Bob Pettit, the dominant scorer and rebounder who led the St. Louis Hawks and became the NBA’s first Most Valuable Player in 1956, has died at 93.
Louisiana State University, Pettit’s alma mater, announced Thursday that he died the previous day. The school did not disclose a cause of death.
A celebrated All-American at LSU, Pettit spent all 11 of his NBA seasons with the Hawks and earned an All-Star selection every year. He guided the franchise to its only championship in 1958, defeating the powerhouse Boston Celtics.
Pettit also captured the NBA’s MVP award in 1959 and was named All-Star Game MVP four times. Only Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant has matched that total.
AP Photo/File
Pettit established himself during an era that featured stars such as Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, Oscar Robertson and Elgin Baylor. Yet much of his career came before the NBA reached a broad television audience, and playing in the smaller St. Louis market limited his national exposure.
Listed at 6-foot-9 and 205 pounds, Pettit was a formidable presence at power forward before that position had become a familiar part of basketball’s lexicon. He seldom missed a game, could play center and helped pioneer a style for big men that included facing the basket rather than operating exclusively with their backs to it.
Pettit won Rookie of the Year in 1955, his final season with the Hawks in Milwaukee before the franchise relocated to St. Louis.
One year later, he became the league’s first MVP after averaging 25.7 points per game to lead the NBA in scoring. He topped the scoring race again in 1959, averaging 29.2 points.
Pettit retired following the 1964-65 season with career averages of 26.4 points and 16.2 rebounds. At the time, his 20,880 points ranked first in NBA history, while his 12,849 rebounds stood second.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: City in America is offering many empty houses for sale for only $1 – NewsFinale
The Basketball Hall of Fame inducted Pettit in 1970.
“Lean, graceful, and always well-conditioned, Bob Pettit’s physical build made him one of the first big men to play facing the basket,” the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame says in his biography. “But Pettit’s resolve set him apart from his peers; he simply would not be outworked.”
Robert Lee Pettit Jr. was born Dec. 12, 1932, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. His father worked in law enforcement and served as sheriff of East Baton Rouge Parish. Pettit developed later than some of his peers, not reaching the Baton Rouge High School varsity until his junior year.
As a senior, he led Baton Rouge High to a state championship and attracted more than a dozen college scholarship offers. He remained in his hometown to attend LSU, where he emerged as a star during his sophomore season—the earliest point at which players of that era could join the varsity team.
Pettit led the Southeastern Conference in scoring in each of his three seasons, averaging 25.5 points as a sophomore, 24.9 as a junior and 31.4 as a senior.
Pettit is one of just three LSU players—along with Pete Maravich and Shaquille O’Neal—to be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. Bronze statues honoring Pettit and O’Neal stand outside LSU’s home arena, the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. LSU retired Pettit’s No. 50, while the Atlanta Hawks retired his No. 9.
Much of Pettit’s career unfolded during the Celtics’ extraordinary championship run, one of the most dominant stretches in the history of American professional sports.
He came within two victories of winning three NBA championships. The Hawks reached the Finals four times during Pettit’s career, meeting Boston in every series and losing twice in seven games.
Boston won the first matchup in 1957 after a Game 7 that required two overtimes. A year later, Pettit and the Hawks claimed the title, interrupting the Celtics’ stretch of nine championships in 10 seasons. Atlanta also lost Finals series to Boston in 1960, again in seven games, and in 1961, in five.
After retiring from basketball, Pettit returned to Baton Rouge and worked in banking and financial consulting. In recent years, he remained a familiar presence at LSU and New Orleans Pelicans games.
Sydney Sweeney Wears ‘SB’ Necklace in Scooter Braun’s SYRN ‘Send Nudes’ Ad
Sydney Sweeney is making her romance a stylish part of her latest lingerie campaign.
The 29-year-old actress posed in a tan lace bra for a new “Send Nudes” promotion for her Syrn lingerie label on Wednesday, September 23. Along with the revealing look, Sweeney wore a silver necklace bearing the initials “SB,” an apparent nod to her boyfriend, Scooter Braun. The bra featured delicate lace detailing and a small bow at the center.
Sweeney completed the look with polished makeup, including defined brows, soft pink shadow, winged liner, mascara, rosy blush and pink-lined lips. Her blonde hair was swept into a side part and styled in loose, beach-inspired waves.
The Instagram carousel also included a mirror selfie taken with a digital camera in a bathroom. In another image, Sweeney relaxed on a bed while photographing herself with her laptop.
Sydney Sweeney’s date-night loungewear also drew attention earlier this year. The Euphoria actress, 28, modeled a burgundy set while promoting Syrn on Instagram Friday, June 19. In the video, she slowly tilted the camera downward to showcase the outfit before playfully blowing a kiss to the […]
“Send Nudes, now yours. Syd wears the Smooth Cup Demi in Babe,” Syrn’s official account wrote in the caption. Fans quickly filled the comments with praise, calling Sweeney “a real Goddess,” “flawless” and “a perfect model.”
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: Trial hears Lamarre-Condon partied at Kyle Sandilands’ house
Sweeney and Braun, 45, reportedly first met in Venice, Italy, while attending Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez’s wedding in June 2025. By April, their relationship had grown more serious, with a source telling Us that the pair were “blending their lives.”
“They are the real deal, and their relationship has become very serious,” the insider said. Although some people around them initially expected the romance to be a short-lived fling, the source added that the couple are committed to one another.
According to the source, Sweeney values Braun’s support of her career and enjoys hearing his thoughts on her various projects.
Earlier this month, Braun marked Sweeney’s 29th birthday with a heartfelt tribute. “Happy birthday to the woman who is the exception to every rule,” he wrote. “The person who surprised me and showed me how life with true partnership can be lived.”
He continued, “You make me smile harder, laugh louder, adventure more, and dream bigger. You’ve made the ordinary feel exciting and the future feel like something I can’t wait to get to.”
United Airlines Probes Passenger’s Claim of Being Trapped Beside Man
A United Airlines passenger says she was left sitting beside a man who allegedly engaged in a lewd sexual act, even after she told the flight crew she felt unsafe and uncomfortable.
The 25-year-old woman, who works as a pediatric crisis therapist, told NBC News that the incident took place Sept. 3 during an early-morning flight from Rochester, New York, to Newark, New Jersey. NBC News withheld her name to protect her privacy.
She said the man, whom she described as an “unassuming” and “pretty normal looking” man in his 30s, allegedly masturbated while watching her during the roughly one-hour regional flight.
After notifying the crew, the woman said she was permitted to stand in the aircraft galley for part of the trip. But as the plane prepared to land, crew members instructed her to return to her seat near the back because the flight was full.
“On multiple instances,” she told NBC News, “I said I feel uncomfortable doing that.”
According to her account, a flight attendant reassured her that the landing would last only three to five minutes. She said the process ultimately took longer.
The man was allegedly allowed to leave the aircraft. The woman said she then reported him to a male gate agent, whose response she characterized as curt.
“What am I supposed to do about it?” the agent allegedly asked, reportedly telling her that contacting authorities was her responsibility, according to NBC News.
Another United employee encouraged the woman to submit complaints to the airline and the Federal Aviation Administration, she said. She filed both complaints and later contacted the FBI.
A United representative subsequently responded in an email obtained by NBC News.
“I can imagine how upsetting and uncomfortable it must have been to experience behavior from another passenger that caused you concern,” the email reportedly stated, “particularly while seated in a location where you felt concerned.”
In her reply, also reviewed by NBC News, the woman said the airline’s message used “a lot of blaming language, which I find very offensive.”
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 96-Year-Old Widow Murdered While Baking Cookies, Fraudster Thought She Was Living Too Long – NewsFinale
“I DID remove myself and ask for help,” she reportedly wrote. “Additionally, framing public masturbation as ‘behavior that caused me concern’ implies that what occurred could somehow be perceived as acceptable.”
A United spokesperson told Oxygen in a statement that the safety of the airline’s customers and employees is its “top priority.”
“This incident was reported to flight attendants on a September 3 flight operated by United Express partner Republic Airways,” the statement said. “The customer stayed in the aircraft galley until returning to her seat for the landing. United Airlines staff members learned about it as customers were deplaning.”
“The safety of our customers and colleagues is our top priority,” the statement continued. “We take these matters seriously and are looking into what happened. We have been in contact with the customer and apologized for her experience.”
Republic Airways representatives did not immediately respond to Oxygen’s requests for comment. An FBI spokesperson also declined to comment.
An FAA spokesperson referred Oxygen to the agency’s website policy regarding “unruly passengers.”
“FAA regulations specify that passengers must follow all crewmember safety instructions,” the spokesperson told Oxygen. “The FAA investigates all passenger-disturbance incidents that airlines report. The FAA pursues legal enforcement action against any passenger who assaults, threatens, intimidates, or interferes with airline crewmembers, and can propose civil penalties up to $43,658 per violation. One incident can result in multiple violations. Passengers who engage in unruly behavior can also face criminal charges.”
The woman told NBC News that United provided her with a $100 credit toward the $400 flight.
“I could say it was insulting but everything about it was not so much insulting as it was super concerning,” she told the outlet. “It is the first time I’ve been purposely trapped by people who were supposed to be helping me.”
She said she hopes the man is identified and placed on a no-fly list.
“I just got the sense [he] had done it before,” she told NBC News. “People don’t just do those things at 6 a.m.”
Iranian President Blames US, Denies Nuclear Aims, Offers Dilution
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian firmly denied Thursday that Tehran is seeking a nuclear weapon, while saying Iran is prepared to open its nuclear program to international inspections. He blamed Washington for the nearly seven-month conflict in the Middle East and accused the United States of obstructing diplomatic efforts.
During an exclusive interview on Fox News’ “Special Report,” host Bret Baier asked Pezeshkian directly, “Do you want a nuclear bomb or not?” The Iranian president rejected the suggestion outright.
“Not at all. Not at all. Our martyred, esteemed supreme leader had announced several times that, from a religious decree, it is unholy. It is illegal,” he said, referring to religious rulings against weapons of mass destruction.
President Masoud Pezeshkian spoke to Bret Baier on “Special Report” (Fox News )
Pezeshkian’s denial came as Iran faces years of international scrutiny over its nuclear activities, including uranium enrichment to levels far above those generally associated with civilian nuclear power.
Those concerns formed the central justification cited by President Donald Trump for launching Operation Epic Fury in February.
Pezeshkian said Thursday that Tehran could consider reducing its enrichment levels and permitting independent verification as part of an effort to ease tensions surrounding its nuclear program.
“So, that weapon’s mass destruction. We said we’re willing to dilute them. It’s not a big deal. We are willing to submit ourselves to verification,” he said.
The Iranian president also cited a failed memorandum of understanding, or MOU, that he and Trump signed in June. The agreement was intended to stop the fighting and create a framework for a broader deal between Washington and Tehran.
Under the U.S. plan, the process would have moved toward ending Iran’s nuclear ambitions through negotiations over a 60-day period and ultimately produced a final agreement.
“We have no problems. We did reach an agreement with your president,” Pezeshkian said of Trump, who signed the deal.
“That agreement was signed, and, based on that, we are willing and still wish to move forward.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and President Donald Trump (Majid Saeedi/Getty Images; Jose Luis Magana/AP)
“And the framework was agreed upon. We had not closed the Strait of Hormuz; it was open without any legal justification or framework,” he said.
“They attacked us. They assassinated and martyred our esteemed supreme leader, our scientists, our military commanders and government.”
Pezeshkian accused Washington of derailing diplomacy through its subsequent actions, but said Tehran remains willing to negotiate an agreement.
“The problem is that America, instead of conducting dialog, they descend into the arena by bombing us first, by blocking every pathway. We are ready,” he said.
“This is not the way to conduct yourself on the world stage. They can have free access to see whatever we have, but not to put us under such pressure, under blockades, deny us access.”
Pezeshkian also held Washington responsible for the broader conflict.
“We do not seek to kill Americans, as shown by actions, demonstrable actions. America has sought to kill Iranians,” Pezeshkian said. “What we know is that if we’re attacked, we must defend ourselves.”
This satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies shows a view of the Isfahan nuclear site in Iran June 22, 2025, after U.S. strikes ordered by President Donald Trump. (Joe McNally/Getty Images; Maxar Technologies via AP)
Addressing U.S. military strikes — including Operation Outcast — and increasing secondary sanctions, Pezeshkian said Iran would continue resisting Washington’s campaign.
“This is something that has been the doing of the United States,” he said. “We will keep resisting. We will find ways, and the life of our country will continue. We will remain.
“Yes, we do have economic issues, certainly. But in order to remain, we will go through any hardship and endure.
“If America thinks that they can keep sanctioning us, we have nothing to do, nor do we consider any type of American elections. If the current American government, within international legal frameworks, wishes to reach an agreement, fine. If not, before the elections or after the elections, what difference does it make for us?”
Pezeshkian repeated that Iran does not want the war to continue, while blaming Israel for helping provoke the conflict and putting responsibility on Washington to bring it to an end.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, speaks during a gathering of public relations officials in Tehran in May 2026. (Foad Ashtari/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
“We will stand resolutely to defend ourselves. We never sought war. We do not seek war,” he said.
“I deeply believe that humans should not cause the death of another human. But with the instigations conducted by Israel, they have imposed this war on us.
“But we do not wish to continue. It’s America that must choose whether it wants to end this or not.”
The Iranian president also addressed reports that Iranian forces used Chinese satellite imagery to carry out a deadly strike on a U.S. base in Jordan. The attack resulted in the deaths of three U.S. service members.
When questioned about the reports, Pezeshkian denied direct knowledge.
“I’m specifically unaware of these purported images that you talk about,” Pezeshkian said.
“Now, what do militaries do with one another between two countries? It is their own business within their own guidelines.”
Latin American Gang Recruitment Blamed for Three London Killings
A notorious Latin American gang is believed to have established a presence in London and has been linked to three killings in the capital.
Los Trinitarios was formed in 1993 by two Dominican prisoners at New York’s Rikers Island jail. From there, the organisation expanded rapidly across the United States, Central and South America, and Spain.
In the US, members are reportedly more likely to use machetes than guns, viewing the bladed weapons as more “personal” instruments of violence.
The group takes its name from La Trinitaria, the secret society that helped the Dominican Republic secure independence. Although it began within the Dominican community, Los Trinitarios now recruits people from a range of ethnic backgrounds.
Its alleged criminal activities include drug dealing, armed robbery, sex trafficking and prostitution. Members are also associated with green bandannas.
The gang is now thought to have extended its reach into the UK, with alleged leaders recruiting children from Spanish-speaking communities around Elephant and Castle in south London.
The Metropolitan Police has not publicly commented on Los Trinitarios’ alleged London connections. However, after a man arrested in Barcelona was convicted over one of three London attacks last year, Spain’s interior ministry appeared to acknowledge the gang’s presence in the capital.
Los Trinitarios began in 1993 when two Dominican prisoners founded the group at New York’s Rikers Island jail, before it spread throughout the US, Central and South America and Spain
Yeray Sanchez Morales died after attackers stabbed him and struck him with a glass bottle
A Met Police officer carrying a Taser arrests one of the men who attacked Mr Morales
“The Trinitarios youth group is currently one of the most active and violent groups nationwide,” the statement said.
It added that the group “has branches in several European countries where, according to investigators, they also carry out violent criminal activities related to drug trafficking, document forgery and scams, among others.”
The latest killing associated with the gang was the savage stabbing of a 17-year-old boy outside a McDonald’s on the Old Kent Road in south-east London.
Yeray Sanchez Morales was sitting outside the restaurant with a friend shortly before 11pm on August 27 last year when he was stabbed and struck with a bottle in front of a group of teenagers.
Police discovered photographs of bloodied hands and knives on the suspects’ social media accounts. Together with CCTV footage, the images helped investigators connect them to the attack.
Among those convicted were 18-year-olds Christhofer Jesus Vasquez and Andres Tapia Londono. Both were found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to four years in prison.
Isaac Ros Ramirez, 18, from Hackney in east London, and Juan Betancourt Hoyos, 21, from Haringey, were convicted of violent disorder and given community orders. Three 16-year-old boys also received community orders for a series of offences.
Mr Morales’ friends said they could not understand why he had been singled out by the attackers.
Born in Lanzarote to Colombian parents, he quickly made a life in Britain. He later featured in the Guardian, telling the newspaper that he supported England during the 2022 World Cup because he had grown to love the country.
YOU MAY ALSO READ: Ben Shephard Arrest News: Is Television Presenter Arrested? – NewsFinale
Giovanny Rendon Bedoya, 21, died in a “vicious” attack by a South American gang on Hillingdon Street last April
Bryan Villada Hernandez, 20, (left) was apprehended at the scene shortly after the murder, while Joseph Jimenez, 22, was arrested in Chichester
His mother, Elena Morales said her son ‘loved to dance and sing’, and dreamt of becoming a PE teacher.
His attackers’ trial heard how one of them was heard shouting ‘let’s go and rob people’ and ‘vamos, vamos, vamos’.
Videos showed Mr Morales being stabbed nine times in the neck and chest. He had been sitting next to his friend, also 17, who survived being stabbed in the back of his left shoulder.
The prosecutor, Anthony Orchard KC, earlier secured convictions against five men who murdered Giovanny Rendon Bedoya during a ‘vicious’ onslaught in Walworth last April.
The men sliced off the 21-year-old’s fingertips before hacking him to death with machetes.
Angel Gonzalez Angulo, 19, Christian Batista-Gonzalez, 23, Brian Villada-Hernandes, 19, Zozoro Boizo, 21, and Joseph Jimenez, 22, denied murder but were all convicted after 18 hours of jury deliberation.
The court was told how Mr Bedoya was chased into an alleyway near Hillingdon Street and Langdale Close, where he was cornered and ambushed.
Luiggi Perelli Santana, 22, was convicted of the murder of Gregory Catillo Volquez, 36
Carlos Akum Metumbe, of Spain, was also convicted of murder alongside Benito Ramirez Kones, 20
Join the discussion
What should be done to stop gangs from recruiting children in UK communities?
Gonzalez managed to flee the country entirely.
But after an international search, he was located and arrested near Barcelona on May 19, 2025, before being extradited to the UK to stand trial.
The Spanish authorities said Gonzalez was wanted by the UK authorities because ‘the fugitive and five other alleged members of the Trinitarios gang violently accosted another young man from a rival gang following a dispute’.
Another murder victim, 36-year-old Gregory Catillo Volquez, suffered 22 stab wounds after being attacked on a street in north London on January 13 last year.
Benito Ramirez Kones, 20, and 22-year-old Carlos Akum Metumbe, of Spain, were convicted of murder alongside Italian national Luiggi Perelli Santana, 22. They were sentenced to a total of 68 years in prison.
I Learned the Dark Side of Winning After My Parents’ $37M Jackpot
A young man has shared how his family went from struggling financially to enjoying a life of luxury after his parents won a $37 million lottery jackpot—only for the sudden wealth to eventually bring devastating consequences.
His father received the winning ticket as a gift from a family friend and later shared the prize money with them as a gesture of thanks.
“It was pretty cool as a kid—we got everything we wanted for the most part and had lots of fun family trips,” he said. “My sisters and I grew up very privileged and definitely feel the benefits of it as adults. We had a good childhood education.”
However, the family’s fortunes later changed dramatically. “Going from growing up pretty poor to having everything we wanted, and then ultimately almost being homeless as a family when I was 19, has given me a lot of wisdom and life experience,” he explained.
He believes the lottery win also influenced his career path. Having grown up with access to the latest technology and gadgets, he said he might not have entered the IT industry without that early exposure.
“As far as how that changed us, it’s tough to say if it changed us kids in the family since we were at such formative stages of life,” he said.
For his parents, though, life after the jackpot did not unfold as they had hoped.
His mother had been working as a nurse and his father as a landscaper, but both left their jobs after becoming multi-millionaires.
A man has described going from a poor childhood to a life of luxury after his parents won $37 million, before their fortune eventually came at a devastating cost (file image)
“My mother tried different business ventures and pretty much all of them failed. They invested in different things without a ton of success,” their son said.
He also watched his mother’s weight increase significantly. Eventually, she required gastric bypass surgery in an effort to address her unhealthy eating habits.
At the same time, he watched helplessly as both of his parents’ drinking problems grew worse.
“My mother’s gastric bypass contributed to her alcoholism,” he recalled.
Despite the difficulties behind closed doors, his parents continued spending time with many of the same friends they had known before winning the jackpot.
“We helped out a lot of our family and friends with their own financial situations,” the young man said.
Around 14 years after the win, however, his parents filed for bankruptcy.
“By that time, my mother was suffering from depression and severe alcoholism. A lot of it was tied into guilt from feeling responsible for our financial situation,” he said.
“A lot of it was also tied into trying to fill an empty void that money could never fill.”
DISCOVER MORE: Inside the Most Farcical Small-Boat Crossing of the Crisis
Join the discussion
Does sudden wealth destroy families more often than it helps them thrive?
His mum eventually died from chronic liver disease as a result of alcohol abuse.
‘Looking back, it felt like a domino effect: having access to more money contributed to really unhealthy eating habits, which eventually led to my mother getting gastric bypass surgery,’ he said.
‘After that, her drinking became much worse. Alcohol problems can become more serious after gastric bypass, and unfortunately that was the case for her. Eventually the alcoholism took her life.
‘Obviously I can’t know for certain how everything would have turned out if we had never won, but it’s hard not to wonder.’
After seeing first-hand how sudden wealth completely tore his family apart, the man said one of the biggest lessons he learned was his relationship with money.
‘I grew up seeing both extremes – what it was like to have almost anything we wanted and then what it was like to lose that security completely,’ he explained.
‘It made me realise pretty young that having a lot of money doesn’t necessarily mean you’re financially secure forever, and it definitely doesn’t fix the problems people already have.
‘As an adult, I think I’m much more aware of how quickly circumstances can change and probably value stability more because of it.’
The man said his dad was gifted the life-changing lottery ticket by a family friend, who he later split the winnings with as a thank you (file image)
The man said he never knew the exact amount of money his parents walked away with after sharing the winnings with the family friend – but he knew it was enough for them to live a wealthy life.
‘They used some of the money right away to pay off debt, take out life insurance policies, and handle other expenses,’ he recalled.
Speaking about what happened to the family friend after the unexpected windfall, the man said their lives ‘didn’t turn out great either’.
‘The mother in that family passed away from the same disease as my mum,’ he said.
Looking back on his life, the son said if he could go back 20 years, he would give up the winning lottery ticket to keep his family together.
‘I feel like winning brought more problems into my family than it solved,’ he said.
‘And part of me feels like I might still have my mother if things had gone differently.’
Home Improvement Star Jonathan Taylor Thomas Spotted After Drunken Driving Arrest
Former Home Improvement star Jonathan Taylor Thomas appeared disheveled Thursday in his first public sighting since his arrest on Monday.
Thomas, 45, was photographed getting some fresh air in Los Angeles, according to images obtained by the Daily Mail.
The former child actor has largely stayed out of the spotlight since being arrested on suspicion of obstruction and public intoxication.
According to a police statement obtained by the Daily Mail, authorities alleged that Thomas “kicked a deputy in the stomach” during the confrontation.
Sources close to Thomas told the Daily Mail that he has recently been struggling with disappointment over a Hollywood career that did not develop as he had hoped. Just weeks after his 45th birthday, they reportedly fear he believes it may be too late to revive his career.
The Daily Mail has contacted Thomas’s representatives for comment but has not received a response.
Former Home Improvement star Jonathan Taylor Thomas appeared disheveled when he was photographed Thursday, marking his first sighting since his Monday arrest, in images obtained by the Daily Mail.
Thomas, 45, was photographed outside in Los Angeles as he took in some fresh air.
Thomas is best known for playing Randy Taylor, the son of Tim Allen and Patricia Richardson on Home Improvement.
Thomas was seen on a patio wearing a plain black T-shirt and jeans, with his shaggy dark hair on display.
One source speaking to the Daily Mail offered insight into Thomas’s reported frame of mind in recent days.
“He is kind of a grumpy guy; he can be negative, like woe is me,” the source said.
“Jonathan is depressed. He wishes his career would be better off. He really wanted to become a director and be a bigger deal behind the camera, but it has not worked out,” the source continued.
The source also said Thomas has been increasingly preoccupied with his age.
“He just turned 45 and thinks that maybe his time has passed, that he lost out in Hollywood, which is sad because he is super intelligent and a good person,” the insider said.
The source added that Thomas’s defining success as a child actor may still be affecting his career.
“No one ever got past that he was the kid on Home Improvement, and he still kind of has kid looks, so I think that has hurt him,” the source said.
Thomas was photographed on a patio wearing a plain black T-shirt and jeans, with his shaggy dark hair visible.
A source speaking to the Daily Mail described Thomas’s recent mood, saying, “He is kind of a grumpy guy; he can be negative, like woe is me.”
“Hollywood is tough; it’s not his fault, it’s just a tough business, and work has really slowed down a ton in LA, so there is not much work for people,” the source said, adding, “Hopefully he bounces back from this.”
The source was also consternated by Thomas’s run-in with the law and struggled to understand how things could have escalated so disastrously.
‘The story is really strange; he wasn’t even driving the car,’ they mused. ‘If he just kept his mouth shut, he would have been fine, but he had to get mad, and now he is back in the news for all the wrong reasons.
‘Jonathan clearly was just having a really bad night,’ the insider added. ‘He really messed up.’
Another source told the Daily Mail that Thomas’s arrest had further damaged the already shaky chances of Home Improvement ever being revived, following the ‘never-ending struggles’ to get it in motion and ‘the substantial loss of Earl [Hindman], who played Wilson.
‘The chances of doing any sort of reboot is pretty much impossible,’ the second source said, before clarifying, ‘Not that anything was in the works; this incident makes it that much more impossible.’
They revealed that Thomas was living in fear of more damaging information emerging about his arrest and confrontation with police.
‘Jonathan is extremely embarrassed and has no excuses for what he did and is horrified about if and when the body cam footage comes out,’ the source continued. ‘To think that something like that will be out there – and out there forever – is a terrible feeling.’
The source said Thomas is ‘depressed’ and ‘wishes his career would be better off’ after failing to develop a thriving career behind the camera
A second source said Thomas was ’embarrassed,’ and worried that the arrest threatened any chance of a Home Improvement reboot. ‘Not that anything was in the works; this incident makes it that much more impossible’
They added that for someone who is as ‘private’ as Thomas has been in recent years, the arrest ‘would be a stain on everything he believes in, because he believes in being a normal person, and an upright citizen who causes no problems.
The second source added: ‘He’s taking this very hard, and he is very upset with himself.’
According to the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, the arrest occurred in Westlake Village, California, when deputies spotted a vehicle blocking traffic at an intersection.
MORE ON THIS: Queen Elizabeth II’s Custom Bentley Up for Sale at £400,000
In a press release obtained by The Daily Mail, the department said deputies noticed the driver seemed intoxicated and was behaving oddly, prompting them to perform an investigation for driving under the influence.
As field sobriety tests were being conducted, Thomas – who was not driving – ‘continually exited the vehicle and approached the deputies, distracting them from their investigation,’ according to the press release.
‘Deputies attempted to detain Weiss for obstruction and public intoxication, at which point, Weiss [Thomas] kicked a deputy in the stomach,’ the release said.
Thomas was arrested, transported and booked on charges of obstruction and public intoxication at the Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station. He was released the following day.
The driver of the vehicle was also arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol.
!['Deputies attempted to detain Weiss for obstruction and public intoxication, at which point, Weiss [Thomas] kicked a deputy in the stomach,' the release said; pictured 2013](https://i.dailymail.com/1s/2026/09/25/01/111429503-16158877-Thomas_was_arrested_on_Monday_for_obstruction_and_public_intoxic-a-6_1790295579145.jpg)
Thomas was arrested on Monday for obstruction and public intoxication after he allegedly kicked a deputy in the stomach during a traffic stop; pictured 2013
Thomas was a massive star in the ’90s, with roles in The Lion King, Man of the House, and the series Home Improvement
According to the LA County Sheriff’s inmate information center, Thomas’s obstruction charge has been placed at a felony level.
A representative for Thomas had no comment when contacted by The Daily Mail.
Thomas was a massive star in the 90s, with roles in The Lion King, Man of the House, and the series Home Improvement.
The hit show ran for eight seasons from 1991 to 1999, led by Tim Allen and Patricia Richardson as a suburban couple with three young sons played by Zachery Ty Bryan, Thomas, and Taran Noah Smith.
Thomas, who played middle child Randy Taylor, quit acting in 2006, briefly returning to the screen only for a four-episode guest shot on Allen’s sitcom Last Man Standing from 2013 through 2015.
Since 2017, Thomas has served as a national board member of the media labor union SAG-AFTRA.
In 2013, Thomas told People: ‘I’d been going nonstop since I was 8 years old. I wanted to go to school, to travel and have a bit of a break.
He later studied at Harvard and Columbia.
Thomas with costar Taran Noah Smith in an episode of the show
Thomas, pictured 1996, quit acting in 2006
‘I never took the fame too seriously,’ he added. ‘It was a great period in my life, but it doesn’t define me. When I think back on the time, I look at it with a wink. I focus on the good moments I had, not that I was on a lot of magazine covers.’
Allen recently remarked that his co-stars’ ‘issues’ have made the prospect of a Home Improvement revival ‘difficult, to say the least,’ via Us Weekly.
‘They keep talking about how it could move forward, but they get stuck [because] there are some personality problems right now with the boys,’ he said.
‘They’ve got their own issues. I always thought it would be cool if it was a story about them. That’s a little challenging right now, to put it mildly.’
Home Improvement proved to be one of the most popular sitcoms of the 1990s, marking Allen’s emergence as a star actor after years as a stand-up comic.
Allen led the cast as a suburban father who hosts a TV show called Tool Time with a friend played by Richard Karn and a female foil, who for part of the series’ run was a character portrayed by Pamela Anderson.
Other than Allen, the actor on the show who achieved the greatest celebrity was Thomas, who in 1994 was also the voice of young Simba in The Lion King.
However, his career fizzled after Home Improvement ended and he gave up on acting altogether in 2006, except for four episodes in which he made guest appearances on Allen’s subsequent hit sitcom a decade later.
The Hollywood icon appearing on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in 1997
Home Improvement ran for eight seasons from 1991 to 1999
Join the discussion
Should celebrities face tougher consequences for breaking the law, or are they treated too harshly?
A couple of years ago, Allen claimed he had been ‘talking about a spinoff’ of Home Improvement with his onscreen sons and Richard Karn, per Entertainment Weekly.
Patricia Richardson, however, disputed his story, saying she had spoken to Thomas and he denied Allen had contacted him about a new show.
Richardson noted further that Thomas was ‘not really interested in acting’ any longer and rather ‘wants to direct and write,’ on the podcast Back to the Best.