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We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
Reports have surfaced indicating that the series Secret Lives of Mormon Wives is set to make a return featuring Taylor Frankie Paul, though notably absent will be her former partner, Dakota Mortensen. Taylor has recently addressed claims about her participation in the show, while Jessi Draper has also commented on the development.
Credit: Disney/Fred Hayes/ABC Press Images
In March, production of SLOMW was temporarily halted following an alleged altercation between Taylor and Dakota. Dakota accused Taylor of physical abuse, and a video from 2023 emerged showing Taylor throwing stools at him. As a result of these allegations, ABC decided to cancel her season on The Bachelorette. Both Taylor and Dakota have since filed temporary restraining orders against each other, with mutual accusations of abuse.
A source revealed to TMZ that SLOMW is planning to resume filming shortly. However, the source did not specify whether Taylor or Dakota would be part of the upcoming production.
In a related development, Taylor responded to a report from PEOPLE suggesting that the show would proceed without her involvement.
But around the same time, Taylor reacted to a PEOPLE report that production would continue without her.
“Interesting, that’s not the call I got,” wrote Taylor in a comment on Instagram.
Soon after, insiders told TMZ that Taylor will eventually film in the current season when she’s ready, though her priority right now is her family and children.
According to the sources, cameras will pick back up this week, and all of the production crew and castmates support her return. The outlet also reported that Dakota won’t film with the rest of the cast.
Meanwhile, Taylor’s co-star, Jessi, wrote a post reacting to the news.
“MomTok back together,” she wrote over an Instagram photo of what appeared to be a dinner she shared with Mayci Neeley and Layla Taylor.
Image credit: Jessi Draper/Instagram
Earlier this month, Taylor wrote an Easter post as she shared how she’s doing.
“I got chills today when I realized it’s been 40 days exactly today in this frantic state,” she said at the time on Instagram. “The last 40 days felt like hell on earth. … Through every panic attack I prayed for strength as I could feel my body breaking down and out from the distress of it all.”
“And HE sent just that in various ways along with so many undeniable signs saying ‘I am with you’ which I can’t wait to share that part,” she went on. “I’ve prayed since I was young and never strayed away because I believe he wants us to ask for help especially during our lowest points. However, instead of just asking I switched over to thanking him at the end of each day no matter how low I felt.”
BRANTLEY COUNTY, Ga. (WSAV) — Wildfires continue to ravage Brantley County, consuming approximately 5,000 acres as of Wednesday, prompting ongoing mandatory evacuation orders.
This week, Broadway rolled out the red carpet for a pair of newcomers.
The much-anticipated Schmigadoon! musical took center stage at the Nederlander Theatre on April 20, 2026. Among the fresh talent gracing the production’s ensemble are Ayaan Diop and Miles McNicoll, both marking their Broadway debuts.
The role of Carson is brought to life by Diop and McNicoll, who will alternate performances throughout the show’s run. Diop is no stranger to the character, having portrayed Carson in the Washington, D.C. staging, and now brings that familiarity and flair to Broadway audiences.
Diop’s artistic journey spans television and cinema, with notable roles in Blaze and the Monster Machines and A Beauty Supply in Queens, as well as appearances on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and the Today Show.
Diop has worked in both television and film, with credits that include Blaze and the Monster Machines, A Beauty Supply in Queens, along with appearances on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and Today.
McNicoll’s first major role was James in the Horror Noire anthology film “Daddy.” Since then, he has appeared in commercials and taken on voiceover projects.
Embed from Getty Images
His credits include FBI: Most Wanted (2024), 100 Meters (2025), Horror Noire (2021), and the short film How to Fill the Unfillable Hole Inside You (2023). Outside of acting, he spends time playing football, reading, building with LEGO, and playing piano and guitar. He has also said math is his favorite subject in school.
Schmigadoon! also stars Alex Brightman, Sara Chase, Ana Gasteyer, Ann Harada, Brad Oscar, Isabelle McCalla, Ivan Hernandez, Max Clayton, McKenzie Kurtz, and Maulik Pancholy.
The musical follows New York doctors Josh and Melissa, who head out on a backpacking trip in hopes of reconnecting. Instead, they find themselves stuck in a town where life plays out like a Golden Age musical, complete with constant singing and no clear exit. They are told the only way out is to find true love, a condition that forces them to examine their relationship while navigating the town’s unusual rules.
Ayaan Diop and Miles McNicoll “Schmigadoon” Broadway opening night at Nederlander Theatre on April 20, 2026 in New York City.
The legal landscape shifted dramatically on Tuesday when the Department of Justice unveiled an indictment against the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), a group long recognized for its advocacy work. In a striking development, the SPLC faces 11 charges, including wire fraud, money laundering, and making false statements to a federally insured bank. These allegations have sent shockwaves through both legal and political circles.
While the charges themselves are serious, the underlying activities alleged by the DOJ paint an even more troubling picture. Reports suggest the SPLC was allegedly involved in paying extremists, despite publicly denouncing such groups to bolster its fundraising efforts. Most notably, one of the individuals allegedly receiving payments was an organizer of the notorious “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, South Carolina—a rally that played a pivotal role in Joe Biden’s decision to run for president in 2020.
In the wake of these unsettling accusations, one might expect a cautious response. However, the Democratic Party, along with some media outlets, has quickly rallied to the SPLC’s defense, offering a contentious narrative. Instead of addressing the grand jury’s indictment directly, they have framed the SPLC’s actions as mere payments to “informants,” a claim that has been echoed by figures such as Rep. Daniel Goldman of New York, as well as major news organizations like ABC News, USA Today, and the Associated Press.
This explanation, however, raises more questions than it answers. The SPLC is not a law enforcement body and thus lacks the authority to use informants in any legal capacity. Unlike the DOJ, which legitimately employs informants to aid in investigations, the SPLC’s alleged activities do not align with any legal investigative purpose. The notion that payments to someone involved in organizing logistics for a neo-Nazi rally could be considered as merely compensating an “informant” is perplexing. What information could they have been providing, to whom, and for what purpose? The SPLC has no power to prosecute or investigate crimes, casting doubt on the legitimacy of these payments.
SPLC funneled over $3 million to persons in extremist groups – including the KKK and American Nazi Party.
You’d hope in the face of such disturbing allegations, including the possibility that the SPLC paid for criminal activity to take place, that Democrats would at least keep their mouths shut while this played out. But no, they’ve quickly, in conjunction with a compliant press, formulated a lie and are running with it. Instead of admitting what the indictment (which was returned by a grand jury) actually says, they are claiming the SPLC was just innocently paying “informants.”
The Southern Poverty Law Center was indicted for paying sources to infiltrate hate groups, a tactic federal agencies have used for decades. https://t.co/flekWop4XX
The DOJ uses paid informants all the time —why is it OK for them but not the SPLC? @splcenter plays a vital role in fighting hatred, yet has been unfairly targeted by Trump and House Republicans since day one.
This politicized intimidation needs to stop, now. https://t.co/8VjTgLsxU4
I guess I’m going to have to explain this like I’m talking to a four-year-old, but the SPLC is not a law enforcement agency. The fact that the DOJ pays and uses informants to investigate crimes is not, in fact, relevant at all to what happened here. Yet, you’ve got Democrat Rep. Daniel Goldman (NY-10), ABC News, USA Today, the AP, and many others all running with this line that these were just payments to “informants.”
How exactly is allegedly paying someone who helped organize transportation to a neo-nazi rally just paying an “informant? What were they informing on? To who? About what? For what reason? That doesn’t even make any sense. The SPLC can’t indict anyone. They have no jurisdiction to investigate criminal activity, nor would they need “informants” to be able to say the Ku Klux Klan is bad.
No, this is much more likely exactly what it smells like. Namely, that the SPLC was propping up “right-wing” extremism for financial and political gain, essentially paying for the very thing they were decrying. All the while, things like the Charlottesville rally have been used for nearly a decade to slander Republicans, no doubt a perk of their arrangements.
Regardless, the biggest reason it’s false to say the SPLC is being indicted for “paying informants” is that you don’t get to allegedly commit wire fraud, lie to federal banks about shell companies, and launder money and then go, “Oh, but we were just paying informants.” That’s not how any of this works. Goldman, who is a lawyer, knows that, but he’s also a hack, so he’ll say whatever he feels like he needs to say to deflect from how damning all this is. Never mind that the indictment is literally not for “paying informants.” It’s for crimes supposedly committed in making payments to the extremists in question.
There is a pending community note on this, but it is infuriating that a huge newspaper will just flat-out lie about the news
SPLC was not “indicted for paying sources”. They were indicted for wire fraud and making false statements. Just tell us the truth! It’s not that hard! https://t.co/ElkPzSEKKB
None of this was unexpected, though. The moment this news dropped, there was never any chance Democrats would be honest about it. Heck, by the end of the week, you can expect the narrative to have morphed into “the DOJ is protecting extremists by indicting the SPLC.”
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In Mattoon, Illinois, a proposed ordinance change is creating a buzz as city officials aim to maintain the pristine condition of their lakes.
The Mattoon City Council convened on Tuesday evening to discuss potential amendments to two ordinances, focusing on revising regulations for wake surfing activities on Lake Mattoon.
The proposed changes would impose new restrictions on wake surfing, distinguishing it from regular wakeboarding. Wake surfing involves filling a boat’s ballasts to increase its weight, which allows it to produce larger waves at reduced speeds. Under the new rules, enthusiasts would be required to wake surf at least 600 feet from the shore and in water depths of at least 15 feet. Previously, there were no such limitations.
On a recent evening in Midtown, the glimmer of a disco ball filled the room, hips moved to the beat, and a woman, well into her 70s, spun around with the same enthusiasm she had in 1976.
Meanwhile, over in Coney Island, a 91-year-old woman walked hand in hand with her husband along the boardwalk, savoring an evening reminiscent of their dates from decades ago.
Though these scenes may evoke a sense of yesteryear, they are happening right now, all thanks to the creativity of millennial TikTok influencers Johnny Gaffney and Vin Nucatola.
This innovative pair is the driving force behind the viral “Like Old Times” series. Their project encourages seniors to revisit New York City’s dance floors, concerts, bowling alleys, and other beloved pastimes, offering older generations a chance to reconnect with the vibrant city they once knew.
With a straightforward question — “What’s something you used to love doing that you haven’t done in years?” — Gaffney and Nucatola transform nostalgia into real-life experiences.
Gaffney and Nucatola, both 38, are happy to make each senior’s vintage request a reality — racking up millions of views and glowing feedback along the way.
“Younger people often lament about how amazing the New York of yesterday seemed,” Gaffney told The Post. “Vin and I want to show that ‘old New York’ is still accessible through the seniors who lived in it.”
“Many of them are still here,” he stressed. “If we want to tap into what made the city so great then, we have to connect with them and ask them about it now.”
One of those special retro nights belonged to Elizabeth Katz, 79, a senior lifestyle model from the Upper West Side, who was whisked out for a night of disco dancing in Times Square.
Studio 54, revisited
“Not all seniors are gray-haired and frail, have bad teeth, or need a cane,” Katz told The Post.
The glamorous Upper West Sider — who once spent her nights at Studio 54 in the 1970s — said she hadn’t been inside a nightclub in more than 30 years before Gaffney and Nucatola showed up at her apartment, helped her pick out an outfit, and arrived in a taxi with Gaffney dressed as her “date” in a tux.
At Disco Sally’s in Midtown, she said the pair danced, mingled with strangers, and turned the night into a full-circle moment.
“What I loved about shooting ‘Like Old Times’ is that I really got to be seen,” she said.
Katz added that dancing to syncopated beats and lush pop melodies again felt liberating, like she was no longer “performing for anyone else” or “worrying what anyone thought” of her, as she did in her 20s.
“I felt like my true self this time at 79,” she said. “It was even better than old times.”
The show is “less about nostalgia and more about reconnection,” Gaffney told The Post.
“I’ve learned through making the show that many seniors just want to connect with their younger selves and other people more than doing one specific activity,” the Lower East Sider added. “There are less and less invitations to hang out with other people as you get older.”
For Nucatola and his production company, Snackish Media, his first series under the banner was rooted in something personal.
Inspired by his late grandfather — who loved revisiting familiar pastimes like bowling and Yankees games with his grandchildren in his final years — Nucatola set out to create a series centered on helping seniors relive those “good ol’ days,” tapping Gaffney for his charisma and rare ability to connect with older adults on and off camera.
Unlike typical viral content, the goal wasn’t to turn seniors into “punchlines or soundbites,” Nucatola said, but to give them something “truly meaningful in return.”
The Staten Island director, producer and writer stressed, “We really just wanted to give back to the senior community of New York — and now here we are with millions of views and hearts touched.”
That authenticity is by design. The duo keeps their production lean — often just a couple of cameras and an iPhone — to help seniors feel at ease, with Nucatola adding that “things that look and feel real also resonate more with people on social media.”
5.7 million views and counting
Their approach is working: What started with zero followers in November quickly snowballed into a viral hit, with seven videos racking up more than 5.7 million views.
Their first clip alone topped 100,000 views in a day before climbing into the millions.
Many of the seniors already know Gaffney from his off-camera work. The actor-comedian — a fixture in New York’s downtown comedy scene known for his high-energy, zany antics — launched Senior Centertainment last year, a program bringing live arts and creative workshops into senior day centers, where he’s been working with older New Yorkers for years.
Others are nominated by loved ones through a submission form in the series’ Instagram bio, which Nucatola said receives hundreds of entries daily.
The feel-good content is also striking a chord with younger viewers, with roughly 40% of the audience between ages 25 and 34 — proof that the stories resonate far beyond their own generation.
“These episodes are evergreen and timeless — they keep finding meaning with younger viewers as they are rediscovered months after we uploaded them,” Nucatola said.
He added that many users say the videos inspire them to connect more with grandparents and older neighbors.
“There’s a loneliness problem in this country, and there’s definitely a senior isolation problem,” Gaffney said. “So many seniors want to connect with other people and be invited to something.”
The overwhelming response of “Like Old Times” — and comment sections filled with positivity — suggests the message is landing.
Along the way, it’s the unscripted, emotional moments that stick.
Gaffney recalled a moment that made him “emotional,” bringing a 78-year-old Bronx woman, Elsa Lugo, to see her favorite band, The Temptations, where she danced, sang along, and was ecstatic when she got a shoutout onstage before meeting them backstage.
‘My Girl’ in real time
“We get to see each senior feel more like their true selves and feel more free and open in our time with them,” he said. “It really warms our hearts.”
Lugo, a retired special education teacher from the Bronx, told The Post, “My granddaughter nominated me for the show, and I’m so grateful for her.”
Her request was simple: a concert — something she hadn’t attended in years.
But for Lugo, it meant more than that. She grew up listening to The Temptations on the radio as a teenager, with “My Girl” still her favorite song decades later.
When the “Like Old Times” duo arrived to pick her up — even surprising her with her brother joining the outing — she said she immediately sensed something special was coming.
“When we pulled up to the concert venue, I saw a sign with ‘The Temptations’ on it, and I couldn’t believe it,” she said.
The group dedicated “My Girl” to her mid-performance — a moment she said left her stunned in front of thousands of fans.
“I grew up listening to them on the radio. Years later, there they were, in front of me, dedicating my favorite song to me.”
Backstage, the moment became even more personal. Lugo said the band members greeted her warmly and hugged her.
For Lugo — who spent 23 years working as a special education teacher and retired in 2015 after a back injury forced her out of the classroom — the night hit especially hard.
“I loved my students and was so sad to say goodbye to them when I had to retire because of my injury,” she said. “‘Like Old Times’ made me feel excited and joyful again.”
Gaffney and Nucatola’s outings aren’t just about solo nostalgia — sometimes, they double as love letters.
Married couple Bill Weeden, 85, and Dolores McDougal Schaeffer Weeden, 91, were chauffeured from Woodstock, New York, back down to Coney Island, Brooklyn, for a date night they hadn’t experienced in decades.
A date night decades later
“Johnny and Vin picked us up in a limo and took my wife, Dolores and I all the way from Woodstock to Coney Island,” Bill told The Post.
The couple — married for 31 years — spent the night eating hot dogs, riding the carousel and dancing under the stars.
“We got to laugh and feel like children with the amusement park games,” he said.
“I always say the key to a long marriage is laughter and feeling childlike again, and ‘Like Old Times’ helped us do that. I can’t believe how viral our video went.”
For Dolores, the night carried an emotional weight that lingered long after the boardwalk lights dimmed.
“I cry when I think of that night, and how amazing it was to dance on the Coney Island boardwalk with Bill,” she said.
Even the weather couldn’t derail the moment — when fireworks were canceled due to wind, she recalled Gaffney pulling up a video of fireworks on his phone as they danced.
“It was touching to see him and Vin make such an effort for us to have a great date night,” she said.
The Country Music Association has unveiled a new lineup of performers set to grace the stages at the highly anticipated CMA Fest in Nashville, Tennessee. This four-day music extravaganza, running from June 4 to June 7, proudly holds the title of the world’s longest-running country music festival, showcasing a vast array of talent each year.
Among the previously announced headliners are country music sensations Luke Bryan, Cody Johnson, and Ella Langley, promising an unforgettable experience for attendees.
At Nashville’s iconic Nissan Stadium, rising stars will have their moment in the spotlight on the Platform Stage. Performers such as Emily Ann Roberts, The Jack Wharff Band, Kaitlin Butts, Kat Luna, Laci Kaye Booth, Maggie Antone, Scoot Teasley, Vincent Mason, Willow Avalon, and Zach John King are set to deliver memorable performances that mark significant milestones in their budding careers.
Adding to the excitement, country favorites Clay Walker, Jo Dee Messina, Rhett Akins, and Sara Evans will kick off the nightly concerts at Nissan Stadium. The festivities will officially begin on Thursday night with a patriotic flair as Caylee Hammack takes the stage to perform the national anthem.
Throughout the daytime hours, festival-goers can enjoy even more live music at the CMA Fest’s complimentary outdoor stages, offering fans a chance to see their favorite artists perform in a vibrant, open-air setting.
CeCe will open festivities at the Chevy Riverfront Stage on Thursday by performing the national anthem, while the Dr Pepper Amp Stage will welcome Filmore on Friday as well as Gabriella Rose and Nappy Roots on Sunday. MRIAH will join the Chevy Vibes Stage on Thursday, followed by Love and Theft on Sunday. The Wrangler Remix Stage adds even more energy to the weekend, adding Omer Netzer on Saturday and MORGXN on Sunday. Brandon Lake brings Cowboy Church to the Chevy Riverfront Stage.
You can get tickets here. A portion of proceeds from each annual CMA Fest supports the CMA Foundation’s music education initiatives nationwide.
Performances will be filmed and included in a TV special to air on ABC and Hulu this summer. Watch a preview of last year’s CMA Fest special in the player above.
The Walt Disney Company is the parent company of ABC, Hulu and this ABC station.
FBI Director Kash Patel, listens during a House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence hearing to examine worldwide threats, Thursday, March 19, 2026, on Capitol Hill in Washington (AP Photo/Tom Brenner).
A federal judge recently dismissed Kash Patel’s defamation lawsuit against a national security commentator, ruling that the statements in question were merely “rhetorical hyperbole.” The case was adjudicated by U.S. District Judge George Hanks Jr., an Obama appointee, serving in the Southern District of Texas. The decision came just a day after the FBI director cited the lawsuit as “pending” in his $250 million defamation suit against The Atlantic.
Judge Hanks elaborated in his 10-page decision that when viewed in context, the comments made by Frank Figliuzzi, a former FBI counterintelligence assistant director, could not reasonably be interpreted as factual statements about Patel. This ruling effectively puts an end to the defamation claims Patel had pursued.
The controversy began in May 2025 when Figliuzzi appeared on the cable network formerly known as MSNBC. During a segment on “Morning Joe,” he remarked that “reportedly” Patel had been seen at nightclubs more often than at the FBI’s Hoover Building. This statement was later termed a “misstatement” and unverified by the network.
Despite the retraction, Patel’s attorneys, Jesse Binnall and Jason Greaves, proceeded to file a defamation complaint against Figliuzzi in Texas in June 2025. They argued that the commentator had crossed a legal boundary by inventing a specific falsehood about Director Patel. The situation escalated when Patel’s legal team referenced the Figliuzzi case in another lawsuit against The Atlantic. The new suit challenges claims made about Patel’s purported “excessive drinking,” being “unreachable behind locked doors,” and an alleged “freak-out.”
That did not stop Patel’s attorneys Jesse Binnall and Jason Greaves from filing a complaint in Texas against Figliuzzi in June 2025, writing that the defendant “crossed the legal line by fabricating a specific lie about Director Patel.” And on Monday, the attorneys mentioned the Figliuzzi case while suing The Atlantic over anonymously sourced claims of “excessive drinking,” instances of being “unreachable behind locked doors,” and a “freak-out” on the part of Patel.
The filing claimed that The Atlantic willfully “avoid[ed] receiving information that would refute their narrative” and published “pure fantasy” about Patel that “echoed a similar fabrication previously aired by […] Figliuzzi on Morning Joe—anonymously sourced reporting that was later retracted by MSNBC and that is the subject of pending defamation litigation—yet Defendants published it anyway.”
Unfortunately for the FBI director, the “pending” case that he says The Atlantic ignored has failed.
“A person of reasonable intelligence and learning would not have taken his statement literally: that Dir. Patel has actually spent more hours physically in a nightclub than he has spent physically in his office building. By saying that Patel spent ‘far more’ time at nightclubs than his office, Figliuzzi delivered his answer ‘in an exaggerated, provocative and amusing way,’ employing rhetorical hyperbole,” the judge summarized. “The Court finds that Figliuzzi’s statement is rhetorical hyperbole that cannot constitute defamation.”
Law&Crime has learned that Patel intends to appeal to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
“The court ruled that Mr. Figliuzzi’s statements were rhetorical hyperbole; he was successful because he convinced the judge that he’s not a serious person,” said Binnall, also one of Michael Flynn’s lawyers. “While we disagree with the court and will appeal, that holding effectively eviscerates anyone’s—including The Atlantic’s—ability to treat his statements as reliable facts.”
Law&Crime did not immediately receive a response to a follow-up question asking whether Patel’s lawyers had reason to believe The Atlantic did treat Figliuzzi’s statements as reliable facts. The Atlantic article itself did not mention him.
Jaafar Jackson hopes that his late uncle would give his blessing to the new biopic depicting his life.
Jaafar steps into the role of Michael Jackson in the film Michael, which is set to hit theaters nationwide on April 24. This movie explores the journey of the King of Pop from his early days performing with the Jackson 5 to his meteoric rise as a global superstar, concluding around the year 1988, according to early reviews.
“I just hope my uncle, Michael, is smiling from up above,” Jaafar expressed to the illustrious audience at the film’s world premiere in Los Angeles on Monday.
Jaafar Jackson calls playing Michael Jackson ‘a big responsibility’
As the son of Michael’s brother, Jermaine Jackson, Jaafar described portraying the iconic “Billie Jean” singer as both “surreal” and “a big responsibility.”
“I approached this role determined to leave no stone unturned,” he shared. “I focused on capturing every detail, no matter how small.”
“I wanted to go into it not leaving any stone unturned,” he said. “So focusing on everything. All the little details.”
But there are some big details that Michael leaves out. The movie has the blessing of the singer’s estate, and it focuses primarily on the singer’s complicated relationship with his domineering father, Joe Jackson (Colman Domingo), musical legacy, and impact on pop culture. It largely avoids discussing the more controversial aspects of Jackson’s life, most notably the accusations that he sexually abused multiple children.
Two of Jackson three children have indicated they support the movie, but his daughter, Paris Jackson, has publicly distanced herself from the project, calling it “dishonest,” according to The Guardian. The second-most-famous Jackson sibling, Janet, does not appear in the film and allegedly had an “intensely negative” reaction to an early screening.
Why ‘Michael’ avoids discussing abuse allegations against Michael Jackson
One reviewer called Michael “hagiographic” and argued that any attempts by director Antoine Fuqua to tell a more nuanced story about its subject had been “sanded away.” Its its original version, Michael apparently addressed some of the darker aspects of Jackson’s story, opening with the 1993 molestation allegations against the Grammy-winner. But the movie underwent significant and costly reshoots to remove any reference to child sexual abuse, Variety reports. That’s because there was a clause in the settlement that Jackson reached with Jordan Chandler, one of his alleged victims, that barred any mention or depiction of him in a movie.
However, Chandler was just one of several boys who say they were abused by Jackson. While the “Thriller” singer was found not guilty after a high-profile criminal trial in 2005, more victims have come forward since his death in 2009. Jackson and his estate have consistently denied the allegations against him, but they have cast a massive shadow over his musical legacy. Michael’s mission, according to some involved, is to rehabilitate his legacy.
“After Leaving Neverland, I sensed a wavering force [among the first people attached to the movie],” John Branca, the co-executor of Jackson’s estate, said last year. “And unless you understand that Michael’s innocent, we can’t have you.”
How to get help: If you or someone you know has been sexually abused, text HOME to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 for free and confidential support.
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In the serene coastal town of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, a recent stabbing incident has sent shockwaves through the community, according to local police reports.
On Sunday morning, around 8:33 a.m., officers responded to a distress call following a reported stabbing at 1004 S. Ocean Blvd., as confirmed by the Myrtle Beach Police Department.
The violent episode resulted in injuries to two individuals. One victim required hospitalization for their wounds, while the other received immediate medical attention at the scene.
An image capturing the typically vibrant beachfront scene shows people strolling and enjoying the sands along North Ocean Boulevard in Myrtle Beach, illustrating the contrast between the usual tranquility and the sudden disruption caused by the incident.
In a development on Tuesday, law enforcement officials disclosed that 68-year-old Jeffrey Alonzo Keitt, a resident of Myrtle Beach, faces charges including two counts of assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature, as well as possession of a weapon during a violent crime.
Keitt was booked in the J. Reuben Long Detention Center. According to booking records reviewed by Fox News Digital, Keitt has a lengthy arrest record, with at least four bookings into the J. Reuben Long Detention Center since June 2025.
The previous charges span from allegedly trespassing, assault on a police officer while resisting arrest or serving process, first-degree assault and battery, loitering, and unlawful entry onto posted land.
According to booking records reviewed by Fox News Digital, Jeffrey Alonzo Keitt has a lengthy arrest record, with at least four bookings into the J. Reuben Long Detention Center since June 2025.(J. Reuben Long Detention Center)
Investigators said an adult male victim told police that a verbal altercation involving a woman and Keitt escalated when the suspect allegedly pulled a knife and stabbed the victim in the leg.
One victim was transported to a hospital, and EMS evaluated the second victim on the scene.
Jeffrey Alonzo Keitt was charged in a double stabbing in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.(iStock)
The investigation remains active. Police are asking anyone with additional information to contact the department.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Myrtle Beach Police Department for comment.