Man who attacked pro-life activists outside Planned Parenthood is given sentence
A 28-year-old man who was caught on video attacking two pro-life activists outside a Planned Parenthood clinic in Baltimore was sentenced this week to a year of home detention and three years of probation.
Baltimore Circuit Judge Yvette M. Bryant rebuffed prosecutors’ calls for a 10-year sentence against Patrick Brice, 28, after he was found guilty of two counts of second-degree assault and reckless endangerment in relation to the May 2023 incident, according to The Baltimore Banner.
“What about my rights and my well-being?” one of the victims in the attack, Mark Crosby — who was 73 years old at the time — reportedly shouted at Bryant on Thursday as she left the bench.
Brice said on May 26, 2023, he intended to debate Richard Schaefer – the other victim, who was 84 – about the concept of sin outside the Planned Parenthood facility, but then lost it after Schaefer made what he perceived to be a racial remark, The Baltimore Banner reported. Surveillance video showed Brice shoving Schaefer into a flowerpot and then assaulting Crosby when he rushed to his aid.
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“I just snapped one day,” Brice was quoted by The Baltimore Banner as saying in court Thursday before apologizing to both men.
As part of his sentence, Brice must complete anger management classes, undergo drug and alcohol screening and remain in therapy, the website added.
It also said Crosby suffered permanent damage to his right eye as a result of the assault.
“This was not a minor altercation between two parties with differing views on abortion. It was a vicious, targeted assault on two senior citizens whose only ‘offense’ was praying for expectant mothers and offering life-affirming alternatives to abortion,” Tom Brejcha, the President and Chief Counsel of the conservative law firm Thomas More Society, said in a statement.
“One of the victims was knocked unconscious. The other suffered broken facial bones and a lifelong eye impairment. This was an act of cowardice and cruelty, and sheer mayhem. This crime deserves far more serious consequences than a ‘get out of jail free’ card and a one-year home detention that amounts to nothing more than a slap on the wrist,” he added.
In May 2023, images posted on the Facebook page of Jay Walton, the president of the Baltimore County Right to Life chapter, purportedly showed Crosby wearing a shirt with the message “Pro Life,” with swelling over his eye and blood covering his face following the attack.
“One of our volunteers, Mark Crosby, was brutally beaten on May 26, 2023, while he was praying in front of the Planned Parenthood in Baltimore City,” Walton wrote on a GoFundMe page at the time. “Mark is currently in the hospital being treated for the serious injuries he sustained.”
“For years, Mark has prayed in front of the Planned Parenthood in Baltimore City to let the scared, young abortion-minded women know that they are loved, that their baby is loved,” Walton added.
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In a redacted police report, a Baltimore police officer said one of the victims, later identified as Crosby, told investigators he was standing outside the Planned Parenthood clinic “in support of Pro-life ideals when an unidentified [white male] attacked another member of the same beliefs as [him].”
The individual “stated that he immediately went to assist and was struck by the suspect and fell to the ground where he was struck in the face,” the report said.
Police say the other victim, later identified as Schaefer, “advised the suspect had approached volunteer members of the Planned Parenthood and spoke with them before directing his attention to him.
That victim said “the suspect spoke with him in an aggressive manner, opposing [his] pro-life ideals and without warning tackled him into a large flowerpot,” the report added.
It also noted that several witnesses saw the assault unfold, with one telling investigators that the “conversation between the suspect and [victim] was a debate over their ideas about pro-life and pro-choice viewpoints.”
Crosby’s attorney Terrell Roberts read a statement in court on behalf his client, saying that the incident demonstrated a “gross disregard for the law and human decency.”
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“We were in no position to defend ourselves,” Crosby wrote, according to The Baltimore Banner. “To treat elderly folks with that kind of brutality is shocking.”
Victim suffers brain damage as grand jury indicts 6 in Cincinnati mob assault
The six individuals arrested in connection with the viral beating in downtown Cincinnati have been indicted by a grand jury and are facing additional charges.
Patrick Rosemond, 38, Jermaine Matthews, 39, Montianez Merriweather, 34, DeKyra Vernon, 24, Dominique Kittle, 37, and Aisha Devaughn, 25, are each charged with three counts of alleged felonious assault, three charges of assault and two charges of aggravated rioting, the Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office confirmed to Fox News Digital.
“What I saw on video is not the Cincinnati I know and love,” Hamilton County Prosecutor Connie Pillich said. “These charges hold those involved in the attack accountable.”
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The update comes nearly two weeks after a bystander video showing the brutal beatdown on the corner of Fourth and Elm streets went viral, sparking national outrage and forcing local leaders to answer for the brawl that broke out around 3 a.m. on July 26.
Witness video obtained by Fox News Digital shows a man repeatedly yelling racial slurs at a group before being violently thrown to the ground and kicked repeatedly.
“I saw a little ruckus going on, saw people kind of scuffling, so kind of zoomed in, and once my phone kind of focused in, I saw the so-called victims being pretty aggressive toward the group of people that were already standing out there,” witness Jay Black told Fox News Digital.
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Black added that he watched the man get knocked to the ground, before getting up and start fighting again.
“Once he got up, you know people were kind of backing off of him, but he was kind of still going at people, you know, and using racial slurs,” Black said.
He told Fox News Digital that “contrary to what people think,” there were actually “a lot of people” trying to break up the fight.
The fight ignited a national firestorm as local leaders were left to answer for the apparent lack of police presence in the downtown area when the fight occurred after it was revealed that only 11 officers were stationed downtown the night of the brawl.
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In a press conference held last week, Cincinnati Police Chief Theresa Theetge revealed that, of the approximately 100 individuals present on the street corner at the time of the fight, only one person called 911.
“That is unacceptable to not call the police,” Theetge said. “Traffic was horrendous. People saw this. They were fighting in front of traffic. Why didn’t people call us?”
One of the victims in the attack, Holly, can be seen in additional footage being violently slammed to the ground and knocked unconscious as she tried to split up the fight.
“I remember being afraid, terrified,” Holly told Fox News Digital. “I just remember my life flashing before my eyes, and all I can think is, ‘Dear God, I hope my children know that I love them.’”
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Holly revealed the horrific fight left her with brain damage and life-altering injuries, including a severe concussion.
“I’m having someone help take care of me financially, mentally and physically,” Holly said. “It’s very humbling, it’s very embarrassing to not be able to just be able to hang out by myself. I think that’s the scary part, to not know just how deep the damage is going to be.”
Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval also weighed in on the violence that lit up social media at a press conference last week.
VIDEO OF RACIAL SLUR YELLED DURING THE BRUTAL CINCINNATI BEATDOWN EMERGES
“This was an awful incident, and our law enforcement has been working quickly and effectively to bring all responsible to justice,” he said while standing alongside other city officials and leaders. “Let me be clear, there is no place for violent crime in Cincinnati, whether it’s a fight or gun violence. We will pursue those responsible and we will hold them accountable no matter who they are.”
However, Pureval has since come under fire for his handling of the city’s law enforcement, with mayoral challenger Cory Bowman, who is also Vice President JD Vance’s half-brother, slamming city leadership for what he believes is relaxed bail policies allowing violent offenders back on the streets.
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“There are things from City Hall that are showing that the police are not supported the way they need to,” Bowman told Fox News Digital. “They are unable to do their jobs because they’ve been told time and time again that they have to use restraint in certain things instead of enforcing the law. They’re told to dial back, and then what happens is that we have prosecutors and judges that have a catch-and-release system.”
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In a previous statement, Council Member Anna Albi also condemned the brutal beating, while vowing to support the community’s police force.
“Under no circumstances is it ever acceptable to condone such awful violence,” Albi said. “Our greatest responsibility as elected officials and city leaders is to ensure the safety of our community. That is why this City Council continues to invest in supporting and growing our police force while simultaneously investing in social services to foster safe and healthy communities.”
If convicted, the suspects face the possibility of 29.5 years in prison.
GOP lawmaker warns Dems may ‘cut off’ Maryland from White House with redistricting
The lone House Republican in Maryland’s congressional delegation is warning that his state could lose its main connection to the White House if Democrats there made good on threats to redraw district lines.
“Right now, as the sole Republican representative, I’m the liaison between the state and the executive branch and the legislative branch, and that would be lost if they went to single-party representation,” Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., told Fox News Digital. “I don’t think Marylanders are going to put up with that.”
Maryland is one of the latest states threatening to jump into the growing redistricting war that’s taking over U.S. politics.
Texas Republicans are moving to change the Lone Star State’s congressional map with a proposal that could give the GOP as many as five new seats in the House of Representatives.
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Democratic strongholds California and New York have threatened to make their own changes in response, which would sidestep independent redistricting commissions in both states.
Since then, the fight has spilled over to a number of other states, particularly those with lopsided congressional representation, like Maryland.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore’s office told Fox News Digital that the Democratic leader “will continue to evaluate all options as states around the country make decisions regarding redistricting,” while blasting Texas’ move as a “power grab.”
“Look, the governor talks a lot about bipartisanship. Obviously, that would not be a bipartisan bill, to attempt to make it a single-party delegation,” Harris told Fox News Digital. “And, you know, an attempt at that in 2022 failed in the courts. I think an attempt to that this time might fail again.”
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Harris was wary of a wider redistricting fight across the country, but accused Democrats – not Texas Republicans – of starting the battle.
“I think that we should probably shy away from mid-cycle redistricting,” Harris said.
He added, however, “Look, the Democrats started it. I’m not surprised that Texas wants to do what they want to do.”
Harris pointed to states like Alabama, where a lengthy court battle led to the ruby-red state drawing in a second Democrat-leaning district ahead of the 2024 elections.
Voting rights groups had argued that an existing map by Republicans unfairly violated the 1965 Voting Rights Act by suppressing Black voters’ representation in the state. It resulted in Alabama adopting a court-approved map with two majority-Black districts, both of which are currently represented by Democrats.
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“The bottom line is that the Democrats started the discussion about whether or not redistricting would be accomplished mid-cycle,” Harris argued.
And despite his wariness of the practice now, Harris praised President Donald Trump’s call for a snap census that would exclude anyone in the U.S. illegally.
“I think Americans should realize that if we weren’t counting illegal aliens in our census, there would be 10 to 12, maybe 15 fewer Democrats in the House of Representatives,” Harris said.
Melania scores victory as Carville apologizes for comments about first lady
First lady Melania Trump shared an X post in triumph on Thursday after Democratic strategist James Carville retracted claims disputed by her lawyer.
Carville opened his latest episode of the Politics War Room podcast with a legal note, abandoning his usual folksy and avuncular style for a more serious tone.
“In last week’s podcast episode, we spoke with Judd Legum,” he said. “After the episode, we received a letter from Melania Trump’s lawyer. He took issue with our title of one of those YouTube videos from that episode and a couple of comments I made about the first lady. We took a look at what they complained about, and we took down the video and edited out those comments from the episode. I also take back these statements and apologize.”
Melania Trump shared a screenshot of the above apology’s transcript and a crossed-out screenshot of a video of the episode titled, “The Epstein connection: Trump & Melania.”
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Melania Trump’s dispute was about how Carville characterized how she met her future husband.
An aide to the first lady, Nick Clemens, told Fox News Digital in a statement, “First Lady Melania Trump’s attorneys are actively ensuring immediate retractions and apologies by those who spread malicious, defamatory falsehoods. The true account of how the First Lady met President Trump is in her best-selling book, ‘Melania.’”
Last week, The Daily Beast pulled an article detailing allegations by journalist Michael Wolff that Melania Trump was introduced to her husband Donald Trump via a modeling agent connected to Jeffrey Epstein, after a challenge from the first lady’s lawyers.
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The outlet shared an Editor’s Note in place of the article, declaring, “After this story was published, The Beast received a letter from First Lady Melania Trump’s attorney challenging the headline and framing of the article. After reviewing the matter, the Beast has taken down the article and apologizes for any confusion or misunderstanding.”
Colorectal cancer diagnoses soar among younger adults for one key reason
Updated cancer screening guidance has reportedly caused a spike in diagnoses among younger Americans.
According to two studies by the American Cancer Society (ACS), there’s been a recent surge in colorectal cancer in people aged 45 to 49.
ACS scientists found that after 15 years of stable colorectal cancer (CRC) trends, U.S. diagnoses of local-stage disease skyrocketed in this age group from 2019 to 2022 — including a 50% relative increase from 2021 to 2022.
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“It is promising news, because the uptick in cases is likely due to first-time screening in the wake of new recommendations for younger, average-risk adults to begin testing for colorectal cancer earlier,” lead author Elizabeth Schafer, an associate scientist and cancer researcher at ACS, commented in a press release.
In 2018, ACS lowered the recommended age for CRC screenings from 50 to 45. The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) enforced the same guidance in 2021.
In the first study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), the researchers analyzed CRC diagnoses from 2004 to 2022 among adults aged 20 to 54, sorted by age, location and stage at diagnosis.
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Diagnoses have increased by 1.6% each year since 2004 in the 20 to 39 age group, and by more than 2% annually since 2012 in those aged 40 to 44 and 50 to 54.
A 1.1% annual increase in people 45 to 49 years old accelerated to 12% per year from 2019 to 2022.
The ACS confirmed the increase was driven by the detection of local-stage tumors, which increased by nearly 19% each year for colon cancer and more than 25% for rectal cancer in that timeframe.
Before this period, colon cancer detection rates had been stable, and rectal cancer detection rates had been declining.
RARE CANCER DIAGNOSES SURGE DRAMATICALLY AMONG MILLENNIALS AND GEN X
Advanced-stage disease also continues to steeply increase, ACS reported, rising from 1.7% to 2.9% annually since 2004 among adults under 45 and “even more rapidly” in the past 10 years in those aged 45 to 54.
These findings led to another ACS study, also published in JAMA, which found that CRC screening among U.S. adults between 45 and 49 increased by 62% from 2019 to 2023.
The scientists analyzed the data of more than 50,000 individuals to compare changes in screening. They found that CRC screening, which was at 20% in 2021, jumped to 37% in 2023.
Among 45- to 49-year-olds, colonoscopy screening increased by 43%, and stool-based testing increased more than five times from 2019 to 2023.
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Lead author Jessica Star, associate scientist at ACS in Atlanta, considers it “thrilling” to see this increase in screening among younger individuals, as it’s likely linked to earlier-stage diagnoses.
“However, we still have a long way to go,” she said in the release. “Screening for colorectal cancer in ages 45 to 49 remains suboptimal, and has not increased equitably by both educational attainment and insurance status.”
Paul E. Oberstein, M.D., medical oncologist and assistant director of the Pancreatic Cancer Center at NYU Langone Perlmutter Cancer Center, said the increase in screening is “successful in detecting more cancers at an early stage where the chance of cure is very high.”
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“This ultimately should mean that fewer people are diagnosed later in life and fewer people have advanced colon cancer,” Oberstein, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital.
“This study reinforces the need to focus research on understanding the causes of colon cancer increases – and possible steps to reduce these cases.”
The rate of colon cancer in those under 45 remains “substantially lower,” he noted, “so it is not clear yet if universal screening at a younger age is beneficial.”
Some specific patients who are younger than 45 may benefit from earlier screening, however, such as those with a family history or personal risk factors, the oncologist added.
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As colon cancer continues to increase in younger individuals, Oberstein recommends contacting a doctor if any concerning symptoms are noticed.
Dr. Craig Eagle, chief medical officer of Guardant Health in California, added that early detection is “crucial,” noting that the five-year survival rate for CRC is over 90% when the disease is caught in early stages.
“[This] plummets to 13% in late stages when symptoms usually appear,” Eagle, who also was not involved in the research, told Fox News Digital.
“The rise in diagnoses for those in their 40s is an alarming reminder that screening must be easier and more accessible to reach the 50 million Americans who remain unscreened.”
Gutfeld reveals wild night with Fallon during ‘Tonight Show’ appearance
Fox News’ Greg Gutfeld revealed how he first met fellow late-night host Jimmy Fallon during his Thursday appearance on NBC’s “The Tonight Show.”
After giving Fallon a warm embrace, Gutfeld quipped that it “brought back memories.”
“This is hilarious – we’ve met before,” Fallon began.
“Yes, you have no memory of it,” Gutfeld responded. “Which is understandable, because we were wasted.”
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The “Gutfeld!” host said their encounter took place at an “illegal speakeasy” in Hell’s Kitchen roughly 15 years ago owned by their mutual friend Tracy, saying the inside looked “like a place where special ops forces waterboard terrorists.”
“You’re not making this up. I totally know what you’re talking about,” Fallon interjected as his memory was coming back to him. “I think I remember bringing beer into the bar, and then him charging me for my own beer.”
“That’s Tracy. He’s very cheap, but if you want somebody dead, he’ll do it,” Gutfeld joked.
Gutfeld then said he and Fallon saw each other, and the latter’s eyes lit up.
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“And you run towards me, and you tackle me, like you’re a giant golden retriever,” Gutfeld recalled. “You’re like on top of me. And so we’re wrestling. We’re wrestling. And then you change, and you start wrestling my buddy Andy, and you’re wrestling him. And you guys get on the ground. You guys are now on the ground wrestling.”
“What?!” Fallon reacted in disbelief.
“Yes,” Gutfeld told him. “So I pull out a cigarette. I light a cigarette, and I’m smoking it, and you stop, and you come over to me, and you grab it, and you crinkle it, and you go, ‘These things will kill you!’ and you threw it. And then I go, ‘Dude, I’m not rich. You’re rich.’ Cigarettes are expensive in New York City. I yell, and all of a sudden, your face changed, and you looked sad, and then you left.”
But, Gutfeld revealed, Fallon returned with a fresh pack just five minutes later and handed it to his future guest.
“I go, ‘That was really sweet. You want me to die,'” Gutfeld said, as Fallon and the audience laughed.
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“I’m sorry I tackled you,” Fallon said later with a grin.
“It was all very good-natured, and it was a great memory,” Gutfeld told the NBC host. “And I’m so glad I finally got to tell you!”
“I’m so happy,” Fallon replied. “That’s a true story… I remember. All the details you said are correct.”
Gutfeld and Fallon also discussed his FOX Nation game show, “What Did I Miss?”, where contestants who’ve been isolated for months try to pick real news from fake news, as well as Gutfeld’s winding path to his top-rated hosting gigs on “Gutfeld!” and “The Five.”
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Supermodel’s daughter put her on dating app, results left both women stunned
Christie Brinkley and her daughter Sailor Brinkley-Cook have plenty in common despite their 44-year difference.
The supermodel, 71, recently appeared on Kristin Davis’ “Are You a Charlotte?” podcast, where she described how her “mischievous” youngest child, 27, put her on a dating app for an hour without her knowing.
Both women were shocked by the results.
“[Sailor] said, ‘Mom, you’re right not to go on [dating apps] because the same guys that, you know, said yes to me are saying yes to you,’” the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model revealed.
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A stunned Davis, 60, replied, “I love this experiment! Smart Sailor.”
“That is a really fascinating, fascinating little experiment,” the “Sex & the City” alum gushed.
Brinkley then shared what she had learned about the dating world at her age.
“I find that what men like to do is sort of be able to find somebody… that’ll be impressed by every little thing that they do,” said Brinkley. “Like, ‘Oh really? Oh, you’re taking me to that restaurant? Ooh!’”
Brinkley recently opened up about her many loves and heartaches in the memoir “Uptown Girl.” She admitted to Davis that she was initially hesitant to bare all for readers.
“I really have had a lot of adventures,” Brinkley explained. “And whenever I tell my adventure stories, people always say, ‘You‘ve got to write a book.’ So, I started writing the book, and I quickly discovered some chapters I really didn’t want to write about. But those are the chapters I think that my publishers were most interested in.”
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“They’re like, ‘People will relate because people go through divorces and people go through all of that – it has to be relatable,’” said Brinkley. “And if you’re going to give the fun adventures and some of the stuff that modeling has afforded me, you also have to say it’s not always the good stuff.”
These days, Brinkley is more interested in staying active and pursuing her passions, with or without a special someone in her life. She hopes it will inspire others, no matter their age.
“I just feel like age is sort of that last frontier in America that does need addressing, but we have to be kinder about it… They say that the key is not to have to live to be 150, but to be healthy every day until the day you just fall asleep and don’t wake up peacefully.”
WATCH: CHRISTIE BRINKLEY OPENS UP IN NEW MEMOIR ‘UPTOWN GIRL’
Brinkley and her lookalike daughter have been sharing twinning moments lately.
On Aug. 4, the pair sported the same summery orange wrap outfits by Donna Karan at the Solving Kids Cancer Annual Hamptons Luncheon in New York. The mother and daughter have also been active on social media together, where they showcase their personal style.
Their appearances together came shortly after Brinkley spoke out about her new tell-all, which is available in bookstores now.
In her memoir “Uptown Girl,” Brinkley wrote about how her romantic relationships impacted her over the years, including her nearly 10-year marriage to Billy Joel. Brinkley described how alcohol was “the other woman” in their marriage.
“To be clear, I never wanted to end things with Billy. I read every self-help book I could find while, together, we went to see a string of psychiatrists, psychologists, and other medical doctors,” Brinkley wrote in an excerpt obtained by Fox News Digital.
“I did everything for our marriage, constantly working to make myself, our home, and everything around us into whatever he could possibly want or hope for. I continually told him how much I loved him, making sure he always felt adored and appreciated, because he was.
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“But his drinking was bigger than the both of us — booze was the other woman, and it was beginning to seem that he preferred to be with ‘her’ rather than with me,” Brinkley wrote.
Brinkley and Joel were married from 1985 until the model filed for divorce in 1994. They share a daughter, singer/songwriter Alexa Ray Joel.
Brinkley recently told Fox News Digital that it wasn’t easy to end her marriage to Joel.
“When you have a child involved, you may get those thoughts, but to walk away isn’t easy,” she explained. “And to walk away from Billy was not easy. So, it took time, but at a certain point, there’s one incident too many, and you just have to have a little self-preservation.”
Both the model and the musician have since moved on. Brinkley was briefly married to Richard Taubman from 1994 to 1995. She was married to Peter Cook from 1996 to 2008. They share a daughter, Sailor. Cook also adopted Jack Brinkley-Cook from her previous marriage to Taubman.
Joel married Katie Lee in 2004, only to split in 2009. He is now married to Alexis Roderick. The couple has two daughters.
Brinkley also detailed how her fourth husband, Cook, was unfaithful after eight years of marriage.
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In 2006, Brinkley was at a graduation ceremony to give a commencement speech. A man, who happened to be a police officer, approached her and said that Cook was involved with his 18-year-old daughter.
“I know from Peter’s face that he was guilty,” Brinkley wrote in her book. “When your whole world falls apart, and you realize in a heartbeat you’ve suddenly become the cliché middle-aged woman whose husband is having an affair with a much (much) younger woman, what do you do?”
That night, Cook was out of the house, and friends urged Brinkley to search the family computer. They even came over to help, an operation Brinkley said looked like something out of “Charlie’s Angels.” There, she found a “creepy labyrinth of files and photos I never knew existed.”
“I was good at guessing passwords, and soon enough, a panoply of frightening email exchanges, incriminating photos, and porn accounts populated the screen like fireworks,” Brinkley wrote. “It was so insane that it was almost funny, and soon enough, the three of us were doubled over in laughter, as printouts of girls in X-rated poses began piling up on the floor faster than trash outside a greasy takeaway.”
Brinkley and Cook’s split resulted in a highly publicized court battle.
In 2023, at age 64, Cook said “I do” once more to Alba Jancou, who was 24 at the time.
Brinkley previously told Fox News Digital she dares to love again.
CHRISTIE BRINKLEY RECOUNTS THE DEVASTATING PERSONAL MOMENT THAT ‘NEARLY BROKE HER’
“I find that love is the strongest thing in the whole world, and we are surrounded by love,” she said. “There are so many kinds of love and love for our friends, love for our families, love for nature and love for people that protect nature. I love love – I feel like my life is so full of love.”
“I think if there’s a romantic love that comes along, it would be wonderful,” she shared. “But I also feel very content and happy with the life that I have right now. I consider my life to be very full of love.”
‘American Idol’ winner Kelly Clarkson shielded ex despite brutal two-year split
Kelly Clarkson is grieving the loss of her ex-husband, Brandon Blackstock, who lost his battle with cancer at the age of 48.
The singer is heartbroken, especially for the sake of their two children, as she navigates the emotional aftermath of his tragic death.
“Kelly remained protective of him when she found out he was sick,” a source told People magazine. “She’s always kept things classy, even when it became clear earlier this year that Brandon was not doing well. She’s been devastated for the kids.”
BRANDON BLACKSTOCK, KELLY CLARKSON’S EX-HUSBAND, DEAD AT 48
While their tumultuous divorce played out in the public eye, Clarkson’s focus has always been on maintaining stability for their two children — River Rose and Remington Alexander.
“The divorce was incredibly difficult for her — messy, painful and something she felt terrible about,” the source told the outlet. “But she never wanted her kids to be caught in the crossfire. She never spoke poorly about Brandon to them.”
Reps for Clarkson did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
A rep for Blackstock’s family shared a heartfelt statement to Fox News Digital after his passing on Thursday.
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“It is with great sadness that we share the news that Brandon Blackstock has passed away,” the statement read. “Brandon bravely battled cancer for more than three years. He passed away peacefully and was surrounded by family. We thank you for your thoughts and prayers and ask everyone to respect the family’s privacy during this very difficult time.”
On Wednesday, Clarkson announced her plans to postpone additional shows from her Las Vegas residency due to a family emergency.
KELLY CLARKSON POSTPONES REMAINING LAS VEGAS SHOWS FOR FAMILY CRISIS INVOLVING EX-HUSBAND BRANDON BLACKSTOCK
“Unfortunately, I need to postpone the remainder of the August Studio Session dates in Las Vegas,” the “Since U Been Gone” singer captioned an Instagram post on Wednesday.
“While I normally keep my personal life private, this past year, my children’s father [ex-husband Brandon Blackstock] has been ill and at this moment, I need to be fully present for them.”
Clarkson and Blackstock were married in 2013, but they met years earlier as Blackstock’s father, Narvel Blackstock, owns the music management company that represented Clarkson beginning in 2007. The pair welcomed their first child, daughter River Rose, in 2014 and their son, Remington Alexander, was born in 2016.
In 2020, Clarkson filed for divorce from Blackstock, who also served as her manager.
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Clarkson and Blackstock’s divorce was settled in 2022, with Clarkson receiving primary physical custody of their two children while still paying their father $45,000 a month in child support.
Clarkson earned a legal victory in 2023 when a California labor commissioner ruled that Blackstock must pay the “Miss Independent” singer $2,641,374 for overstepping in his managerial role and “unlawfully” procuring deals, according to court docs obtained by Fox News Digital.
During the time Blackstock was her manager, he allegedly made deals that her agent should have handled instead. The former “American Idol” winner’s ex was ordered to pay Clarkson for the fees he collected from contracted deals with “The Voice,” Billboard Music Awards, “The Kelly Clarkson Show,” Norwegian Cruise Line and more.
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‘The truth shall set you free’: Conservative actress wins battle against Disney
Disney settled a wrongful termination lawsuit on Thursday that was filed by former “Star Wars” actress Gina Carano, bringing to an end a years-long dispute.
“I have come to an agreement with Disney/Lucasfilm @disney @Lucasfilm which I believe is the best outcome for all parties involved. I hope this brings some healing to the force… I hope to make you proud. I am excited to flip the page and move onto the next chapter. My desires remain in the arts, which is where I hope you will join me,” Carano said in a statement.
Carano, 43, was fired from her role as Cara Dune in the “Mandalorian” in February 2021, after Disney objected to a controversial social media post she wrote. The actress maintained that she had lost her job for her conservative views, and was wrongfully discriminated against.
The former MMA star has been vocal about her conservative views on social media, voicing her opposition to Black Lives Matter, COVID lockdowns and transgender dogma. Carano came under fire after she posted a picture of a Jewish woman beaten savagely in the city of Lwow while it was occupied by the Germans during World War II, and compared the hatred conservatives in the U.S. were experiencing at that time to that experienced by the Jews during the Holocaust.
GINA CARANO SAYS CO-STAR PEDRO PASCAL ADVISED HER TO ‘JUST PUT #TRANSRIGHTS IN YOUR FEED’ TO APPEASE FANS
“Jews were beaten in the streets, not by Nazi soldiers but by their neighbors…. even by children, because history is edited, most people today don’t realize that to get to the point where Nazi soldiers could easily round up thousands of Jews, the government first made their own neighbors hate them simply for being Jews. How is that any different from hating someone for their political views?” the actress posted at the time.
Disney fired her from the hit “Star Wars” spinoff and accused Carano of “denigrating people based on their cultural and religious identities” in a statement. She was also dropped by her talent agency, UTA. Carano sued Disney in 2024 for putative damages alleging wrongful termination and discrimination. She also demanded the studio recast her in her role. The lawsuit was backed by Elon Musk as part of an initiative where his social media platform, X, would fund the lawsuits of anyone who felt they were wrongfully discriminated against by their employer due to something they posted on the app.
Disney filed a motion in April 2024 to have the suit dismissed, claiming they had a First Amendment right not to associate their brand with Carano’s views. The actress blasted the entertainment giant on her social media in response, claiming that Disney had shown they “will fire you if you say anything they disagree with” and alleging her former employers had mischaracterized her statements. In a statement announcing the settlement Thursday, Disney reversed course and said Carano was “always well respected” by her colleagues and vowed to try to work with her again “in the near future.”
GINA CARANO ON DISNEY FIRING FROM ‘THE MANDALORIAN,’ ‘DANGEROUS’ CANCEL CULTURE: ‘I WAS FIGHTING FOR MY NAME’
“The Walt Disney Company and Lucasfilm are pleased to announce that we have reached an agreement with Gina Carano to resolve the issues in her pending lawsuit against the companies. Ms. Carano was always well respected by her directors, co-stars, and staff, and she worked hard to perfect her craft while treating her colleagues with kindness and respect. With this lawsuit concluded, we look forward to identifying opportunities to work together with Ms. Carano in the near future,” Disney said in a statement.
“… and the truth shall set you free,” Carano posted on X on Thursday.
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