Richard Alexander Murdaugh came up in a prominent family, both in the legal and social realms of Hampton County, S.C. He attended the University of South Carolina and graduated from its law school, just like his father. Three generations of Murdaugh men served as the circuit solicitor, the South Carolina equivalent of a district attorney, for a region spanning five counties in the state. Randolph Murdaugh Sr. was the first in the family to assume the role in 1920. The family held such power in the region that many locals called the district “Murdaugh Country.”
Alex was a respected personal injury attorney before being convicted of the murders of his wife Maggie and youngest son Paul in 2023. He will spend the rest of his life in prison for the killings but maintains his innocence and is currently appealing his conviction. He also admitted to committing a slew of financial crimes, for which he was cumulatively sentenced to more than 60 additional years in prison.
The family law firm he previously worked for, Peters, Murdaugh, Parker, Eltzroth & Detrick, was renamed the Parker Law Group. Alex’s older brother, Randolph “Randy” Murdaugh IV, still works at the firm.
Maggie Murdaugh
Margaret Kennedy Branstetter Murdaugh, who went by Maggie, was mother to sons Paul and Buster. She met her husband Alex when she was a student at the University of South Carolina in 1991, and they married in 1993.
She was 52 when she and Paul were shot and killed in 2021 at the family’s hunting property in Colleton County. Alex and Maggie were reportedly living separately at the time of her death.
Paul Murdaugh, pictured here in court in a still from the documentary “Low Country: The Murdaugh Dynasty,” faced significant prison time for allegedly boating under the influence.
(HBO Max)
Paul Murdaugh
Paul Terry Murdaugh was born on April 14, 1999, to Alex and Maggie. He grew up with a love of the outdoors and enjoyed hunting alongside his father and older brother. He was 22 and in his junior year at the University of South Carolina when he was killed.
Paul reportedly abused alcohol as a teenager and young adult, and his friends have said they called his intoxicated alter ego “Timmy” because his behavior changed significantly when he was drinking. In February 2019, Paul was accused of being behind the wheel of his family’s boat while drunk, crashing the boat into a bridge in the early hours of the morning. There were five other people on board with Paul, and one passenger, 19-year-old Mallory Beach, was killed in the crash.
Paul, who was also 19 at the time, had a blood-alcohol level three times over the legal limit when he was hospitalized after the crash. He was charged with felony boating under the influence two months later. He was murdered alongside his mother in 2021 before the trial for the charges he faced in connection with the crash could begin.
Buster Murdaugh
Born Richard Alexander Murdaugh Jr., the eldest Murdaugh son went by “Buster.” He attended Wofford College for his undergraduate studies and went on to study law at his parents’ alma mater, the University of South Carolina. By the spring of 2021, Buster had been kicked out of law school, reportedly for low grades and plagiarism.
Following the deaths of his mother and brother, Buster surfaced in news reports after increased interest in the family unearthed a loose connection between him and a man named Stephen Smith, a former classmate who was killed in 2015. Rumors of an intimate relationship between Smith and Buster, and of the Murdaughs’ involvement in his death, swirled, but Buster denied the allegations.
When his father was on trial for the murders of Paul and Maggie, Buster testified as a witness for the defense, saying that his father’s behavior on the night of the killings and the following weeks was not abnormal. He also said Alex was “heartbroken” on the night they died.
Buster married his longtime girlfriend Brooklynn White in May 2025. His wife is an attorney, but Buster never returned to law school.
Buster Murdaugh, left, and his then-girlfriend Brooklynn White at the double murder trial for his father. He testified in his father’s defense.
(Jeff Blake / Associated Press)
Randolph Murdaugh III
Randolph Murdaugh III was Alex’s father and one of the men who established the Murdaugh family’s legal prominence. Like his father and grandfather, Randolph served as the solicitor of the 14th judicial circuit in South Carolina, which serves Allendale, Colleton, Hampton, Beaufort and Jasper counties. In addition to Alex, Randolph had three other children with wife Elizabeth “Libby” Alexander Murdaugh: Lynn Goettee, Randolph Murdaugh IV and John Marvin Murdaugh. The couple had 10 grandchildren.
When Paul got into the boat crash in 2019, Randolph was his first call. A year earlier, Randolph was honored with the Order of the Palmetto, the highest civilian honor awarded by the governor of South Carolina. A testament to his influence, the award recognizes lifetime achievements and contributions to the state.
He died in June 2021 after a long period of health problems — three days after Paul and Maggie were murdered.
Mallory Beach and her family
Beach was a teenager from South Carolina who was described by friends and family as a loving young woman with dreams of becoming an interior designer. She and her boyfriend, Anthony Cook, were friends with Paul, and in February 2019 the couple boarded the Murdaugh family boat with a few other friends before it crashed into a bridge in Beaufort, S.C.
Beach’s body was missing after the crash and was recovered about a week later. Her family brought a wrongful death lawsuit against the Murdaughs, which eventually cracked open inquiries into Alex’s finances. The family later settled with Maggie’s estate and Buster in 2023 for an undisclosed amount. They were brought into the case because Paul used Maggie’s credit card and Buster’s ID to buy alcohol. The Beach family also reached a multimillion-dollar settlement with the convenience store chain where Paul purchased the alcohol, and in 2024, Alex’s insurance company agreed to pay the family $500,000.
Gloria Satterfield
Satterfield was the Murdaugh’s longtime housekeeper and nanny, who had a maternal-like relationship with Paul and Buster. She was the widow of David Michael Satterfield and had two sons, Michael “Tony” Satterfield and Brian Harriott.
In February 2018, Satterfield allegedly tripped and fell at the Murdaugh’s home and was hospitalized for weeks before she died at 57. Alex and Maggie were mentioned by name in Satterfield’s obituary as “those she loved as her family.”
When the cause of Satterfield’s death was being investigated, Murdaugh claimed Satterfield tripped over the family’s dogs, causing her to fall and hit her head, and he encouraged her two sons to bring a wrongful death claim against him. Murdaugh introduced Satterfield’s sons to Cory Fleming, a fellow lawyer, who represented them in the case and schemed with Murdaugh to collect on his homeowner’s insurance policies. The settlement was reportedly more than $4 million, none of which Satterfield’s sons saw.
Fleming was sentenced to nearly four years in prison for his involvement in the scheme and Murdaugh admitted to orchestrating the plot and intercepting the insurance payout meant for Satterfield’s family, depositing the money directly into his personal account. He was sentenced to 40 years in prison for that crime, plus a slew of other financial crimes he pleaded guilty to in 2023.
Stephen Smith
Smith was born in Lexington County, S.C., and attended Wade Hampton High School, where he was classmates with Buster Murdaugh, graduating in 2014. He was found dead on a rural road in Hampton County in July 2015, and his death was initially ruled as a hit and run.
In 2021, South Carolina law enforcement reopened Smith’s case based on leads uncovered in the Murdaugh double homicide investigation. The Murdaugh name was mentioned over 40 times throughout the course of the investigation, according to a report from FITSNews, a local outlet. Detectives reportedly looked at Buster as a possible person of interest in the case, who was rumored to have been romantically involved with Smith, but the connection was never proved and Buster was never named a suspect.
Hollyoaks actress Ruby O’Donnell has been at the centre of some of the Channel 4 soap’s most dramatic storylines as fan favourite Peri Lomax over the past 12 years
Dan Laurie Deputy Editor of Screen Time
08:33, 22 Oct 2025
Peri Lomax has been killed off in Hollyoaks after 12 years
Hollyoaks actress Ruby O’Donnell has tackled some of the Channel 4 soap’s most intense plotlines over the past 12 years.
Her character Peri Lomax has found herself at the centre of the drama but her time in the village has come to an end.
During Tuesday’s (October 21) episode, Peri got crushed by ship chimney which fell on her after an explosion went off and she attempted to save Tom Cunningham (Ellis Hollins).
Pushing fiancé Tom out of the way, Peri was struck by the chimney and fell to the ground.
The nurse was conscious for a while chatting with Tom about their daughter Steph Cunningham-Lomax (Isabella Hibbert) and but she sadly passed away wen her mum Leela Lomax (Kirsty Leigh-Porter) finally arrived in extremely emotional scenes.
Ruby previously revealed that certain scenes she’s filmed over the years were “hard to tackle” given she was “still quite young” when she first joined the show in 2013.
The actress confessed she “wanted to find out how teenagers actually react in these situations” and her commitment was worthwhile as she secured Best Young Actor at the 2016 British Soap Awards and has subsequently received numerous award nominations.
Ruby loves to share her escapades on Instagram and regularly posts pictures from her social events with friends.
She can be seen having a boogie with her mates, sometimes in fancy dress, while basking in the sun in a back garden or on holiday.
The soap star is also a regular festival attendee and keeps her fans updated with her on-set and behind-the-scenes action.
Ruby is currently dating Hollyoaks co-star Nathaniel Dass, who made his debut as Dillon Ray in 2023,
Their characters might not cross paths on screen often but off-screen their romance is blossoming since going Instagram official in 2024.
The actress marked their first anniversary on Instagram by sharing a series of loved-up snaps.
She delighted fans by posting a quartet of adorable pictures, alongside the caption: “1 year with u” capped off with a pink heart pierced by a blue arrow.
Hollyoaks airs Monday to Wednesday on E4 at 7pm and first look episodes can be streamed Channel 4 from 7am
Warning: The following article contains details about suicide which some may find distressing
Cerys Lupton-Jones pauses between two doorways.
One door leads into a side room in the Manchester mental health unit where she’s a patient. The other leads into a toilet.
The 22-year-old had tried to end her life just 20 minutes earlier – but no staff are seen on the CCTV footage from inside the unit.
She hesitates for about 30 seconds, walking backwards and forwards. Then she enters the toilet and shuts the door.
The next time she is seen on the footage, doctors and nurses are fighting to resuscitate her.
Cerys dies five days later, on 18 May 2022.
A coroner has concluded that some of the care Cerys was given at Park House, which was run by the Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, was a “shambles”.
Staff were meant to be checking on her every 15 minutes.
But the last recorded observation – at 15:00 – had been falsified, saying she had been seen in a corridor. CCTV shows at that point, Cerys was already in the toilet where she would fatally harm herself.
A staff member who was supposed to be looking after her has now admitted to falsifying these records.
Zak Golombeck, coroner for Manchester, said that if someone had stayed with her after the earlier attempt to take her life, what followed may never have happened. He said neglect was likely to have contributed to her death.
Campaigners are calling for an inquiry into the number of deaths at the mental health trust and believe the services are in crisis.
Greater Manchester Mental Health Trust said it “failed her that day, and we are so very sorry that we did not do more”.
Family handout
Cerys was a patient at Park House, which was run by the Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust
Cerys’s parents, Rebecca Lupton and Dave Jones, describe their daughter as a loving young woman who would do anything for her friends. She was studying to be a nurse and was months away from completing her degree, with a job lined up.
She was autistic and had also struggled with her mental health since her teens.
Her family, who lived miles away in Sussex, say the pandemic and the reduction in community mental health support exacerbated Cerys’s problems.
The inquest was told Cerys had tried to take her life in the days running up to her death, spending time in A&E.
She was then readmitted to Park House and put on one-to-one observations for a short time. Later, she was supposed to be checked by staff every 15 minutes.
The inquest heard how, at about 14:35 on 13 May 2022, Cerys was found in a toilet by Mohammed Rafiq, a health support worker who had been assigned to check on her. Cerys had tried to hang herself.
Rebecca Lupton and Dave Jones describe Cerys as a loving young woman
Mr Rafiq and the duty nurse, Thaiba Talib, intervened.
However, the inquest heard the 15-minute observations were not then increased and staff had no proper conversation with her.
The nurse told the inquest she did not believe Cerys meant to seriously harm herself.
She told the coroner she chose not to increase observations on Cerys because she did not want her to feel punished, as she did not like being under observation.
When asked by the coroner if she should have gone with Cerys to her room after the incident and check she was safe, Ms Talib answered: “In hindsight, yes.”
Damning CCTV from inside the unit was described minute by minute in court.
It showed Cerys going into the ward garden at 14:42. The observation record, which says at 14:45 she was in her bedspace, was described by the coroner as “not accurate”.
At 14:54, Cerys walked into another toilet on the ward and closed the door.
Yet Mr Rafiq told the coroner he remembered seeing Cerys at 14:57. He wrote in the observation notes that he had seen her at 15:00 “along the corridor, looking flat-faced”. He then went on a break. In reality, Cerys was still in the toilet.
The coroner told Mr Rafiq that his recollections were wrong, and that he had “falsified” the observation records. Mr Rafiq responded: “I’m afraid so”.
Mr Rafiq said other staff had shown him how to record observations every 15 minutes, even if he hadn’t done them at that time. “That’s how they did it and that’s how I did it”, he told the court.
A new support worker took over the observations at 15:00. There was no verbal handover and, according to Mr Rafiq’s notes, Cerys had just been seen.
The CCTV shows the new support worker checking on other patients. At 15:15 she looked for Cerys.
She could be seen becoming increasingly desperate as she searched the communal areas and ran along the corridor.
At 15:19, she tried the door to the toilet, using a master key to unlock it. She found Cerys inside and immediately raised the alarm.
By that point, 25 minutes had passed since Cerys went into the toilet. She died in hospital on 18 May, five days later.
The coroner said there was a gross failure by Ms Talib to provide “basic medical attention to a person in a dependent position”.
He also found there was a culture of falsifying records on the ward.
The coroner said it was not clear what Cerys’s intention had been. In a narrative conclusion, he recorded that neglect had contributed to her death.
“Cerys was a wonderful, wonderful young person”, her mother Rebecca Lupton said
“I knew it was bad,” Cerys’s mother Rebecca told the BBC, “but listening to the evidence highlighted quite how poor the care was.”
Her father, Dave, says when Cerys was sectioned and taken to the hospital at the start of 2022, they believed it would keep her safe and help her get better. “In fact, it just made everything worse,” he says. “It was the wrong environment.”
“Cerys was a wonderful, wonderful young person. We feel that she would be here today if she’d been given better care by Manchester Mental Health Trust,” Rebecca said outside court, after the coroner gave his conclusion.
Dave described the disbelief and anger as difficult to put into words. “We need more funding for mental health services, more staff, better training and much better oversight.”
Immy Swithern was a patient at the same time as Cerys. They became close friends. She says they tried to make the best out of a bad situation and would talk all day.
She also claims some staff regularly failed to carry out 15-minute safety checks, so they tried to look out for each other.
“I was there to get better, and I was there to have help with that,” she says. “Instead, I was constantly checking on people. On that ward, I think that is the most scared I’ve ever felt in my life.”
Park House mental health unit has since closed. It was replaced by a new £105.9m hospital in November 2024.
The NHS trust said it had “significantly improved” its provision of care and it was grateful to the coroner for “acknowledging the work that has been done to prevent something of this nature from happening again”.
But campaigners claim mental health services in Manchester are in crisis.
Responding to Tuesday’s inquest verdict, the Communities for Holistic, Accessible and Rights-based Mental Health (CHARM) group, says: “It is devastating to hear of yet another young person losing their life as a result of neglect and poor care.”
The group says it is due to meet Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham this week to call for a statutory inquiry into the deaths and the financial crisis in the city’s mental health services.
In October 2022, five months after Cerys death, an undercover BBC panorama programme exposed bullying and the mistreatment of patients at the medium secure Edenfield centre, which was also run by GMMH.
As a result, an independent review was commissioned by the NHS and published in 2024.
It found a “closed culture” at GMMH. It also raised concerns about the number of deaths by ligature.
In 2022, 19 people took their own lives by hanging on mental health units in the UK, five were GMMH patients, the trust itself said that meant it had 26% of all such deaths in the whole country.
If you are suffering distress or despair, details of help and support in the UK are available at BBC Action Line.
Fleetwood Mac from left: John McVie, Stevie Nicks, Mick Fleetwood, Christine McVie and Lindsey BuckinghamCredit: GettyFleetwood Mac’s album RumoursCredit: Alamy
But I’ve been told that there are serious discussions behind the scenes about a series of projects involving all of the remaining members to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their album Rumours, which is among the best-selling and most critically acclaimed records of all time.
At the centre of the plans is said to be Mick Fleetwood, who is leading peace talks between former couple Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham, as well as John McVie.
A one-off show, a TV special and a documentary about the making of Rumours are among options being discussed for the 2027 milestone.
And Warner Records is also preparing a special re-release of the album featuring unheard material from the original studio sessions.
A source close to Mick in the US said: “Fleetwood Mac are discussing new projects and how to mark Rumours’ big 5-0. For certain there is a special edition version of the album coming, which the band and label have been secretly looking at.
“But also there is a significant hope that it is time for the definitive documentary on all the chaos in the studio that created the magic on record.
“John and Christine were divorcing and she was dating their lighting guy. Stevie and Lindsey were over just before she and Mick enjoyed a brief fling. And drugs and booze were everywhere.
“The desire is for everyone to sit down and present their side of events on screen.
“And then of course comes the potential for a stage reunion and concert. That is the goal from Mick.
“Stevie has said it would not feel right being on stage without Christine, but also she and Lindsey are on a healing journey right now, which could be the path to a new show.
“However there is a desire to pay tribute to Christine in some way and a live show around Rumours seems a very fitting way.
“The gig would fill a stadium dozens of times because of the love they command.
“But unless some major shift happens, a tour is unlikely at this stage.”
Aaron Bay-Schuck, co-chairman and CEO of Warner Records confirmed at LA’s City of Hope gala that “some very special” music leftover from the making of Rumours had been found.
He said: “We will do everything in our power to respect that anniversary as long as they’ll let us.”
Last month, Stevie and Lindsey suggested relations had thawed when they reissued their 1973 Buckingham Nicks album.
And in March, Mick admitted: “I always have a fantasy that [Stevie] and Lindsey would pal up a bit more and just say everything’s OK for them both.”
They are beloved by an entirely new generation now thanks to social media, so there will be millions around the globe hoping they can patch things up for one last hurrah.
Aaron Bay-Schuck was at City of Hope’s Spirit of Life gala to celebrate co-chairman and Warner Records COO Tom Corson, who was honoured at the event.
It is the centrepiece of the music, film and entertainment industry’s annual philanthropic campaign and raised nearly $6million.
Before the shooting, Susan Lorincz had often complained about AJ’s children, who would play in an open field near her apartment.
She would call them derogatory names and racial slurs, but things came to a head on June 2, 2023, after AJ went to Lorincz’s apartment to confront her following a reported incident involving one of her sons.
When AJ knocked and shouted for Lorincz to open the door, Lorincz fired a single shot through the locked door and it killed the 35-year-old mother. Lorincz claimed it was in self-defence, but she was eventually charged with manslaughter and was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
To this day, AJ’s death has had a harrowing impact on her children – Isaac, Israel, Afrika and Titus – and their lives.
Israel was standing next to his mother when she was shot and he was just nine years old at the time.
Isaac, her eldest son, also witnessed the shooting and called 911, running to a neighbour’s house to get help.
Heartbreakingly, Israel and Isaac have both admitted to feeling responsible for their mother’s death.
On the one-year anniversary of her death, AJ’s children recited a poem at a memorial service.
Ever since, the children have been raised by their grandmother, Pamela Dias.
Dias revealed the impact AJ’s death has had on the children, saying Isaac has been in trauma therapy, according to People.com.
She was also researching counselling for Israel, while sharing how Titus, who was just a toddler when his mother died, was “confused, irritable and inconsolable” in the weeks after.
She told CNN in October 2025: “It’s been very hard for the children – they were very young when they lost their mother, and it’s something no child should have to endure.
“At the same time, they’ve shown strength and resilience that continues to amaze me.
“I can see the values my daughter instilled in them – her kindness, her love, her faith – and that means they carry a piece of her wherever they go.”
Dias has since co-founded a non-profit organisation in honour of her daughter called the Standing in the Gap Fund, which aims to support families impacted by gun and racial violence and to fight for legislative change.
Trout, a three-time American League most valuable player who hit his 400th career home run this year, is expected to take the stand in a Southern California courtroom and speak about his friendship with Skaggs, who died on a team trip to Texas in 2019 after taking a fentanyl-laced pill he got from Angels communication director Eric Kay. Trout could also be asked about what he knew of Kay’s drug use at the time.
The testimony will come in the trial for a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Skaggs’ wife, Carli, and his parents seeking to hold the Angels’ responsible for his death. The family contends the Angels made a series of reckless decisions that gave Kay access to MLB players when he was addicted to drugs and dealing them; the team has countered that Skaggs was also drinking heavily and his actions occurred on his own time and in the privacy of his hotel room when he died.
During opening statements, a lawyer for the Skaggs family said Trout was aware of Kay’s drug problem and had offered to pay for him to attend rehab. Other players, including former Angels pitcher Wade Miley, who currently plays for the Cincinnati Reds, could also testify during what is expected to be a weeks-long trial in Santa Ana.
The civil case comes more than six years after 27-year-old Skaggs was found dead in the suburban Dallas hotel room where he was staying as the Angels were supposed to open a four-game series against the Texas Rangers. A coroner’s report says Skaggs choked to death on his vomit and that a toxic mix of alcohol, fentanyl and oxycodone was found in his system.
Kay was convicted in 2022 of providing Skaggs with an oxycodone pill laced with fentanyl and sentenced to 22 years in federal prison. His federal criminal trial in Texas included testimony from five MLB players who said they received oxycodone from Kay at various times from 2017 to 2019, the years he was accused of obtaining pills and giving them to Angels players.
Angels outfielder Mike Trout catches a fly ball in front of graphic honoring the life of Tyler Skaggs at Angel Stadium in 2019.
(John McCoy / Getty Images)
The family is seeking $118 million for Skaggs’ lost earnings, compensation for pain and suffering and punitive damages against the team.
Skaggs had been a regular in the Angels’ starting rotation since late 2016 and struggled with injuries repeatedly during that time. He previously played for the Arizona Diamondbacks.
After Skaggs’ death, the MLB reached a deal with the players association to start testing for opioids and to refer those who test positive to the treatment board.
LIMP Bizkit bassist Sam Rivers shared a final glimpse of his life just weeks before his sudden death aged 48.
The late star posted a picture of himself relaxing in the back of a limo during a trip to London.
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Rivers shared a final image of himself relaxing in a limo in London weeks before his deathCredit: InstagramRivers playing at Reading Festival earlier this summerCredit: Richard Isaac
The August 22 Instagram post, now flooded with tributes, showed the rocker leaning back in the plush seat, looking calm and content as he soaked up the moment in the UK capital.
“I hope everyone is having a great day. In London with my fav and and the LB Fam #limpbizkit #limpbizkitstyle #limpbizkitfamily #nothingbutlove,” Rivers captioned the photo.
The laid-back, joyful snapshot has now taken on heartbreaking new meaning after his death.
His bandmates confirmed the news in an emotional statement to fans.
They wrote: “In Loving Memory of Our Brother, Sam Rivers. Today we lost our brother. Our bandmate. Our heartbeat.
“Sam Rivers wasn’t just our bass player — he was pure magic. The pulse beneath every song, the calm in the chaos, the soul in the sound.”
They added: “From the first note we ever played together, Sam brought a light and a rhythm that could never be replaced. His talent was effortless, his presence unforgettable, his heart enormous.
“We shared so many moments — wild ones, quiet ones, beautiful ones — and every one of them meant more because Sam was there.
“He was a once-in-a-lifetime kind of human. A true legend of legends. And his spirit will live forever in every groove, every stage, every memory. We love you, Sam.
“We’ll carry you with us, always. Rest easy, brother. Your music never ends. — Fred, Wes, John & DJ Lethal.”
DJ Lethal shared his own heartfelt message, writing: “We love you Sam rivers. Please respect the family’s privacy at this moment. Give Sam his flowers and play Sam rivers basslines all day! We are in shock.
“Rest in power my brother! You will live on through your music and the lives you helped save with your music, charity work and friendships. We are heartbroken enjoy every millisecond of life. It’s not guaranteed.”
Rivers, born in Jacksonville, Florida, co-founded Limp Bizkit in 1994 alongside frontman Fred Durst and drummer John Otto, later joined by guitarist Wes Borland and DJ Lethal.
Sam Rivers, Wes Borland, DJ Lethal and Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit backstage at Grant Park in 2021Credit: GettyHis band members paid tribute to their “brother” on social media after he passed away on Saturday eveningCredit: Instagram
Together they reshaped late-’90s rock with hits like Break Stuff, My Way, Behind Blue Eyes and Take a Look Around, and their albums — including Significant Other and Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water — became era-defining records, with four going platinum or multi-platinum.
The band earned three Grammy nominations and a Billboard Music Award, cementing their status as one of the most influential rock acts of their generation.
He left Limp Bizkit in 2015 after being diagnosed with liver disease caused by excessive drinking, later revealing he underwent a life-saving liver transplant in 2017.
He rejoined the band in 2018 after recovering, continuing to perform with them until his death.
Many actors talk about process but Ethan Hawke has made the act of creation central to his work. He’s played musicians and writers and when he’s gone behind the camera, he’s focused on the stories of composers, novelists, movie stars and country singers both famous and forgotten. Sometimes, it feels like he’s the unofficial patron saint of art suffering, fixated on the glory and anguish of putting yourself out there in the world.
So Hawke’s portrayal of Lorenz Hart, the brilliant but troubled lyricist responsible for beloved tunes like “My Funny Valentine,” in a story set shortly before his death would seem to be just the latest chapter of a lifelong obsession. But “Blue Moon,” Hawke’s ninth collaboration with director Richard Linklater, cuts deeper than any of his previous explorations. Imagining Hart on the night of his former collaborator Richard Rodgers’ greatest triumph — the launch of “Oklahoma!” — Linklater offers a wistful look at a songwriter past his prime. But the film wouldn’t resonate as powerfully without Hawke’s nakedly vulnerable portrayal.
It is March 31, 1943, eight months before Hart’s death at age 48 from pneumonia, and Hart has just gruffly left the Broadway premiere of “Oklahoma!” Arriving early at Sardi’s for the after-party, he plants himself at the bar, complaining to bartender Eddie (Bobby Cannavale) that the show will be a massive success — and that it’s garbage. Eddie nods in a way that suggests he’s often lent a sympathetic ear to Hart’s rantings, allowing him to unload about the show’s supposedly banal lyrics and corn-pone premise and, worst of all, the fact that Rodgers will have his biggest smash the moment he stops working with Hart after nearly 25 years. “This is not jealousy speaking,” Hart insists, fooling no one.
As played by Hawke, Hart adores holding court, entertaining his captive audience with witty put-downs and gossipy Broadway anecdotes. Begging Eddie not to serve him because of his drinking problem, which contributed to the dissolution of his partnership with Rodgers, this impudent carouser would be too much to stand if he also wasn’t such fun company. But eventually, Rodgers (Andrew Scott) and his new lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II (Simon Delaney) are going to walk through that door and Hart will have to swallow his pride and pretend to be happy for them. From one perspective, “Blue Moon” is about the beginning of “Oklahoma!” as a pillar of American theater. From another, it’s Hart’s funeral.
Set almost exclusively inside Sardi’s, “Blue Moon” has the intimacy of a one-man stage show. After Hart vents about “Oklahoma!,” he readies himself for the arrival of Elizabeth (Margaret Qualley), a gorgeous Yale undergrad he considers his protégée. (He also claims to be in love with her, which baffles Eddie, who rightly assumed otherwise.) If the universal acclaim of “Oklahoma!” will force Hart to confront his professional irrelevance, maybe Elizabeth’s beaming presence — and the promise of them consummating their feelings — will be sufficient compensation.
Linklater, the man behind “School of Rock” and “Me and Orson Welles,” has made several films about creativity. (In a few weeks, he’ll debut another movie, “Nouvelle Vague,” which focuses on the making of Jean-Luc Godard’s epochal “Breathless.”) But what distinguishes “Blue Moon” is that, for once, it’s about someone else’s achievement — not the main character. Fearing he’s a has-been, the diminutive, balding Hart slowly succumbs to self-loathing. He can still spitefully quote the negative reviews for his 1940 musical “Pal Joey.” And he nurses a paranoid pet theory that Rodgers decided to collaborate with Hammerstein because he’s so much taller than Hart. (“Blue Moon” incorporates old-fashioned camera tricks to help Hawke resemble Hart’s under-five-feet frame.) Linklater’s movies have frequently featured affable underdogs, but by contrast, “Blue Moon” is an elegy to a bitter, insecure man whose view of himself as a failure has become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Of the many artists Hawke has honored on screen, he has never depicted one so touchingly diminished — someone so consumed with envy who nonetheless cannot lie to himself about the beauty of the art around him. Turning 55 next month, Hawke shares with Hart an effusive passion for indelible work but also, perhaps, a nagging anxiety about the end of his creative usefulness. If he were younger, Hawke would have come across as self-regarding. Here, there’s only a poignantly egoless transparency, exposing the lyricist’s personal flaws — his drunkenness, his arrogance — while capturing the fragile soulfulness that made those Rodgers and Hart tunes sing.
Apropos of his relaxed approach, Linklater shoots “Blue Moon” with a minimum of fuss, but one can feel its enveloping melancholy, especially once the next generation of artists poke their head into the narrative. (Sondheim diehards will instantly identify the brash young composer identified only as “Stevie.”) But neither Linklater nor Hawke is sentimental about that changing of the guard.
That’s why Hawke breaks your heart. All of us are here for just a short time: We make our mark and then the ocean comes and washes it away. In an often remarkable career, Hawke has never embraced that truth so completely as he does here. Ultimately, maybe the work artists leave behind isn’t their most important contribution — maybe it’s the love they had for artistry itself, a passion that will inspire after they’re gone. That’s true of Lorenz Hart, and it will hopefully prove true of Hawke and this understated but profound film for years to come.
Louis Tomlinson has opened up about losing friend Liam PayneCredit: You Tube/The Diary Of A CEOLiam tragically died a year ago in ArgentinaCredit: AFPThe pair kept up their friendship even after One Direction split in 2016Credit: Getty
The pair were firm friends after being in One Direction together from 2010 and 2016 and they continued their friendship after the band split up.
Speaking about the grief of losing Liam, Louis told The Independent: “I naively thought that, at this point, I’d unfortunately be a little bit more well versed with grief than other people my age.
“I thought that might mean something, but it didn’t at all. It’s something I’ll never really accept. I don’t think.”
This isn’t the first time Louis has opened up about Liam as he recently spoke about him during an appearance on Steven Bartlett’s Diary of a CEO podcast.
He told the Dragons’ Den star: “I could just go on and talk all day about how amazing he was, but I think we all looked up to him.
“I don’t think we would have been brave enough to say at that age when I was in the bnd, I think I would’ve had too much pride, but we all looked up to him massively.”
“I had the same feeling that I had with Felicity, and I think anyone has this when they’re around someone who’s struggling; my 150 per cent wasn’t nearly enough.
“And that’s when it’s my own arrogance thinking that I could have helped really, because it was so much deeper than what I could have done for him. He was definitely struggling at that time in his life.”
Liam had flown to Argentina with girlfriend Kate Cassidy for a five-day holiday, to see his ex-1D bandmate Niall Horan in concert.
Liam extended the trip but Kate returned home to the US.
Liam Payne’s sister Ruth has slammed people who are using her brother’s death for fameCredit: Roo0900/InstagramLiam died on October 16, 2024 after falling from his hotel balcony in ArgentinaCredit: PAHis girlfriend at the time of his death, Kate Cassidy, shared a video of their last dance on the anniversary of his deathCredit: Instagram
Taking a swipe about people “using his death for fame” in her moving tribute for Liam on the one year anniversary of his death, Ruth didn’t hold back.
“Everyone only seems interested in the public side of this.
“Some sadly seem more interested in the fame they can gain off this, but on the human side people need to remember when they speak, there is a son without his Dad, parents without their child and I am lost without my brother,” she said.
This comes after a video was shared of Liam lifting his girlfriend Kate Cassidy in a final dance before his tragic death.
On the one-year anniversary of Liam’s death in Argentina, Kate wrote: “This video was taken during the last hour and last day Liam and I shared in this lifetime.
“I am forever grateful for the beautiful moments we shared. I will miss you for the rest of my life Liam.”
Elsewhere in Ruth’s tribute for her late brother, she said: “1year, 12months, 52weeks, 365days… whichever way I say it, it still means the most heartbreaking truth that you’re not here any more.
“When you used to go away on tour, and l’d cry that you’d be gone for a while, I always knew you’d come back, but now I can’t get you home, I can’t meet up with you somewhere in the world, I can’t facetime or text to see how you’re doing, it’s an eternal homesick feeling because we can’t go back.”
She continued: “I underestimated grief, woah did I underestimate it.
“I am paralysed by it daily. I thought I had felt it before but I know the losses before you were just intense sadness, you are the loss of my life, the one person who l will miss at every single occasion in my life.
“I’d taken for granted that my little brother would be there through life, what a cruel lesson to learn in our 30s, that a sibling is not guaranteed to be a lifer, that I have to face this without you.”
Ruth went on: “Your death will never make sense, no matter how much I study it, whatever angle I look at it, it never makes sense. You shouldn’t have died.
“I have a reoccurring nightmare where I am in your hotel room just before it happened and you can’t hear me screaming for you, my brain is locked on your last minutes on this earth, the unaccounted minutes, the minutes I will never have the answers to, the minutes that changed everything.
“So much has happened in a year, so much to tell you, our kids have changed massively, you would continue to be in awe of your son!
“I’ve definitely got funnier (I know you’re thinking how is that possible right?!) – some of the jokes I make really make me smile because I know they would have earned me a ‘ruuu’ off you, l’ve visited some beautiful places but each place has confirmed, no matter the view, I will still feel your void from all corners of the earth.”
She later added: “I think of my grief as a clock, I explained to you years ago when I was nagging you to be better at answering your phone, that my head was like the ‘Weasley’s clock’ out of Harry Potter, where it would check everyone in our family in before I could switch off and with you travelling the world, it’d really need your confirmation of being safe and sound before I’d settle.
“Only now, there is a number missing off the clock, which means nothing in my days makes sense and it feels like noone is safe and sound.”
Liam’s sister Ruth shared an emotional and lengthy tribute on the anniversary of his deathCredit: Instagram/@roo0990Kate Cassidy has also been sharing multiple tributes about his passingCredit: Snapchat
BBC Breakfast presenters Charlie Stayt and Naga Munchetty paid tribute to a late rock star on the show following news of his death
BBC Breakfast launched Friday’s programme (17 October) with heartbreaking news about a beloved rock legend’s passing, as the show delivered a touching tribute.
Charlie Stayt and Naga Munchetty returned to screens with another jam-packed edition of BBC Breakfast, packed with various interviews, news bulletins, and weather forecasts.
Just moments into Friday’s broadcast, Charlie and Naga revealed the tragic news of KISS guitarist Ace Frehley’s death, who died aged 74 on 16 October.
The musician, whose real name was Paul Daniel Frehley, was famous for his Spaceman character and served as a founding member of the American group, along with singer and guitarist Paul Stanley, bassist Gene Simmons, and drummer Peter Criss.
“Tributes have been paid to one of the founding members of the band KISS. Paul ‘Ace’ Frehley, who has died at the age of 74,” Charlie revealed on BBC Breakfast.
A compilation featuring multiple clips of Ace was subsequently shown, whilst Charlie added: “He was known for guitar solos and he wore the Spaceman outfit from the band’s formation in 1973 until he left the band in 1982.
“He later rejoined in the late 1990s. His bandmates Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley called him ‘an essential and irreplaceable rock soldier’.”
Ace’s passing was confirmed on Thursday evening through a statement issued by his family. He leaves behind his wife, Jeanette, and his daughter, Monique, reports the Express.
“We are completely devastated and heartbroken. In his last moments, we were fortunate enough to have been able to surround him with loving, caring, peaceful words, thoughts, prayers, and intentions as he left this earth,” the statement read.
The family continued: “We cherish all of his finest memories, his laughter, and celebrate his strengths and kindness that he bestowed upon others. The magnitude of his passing is of epic proportions and beyond comprehension.
“Reflecting on all of his incredible life achievements, Ace’s memory will continue to live on forever!”
Meanwhile, Ace’s bandmates Paul and Gene issued a joint statement, which read: “We are devastated by the passing of Ace Frehley.
“He was an essential and irreplaceable rock soldier during some of the most formative foundational chapters of the band and its history. He is and will always be a part of KISS’s legacy.”
“South Park” is bidding adieu to its short-lived but buzzy Season 27.
The sixth episode of the year, which airs Wednesday on Comedy Central, marks the first episode of Season 28, a spokesperson from the network confirmed to The Times. (The episode will stream on Paramount+ Thursday.)
The reason behind the decision to end Season 27, which was originally expected to have 10 episodes, is unclear. But fans of the long-running satire will still get four additional episodes this year, if “South Park” co-creator Matt Stone and Trey Parker stick to the schedule they outlined. Fans had been speculating about the start of a new season after seeing television listings that coded Wednesday’s episode as the first of Season 28.
The new episode, titled “Twisted Christian,” follows a possessed Cartman, who “may be the key to stopping the Antichrist,” according its brief description. A short teaser also shows the students of South Park Elementary engaging with the viral “67” slang, an essentially meaningless phrase that has taken over Generation Alpha.
The recent episodes have been drawing strong viewership and have, as always, poked fun at topical issues and political figures including President Trump, immigration raids, tariffs and the FCC. Even Paramount, which bought the global streaming rights to “South Park” this summer in a $1.5-billion deal, has been the butt of several jokes.
Season 27 had an unusual cadence of episodes, with the first two arriving on a weekly schedule, then biweekly before the arrival of the most recent episode (and the apparent finale of the season), which aired three weeks later on Sept. 25.
The second episode drew criticism for its parody of Charlie Kirk, the slain political influencer, despite the episode airing weeks before his death. Comedy Central, which is owned by Paramount, announced it will not air reruns of the second episode of the latest season after Kirk was fatally shot Sept. 10 in Utah. The episode can still be found on Paramount+.
The final episode of Season 27 was the first to air after Kirk’s death, but Parker and Stone told the Denver Post the delay was unrelated to its content: “No one pulled the episode, no one censored us, and you know we’d say so if true.” The pair issued a statement on Sept. 17 saying the episode wasn’t finished in time.
Future episodes of “South Park” will air every two weeks through Dec. 10.
Times TV editor Maira Garcia contributed to this report.
DIANE Keaton’s family have shared the acting legend’s cause of death in a touching tribute to her after the Oscar winner died on Sunday.
The Godfather and Annie Hall star tragically died aged 79 after her health had quickly declined, her family have confirmed.
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Diane Keaton’s family have revealed the star died of pneumoniaCredit: AlamyThe star’s health decline quickly, a source told PeopleCredit: Getty Images
They have now released a statement to People revealing the cause of her passing as pneumonia.
They said: “The Keaton family are very grateful for the extraordinary messages of love and support they have received these past few days on behalf of their beloved Diane, who passed away from pneumonia on October 11.
“She loved her animals and she was steadfast in her support of the unhoused community, so any donations in her memory to a local food bank or an animal shelter would be a wonderful and much appreciated tribute to her.”
A source told the outlet that Keaton’s health had “declined very suddenly, which was heartbreaking for everyone who loved her.”
“In her final months, she was surrounded only by her closest family, who chose to keep things very private. Even longtime friends weren’t fully aware of what was happening.”
When the news of her death broke on Sunday her family had only released a short statement asking for privacy in “this great moment of sadness”.
She is survived by her two children Dexter, 29, and Duke Keaton, 25.
Keaton won the Best Actress Oscar in 1978 for her role in Annie Hall starring alongside the film’s director Woody Allen.
Many speculated that the movie was in fact based on the pair’s real-life relationship.
Keaton told The New York Times in 1977: “It’s not true, but there are elements of truth to it.”
The emergency call to first responders has been released, with medics dispatched to a “person down” in the early hours of the morning, according to audio obtained byTMZ.
“Rescue 19, person down,” a dispatcher said before Keaton was transported to a local hospital by the Los Angeles Fire Department.
Acting giant Ben Stiller said of the late actress: “Diane Keaton. One of the greatest film actors ever.
“An icon of style, humor and comedy. Brilliant. What a person.”
The First Wives Club co-star Bette Midler said: “The brilliant, beautiful, extraordinary Diane Keaton has died.
“I cannot tell you how unbearably sad this makes me.”
She added: “She was hilarious, a complete original, and completely without guile, or any of the competitiveness one would have expected from such a star.
Keaton with actor and director Woody AllenCredit: Getty ImagesKeaton with Al PacinoCredit: Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images
“What you saw was who she was…oh, la, lala!”
Hollywood legend Al Pacino – who starred alongside Keaton in the Godfather – is said to regret not marrying the star after their on-and-off relationship.
An insider told the Daily Mail: “For years after he and Diane split, Al used to say, ‘if it’s meant to be, it’s never too late for a do-over.’ But sadly, now it is.”
Diane Keaton died in Los Angeles on Saturday at age 79, and her family says the cause was pneumonia.
Family members of the Oscar-winning actress shared a statement with People confirming Keaton’s cause of death and saying they were “very grateful for the extraordinary messages of love and support” they had received in recent days.
The outlet first reported the news of the screen icon’s death Saturday, saying the Los Angeles Fire Department had responded to her home that morning and transported a 79-year-old woman to an area hospital. Initially, the family did not disclose the cause of death and asked for privacy as they processed their grief.
In Wednesday’s statement, Keaton’s family members said the star had a deep love for animals and was passionate about supporting the unhoused community. They encouraged people to honor her memory by donating to a food bank or animal shelter.
Keaton was known for her powerful performances in iconic pictures such as Francis Ford Coppola’s “Godfather” movies and Woody Allen’s “Annie Hall,” which earned her the 1978 Academy Award for lead actress. She was also nominated for lead actress for her roles in “Reds” (1981), “Marvin’s Room” (1996) and “Something’s Gotta Give” (2003).
Born in Los Angeles in 1946, Keaton rose to fame through her late 1960s New York stage career, earning a Tony nomination at age 25 for her role in Allen’s 1969 theatrical production of “Play It Again, Sam.”
Later in her career, she became a muse for writer-director-producer Nancy Meyers and starred in four of her movies. She was a noted trendsetter known for her fabulous on-screen outfits and, more recently, for sharing her style on Instagram, where she amassed 2.6 million followers.
Keaton’s death was widely mourned by theater, movie and fashion lovers alike.
“She was hilarious, a complete original, and completely without guile, or any of the competitiveness one would have expected from such a star,” wrote actor Bette Midler on Instagram. “What you saw was who she was.”
“Diane Keaton wasn’t just an actress: she was a force,” wrote actor Octavia Spencer on Instagram, “a woman who showed us that being yourself is the most powerful thing you can be. From Annie Hall to Something’s Gotta Give, she made every role unforgettable.”
Times film editor Joshua Rothkopf contributed to this report.
The State Department says the US has ‘no obligation to host foreigners who wish death on Americans’ after revoking visas over critical social media posts.
The US Department of State says it has revoked the visas of six foreigners over remarks they made on social media about Charlie Kirk, the conservative political activist who was shot dead at a rally in September.
“The United States has no obligation to host foreigners who wish death on Americans. The State Department continues to identify visa holders who celebrated the heinous assassination of Charlie Kirk,” the department said in a post on X on Tuesday evening in the US.
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The post was followed by a list of screenshots and critical remarks from six social media accounts, which the State Department said belonged to individuals from South Africa, Mexico, Brazil, Paraguay and Mexico.
“An Argentine national said that Kirk ‘devoted his entire life spreading racist, xenophobic, misogynistic rhetoric’ and deserves to burn in hell. Visa revoked,” the State Department tweeted along with a screenshot that had the username blacked out.
The screenshot post said Kirk was now somewhere “hot” – an allusion to religious descriptions of hell.
The United States has no obligation to host foreigners who wish death on Americans.
The State Department continues to identify visa holders who celebrated the heinous assassination of Charlie Kirk. Here are just a few examples of aliens who are no longer welcome in the U.S.:
The news from the State Department came as Kirk was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Tuesday by President Donald Trump.
Kirk, who was 31 at the time of his death, was a cofounder of the conservative Turning Point student organisation. He was credited with driving young voters to vote for Trump during last year’s US presidential election.
His death led to a wave of social media commentary on the US left and right about his politics, as Trump elevated him to the status of a “martyr for truth” during a memorial service.
More than 145 people were fired, suspended, or resigned over social media posts or comments about Kirk, according to a New York Times investigation.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio previously said the Trump administration could revoke the visas of foreign nationals over comments on Kirk, while Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau urged internet users to report social media comments of people applying for US visas.
“I have been disgusted to see some on social media praising, rationalising, or making light of the event, and have directed our consular officials to undertake appropriate action,” Landau tweeted in September. “Please feel free to bring such comments by foreigners to my attention so that the [State Department] can protect the American people.”
In light of yesterday’s horrific assassination of a leading political figure, I want to underscore that foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country. I have been disgusted to see some on social media praising, rationalizing, or making light…
While the State Department has required visa applicants to share their social media handles on their applications since 2019, in June, it added the provision that student applicants must make all their social media accounts public for government vetting.
The move follows a crackdown on international students who supported pro-Palestine protests on university and college campuses across the US under the Trump administration.
In August, a State Department official told Fox News it had revoked more than 6,000 student visas this year.
About two-thirds of visas were revoked because students reportedly broke US law, the Fox News report said, while “200 to 300” were cancelled because they supported “terrorism” or engaged in “behaviour such as raising funds for the militant group Hamas”.
A POLISH woman has been discovered in a shocking state after allegedly being locked in a tiny room by her parents for nearly three decades.
Mirella, now 42, was just 15-years-old when she vanished from public life in 1998.
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Mirella, 42, has been discovered in a shocking state after allegedly being locked in a room for three decadesCredit: Unknown
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The Polish woman was found ‘days away from death’Credit: Unknown
She lived in the city of Świętochłowice, in southern Poland.
Her parents reportedly told neighbours at the time that their teenage daughter had gone missing. For years, no one questioned it.
But this summer, police stumbled upon the horrifying truth.
Officers were called to an apartment block in July after residents heard a disturbance coming from inside.
When they knocked on the door, the elderly landlady, 82, denied anything unusual was going on.
Cops then spoke to Mirella directly. She reassured them that “everything was fine”.
But officers quickly noticed severe injuries on her legs and decided to call and ambulance.
She was rushed to hospital – and doctors determined she was just “days away from death” from infection.
Although Mirella’s discovery took place in July, the shocking case has only now come to light after locals launched a fundraiser to help her recover.
One of the organisers posted online: “Doctors determined that she was only days away from death due to infection.
“She has been in hospital for two months now due to her critical condition.
“People who knew Mirella thought she left her ‘family’ home almost 30 years ago.
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The emaciated woman was discovered by cops. Police had been called to an apartment block back in July after neighbours reported hearing a disturbance.Credit: Unknown
“People who knew Mirella thought she left her ‘family’ home almost 30 years ago.
“Unfortunately, the truth turned out to be different.
“Much remains unknown, and several facts cannot be revealed at this stage. One thing is certain: the truth must come to light as to why this young, healthy 15-year-old stopped leaving her home and disappeared without a trace.
New CCTV in search for missing woman, 34, who vanished from her home
“It is unimaginable to spend so much time in one room.
“She herself says that she has never even seen her city develop, that it is behind in everything, that she has missed out on so many things, she has never been to a doctor, never obtained an ID card, never gone for a simple walk or even to the balcony…
“She’s never been to a dentist or a hairdresser.
“Her hair and teeth are in critical condition, even threatening her health, so visits to a private clinic are now necessary.”
Mirella’s nightmare began when she was just a teenager. Her parents allegedly confined her to a small room in their flat and cut her off from the outside world completely.
For 27 years, neighbours believed the couple’s story that their daughter was missing.
Residents assumed only two people lived in the flat: the elderly couple.
Her ordeal only came to an end at the end of July when neighbours heard noises and alerted the emergency services.
When police and paramedics entered the second-floor apartment, they were met with a devastating scene.
Witnesses said Mirella looked “extremely neglected,” and her legs “appeared to be necrotic.”
One neighbour said: “It’s unbelievable. I remember Mirella as a teenager. We used to play in front of the building when I visited my grandmother for the holidays.
“Then she suddenly disappeared under mysterious circumstances.”
After she was rescued, Mirella spent two months in hospital fighting for her life.
Authorities have now launched a criminal investigation.
Prosecutor Agnieszka Kwatera confirmed that the case is being formally investigated.
Junior Asp. Anna Hryniak from the Municipal Police Headquarters in Świętochłowice told Fakt: “After our intervention and transporting the woman to the hospital, the district police officer contacted the Social Welfare Center.
“We are awaiting feedback on this woman’s situation from the Social Welfare Center so we can take further action.”
It is not yet clear what legal consequences Mirella’s parents will face.
The shocking discovery comes just days after a separate case made headlines in Brazil.
Authorities were tipped off anonymously and found the child in a state of neglect. She had never been to school, received no vaccinations, and could not speak.
Child protection counsellor Ligia Guerra said: “The girl was very apathetic and dazzled by everything.”
She added that the child’s hair was “tangled” and looked “as if it had never been washed.”
The girl had reportedly eaten nothing that day and survived only on liquids.
She communicated with police and counsellors through sounds rather than words.
The child was immediately taken to hospital for medical checks before being moved to a children’s home.
Both cases have horrified the public and raised questions about how such extreme abuse can go unnoticed for so long.
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She lived in the city of Świętochłowice, in southern PolandCredit: Getty
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Her ordeal only came to an end at the end of July when neighbours heard noises and alerted the emergency servicesCredit: Getty
Charlie Cosser heartbroken dad makes a solemn promise to his tragic son Charlie, while sister Eloise reveals the devastating moment she heard her brother’s heart stop
Charlie Cosser was stabbed three times(Image: ITV)
After his 17-year-old son Charlie was fatally stabbed, dad Martin Cosser made a solemn double promise – he would get justice and he would dedicate the rest of his life to preventing knife crime.
Charlie was murdered by 16-year-old Yura Varybus at an end-of-term party on 23rd June 2023 in a farmhouse in West Sussex. Medics worked tirelessly to try to save his life but tragically, Charlie died two-and-a-half days later in hospital.
His father Martin broadcast his grief on TikTok, and now the story of how the murder case went viral is being told in the second series of ITV1’s TikTok: Murder Gone Viral.
In heartbreaking scenes viewers will see Charlie’s younger sister Eloise recall how police came to the family home in the night. She recalled: “I woke up to the sound of the door being banged on really hard. The police officer tells us she’ll be driving us to the hospital where they’ve taken Charlie. I didn’t have time to put my shoes on. I just ran out in the darkness into the police car.”
One of the three stab wounds had damaged Charlie’s aorta and he had a cardiac arrest in the ambulance. However, medics operated in the ambulance then managed to stabilise him before his family gathered at his bedside. Tragically, Charlie died when his heart broken family agreed to turn off his life support on the advice of doctors, whose tests showed Charlie had suffered irreversible brain damage.
Eloise revealed how she watched the life drain out of her beloved big brother, who was nicknamed Cheeks, as his heart stopped beating. She said: “I can’t even describe how it feels like to watch your brother die. I put my head on his chest and I was listening to his heart beat for the last time. I looked at his face and I could see the colour draining from his face and he became even more pale than he was before. I was told I needed to step back because I was in such a state but I’m refusing because I don’t want to leave his side in his last moments and that’s when I put my head back on his chest and realised his heart was no longer beating.”
Losing his son galvanised dad Martin to do everything he could to stop knife crime. “I just held Charlie’s hand and I made him a promise. I promised him justice but the main promise was that I would spend the rest of my life educating people about the dangers and immeasurable impacts of knife crime. I felt so isolated and alone in the immediate aftermath and I just recorded into the phone.”
Martin posts under his son’s name @CharlieCosser17. His most watched video sees Martin reacting tearfully to Varybus’ conviction and has been viewed 4.7 million times.
ITV reporter James Dunham, who covered the case, revealed how the posts made the murder go viral. He said: “Once Martin started posting his videos on Tiktok he soon gained a lot of attention but because police had arrested their prime suspect quite quickly, there wasn’t the usual Tiktok speculation about who the killer might be or where they might be hiding. Instead we got raw, unfolding agony.”
The documentary reveals how the violence unfolded. Charlie was stabbed three times after an altercation at the party. When he was arrested he initially pleaded guilty, but was later given permission to change his guilty plea to not guilty, forcing the family through a lengthy murder trial.
“An application had gone in for him to vacate his guilty plea,” Martin tells the documentary. “As far as we were concerned he’d already been found guilty, he was guilty. That was torture, absolute torture.”
However, the evidence against Varybrus was overwhelming. While the murder weapon was never recovered, there were eye witness accounts that reported Varybus being “drenched in blood”, and one witness said they heard him say “I’ve stabbed someone”. He later burned the clothes he was wearing and was also seen changing the settings on his mobile phone which detectives believe was intended to tamper with the evidence of his location. Varybrus was convicted of murder and possession of a bladed article and sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of sixteen years. Because Varybrus was under eighteen at the time of the killing, reporting restrictions initially protected his identity, but the judge lifted these after conviction, allowing the press to publish his name.
On the show Charlie’s dad Martin holds up the grey t-shirt Charlie was wearing on the night he was murdered. “You can see three stab wounds clearly on there,” says Martin. “Actually they are really small knife wounds and yet they caused catastrophic damage.”
Martin’s campaigning helped make the story a national talking point and start his work to educate people about the horrendous ramifications of knife crime. Now Martin and his wife Tara have set up a charity called Charlie’s Promise which raises awareness of the dangers of carrying and using a knife.
Martin said: “I set about putting the wheels in motion and setting up a charity called Charlie’s Promise and the talks I go out and give are to prevent and make a difference to knife crime in this country. And while there is air in my lungs I will continue to tell the story of my little boy and how incredible he was and make a difference in this country to prevent other families like ours going through this misery.”
The Palestinian Resistance Movement (Hamas) has expressed its deep condolences to the State of Qatar, its Emir, government, and people, following the deaths of three Qatari diplomats in a traffic accident near Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. The diplomats were part of Qatar’s delegation engaged in ongoing ceasefire negotiations related to the Israeli war in the Gaza Strip.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Hamas conveyed its “sincere condolences and solidarity with the sisterly State of Qatar,” praying for “God’s mercy” upon the deceased and a swift recovery for the injured.
“We ask God Almighty to bestow His mercy and forgiveness upon them, grant the injured a speedy recovery, and inspire their families and the brotherly Qatari people with patience and solace. To God we belong and to Him we shall return,” the movement said.
Hamas also affirmed its “absolute solidarity” with Qatar and its people, praying that the Gulf state be “protected from all harm and evil.”
According to Egyptian security sources, the accident occurred approximately 50 kilometres from Sharm El-Sheikh, when the diplomats’ vehicle was traveling to attend the anticipated announcement and signing of a Gaza ceasefire agreement.
The victims were identified as Abdullah bin Ghanem al-Khayarin, Hassan al-Jaber, and Saud bin Thamer Al Thani. Two others — Abdullah bin Issa al-Kuwari and Mohammed al-Buainain — were injured and remain in critical condition at a nearby hospital.
The majority of the deaths have occurred in the states of Veracruz and Hidalgo.
Published On 13 Oct 202513 Oct 2025
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At least 64 people have died in Mexico after heavy rains and flooding hit five states last week.
The National Civil Protection Coordination (CNPC) chief, Laura Velazquez Alzua, speaking during President Claudia Sheinbaum’s daily news briefing on Monday, said another 65 people were still missing.
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The state of Veracruz on the country’s southeastern coastline has confirmed 29 deaths, followed by 21 in Hidalgo, 13 in Puebla and one in Queretaro, Alzua said.
Forty-three people are also reported missing in Hidalgo, along with 18 in Veracruz and four in Puebla.
Thousands of military troops have been deployed to offer assistance across the five affected states, and governors are also working together to coordinate support, Sheinbaum said.
Early estimates show that about 100,000 houses have been affected, she added, with some near rivers having “practically disappeared”.
Facing questions about Mexico’s alert system, Sheinbaum said there were no meteorological signs “that could have indicated to us that the rain was going to be of this magnitude”.
Meteorologists have said the rains occurred thanks to the remnants of Hurricane Priscilla and Tropical Rainstorm Raymond, which caused rivers to rapidly rise, leading to flooding and landslides.
The heaviest rainfall was reported on Wednesday in Veracruz’s city of Cerro Azul and Puebla’s Cuetzalan del Progreso, which saw 280mm and 286mm of rain, respectively, Alzua said.
The Mexican Army, Air Force and National Guard have jointly implemented response efforts, distributing food and clean water, sometimes by air, to locations otherwise made inaccessible by landslides and road closures.
Nearly 400 repair workers have restored more than 80 percent of the electricity supply across the five states, where about 263,000 users lost power, electricity officials said during the briefing.
Diane Keaton, the beloved star of “Annie Hall,” “The Godfather” and “The First Wives Club,” wooed audiences as much as she did her multiple Hollywood boyfriends. It seems that much remains true for ex-lovers Woody Allen and Al Pacino, whose high-profile romances with the Los Angeles native are back in the spotlight in the wake of her death over the weekend.
“Her face and laugh illuminated any space she entered,” Allen, Keaton’s “Annie Hall” director and co-star, wrote Sunday.
The acclaimed and controversial filmmaker reminisced on his dating relationship with Keaton for the Free Press, recalling how they first met in Manhattan in the late 1960s for his stage production of “Play It Again, Sam.” Allen’s first impression of the eventual Oscar winner was, he explained, as “if Huckleberry Finn was a gorgeous young woman.”
“The upshot is that she was so charming, so beautiful, so magical, that I questioned my sanity. I thought: Could I be in love so quickly?” he wrote, later describing their evolution from collaborators to romantic partners.
Keaton and Allen collaborated on eight movies, also including “Stardust Memories,” “Sleeper” and “Love and Death.” The 89-year-old director wrote that he “made movies for an audience of one, Diane Keaton,” and heavily valued her opinions on his work. As Allen praised Keaton’s radiating personality (“She was a million laughs to be around”) he recalled learning about her struggles with bulimia and spending Thanksgiving with her family in Orange County.
“Why we parted only God and Freud might be able to figure out,” Allen wrote.
Pacino, who shared the screen with Keaton in three “Godfather” films and dated Keaton throughout the ‘70s and ‘80s, is also thinking about what could have been. “Looking back, Al admits the love of his life was Diane who he’s always called an ‘amazing woman,’ ” a source close to the 85-year-old actor told the Daily Mail.
“I know he will forever regret he didn’t make his move when he had the chance,” the source added. “For years after he and Diane split, Al used to say, ‘If it’s meant to be, it’s never too late for a do-over. But sadly, now it is.’ ”
After news of Keaton’s death spread Saturday, stars including Bette Midler, Steve Martin, Viola Davis and Kate Hudson paid tribute on social media. “What you saw was who she was,” Midler said of her “First Wives Club” co-star. Keaton never married and is survived by two adopted children, Duke and Dexter Keaton.
Allen closed his essay emphasizing the significance of Keaton’s death: “A few days ago the world was a place that included Diane Keaton. Now it’s a world that does not. Hence it’s a drearier world.”
“Still there are her movies,” he wrote. “And her great laugh still echoes in my head.”
