motherhood

A POLISH woman has been discovered in a shocking state after allegedly being locked in a tiny room by her parents for nearly three decades.

Mirella, now 42, was just 15-years-old when she vanished from public life in 1998.

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She lived in the city of Świętochłowice, in southern Poland.

Her parents reportedly told neighbours at the time that their teenage daughter had gone missing. For years, no one questioned it.

But this summer, police stumbled upon the horrifying truth.

Officers were called to an apartment block in July after residents heard a disturbance coming from inside.

When they knocked on the door, the elderly landlady, 82, denied anything unusual was going on.

Cops then spoke to Mirella directly. She reassured them that “everything was fine”.

But officers quickly noticed severe injuries on her legs and decided to call and ambulance.

She was rushed to hospital – and doctors determined she was just “days away from death” from infection.

Although Mirella’s discovery took place in July, the shocking case has only now come to light after locals launched a fundraiser to help her recover.

One of the organisers posted online: “Doctors determined that she was only days away from death due to infection.

“She has been in hospital for two months now due to her critical condition.

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“People who knew Mirella thought she left her ‘family’ home almost 30 years ago.

“Unfortunately, the truth turned out to be different.

“Much remains unknown, and several facts cannot be revealed at this stage. One thing is certain: the truth must come to light as to why this young, healthy 15-year-old stopped leaving her home and disappeared without a trace.

“It is unimaginable to spend so much time in one room.

“She herself says that she has never even seen her city develop, that it is behind in everything, that she has missed out on so many things, she has never been to a doctor, never obtained an ID card, never gone for a simple walk or even to the balcony…

“She’s never been to a dentist or a hairdresser.

“Her hair and teeth are in critical condition, even threatening her health, so visits to a private clinic are now necessary.”

Mirella’s nightmare began when she was just a teenager. Her parents allegedly confined her to a small room in their flat and cut her off from the outside world completely.

For 27 years, neighbours believed the couple’s story that their daughter was missing.

Residents assumed only two people lived in the flat: the elderly couple.

Her ordeal only came to an end at the end of July when neighbours heard noises and alerted the emergency services.

When police and paramedics entered the second-floor apartment, they were met with a devastating scene.

Witnesses said Mirella looked “extremely neglected,” and her legs “appeared to be necrotic.”

One neighbour said: “It’s unbelievable. I remember Mirella as a teenager. We used to play in front of the building when I visited my grandmother for the holidays.

“Then she suddenly disappeared under mysterious circumstances.”

After she was rescued, Mirella spent two months in hospital fighting for her life.

Authorities have now launched a criminal investigation.

Prosecutor Agnieszka Kwatera confirmed that the case is being formally investigated.

Junior Asp. Anna Hryniak from the Municipal Police Headquarters in Świętochłowice told Fakt: “After our intervention and transporting the woman to the hospital, the district police officer contacted the Social Welfare Center.

“We are awaiting feedback on this woman’s situation from the Social Welfare Center so we can take further action.”

It is not yet clear what legal consequences Mirella’s parents will face.

The shocking discovery comes just days after a separate case made headlines in Brazil.

A six-year-old girl who had spent her entire life locked inside a room was rescued by police in Sorocaba, São Paulo state.

Authorities were tipped off anonymously and found the child in a state of neglect. She had never been to school, received no vaccinations, and could not speak.

Child protection counsellor Ligia Guerra said: “The girl was very apathetic and dazzled by everything.”

She added that the child’s hair was “tangled” and looked “as if it had never been washed.”

The girl had reportedly eaten nothing that day and survived only on liquids.

She communicated with police and counsellors through sounds rather than words.

The child was immediately taken to hospital for medical checks before being moved to a children’s home.

Both cases have horrified the public and raised questions about how such extreme abuse can go unnoticed for so long.

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MOST of the Beckhams put on a united front at Victoria’s Paris Fashion Week show but eldest son Brooklyn snubbed his family again.

The designer and former Spice Girl, 51, was joined by husband David, 50, sons Romeo, 23, and Cruz, 20, as well as 14-year-old daughter Harper in the French capital last night.

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They fought bad weather to get to the Val-de-Grace venue but Brooklyn, 26, and actress wife Nicola Peltz, 30, remained in LA even though Victoria’s collection was inspired by being a mother.

Describing the show, Posh’s website said: “For Spring- Summer 2026 collection, Victoria Beckham revisits the instinctive experimentation of girlhood dressing, inspired by the designer’s own adolescence and her perspective as a mother.”

Ex-Vogue editor Anna Wintour, 75, was seen chatting to David before it started.

She joined the family on the front row alongside Cruz’s model girlfriend Jackie Apostel, 29.

The Beckhams’ close friend Eva Longoria, 50, was seen leaving her hotel in a black wrap dress with her producer husband, Jose Baston, 57, as they travelled to the show.

The event comes ahead of Victoria’s self-titled docuseries which will be released on Netflix on Thursday.

Earlier, Cruz was seen in a white T-shirt with the date 24.10.25 — with some suggesting it could be a release date for his music.

He has been working on tracks for several years and recently spent time in the studio with The Kooks frontman Luke Pritchard.

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TV STAR Jimmy Fallon, 50, has given fans an insight into his family life and shared a rare photo with wife Nancy Juvonen, 58, and their daughters.

The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon host posted the adorable picture on social media alongside his wife and their girls Winnie, 12, and Frances, 10.

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The family-of-four can be seen enjoying a lakeside getaway in the fun snap on their holiday wearing casual summer gear.

Comedian Fallon and his loved ones threw their arms in the air and struck some comedy poses in the playful shot.

His partner Juvonen flashed a peace sign and wrapped an arm around her daughter, wearing a pastel cross-over stripped dress.

“This is before my sister-in-law said, ‘a little less,’” Fallon joked in his caption.

Famous friends commented on the cute photo with a string of heart emojis, including Camila Cabello, Paris Hilton, while Ellen DeGeneres liked the snap.

Fans praised: “Beautiful family.”

A second added: “Awesome family post!”

A third agreed: “Such a joy to see a happy and loved Jimmy’s family.”

When Fallon is not in the studio, he can often be found at home, spending time with his wife, Nancy and Frances and Winnie.

The stand-up comedian, television host, actor, writer, and singer was born on September 19, 1974, in Bay Ridge, New York.

He first gained recognition as a cast member on Saturday Night Live but later became a household name in 2014 after taking over The Tonight Show following Jay Leno’s departure.

Fallon’s extensive career in the entertainment industry has helped him amass a $70 million fortune, according to Celebrity Net Worth.

He has also written several books and two comedy albums.

In 1998, he joined the cast of Saturday Night Live and remained there until 2004.

Jimmy’s big break came in 2009 when he landed his own talk show, Late Night With Jimmy Fallon.

In May last year The Tonight Show aired a special two-hour program to celebrate Fallon’s 10th anniversary on the show.

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Olivia Culpo and Christian McCaffrey are now parents, and the arrival of their baby girl has them both feeling lucky.

Model-actor Culpo revealed Sunday that she and her NFL star husband welcomed their daughter earlier this month. She marked the beginning of her journey into motherhood on Instagram, sharing several pictures from her newborn’s first moments in the world. A carousel of black-and-white photos document tender moments between Culpo, McCaffrey and their baby at Cedars-Sinai.

Culpo’s Instagram post also included a name reveal. “Colette Annalise McCaffrey,” she captioned her photos, adding a white heart emoji.

Additionally, Culpo shared photos from baby Colette’s arrival to her Instagram stories, where she praised her San Francisco 49ers running back husband. “Colette is so lucky to have the best daddy in the world,” she wrote in an Instagram photo of McCaffrey tending to their newborn. “A love like no other.”

In another Instagram story on Sunday, Culpo recalled her labor as the “scariest and most rewarding of all experiences” and her husband’s calming effect. She shared a photo of McCaffrey holding her head during her delivery. In his Instagram story, McCaffrey reciprocated the sentiment, posting a photo of himself holding his baby girl.

“Luckiest man on the planet,” he captioned the photo. “I love you @OliviaCulpo.”

Culpo, 33, and McCaffrey, 29, were rumored to be dating as early as May 2019 and got engaged in April 2023. They married in June 2024 in Culpo’s native Rhode Island. Culpo, a former Miss Universe, announced in March that she and her husband were expecting their first child together.

“Next chapter, motherhood,” she captioned photos from her maternity photo shoot.

A representative for Culpo did not immediately respond on Monday to The Times’ request for additional information.

Sunday Brunch hosts Tim Lovejoy and Simon Rimmer issued an apology to comedian Aisling Bea after they asked her a ‘boring’ question about motherhood

Sunday Brunch hosts Simon Rimmer and Tim Lovejoy playfully said sorry to comedian Aisling Bea after they quizzed her on her personal life.

The Irish comedian made an appearance on the Channel 4 morning show alongside guests like Big Zuu, with Kat Sadler and Lizzie Davidson from Such Brave Girls.

Almost immediately into the show, Tim disclosed a backstage chat with Aisling, prompting a cheeky apology from him.

He explained: “Aisling, this morning you came in and I said to you, ‘How is it being a mum?’ and then Simon said to you, ‘Congratulations, I’ve not seen you since becoming a mum,’ and you said, ‘Simon, the boring thing and being a mum is that everyone keeps asking about it’.”

“So I apologise for that,” he said with a chuckle: “But how is it being a mum?” reports the Manchester Evening News.

Aisling responded with playful repartee: “Thank you for apologising, I’ll work on forgiveness but I can’t guarantee it.”

She continued: “I still identify as a child-free, single lady because of the vibe but I do have a baby and a boyfriend.”

With her signature wit, Aisling commented on “rival show” Saturday Kitchen, saying her little one “couldn’t get her head around it” so she likely wasn’t watching her mum today.

Opening up about motherhood, she added: “I feel like I’m not a mum yet, at the start you’re just like dealing with a new person in the house, I think it’ll be a while before that feels like I’m a mother.”

Aisling revealed that she and her partner Jack Freeman became parents for the first time in August last year, after getting celebrities like Paul Rudd and Travis Kelce to announce her pregnancy news months earlier.

She took to Instagram to share the birth of her baby, posting a series of photos showing her growing bump, ending with a final snap of her cradling her newborn daughter in hospital.

In a playful post, she wrote: “Trip advisor review of Pregnancy One star,” and listed a series of “negatives” such as it being “expensive” and leaving her feeling “very unrested”.

“Not as described online or in pictures. Reminded me of the Glasgow Willie Wonka experience. Towards the end of my stay I was repeatedly kicked in the nuts,” she continued.

She then went on to list: “UTIs, bleeding, depression, cramps, insomnia, nosebleeds, sinus blockage, migraines, vomiting, being randomly touched by people without asking, bones mushing, organs moving, skin stretching, being told that you’ll forget all the pain/that it’s a privilege / that it will all be “worth it” in the end, heightened awareness of climate change and worst of all- boredom- all described as « normal » and was repeatedly recommended « a nice bath » as a fix to all of the above.”

Aisling also shared the “positives”, saying she enjoyed the bath at the end and appreciated the help with her bags, adding: “Before checking out, nearby kebab shop man provided free extra chips and quite a flirty wink, which I appreciated. Was given a little gift at check out which is, admittedly, quite cute. “

Sunday Brunch airs from 10am on Channel 4.