based firm West Coast Trial Lawyers called the verdict a “mixed” one, they characterized it as as a “vindication for our client.”

“Ye’s lawyers called him a liar, a fraud, and a malingerer in court. His medical records, bank records, and personal family history were dissected, mocked, and vilified,” said attorney Ronald Zambrano in a statement.

“In true David-vs.-Goliath fashion, Mr. Saxon stood firm against one of the biggest celebrities in the world, with the truth on his side,” Zambrano said.

Saxon alleged that while working as a security guard on the property, he was forced to sleep on the floor and was fired in November 2021 for failing to comply with Ye’s “dangerous requests.” He also said that he frequently complained to West about these and other issues, but that the rapper failed to address them.

In a statement, Ye’s spokesperson noted the jury had “rejected almost all of his [Saxon’s ] claims,” and that Saxon only recovered “a small fraction of what his lawyers demanded.”

“The jury also found that Saxon acted in the capacity of a contractor and did not qualify for the employee exception under California’s contractor licensing statutes,” according to the statement. “We believe the damages award is legally barred and we’ll be seeking post-trial relief from the court.”

Ye purchased the beachfront concrete mansion in 2021— designed by Pritzker Prize-winning Japanese architect Tadao Ando — for $57.3 million. He then gutted the property on Malibu Road, reportedly saying, “This is going to be my bomb shelter. This is going to be my Batcave.”

Three years later, the hip-hop star sold the unfinished mansion (he had removed the windows, doors, electricity and plumbing and broke down walls), at a significant loss to developer Steven Belmont’s Belwood Investments for $21 million.

In court filings Ye denied Saxon’s allegations. In a November 2023 response to the complaint, he disputed that Saxon “has sustained any injury, damage, or loss by reason of any act, omission or breach by Defendant.”

In January, Ye sued Saxon and his law firm over a $1.8 million lien placed on the Malibu mansion, alleging they “wrongfully” placed an “invalid” lien on the property “while simultaneously launching an aggressive publicity campaign designed to pressure Ye, chill prospective transactions, and extract payment on disputed claims already being litigated in court.”

The Malibu mansion that Ye purchased and gutted was later purchased and restored to its original design.

(The Oppenheim Group / Roger Davies)

That case is pending.

Ye’s spokesperson said the lien “clouded the home’s title and interfered with its sale, destroying substantial value at the time of sale.”

In recent years, the mercurial superstar has faced a number of public and legal dramas.

In 2022, Ye lost numerous lucrative partnerships with companies like Adidas and the Gap, following a raft of antisemitic statements, including declaring himself a Nazi on X (which he later recanted).

Two years later, Ye abruptly shut down Donda Academy, the troubled private school he founded in 2020.

Ye, the school and some of his affiliated businesses faced multiple lawsuits from former employees and educators, alleging they were victims of wrongful termination, a hostile work environment and other claims.

In court filings, Ye has denied each of the claims made against him by former employees and educators at Donda.

Several of those suits have been settled.

March 11 (UPI) — Medical device maker Stryker is experiencing a global tech issue Wednesday from a cyberattack by a group of pro-Iranian hackers.

Employees found their work devices locked up with the symbol of the hacker group Handala displayed on their screens. It is being described as a “wiper attack,” not meant to extort money but to cause maximum damage to Stryker’s systems.

Handala has claimed responsibility for the cyberattack in a social media post, writing that it is retaliation for the deadly strike on the Shajareh Tayyiba girls school in Minab, Iran.

“We announce to the world that, in retaliation for the brutal attack on the Minab school school and in response to ongoing cyber assaults against the infrastructure of the Axis of Resistance,” the post reads. “In this operation, over 200,000 systems, servers, and mobile devices have been wiped and 50 terabytes of critical data have been extracted.”

The cyberattack has not only impacted employees in the United States but also employees in Ireland.

“Stryker is experiencing a global network disruption to our Microsoft environment as a result of a cyberattack,” Stryker said in a statement. “We have no indication of ransomware or malware and believe the incident is contained. Our teams are working rapidly to understand the impact of the attack on our systems. Stryker has business continuity measures in place to continue to support our customers and partners.”

Stryker is headquartered in Portage, Mich., and employs 50,000 people worldwide, including about 1,000 at its headquarters. It manufactures an array of medical equipment including orthopedic implants, surgical instruments and imaging systems. It is one of the largest medical technology manufacturers in the world.

The headquarters closed for the day on Wednesday with signs posted on its doors warning workers not to access Stryker’s network, use its devices or connect to its WiFi.

March 10 (UPI) — President Donald Trump posted on social media that the United States has destroyed 10 inactive mine-laying vessels on the Strait of Hormuz while the White House cleared up a claim by another administration official.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday that the U.S. Navy did not escort an oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz after Energy Secretary Chris Wright claimed it did on social media.

Leavitt said President Donald Trump may consider using Navy escorts for oil tankers on the strait but that has not happened yet.

“The U.S. Navy has not escorted a tanker or vessel at this time,” Leavitt told reporters during a press briefing Tuesday.

Earlier in the day, Wright posted that the U.S. Navy “successfully escorted an oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz to ensure oil remains flowing to global markets.”

Leavitt said she was “made aware of this post,” but had not spoken with Wright about it.

The post was later taken down.

The price of crude oil fell below $80 per barrel briefly following Wright’s post. It climbed again after the post was deleted.

Iran has taken measures to close the Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil trade route, since the United States and Israel launched strikes on Feb. 28.

To combat the impact the military conflict with Iran will have on the global oil market, the United States has discussed plans to escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz. However, retaliatory strikes by Iran have demanded more military resources, Wright previously said.