Two days after reality TV personality Joseph Duggar was arrested on suspicion of molesting a minor, Arkansas police arrested his wife, Kendra Duggar, on misdemeanor child abuse charges.
Kendra Duggar, 27, as well as Joseph Duggar, 31, face four counts each of endangering the welfare of a minor and second-degree false imprisonment.
According to KNWA, the Tontitown Police Department confirmed that the Duggars’ charges in Arkansas were unrelated to Joseph Duggar’s case in Florida. The news outlet reported that Tontitown police said this separate investigation was “launched on the heels of the alleged incident in Florida.”
People Magazine reported that a source close to the family told the outlet that the arrest was “the result of a home inspection, and the door locks being on the exterior of the doors. “
A spokesperson for the family told People that the charges filed against Kendra Duggar were “totally unrelated” to Joseph Duggar’s case in Florida. “She’s not suspected or accused of participating in his alleged crime.”
Last week, Joseph Duggar, known for the TLC series “19 Kids and Counting,” was arrested in Arkansas by local law enforcement on suspicion of molesting a minor in Florida, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office announced in a statement.
The Sheriff’s Office said it received a report on Wednesday of past sexual abuse involving Duggar and a 14-year-old girl. The girl alleged several incidents of abuse including one when she was 9 years old, police said.
The teenager, according to law enforcement, accused Duggar of molesting her in 2020 while she was vacationing with family and staying at a residence in Panama City Beach.
According to the statement, the victim said Duggar “eventually apologized” for the abuse. Duggar also “admitted his actions to the girl’s father and to Tontitown detectives” in Arkansas, Duggar’s home state, law officials said. The city’s Police Department confirmed Duggar’s arrest in a separate statement, noting it acted on a warrant issued by the Bay County Sheriff’s Office.
The former reality star was charged with molestation of a victim younger than 12 and “lewd and lascivious behavior conducted” by an adult. Duggar, who is currently jailed at the Washington County Detention Center, awaits extradition to Florida. He could not immediately be reached for comment.
Joseph Duggar, his parents, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, and his siblings garnered reality TV fame in 2008 with the launch of TLC’s “19 Kids and Counting.” The series followed the Christian fundamentalist clan who used their television platform to preach purity, modesty and religious devotion. The family’s facade shattered in 2015 when Josh, the firstborn Duggar child, was accused of molesting five younger girls — four of whom were his sisters — when he was 15. The series was canceled that year.
In a separate case, Josh was convicted on two counts of possessing and receiving child pornography in December 2021. He was sentenced to 12½ years in prison in 2022. The Supreme Court rejected his efforts to appeal his case last June.
Amy Duggar Kind, a cousin of Joseph and Josh Duggar and series regular on “19 Kids and Counting,” released a statement prior to the arrest of Kendra Duggar “praying for Joseph’s wife, Kendra, as she begins to process this, and for the protection of their children,” and then a follow-up statement once news of Kendra’s arrest went public.
“My statement released on Friday, March 20th was written and submitted before I had any knowledge of Kendra Duggar’s arrest,” she wrote.
“When I wrote that I was praying for Kendra ‘as she begins to process this,’ I was speaking to what I believed at the time — that she was a wife and mother blindsided by devastating news about her husband. I want that context to be unambiguous. Those words were written in a different moment, with different information. The world changed a few hours later.
“I have now learned that Kendra Duggar was arrested on Friday on four counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of a minor and four counts of second-degree false imprisonment. These are serious charges. They are not the same as Joseph’s charges, but they are not small, and I will not treat them as small.
“I am not going to rush to conclusions about what Kendra knew, when she knew it, or what her role was in any of this. That is the job of law enforcement and the courts, and I trust that process to unfold. What I will say is this: the moment a person faces criminal charges for the endangerment of children, my prayers shift. They shift entirely and without apology to the children.
“To the four children in that home — I see you. I pray for you. None of this is your fault, and none of this is your burden to carry.
“To the original victim, who is now fourteen years old and has watched this story explode across every screen in the country: I am so deeply sorry. You did an incredibly brave thing by coming forward. You deserve to have every institution around you work on your behalf — not to protect the people who hurt you, and not to protect the image of a family. You. I am still praying for you and your family above all else.”
Kendra Duggar was booked into the Washington County Detention Center on March 20 and released on a $1,470 bond the same day.
Times staff writer Alexandra Del Rosario contributed to this report.
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.
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.
Katie Price’s husband Lee Andrews has revealed the gifts from his wife for his birthdayCredit: Instagram/@wesleeeandrewsThe star showed off presents that appeared to be from KatieCredit: Instagram/@wesleeeandrewsThe star is currently on her way back to Dubai to see him – despite the ongoing Middle East conflictCredit: BackGrid
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.
He shared a peek inside the card that she had sent to himCredit: Instagram/@wesleeeandrewsThe star is due to reunite with him later todayCredit: BackGrid
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.
Katie is heading to Dubai one day after his birthdayCredit: BackGridThe couple are continuing to prove that their marriage is the real dealCredit: mistraesthetics/Instagram
METALLICA’S James Hetfield is engaged to his stunning girlfriend Adriana Gillett, four years after his divorce from his wife of 25 years.
The musician, 62, proposed to his other half underwater while swimming with sharks in an elaborate proposal.
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Metallica icon James Hetfield has proposed to his girlfriend, Adriana GillettCredit: GettyThe singer popped the question while swimming with whale sharksCredit: Instagram
She took to her Instagram to share the exciting news along with some pretty cool pictures.
In the snap, both can be seen wearing snorkelling gear in the water as James holds up a sign that reads: “Adriana Gillett will you marry me?”
A second picture shows a huge fish as they get up close to the sea creatures during their expedition.
Adriana captioned it: “The BEST birthday trip surprise. Swimming with whale sharks on Friday the 13th with the most unique, special and romantic proposal a Pisces could ever imagine.
“In a sea full of fish, we caught each other. Thank you God for putting us together.”
Fans rushed to the comments section to send the couple their well-wishes as they enter this amazing new chapter.
One person gushed: “This ROCKS and makes me so happy!! Congratulations Addy & James!!”
Another enthused: “YES!!!! Fantastic!!! It’s been incredible to see the beautiful journey you both have been on and continue to travel. Much love and congratulations to you both!!!”
Somebody else commented: “Congratulations to the two of you! We are so happy for you.”
Yet another said: “Congratulations! No surprise, you two are one in a million.”
While a fifth follower added: “What a whale of a tale this is!!! Congratulations you two!!!”
The couple began dating in 2023 following his divorce from Francesca Tomasi the previous year.
The pair had been married since 1997 and have three children together – Cali, Castor and Marcella.
They filed for divorce in 2022, citing irreconcilable differences.
He was previously married to Francesca Tomasi and they share three children togetherCredit: Getty
This led to Metallica having to postpone their tour dates in Australia and New Zealand.
Sharing a statement on social media at the time, the band penned: “We are truly sorry to inform our fans and friends that we must postpone our upcoming tour of Australia and New Zealand.
“As most of you probably know, our brother James has been struggling with addiction on and off for many years.
“He has no, unfortunately had to re-enter a treatment program to work on his recovery again
“We are devastated that we have inconvenienced so many of you, especially our most loyal fans who travel great distances to experience our shows.”
The iconic heavy metal band was formed in Los Angeles in 1981 by James and drummer Lars Ulrich.
The current lineup is comprised of the founding members along with longtime lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo.
They’ve released 11 albums over the last four decades and are one of the most commercially successful bands’ of all time.
Metallica have been going strong for over four decadesCredit: Getty
ROB Reiner’s friends held back tears at the Oscars as the ceremony honored the late director and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, after their tragic deaths.
The couple died in December 2025 after being brutally attacked in their Los Angeles home, and their son, Nick Reiner, is the primary suspect in their murders.
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Rob Reiner’s famous friends held back tears at the Oscars as the ceremony honored the late director and his wife, Michele Singer ReinerCredit: Instagram/michelereinerBilly Crystal gave a speech honoring the late couple Sunday nightCredit: ABCRob and his wife received a special tribute from longtime friend Billy CrystalCredit: GettyRob and his wife Michele died on December 14, 2025Credit: ABC
Hollywood was shocked by the loss of Rob, 78, and Michele, 70, and it was expected that there would be a special tribute to them at the 98th Academy Awards held at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday.
Rob famously rewrote the ending of When Harry Met Sally after meeting his wife, Michele, while shooting the film.
“I first met Rob Reiner in 1975. When I was cast as his best friend in an episode of All in the Family,” Billy’s began in his tribute.
“Rob said, it was fun playing your best friend, why don’t we keep it going. And it was a thrill to see him evolve from a great comic actor to a master storyteller.
“His first film was This Is Spinal Tap. You could stop right there … The comedy was turned up to an 11.”
Billy went on to discuss Rob’s other iconic films, including Stand By Me.
“Audiences then lined up to see his funny, charming films, so he gave them misery!” Billy continued.
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“My friend Rob’s movies will last for lifetimes. Because they were about what makes us laugh and cry and what we aspire to be, far better in his eyes, far kinder, far funnier, far more human.”
“And when Michele Singer entered his life, they were unstoppable. A gifted photographer, she not only produced films with Rob, but it was her energy that had them working tirelessly to fight social injustice in the country that they both loved.
“Rob and Michele Reiner became the driving force in the landmark decision for marriage equality across the United States. And their loss is immeasurable.”
He said Rob told him several times that “it meant everything to him that his work meant something to you.”
“And for us, who had the privilege of working with and knowing him and loving him, all we can say is, ‘Buddy, what fun we had storming the castle.”
Billy’s speech concluded with several actors joining him on stage, including Kathy Bates, Demi Moore and Mandy Patinkin.
More late stars honored at the Oscars
Diane Keaton was also honored at the Oscars’ In Memoriam tribute.
Rachel McAdams, who starred alongside the late actress in The Family Stone, took the stage to honor Diane.
“For over 50 years, luminous on screen and indelible in life, believe me when I say there isn’t an actress of my generation who is not inspired by and enthralled with her absolute singularity,” she said.
“She wore so many hats, literally and figuratively, actress, artist, author, activist, but no hat more important to her than being a mother to her two children.
“She meant so much to so many of us. I remember she used to sing this old Girl Scout song on set, which is just so her: ‘Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver, and the other is gold. A circle is round, it has no end. That’s how long I’ll be your friend.’
“And so to our friend, Diane Keaton, celebrating a life in silver and gold, a legend with no end.”
Diane, a four-time Academy Award nominee, died in October 2025 of bacterial pneumonia.
Other stars were honored during the In memoriam segment, including Robert Duvall, known for his roles in The Godfather and Apocalypse Now, Robert Redford, known for All the President’s Men and The Sting and Catherine O’Hara, known for her role in Home Alone and Schitt’s Creek.
“She made us laugh until we cried,” Rachel said of Catherine at the Oscars.
Diane Keaton died in October 2025 of bacterial pneumoniaCredit: Getty ImagesCatherine O’Hara died in January 2026 at the age of 71 after being rushed to the hospital while having difficulty breathingCredit: REUTERSRobert Duvall, known for his role in The Godfather, died at the age of 95 in February 2026Credit: AFP via Getty Images
The death of Rob Reiner
Corey Feldman, who portrayed Teddy Duchamp in Stand by Me, was reportedly not asked to participate in the tribute to Rob, despite being one of the main characters alongside Jerry and Wil.
A source recently told the Daily Mail that Corey was “devastated” by the apparent snub and “wanted nothing more than to honor Rob.”
In January, Rob was subtly recognized at the Golden Globes by host Nikki Glaser, who ended the show wearing a Spinal Tap cap, a reference to the filmmaker’s 1984 film, This Is Spinal Tap.
The comedian also closed the ceremony, saying, “This one went to 11. Thank you, guys, for an amazing night,” a reference to the movie’s famous moments between Rob and co-star Christopher Guest.
Rob and Michele allegedly had their throats slit while lying in bed, and Nick, who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and was battling a drug addiction, has been charged with their murders.
The incident occurred hours after the trio attended Conan O’Brien’s holiday party, where Rob and Nick had an explosive fight about Nick’s behavior.
Last month, Conan O’Brien, host of the 98th Academy Awards, broke his silence about the tragedy during a sit-down with The New Yorker.
“I knew Rob and Michele, and then increasingly got closer and closer to them, and I was seeing them a lot,” the talk show host said.
“My wife and I were seeing them a lot, and they were so — they were just such lovely people.
Most Awarded Oscar Winners of All Time
Best Director:
John Ford — 4 wins
The Informer (1935)
The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
How Green Was My Valley (1941)
The Quiet Man (1952)
Frank Capra — 3 wins
It Happened One Night (1934)
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936)
You Can’t Take It with You (1938)
William Wyler —3 wins
Mrs. Miniver (1942)
The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
Ben-Hur (1959)
Best Actor in a Leading Role:
Daniel Day‑Lewis — 3 wins (most in history)
My Left Foot (1989)
There Will Be Blood (2007)
Lincoln (2012)
A slew of actors are tied in second place having won 2 Oscars, including: Marlon Brando, Tom Hanks, Dustin Hoffman, Sean Penn, Anthony Hopkins, and more.
Best Actress in a Leading Role:
Katharine Hepburn — 4 wins
Morning Glory (1933)
Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1967)
The Lion in Winter (1968)
On Golden Pond (1981)
Frances McDormand — 3 wins
Fargo (1996)
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)
Nomadland (2020)
Meryl Streep — 3 wins (two lead, one supporting)
Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) — Supporting Actress
Sophie’s Choice (1982) — Lead Actress
The Iron Lady (2011) — Lead Actress
Best Actor in a Supporting Role:
Walter Brennan — 3 wins
Come and Get It (1936)
Kentucky (1938)
The Westerner (1940)
Many actors are tied for the second place honor with 2 nominations, including: Michael Caine, Denzel Washington, Gene Hackman, Jack Nicholson, Christoph Waltz, and Mahershala Ali.
Best Actress in a Supporting Role:
Dianne Wiest —2 wins
Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)
Bullets Over Broadway (1994)
Shelley Winters — 2 wins
The Diary of Anne Frank (1959)
A Patch of Blue (1965)
Maggie Smith — 2 wins
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969) — Lead Actress
California Suite (1978) — Supporting Actress
“And to have that experience of saying goodnight to somebody and having them leave and then find out the next day that they’re gone. … I think I was in shock for quite a while afterward. I mean, there’s no other word for it. It’s just very — it’s so awful. It’s just so awful.”
Conan also admitted that it was still “hard for me to comprehend” what happened to his friends.
The U.S. Sun exclusively revealed that Nick could inherit his family’s $196million fortune even if he’s found guilty of his parents’ deaths.
This would be the case if Nick is found legally insane, which, by California law, would still entitle him to the inheritance.
Nick has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder and faces a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted.
Rob and Michele were murdered in their Los Angeles home in December 2025Credit: GettyTheir son, Nick, was accused of their killings and has been charged with has been charged with two counts of first-degree murderCredit: Instagram/romyreinerNick pleaded not guilty to the murders in court earlier this weekCredit: Getty
JACK Osbourne has proudly welcomed a baby girl with his wife and revealed her sweet name which is a touching tribute to his dad Ozzy.
The formerMTVreality TV star, 40, confirmed the happy news in a post on Instagram.
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Jack Osbourne revealed he has named his newborn baby after late dad OzzyCredit: InstagramJack Osbourne and wife Aree Earhart revealed their pregnancy in DecemberCredit: Brian RobertsMuch-loved Ozzy with his son Jack in 2011Credit: Getty
And Jack revealed her name was Ozzy Matilda Osbourne in a sweet nod to his late father.
The tot was pictured lying peacefully next to what appeared to be a bat plushie and a badge that said ‘Hello World’.
Jack captioned the post: “She’s arrived and she’s perfect.”
Ozzy Matilda was born om March 5 just before 9am according to the duck-themed sticker.
Rock legend Ozzy, who died in July aged 76, had been told he was going to be a grandfather again before his death.
Jack previously revealed he and Aree’s tot was giving him hope while grieving for his Black Sabbath rock legend dad Ozzy.
The proud dad has three daughters from his previous marriage – while his and Aree’s firstborn is three-year-old Maple.
Fans were quick to congratulate Jack after his latest annoucement.
One said: “Yay, we have another Ozzy Osbourne! The world is right again.”
Another wrote: “Oh my goodness congratulations I love her name I’m sure ozzy is smiling.”
A third said: “The most perfect name she could have ever received!! Congratulations to you all…I am sure her birth is what everyone’s heart needed!!”
Jack and Aree have welcomed Ozzy Matilda into the worldCredit: Michelle BellerHis dad Ozzy died just 17 days after his farewell gig Back to the Beginning in BirminghamCredit: Ross HalfinJack’s family has grown with another baby
Speaking publicly for the first time about the happy pregnancy news back in December, Jack said it has been the joy his family – including his mum Sharon, 73 – have needed after such a tough year.
In an exclusive interview with The Sun on Sunday he said: “It’s awesome.
“I think it’s been partly a healthy distraction, partly healing – probably in that kind of ‘full cycle’ category, in a weird way.
“It’s very much taken energy out of the grieving side of things and parked in a bit more hopefulness.
“It’s been easy for me – I think it’s been a lot harder for my wife!
“We’re super-excited. It was sort of planned, I should say. It was maybe a little earlier than expected.
“But it’s definitely something that we were wanting to pursue and somehow it happened, miraculously.”
He lasted 21 days in camp and proved to be hugely popular among his campmates.
Ozzy’s death, following a six year battle with Parkinson’s Disease, reshaped Jack’s perception of their relationship with him now saying he is “really cherishing moments” – even the difficult ones.
Jack first rose to fame in 2002 after starring in the hit series, The Osbournes.
He received worldwide attention for his television tenure alongside his family, which included sister Kelly, and parents Sharon and Ozzy.
Ozzy spending Christmas with son Jack and four daughtersJack with Ozzy in the second season of The OsbournesCredit: MTVOzzy would often take Jack and the kids on tour with his band Black SabbathCredit: Rex
Ore Oduba’s wife Portia has revealed her heartbreak as the star puts home on the marketCredit: ShutterstockPortia said their two young kids are devastated as the house goes on saleCredit: Getty
The pair share a son, Roman, eight and four-year-old daughter Genie together.
The TV presenter’s new-build family home in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, is now up for sale but Portia admitted it has left their kids heartbroken.
She said on social media: “I told the children that we are selling the house.
“It’s hard, especially for Roman, to have these conversations. He’s really upset.
“I wanted to let the kids know, I tried to explain why.
“It’s gutting, and I’ve known for a while.”
The family have been living in the property since 2022.
Last November, Portia appeared to take a swipe at Ore after he revealed his porn addiction battle.
Portia shared a photo as she posed with her two children either side of her during an autumn day out.
The lyrics talk about a partner who is “young, wayward and lost in the cold” and includes the phrases “you pulled the wrong trigger”.
Appearing on the We Need to Talk podcast with MAFS expert Paul C Brunson, Ore told how his addiction struggles have spanned three decades.
He candidly said: “I was nine when I was introduced to pornography. That’s when my addiction started.”
Ore added: “While I wouldn’t say the addiction set in immediately, the intrigue started immediately and it didn’t take long for that intrigue to start running my mind over.
Ore revealed last year that he’s been battling a three decade porn addictionCredit: Alamy
“It was the thing that was destroying my life from the inside out.
“But it was a thing I was running to from an early age as a response to the trauma.”
He told Paul he was speaking out as he wanted to “guide my own children.”
The London-based TV and radio anchor shares two children with ex wife Portia, son Roman born in 2018 and daughter Genie, born in 2021.
Ore, who admitted he had become a “master masker” during his childhood due to fears his father would send him back to Nigeria, told of the personal “shame” he had been struck by.
He then told how his brave confessions were for his family.
He said: “I’m sharing this to save my kids.
“Shame kept me silent for 30 years. It took me 30 years, two deaths, and a divorce to finally go: here’s what’s happening.”
He added: “The reason I felt like I needed to speak out on this, is because I wanted to guide my own children when it comes to it, when it comes to them seeing stuff that is going to be there.
“They’re going to come across it.”
Ore then confessed: “I never imagine I’d ever share this with anyone but in the last year I’ve spoken to friends and family and some amazing, supporting people in my working world who have all shown so much love and pride in me talking about something that is a problem for so many of us.”
The couple announced they were ending their nine-year marriage in October, with presenter Ore then confirming the news on Instagram.
The couple’s break-up shocked longtime followers of the pair, who have watched on as they got engaged, married and welcomed two children.
They first met in 2010 when they were studying at Loughborough University.
Portia was also a prominent support for Ore when he competed on Strictly Come Dancing in 2016, eventually lifting the glitterball alongside pro partner Joanne Clifton.
Swerving rumours of the long-derided “Strictly curse”, Ore made sure Portia bonded with Joanne throughout their time on the show together.
Yet he revealed their sad spit in an emotional message to fans.
The statement read: “Hi guys. Portia and I are sad to announce that we separated earlier this year [2024].
“We’re so grateful for all the love you’ve shared with us both over the years.
“And we want to thank you in advance for respecting our privacy as we navigated this difficult transition.
“We will be making no further comment. Be kind, always.”
Ore and Portia ended their nine year marriage in October 2024Credit: Getty
The 60-year-old star is perhaps most recognised for playing the lead character in the BBC mystery drama series Jonathan Creek, which aired from 1997 through to 2016. He’s also been the only regular panellist on the BBC quiz show QI since it launched in 2003, remaining longer than its initial presenter, Stephen Fry.
Alan launched his career in stand-up comedy, and has embarked on numerous live tours, with his latest taking place last year. The entertainer has also penned three well-received memoirs: My Favourite People and Me (2009), Just Ignore Him (2020), and White Male Stand-Up (2025).
Alan is scheduled to feature on James Martin’s Saturday Morning later today (March 7). Today’s instalment will also showcase chef Sami Tamimi and horticulturist David Domoney, alongside James preparing dishes in his Hampshire kitchen, reports the Express.
Ahead of his appearance on James Martin’s ITV programme, fans might be intrigued to discover that Alan has a famous wife.
The comic is married to writer and former literary agent Katie Maskell. Katie studied English and Drama at Warwick University, before finishing a one-year postgraduate qualification at London drama school, East 15.
She notably won Waterstones’ £5,000 Children’s Book Prize in 2010 for her novel, The Great Hamster Massacre. Alan and Katie’s paths crossed backstage during a QI recording in 2005, with the couple getting engaged six months later.
Their wedding took place in 2007, with comedian and Strictly Come Dancing champion Bill Bailey serving as Alan’s best man. The pair share three children. Their eldest daughter, Susie, arrived in 2009, their son, Robert, in 2011, and their youngest, Francis, was born in 2016.
Alan previously revealed how he first met his wife during an appearance on The One Show last year. In the episode, presenter Alex Jones remarked: “Everybody loves, of course, QI. And we heard the story that that’s where you actually met your wife.”
“Yeah, it’s true. 20 years ago,” Alan confirmed. An image of the couple then flashed up on screen, prompting Alex to joke: “She’s beautiful. [You’re] punching, Alan… She’s stunning.”
Alan then elaborated: “I saw her in the audience at QI and just as I saw her, this is what happened right, we had a stunt set up with a sugar glass, which is a glass that can smash, right? And then Arthur Smith, a brilliant comedian, was on the other team and he had a glass, and he thought that was a sugar glass. It wasn’t a sugar glass.
“He threw it in our direction, I forget who was on my team. And as it came towards me, I thought, ‘I’ve just spotted someone in the audience I wanna talk to afterwards and this could end my career. This could finish me.'”
The star concluded: “I nearly died, but in fact, it hit the desk and broke. It was very funny, and I met her in the green room afterwards. Luckily for me, she wasn’t wearing her glasses, so she couldn’t see what I looked like.”
James Martin’s Saturday Morning will air at 9.30am on ITV1 today (Saturday, March 7), whilst QI is available to stream on BBC iPlayer
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By my count, Philip Glass has written 28 operas, the same number as Verdi. The count is iffy because Glass pushes the boundaries between what we tend to call opera and the fuzzier idea of music theater. His first, “Einstein on the Beach” in 1976 — a collaboration between the composer and the late, innovative theater maker Robert Wilson — is a non-narrative effusion of imagery, movement, music and text, each a brilliantly independent entity that somehow excites a hard-to-pin-down purpose.
His latest (and probably his last, Glass turns 90 this year) is “Circus Days and Nights” — a touching and thrilling opera for a circus and staged at a circus in Mälmo, Sweden, in 2021 — caps a wondrous 45 years of operatic advancement. You would have to go back to Handel’s 42 operas, Mozart’s 22 or Verdi’s oeuvre for operatic equivalence.
Glass’ subject matter varies widely in epochs and ethoses, from ancient Egypt to Walt Disney’s Hollywood. Taken as a whole, these 28 operas reveal how we got to be who we are historically, artistically, spiritually, politically and fancifully, often including more than one of those categories, as in his third opera, “Akhnaten,” which Los Angeles Opera has now remounted at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. The instantly recognizable musical style has remained, over the years, consistently abstract and refreshing. It doesn’t tell you how to think, how to feel, even how to understand. It simply grabs your attention; you do the interpreting.
Still, America knows little of Glass’ operatic enormity. The early “portrait” operas — “Einstein,” “Satyagraha” (about Gandhi) and “Akhnaten” (the 14th century BC Egyptian pharaoh) — appear in repertory here and there (meaning mostly in Europe) as do a trio of operas based on Jean Cocteau films. The rest remain little mounted, while several but not all have been recorded. The Metropolitan Opera, for instance, commissioned “The Voyage” in 1992 to celebrate the 500th anniversary of Columbus’ arrival in the Americas, but the epic opera is nowhere to be found in our semisesquicentennial year. It is sadly no longer even thinkable that “Appomattox,” Glass’ revelatory reminder of an America that once honored goodwill negotiation over political self-interest, return to the Kennedy Center, where its final version had its premiere 11 years ago.
L.A. Opera has been better than most American companies in its attention to Glass. It has excellently presented the three portrait operas on its main stage, beginning with “Einstein” in the final and most brilliant revival of the original Wilson staging. The “Satyagraha” and “Akhnaten” revivals have been the designed-to-dazzle inventions of quirky director Phelim McDermott, a co-founder of Impossible, an eccentric British theater company. When new in the last decade, they felt the most arresting productions of these operas since Achim Freyer’s in Stuttgart, Germany, in the early 1980s. Almost every performance at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion has sold out.
John Holiday as the titular ruler in Philip Glass’ “Akhnaten” at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.
(Ariana Drehsler / For The Times)
McDermott’s “Akhnaten” got the most attention thanks to breathtaking jugglers and lavish costumes, along with a touch of full-frontal novelty as Akhnaten gets clothed in his kitschy, glittery getup for his inauguration. Glass had chosen the pharaoh because he is thought to have been the first monotheistic ruler.
Akhnaten is revealed in episodes of his life that are not fleshed out but presented as ritual, including the ravishing love duet with his wife, Nefertiti. The revolutionary pharoah builds a great city and reduces spiritual chaos by focusing on a single-minded form of worship. He looks androgenous in portraits, which led Glass to create the role for countertenor.
The sung texts are in ancient languages, and there are no projected song titles. Instead, a narrator gives a somewhat notion of what’s what in the language of the audience, as is Akhnaten’s great aria, a hymn to Aten (god of the sun).
Ultimately, the pharaoh’s prescient spiritual optimism comes in conflict with the all-powerful establishment priests, who kill Akhnaten and Nefertiti. The opera ends with Akhnaten’s son, presumably Tutankhamun, restoring polytheism, and then, once the staging jumps millennia into the future, it’s rediscovered by modern-day tourists. The currency couldn’t be missed Saturday, the Shia cleric and Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei having just been assassinated along with his wife at the start of America’s and Israel’s Iran war.
Sun-Ly Pierce as Nefertiti and John Holiday as Akhnaten in Philip Glass’ “Akhnaten” at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.
(Ariana Drehsler / For The Times)
In the opera, it so happens, the ghosts of Akhnaten, his wife and mother, have the last word in a glorious trio.
When first performed at L.A. Opera a decade ago, the lavish production, co-produced with English National Opera, helped recover a neglected opera. In the meantime, “Akhnaten” has gone practically mainstream. The Metropolitan Opera, which also mounted McDermott’s production, released it on CD and DVD, winning a Grammy for best opera recording.
Since then, the choreographer Lucinda Childs, veteran of “Einstein on the Beach,” has staged a stunningly chic “Akhnaten” in Nice, France, that is available on YouTube. Last year, director Barrie Kosky created a sensation with his staging at Komische Oper Berlin, which starred American countertenor John Holiday.
Holiday happens to be the Akhnaten in the L.A. Opera revival, and he is magnificent. McDermott had built his production around the gracefully emotive Anthony Roth Costanzo, slight and luminous in voice and build and game for nudity. If Costanzo’s disarming enthusiasm for the role has been significant in mainstreaming “Akhnaten,” Holiday, who is a very different presence, may be the next step.
Although he can be a popularly gregarious crossover performer, here he suggests a ruler of profound, unflappable dignity, rather than vulnerability. His hymn to Aten is an exercise in majesty, an ode not just to the sun but to the expanses in which our solar system circulates.
In general, the singers class up the production. Sun-Ly Pierce as Nefertiti and So Young Park as Queen Tye add allure. The large cast of smaller roles and chorus is excellent. Zachary James returns as both Amenhotep III, Akhnaten’s father, and the engaging narrator who occasionally threatens to get carried away. McDermott had perfectly employed James as the droll animatronic Disneyland Lincoln in his animation-friendly, slightly goofy production of “Perfect American” in Madrid, where the opera premiered. Here McDermott’s inspired staging demonstrated that Glass’ forgiving personal portrait of Walt Disney makes it the quintessential Hollywood opera that no one dares bring to squeamish Hollywood.
Zachary James as Amenhotep III in Philip Glass’ “Akhnaten” at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.
(Ariana Drehsler / For The Times)
Hollywood, however, is hardly squeamish when it comes to synchronized jugglers. For McDermott, they suggest somber ritual and were, in fact, known in Akhnaten’s Egypt. For the audience, they are a thrill a minute. For Glass, they may take on deeper meaning now that the circus is where he landed 26 operas later.
As for Finnish conductor Dalia Stasevska, making her L.A. opera debut, she keenly keeps score and bounding balls together with cinematic flair. Glass removed violins from the orchestra to achieve a dark, primordial orchestral sound along with pounding percussion. Stasevska finds light, color and action. She conducts for the moment. Picturesque wind instruments suddenly burst forth as if a flock of birds were flying over the pyramids. Solo brass can sound momentous. The percussion pounds like nobody’s business, opening the score up to all the implied emotion and glitter on an over-stuffed stage.
Childs’ exalted use of dance and Kosky’s dazzling theatrical imagination may have moved us into a sleeker, more sophisticated and paradisal Glassian realm, but the sheer passion McDermott and Stasevska bring continues its own attraction.
In the meantime, McDermott has worked with Glass on a theatrical show, “The Tao of Glass,” that has been seen in New York and will run throughout much of the summer in London. In a better world of Glass, it would be running alongside “Akhnaten” at the Ahmanson. But the Labèque sisters will be at Walt Disney Concert Hall at the end of the month with a two-piano program based on Glass’ operatic Cocteau trilogy. Also check out L.A. Opera’s several excellent podcasts on “Ahkhnaten” — the company has quietly become a leader in the medium.
‘Akhnaten’
Where: Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 Grand Ave., L.A.
When: Through March 22
Tickets: $33.50-$415
Running time: About 3 hours, 40 minutes, with 2 intermissions.
March 2 (UPI) — Danise Baird, the wife of Republican Rep. Jim Baird, has died from complications of injuries she sustained in an early January car crash, according to a statement from the Indiana congressman’s office.
Jim and Danise Baird were involved in a car crash on Jan. 5, hospitalizing both of them.
Little information about the incident has been made public. According to a social media statement published by their son Beau Baird in mid-January, they were involved in a hit-and-run on the night of Jan. 5. He added that his mother suffered “nearly 15 breaks and fractures.”
Less than two weeks after the crash, Jim Baird, who is 80, announced that he and his wife had been discharged and were recovering.
On Sunday, his office announced that Danise Baird had died.
“A devoted wife and loving mother of three, she was the foundation of their family and will be deeply missed,” the statement said.
“We ask that you keep the congressman and his family in your prayers during this difficult time.”
Jim and Danise Baird were married for 59 years, according to his office, which said they had built “a life centered on faith, family and service.”
Indiana Gov. Mike Braun offered his condolences online.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with congressman Baird and his family as they grieve this devastating loss,” he said in a statement.
Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., recalled seeing Danise Baird by her husband’s side as he worked in Congress.
“They are salt of the earth people and Jim and his family have sacrificed so much for our country,” she said. “Jim and his family are in our hearts and prayers during this difficult time.”
Neil Sedaka
American singer/pianist Neil Sedaka performs at the “BBC Proms In The Park” in Hyde Park in London on September 11, 2010. Photo by Rune Hellestad/UPI | License Photo
CHEF Gordon Ramsay serves up some romance with his missus.
Ramsay, 59, held hands with Tana, 51, and cuddled up for a kiss while out at the weekend.
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Gordon Ramsay was spotted out for a stroll with wife, Tana, over the weekendCredit: TillenDoveThe loved-up couple cuddled up for a kissCredit: TillenDoveGordon said he loves aspiring chef, Brooklyn 26, and has been in contact offering supportCredit: AP
Their loved-up stroll in South West London comes after Gordon waded into the Beckham family feud.
He urged David’s estranged son Brooklyn to “remember where you came from” last month in an exclusive interview with The Sun.
The Michelin-starred restauranteur said he loves the aspiring chef, 26, and has been in contact offering support.
The Chicago area native previously lived in New York — where he first found fame as Conan O’Brien’s sidekick on “Late Night” — before moving to Los Angeles in 2001. Three years ago, he moved to Pasadena. “Now that I live here, I would not live anywhere else,” he says.
There are some practical benefits to the city. “I am such a crabby old man now, but it’s like, there’s parking, you can park when we have to go out,” Richter says. “The notion of going to dinner in Santa Monica just feels like having nails shoved into my feet.”
In Sunday Funday, L.A. people give us a play-by-play of their ideal Sunday around town. Find ideas and inspiration on where to go, what to eat and how to enjoy life on the weekends.
But he mostly appreciates that Pasadena is “a very diverse town and just a beautiful town,” he says.
For Richter, most Sundays revolve around his family. In 2023, the comedian and actor married creative executive Jennifer Herrera and adopted her young daughter, Cornelia. (He also has two children in their 20s, William and Mercy, from his previous marriage.)
Additionally, he’s been giving his body time to recover. Richter spent last fall training and competing on the 34th season of “Dancing With the Stars.” And though he had no prior dancing experience, he won over the show’s fan base with his kindness and dedication, making it to the competition’s ninth week.
He hosts the weekly show “The Three Questions” on O’Brien’s Team Coco podcast network and still appears in films and TV shows. “I’m just taking meetings and auditioning like every other late 50s white comedy guy in L.A., sitting around waiting for the phone to ring.”
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for length and clarity.
7:30 a.m.: Early rising
It’s hard for me at this advanced age to sleep much past 7:30. I have a 5 1/2-year-old, and hopefully she’ll sleep in a little bit longer so my wife and I can talk and snuggle and look at our phones at opposite ends of the bed, like everybody.
Then the dogs need to be walked. I have two dogs: a 120-pound Great Pyrenees-Border Collie-German Shepherd mix, and then at the other end of the spectrum, a seven-pound poodle mix. We were a blended dog family. When my wife and I met, I had the big dog and she had a little dog. Her first dog actually has passed, but we like that dynamic. You get kind of the best of both worlds.
8 a.m.: Breakfast at a classic diner
Then it would probably be breakfast at Shakers, which is in South Pasadena. It’s one of our favorite places. We’re kind of regulars there, and my daughter loves it. It’s easy with a 5-year-old, you’ve got to do what they want. They’re terrorists that way, especially when it comes to cuisine.
I’ve lived in Pasadena for about three years now, but I have been going to Shakers for a long time because I have a database of all the best diners in the Los Angeles metropolitan area committed to memory. There’s just something about the continuity of them that makes me feel like the world isn’t on fire. And because of L.A.’s moderate climate, the ones here stay the way they are; whereas if you get 18 feet of winter snow, you tend to wear down the diner floor, seats, everything.
So there’s a lot of really great old places that stay the same. And then there are tragic losses. There’s been some noise that Shakers is going to turn into some kind of condo development. I think that people would probably riot. They would be elderly people rioting, but they would still riot.
11 a.m.: Sandy paws
My in-laws live down in Long Beach, so after breakfast we might take the dogs down to Long Beach. There’s this dog beach there, Rosie’s Beach. I have never seen a fight there between dogs. They’re all just so happy to be out and off-leash, with an ocean and sand right there. You get a contact high from the canine joy.
1 p.m.: Lunch in Belmont Shore
That would take us to lunchtime and we’ll go somewhere down there. There’s this place, L’Antica Pizzeria Da Michele, in Belmont Shore. It’s fantastic for some pizza with grandma and grandpa. It’s originally from Naples. There’s also one in Hollywood where Cafe Des Artistes used to be on that weird little side street.
4 p.m.: Sunset at the gardens
We’d take grandma and grandpa home, drop the dogs off. We’d go to the Huntington and stay a couple of hours until sunset. The Japanese garden is pretty mind-blowing. You feel like you’re on the set of “Shogun.”
The main thing that I love about it is the changing of ecospheres as you walk through it. Living in the area, I drive by it a thousand times and then I remember, “Oh yeah, there’s a rainforest in here. There’s thick stands of bamboo forest that look like Vietnam.” It’s beautiful. With all three of my kids, I have spent a lot of time there.
6:30 p.m.: Mall of America
After sundown, we will go to what seems to be the only thriving mall in America — [the Shops at] Santa Anita. We are suckers for Din Tai Fung. My 24-year-old son, who’s kind of a food snob, is like, “There’s a hundred places that are better and cheaper within five minutes of there in the San Gabriel Valley.” And we’re like, “Yeah, but this is at the mall.” It’s really easy. Also, my wife is a vegetarian, and a lot of the more authentic places, there’s pork in the air. It’s really hard to find vegetarian stuff.
We have a whole system with Din Tai Fung now, which is logging in on the wait list while we’re still on the highway, or ordering takeout. There’s plenty of places in the mall with tables, you can just sit down and have your own little feast there.
There’s also a Dave & Buster’s. If you want sensory overload, you can go in there and get a big, big booze drink while you’re playing Skee-Ball with your kid.
9 p.m.: Head to bed ASAP
I am very lucky in that I’m a very good sleeper and the few times in my life when I do experience insomnia, it’s infuriating to me because I am spoiled, basically. When you’ve got a 5 1/2-year-old, there’s no real wind down. It’s just negotiations to get her into bed and to sleep as quickly as possible, so we can all pass out.
