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Mitchell Starc Hits Back Over Fresh Sandpapergate Claims

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Mitchell Starc says any future conversation with Usman Khawaja is up to his former teammate, after rejecting Khawaja’s claim that Australia’s entire team knew about the 2018 sandpaper plot.

Starc became the first member of Australia’s bowling group to respond publicly after Khawaja’s explosive revelations reignited controversy surrounding the scandal.

The left-armer maintained that he had no knowledge of sandpaper being used before Cameron Bancroft was filmed with the material in Cape Town.

Starc also said he was unaware that sandpaper had been used during the previous Test of the 2018 series, after Khawaja claimed the plan had been devised and carried out at St George’s Park.

Australia’s bowlers issued a statement in 2021 insisting they had not known about the ball-tampering plan. Starc repeated that position at the launch of Kayo Cricket on Tuesday.

‘We weren’t aware that anything had been taken onto the field to tamper with the ball,’ Starc told a packed media gathering.

‘We saw the sandpaper on the big screen in Cape Town.’

‘As for the book, I haven’t read it and I probably won’t read it. That’s something for Usman to explain.’

Mitchell Starc has bluntly denied Usman Khawaja's version of events relating to Sandpapergate

Mitchell Starc has firmly rejected Usman Khawaja’s account of events surrounding Sandpapergate

Usman Khawaja (pictured with wife Rachel) emphatically denied using the ball-tampering scandal to drive up sales for his newly-released memoir

Usman Khawaja, pictured with his wife Rachel, strongly denied exploiting the ball-tampering scandal to boost sales of his newly released memoir

Starc spoke after Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg ruled out reopening the investigation on Tuesday morning.

That inquiry concluded that only Bancroft, captain Steve Smith and vice-captain David Warner knew about the plan.

Warner has since written on Instagram that Khawaja’s claims were ‘100 per cent accurate’ and described Cricket Australia’s investigation as ‘rushed and botched’.

Asked why his version of events differed so sharply from Khawaja’s, Starc said: ‘That’s a question for him.’

‘I’ll stand by what I said five years ago and what I said at the time, eight years ago.’

‘There are clearly different accounts from different people, and I’ll leave it where I left it back then.’

Starc said he had not spoken to Khawaja ‘in the last day or two’ after sensational extracts from Khawaja’s autobiography, published on Tuesday, emerged over the weekend.

Asked whether he expected to speak with Khawaja again, Starc replied: ‘It’s up to him.’

Starc’s comments followed Khawaja’s emphatic denial that he had used the ball-tampering scandal to generate interest in his book, saying: ‘I don’t need the money.’

The former Test opener posted on Instagram on Tuesday to reject suggestions that he had struck a deal with publisher Penguin to include a chapter about the 2018 controversy.

‘I did not negotiate anything with Penguin about sandpaper or any other subject in my life,’ Khawaja wrote.

‘We didn’t even discuss it.’

‘I signed with them in 2023, and all they told me was to tell my story. I had complete control over what went into the book and what was left out. It was entirely my decision.’

‘Just over two years later, I gave them my final draft. That was the first time they had seen the book. Penguin was shocked. My management was shocked.’

Khawaja also said he would earn little additional money from strong memoir sales and likely would have made the same amount without discussing the scandal.

The retired cricketer has doubled down after he came under fire from over the bombshell 'sandpapergate' revelations in his memoir Sabr, which was released on Tuesday

The retired cricketer has continued to defend the explosive Sandpapergate revelations in his memoir Sabr, released on Tuesday

Khawaja (right) claimed was that the entire Australian team knew of the use of sandpaper during a 2018 Test against South Africa in Cape Town. He's pictured with Steve Smith, who was one of three players  suspended over the incident

Khawaja, right, claimed the entire Australian team knew sandpaper had been used during the 2018 Test against South Africa in Cape Town. He is pictured with Steve Smith, one of three players suspended over the incident

The ball-tampering controversy overshadowed Tuesday afternoon’s Kayo launch and threatens to dominate the opening stages of Australia’s men’s summer.

Mitch Marsh is scheduled to speak before the first ODI against England later this week and is certain to face questions about the claims.

Nic Maddinson, Marnus Labuschagne and Scott Boland have also been asked about the issue in recent days.

‘It’s disappointing that this is what we’re discussing as an exciting summer gets under way,’ Starc said.

‘Different people probably felt differently about it at the time and have continued to do so over the past eight years.’

‘That includes not just certain players, but also the staff and everyone else involved.’

‘Boof, Darren Lehmann, who was coach at the time, has also spoken about it. He shouldn’t be forgotten in all of this.’

‘As Trav, Head, said the other day, the group has changed significantly. We are focused far more on what lies ahead than on what has already happened.’

Michael Clarke: ‘The investigation needs to be reopened’

Former Australia captain Michael Clarke says cricket supporters can no longer ‘trust what’s real’ and has called for the ball-tampering investigation to be reopened.

Clarke believes Australia has not moved on from the scandal and needs clarity about what happened.

‘They can’t trust what’s real. They won’t know the truth until this is reopened and the facts come out,’ Clarke told 2DayFM.

‘We had that opportunity in 2018, but the truth didn’t come out. We had another opportunity in 2021 when Bancroft made those comments, and again the truth didn’t come out.’

‘Now we have another chance. I want to see the truth, whatever it is, come out so people can finally be honest and move on.’

Five years ago, Bancroft told The Guardian that it was ‘probably pretty self-explanatory’ when asked whether Australia’s bowlers knew the ball was being tampered with sandpaper.

Clarke also said current Australia captain Pat Cummins had questions to answer, noting that Smith’s removal from the leadership ultimately opened the door for Cummins to take charge.

‘For me, there are more questions than answers right now,’ Clarke added.

‘First, I want to know whether everyone knew. Some players have said they didn’t. Did they know or not? That’s important if we are going to establish the truth.’

‘I can’t believe we haven’t heard from Pat Cummins, the Australian captain. Steve Smith lost his job. If this had not happened, Tim Paine would never have captained Australia, and neither would Pat Cummins.’

‘Pat Cummins would not have captained a match by this stage if Sandpapergate had not occurred, because Steve Smith would still be captain.’

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Pictured With Wife and Daughter on Trip

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Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang appeared relaxed and cheerful during a family trip to Paris with his wife, Lori, and daughter Madison—just days before acknowledging an affair that has been linked to a woman US investigators reportedly suspect of spying for China.

Madison Huang, who works for her father’s trillion-dollar chip company, shared a series of LinkedIn photographs from Nvidia’s GPU Technology Conference, widely known as the “Super Bowl of AI.”

The images captured conference presentations and packed audiences in late October, along with quieter moments as the Huang family traveled through Europe together.

Jensen, 63, was photographed with his arm around Lori, his wife of 41 years, outside the Palais-Royal near the Louvre. He later acknowledged being unfaithful to her.

In another photograph, Lori and Madison smiled in front of a world map while holding two large bouquets of red roses.

The family images took on new significance after reports about Huang’s alleged affair emerged. Alongside the photographs, Madison wrote: “Europe’s AI economy is in full swing— incredible startups, AI applications and robots—the energy was insane.

“Our two-week whirlwind GTC trip across Stockholm, Paris, London, Berlin and Astana comes to a close.”

Reports of Huang’s relationship with Alice Huang, who has been described in reports as an alleged Chinese spy, became public Sunday after the Nvidia chief sent employees a company-wide memo acknowledging that he had cheated on his wife.

The photos include snapshots from the conference, as well as candid moments of her parents sitting in the audience and posing in front of the Palais-Royal in Paris

The collection includes conference snapshots, candid photographs of Jensen and Lori Huang in the audience, and a family portrait outside Paris’s Palais-Royal.

Nvidia boss and love-cheat Jensen Huang continues to drag his family through public shame, as his wife Lori and daughter Madison are seen clutching red roses during a family trip to Paris.

Lori Huang and daughter Madison were photographed holding red roses during the family’s Paris visit, shortly before Jensen Huang’s admission of infidelity.

Nvidia shares fell sharply Monday morning amid the fallout.

The stock was down nearly 5 percent by 10:20 a.m. ET, erasing approximately $200 billion from the semiconductor giant’s market value. Shares remained 4.27 percent lower at Monday’s close.

The performance of the US stock market—and the retirement savings of millions of Americans—is heavily influenced by major artificial-intelligence companies such as Nvidia, Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet and Meta.

Together, those technology giants account for a substantial share of leading indexes, including the S&P 500, the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the Nasdaq Composite.

In the memo obtained by the Daily Mail, Huang wrote: “My actions hurt her and our children. There is no excuse for what I did.”

“To my wife and family: I love you. I know an apology cannot undo what I have done. I hope our family will heal and that, over time, I can earn back your trust.”

Nvidia Chief Executive Officer Jensen Huang admitted to cheating on his wife with suspected Chinese spy Alice Huang, pictured together at a party in June 2024.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang acknowledged having an affair with Alice Huang, who is pictured with him at a June 2024 gathering.

An intelligence memo reportedly said a US government investigation into the relationship led officials to suspect that Alice Huang, a former executive at Singapore-based data-center company Megaspeed International, had passed information to Beijing.

The Nvidia chief and Alice Huang are not related, despite sharing a surname. Jensen Huang has not said that he knew of any alleged espionage activity, and he has not admitted that she was a spy.

President Donald Trump said Monday evening that the FBI was examining the matter. “He’s an amazing guy. I just hope there’s no problem,” Trump told reporters.

“I read his statement and I believe he’s suffering greatly. More so because of his family, his wife, who he loves, and his family.”

Trump added that he had asked Huang whether he knew Alice Huang was allegedly working as a spy. “He said, ‘I had no idea that she was.’ And I really believe him,” Trump said.

Huang’s two children, Madison and Spencer, both work at Nvidia. His son-in-law, Nico Caprez, is also a senior employee at the company, which has been valued at around $4 trillion.

Lori Huang, 65, serves as president of the family’s $9 billion charitable foundation and frequently joins her husband at public events.

The timing of Huang’s relationship with Alice Huang remains unclear. The pair were first photographed together at a Taipei bar in June 2024.

Huang was wearing his trademark black leather jacket and drinking whiskey with other technology executives.

Alice Huang sat beside him at the gathering, held after a technology trade show. NetThunder, a technology company, later posted photographs from the event on LinkedIn.

The pair were reportedly seen together again in May 2025, leaving a Taipei restaurant after a dinner attended by AI suppliers.

Nvidia’s board said it had “no reason to believe that either national security or Nvidia secrets were compromised” by the relationship, but added that it “will examine all available information.” The board said Huang supported the review.

In recent years, Huang has become an important figure in Trump’s orbit because of Nvidia’s central role in developing the computing power behind advanced artificial intelligence.

Trump has defended Huang since news of the relationship emerged, describing him on Sunday night as an “honorable guy” and a “fine person.”

“He’s done an amazing job for our country,” the president said. “I haven’t heard that he’s done anything wrong. He dealt with somebody, but, you know, so does everybody else.”

Texas Oil Tycoon T. Cullen Davis, Acquitted in 1970s Murder Trial, Dies at 93

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T. Cullen Davis, the Texas oil magnate who was acquitted in two sensational 1970s cases—one involving a deadly shooting at his secluded Fort Worth mansion and another alleging a murder-for-hire scheme—has died at 93.

Davis, who consistently insisted he was innocent, died Friday at his home in Colleyville, a Fort Worth suburb, his son Trey Davis said Monday.

The case began in August 1976, during Davis’ bitter divorce from his second wife, Priscilla. A gunman dressed in black and wearing a black wig reportedly entered the mansion and killed two people: Priscilla’s 12-year-old daughter, Andrea Wilborn, and her 30-year-old live-in boyfriend, Stan Farr.

Texas oil tycoon T. Cullen Davis, who was acquitted in two widely publicized murder trials in the 1970s, has died at 93 in Colleyville, Texas. Houston Chronicle via Getty Images

Priscilla Davis and a guest, Gus “Bubba” Gavrel Jr., were wounded in the attack but survived. Gavrel’s date managed to flee without injury.

All three survivors identified Cullen Davis as the shooter. He was charged with capital murder in Wilborn’s death and represented by renowned Texas defense attorney Richard “Racehorse” Haynes. Davis’ first trial ended in a mistrial after allegations of juror misconduct, while a second trial concluded with his acquittal in 1977.

At the time, Davis’ oil fortune was estimated at $400 million, making him widely regarded as the wealthiest person ever to face a murder trial.

Nine months after his acquittal, authorities arrested Davis again, this time accusing him of soliciting capital murder. An FBI informant claimed Davis had hired him to kill 15 people, including the judge overseeing Davis’ divorce and the three survivors of the mansion shooting. With Haynes again leading his defense, Davis was acquitted in that case as well.

The mansion shooting later became the subject of several books and numerous true-crime television programs. The story was also dramatized in the 1995 TV miniseries “Texas Justice,” which starred Heather Locklear as Priscilla Davis.

Davis, who was acquitted in a high-profile murder case, has died at age 93.
T. Cullen Davis, acquitted in a notorious high-profile murder case, has died at 93. WFAA

By the middle of the 1980s, Davis’ predominantly oil-driven business empire was collapsing. In the mid-1990s, he said his company had filed for bankruptcy because of the oil industry’s downturn—not because of the trials surrounding him.

Priscilla Davis died from breast cancer in 2001. She was 59.

Trey Davis was adopted by Cullen Davis after his mother, Karen Master, married the oil executive as his third wife. He remembered Davis as a man who “stood with his arms wide open, willing to lovingly accept you regardless of where you stood in life.”

Trey Davis said Cullen Davis was “a fairly caustic person” when he first met him in the mid-1970s, while Davis was dating his mother. According to Trey, that changed after Davis became a Christian.

“He became a Christian in 1981 and a lot of things changed,” Trey Davis said. “He took that very seriously, his dedication to Christ. He was a man of virtue, integrity, grit and humility.”

Hundreds of Prisoners Set to Be Released From Prisons Nationwide

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Hundreds of prisoners are being released across England and Wales today in the third phase of Labour’s early-release scheme.

The 650 inmates being freed under the controversial programme include people serving sentences of up to three years and two months.

One prisoner was seen smiling as he left HMP Wandsworth in south-west London this morning, carrying three large holdall bags.

The scheme was introduced to relieve overcrowding in jails. It allows eligible inmates to leave after serving one-third of their sentence, rather than the previous halfway point.

At least 1,350 prisoners have been released early since October 1 during the first two phases of the programme.

The scheme is being widened each month to cover prisoners serving longer terms. Its tenth and final phase, scheduled for early June, will apply to those given sentences of 12 years or more.

Official figures show that prisons in England and Wales remain close to capacity despite the first two rounds of releases.

The prison population was 87,033 yesterday, leaving only 1,951 available spaces.

A Reform UK MP has said the party would deport foreign offenders ‘to their country of origin’ as part of its response to prison overcrowding.

Sarah Pochin, the MP for Runcorn and Helsby in Cheshire, visited Wandsworth prison as the third wave of early releases began this morning.

She said she had come to the prison because she felt ‘so strongly about the safety of women now at risk because of the early release of these prisoners, many of whom will be domestic violence perpetrators’. 

A prisoner smiles as he walks out of HMP Wandsworth in south-west London

A prisoner smiles as he leaves HMP Wandsworth in south-west London 

Michael Bogle, 38, stole more than £100 of washing powder from Sainsbury's just 24 hours after being freed early from HMP Wandsworth

Michael Bogle, 38, stole more than £100 worth of washing powder from Sainsbury’s just 24 hours after his early release from HMP Wandsworth 

Asked how she would address overcrowding, she said: ‘One very easy solution, which the Reform Party would do if we get into government next time, is to immediately empty all of our prisons of foreign national offenders.’ 

She added: ‘We would deport them back to their country of origin.’

Last month, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said officers were arresting two or three offenders each week who had been released early under the programme.

Police leaders have warned that the problem could worsen as more offenders are released under Labour’s reforms. 

‘I’m worried about the number of offenders being released into communities,’ Sir Mark told LBC radio.

‘At the moment we’re arresting two or three early release offenders a week who are being recalled to prison or doing further offending. 

‘We’re getting increasing numbers of tag breaches to enforce that probation is sending to us. It’s now over 100 tag breaches a day in London – and rising.

‘So, we take them to court. We’re seeing 95 per cent plus of the tagging breaches that we arrest are simply being bailed back into the community on the same conditions. So, there is zero sanction.’

London shoplifter Michael Bogle, 38, stole more than £100 worth of washing powder from Sainsbury’s just 24 hours after being released early. 

Over the following three days, he stole a further £98.85 worth of detergent from Tesco.

The 38-year-old was also caught entering a Sainsbury’s store three times to steal, despite being banned from going near the premises.

Bogle, a registered sex offender, had served only 78 days for breaching a criminal behaviour order and a 32-week suspended sentence for shoplifting.

He was arrested again and sentenced to a further eight months in prison.

Ben Cockburn, chair of the National Association of Probation Officers (Napo), has warned that the early-release programme presents an ‘existential’ threat to the probation service.

He said Napo had asked ministers to place the entire service in special measures as it prepares for a ‘once in a generation’ crisis.

Ministers have maintained that safeguards are being introduced to protect the public despite the large number of offenders being released at the same time.

Justice Secretary Alex Norris has described the plans as ‘the biggest expansion of tagging ever’. They include new ‘restriction zones’ designed to limit offenders’ movements through GPS monitoring. 

However, an earlier report found that almost half of electronic tags were not fitted on time, resulting in breaches of court and prison orders.

Man Dies 12 Days After Contracting Deadly Bug From Compost Bag

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Feds say man threatened to shoot Trump in the head from 1,000 yards with rifle he “just dialed in”

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President Donald Trump gestures while speaking in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House after a shooting outside the ballroom during the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in Washington, Saturday, April 25, 2026 (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana).

A Nevada man is facing federal charges after allegedly threatening to kill President Donald Trump, members of the MAGA movement and anyone else he encountered, prosecutors said. Investigators also say he boasted online about stockpiling firearms and ammunition.

“That orange pumpkin head would be ripe for popping with my 300 PRC that I just dialed in last weekend!” Jason Utlaut of Henderson allegedly wrote in a YouTube comment posted in September, according to a federal complaint.

A federal grand jury indicted Utlaut last week on a charge of threatening the president, court records show. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada said in a news release that he could face up to five years in prison if convicted.

“I’ve spent the last 18 months stockpiling weapons and ammo, I’m gonna kill every f—in Red Hat, every Maga a—hole, even Trump himself and anybody I can get ahold of,” Utlaut allegedly wrote in another post. “Yeah, they’ll get me in the end. But I’m gonna take thousands before they do #F—TRUMP.”

Utlaut’s arraignment is scheduled for Nov. 18.

In an Oct. 6 YouTube comment, Utlaut allegedly wrote, “F— the secret service and f— the FBI. Somebody needs to kill that piece of s— Trump. It might be me. if you got a problem with it. Come, find me, motherf—ers, I’ve got plenty of ammo to go around.”

Google LLC, YouTube’s parent company, notified the FBI’s National Threat Operations Center about the comments on Oct. 16. The company said it believed the posts indicated an “emergency involving imminent death or serious bodily injury” requiring government investigation, according to the complaint.

Google told investigators that the threatening comments were posted on the same YouTube channel, which used the name “VEGAS DEW,” the Justice Department said.

“D— I wish I was within a 1000yds of this motherf—er,” Utlaut allegedly wrote on Sept. 18. Prosecutors said the account’s posts dated back to June 28, when it allegedly threatened to shoot a woman in the head with a 10 mm handgun.

In a July 31 comment, the account allegedly stated, “Kill them, that’s what I’m going to do,” according to the complaint. Investigators linked the YouTube account to Utlaut through Google account records, a phone number, internet-provider data and payment information.

Authorities searched Utlaut’s apartment and seized firearms, magazines and ammunition. The complaint identifies semiautomatic pistols, AR-style rifles, shotguns and bolt-action rifles among the weapons recovered. Investigators said several appeared to have been purchased recently.

According to prosecutors, Henderson police arrested Utlaut after observing him speeding and running a red light. He allegedly had a 10 mm pistol in his truck at the time of the traffic stop.

During an interview, Utlaut allegedly told an FBI task force officer that he lived alone, no one else should have access to his internet and his apartment contained “safes full of firearms.” The Justice Department said investigators seized 15 firearms from his residence and vehicle.

Utlaut was first arrested on a Nevada state charge alleging that he made a threat or conveyed false information about an act of terrorism. The federal indictment accuses him of violating a law that prohibits threats against the president.

“Threats of political violence and mass murder have no place in our society,” FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher S. Delzotto said in a statement. “Mr. Utlaut allegedly threatened the life of President Trump, promoted a mass shooting, and expressed a willingness to carry out horrific acts of violence.”

Delzotto added, “You cannot hide behind a screen, and you cannot escape accountability. Justice will find you!”

The post Man allegedly threatened to shoot Trump’s “orange pumpkin head” from 1,000 yards with rifle he had “just dialed in,” federal prosecutors say, first appeared on Law & Crime.

Toukie Smith, Model and Mother of Robert De Niro’s Twins, Dies at 74

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Model and actress Toukie Smith, a leading runway figure of the 1970s who later appeared on television hits including 227 and Miami Vice before opening a restaurant, has died at 74.

Smith, once described as “a cyclone of dizzy charm”, died in a New York City hospital following a “long, courageous battle” with multiple sclerosis, her twin children, Airyn and Julian Henry De Niro, 31, said in a statement.

She had her children with actor Robert De Niro, 83, whom she dated intermittently between 1988 and 1996.

The twins were conceived through in vitro fertilization and born to a surrogate mother in October 1995. Airyn, an aspiring model who was assigned male at birth, made headlines in 2025 after coming out as a transgender woman with the support of her famous parents.

Born Doris Smith on September 25, 1952, in Philadelphia, Smith was the daughter of a factory worker and a butcher. She said her grandmother gave her the nickname Toukie, which stayed with her throughout her life.

“[The name] came from a children’s record about a little red fire engine with lots of energy. I’ve always had lots of energy,” Smith told the Los Angeles Times in 1990.

Robert De Niro and Toukie Smith, who once graced the pages of on the pages of such magazines as Vogue, Seventeen, Ebony, Cosmopolitan and Redbook, in 1990 in New York City

Robert De Niro and Toukie Smith, a former Vogue, Seventeen, Ebony, Cosmopolitan and Redbook model, pictured in New York City in 1990

After retiring from acting, Smith opened her Southern fine dining spot restaurant, Toukie's, with De Niro in 1994 at 220 West Houston Street in Manhattan's SoHo neighborhood

After stepping back from acting, Smith opened the Southern fine-dining restaurant Toukie’s with De Niro in 1994 at 220 West Houston Street in Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood

She viewed her frequently changing, brightly colored hair as another fashion statement. “It’s an accessory. I’ve had orange, black, blue, white. Tomorrow it might be purple,” she said.

Smith also embraced a figure that stood apart from the traditionally angular proportions favored in top modeling.

“I’m round, Honey. I’m not angular,” she once joked. Her love of food eventually inspired a three-year catering venture, Toukie’s Taste, which supplied a “feast” for Sean Penn and Madonna’s wedding anniversary in the 1980s.

Bloomingdale’s named Smith Model of the Year in 1978. During her fashion career, she worked with an extraordinary roster of designers, including Versace, Yves St. Laurent, Chanel, Hubert de Givenchy, Issey Miyake, Thierry Mugler and her late brother Willi Smith, the influential “street couture” designer who died of AIDS at 37 in 1987.

Smith moved into television in 1987 and 1988 with a recurring role on the crime drama Miami Vice. She played Angie, the assistant to pop singer Caitlin Davies, portrayed by Sheena Easton, who was married to Don Johnson’s character, Sonny Crockett.

She later spent two seasons on the sitcom 227, playing building manager Eva Rawley opposite Marla Gibbs and Jackée Harry in 1989 and 1990.

Smith was spotted celebrating her 66th birthday with family and friends, including two-time Grammy-nominated jazz singer and musician Theo Bleckmann, in 2018

Smith celebrated her 66th birthday with family and friends in 2018, including two-time Grammy-nominated jazz singer and musician Theo Bleckmann

When asked to define her relationship with two-time Oscar winner De Niro, Smith once famously said: 'What¿s great about a private life is it¿s private'

Asked to describe her relationship with two-time Oscar winner De Niro, Smith once replied: “What’s great about a private life is it’s private”

De Niro is seen here with Smith and their twin daughter Airyn and twin brother Julian, now 31

De Niro pictured with Smith and their twins, Airyn and Julian, who are now 31

Her film work included appearances in cult independent movies such as Martin Lawrence’s Talkin’ Dirty After Dark (1991) and I Like It Like That (1994). In 1996, she appeared in the major studio film The Preacher’s Wife alongside Whitney Houston and Denzel Washington.

“Everybody has to get it right,” she told the New York Times in 1992. “I am an actress first. I’m not a sometime model.”

She continued: “I thought modeling was rough with rejection. Huh! Welcome to the real world of acting!”

After semi-retiring from acting, Smith turned her attention to hospitality, opening the Southern fine-dining restaurant Toukie’s in 1994 at 220 West Houston Street in Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood. 

“I opened this place because big parties are one thing,” she said after the restaurant launched, “but now it’s time for us to come together, to connect.”

Model and activist Bethann Hardison, 84, recalled to the New York Times in 2025 how she watched her friend Willi’s younger sister move from Philadelphia to New York in 1972 to attend the Fashion Institute of Technology. Smith went on to make her mark in fashion while building a community of her own.

Friends and members of that community were often welcomed with a kiss that left Smith’s trademark red lipstick on their cheeks. At Toukie’s, she was also known to sit down and share meals with delighted customers.

“It was the joy of hosting that drove her,” Hardison told the outlet of the celebrity restaurant, which closed in 1998.

MSC Seascape Passenger Jason Leon Watford Arrested in Murder Probe

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Dramatic footage shows federal agents arresting a passenger from the MSC Seascape after a woman was found dead aboard the cruise ship, prompting a murder investigation.

Videos recorded by fellow passengers captured Jason Leon Watford being escorted down the gangway after the vessel returned to Galveston, Texas, on Monday. The ship had departed only hours earlier for a seven-day Caribbean cruise, Fox 26 reported.

Watford, who appeared in a black shirt and jogger-style pants, was placed in handcuffs as two law enforcement officers followed behind him, according to the footage.

The East Texas man was taken to the Galveston County Jail, where he was booked on an FBI hold.

“Since this is an ongoing investigation, no additional details will be provided,” an FBI spokesperson told KHOU.

The details surrounding the death have not been released. Galveston County medical examiners confirmed to ABC News that the deceased passenger was a woman.

Authorities have not said whether she knew Watford. An autopsy was scheduled for Tuesday and is expected to provide further information about the case.

Investigators have not determined publicly when the woman died. The FBI handles deaths and violent-crime investigations occurring at sea, including incidents aboard cruise ships departing from U.S. ports.

Jail records reviewed by CBS19 also show that Watford was arrested in September 2024 for allegedly assaulting a family member. He received a 15-month probation sentence in November 2024. It remains unknown whether the family member referenced in that case was the woman found aboard the ship.

Passengers on the Malta-flagged MSC Seascape were only a few hours into their Caribbean trip when the vessel turned around and headed back to port.

The ship departed Galveston at 4 p.m. Sunday, then changed course at approximately 11 p.m. By the following morning, passengers had unexpectedly found themselves back in the Texas port.

A traveler identified only as Jonah said he was confused when he woke around 8 a.m. Monday and realized the ship had returned to Galveston. He also recalled that the captain appeared determined to prevent passengers from becoming alarmed.

“That’s when I heard the captain stating there was an incident that happened,” he told Fox 26.

“We all noticed that we were back at Galveston. He was basically just stating there was something that happened.

“They were saying it was like a medical emergency and that we needed to return to the port.

“They pretty much told us to remain calm, stay on board and enjoy the ship. That was it. We were waiting for more information.”

De’Andre Anderson, another passenger, told ABC13 that announcements over the ship’s intercom described the situation as a “medical emergency.”

“I kind of looked out of my room, and I saw medical staff on board with gloves on and everything,” he said.

“I wasn’t too worried because it didn’t directly affect me. I was just concerned about the people who were involved.”

Victor Williams, who was traveling with his wife, Sarah Williams, said he saw investigators on the ship’s 10th deck wearing rubber gloves and hazmat suits.

After Watford’s arrest, the MSC Seascape left Galveston and continued toward Costa Maya, Mexico.

The 19-deck vessel can accommodate as many as 5,877 passengers. Its planned itinerary includes Roatán Island in Honduras, followed by Cozumel, Mexico, later this week.

The ship is expected to return to Galveston on Nov. 15 at approximately 6:30 a.m.

Waitrose’s Joyful New Ad Is Cheesier Than Its Deli Counter

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John Lewis’s Christmas advert may have left viewers cold, but its sister brand Waitrose looks ready to rescue the festive campaign season with a very British hero: beef Wellington.

The pastry-covered centrepiece shares top billing with Keira Knightley and Joe Wilkinson, who return to the characters they played in last year’s advert. Wilkinson portrayed Phil, a lonely widower who encountered Knightley at the cheese counter of his local Waitrose.

Called The Perfect Gift, the original campaign ended with his Wellington landing at her feet. Its popularity with shoppers prompted Waitrose to make a six-minute sequel this year.

And what a sequel it is. Forget Casablanca: few stories pull at the heartstrings quite like an A-list actress falling for an ordinary man.

After a year of waiting to discover what happened next, will Keira finally get her happy ending? Could this be the Christmas when Phil wins the woman he loves?

The advert opens with Knightley wearing a wedding dress. But who is the man waiting at the altar? Enter Hugo Bunty Griffin, played by Alex Hassell in full Rivals mode as the swaggering Rupert Campbell-Black.

Before viewers have time to process the surprise, the unlikely pair are exchanging vows at the altar.

The vicar asks Hassell whether he intends “to honour and remain faithful”.

Wedding wows: Keira Knightley returns for this year's Waitrose Christmas advert

Wedding bells: Keira Knightley returns for this year’s Waitrose Christmas advert

Love Rival: Hugo Bunty Griffin, played by Alex Hassell, appears to have stolen her affections

A romantic rival: Alex Hassell’s Hugo Bunty Griffin appears to have won Keira’s heart

Got beef: Joe Wilkinson returns as widower Phil who is desperate to win Keira back

The beef is back: Joe Wilkinson reprises his role as widower Phil, determined to win Keira back

Even the messaging on the relish jar is desperate to pull Keira away to her true love

Even the relish jar carries a plea for Keira to return to her true love

“I’ll give it a go. Perhaps. No. Deffo,” he replies with a mischievous wink.

But just as the vicar is about to pronounce them husband and wife, Phil bursts in, clutching a homemade beef Wellington.

It seems that marrying an A-list celebrity may not be such an impossible dream after all. Unfortunately for Phil, the plan quickly turns into pie in the aisle when the groom’s best men wrestle him to the ground. His Wellington lands neatly at Keira’s feet, accompanied by a homemade jar of relish labelled “Marry Me Instead”.

Thrown out of the wedding, Phil trudges home heartbroken, convinced he cannot compete with his handsome rival. Yet no romantic comedy would be complete without a happy ending.

The story ends with Keira in Phil’s kitchen, wearing a striped John Lewis apron over her wedding dress as she lovingly prepares him a cheese plate.

As Jennifer Rush’s 1984 power ballad The Power of Love swells on the soundtrack, the couple finally kiss.

The advert is cheesier than a Waitrose deli counter, but when it comes to winning Christmas, The Perfect Gift 2 looks set to challenge Marks & Spencer.

Happy ending: The Perfect Gift 2 is on course to give Marks & Spencer a run for its money

A happy ending: The Perfect Gift 2 could give Marks & Spencer a serious festive challenge

Although the campaigns take different approaches, their similarities are hard to miss. Both borrow from familiar festive films: M&S’s storyline is loosely inspired by Elf, while Waitrose takes its cues from Love, Actually.

Both also feature popular television personalities essentially reprising recognisable roles. Lucy Punch channels Amanda from the BBC sitcom Amandaland, while Alex Hassell brings back the swagger of Rupert Campbell-Black.

Even beards play a part in both storylines.

Directed by Bafta winner Molly Manners, the Waitrose advert packs in all the ingredients of a festive favourite: a love triangle, a car chase and cameo appearances from This Morning presenters Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary.

The star ingredient, naturally, is food. Even in the age of Ozempic, the advert cheerfully insists that the way to a woman’s heart may still be through her stomach.

Jemima Goldsmith Accuses Ex-Husband Russell Brand of ‘Violence and Abuse’

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Jemima Goldsmith has accused convicted rapist Russell Brand of “violence, coercive control and abuse” after it emerged that she and the comedian obtained an injunction silencing a massage therapist for more than a decade.

The legal order, secured after an alleged assault involving Brand, was followed by what Goldsmith described as a sustained campaign of harassment against her.

This afternoon, Goldsmith also disclosed details of a separate “violent” incident in 2014 that ended with her calling police to remove Brand from her home. The pair are believed to have ended their relationship that same year.

In a social media statement, she said she decided not to press charges because she feared the consequences for her own life and for her children. She did not explain what allegedly took place during the incident.

Her comments follow reports about an injunction sought by Brand and Goldsmith, who were a couple at the time, against massage therapist Szilvia Berki.

Berki, who is Hungarian, had been hired by Goldsmith to give Brand a massage at her £15million estate, Kiddington Hall, near Chipping Norton in Oxfordshire, in June 2014.

The therapist agreed to a £500 fee for the appointment, which was scheduled on Brand’s birthday. But the massage did not take place, and Berki later complained to police, claiming the couple had treated her “like a prostitute”.

She reportedly told officers at her local police station that Brand had pushed her and that she was left frightened after Goldsmith’s white Alsatian jumped at her.

Brand and Goldsmith denied any wrongdoing, maintaining that they had arranged a “standard” massage rather than a sexual one. 

Jemima Goldsmith, pictured with Russell Brand in 2013, has accused the rapist of 'violence, coercive control and abuse'

Jemima Goldsmith, pictured with Russell Brand in 2013, has accused the convicted rapist of “violence, coercive control and abuse”

Brand, pictured with his wife Laura at Southwark Crown Court last Thursday, has been jailed for ten and a half years

Brand, pictured with his wife Laura at Southwark Crown Court last Thursday, has been sentenced to ten years and six months in prison

Laura Gallacher sat behind her husband in the dock yesterday... he turned and told her: 'It'll be OK, I don't know how, but it will' as he arrived

Laura Gallacher sat behind her husband in the dock yesterday. As he arrived, he turned to her and said: “It’ll be OK, I don’t know how, but it will”

The police inquiry was eventually discontinued. Berki continued to discuss the incident on social media, however, and a court later ruled that her posts amounted to harassment before issuing an order against her.

After Brand was sentenced to ten years and six months for rape and three sexual assaults, Goldsmith said she had also experienced “violence” during her relationship with him.

In a lengthy statement on X, she wrote: “Firstly, and most importantly, I am and have always been strongly and unequivocally on the side of all of Brand’s victims. 

“I am in awe of the courageous women who came forward at Brand’s trial, shared their accounts, gave evidence and helped ensure that justice was done. I have had my own personal experience of his violence, coercive control and abuse. 

“I had to call the police to have him removed from my house in 2014 during a violent incident. 

“I chose not to press charges at the time or speak publicly about it because I was concerned about the effect of media attention on my then-teenage children. I have neither seen nor spoken to Brand since that period in 2014. 

“Although my pain in relation to this pales in comparison with what the women who testified in court endured, it was a difficult period in my life that has had a lasting impact.”

Goldsmith said she had supported journalists for “several years”, including Ros Urwin, who helped expose allegations against Brand in a 2023 documentary repeatedly referenced during his trial.

She added that reports this week about the injunction against Berki had created “an untrue narrative” and exposed her to “vile hatred and abuse online”.

In October 2015, Brand and Goldsmith secured an anti-harassment order that also barred Berki from speaking about them for life.

Ms Gallacher, centre, fought back tears as she left court on Monday, holding hands with a friend

Gallacher, centre, appeared tearful as she left court on Monday while holding hands with a friend

The order prevented Berki from publishing or sharing “any information” with “any person” about her visit to Goldsmith’s home.

It also prohibited her from making “any allegation or insinuation” that Brand or Goldsmith had committed a criminal offence against her or behaved in a way that could amount to one.

She would also have breached the order by approaching, or responding to an inquiry from, any journalist or media organisation about the case or either claimant.

Berki was ordered to pay £50,000 in legal costs to Brand and Goldsmith. The couple could begin bankruptcy proceedings if she failed to pay.

She has since made three unsuccessful attempts to appeal the order.

We speak to the detective who brought down Russell Brand

Hi, I’m Alex Matthews, Editor of The Crime Desk.

Russell Brand has been found guilty of rape and three sexual assaults. Our reporters Caroline Cheetham and Liz Hull attended every day of the trial. They spoke with Detective Inspector Laura Nelson, who explained why the women who accused Brand in the widely watched documentary were not involved in his rape trial. 

Subscribe to The Crime Desk to listen to the podcast. 

It is understood that Goldsmith has told Berki she would support changing the injunction so the therapist could contact police again.

Doing so, however, appears to require Brand’s consent. Goldsmith is understood not to have spoken to him since 2014.

Goldsmith said Berki had “embarked on a campaign of vicious anti-Semitic and threatening abuse online and in emails”. She alleged that Berki called her a “deeply rotted JEWISH b****” and wrote: “Happy birthday (Jemima). I hope you have more. In other words I hope you don’t die this year.”

She continued: “The number, tone and content of these messages was extremely frightening. They were distressing for my then-teenage children and my family. I was concerned that Ms Berki could pose a real danger to my family and me.”

Goldsmith said she supported varying the injunction to enable the massage therapist to report her allegations to police.

She added that Berki’s barrister had not responded to her.

“I am glad and relieved that Russell Brand has finally received justice,” Goldsmith said in conclusion.

Following Brand’s convictions, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said he “wouldn’t be surprised if many more” victims came forward.

Brand was sentenced to nine years in prison for rape, along with an additional 18 months for sexually assaulting three other women.

He is expected to serve two-thirds of the sentence before being released on licence. 

How did Russell Brand become a predator, and what happens next? Get exclusive insight from The Crime Desk as we speak to police officers, psychologists, lawyers and more. Sign up by clicking here.