MICHIGAN HIGH SCHOOL SHOOTER FATHER GUILTY OF INVOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER Weeks After Wife's Verdict
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The father of Michigan high school shooter Ethan Crumbley, has been found guilty on all 4 counts of involuntary manslaughter ... just weeks after his wife Jennifer saw the same verdict.
The jury reached the decision for James Crumbley Thursday after 1 day of deliberations. His sentencing is scheduled for April 9, the same date as his wife.
With this verdict, Crumbley was found to be negligent for disregarding warning signs exhibited by his son that could have potentially prevented the devastating event. Prosecutors said he even purchased a gun for his son just days before he used it to open fire at Oxford High School in the Detroit suburb of Oxford Township, MI, in November 2021, killing 4 students.
The verdict comes a few weeks after his wife Jennifer's conviction -- which marked an historic moment, as it's unprecedented for a parent to be criminally charged in connection with their child's involvement in a mass shooting.
Jennifer's testimony during her trial had shed light on the role she says her husband, James, played in the tragic events ... saying he had purchased the gun their son used in the shooting and was the one responsible for hiding it.
She also testified she was aware her son was struggling but had no inkling he was capable of carrying out a mass shooting ... saying if she had known, she'd done the whole thing differently.
17-year-old Ethan was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole back in December.
Ethan told the court he was "a really bad person" before he was handed his hefty sentence ... adding, "I have done terrible things that no one should ever do."
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Tennis Star Carlos Alcaraz Un-BEE-lievable Insect Attack ... Runs Away From Swarm!!!
Carlos Alcaraz's tennis play is sweet like honey ... and clearly, some bees thought so too -- 'cause a huge swarm forced him off the court!
Carlos Alcaraz vs. Bees 🐝
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) March 14, 2024 @TennisChannel
Advantage, bees. #TennisParadise pic.twitter.com/2fLBWHKYyi
The second-best men's player in the world took the court Thursday to take on Alexander Zverev during the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, but ended up contending more with a cloud of the dastardly drones when the match was tied 1-1.
Check out the video ... Alcaraz tries to simply swat a few of the irksome creatures away from his face before realizing his bug problem's a whole lot bigger than he thought.
CA keeps his cool for a bit while the sideline official explains the situation to the audience ... but the bees buzzing around his head proves to be too much for the Spanish star.
Carlos starts swinging his racquet around wildly before running toward the tunnel away from the court. He also pulled up his shirt over his face to protect himself -- and let's just say, it was quite a sight ... like something out of "Sleepy Hollow."
In the end, it sounds like Carlos took some damage from all this -- his agent says he got stung on the forehead during the melee, although it's unclear to what extent he was hurt.
Ultimately, it seems like everyone ended up relatively OK ... 'cause play continued just after 5 PM PT with Carlos soldiering through his injury -- after a totally unprotected individual went around and vacuumed up the insect swarm on the camera, all by themselves. Bold!
Talk about a BUZZ-worthy moment at today's match, right?
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Wendy Williams Guardian Lawsuit Against A&E Doc Unsealed ... Insight Into Her Condition
Update
6:35 PM PT -- A rep for A+E tells TMZ ... "We look forward to the unsealing of our papers as well, as they tell a very different story."
Wendy Williams' guardian sued unsuccessfully to block the release of the new documentary following her struggles ... and now the lawsuit's unsealed -- and it gives an inside look at Williams' day-to-day.
Here's the deal ... the former talk show host's temporary guardian Sabrina Morrissey sued back in February to stop the “Where is Wendy Williams?" doc from coming out -- an attempt that ultimately failed, as we now know.
Those legal docs were originally sealed ... but now, they are available for anyone to peruse -- and they provide a look into both Morrissey's argument and her description of Williams' recent condition.
In the paperwork, obtained by TMZ, Morrissey argued Williams was incapable of handling her own business affairs when she signed the documentary contract. Same goes for her executive producer role -- Morrissey says Williams wasn't able to handle such a job effectively ... including not being able to properly shape how she was portrayed.
SM said WW's ability to care for herself has deteriorated since beginning the guardianship too ... and she says now Wendy needs constant daily supervision to "ensure her safety, well-being, and comfort, and to preserve her dignity."
Morrissey claimed she was originally told the doc would present Williams' comeback story, ultimately showing Wendy in a positive light -- and Morrissey said she was under the impression she would get to see the finished product before it was released.
Sabrina added she was totally blindsided when the trailer came out ... because she said she never saw a final cut of the doc.
Of course ... days before the doc came out, Wendy's team revealed she was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia and aphasia last year, and she entered a treatment center to deal with her health issues as well.
The creative team behind the documentary said they never would've made it had they known about the diagnosis ... though it seems hard to believe they had no indication of her health struggles given the kind of care Morrissey detailed in her suit.
Bottom line ... the story behind "Where is Wendy Williams?" just got a whole lot murkier.
Originally Published -- 4:53 PM PT
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Alec Baldwin Claims Prosecutor Rigged Grand Jury ... Wants Manslaughter Charge Dismissed
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Alec Baldwin wants to be let off the hook in the "Rust" manslaughter case, because he claims prosecutors stacked the deck against him with the Grand Jury that indicted him.
The actor and his attorney Alex Spiro filed new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, where he seeks to have his criminal case completely tossed ... arguing the grand jury process was completely rigged by the Santa Fe County D.A.'s office -- alleging they trotted out 7 witnesses who were incredibly biased.
Specifically, Alec says 3 of the witnesses were on the D.A.'s "payroll," 2 of them were from the Santa Fe Sheriff's Office, one was already suing him in a separate civil case -- and yet another publicly blamed Baldwin for Halyna Hutchins' death days afterward ... even though Alec says this person wasn't working on the production at the time.
Another eye-popping allegation in the docs involves the FBI testing of the pistol used in the scene. Alec claims the D.A. failed to present all the evidence from that testing ... which he alleges showed the revolver did, in fact, fire without the trigger being pulled when all 6 rounds were loaded, just as they were on the day of the tragedy.
Remember, up until now ... we'd heard the opposite -- that the FBI testing proved without a doubt the gun could only fire if the trigger was pulled. This is crucial, because Alec has always maintained he did not pull the trigger.
For all these reasons, Alec's asking a judge to drop the involuntary manslaughter charge. As we reported, he already pled not guilty in this second go-around ... this after the D.A. dismissed their charges the first time.
Alec is currently scheduled to go to trial in July.
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Meghan Markle Launching New Lifestyle Brand ... Wants to Sell Tons of Stuff
Meghan Markle's kicking off her new lifestyle brand, and it looks like she's got a few ideas about what she wants to do with it ... including potentially selling a variety of products.
The Duchess of Sussex's company applied to lock up the rights to something called American Riviera Orchard in early February -- which she officially announced Thursday online -- submitting trademark applications in a bunch of different categories.
Among the items she might end up selling under the new venture -- assuming the trademarks get approved, that is -- are cookbooks, tableware, coffee and tea services, jellies, jams, tablecloths, cookbooks, servingware, cutlery, spreads of all kinds ... and lots more.
It seems she's expecting things to move smoothly in that direction ... 'cause, like we said, she just launched both the ARO website and an Instagram page dedicated to the new venture.
So far, the IG page only shows the company's logo ... but a short clip on the page's story shows Markle baking while Nancy Wilson's "I Wish You Love" plays over it. The page already has 199k followers BTW -- safe to say, people are very excited for whatever Markle's got cookin'.
While it's unclear exactly what MM plans to do with the new site, tons of fans online are speculating it'll be an updated version of The Tig -- Markle's lifestyle blog from before she married Prince Harry.
The Tig also featured recipes, personal essays and advice from Markle, all of which could factor into American Riviera Orchard's offerings. We'll just have to wait and see, we suppose -- Meg hasn't announced when she's gonna pull back the curtain, but there's a waitlist open.
After the royal couple's somewhat turbulent 2023 -- including a Spotify deal that fell through and a rumored Dior partnership that never came to fruition -- this seems like Meg going back to basics, and to her lifestyle roots.
Time will tell if this Orchard bears fruit.
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'Love Is Blind' Chelsea Speaks on Jimmy Reunion ... It's a 'Sticky Situation!!!'
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Chelsea Blackwell is staying tight-lipped on whether she's officially back with ex-fiancé Jimmy Presnell -- despite their recent hookup in Florida, she's not ready to publicly declare a romantic reunion.
The "Love is Blind" star -- who just appeared on the Season 6 reunion -- joined us Thursday on "TMZ Live," where she tried to play it cool when it comes to the subject of Jimmy.
While Chelsea says she's trying to keep the current status of her relationship under wraps ... she was beaming as she hinted at more information to come on ... perhaps on the "Love Is Blind: After the Altar" special. So yeah, she got the showbiz plug thing down pat.
Waiting for your permission to load TikTok Post.
She did confirm the 'LIB' reunion was filmed 3 weeks ago ... so a lot's clearly happened between now and then. Remember, we got video of her and Jimmy getting very cozy last week in Fort Lauderdale -- and Chelsea did spill some tea about why they were down there together.
She made a not-so-subtle reference to Jimmy's "party animal life" -- which might have been more of a dig at him than anything else.
During this 'LiB' season ... Jimmy's partying was a contentious topic for the couple, and definitely played a role in them breaking up before they even got to the altar.
That being said, Chelsea says she and Jimmy are in a good place now and enjoying each other's company -- unlike some of their other castmates.
Yeah, we're looking at you, Trevor!
Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.
She also reminded us she's got a day job as a flight attendant, and it's time to get back to her normal life ... outside of showbiz.
She'll be back on flights starting Friday, and is already anticipating some big changes when it comes to her interactions with passengers.
Don't be surprised if Chelsea is giving the safety speech at the start of your next flight.
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Steve Wynn Slashes Price for Bev Hills Mansion ... Come and Get It!!!
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Steve Wynn seems eager to unload his gigantic Beverly Hills mansion ... because he's once again slashed his asking price, and did so by quite a bit ... TMZ has learned.
The casino mogul's estate -- which was relisted in January for $75 million -- was just recently slashed by $10 million on Thursday. It's now listed for $65 million ... $60 million less than its first asking price of $125 million in April 2021.
And $65 mil sounds like a steal for this property ... as the home boasts 11 beds, 16 baths, over 27,000 square feet of living space, and three acres of land. Not to mention, it also features a family room with a bar, an outdoor lanai and oversized pool, a wine cellar, a state-of-the-art screening room, a resort-sized gym and a massage room.
The amenities are never-ending on this property ... there's even a championship tennis court with its own pavilion. Oh, and we'd be remiss if we didn't mention the outdoor kitchen.
The mansion is also centrally located ... you'll find it seated on a private road off of Los Angeles' famed Sunset Blvd. Here's hoping someone snatches up the property this time around -- because it's clearly worth every penny.
Steve isn't the first celebrity seller to slash an asking price on a mega-mansion. Last year saw an influx of celebrities unloading luxe properties amid Los Angeles' mansion tax -- which is now imposed on property sales above a certain amount.
Kurt Rappaport of Westside Estate Agency Inc. holds the listing.
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Pornhub Watch Your Porn Elsewhere, Texans! ... Access Blocked Statewide
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Not everything is bigger in Texas it seems ... 'cause the porn selection just got a heck of a lot smaller -- with Pornhub blocking access to would-be users in the Lone Star State.
The porn giant's not allowing users to hop on its site because of a new age verification legislation signed into law in Texas Thursday -- which went into effect immediately ... and, as a result, Pornhub.com is no longer available if users have a Texas IP address.
Thing is ... it's not because of the state -- Pornhub themselves are responsible for blocking out their site entirely.
The bill requires people to prove they're over 18 years old before watching explicit vids ... but Pornhub is petty -- instead of just complying with the new regulation and demanding people prove their age, they opted to shut down access to people in Texas altogether.
A new message appearing on the site to people in Texas says the company believes age verification infringes on the rights of adults to access protected speech, and the overly restrictive measure isn't a real solution. Therefore, the company says it made the difficult decision to completely shut down access to the site. So ... no porn for anyone!
Pornhub's team expressed fear in its statement that users would hop over to sketchy sites that don't check age verification ... clearly not practicing safe porn surfing, from their POV. From the outside looking in, it would appear they're punishing all Texans for what their lawmakers have enacted ... which probably sucks for all the horny people wanting to watch.
As for how the public's taking this ... obviously, the reaction's pretty split. Some people are happy it'll be harder for kids to access material they deem harmful while others are calling out Texas lawmakers like Senator Ted Cruz and Governor Greg Abbott over the new law.
In any case, the issue's got lots of people tense ... for a variety of reasons, we suppose.
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Brian Peck Marsden, Killam & Thicke's Letters ... Praise Drake Bell's Abuser
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Drake Bell's abuser, Brian Peck, had an army of A-list support behind him during his 2004 sentencing -- and we got a hold of the letters they all wrote, including ones from James Marsden, Taran Killam and Alan Thicke ... who spoke glowingly about the guy.
TMZ has obtained a total of 41 letters written to the judge in Peck's criminal case, and while there were scores of Hollywood types lending their voices in support of the convicted child molester -- all defending his character and asking for leniency -- these 3 are the biggest names.
Marsden's letter is the longest, and he details his extensive personal history and friendship with Peck, saying he'd known him for 14 years (mind you, he wrote this in '04, so they go way back apparently) and generally vouching for his character.
JM writes, "My name is James Marsden and i am very proud to say that i've been a close friend of Brian Peck's for about 14 years now. I am from Oklahoma originally and i met Brian through an actor friend ... Brian believed in my talent as an actor and encouraged my decision to move to Los Angeles and pursue this dream i had."
Marsden goes on to say he and Brian remained close over the years, saying BP mentored and coached him -- all free of charge -- and that they formed a very close bond, with Brian serving as a role model and instilling upstanding character traits.
Marsden says based on what he knows about Brian, he "couldn't breathe" when the charges came down. He says he had lived at his house for months and had shared hotel rooms with Brian -- and he says he never felt uncomfortable or compromised being around him.
He finishes by writing, "Brian is a good person with a very healthy fear and respect for the law and, i assure you, what Brian has been through in the last year is the suffering of a hundred men. I don't want to victimize Brian, nor would he ever wish that, but i do feel compelled to shed light on the fact that (he) has learned his lesson."
Taran -- who worked on the "The Amanda Show" and who also knew Brian very well -- was equally praising in his own letter of support to the judge presiding over the case, calling him his "co-worker, my friend" and saying he's not someone who belongs in jail.
TK writes, "When I found out about Brian being arrested I was shocked. Brian is the last person I would expect to be charged of criminal activities. My first thought was 'this is a mistake.' I know many of our mutual friends had similar thoughts. It is too out of character."
Finally, there's the late Thicke ... whose letter was much shorter but just as supportive of Brian, commenting on their days together on 'Growing Pains,' a period in which Alan says Brian was a "highly professional and nurturing mentor of the young people on our television set." Thicke says BP was never inappropriate.
There are dozens of other letters by people who went to bat for Brian -- including "Boy Meets World" stars Will Friedle and Rider Strong, "Growing Pains" star Joanna Kerns and 'Suite Life' directors Rich and Beth Correll ... whose show Brian worked on briefly, post-conviction.
You can see their letters here in full too ... but there are even more, filed by actors like Ron Melendez, James Marshall, Kimmy Robertson and other showbiz players.
As we reported ... Drake is set to detail exactly what he says Brian did to him before he got his own show on Nickelodeon on the new documentary 'Quiet on Set.' "Quiet on Set' premieres across 2 nights on ID, starting at 9 PM on March 17 and 18.
We've reached out to reps for Marsden and Killam ... so far, no word back.
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Amber Rose MGK Regretted the Way He Treated Me Only Ex-BF to Apologize!!!
Amber Rose had nothing but love to share about her former flame, Machine Gun Kelly ... whom she says is the only ex-boyfriend to apologize for treating her badly.
The model/reality star gave MGK a major shout-out to MGK during Wednesday's episode of "The Jason Lee Show" ... where she explained that she and the rapper/singer remained friends in the aftermath of their brief relationship in 2015.
As AR describes it ... aside from her ex-husband Wiz Khalifa -- Kelly was the only one to acknowledge what a great girlfriend she was. Apparently, he said as much in an apology.
Amber has dated a lot of celebs ... having previously been with Kanye West , 21 Savage, Monte Morris, Terrence Ross, MGK, Alexander 'AE' Edwards and, of course, Wiz too.
Speaking of AE -- who's currently dating Cher, and seemingly in love -- Amber has thoughts on him too ... taking somewhat of a shot at him, and sounding happy he's off her plate.
She told Jason that she's very happy for the couple -- crediting the music legend for creating stability at home for her and AE's son, Slash. AR says their kid actually goes to Cher's house often ... and she's grateful AE has someone who can hold him down and be a good model.
As you know ... Amber and AE were together for 3 years, dating between 2018 and 2021.
While we're sure Amber could spill all sorts of tea on her A-list exes ... she revealed that she has purposefully chosen to stay tight-lipped for the sake of her kids. She reminded Jason ... her kids are old enough to Google.
As for her repeated history of dating rappers, Amber kept it coy ... defending that she is "not out looking for it."
Amber was most recently spotted out with Chris Rock and C.J. Stroud ... but it's unclear if she's involved with either of them.
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Pierce Brosnan Pleads Guilty in Yellowstone Case ... Ordered to Pay $1,500
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Pierce Brosnan just took a plea deal in his hot springs hiking case out in Idaho ... this after initially entering a not-guilty plea just two months ago.
According to court documents obtained by TMZ ... Pierce pled guilty to one of two charges brought against him -- namely, one count of foot travel in all thermal areas and within Yellowstone Canyon confined to trails -- after he allegedly wandered into a delicate hot spring at Yellowstone National Park in November 2023.
In exchange, the other charge was dismissed. Brosnan's guilty plea lands him with about $1,540 in fines and other court costs.
Remember ... 007 appeared to post a couple pics from an off-limits area in the park -- areas that are closed to tourists for both the safety of the springs and the safety of hikers.
Those pics got picked up by TouronsOfYellowstone -- an IG page that highlights the tourists/morons who break hiking rules in the gorgeous national park.
Brosnan was facing a fine of up to $5,000 or even six months jail time if he was found guilty ... instead, it seems like the star's putting this legal issue to rest.
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Shohei Ohtani Wife Revealed As Mamiko Tanaka ... Basketball Player
Shohei Ohtani just finally revealed his lovely wife -- it's Japanese basketball player Mamiko Tanaka!!
The Dodgers superstar -- who got the largest contract in sports history this past offseason -- recently announced he married "someone from my Native country of Japan who is very special to me" ... but did not disclose her identity.
Ohtani and his team put an end to all the speculation on Thursday ... sharing a photo of the newlyweds on their way to Seoul, South Korea for the Dodgers' season opener on March 20th.
The woman was quickly ID'd as Tanaka, a 27-year-old basketball player who played for Waseeda University and the Women's Japan Basketball League's Fujitsu Red Wave.
The 5-foot-11 forward/center averaged 7.8 points and 6 rebounds per game ... so they're really quite the athletic couple!!
Ohtani said he and Tanaka have known each other for three to four years ... but their actual wedding date is unknown.
Mamiko Tanaka: a normal Japanese woman pic.twitter.com/RwnvXFNDGl
— Shawn Spradling (@Shawn_Spradling) March 14, 2024 @Shawn_Spradling
He also said she had no impact on his decision during free agency ... but pointed out Tanaka has a great understanding of his profession.
It all makes sense, now!!
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Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce Team Up For K.C. Steakhouse ... 1587 Prime!!!
Patrick Mahomes is connecting with Travis Kelce for another off-field highlight -- the pair of Chiefs superstars are getting in the restaurant industry once again with a new steakhouse in Kansas City.
The hot spot is named 1587 Prime (a nod the duo's jersey numbers) ... but their business partners over at the Noble 33 hospitality group say their involvement goes far beyond that.
Entrepreneur Tosh Berman -- who runs several popular restaurants with Noble 33 -- says Mahomes and Kelce have been "instrumental" with input about the place's concept ... and have shared cool, original ideas to bring to the business.
The two-story, 10,000-square foot eatery -- which will be located inside the Loews Hotel in downtown -- is slated to open in early 2025 ... and it sounds super fancy, with a meat display as the focal point of the whole thing, as well as "hyper-subtle" nods to the Super Bowl champions' on-field accomplishments.
There will also be a massive wine collection, which will be one of the largest in the state.
Mahomes -- who also teamed up with his favorite target by investing in Chicken N Pickle -- spoke about the decision to join forces with Kelce again ... saying, "Travis and I have become frequent visitors of Noble 33 restaurants in other cities so it only made sense to bring something special to our own community in Kansas City."
Kelce added ... "We're excited to be a part of this journey with Noble 33 to create a one-of-a-kind dining experience, and what better place to start than our very own, Kansas City."
The guys are essentially attached at the hip both on and off the field ... and now they got the perfect place to double date with Brittany Mahomes and Taylor Swift!!
We're covering all things Taylor and Travis on the new "TMZ Swift-Tea" podcast, available on all podcast platforms.
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Danny DeVito Ready to Reunite w/ Arnie Onscreen ... But Not Gonna Be 'Twins 2'
Danny DeVito's getting back together with his onscreen twin -- saying he and Arnold Schwarzenegger are set to team up once again ... in a totally new project.
The actor spoke with Fox News Digital Wednesday -- days after his surprise appearance alongside The Governator at Sunday's Oscars ceremony -- and said he and AS have plans for a silver screen reunion.
In fact, Danny says this isn't just some hopeful whim -- he says a script is actually in the works, and Warner Bros. is involved ... so, it seems like this thing is really happening!
"Twins" fans shouldn't get too excited though ... 'cause DD says this is an all-new flick, not a sequel to the hit 1988 film starring Danny and Arnold as fraternal twins.
Danny said that his and Arnold's friendship stretches even further back than "Twins" saying they'd see each other every so often ... but -- as Danny joked -- they weren't pumping iron at the gym together!
Ultimately, Danny says they're hoping to start production next year ... and, he's keeping his fingers crossed the project won't be delayed.
Arnold's got a whole bunch of projects on the way according to IMDb FWIW ... and Danny's gonna be featured heavily in the 17th season of his hit show "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," so the two guys are gonna have to work around busy schedules.
Danny seems determined ... and it sounds like Arnold's saying he'll be back for the new film.
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Aaron Rodgers Clarifies Stance On Sandy Hook ... Never Said It Didn't Happen
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Aaron Rodgers is attempting to clear up his position on Sandy Hook, a day after a scathing report claimed the superstar QB denied the horrific shooting ever happened, saying that's simply not true, calling it "an absolute tragedy."
As I’m on the record saying in the past, what happened in Sandy Hook was an absolute tragedy. I am not and have never been of the opinion that the events did not take place. Again, I hope that we learn from this and other tragedies to identify the signs that will allow us to…
— Aaron Rodgers (@AaronRodgers12) March 14, 2024 @AaronRodgers12
"As I’m on the record saying in the past, what happened in Sandy Hook was an absolute tragedy. I am not and have never been of the opinion that the events did not take place," 40-year-old Rodgers tweeted from Costa Rica.
"Again, I hope that we learn from this and other tragedies to identify the signs that will allow us to prevent unnecessary loss of life. My thoughts and prayers continue to remain with the families affected along with the entire Sandy Hook community."
The statement comes after CNN published a report on Wednesday citing two people who claimed AR was adamant the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, CT was fake, attributing the following quote to the 4x NFL MVP.
"All those children never existed. They were all actors.”
Rodgers tweet seems to directly contradict the CNN story ... but not all of it. The network also reported Aaron believes, or at least did in 2013, that the shooting was an "inside job" perpetrated by the United States government.
The Jets signal-callers message does not address whether he ever claimed the shooting was an inside job.
20 kids and six adults were tragically killed on December 14, 2012 by a 20-year-old shooter ... who then took his own life.
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KATE MIDDLETON INSTAGRAM WARNS USERS OF FAKE SNAP AFP Says No Longer Trusted
The Kate Middleton saga continues -- in light of Kensington Palace choosing to keep their fake photo of her up on Instagram ... the platform is now warning people, this is fraudulent.
IG has officially slapped the Mother's Day picture seen 'round-the-world -- which has since been revealed to be heavily edited -- with a flag that explicitly lets people know the picture ain't authentic ... and that users would be wise to be cautious with it.
The disclaimer on her post now reads, "Altered photo/video. The same altered photo was reviewed by independent fact-checkers in another post."
A further description of their decision to label her picture with this explains that the fact-checker found the photo had been edited in a way that could mislead people, but not because it was shown out of context. Translation ... this thing was cooked up in the lab!
The third-party fact-checker that IG (Meta) is relying on for this conclusion is a company called EFE Verifica -- which is a Spanish org that specializes in this sorta thing.
BTW, Instagram is not the only company that's distancing itself from Kate's pic -- French news agency AFP (a well-respected player) came out publicly this week to say that they do not consider Kensington Palace a trusted source.
AFP's global news director said they were going to heavily vet anything that Kensington sends their way going forward ... and a notice has been sent to their teams globally.
It's a big hit to the reputation of Kensington Palace, no doubt -- and the fact that they still have this doctored image up is astounding ... especially with all the backlash, conspiracy theories and speculation that has followed on Kate's whereabouts and condition.
Of course, this head-in-the-sand approach -- remember, the Palace has yet to address more questions about this, despite everyone having reached out for further comment -- seems to be spearheaded by Prince William himself, who's continuing on like nothing's happened.
In fact, Bill was on hand Thursday for more Royal duties with the OnSide Youth Zone -- who help disadvantaged kids -- and here, he was seen making cookies with youngsters ... and he actually alluded to Kate, saying his wife was the "arty" one as he botched icing decorations.
He's been doing a bunch of work-related stuff all week, and has yet to address head-on what's up with Kate ... frankly, it's unclear if anyone's even asked him.
If his attitude here -- namely, to ignore and power on -- is any indication ... it seems the rest of the Kensington Palace team is following his lead, but Kate-Gate ain't going away.
The question remains ... where is the Princess of Wales???