LSU cornerback DJ Pickett is resolutely holding onto the No. 5 jersey, asserting it is his rightful possession as he prepares for the next football season with the Tigers.

Former LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels may be pushing back on this decision, but Pickett remains firm in his choice to don the coveted jersey number next year.

“I’ve worn the number my entire life, starting at just 4 years old,” Pickett told reporters on Thursday, according to ESPN. “LSU promised me this number. While I wish Jayden all the best, he’s a strong player with impressive accomplishments at LSU, that’s where my opinion stands.”

Pickett’s remarks were made in the wake of Daniels sending a cease-and-desist letter to LSU, demanding the university cease using his name, image, and likeness (NIL) after handing over his No. 5 jersey to the sophomore standout in defense.

A spokesperson for the Daniels family expressed their profound disappointment with LSU’s decision, as noted by ESPN. “The Daniels family feels deeply disrespected by LSU giving Jayden’s number to another player. They believed it would remain a key part of his legacy at LSU, recognizing his significant contributions to the university,” the statement read.

Daniels, 25, spent two seasons at LSU, winning the 2023 Heisman Trophy after racking up 3,812 passing yards with 40 touchdowns, helping lead the Tigers to a 10-3 record.

Now entering his third NFL season with the Commanders, Daniels insisted that all of his focus is on training camp with Washington, saying in a statement that he hopes everything can “be resolved.”

“I have been locked in on training camp and that’s been my number one focus,” Daniels said. “I have a lot of gratitude for my time at LSU and I’m proud of what my teammates and I accomplished there. Obviously there are issues to be worked out between my team and LSU and my hope is that it will get done privately.

“My sole personal focus is on Commanders’ football. I realize the business of football is unique and I trust this can all be resolved.”

As he recovers in the hospital from severe injuries sustained during a harrowing self-harm episode broadcast live to his audience, Perez Hilton is struggling with a profound sense of shame.

“From what I gather, he is deeply embarrassed,” a close acquaintance of Hilton’s for nearly two decades shared with the Daily Mail.

Despite his feelings of disgrace, the infamous celebrity blogger is determined to confront the disturbing moment that swept across the internet.

“He feels the need to view it to understand what the public witnessed, but his family believes that it’s not advisable for him right now,” the insider revealed, noting that Hilton remains shielded from the 15-minute video by his protective relatives.

“His family is working hard to safeguard him,” the source explained. “He doesn’t need to relive one of the darkest moments of his life, especially so soon after it occurred.”

Hilton, 48, was hospitalized last week under Florida’s Baker Act, which allows for the temporary involuntary detention of individuals in mental crisis, after horrified TikTok users watched him repeatedly slash at his body with a knife.

He currently does not have access to the Internet, his phone or other electronic devices, but has ‘asked about’ the video and is said to be ‘worried’ about the content.

‘As I understand it, he asked what people are saying,’ the insider said. 

‘Right now, everyone is telling him that the world is very supportive of him. We don’t want him to see any negative commentary, or what happened. That would be the worst thing possible. What Perez needs is to feel like there are people in his corner. That will give him the strength to go on.’

In truth, if Hilton were to look online, he would find a mixed bag of reactions. 

Some, like America’s Next Top Model alum Adrianne Curry, have shown compassion for the father of three despite him allegedly targeting and harassing her ‘for years.’

Others callously believe there should be no empathy for Hilton because of his past ruthlessness toward several struggling pop stars like Britney Spears in the early aughts.

After Heath Ledger died from an accidental overdose in 2008, Hilton memorably sold custom T-shirts that featured a photo of the Brokeback Mountain actor and a cruel slogan that read: ‘Why couldn’t it be Britney?’ 

Hilton has since tried to make amends with Spears.

‘If he sees the comments that he brought it on himself, or people who wish him harm, that will do more harm than good with him,’ the source said. ‘He really needs support right now.’

Hilton has historically struggled with nasty comments, finding himself the victim of cruel bullies as a child.

Jorge Perez Jr., his longtime friend, recalled the ‘evil’ incidents Hilton was subjected to, telling the Daily Mail that the celebrity blogger’s infamous takedowns may have been him repeating a cycle of bullying that he was subjected to at an early age. 

‘It’s not about condoning or justifying, but understanding that, a lot of time, we repeat the trauma that we had,’ the Shut The F**k Up Method author explained. ‘People were just really evil to him growing up.’

Perez Jr., who was raised in Miami and shares mutual childhood friends with the blogger, said Hilton would deal with ‘non-stop’ nitpicking from other kids.

He claimed it got to a ‘really abusive’ level at points, and some of the digs were because quirky Hilton, real name Mario Lavandeira, did not fit in.

‘I think when you talk about those schools that are religious-based, if your social conditioning is just a little off, you get it even harder,’ Perez Jr. said. ‘He was probably just really flamboyant.’

Hilton, who is now openly gay, was closeted as a child. In a 2010 interview, he revealed that he did not come out until his freshman year of college at New York University. 

At age 15, he also dealt with a major loss when his father, Mario Lavandeira Sr., died from a brain aneurysm. In a post on Instagram last year, Hilton described his late dad as a ‘sweet, gentle’ soul.

According to Perez Jr., the celebrity blogger found ‘refuge’ in TV and media, which helped him to not feel ‘so alone’ during times when he was the outcast.

‘He became obsessed with TV shows and pop culture; that’s the only place where he found peace because he wasn’t getting it on a social level from his peers,’ Perez Jr. said. 

But something that had been his saving grace soon became the thing people despised him for. Perez Jr. says it was all an act.

‘He would always say, “Hey, I’m just putting on a persona. It’s just a character that I put on,” and I don’t know if that was his way of doing it so that he could metabolize life a little simpler for himself,’ the mindset mentor said.

For years, Hilton has been trying to rehabilitate his public image by scaling back how aggressively he covered troubled stars.

The inner turmoil even amounted to the blogger considering a move away from tabloid gossip – and delving into a more uplifting lifestyle genre.

‘He just wasn’t sure that his business team was going to go for it, but he did have an inclination that he wanted to broaden his sensibilities,’ Perez Jr. said.

‘He opened up about his desire about writing less about gossip. People change. He’s getting older. I’m sure he’s refining what his interests are, and I think it’s a healthy thing to contemplate on changing direction.’

The issue was that the gossip industry proved to be very ‘lucrative’ for Hilton for years and, at the end of the day, he would ‘opt for putting money on the table before anything – for his kids,’ according to Perez Jr.

Then, earlier this year, Hilton was forced to confront his demons when he faced a lengthy health battle. He allegedly consumed flu medications on an empty stomach that spiraled into an almost month-long hospitalization and near-fatal sepsis. 

‘I think everything really became kind of self-evident for him when he had sepsis a few months ago. He started making these videos and reading the bible, and he started apologizing and saying he was carrying so much guilt,’ Perez Jr. said.

Determined to make big changes in his life, Hilton also made the drastic and seemingly abrupt decision to move his family across the country from Las Vegas back to his native Miami.

‘I think he really wanted to do something nice for his mom and for his kids to grow up in Miami and be near the Latino culture that that they’re from,’ Perez Jr. said.

However, as Daily Mail has previously reported, insiders have said that Hilton was quietly struggling with the financial pressures of mounting medical bills that clearly had taken a toll, and his multimillion dollar Sin City mansion is still on the market.

According to Perez Jr., Hilton also had to face unexpected ‘baggage’ from his past when relocating to South Florida.

‘You’re in Miami, you run into Miami people … memories, places,’ he said. ‘When you grow up somewhere where you get picked on and then you have to come back years later, I’m sure your body remembers.’

It seemingly all came to a head on the evening of August 4 when Hilton suffered a mental health crisis and cut himself with a knife repeatedly while on a TikTok livestream. His family has since revealed that his three young children – Mario, 13, Mia, 11, and Mayte, eight – were inside the home just minutes prior.

Alarmed viewers called the authorities, who rushed to the residence. According to dispatch records, the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office described the incident as a ‘suicide attempt.’

Hilton was transported to a nearby hospital, where he is still recovering.  

In a statement posted to Hilton’s website, his loved ones shared that the blogger suffered ‘significant blood loss’ and additional injuries that would require surgery.

A source previously told us that Hilton has since admitted to his mother: ‘I need help.’

‘Perez knows what happened at least on some level,’ said our insider. ‘He knows something bad happened, he knows he’s in physical pain, and he doesn’t remember the incident, but he knows that he did it to himself. He knows it was public, and everybody saw it.’

Hilton ‘is smart enough’ to know ‘how horrible the video must be’ in part due to the gravity of his injuries, the source added.

‘Right now is the time for him to process getting better,.’

Perhaps a bigger source of concern for Hilton at the moment is his young three children.

‘He did ask if the kids have seen the video, and they have not, and hopefully never will. He is relieved that they have not seen him at his worst,’ the insider said.

Earlier this week, Hilton’s 72-year-old mother filed for temporary custody of Mario, Mia and Mayte with the ‘voluntary consent’ of their father, per court documents.

‘She was always the matriarch. I think she’s an incredible woman and I think she knows what she’s doing,’ said Perez Jr., who has spent some time with Hilton, Teresita and the three kids in Los Angeles.

The children have not seen their father since the incident. 

‘Right now, only the adults are seeing him,’ our source said. ‘He is talking on the phone to the kids. He wants to get better, but this is gonna take a long time.’

‘This is not a quick fix,’ they continued. ‘But as it sinks in what he did to himself, there will be a lot of trauma and baggage for him to unpack. Everyone close to him has been warned that he will be very fragile for a long time.’

The Daily Mail has contacted Hilton’s representative for comment. 

If you or someone you know needs help in the US, please call or text the confidential 24/7 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline on 988. If you are in the UK, call Samaritans on 116 123 for free. If you are in Australia, call Lifeline 13 11 14 or Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800.

HAZEL CREST, Ill. (WLS) — As the community of Hazel Crest grapples with the aftermath of a powerful July 27 tornado, the village is actively searching for temporary housing solutions for families left homeless by the disaster. Residents are simultaneously managing the fallout from recent severe weather, adding to their challenges.

Once again, the American Red Cross has stepped forward to extend a helping hand to those in Hazel Crest. In the wake of Tuesday’s storm, which left many without electricity, village officials report that nearly 100 families are without homes due to the tornado’s destructive path two weeks prior.

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Due to significant damage from the tornado, residents are prohibited from returning to the townhouses on 171st Street, after the storm tore off the building’s roof. Village leaders indicate that their stock of hotel vouchers is depleted, prompting an urgent call to local landlords and others who might offer temporary shelters.

“We urge landlords with available properties to contact the village immediately if they can expedite housing for those in need,” stated Nakita Cloud, representing the Village of Hazel Crest, as part of the community’s appeal for support.

Officials are expressing heightened concern for families with children, as these young residents face the impending start of the school year while contending with temporary displacement.

“Especially at the beginning it’s how you set the tone for the rest of the school year feeling displaced or out of place I can only imagine how the kids feel in a addition to the parent,” Cloud said.

Among those affected is Asia Mixon, who said she and her son escaped their townhouse just before the tornado struck.

“I thank god that me and my children are alive that is the most important thing but rebuilding for them and me has been really hard for us,” Mixon said.

Her 12-year-old son, Avion Richardson, recalled the moments before the storm caused significant damage.

“We was in the house for a little bit and then we ran out because my windows had busted out,” Richardson said.

Mixon said she did not have renter’s insurance. She and her children lost their belongings, including the children’s musical instruments. The family is relying on help from friends and has launched a GoFundMe campaign as it works to stabilize its situation before the school year begins.

“The storm the debris from the tarp and the glass settled in and ruined everything,” Mixon said.

Her daughter, 13-year-old Avony Anderson, described the loss.

“Our stuff got messed up like our electronic our bed our clothes like everything got messed up,” Anderson said.

“It’s just hard because it’s a lot to think about,” she added.

Richardson said he was particularly upset about the damage to his instruments.

“I seen the piano it was like messed up I tried to fix in but it wouldn’t work and then my drum set got messed up I couldn’t fix it either,” he said.

The family’s dog, Ace, escaped with them during the tornado. Now, Mixon said, the family is focused on rebuilding and finding stability.

“I know for sure it will affect them in school because they can’t concentrate they are worried about stability we lost our home and they’ve never been through anything this traumatic,” Mixon said.

Village officials said they hope people who can provide temporary housing will come forward to help families like the Mixons get settled before the start of the school year.

Those able to help offer housing to people in need have been asked to contact the village of Hazel Crest at jratliff@villageofhazelcrest.com.

A significant traffic incident severely disrupted the morning commute on Los Angeles’ busy 405 Freeway. During the Thursday morning rush hour, two vehicles flipped over, causing the closure of several northbound lanes and resulting in a substantial traffic jam.

The incident occurred shortly before 7:30 a.m. in the vicinity of Santa Monica Boulevard, as reported by the California Highway Patrol (CHP).

In the aftermath of the crash, at least one individual involved chose not to be hospitalized, according to CHP officials. There was no immediate confirmation of any major injuries stemming from the event.

The overturned vehicles led to blocked lanes, necessitating a swift response from emergency teams. Footage provided by KTLA illustrated the growing congestion, as some drivers trapped in the snarl endeavored to leave the freeway in search of alternate routes.

CHP issued a SigAlert shortly after 8 a.m. for the closure of lanes 4, 5 and 6 as crews worked to clear the wreckage.

Under CHP policy, SigAlerts are issued for unplanned events or circumstances that could delay a large number of motorists for at least 30 minutes. Traffic collisions, spilled loads, flooding and unexpected congestion are among the situations that can trigger an alert.

The agency extended the SigAlert for another 30 minutes at about 8:30 a.m.

The collision occurred on northbound I-405 near Santa Monica Boulevard in West Los Angeles. The freeway continues north from the Westwood area toward the Sepulveda Pass.

Caltrans has previously directed motorists seeking an alternate northbound route from Santa Monica Boulevard to travel east to Sepulveda Boulevard before continuing north to an I-405 entrance at Moraga Drive.

The lanes affected by Thursday morning’s crash were eventually cleared and reopened.

The cause of the crash was not immediately clear, and authorities had not announced whether any citations or arrests resulted from the collision.

News Media reached out to the California Highway Patrol for additional information but did not immediately receive a response.

Liberty’s forward Satou Sabally is taking a step back from the team temporarily, as she continues her recovery journey following a concussion sustained in late June.

Sabally’s choice has received unwavering support from her coaches and teammates.

“It’s commendable and quite mature of her to recognize her current needs and take the appropriate steps to ensure she returns to being her best self,” remarked Sabrina Ionescu before Thursday’s matchup against the Sparks. “We’re allowing her all the time necessary to accomplish this.”

As of Wednesday evening, Sabally’s status has shifted from “concussion protocol” to “head injury” after a seven-week period. Although she has completed the concussion protocol requirements, she isn’t yet fully recovered.

“She’ll be taking a brief hiatus from the team,” stated coach Chris DeMarco. “Considering this is her second major head injury within a year, prioritizing her health is paramount, as it is for all our players. We’re eager for her return, but it’s essential she takes this time to heal.”

Asked if Sabally will be doing anything basketball related during her time away, DeMarco said, “We’ll get there.” 

“This is under the guidance of our performance team,” he continued. “But just for now, she’s just taking some time away, making sure she’s healthy.” 

Sabally, the team’s marquee free agent acquisition in the offseason, went down with a head injury after Aces forward NaLyssa Smith elbowed her in the face during the Liberty’s June 23 win in Las Vegas. 

While she has cleared concussion protocol, she’s not yet back in what DeMarco called her “comfort zone.” 

“We just needed some time away and make sure she’s 100 percent healthy,” he continued. “We’re not trying to rush anybody back, and it’s always going to be about the health of our players.” 

Sabally also suffered a concussion in Game 3 of the 2025 WNBA Finals that sidelined her for most of the offseason. She didn’t participate in Unrivaled earlier this year and didn’t return to basketball activities until March. 

Sabally, who signed a two-year, $1.67 million contract this offseason, missed the start of the season with a cyst and fell ill in late May. 

In 13 games (five starts) this season, she’s averaging 10.4 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists. 

Ionescu, who missed most of her rookie season with a bad ankle sprain, knows the physical, mental and emotional toll a lengthy rehab process can have on a player. 

“You can sympathize with somebody who’s just trying to come back from not feeling like themselves,” Ionescu said. “For us as teammates, that’s kind of our job to give her the safe space to not put any pressure but understand the human being comes first and the athlete comes second. And she needs to feel her best to be able to go out there and play. I mean, I’ve done it, probably she’s done it, everyone’s done it where you come out just because you feel the pressure and you want to get back to playing. But your body’s not ready and it tells you, like, you know.” 

DeMarco maintains confidence that Sabally will be back this season. 

“In terms of just the broad scope of players who have to deal with injuries, it’s so hard,” he said. “It’s so hard and sometimes I think fans, people [who] watch this game, are like, ‘Oh, you know, get over it. You’re making money.’ Or, ‘You’re doing this.’ Or, ‘It’s only for this long.’ It’s not easy. I mean, we all go through stuff and I think she’s doing a great job of handling this the right way. And I mean, the head especially is always such a concern. You have to be in the right mindset to go out there and compete and that’s what she’s working toward.”