Husband arrested over disappearance of Michigan woman in Bahamas
The lawyer of Brian Hooker, who was identified as the arrested man by US media, says he denies any wrongdoing.
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Wife of U.S. soldier released from federal immigration detention
NEW ORLEANS — The wife of a U.S. soldier was released Tuesday from a federal immigration detention facility where she had spent nearly a week after being taken into custody on a Louisiana military base.
The detention of 22-year-old Annie Ramos, the Honduran-born wife of a U.S. Army staff sergeant preparing to deploy, prompted public backlash from critics of the Trump administration’s mass deportation campaign who warned it demoralized troops during an ongoing war.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Ramos’ mother-in-law, Jen Rickling, confirmed her release to the Associated Press. The New York Times first reported Ramos’ release.
Ramos, who married Staff Sgt. Matthew Blank in March, had been detained by federal immigration agents while attempting to register at his base to receive military benefits and ultimately obtain a green card. She had lived in the country since she was less than 2 years old. Homeland Security said Ramos had been ordered removed by a federal immigration judge in 2005 after her family had failed to appear for a hearing.
Ramos and her husband say she has been attempting to gain legal status, including by applying for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program in 2020 though her application remained stalled amid legal battles to eliminate the program.
“All I have ever wanted is to live with dignity in the country I have called home since I was a baby,” Ramos said in a statement to the Associated Press after her release. “I want to finish my degree, continue my education, and serve my community — just as my husband serves our country with honor.”
A spokeswoman for U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, a Democrat from Arizona, said that Kelly had called Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin regarding Ramos’ detention. Blank has family in Arizona.
“I’m happy Annie is back with her husband and family where she belongs,” Kelly said in a statement. “They never should have gone through this painful process, but far too many families like theirs are because of this administration.”
Homeland Security told the Associated Press that Ramos had been released with a GPS monitor “while she undergoes further removal proceedings.”
“She will receive full due process,” Homeland Security said.
The Trump administration has scrapped policies of immigration enforcement leniency toward the family members of military personnel and veterans, even as the military has promoted the protection of U.S. soldiers’ family members from deportation as a recruiting incentive.
Ramos said she plans to continue studying biochemistry and focusing on enjoying married life with her husband.
“As Matthew continues preparing for his long career in the military, my focus now is on securing my status, continuing my studies, and building our life together,” Ramos said. “We want to create a home, a future, and a family. This experience has been incredibly difficult, but it has also reminded me of the power of faith, love, and community. I am hopeful for what comes next.”
Brook writes for the Associated Press. AP writer Juan Lozano contributed to this report from Houston.
Melissa Gilbert defends ‘canceled’ husband Timothy Busfield
“Little House on the Prairie” alumna Melissa Gilbert remains steadfast in her support for husband Timothy Busfield, the Emmy-winning actor who has been embroiled in a child sex abuse scandal since earlier this year.
Gilbert, in her first sit-down interview since Busfield’s indictment in February, told ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos she trusts her husband “with my children’s lives, my grandchildren’s lives, my nieces and nephews” and said she expects the “Thirtysomething” star will be exonerated at trial next year.
“Believe me, if I thought for a second that Tim Busfield hurt a child, he’d have a lot more to worry about than prison,” she said in part of the interview that aired Monday on “Good Morning America.”
In February, a New Mexico grand jury indicted 68-year-old Busfield on four counts of criminal sexual contact of a child. A month prior, New Mexico officials accused Busfield of of inappropriately touching two child actors, who are brothers, during his time as an actor, director and producer on the Fox crime drama “The Cleaning Lady.”
One child actor alleged that Busfield had first touched his “private areas” multiple times on set when he was 7, according to the complaint. He said Busfield touched him inappropriately again several times when he was 8. The affidavit also detailed a police interview with Busfield in which he suggested that the boys’ mother might have sought “revenge” on the director for “not bringing her kids back for the final season.”
Busfield turned himself in to law enforcement days after the warrant was issued and denied the accusations. He was jailed at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Albuquerque but was released on his own recognizance Jan. 20.
For Gilbert, 61, the allegations and ensuing chain of events have been “hell.” Recent months have brought “the most traumatizing experiences of our lives,” she told Stephanopoulos, adding, “Our life as we knew it is done.”
The couple married in 2013. “The West Wing” actor Busfield has three adult children from two previous marriages and is the stepfather to Gilbert’s two adult sons from her two previous marriages. When the allegations first surfaced, a publicist for Gilbert said the actor would not comment on her husband’s case, denounced “any purported statements” and said that Gilbert was focused on caring for her and Busfield’s family.
During the Monday interview Gilbert said she and her husband are “grieving what we had: all of our plans, all of our dreams, all of our ideas, all of our projects.” She said her husband has become persona non grata — “canceled,” in her words — and that the allegations will continue to cast a shade over his career “even if he’s exonerated.” Busfield’s lawyer Larry Stein and Gilbert both told Stephanopoulos they are confident that will be the case.
When asked what justice for her husband might look like, Gilbert replied: “Exoneration and apology. Free him from this cloud.”
Elsewhere in the interview, attorney Stein doubled down on his belief that the child actors and their parents are “absolutely” making false allegations against Busfield. The actors’ parents did not respond to ABC News’ request for comment.
Gilbert also told Stephanopoulos that before she married Busfield, she was aware he had been accused of sexual harassment twice by different women, once in 1994 and another time in 2012. Those two cases were mentioned in the January complaint against Busfield.
“I didn’t go into my relationship with him blind. I am neither naive nor am I complicit,” she said, adding she and her husband discussed those claims. “I heard his side of the story which no one has ever heard which is the truth. And when the time is right, and that is not now, Tim will tell the truth of all of these past allegations when he needs to.”
Suki Lahav, Israeli artist and Bruce Springsteen’s former violinist, dead at 74
Tzruya “Suki” Lahav, a violinist and poet who played with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band in the mid 1970’s on some of the band’s most beloved LPs, has died. She was 74.
Yonatan Albalak, her son, posted on Facebook April 2 that his mother had been “gathered into infinity after a short and hard battle with the cursed disease” of cancer.
“She wrote songs that touched people’s hearts,” he wrote, describing her as “a special woman, smart, pure in heart and loving life. She was the best mom I could ever ask for.”
Lahav’s tenure with the group lasted only between 1974 and 1975, yet she contributed several standout moments to Springsteen’s catalog. She performed on “The Wild, the Innocent and the E Street Shuffle” and its follow-up, the smash “Born to Run.” She played the famed violin intro to the classic single “Jungleland,” and performed the multi-tracked choir on “4th Of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)” after a church vocal group failed to turn up for the session. She also played on a fan-favorite, widely-bootlegged cover of Bob Dylan’s “I Want You.”
She entered Springsteen’s camp after her husband, Louis Lahav, engineered on Springsteen’s 1972 debut album, “Greetings From Asbury Park.” Lahav told the Jerusalem Post in 2007 that she joined the group as “a young girl in a flowing white dress from Kibbutz Ayelet Hashahar in the Upper Galilee, barely out of the army, barely married … I went from kibbutz harvest music to rocking with Bruce.”
She remained a major artist in Israel for decades after her tenure with Springsteen. She recorded with the Israeli rock band Tamuz, and wrote songs for prominent Israeli artists like Rita, including “Yemei Hatom” and “Shara Barkhovot.” She won the ACUM Lifetime Achievement Award and the Arik Einstein Prize there. In 1990, “Shara Barkhovot” was Israel’s submission to the Eurovision Song Contest.
Taylor Frankie Paul’s domestic violence investigations explained
Amid allegations of three domestic violence incidents involving reality TV star Taylor Frankie Paul, fans are worried about whether MomTok can survive this.
Paul, who gained an online following after founding MomTok — a loosely connected group of TikTokers who made content about their lives as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — previously pleaded guilty in abeyance to a third-degree felony count of aggravated assault following a fight with former boyfriend Dakota Mortensen in 2023.
MomTok inspired the Hulu reality show “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” which follows eight women in Salt Lake City who grapple with their relationship with the church. The first season explored the fallout of the group’s “soft swinging” scandal, which Paul exposed on TikTok prior to filming.
Throughout its four seasons, “Mormon Wives” has featured lighthearted content like the moms’ love of the soda shop Swig and more weighty topics, including gender roles within the Mormon church. “Mormon Wives” has also crossed over with various Disney reality shows, including “Dancing With the Stars,” “The Bachelorette” and “Vanderpump Villa.”
However, filming on Season 5 of “Mormon Wives” was paused and Paul’s season of “The Bachelorette” was shelved in the wake of domestic abuse allegations. A second investigation, which began in late February, gained even more attention when a video from Paul’s 2023 domestic dispute with Mortensen was made public. The footage showed Paul putting Mortensen in a headlock and throwing metal barstools while the couple fought. Paul’s daughter can be heard crying and was injured during the incident, according to the police report.
2020: The birth of MomTok
Paul, Whitney Leavitt, Mayci Neeley and Mikayla Matthews begin making videos together on TikTok. Their content focuses on motherhood and their relationship with the church mixed with dancing and skits.
May 2022: The Pauls split
Paul posts a video on TikTok announcing her divorce from her husband, Tate Paul. Fans begin speculating what led to their divorce.
May 25, 2022: ’Soft swinging’ scandal emerges
On TikTok Live, Paul explains that she and her husband had been in an open relationship and were part of a “soft swinging” group with other members of MomTok. Paul says she had violated the group’s rules by meeting with a partner without her husband’s knowledge, which contributed to their divorce.
Feb. 17, 2023: Paul is arrested
Hulu begins filming the first season of “Mormon Wives.” After a fight with Mortensen, Paul is arrested and charged with assault, criminal mischief and commission of domestic violence in the presence of a child, according to the Herriman Police Department. Filming of the show is put on hold during the investigation.
August 2023: Paul enters a plea deal
Paul enters a plea in abeyance to a third-degree felony count of aggravated assault. The agreement allows charges to be reduced after three years, if Paul meets the requirements of her plea deal.
Dakota Mortensen and Taylor Frankie Paul share 2-year-old son Ever.
(Fred Hayes / Disney)
March 19, 2024: Paul and Mortensen welcome a son
Paul has a son, Ever, with Mortensen. While the pair had been dating throughout Paul’s pregnancy, they choose to end their relationship and co-parent their son.
Sept. 6, 2024: ‘Mormon Wives’ debuts
The first season of “Mormon Wives” is released on Hulu. The series follows cast members Jen Affleck, Jessi Draper, Demi Engemann and Layla Taylor, as well as Leavitt, Neeley, Matthews and Paul from the original group of MomTokers. The pilot episode, “The First Book of Taylor,” explores the fallout of the swinging scandal and ends with Paul’s 2023 arrest. The second episode picks up nearly a year after the incident.
The show is Hulu’s most-watched unscripted season premiere of 2024 and is renewed just a month after its premiere.
October 2024: On again
Mortensen and Paul seemingly reconcile their relationship.
December 2025: Off again
Paul and Mortensen break up. On Christmas, Paul posts on TikTok that she “wouldn’t wish this pain upon anyone.”
Demi Engemann, Mikayla Matthews, Mayci Neeley, Layla Taylor, Whitney Leavitt, Miranda Hope and Taylor Frankie Paul in Season 2 of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.”
(Fred Hayes / Disney)
May 15, 2025: Season 2 premieres
Season 2 of “Mormon Wives” is released. Miranda Hope joins the cast.
Sept. 10, 2025: Paul gets her roses
During an episode of Alex Cooper’s hit podcast “Call Her Daddy,” Paul announces she will star as “The Bachelorette.” Paul is the first-ever Bachelorette to have not competed on “The Bachelor.”
Fall 2025: Mortensen‘s mea culpa
While FaceTiming Paul before she begins filming “The Bachelorette,” Mortensen apologizes for his behavior and tells Paul “save a rose for me.” This conversation is shown in the fourth season of the show in March 2026.
Nov. 13, 2025: Season 3 debuts
”Mormon Wives” Season 3 premieres.
Feb. 24-25, 2026: A second investigation opens
The Draper City Police Department makes contact with Paul and Mortensen regarding an open “domestic assault investigation” between the two, with allegations being made in both directions.
March 12, 2026: Season 4 drops
Season 4 of “Mormon Wives” is released.
March 16, 2026: ‘Mormon Wives’ filming halts
Filming for Season 5 of “Mormon Wives” is paused as the new investigation involving Paul and Mortensen becomes public.
Taylor Frankie Paul’s season of “The Bachelorette” was canceled three days before it was set to premiere.
(Michael Kirchoff / Disney)
TMZ publishes a previously unreleased video taken by Mortensen during his February 2023 altercation with Paul. It shows Paul throwing barstools at Mortensen as her then-5-year-old daughter cries. After the video’s release, ABC cancels Paul’s season of “The Bachelorette.”
March 20, 2026: The court intervenes
Mortensen is granted temporary custody of Ever, his 2-year-old son with Paul, according to documents obtained by People.
March 24, 2026: A third investigation opens
The West Jordan Police Department in Utah begins investigating a third incident of domestic abuse between Paul and Mortensen, which occurred in “early-mid 2024.” No charges have been filed as the investigation is ongoing.
Paul has been denied visitation until their protective order hearing on April 7, which may determine whether a final protective order is granted by the court.
Geri Halliwell and husband ex-F1 boss Christian Horner win neighbour row over plan to build £30k horse walker on estate
GERI Halliwell has jumped the final hurdle in a neighbour row – as her plans to build a £30k horse walker are finally approved.
The Spice Girls singer and her husband, ex-F1 boss Christian Horner, want to install the 77ft structure to train horses near their Oxfordshire home.
Geri, 53, and Christian, 52, own a horse racing company called OMBI, featuring stables for 14 horses and a full-time trainer.
But plans for the walker, essentially a circular cage that moves horses to improve their fitness, were met with fury by locals, with several objections registered with West Northamptonshire District Council.
Concerns over the height of the building, its visual impact, inadequate screening, and lighting have been raised by neighbours.
However, the council has now approved the application, provided the celebrity pair follow strict conditions.
Read more on Geri & Christian
It said: “The building shall be used for private equestrian and land management uses only and no commercial use, including riding lessons, tuition, livery or competitions shall take place at any time.”
The authority added: “Whilst it is acknowledged that the walker incorporates a steep pitched roof for its size, the general design is functional in form.
“Giving regard to its siting, scale and rural-equestrian character, the design is considered appropriate for the open countryside location and would not harm the character of the area.”
Full details of lighting still need to be approved before it is built, but it is far enough away from neighbours not to cause issues, the council added.
And the couple have proposed to hide the training device with 12 newly-planted trees, which was deemed appropriate by planners.
But one neighbour, who objected to the horse walker plans, fumed the structure would be “extremely prominent” on the skyline.
He said: “Whilst we do not object to the principle of a horse walker… we object to the plans as currently presented.
“The proposed structure would be extremely visible from our property, other village properties, and from a public highway.
“In a rural conservation area this would be unacceptable as it would completely change the character of the area.”
The local also objected to the main property being “away from the main buildings when other infill sites are available”.
Another slammed the proposed lighting set-up and described the suggested screening as “totally inadequate.”
They said: “There is already significant lighting at the property. We would not want to see this area illuminated outside of normal working hours.
“Further lighting would be encroaching into an area which is currently unlit behind the existing barn.”
Writing on behalf of Geri and Christian, a planning agent pointed to the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) codes.
He wrote: “It states that animals must be given freedom to exercise off the tether for a reasonable period at least once a day.
“The installation of the horse walker will ensure that this is possible and that they are exercised properly, regardless of weather conditions and other limiting factors.
“The proposed horse walker will provide the horses with a space to be suitably exercised off the tether.
“Once the new hedgerow matures it will be largely screened from all public and private views onto the farm.”
The scheme is the latest in a number of planning rows between the couple and their neighbours.
Geri and Christian were recently given approval to keep a pergola that had been built without planning permission.
Just last year, they were allowed to build a second pool on the grounds despite fears it would be a “blot on the landscape”.
And three years ago, they were also granted permission for a first floor extension, a replacement barn and a new greenhouse.
Geri’s representatives have been approached for comment.
Olivia Attwood’s husband Bradley Dack finally takes off wedding ring 3 months after split and her kiss with Pete Wicks
BRADLEY Dack has finally removed his wedding ring three months after splitting up from wife Olivia Attwood.
The couple married in 2023 but split in January this year, with the footballer continuing to wear his ring until this weekend – as Olivia’s romance with Pete Wicks was confirmed.
Gillingham footballer Bradley was seen on Sunday without his wedding band.
Dressed in black, the sportsman appeared downcast as he headed from his car to catch a train.
It came just hours after Olivia’s new romance with Pete Wicks was confirmed, as The Sun shared a snap of them kissing during a night out on Friday.
A source confirmed to us that friendship had turned to romance for the longtime pals, but assured there was no crossover with Olivia and Bradley’s marriage.
Read more on Olivia Attwood
Nonetheless, Bradley has made his feeling’s on his estranged wife’s new romance clear.
The footballer unfollowed Olivia on Instagram following the news, alongside taking off his ring.
In January, it was revealed that Olivia split from Bradley following a “breach of trust” on his side.
Now, a source has told The Sun on Sunday that this romance has also dashed Bradley’s hopes of a reconciliation with Olivia.
“Bradley is livid, he’s not surprised at all but is completely embarrassed and upset,” they said.
The source continued: “He can’t believe Olivia has moved on so publicly and they’ve not even signed the divorce papers.
“Bradley was hopeful for a reunion with Olivia but after this, he’s just livid and will take her to the cleaners.
“He’s suspected things for the past year but she’s always denied it.”
Before their kiss, and her split from Bradley, Pete and Olivia’s close friendship has raised eyebrows since they were pictured cosying up on a yacht in Ibiza last summer.
But confirming the timelines, a source told us over the weekend that the romance has come around naturally over recent weeks.
“They have been spending a lot of time together and an unexpected romance has blossomed from friendship,” they said.
‘The Faithful’ centers women of the Bible, reinterpreting their stories
A loving husband and wife desperately want to start a family but struggle with infertility. A mother bears the weight of twin sons who are destined to be at severe odds with one another. Two sisters fall in love with the same man.
These stories may sound like soapy twists in a Taylor Sheridan drama or cable TV movie, but they actually come straight from one of the bestselling books of all time — the Bible.
The sacred text is jam-packed with compelling and highly relatable stories, but Fox’s “The Faithful: Women of the Bible,” a three-part event series, aims the spotlight on the primary matriarchs of the Book of Genesis — Sarah, Hagar, Rebekah, Leah and Rachel. The first installment consists of two episodes airing Sunday, with subsequent double episodes airing over the next two weeks, and begins with the story of Sarah (Minnie Driver), who is regarded as the first matriarch for building the nation of Israel with her husband, Abraham (Jeffrey Donovan), the first patriarch.
“These are three generations of women who passed the baton of what was set in motion by Sarah and Abraham and the episodes are all in a way portraits of different types of marriages,” says René Echevarria, who wrote the first installment and is the series’ showrunner.
However, like the Bible’s many miracles, “The Faithful” coming together in the first place is divine considering executive producing partners Carol Mendelsohn and Julie Weitz were actually not planning to pitch it when they were in a meeting with Fox TV executives on one fateful day.
“The Faithful” begins with the story of Sarah (Minnie Driver) and Abraham.
(Moris Puccio / Fox)
“Julie gave me one instruction, ‘We can talk about all of our projects but do not talk about the Bible,’” recalls Mendelsohn. But then Fox President Michael Thorn asked Mendelsohn what her passion project was and “It was like I was hit by the burning bush!”
So “The Faithful” was pitched and a green light was given for the show. “I guess it was divinely ordered,” Mendelsohn says, laughing.
Crafting a Bible-based event series may initially seem like a stretch for Mendelsohn, known for producing the massively popular “CSI” crime drama franchise and, since partnering with Weitz over a decade ago, contemporary dramas where God wasn’t a part of the story. However, with “The Faithful,” the common thread with their previous projects was very clear. “Everything that we do together comes from characters that we fall deeply in love with and we love to do stories about women,” says Weitz. “We were thinking of doing something in this world when “The Chosen” [the Prime Video series about Jesus Christ] came out and became a huge hit.”
Mendelsohn and Weitz brought Echevarria on board and once they dug into the respective stories of these influential women, “it became clear that we should give two hours to each of these matriarchs and tell that story, which is the genesis of not just Judaism, but Islam and Christianity, the three largest, most prominent religions of mankind,” says Weitz, who is also grateful for Fox’s programming strategy for the episodes. “It worked nicely because they are giving us Sunday Nights leading right through Passover and into Easter so it just made sense to [Fox] too.”
For varying perspectives, the show utilized both Christian and Jewish scholars, which backed up their storytelling objectives, given that these age-old stories traditionally didn’t always flesh out women as much as men, so leaning into an interpretation of text was not taboo. “Our Jewish scholar mentioned, ‘what you’re doing is called midrash, an ancient tradition in Judaism to look at these stories and read between the lines,’” says Echevarria.
That interpretive freedom can be seen in the show’s first installment, which explores Genesis 16 where Sarah, barren for years despite God having told Abraham that she would bear a child in her older age, enlists former Egyptian slave Hagar (Natacha Karam) to sleep with her husband in the hopes she’ll give them a child. Driver says Sarah’s story is one that many women can connect with, but as far as who the real woman was, there’s a lack of true definition. “Who knows what Sarah was like? We don’t know. She doubted and, to some people, she thwarted God, but actually to me, she was just a woman who wanted to have a baby, loved her husband very much and was very strong,” she says.
Natacha Karam plays Egyptian slave Hagar, who bears Abraham’s child.
(Stefano Cristiano Montesi / Fox)
Donovan notes that Sarah suggesting Abraham lie with Hagar in Genesis 16 initially comes across as a straightforward and simple sentence. “But there’s so much to unpack in that one line from the Bible,” he says. “The complex struggles that these three people must have had that people today are still having 4,000 years later? We’re still going, ‘I can’t have a baby. Let’s have her have our baby. But do you like her? Is she better than me?’”
But as much as Sarah’s plight with infertility is relatable, other moments in the story took more work to get there, like the moment where Abraham talks with God. “I can only imagine what it would feel like to speak to God,” Donovan says.
To grapple with that notion before shooting this particular scene, the actor, dressed in his character’s tunic and waiting on the crew to set up, found a spot to sit on under a tree and thought about Abraham’s daily life and how impactful a message from God would be. “He’s a shepherd that got up with the sun and watched his flock and tried to survive,” Donovan says. “‘How do I not die today? How do I feed my family?’ For me to give the respect to the character, that deserves a couple of hours of solace and solitude.” He calls it the most difficult scene in the series for him.
And while the show explores Sarah and Abraham’s marriage, it also dives into the relationship between Sarah and Hagar, which begins when a captive Sarah is freed and she takes slave Hagar with her to give her a better life.
“Hagar finds herself pulled into this story that’s far larger than anything that she could ever have imagined for herself,” says Karam, adding that the two women grow close but conflicts also arise. “Originally, the relationship is defined by hierarchy and necessity and then there’s this complicated dependence that bounds them together for life.”
The actor expressed her satisfaction that the story of Sarah and Hagar is given a positive portrayal since that’s not always been the case. “There are versions of that story that are read through a lens of reprimanding both of these women, which I want to say is shocking but it was actually quite predictable to spin it so that it ends up being, ‘Oh, look what these two women did when they tried to take control,’” she says.
“Hagar finds herself pulled into this story that’s far larger than anything that she could ever have imagined for herself,” says Natacha Karam, left, with Minnie Driver and Jeffrey Donovan.
(Moris Puccio / Fox)
The spin from the cast and crew on the production itself was that with all “The Faithful” episodes filming in the ancient city of Rome, the series benefited from what the city had to offer in terms of scenic authenticity. Also, the unforgiving heat while shooting outdoor scenes wasn’t fun but also wasn’t a total negative, says Driver. “I’ve never been outside in 100-plus degree heat for 10 or 11 hours a day. It was brutal, but it definitely lent to the veracity of the story like where you were so beyond hot and exhausted,” she says. “There’s a generosity of its history that you’re invited in. It was this fever dream, the whole experience of being there.”
And while the Sarah-Abraham-Hagar story fills out the first episode, the March 29 installment continues the drama with the introduction of Rebekah (Alexa Davalos), who marries Sarah and Abraham’s son, Isaac (Tom Mison). Also barren for many years, she eventually receives a message directly from God that she will have twin sons and that her youngest son will one day rule. With the arrival of Esau (Ben Robson), who is born first, and Jacob (Tom Payne), she’s faced with a burden to ensure God’s message stays on course at any cost. “The story becomes about how she almost destroys her family because she’s been told that this is the way, this is the destiny,” says Weitz.
The April 5 finale, airing on Easter Sunday, moves forward as a now-exiled Jacob returns to his hometown and meets two sisters, Leah (Millie Brady) and Rachel (Blu Hunt), and sparks fly. Teases Echevarria, “tonally the episode is a little bit different and it’s a little more scandalous but certainly contemporary.” Adds Weitz, “Jacob falls in love with both of the sisters for different reasons and at different times so it becomes a story about sister rivalry for the love of the same man.”
Love is something audiences have been feeling in recent years for faith-inspired programs, which keeps this three-week event from feeling like a television anomaly. For example, Prime Video’s “The Chosen” has been exploring the life of Jesus Christ (Jonathan Roumie) for five seasons with a sixth season centered on Jesus’ crucifixion coming later this year. Also, on March 27, Prime Video launches the second season of “House of David,” which follows the journey of young shepherd David (Michael Iskander) from slaying a certain giant named Goliath to becoming the king of Israel. And earlier this month, faith-centric streamer the Wonder Project wrapped the first season of its contemporary drama series, “It’s Not Like That,” starring Scott Foley as a widowed minister raising his kids and finding love again. Plus, no Easter holiday would feel right without ABC’s annual broadcast of the 1956 classic film “The Ten Commandments,” airing April 4.
Why is faith TV having a moment now? The appetite for this kind of programming by audiences could reflect the often-bleak world of the 21st century we live in, offers Karam. “These are stories about people who are in the middle of impossible circumstances, who can’t see what the lesson is yet, or whether there’s light on the other side,” she says. “But historically, there always was and there always is [light on the other side] so I think that’s what people are hungry for right now is a framework to make sense of things.”
As long as this hunger continues and audiences show up for “The Faithful,” the producers have a wealth of stories to tell beyond the great matriarchs.
“The difference from a regular TV show is that we do have this extraordinary IP and this different perspective,” says Echevarria. “Our hope is that ours will always be a little different and we’d come at it from a different angle.” Sounds like the faith is definitely being kept.
‘The Comeback’ Season 3 review: Lisa Kudrow tackles AI in TV
Like the mythical city of Brigadoon, Lisa Kudrow’s “The Comeback” has returned to television after many years away, with the difference that time has not stood still for its inhabitants, older in a changing world that values them less and which they navigate with less assurance.
Kudrow, who created and writes the series with Michael Patrick King, was in her youth a player in the twilight of network-dominated television, cast in a smart, influential show with wide, multigenerational appeal; in a quantitative sense, at least, everything would be downhill from there, as the medium transformed and transformed again. “The Comeback” premiered in 2005, just a year after the end of “Friends”; the first season addressed the rise of reality TV, and the next season, in 2014, riffed on dark, streaming “prestige” television.
The new (and final) season, which is both timely and speculative, addresses the impact of artificial intelligence on the medium and the industry, hinting at a dystopian future; this gives it a moral, even political component, not to say a sense of urgency. Not surprisingly, “The Comeback,” as a thing made by humans, comes down firmly on their side — it’s a manifesto at times — even as it acknowledges, uncomfortably, that computer-produced content might be “good enough.”
Once again, Kudrow plays Valerie Cherish, who, at 60 — the phrase “of a certain age” repeats throughout the series — still qualifies as a working actor. But she’s been pushed into the further reaches of the profession: Her two-season cozy mystery series, “Mrs. Hatt” (“part-time gardener, solves crime, husband is an ex-police chief”), is on no one’s radar but her own, having shown on Epix. A day’s work on a “no-budget” film is even less rewarding than she had imagined; she lasted all of two episodes on “The Traitors.” Paddling hard to stay current, to improve her brand, she bumbles through a podcast, “Cherish the Time,” without any idea what to do with that time; employs a social media person, Patience (Ella Stiller), with no discernible impact; and posts pictures of herself holding products in hopes of “future collabs.”
Still, she is not poor. Valerie and husband Mark (Damian Young), have moved from Brentwood to a condominium with a view in the (real life) Sierra Towers, overlooking the Sunset Strip, opening the latest “new chapter” in their lives, though just what that chapter for them is hard to say. Mark has lost his job in finance — “You told a joke at work at a time when jokes were illegal,” Valerie says, trying to cheer him, “no one cares now” — but left on a golden parachute; now he builds his day around pickleball. A potential role in a reality show, “Finance Dudes,” isn’t working out to anyone’s satisfaction. He’s on the verge of a three-quarter-life crisis.
When her self-promoting manager/publicist Billy (Dan Bucatinsky) comes to her waving an offer for a new series, for a new network, in which she’ll star, Valerie is more than intrigued, if taken aback when he tells her that it’s being written by AI. (He isn’t supposed to know.) Network head Brandon (Andrew Scott, as blandly discomfiting as his Moriarty on “Sherlock”) assures her that it is “within the Writers Guild agreement,” but that it is also a secret — which will account for a lot of comedy going forward, secrets and lies being the very stuff of the form. “AI is really extraordinary,” he tells Valerie. “After all, it picked you.”
It’s also created a wholly generic multicamera sitcom, “How’s That?,” in which Valerie’s character, Beth, as she describes it, “runs a cute, charming old New England B&B with the help of her hunk nephew, Bo — so Beth and Bo, B&B.” (“Viewers want a break from the complicated confusing storylines of all these dark streaming shows,” says a network exec.) Her eager supporting cast has no idea that the series is being written by anything other than its human faces, unhappily married couple Josh (John Early) and Mary (Abbi Jacobson). Josh, who thinks of himself as “the voice of women of a certain age,” is precious about the jokes he manages to get into the script; Mary couldn’t care less. Untalented writing assistant Marco (Tony Macht) only wants “to get, like, a really nice house.” The AI, meanwhile, is personified to the cast and crew, who know nothing about it, as someone named “Al,” who “works remotely.”
One by one, the old company is introduced into the new season, Valerie finds Jane (Laura Silverman), her former documentarian, working as a cashier at Trader Joe’s, having tired of scuffling as a filmmaker, “begging people to care about the things that I cared about.” When Valerie lets it slip that her new series is AI-generated — “but don’t tell anyone ‘cause that’s a secret” — Jane is inspired to pick up her camera again. Lance Barber will eventually rejoin as screenwriter Paulie G., Valerie’s old nemesis. Robert Michael Morris, who played Mickey, Valerie’s hairdresser and best friend, in earlier seasons, passed away in 2017; Jack O’Brien, as Tommy, occupies a version of that space here.
Valerie may be only moderately successful, but she isn’t a hack. She has an Emmy for “Seeing Red,” the drama at the center of Season 2. She pushes back against the costumer (Benito Skinner) who wants to put her in a caftan. She knows her craft and is nominally proud of belonging to a union. She’s not a diva, but she has her pride. And that she is loyal, even when it does her no good, makes her easy to like. Thrust half-wittingly onto this cutting edge — being the first in an AI comedy, Mark tells her, “is like saying, ‘I was the first one to eat an arm in the Donner Party’” — she is wholly sympathetic, and, eventually, as things bend toward horror in a last-act revelation, a hero.
Though the subject is serious, the approach this time is light and farcical. Partially abandoning the documentary aesthetic of its predecessors — the first season had the look of amateur video, and the second of guerrilla filmmaking — much of this season is shot as a conventional, non-meta television show, allowing us access to private conversations and meetings without having to account for Jane and her crew, or requiring the players to act as if they’re being watched. Paradoxically, without pretending to reality, it makes some things more real.
Playing himself, director James Burrows, whom Valerie convinces to helm her pilot, notes that the jokes AI writes might come fast but are never better than obvious. “Surprising only comes from a group of writers huddled in a corner beating themselves up to beat out a better show,” he says. And just as Valerie is not a character an algorithm could produce, Kudrow is not an actor a machine could ever imagine. She’s no Tilly Norwood, or Tilly Norwood at 60, or Tilly Norwood with quirks applied. There’s no one like her— other than her — for the learning machines to scrape.
You should never settle for “good enough” when better, or best, is available. But that choice is on you.
‘Mormon Wives’: Jessi Draper’s husband files for divorce
In a week rife with drama involving “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” cast, two stars of the hit reality series appear to be going their separate ways officially.
Jessi Draper and Jordan Ngatikaura’s marriage is coming to an end after five years, with the latter filing for divorce in Utah, according to TMZ, which cited court documents. The estranged pair married in October 2020 and share two children. Ngatikaura is also the father to a teenage daughter from a previous relationship.
A representative for Draper did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday. Ngatikaura, who also did not respond to The Times’ request for comment, issued a statement about his filing to TMZ and People.
He told the outlets his decision to divorce Draper “comes with a heavy heart” and said he is grateful for their time together. Ngatikaura plans to prioritize his children, “ensuring they feel loved, supported, and protected through this transition,” according to People. He said in his statement that he is seeking privacy for his family.
Before Ngatikaura’s divorce filing, the pair’s marital struggles had become public. In November, Draper broke her silence on allegations she had cheated on Ngatikaura and admitted to having an “emotional affair” with “Vanderpump Villa” star Marciano Brunette. At the time, Draper spoke to People about the “emotional abuse” she said she faced from her husband — he took “full accountability for the pain I caused Jessi” — and said, “We both made mistakes for sure.”
The spouses had agreed to a 90-day separation and to work things out together in therapy, People reported last year.
News of the “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” divorce comes as the franchise reckons with star Taylor Frankie Paul, who faces new allegations of domestic abuse against her on-again, off-again partner Dakota Mortensen. Paul, who was arrested and charged in 2023 for a separate dispute involving Mortensen, was tapped to lead the latest season of “The Bachelorette” set to premiere Sunday, but that all came to a screeching halt earlier this week.
As Utah’s Draper City Police Department confirmed it was investigating alleged incidents of domestic violence involving Paul and Mortensen, TMZ published video Thursday of Paul kicking and throwing chairs at Mortensen in a 2023 dispute while one of her children was in the same room. ABC, home network of “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette,” acted swiftly and pulled the plug on Paul’s upcoming season.
“In light of the newly released video just surfaced today, we have made the decision to not move forward with the new season of ‘The Bachelorette’ at this time, and our focus is on supporting the family,” Disney said in a statement Thursday.
“Taylor is very grateful for ABC’s support as she prioritizes her family’s safety and security,” read a portion of a statement provided by a representative for Paul. The statement went on to say Paul had suffered “extensive mental and physical abuse as well as threats of retaliation.”
Amid the fresh allegations, Paul has seen brand deals fall to the wayside and production on “Mormon Wives” pause pending a decision on her status as a cast member, according to a person briefed on the situation.
Times staff writer Yvonne Villarreal contributed to this report.
Call me mommy! Carly Rae Jepsen, Cole M.G.N. welcome baby
Carly Rae Jepsen is officially in her mother era.
The Grammy-nominated “Call Me Maybe” pop star and her husband, music producer Cole M.G.N., welcomed their first child together months after tying the knot last fall. Jepsen, 40, revealed the arrival of her little one on Instagram.
“Last 2 weeks have been the best of my life,” the Canadian singer-songwriter captioned a photo shared to her Instagram story on Tuesday. The photo, a mirror selfie, shows Jepsen all smiles in a leopard-print bucket hat, white shirt and black shorts as she cradles her child, who wears a green-striped onesie.
“Welcome to the world little one,” Jepsen wrote.
“Run Away With Me” singer Jepsen and music producer Cole M.G.N. — whose full name is Cole Marsden Greif-Neil — exchanged their vows in late October at the Chelsea Hotel in New York, three years after striking up a romance in 2022. A month later, Jepsen announced she and her husband were expecting.
“Oh hi baby,” she captioned a set of baby-bump-baring photos shared to Instagram in November. In the tender maternity shoot, Jepsen cradles her bump in bed alongside Marsden Greif-Neil. Jepsen continued posting on Instagram about her maternity journey with fans, in January posting photos from the beach, from home and from fitting rooms as she spoke about finding a lullaby for her child-to-be.
On Tuesday, she channeled a Frankie Valli classic to express her “Emotion” about being a mother: “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.”
Last year, Jepsen celebrated 10 years of her cult-favorite album “Emotion,” the follow-up to her 2012 smash hit “Call Me Maybe.” She celebrated the milestone with a lively anniversary concert in August at the Troubadour in West Hollywood, featuring celebrity guests and moments of reflection.
“I had brought a little suitcase, and I kept calling my parents and saying, ‘Send more clothes!’” Jepsen said, recalling her move to Los Angeles from her native Canada when she was 26. “Five years later, I was like, I think I live here now. I’m very happy to say L.A. has become my home.”
Pop music critic Mikael Wood contributed to this report.
‘5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche’ becomes an immersive experience in L.A.
Anxieties due to war. A culture inhospitable to LGBTQ+ communities. And an underpinning of loneliness and suppressed yearning.
The play “5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche” is set in 1956, but its themes resonate in 2026. The United States is at war. Attacks on gay marriage and other LGBTQ+ rights remain a cornerstone of today’s conservative movement. A reimagining of the 2011 production, one popular with universities and fringe festivals, seeks to further modernize the show in which a morning gathering quickly turns into a stay in a Cold War-era bomb shelter after near nuclear annihilation.
When I arrived at the back room of a Glendale church, I was given a new name. It was clear that “Todd” was not welcome here. “Joan” turned out to be a suitable replacement, and I was immediately asked how my life had been since my husband had died. For on this night I would no longer be occupying the role of a straight white male. Every audience member is asked to take on the persona of a widow, for losing a husband appeared to be a perquisite to enter this meeting of the Susan B. Anthony Society for the Sisters of Gertude Stein.
How did he die, I was asked. “Ski accident,” I blurted out. “Yours?” A camping travesty that led to a bear mauling, I was told. Ad-libbing, in addition to quiche, was on the menu tonight. Metaphors, absurdities and seriousness intermingle in this production from New Forms LA and directed by Marissa Pattullo.
Pattullo’s vision for “5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche” ramps up the interactivity, seeking to transform a largely traditional proscenium show, albeit one with a few moments of fourth-wall breaking, into one that is centered around audience participation. Staged in a flex space without a tinge of irony at the Glendale Church of the Brethren, “5 Lesbians,” written by Evan Linder and Andrew Hobgood, has been reconstructed as a largely immersive production, that is one that asks audiences to lean in and interact.
Jessica Damouni’s Ginny Cadbury devouring breakfast in “5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche,” a show that unfolds as a giant metaphor.
(New Forms LA)
While there is a small stage, it is used sparingly. The five-person cast roams the room, sitting at various circular tables to blur the lines between script and improvisation. Typically a svelte 75-minute show, on the night I saw the production it swelled to about two hours, allowing time for drinks, mingling and, of course, the eating of a quiche. Pattullo has added an intermission, with quiches courtesy of Kitchen Mouse and Just What I Kneaded included in the ticket.
For quiche, I was told often, was the primary topic of conversation at the Easter-timed meeting, so much so that it was clear within moments that this was a gathering not of breakfast enthusiasts but of the repressed. The hidden meaning is no secret; it’s in the title of the play.
“It’s a giant metaphor,” Pattullo, 30, says. The show, she adds, “keeps finding ways to make sense with the times, whether it’s Trump being elected, or we’re at war. Or gay marriage. All of those things. A bomb going off and being trapped inside. It speaks to whoever is watching it.”
Pattullo, who splits time building New Forms LA and serving tables at Los Feliz’s Little Dom’s, first discovered the show while in college in the Midwest. It immediately resonated, and Pattullo has been tinkering with ways to perform it live ever since. During the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, she staged an online version of the show, and debuted it as an immersive production last winter. It’s back for two weekends this month.
“5 Lesbians” makes a relatively smooth transition to the immersive format. Perhaps that’s because the audience, in the script, is cast as attendees of the Susan B. Anthony Society for the Sisters of Gertude Stein’s brunch meeting, whose motto is “no men, no meat, all manners.” For about the first 30 minutes of the show we largely interact with the actors. Dale Prist (Nicole Ohara) has hidden ambitions. Vern Schultz (Chandler Cummings) seems ready for the group to cut its charade. Lulie Stanwyck (Noelle Urbano) is fighting so hard to stay prim and proper that she feels on the verge of bursting.
“I really like to play,” Pattullo says, referencing how “5 Lesbians” lends itself to improvisation. “Some of the girls I think are very ‘stick to the script.’ I’m like, ‘Stray from the script.’ If people come in late, call them out. If people are talking, call them out. You can adjust and improvise in immersive theater. Having a script but being able to break from it, is really fun for me. It tickles me.”
Wren Robin (Emily Yetter), Vern Schultz (Chandler Cummings) and Lulie Stanwyck (Noelle Urbano) protect breakfast in “5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche.”
(New Forms LA)
There’s an underlying tension in the show because it walks a line between silliness and graveness. Ultimately, “5 Lesbians” is about finding joy in dark times, and moments inspire uncomfortable laughter, such as jokes about gay marriage being legal in four years’ time (1960) or Ginny Cadbury (Jessica Damouni) devouring a quiche in a way that leaves nothing to the imagination. But it’s also a show about how stressful moments can bring about vulnerability and community, as the whole church practically exhaled when Wren Robbin (Emily Yetter) finally let her hair down and expressed who she truly was.
“5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche”
“Even when we did it back when I was in college, Trump had just won, so it just feels like it’s keeping relevant,” Pattullo says. The timeliness, she says, makes it such an amusing play to perform.
Pattullo will sometimes, depending on cast availability, take on a role in the show. It’s a chance, she says, to amplify the play’s wackiness, which she believes helps puts audiences at ease and makes its difficult subject matter easier to digest. She tries to create the most outlandish tale possible for when relaying to guests one on one how her husband perished.
“My story was a raccoon attack,” she says. “Because my husband thought the raccoon was behaving with foreign intent, like the raccoon was a spy or something. It was just stupid.”
Or it was evidence of how immersive theater can delight when it deviates from the script.
Katie Price’s husband Lee Andrews reveals romantic birthday gifts from glamour model wife as they prepare to reunite
KATIE Price’s husband Lee Andrews has shown off his plethora of birthday gifts from his wife ahead of their Dubai reunion.
Lee celebrated his special day without Katie by his side as she was in England but she has jetted off to the Middle East, despite the ongoing concerns, today to join him.
However, Lee has taken to social media to reveal that Katie did indeed send him some birthday gifts ahead of her arrival.
On social media, he showed off a custom-made card from Katie that featured pictures of them both.
The card also contained the message: “Husband, you complete me.”
Katie also appeared to have got him a matching mug.
A Louis Vuitton gift bag could also be seen in the background as Lee added the caption: “Wife is just the best.”
It appears to be the first time that Katie has splashed out on her husband with the star previously telling The Sun that she has never paid for anything during their marriage.
She insisted Lee had always paid for everything they did, including her flights out to see him.
Lee then shared a snap of another sentimental gift from his wife.
It was a small pin which featured the design of a man and woman embracing with the names Katie and Lee emblazoned on it.
Lee said of the gift: “The smallest thoughts mean the most.”
He went on to share a look at the words Katie had written for him in his card, which said: “To my forever husband!
“Happy Birthday! I will share your whole life celebrating with you!
“I love you to infinity love from your wife Katie x.”
Katie has been spotted at the airport heading to see Lee after a few weeks back in the UK.
Her decision to travel to the UAE comes amid growing concern over troubles in the Middle East.
The ongoing Iran crisis is still causing chaos for travellers following more drone attacks in Dubai, including a missile dropping on the airport.
But Katie was spotted at Gatwick airport late last night with her luggage and passport in hand.
Katie was dressed in a polka-dot tracksuit top and leggings, which showed off her tiny legs.
Katie was seen smiling and was in good spirits, despite boarding a plane to an at-risk country.
The star was seen chatting to the airline staff as she checked in her huge suitcase for her trip.
Despite Katie flying off to Dubai, the ongoing crisis in Iran has continued to affect travel with British Airways cancelling all flights there until June.
The airline took this decision due to the “uncertainty of the situation in the Middle East”.
Other companies are running limited flights whilst the fighting continues.
Watch the moment Sophie Habboo sobs after husband Jamie Laing’s Mother’s Day present ‘backfires’
SOPHIE Habboo has been left sobbing after her husband Jamie Laing’s Mother’s Day present backfired.
The couple welcomed their baby boy Ziggy in December and this year marks Sophie’s very first Mother’s Day.
However, things didn’t end up going so well when Jamie presented his wife with a photo album of their son.
The former Made in Chelsea took to TikTok to share a video to capture the moment in question.
In the short clip, Sophie, 31, is seen bawling her eyes out as Jamie, 37, asks: “Wait, why are you upset?”
As she holds her head in her hands, she emotionally expresses: “He’s never going to be that small.”
READ MORE ON SOPHIE HABBOO
He captioned the post: “Reminder… Don’t make your wife a photo album of your newborn baby for Mother’s Day.”
Fans flocked to the comments section as one said: “So valid. You blink and they aren’t the little baby you brought home.”
Another person commented: “That’s the baby bond burrowing it’s way through all the tired days, the hard times and the cray cray. It’s painfully beautiful.”
Somebody else penned: “Bless her, we all know this feeling but the best is yet to come as his little personality develops.
“The days are long but the years are short so just treasure every second.”
Yet another follower gushed: “That’s so sweet. Bless your heart Sophie you’re such a lovely mum.”
While a fifth social media user added: “This was me yesterday, sending you a big hug Sophie.”
The pair announced the arrival of their first child back in December as they took to Instagram to share the news.
Alongside a photo of their baby boy, Jamie wrote: “Ziggy, you have our whole hearts.”
They were flooded with messages from fans and famous pals as Rylan Clark said: “Congrats you two xxx.”
“Congratulations guys,” weighed in Strictly judge Motsi Mabuse. “A new journey begins.”
“You did it mama,” wrote Jessie J.
“Oh my goodness so many congratulations. So excited for you and this amazing new chapter for you all! Biggest hugs,” added This Morning regular Alice Liveing.
Sophie recently opened up about her motherhood journey while attending the Brit Awards with Jamie earlier this month.
During an interview with Chloe Burrows for KISS FM, she was asked: “Is there anything you’re not loving about being a new mum?”
The new mother responded: “The constant mum guilt.”
“You just feel guilty for being here, but then feel guilty… yeah, that’s not good.”
While Jamie added: “The hardest thing about having a baby is the burping.”
Rolling her eyes, Sophie chimed in: “The mums do everything.”
But to that, Jamie claimed: “I mean, this is a joke.”
Moments later, Sophie then shared: “I have the better instincts.”
Stunned by his wife’s claims, Jamie clapped back and snapped: “No, I have better instincts.”
Joking around, the Made in Chelsea icon laughed: “I feel him. I can feel him right now.”
Katie Price’s husband Lee Andrews ‘ran up HUGE bill’ at luxury Dubai hotel for wedding
KATIE Price’s new husband Lee Andrews has “ran up a HUGE bill” at the luxury hotel where they got married.
The self-confessed ‘millionaire’, 41, and the former glamour model, 47, tied the knot just two weeks after meeting each other, leaving her family in shock.
The Sun revealed that the pair had married in a very intimate ceremony at The One&Only Royal Mirage, a 5-star luxury beachfront resort.
Our exclusive photos showed Katie in a white cut-out gown saying ‘I do’ in a private gardens as they exchanged their vows while holding hands.
But now it has been claimed that Lee has not coughed up a penny, which is believed to run into the thousands of pounds.
Despite promising to return and pay the outstanding cost, he still hasn’t paid and it has reportedly left staff “frustrated”.
“Lee Andrews has not yet paid the One&Only Royal Mirage hotel where he and Katie Price got married. He promised to settle the outstanding bills but still hasn’t, and it’s been over six weeks,” an insider told the Mail.
When the publication approached Lee for comment and he insisted it was “fully paid”, adding: “It was an SMS on my HSBC locally. I will ping it to you so you can see it.”
But they have still not been provided any proof of payment.
The Sun has reached out to Lee for comment.
It comes just The Sun revealed that Lee had been begging women for money just a week before be proposed to Katie.
Self-proclaimed millionaire Lee whinged about surviving on 20p ready meals weeks before he married Katie.
He even begged a former friend for $4,000 just mere days before proposing to the former glamour model.
Lee popped the question to Katie on January 23, and the couple tied the knot in Dubai just 48 hours later.
He recently boasted about his love for his new wife the The Sun, and Katie even showed us “proof” he owned a £36million property in Dubai.
Katie also claimed Lee had paid for every single one of her first-class flights to and from Dubai.
She also said he had forked out for all the romantic dates they had been on since January, with her not spending a penny.
Katie recently gushed to The Sun: “I can reassure everyone at home that I haven’t gone for a con man.
“I haven’t gone for a scammer.
“There was no love bombing.
“I’ve gone for a beautiful human being who genuinely makes me happy, who I’m so in love with,” she gushed.
Lorna Luxe reveals ‘sign’ from late husband John as she puts on a brave face at Cheltenham Festival after his death
LORNA Luxe has been seen out for the first time since her husband John’s death – joining race-goers at Cheltenham Festival this week.
The fashion influencer, 43, was seen out on Friday for the Gold Cup and was quids in after backing a horse in John’s memory.
John, 64, died in February following a lengthy illness, but sent a “sign” to Lorna who won £250 after backing a horse with long odds.
Johnny’s Jury was priced between 25/1 to 33/1 with bookmakers like Betfair before jockey Gavin Sheehan took him from last to first to win the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle.
Lorna said in a video message to fans: “It’s been raining all week, but the weather was perfect with blue skies.
“I started betting on the horses but didn’t get any winners at all.
“I bumped into Amanda Wakely, whose dress I wore for my wedding to John, and we went to the betting box.
“She said ‘look, one of the horses is called Johnny’s Jury, shall we have a go?’
“It was a bit of an outsider but I put £20 each way – and it won.
“It flipping won. I’m absolutely buzzing. I had all this cash.
“It was just, so John.”
Lorna’s voice cracked as her eyes filled with tears.
She added: “It really made me smile. It was just a brilliant moment.
“I was really teary to be honest. I’m teary now just thinking about it.
“Even though he wasn’t there with me, it felt like he was there in spirit.”
Lorna was dressed in Holland Cooper, the official luxury fashion partner of The Jockey Club, to enjoy a day at the races.
The brand’s founder – Jade Holland Cooper – described Lorna as “the strongest woman I know”.
Lorna’s late husband John was initially diagnosed with stage three cancer, but it developed to stage four while he was undergoing treatment.
Lorna kept her followers updated throughout his journey, and they supported her when he went into remission in November 2023.
But his cancer returned in May 2024, spreading to his brain.
Tragically, just before Christmas, he was rushed back to hospital with organ failure, following a complication with his chemotherapy treatment.
Lorna was advised to prepare for the worst but John defied the odds and was able to recover and spend Christmas at home, before passing away two months later.
Jill Biden opens up in memoir about Joe Biden’s decision to end his 2024 reelection bid
WASHINGTON — Jill Biden is breaking her silence about Joe Biden’s decision to abruptly end his 2024 presidential reelection bid under pressure from Democrats concerned about his age, health and viability against Republican Donald Trump in a rematch of their 2020 campaign.
A political spouse for nearly 50 years, Jill Biden said she has never publicly discussed her feelings about the three-week stretch when her husband ended his political career, instead saving her thoughts for the pages of her soon-to-be-released memoir.
Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, on Wednesday announced that her book, “View from the East Wing: A Memoir,” is scheduled to be published June 2.
Jill Biden told the Associated Press in a brief telephone interview that the book is a “reflection of my four years as first lady” and that writing it was somewhat healing.
“It was kind of cathartic for me to write it, and I wrote about all the, you know, sometimes painful — but other times, most of it really beautiful moments that Joe and I shared during his presidency,” she said.
Jill Biden declined on Tuesday to discuss any of those moments, good or bad — including watching her husband work his way to the decision to end his five-decade-long political career by dropping out of the 2024 presidential race.
In an announcement video shared on Instagram, she said she wants to “set the record straight.”
The last chapter of her husband’s political career
In April 2023, then-President Joe Biden was 80 and the oldest president in U.S. history when he announced he was running for a second term. His age and fitness to serve another four years — which would take him to age 86 — became a source of concern for the public. Some fellow Democrats began to pressure him to step aside after he turned in a disastrous debate performance against Trump in June 2024 in which he struggled, in a raspy voice, to land his debating points and often appeared to lose his train of thought. Aides blamed the poor performance on a cold.
Joe Biden at first insisted that he would stay in the race, but after a few weeks he withdrew from the campaign and endorsed Democrat Kamala Harris, his vice president. Harris became the party’s presidential nominee but lost to Trump in the November 2024 election.
Jill Biden said that, with the book, “I have put things in perspective,” presenting what she describes as a “more balanced view” of her husband’s time as president.
The memoir is also a tribute of the sorts to women who, like herself, juggle multiple roles.
“It’s also a story about my being able to balance life, you know, as a working woman and as a mother, a grandmother, a first lady,” she said.
During her four years in the role, Jill Biden, 74, made history as the first first lady to continue the career she had before entering the White House. She had taught English and writing for decades at the community college level, and she continued teaching twice a week at a Northern Virginia school while serving as first lady.
Joe Biden ‘doing well’ after his cancer diagnosis
The former president’s office announced in May 2025 that he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer and that it had spread to his bones. He’s receiving treatment.
Jill Biden said it was “quite a shock getting the diagnosis” for her husband, who’s now 83.
“The fact that it is in his bones means that he will have cancer, you know, all his lifetime,” Jill Biden said. She said the doctors say he will “live out his natural life.”
“Like most retired couples, he’ll probably drive me crazy till the end of it,” she joked.
She said he visits Washington at least once a week for meetings or to give speeches.
A unique period in American history
The former first lady also writes in the book about serving during a unique period in U.S. history, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the aftermath of the insurrection at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, according to the publisher.
Her husband was sworn into office on the steps of the Capitol on Jan. 20, 2021, just two weeks after a mob of Trump supporters, spurred by his false claims that the Republican lost because of election fraud, stormed the building in a violent attempt to keep lawmakers from certifying Joe Biden’s victory.
Joe Biden’s first year in office was dominated by the federal response to the pandemic and, while he mostly stayed at the White House, Jill Biden wore face mask and traveled around the country to encourage people to get their vaccinations. She also continued her advocacy on behalf of military families, education and community colleges, cancer prevention and women’s health initiatives.
Before she became first lady, Jill Biden was second lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017, when her husband was Barack Obama’s vice president. She currently chairs the Milken Institute’s Women’s Health Network.
Jill Biden is also the author of “Where the Light Enters,” published in 2019, in which she writes about meeting Joe Biden, then a U.S. senator from Delaware, and marrying and building a life with him. She also has written three children’s books.
Superville writes for the Associated Press.