SpaceX has reached an agreement to acquire radio-spectrum licenses that could expand Starlink Mobile’s ability to deliver cellular connectivity inside buildings. The company says the deal moves it closer to becoming “a major mobile carrier in the U.S.”
Elon Musk described the acquisition as the final major step in completing SpaceX’s spectrum strategy for nationwide phone coverage. “This is the last critical piece of the spectrum puzzle needed for SpaceX to provide complete phone coverage in America,” he wrote in a social media post Thursday.
The licenses are being purchased from investment firm Grain Management, according to documents filed with the Federal Communications Commission. SpaceX, best known for its rocket launches and space exploration operations, is seeking to use the spectrum to broaden Starlink’s mobile ambitions.
The low-band frequencies are particularly valuable because they can travel through walls and other obstacles more effectively than higher-frequency signals. That capability could help address a key limitation of satellite-to-phone service, as roofs, walls and buildings can interfere with wireless connections.
The transaction remains subject to FCC approval. If cleared, the agreement would let Starlink combine satellite-to-mobile signals with what SpaceX calls an “advanced terrestrial deployment,” creating a network designed to connect compatible devices in more locations.
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SpaceX also said the FCC has approved Starlink Mobile’s request to deploy 15,000 satellites. Those spacecraft would operate in the 2-gigahertz band and connect directly with mobile phones, without requiring specialized user equipment.
UBS analyst John Hodulik said the spectrum should work with existing handsets and that he expects no major regulatory barriers. However, he cautioned that building out SpaceX’s wireless business will take time, meaning the near-term effect on the broader telecom industry is likely to remain limited.
Investors reacted sharply to the prospect of SpaceX becoming a powerful new competitor in the U.S. wireless market. T-Mobile shares fell $18.58, or 11%, to $152.72 in Friday morning trading, while AT&T dropped $1.83, or 7.4%, to $22.76.
SpaceX shares moved in the opposite direction, rising $2.61, or 1.6%, to $163.18.
Country Singer Ella Langley Cancels Concert After ‘Serious Security Threat’
Ella Langley has called off her Friday night concert at Tulsa’s BOK Center following a reported security threat.
The 27-year-old country singer, whose hit “Choosin’ Texas” has dominated the charts, shared the announcement on social media and said the threat was considered serious.
“Due to a serious security threat involving the safety of my fans, the venue staff, and my team, the incredibly difficult decision was made to cancel tonight’s show,” Langley wrote. “This decision was made under the advisement of local authorities, the venue, and my security team.”
She added: “I know how much time, travel, money, and planning goes into coming to a show, and I can’t tell you how sorry I am. This is not a decision that was made lightly.”
“I was so looking forward to spending tonight with you, but your safety will always mean more to me than anything else,” she continued. “I refuse to put anyone in harm’s way.”
Tulsa police later described the incident as a “false bomb threat call.” Officers conducted a sweep of the venue with K-9 units and found no signs of danger, according to News On 6.
Ella Langley canceled her Friday night performance at Tulsa’s BOK Center; she is pictured on October 6
Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” has become a major success, with the singer pictured in February 2024
Despite Langley’s explanation, Tulsa police told the outlet that officers had not advised the venue to cancel the concert.
The BOK Center, which shared a statement from Langley, said the decision was made after weighing the safety of the audience, venue employees and performer.
“The safety and well-being of everyone involved is our absolute priority, and after careful consideration, we have determined that the show cannot proceed,” the venue said.
The statement continued: “We understand the disappointment this news brings and apologize to fans who planned to attend. The safety of fans is our foremost concern and will always come first.”
The BOK Center said more details about ticket refunds would be released later.
“Choosin’ Texas” has spent 24 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, where it was recently displaced by Taylor Swift’s “Patient Zero.”
That run made Langley the longest-reigning solo female artist in the chart’s history.
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The singer-songwriter is currently on her Dandelion Tour. She performed at Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre on Wednesday.
Langley wrote: “Due to a serious security threat involving the safety of my fans, the venue staff, and my team, the incredibly difficult decision was made to cancel tonight’s show”
Tulsa police called the incident a “false bomb threat call” after a K-9 sweep found no indication of danger, according to News On 6; the Bank of Oklahoma Center is pictured in 2019
Langley is currently performing on The Dandelion Tour and appeared at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado on Wednesday; she is pictured in a recently shared Instagram selfie
Langley recently faced criticism after hunting photographs resurfaced online, including multiple images showing animals she had killed over the years
Langley recently came under fire over resurfaced hunting photos.
Multiple images featuring her various kills over the years were previously posted online by the country star.
One, shared to Facebook in November 2018, showed Langley beaming toward the camera as she supported the head of a dead deer.
Sharing a selection of the snapshots to X, one disgruntled person wrote: ‘This disgusting industry plant, MAGA, zionist and now weird b**ch is the same one all of you are listening to and supporting, and she’s suddenly topping every music chart out of nowhere…
‘Please stop making just any idiot famous; this is simply awful.’
Another wrote: ‘That’s really unfortunate, I hope she addresses it and learns from the past.’
And a third added: ‘She’s disgusting.’
However, many social media users came to Langley’s defense, with one sharing: ‘Wow! Ella just keeps getting better and better. She is the real deal American girl.
‘More to love about her every single day. Thanks for pointing this out bc makes me want to listen even more.’
Someone else wrote: ‘I love these pics. Nice wholesome sport, you get to spend time with family and friends while hunting and get to harvest food and learn how the world really works.’
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Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Reportedly Disciplined in Prison After Alleged VIP Treatment Revealed
The legal and prison saga surrounding Sean “Diddy” Combs is continuing to unfold.
The music mogul, who is serving time at a low-security federal prison, has reportedly received one of the institution’s harshest disciplinary penalties after reports surfaced about his unusually comfortable life behind bars, NBC News reported.
Combs, 56, was sanctioned for what officials classified as “disruptive conduct” at FCI Fort Dix in New Jersey, according to NBC, which cited a union official familiar with the matter.
The rapper behind “Act Bad” lost 41 days of good conduct time, Jose Rojas, secretary of AFGE Local 506, told the outlet.
“This is among the most serious penalties,” Rojas said.
Rojas said the punishment is commonly imposed when inmates are caught with contraband cellphones. Combs was previously reported to have secretly possessed a phone at the federal facility and used it to view nude and sexually explicit images allegedly sent by a former girlfriend.
According to Rojas, prison authorities take illegal cellphone use seriously because an inmate could potentially use one to arrange an attack from inside the facility.
Combs’ projected release date has shifted more than once since he entered prison. His original release was reportedly scheduled for June 2028.
After the loss of his good conduct credits, however, his expected release date moved from January 2028 to March 2028, NBC reported.
Rojas said disciplinary officials concluded that Combs had engaged in behavior “which disrupts or interferes with the security or orderly running of the institution.”
Federal inmates who follow prison rules may earn as many as 54 days of good conduct credit each year, according to NBC News.
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The Bad Boy Records founder is currently serving a 50-month sentence for prostitution-related offenses. He was reportedly placed in solitary confinement at the New Jersey facility after NBC detailed his alleged preferential treatment behind bars, TMZ reported last week.
People familiar with federal prison procedures told TMZ that inmates are routinely moved to a special housing unit while an investigation is underway.
A Bureau of Prisons spokesperson declined to discuss Combs’ individual confinement status, citing privacy, safety and security concerns, NBC reported.
A representative for Combs also told NBC that they were unaware of any disciplinary action involving the rapper, whose credits include “Mo Money Mo Problems.”
“It is interesting that the focus remains on Sean when the reporting itself raises broader questions about what goes on inside federal prisons and how information makes its way out,” the spokesperson said.
“We have not been provided with any official findings or explanation of the disciplinary action you describe, so I am not going to speculate about its basis or consequences,” the representative added. They said Combs “remains focused on serving his sentence and returning to his family.”
Reports about Combs’ alleged prison privileges emerged in an NBC investigation last month. Four inmates who shared his housing unit claimed the convicted producer spends thousands of dollars each month maintaining an unusually lavish lifestyle inside the facility.
The report alleged that Combs had access to a cellphone and alcohol, while other inmates reportedly prepared customized meals for him and cleaned the toilet and shower area before he used them.
“This is not some normal s–t you see in jail. This is some rich s–t,” one inmate told NBC.
“It looks crazy, but again, it’s Diddy.”
The Post reached out to the Federal Bureau of Prisons for comment.
Federal Judge Blocks Deportation of Dominican Immigrant Shot by ICE During NYC Arrest Attempt
A federal judge has temporarily blocked the deportation of an undocumented immigrant who was shot Thursday during a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation in New York City.
In a two-page order, U.S. District Judge Paul Oetken, an Obama appointee, ruled that the man—identified by police as Oscar Belgal and named Oscar Bergal in a court document—cannot be removed from the United States without a court order while his petition challenging his detention is pending.
Oetken also prohibited federal authorities from transferring him to a facility outside New York’s Southern or Eastern Districts, or the District of New Jersey, without first obtaining court approval.

Law enforcement personnel tend to the suspect after he was shot by federal immigration officers on Thursday in New York. A 5-year-old boy was inside the car. On Friday, a judge blocked his deportation. (New York City Police Department via AP)
At a Friday court hearing, a judge dismissed the defense’s application for a temporary restraining order with prejudice after federal prosecutors did not contest Oetken’s directive barring Belgal’s deportation.
Belgal, a 28-year-old Dominican national, was shot after allegedly refusing to follow lawful orders during an ICE operation targeting him in the Bronx, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
New York Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a news conference near the scene Thursday night that Belgal moved his vehicle forward before at least one officer fired seven shots, hitting him below his left ear.
ICE officers used their vehicles to block Belgal as he tried to drive away, but he accelerated toward them, said Marcos Charles, a senior ICE official. Charles spoke Friday at a Washington news conference with DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin.
“Our officers, using their training and believing that their life and the life of their partners and the general public were in danger, used their training and fired weapons,” Charles said.

In this image taken from New York City Police Department body camera video, law enforcement personnel tend to the suspect, who was shot by federal immigration officers on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in New York, as he drove his car with a 5-year-old boy inside. (New York City Police Department via AP)
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The 5-year-old boy inside the vehicle was not injured. Charles said Belgal survived the shooting and was treated at a local hospital.
Belgal has since been released, though his attorneys said a bullet remains lodged in his body.
ICE agents did not know the child was inside the vehicle. Charles said, however, that Belgal “was aware” of the boy’s presence and put him at risk by attempting to evade law enforcement.
Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark said in a statement that her office was working to establish what happened and determine how to proceed.
“Any shooting in the Bronx is a matter of grave concern that impacts community safety,” Clark said. “As District Attorney, it is my top priority to protect the well-being of everyone in the borough. We will continue to conduct a thorough investigation where our process is guided by the evidence and the law.”
Outside the courthouse, Harold Solis, an immigration attorney with the nonprofit Make the Road New York, condemned the ICE officers’ actions.
“Regardless of whether or not someone has a criminal history, it is not lawful and it is not OK to shoot a father in an afternoon with his son in the back seat,” Solis told reporters Friday. “That is not how we resolve legal disputes in this country. We resolve them in buildings like these, in courtrooms.”

Protesters and law enforcement officers clash close to the scene where a man was shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer during an operation in the Bronx borough of New York on October 8, 2026, according to local media and police. (CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP via Getty Images)
The NYPD released body-camera footage Friday showing officers arriving after the gunfire. NYPD officers were not involved in the shooting.
The video shows the suspect handcuffed and sitting on the ground as officers approach. In the background, a crowd can be heard expressing anger and dismay over the shooting.
According to DHS, Belgal has a prior grand larceny conviction and previous arrests for assault, robbery, drug possession, and weapons possession. Federal authorities also alleged that he has ties to the notorious Trinitarios street gang.
Why Florida Politicians Called Hurricane Isaias a ‘Weird’ Name
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday called on residents in Florida’s Panhandle to prepare for Hurricane Isaias as the storm approached the Gulf Coast.
Forecasters expected Isaias to reach the coast Friday night or early Saturday as a major hurricane.
During his remarks, DeSantis also criticized the storm’s name—and said he would use a different one.
“I don’t know how to pronounce this, because it’s not normal,” DeSantis said. “I’m calling it Isaiah. You guys can call it what you want. I know that’s not how you pronounce this; it’s something else, but it’s weird and I’m just going to keep butchering it for the next 72 hours. And I’d rather just be that — so I’m calling it Isaiah.”
DeSantis was not the only Florida politician to take issue with the name. Republican Rep. Jimmy Patronis, a former Florida chief financial officer, raised the same complaint in a post on his personal X.com account.
“On behalf of NW FL, I have a request: can we use common American names people can pronounce for storms? During a disaster the last thing we need is everyone trying to figure out how to say “Isaias” (too many syllables). Think of first responders using radios near loud equipment,” Patronis posted.
On behalf of NW FL, I have a request: can we use common American names people can pronounce for storms? During a disaster the last thing we need is everyone trying to figure out how to say “Isaias” (too many syllables). Think of first responders using radios near loud equipment. https://t.co/yMXaDEfIzp
— Jimmy Patronis (@JimmyPatronis) October 8, 2026
Where did Isaias come from?
Isaias, pronounced “Ees-eye-ee-us,” is the Spanish and Portuguese form of Isaiah, a name with Hebrew origins.
Although uncommon in the United States, the name is more familiar in Central and South America, especially in Guatemala and Mexico.
That background helps explain why Isaias was selected in 2009 to replace Ike on the Atlantic hurricane naming list.
Hurricane names for storms in the Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico and North Atlantic are selected by the World Meteorological Organization’s Regional Association IV Hurricane Committee.
The committee includes representatives from meteorological and hydrological services across North and Central America and the Caribbean.
According to the WMO, several considerations guide the selection of hurricane names:
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Names should be short to make communication easier
They should be easy to pronounce
They should carry appropriate meaning across different languages
They must be unique, since the same names cannot be used in other regions
Not every storm named during the Atlantic hurricane season is expected to affect the United States. Mexico and Central America, where Spanish is widely spoken, also regularly face tropical storms and hurricanes.
Other non-English names on this year’s hurricane list included Cristobal, a Spanish name; Edouard, a French name; Marco, with Spanish and Portuguese roots; and Omar, a Hebrew-Arabic name. Next year’s list will feature Henri, a French name, and Imani, which comes from Swahili.
Isaias first appeared on a hurricane name list in 2014, but was not used for a hurricane until 2020.
According to video on the Florida Channel website, Gov. DeSantis pronounced the name correctly and without complaint during a storm update on Aug. 1, 2020.
Copyright 2026 by WKMG ClickOrlando – All rights reserved.
Charlie Kirk’s Widow Erika Kirk Weighs Presidential Library Memorial
Erika Kirk is assembling a collection of memorabilia documenting her late husband Charlie’s life and work, with the possibility that it could eventually be displayed in a presidential library-style museum.
Charlie Kirk was assassinated on September 10, 2025, while speaking at Utah Valley University.
During a Fox News tour of Charlie’s keepsakes at Turning Point USA’s Arizona headquarters, Erika, 37, was asked whether a museum modeled on a presidential library might one day showcase the memories and materials from his life and career.
“It’s on our list, and it’s something that we have in the works,” she said in the interview, which aired Friday.
Erika already has many of the kinds of items commonly displayed in such institutions, including Charlie’s handwritten letters, Bibles given to him by Turning Point USA supporters and other personal belongings.
“I’m just so blessed and grateful that Charlie left with us hundreds of his journals. He wrote down a lot about the future of Turning Point and the vision of Turning Point,” she said.
She also said she expects TPUSA, as it continues to develop, to endure for generations.
Erika Kirk (pictured) is assembling a collection of memorabilia from her late husband Charlie’s life and work that could eventually be displayed in a presidential library-style museum
Charlie Kirk (pictured right) was assassinated on September 10, 2025, while speaking at Utah Valley University
“I want to make sure that it’s something where our students that are currently in chapters, one day, their children will be chapter leaders or chapter members,” Erika said.
Erika has spoken publicly in recent weeks following the first anniversary of her husband’s assassination.
Charlie, 31, died almost instantly after 23-year-old Tyler Robinson allegedly shot him from a nearby rooftop in what prosecutors described as a sniper-style attack. Robinson has pleaded not guilty to aggravated murder and other charges.
Erika rushed to arrange a private flight to Utah, but Charlie had died before she reached the hospital where he was being treated, she recently told Vanity Fair.
She said a police officer with 20 years of experience advised her not to view Charlie’s body, telling her, “if it were my spouse, I wouldn’t want to remember them this way.”
“I looked back at him and said, ‘With all due respect, I want to see what they did to my husband. I didn’t get a kiss goodbye this morning. I just want to kiss my husband,’” she told the magazine.
Erika recalled that hospital staff removed the tubes from Charlie’s mouth, wrapped his neck and attempted to clean away the blood.
It was then, she said, that she saw an expression that convinced her Charlie had “saw Jesus” and had “fought the good fight.”
Erika has spoken publicly in recent weeks following the first anniversary of her husband’s death
Erika already has many of Charlie’s belongings, including handwritten letters, Bibles given to him by TPUSA supporters and other personal memorabilia
She recalled that his green eyes were half open and the corners of his lips turned upward. “I’ll never be able to put it into words. But Charlie had a smirk. It wasn’t sad,” she said.
Her reactions in the immediate aftermath of Charlie’s murder were heavily scrutinized online and by conspiracy theorists who questioned how she was mourning her husband.
She was criticized for wearing a gold sequined suit at Turning Point USA’s annual AmericaFest convention in December last year.
But Erika has now claimed she wore the ‘sparkly suit onstage’ because it was the ‘only thing that fit.’
She also went viral the day after Charlie’s death because she sent a Turning Point staff member to the Alo Yoga store in Salt Lake City to purchase plain black clothing for her and several others.
Erika, in her sit down with the magazine, claimed she sent the staffer out because the only clothing item she had with her was a t-shirt from her clothing brand, Proclaim.
The shirt allegedly said ‘heaven is my home’ and ‘I’m just here recruiting,’ which she did not deem appropriate attire for her to wear on Air Force Two as Vice President JD Vance transported her husband’s remains back home.
Erika was appointed CEO of Turning Point USA, the conservative youth organization that Charlie founded in 2012, after his assassination.
Erika Kirk, with her late husband Charlie and their two children, says she is currently focused on honoring Charlie, caring for her two children and continuing to build Turning Point USA
Although she is now leading the organization, Erika does not have her own office and instead works on the couch in Charlie’s former office.
Earlier this month, the Kirk family sent a wrongful death notice, a precursor to a lawsuit, to Utah officials claiming Utah Valley University (UVU) officials made a string of ‘reckless’ decisions that resulted in Charlie’s death by leaving him vulnerable to the rooftop sniper.
The family claims UVU failed to conduct a ‘meaningful risk assessment’ before the event, including failing to scout out rooftops near the event space where Robinson allegedly fired from.
Charlie’s relatives alleged that UVU Police also did not have a written security plan and failed to hold any security briefings ahead of the event.
The notice, seen by the Daily Mail, read: ‘Through a series of stunning failures and reckless decisions, the UVU Parties created a foreseeable danger to Charlie.’
The Kirk family said they have not assessed a monetary amount for damages they intend to seek against Utah authorities, but said the ‘potential damages are substantial.’
The notice names the State of Utah, UVU, the Utah Valley University Police Department, campus police chief Jeffrey Long, Astrid Tuminez, who was UVU’s president at the time of the assassination, and ‘other state actors.’
In response to the filing, Utah Valley University head of communications Sharon Turner told the Daily Mail: ‘We are aware of the notice of claim. UVU addresses legal matters consistent with our established processes. Our focus remains on supporting our campus community.’
Charlie Kirk, 31, was shot dead at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025. He had been debating students before a crowd of around 3,000 when a sniper opened fire from a rooftop more than 400 feet away
Tyler Robinson has pleaded not guilty to aggravated murder, a charge that could make him eligible for the death penalty if convicted
An external review released by UVU last week also found that Turning Point insisted Charlie speak outdoors at the university, despite security concerns from campus officials.
UVU’s report also found that the school failed to conduct a formal security assessment and did not properly assess dangers including a potential rooftop shooter.
Campus officials also did not create a written event action plan and deferred critical decision-making to Turning Point, the report said.
Charlie’s alleged assassin, Tyler Robinson, is awaiting trial for murder. He faces the death penalty if found guilty.
Man Sentenced for Killing Ex-Girlfriend on Her 21st Birthday
Inset left: Rasheed Turner (Jackson County Sheriff’s Office). Inset right: Layla Freeman (obituary). Background: The Kansas City, Missouri, intersection where Turner killed Freeman (Google Maps).
A Missouri man will spend the rest of his life in prison after being convicted of luring his former girlfriend to a meeting on her 21st birthday and fatally shooting her, authorities in the Show-Me State said.
Rasheed Turner, 26, was convicted in August by a Jackson County jury of first-degree murder and armed criminal action in connection with the May 2025 killing of 21-year-old Layla Freeman.
On Wednesday, Jackson County Circuit Judge Adam Caine sentenced Turner to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder conviction. He received an additional 15-year sentence for armed criminal action, which will be served consecutively.
The shooting occurred on May 13, 2025, near the intersection of West 37th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue in Kansas City.
When officers arrived after receiving reports of gunfire, they found Freeman near a parked Chevrolet Malibu with multiple gunshot wounds. She had been shot several times and was bleeding heavily.
A preliminary police investigation indicated that Freeman “had an interaction with one or more suspects” before the fatal shooting, according to a police report obtained by Kansas City-based Fox affiliate WDAF.
Turner was arrested on May 28, 2025.
Witnesses told police they did not see the shooting, but they heard the gunfire and a woman screaming. They also reported that a man left the Malibu immediately afterward and ran to the driver’s side of a Ford Mustang.
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Investigators used city surveillance footage to locate the Mustang and identify Turner. Detectives also reviewed social media activity and text messages exchanged between Turner and Freeman before the shooting.
According to WDAF, police determined that Freeman’s birthday was connected to the events leading up to the killing.
Freeman’s cousin told investigators that she had been speaking with Freeman on FaceTime several hours before the shooting. During the call, the cousin learned that Freeman and Turner planned to meet, according to court documents obtained by the television station.
Turner reportedly told Freeman he wanted to see her because he had a birthday gift for her. About 90 minutes after the FaceTime call, Freeman spoke with her cousin again.
During that conversation, Freeman said she was with Turner. She was crying and told her cousin she would call back.
She never made that call.
Freeman’s obituary remembers her as a compassionate woman whose faith shaped the way she lived:
“Layla accepted Christ at 16, and her faith guided her life of service and love. Whether caring for others professionally or lifting spirits with her smile, she radiated peace and grace. Though her time was brief, her impact was lasting. Layla’s legacy of love and faith will forever be cherished by all who knew her.”
“Domestic violence-related homicides leave lasting harm on families and our community,” Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson said in a post on X (formerly Twitter). “Our office works every day to hold abusers accountable and prevent these tragedies.”
Australian TV Personality Matty J Addresses Sam Wood’s Domestic Violence Charges
Former The Bachelor star Matty ‘J’ Johnson has spoken publicly for the first time about the domestic violence allegations involving Sam Wood.
In a lengthy Instagram statement shared on Friday, the 39-year-old said he felt “ashamed” that he had once viewed the 46-year-old celebrity fitness trainer as a role model.
Johnson also reflected on how easily a polished public persona can be mistaken for an accurate picture of someone’s private character.
Looking back, Johnson recalled the first time he encountered Wood and the impression the fitness entrepreneur made on him.
“I remember the first time I saw Sam Wood. He was getting out of a flashy European car, dressed sharply, when someone approached him for a photo,” he wrote.
“At the time, it felt like a snapshot of the public image he had created. To me, it looked like genuine success.”
Former The Bachelor star Matty ‘J’ Johnson, 39, right, has spoken out about the domestic violence charges involving fellow former Bachelor star Sam Wood, 46, left
In a statement posted to Instagram on Friday, Johnson said he was “ashamed” that he had once considered the celebrity fitness trainer a role model
Johnson, who met Laura Byrne while starring on the fifth season of The Bachelor in 2017, said Wood initially appeared to embody his vision of the ideal family man.
“At that point in my life, in my late 20s, I was looking for a benchmark. Someone who seemed to have everything worked out — someone whose life I could look at and think, that’s the kind of man I want to become.”
However, Johnson was keen to correct any suggestion that he and Wood had been close friends, despite appearing together publicly on several occasions.
“I want to make this very clear: I am not, and never have been, a close friend of Sam’s,” he said.
“We were both on the same television show, and our paths crossed a handful of times as a result.”
Johnson said Wood contacted him after his season of The Bachelor aired, suggesting they meet if Johnson was ever in Melbourne.
Although they did eventually catch up, Johnson stressed that their interactions were infrequent and limited.
“From the outside, Sam appeared to have everything: a happy marriage, beautiful children, successful businesses and a reputation as a genuinely good bloke,” he continued.
Johnson rejected claims that he and Wood were close, despite their appearances together over the years. He is pictured with Wood and fellow Bachelor star Matt Agnew
“He seemed to represent a version of masculinity that was very easy to admire.”
“I believed I understood what his life stood for. The truth is that, like everyone else, I knew very little about the person behind the image.”
The reality television star said he was stunned when he first heard the allegations against Wood, who was refused bail on Thursday after being charged with domestic violence offences involving his wife, Snezana.
During the hearing at Maroochydore Magistrates Court, prosecutors alleged Wood pushed his wife into a wardrobe, grabbed her by the throat, threw her against a wall and struck her head against the floor during an incident at the family’s luxury Noosa apartment.
The court heard Snezana feared she was going to die during the alleged attack.
Wood has denied the allegations, with his legal team indicating he intends to defend the charges and may rely on self-defence.
Johnson said the allegations had forced him to reconsider his understanding of success, masculinity and the qualities that make someone a good man.
‘What makes this so confronting isn’t just the gravity of the allegations. It’s how they contradict the image many of us had mistakenly formed of him,’ he said.
It comes after a court heard on Thursday that Snezana feared her celebrity fitness trainer husband was going to kill her during an alleged domestic violence attack at their beachfront apartment in the La Mer complex
Johnson revealed he regretted having once viewed Wood as someone worth emulating.
‘I feel ashamed that I once looked up to Sam as someone I wanted to emulate,’ he said.
‘I feel deeply for Snezana and her children, who are facing trauma I can only begin to imagine.’
He also urged men to take greater responsibility for challenging harmful attitudes and behaviour among their friends.
‘As men, we have to do more than simply say we’re against domestic violence. We have to look at ourselves.’
Johnson argued that men needed to challenge outdated ideas about masculinity, particularly those that equate strength with control or power over a partner.
He also called on fathers to teach their sons that respect for women must extend beyond public gestures and good manners.
‘We need to teach our boys that respect isn’t simply about how they treat the women they want to impress. It’s about how they treat women when they’re angry, when they’re rejected, and when they feel powerless.’
Despite Johnson previously appearing to stay silent on Sam’s arrest, his wife Laura spoke up about Wood’s charges on her Life Uncut podcast alongside Brittany Hockley
He concluded his statement with a reflection on the qualities he once associated with Wood’s success.
‘The measure of a man has never been the car he drives, the money he makes or the image he projects to the world. It is how he treats people, and even more so – how he treats people when no one is watching.’
His comments come after the newly crowned Australian Father of the Year attracted criticism from fans and fellow reality TV personalities for not publicly addressing the charges against his fellow Bachelor alumnus.
Earlier this week, activist Instagram account Warrior for Animals singled out Johnson for his apparent silence, contrasting his response with that of fellow Bachelor star Matt Agnew, who had publicly condemned domestic violence.
‘I am being flooded with messages that are praising Matt Agnew from The Bachelor for condemning DV. He is awesome,’ the account wrote.
‘However, there is disappointment that another Matt (Matty J) from Bachelor has decided to go the opposite direction on this…’
The account went on to criticise Johnson for not issuing even a general statement condemning domestic violence, before revealing it had unfollowed him.
Former Bachelorette star Angie Kent also weighed in, questioning why high-profile men who promote themselves as family-oriented role models were not speaking out.
‘To profit off a public profile selling the ‘fairytale ending’, talking about and directing everyone else and then hide behind silence when a crisis happens?’ she wrote in a message shared by Warrior for Animals.
‘I hope it’s not about protecting profits because that’s gross. And I hope it’s not about loyalty because no amount of friendship excuses strangling anyone. Ever.
‘Having privilege and a platform means using it when it actually matters, not just when it’s convenient or profitable. I hope this isn’t the case.’
However, she acknowledged she did not know Johnson personally and hoped there was an explanation for his apparent silence.
‘But he’s always seemed like a safe and nice enough dude,’ she added.
‘So let’s hope there’s a more solid explanation than fear of losing cash and protecting a mate.’
There is no evidence Johnson’s previous silence was motivated by financial concerns or a desire to protect Wood.
His wife, Laura Byrne, had already addressed the allegations on her popular Life Uncut podcast alongside co-host Brittany Hockley.
Byrne, who shares three children with Johnson, said the allegations highlighted how domestic violence could occur in families regardless of wealth, social standing or public reputation.
‘That for me is enough to form a very strong opinion. I think sometimes domestic violence is quite othered. It happens in other families,’ she said.
‘It happens with people who have alcohol or abuse issues. This is such a clear example that domestic violence can happen no matter your social standing.
‘No matter how much money you have. No matter how elite you are or the profile you’ve built… This to me is just such a clear example of how deep it runs within our culture within Australia and this can exist within every household.’
Johnson’s statement comes as Wood remains behind bars following his arrest at the family’s luxury apartment in the La Mer complex on Noosa’s Hastings Street last Saturday night.
During Thursday’s bail hearing, police prosecutor Sergeant Janette Grigoris told the court Wood’s stepdaughter Eve, 21, had called Triple Zero and reported that her mother had allegedly been choked.
The court heard Snezana told police she had struggled to breathe during the alleged assault and feared her husband was going to kill her.
Prosecutors also alleged Wood’s behaviour had been ‘escalating’, with police revealing they had previously attended a ‘similar’ incident involving the couple in Victoria.
The court heard that earlier incident did not result in a formal complaint.
Photographs of Snezana’s alleged injuries were presented during the hearing, while prosecutors told the court she was living in fear of retribution.
Wood’s solicitor Mathew Cuskelly disputed the prosecution’s version of events, maintaining his client denied strangling or assaulting his wife.
Acting Magistrate Janelle Boegheim ultimately refused bail.
Wood remains entitled to the presumption of innocence, and the allegations against him have not been proven in court.
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