Ex-Dem senator admits to affair with former bodyguard in explosive court filing
Former Arizona senator Kyrsten Sinema admitted to having an affair with her former bodyguard while in office and while he was still married — an admission that came by way of an explosive new court filing in the state of North Carolina, seeking to dismiss a so-called “homewrecker” lawsuit filed by the bodyguard’s estranged wife.
Sinema, who served in the Senate from 2019 to 2025, acknowledged the relationship with her former bodyguard, Matthew Ammel, in a motion to dismiss the “alienation of affection” lawsuit filed in North Carolina by his estranged wife.
The complaint accused Sinema of engaging in “intentional and malicious interference” in Ammel’s marriage and sought $25,000 in damages from Sinema as a result of allegedly “willful and wanton” conduct.
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Neither the motion to dismiss, nor the sworn declaration Sinema submitted to the court, seeks to dispute the nature of her affair with Ammel — described as both “romantic and intimate.”
Rather, the filings argue that the case should be dropped because the communications in question occurred “exclusively outside” the boundaries of the Tar Heel state.
Combined, the new filings leave little to the imagination regarding the nature of the affair between Sinema and Ammel, which began in May 2024 in Sonoma, Calif., and involved months of phone calls, emails, and Signal messages, in addition to various romantic relations in cities across the U.S. cities.
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“I keep waking up during my sleep and reaching over for your arms to hold me,” Sinema told Ammel in one Signal message, which she recalled was sent in June 2024 from Scottsdale, and received by Ammel while in Kansas.
That fall, another Signal exchange between the two was apparently interrupted by Ammel’s estranged wife. She allegedly responded to Sinema directly, stating: “Are you having an affair with my husband? You took a married man away from his family.”
Just six states, including North Carolina, still recognize “alienation of affection” lawsuits, though the ones that do still require the spouses to meet a difficult legal burden.
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In order to succeed in the lawsuit, plaintiffs in an “alienation of affection” lawsuit must prove to the court three things: First, that the marriage had real affection and a viable relationship before any third-party involvement; second, that the “love and affection” was destroyed, or significantly diminished; and finally, that the defendant directly “caused the destruction of that marital love and affection.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Sinema for comment.
Cleanest cruise lines revealed after CDC surprise sanitation inspections
The cleanest cruise ships have been revealed in a new study — and some of the findings may surprise cruise lovers.
The study, which compiled data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) annual health and hygiene inspections, ranked a number of popular cruise lines as the most sanitary.
“The data shows that independent brands tend to score higher than large conglomerates, and, surprisingly, the age of the ship doesn’t appear to influence a cruise line’s ability to achieve a perfect score,” according to the study by Florida-based Squaremouth Travel Insurance.
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Cruise ships were graded on a 100-point scale. To pass inspection, ships must score 86 or above.
The Viking Ocean Cruises II Ltd., Viking Expedition Operations and Crystal Cruises were tied as the cleanest cruise lines, according to the study. Each cruise line scored a 99 out of 100.
“The federal government’s Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP), established in 1975 to work with the cruise industry to protect travelers’ health, is critical for the health and safety of passengers, staff and the locations that cruise ships visit,” Gavin Macgregor-Skinner, an infection prevention expert and epidemiologist, told Fox News Digital.
Oceania Cruises, P&O Cruises, Japan Grace, Virgin Voyages, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Celebrity Cruises and Royal Caribbean International completed the top 10 cleanest cruise line list.
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Royal Caribbean’s Adventure of the Seas ship, which premiered in 2001, ranked high in the CDC’s list — proving that age is not necessarily linked to cleanliness.
All the ships in the top 10 scored higher than 97.12.
“Ships participating in the VSP can expect two unannounced inspections every year, with a focus on medical facilities, potable water systems, swimming pools and whirlpool baths, galleys and dining rooms, child activity centers, cabins, ventilation systems and common areas,” Macgregor-Skinner said.
Viking, Virgin and Norwegian were the corporations that ranked the highest, with sanitation scores of 98.75, 97.67 and 97.39 respectively, according to the study.
“Without strong cleaning and hygiene practices, germs can spread quickly.”
Disney was No. 4 in the list of corporations — averaging a 97.
Royal Caribbean and Carnival had average sanitation scores of 96.74 and 94.82 respectively.
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Viruses can spread quickly on a cruise ship.
But the CDC implements strict cleaning protocols for all vessels.
“Cruise ships are shared environments where thousands of people touch the same surfaces every day,” Brian Sansoni, senior vice president of communications at the American Cleaning Institute in Washington, D.C., told Fox News Digital.
“Without strong cleaning and hygiene practices, germs can spread quickly, increasing the risk of illness among passengers and crew,” he continued.
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Surprisingly, the study found no link between viruses and the lack of cleanliness.
Cruise ships are often ravaged by norovirus and other gastrointestinal illnesses. In 2025, the CDC reported 23 onboard outbreaks, according to the study.
However, “the data shows no correlation between the number of onboard viral outbreaks and sanitation scores, proving that viral illness can easily spread on the cleanest of ships,” the study said.
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Macgregor-Skinner said cruise lines are the only part of the travel sector that routinely report illnesses to the federal government.
“It is very important not to confuse the wider availability of cruise health data with a higher incidence rate on cruise ships compared to settings like restaurants, hotels and planes,” Macgregor-Skinner said.
Overall, the cruise industry is actually cleaner than other travel sectors, he said.
Nevertheless, Sansoni asserted, “Inadequate cleaning can allow viruses and bacteria to linger on high‑touch surfaces like railings, elevator buttons and bathroom fixtures. When cleaning protocols break down, those germs can spread rapidly in close quarters.”
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Per the study, here are the top 10 cleanest cruise lines.
Top 10 list
Viking Ocean Cruises
Viking Expedition Cruises
Crystal Cruises
Oceania Cruises
P&O Cruises
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Japan Grace
Virgin Voyages
Norwegian Cruise Line
Celebrity Cruises
Royal Caribbean International
Nicole Kidman reveals hard limit for filming intimate scenes with co-stars
Nicole Kidman is sharing a hard limit when it comes to filming kissing scenes.
During a recent interview on the “Las Culturistas” podcast, the 58-year-old actress revealed she “cannot stand bad breath,” calling it a “dealbreaker” for her when it comes to men. She noted, “You want me to lean in? Smell good.”
“You could be the most gorgeous, gorgeous guy, and you come at me with bad breath, and I’m like, ‘No, no, no,'” she shared. “It’s like, if I say ‘breathe on me’ and I have to recoil? Yikes. I’m out. I am out. You could not offer me enough money.”
The “Babygirl” actress added that “the taste of the mouth and the smell of the mouth is very important to me.”
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She then shared an anecdote from her time filming intimate scenes with Alexander Skarsgård in “Big Little Lies,” saying she called him out on set for eating a falafel sandwich before filming a scene in which they had to kiss.
“I’m like, ‘No, no, no, Alex. I’m meant to be kissing you and into you. Put away the falafel now. Because the bad breath does not turn me on,'” she recalled. “I said, ‘No more falafel. Nope. Not before you kiss. Not before you make love. No more falafel. Put the falafel away.'”
Kidman joked that she’s “sure he did not eat a falafel ever again.”
Skarsgård and Kidman played a husband and wife on the hit HBO show, showcasing the patterns which can exist within abusive relationships. Kidman won a Critics Choice Award, an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award for her work in the series, honoring real-life victims of domestic abuse when accepting these awards.
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“Sometimes when you’re acting, you get a chance to bring a bigger message — we shine a light on domestic abuse,” she said in her acceptance speech at the Emmys in 2017. “It is a complicated, insidious disease that exists far more than we allow ourselves to know. It is filled with shame, secrecy and by you acknowledging me with this award, it shines a light on it even more. So thank you, thank you, thank you. I bow down to you.”
The Academy Award-winning actress is currently starring in the Amazon Prime series “Scarpetta,” in which she plays the titular character, Dr. Kay Scarpetta, a forensic pathologist working to catch a serial killer.
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During an interview with USA Today, Kidman discussed the character’s motivation to become a medical examiner, noting Scarpetta’s need to have “control over death” following the death of her father at a young age is something she could relate to.
“I almost relate to that. I lost my father [in 2014] and my main thing was finding out why,” she explained. “I lost him very suddenly to a heart attack, but I wanted to know why, and it became an obsession. So I get why Kay chooses to do the job, because it gives her a sense of control over something that is completely uncontrollable.”
The show also stars fellow Academy Award winners Jamie Lee Curtis and Ariana DeBose, who play Kidman’s sister and daughter respectively, as well as Bobby Cannavale and his son Jake.
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Last person to see JFK Jr alive recalls his eerily prophetic words after takeoff
Kyle Bailey felt a “deep concern” as he watched John F. Kennedy Jr., Carolyn Bessette Kennedy and Lauren Bessette climb aboard the small plane that would never reach its destination.
On July 16, 1999, the trio perished when the single-engine plane Kennedy was piloting crashed into the Atlantic Ocean near Martha’s Vineyard. At the time, Bailey had also planned to fly to the island off the coast of Massachusetts but changed his mind because of “iffy” weather conditions.
Bailey, a licensed pilot and aviation analyst for Fox News — and the last known person to see Kennedy his wife and sister-in-law alive — has written a new book, “Witness: JFK Jr.’s Fatal Flight.” It examines the circumstances that led to the tragedy.
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“I’ve seen John do that trip many, many times,” the 52-year-old told Fox News Digital. “It was just a typical Friday night. I planned on making two flights, an earlier flight in the afternoon, which I did for about an hour, just to go up for a spin. And then the nighttime flight was longer. It was, as we say in aviation, the three H’s — hazy, hot and humid. Your typical New York City July day and evening.”
“From my experience, I sensed that, based on those conditions, there probably would be reduced visibility that night up in Martha’s Vineyard,” Bailey said. “It didn’t mean I was going to cancel my trip right then, though.”
Bailey, then 25, was at Essex County Airport in Caldwell, New Jersey, when Kennedy arrived in an unassuming vehicle. At one point, the magazine publisher even whizzed by Bailey to buy a bottle of water and a banana from the convenience store. Everything appeared ordinary, said Bailey.
WATCH: AVIATION EXPERT EXPLAINS JFK JR.’S FINAL FLIGHT RISKS
When Bailey embarked on his first short trip, he noticed visibility “wasn’t great.” After landing, he monitored the weather. But as temperatures rose, it became hazier, raising concerns that fog could quickly develop along the coast.
Bailey decided to call off his trip.
“I decided that night to cancel the flight,” he said. “I was mad, but it was the right decision for me.”
Still, Bailey continued to keep a close eye on the conditions.
“I was noticing that the temperature and dew point, those spreads were getting closer and closer,” he explained. “In weather, what that means is, there’s a very high probability of ground fog developing. In John’s case, perhaps he wasn’t told that or didn’t know. You really can’t fault him for that, for what he doesn’t know or what he wasn’t told.”
“I knew from experience on those very hot, hazy, humid summer nights, fog and low visibility could be a problem, especially flying over water,” he shared.
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“In John’s case, especially at nighttime, he was planning on leaving after I was going to. It would’ve been more challenging for a VFR pilot with hazy, hot, humid conditions, a partial horizon, and now, on top of that, total darkness.”
“For a VFR pilot at night, when you lose that horizon, it’s like jumping off the edge of the earth into a complete sea of darkness,” he added.
After Kennedy quietly completed his pre-flight checks, Bailey saw his plane take off at 8:38 p.m.
“I went home to my mother that night and said something to the effect of, ‘I just saw JFK Jr. at the airport. I hope he doesn’t kill himself someday in that airplane,’” Bailey recalled.
“That Piper Saratoga was a new airplane for him. It was complex and high-performance, unlike his older airplane, which he had just sold. I really hoped he had his instructor with him. I was just concerned for him. Was it a premonition? Possibly. But it was more of a deep concern for John and the two others.”
Kennedy had purchased the plane in April 1999, months before the crash. According to reports, he had logged only a few dozen hours in the Saratoga with limited night experience in the aircraft.
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“I wasn’t sure if he had an instructor aboard the airplane,” said Bailey. “After the tragedy, a lot of people would come up to me and say, ‘Why did you let him take off? Why didn’t you say something?’ The answer is, I didn’t know who was on the plane with them.
“I saw the three of them board the plane, but since I wasn’t fixed on that plane the entire time, I wasn’t sure if an instructor walked over there. That’s why I didn’t say anything. I just hoped he had an instructor with him. The conditions weren’t horrible, but they weren’t great.”
“I went home to my mother that night and said something to the effect of, ‘I just saw JFK Jr. at the airport. I hope he doesn’t kill himself someday in that airplane.'”
Bailey didn’t know that earlier in the day, Kennedy had told his flight instructor he didn’t need him for the journey and that he “wanted to do it alone.”
The plan seemed simple. Kennedy would first fly to Martha’s Vineyard and drop off his sister-in-law. Then he and his wife would head to Hyannis Port for the wedding of his cousin, Rory Kennedy, the next day.
But at the time, Kennedy was still in the process of completing his instrument training and was flying by visual flight rules. While he had about 300 hours of flying experience, he was recovering from a broken ankle. It was also a dark, moonless night.
Under those conditions, investigators believe Kennedy may have struggled to see shore lights or other landmarks to help guide him.
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Bailey said the “graveyard spiral” quickly came to mind.
“It’s a rapid turning descent of the airplane,” he said. “In John’s case, it would be from losing that visual horizon. Your mind is playing tricks with you, saying you’re straight, you’re turning, but you really aren’t.”
“Imagine you have the control column in front of you,” Bailey explained. “You pull back, the plane goes up. You push forward, and that goes down. You turn the control right or left, and you know the plane will turn. But if you’re a novice pilot or if your mind is playing tricks on you, your first instinct is to pull that control column back. But being that the airplane is in a turn and the wings aren’t level, it’s actually tightening that spiral and increasing the G-forces.
“If you put enough G-force on the airplane, you could overstress the components, like the wing and tail. You could have structural failure. But in John’s case, the result was crashing into the ocean, unfortunately.”
On Saturday morning, Bailey checked the weather at an FAA flight service station. He wondered if he could fly that day instead. But a missing airplane alert was issued — a Piper Saratoga that had departed Essex County Airport that Friday evening.
Bailey’s heart sank.
“I immediately recognized the color of the Saratoga and the tail number,” he said. “I was hoping, praying that maybe he turned back or was in Martha’s Vineyard on the ground.
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“I remember I told my family, ‘If this airplane is not found within two hours, he is probably a goner, along with the other two on the plane. I assumed the worst, but hoped for the best that there was maybe even a slim chance somebody might be found alive. But in the back of my mind, I knew that was pretty much not going to happen.”
The wreckage of the Piper Saratoga was found five days later. Navy divers recovered the bodies of Kennedy, 38, Bessette Kennedy, 33 and Bessette, 34, from the ocean floor.
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“The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of the accident to be: the pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane during a descent over water at night, which was a result of spatial disorientation,” the report read. “Factors in the accident were haze and the dark night.”
Disney star says she dumped future NBA star before draft because ‘he was a psychopath’
Actress Madison Pettis appeared to take aim at her ex-boyfriend, Brooklyn Nets star Michael Porter Jr., claiming the couple broke up before his NBA debut because “he was a psychopath.”
During a recent appearance on the “In Your Dreams With Owen Thiele” podcast, the former Disney Channel star was explaining how she unwinds at home with a glass of wine while watching a basketball game.
“I’m really into sports… but I’ll go home and watch some basketball. That helps me unwind a little bit.”
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Pettis was then asked if she would be open to being a “basketball wife,” which prompted her to talk about her previous relationship.
“My ex is now in the NBA. He wasn’t when we dated, he was like in high school and college,” she began. “I broke up with him before he was in the league because he was a psychopath.”
Pettis did not name Porter, but the two publicly dated from 2016-17, before Porter was drafted 14th overall by the Denver Nuggets in the 2018 NBA Draft.
“I do think a lot of athletes are not great partners, but I wouldn’t rule it out because I do love what they do,” she continued. “So, I would have respect for them and love to talk to them about, you know, their passion.”
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The comments about Porter come as no surprise. The Nets star has had several controversial moments over the years for remarks he’s made on podcasts about dating and relationships. In September, he said on the “Respectfully The Justin Laboy Show” that he split rent with an ex-girlfriend to ensure that she was with him “for the right intention.”
“It’s very hard when you have money, as you know, to tell a woman’s intentions… I had never bought a girl expensive gifts before this last girl and it was cool to do,” Porter, who agreed to a massive $200 million contract extension with the Nuggets in 2021, explained on the podcast.
“But I still wanted to know that she was with me for the right reasons. Every dude in this particular person’s past had money. So I never wanted to feel like a girl was just with me because of what I have and what I could give her.”
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He has also made controversial remarks about WNBA players and has also mentioned controversial figure Andrew Tate in other appearances, including showing women some of his clips to “play devil’s advocate.”
Porter said on fellow NBA player Lonzo Ball’s show in November that his team even advised him to “steer clear” of specific topics.