New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye is ready for the 2026-2026 NFL season after sustaining a shoulder injury ahead of the 2026 Super Bowl.

“My shoulder’s feeling great,” Maye, 23, told sports reporter Kay Adams during his training camp on Friday, July 31. “I think that was a bummer way to end the last game.”

The NFL star suffered an injury during the AFC championship game in January after stiff-arming Denver Broncos linebacker Jonah Elliss during the fourth quarter, a move that helped secure his team’s spot in Super Bowl LX.

“I’m feeling good. I’m feeling good. We’re gonna get some extra rest, and really the only thing that’s from the game, I think just the build up of throwing for, this is what, almost, including training camp, 30 weeks straight of throwing and four days a week,” Maye said during a press conference afterward, addressing his health. “It can add up. But I’ve got some extra rest. I’m feeling good, and yeah, ready to go for the Super Bowl.”

Related: Patriots QB Drake Maye Holds Back Tears After 2026 Super Bowl Loss

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye struggled to control his emotions after losing the 2026 Super Bowl. “I’m so proud,” Maye, 23, said in a postgame press conference on Sunday, February 8, after the Patriots lost to the Seattle Seahawks 29-13 in Super Bowl LX. “That’s probably the reason I’m choked up most.” Maye continued […]

Maye played through his injury during the big game the next month, ultimately losing to the Seattle Seahawks 13-29.

Following the loss, Maye had the chance to recuperate before returning to training camp in July.

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“I think keeping the main thing the main thing, and that’s, you know, my family, my faith and playing this game of football,” he said on Friday of his pride in returning for his third season on the gridiron. “I think having my family and my wife at home, we really tried to [stay humble]. It’s just been a nature of who we are, and being from the South,[it’s] saying, ‘Yes ma’am’ and ‘No ma’am’ and just not lose sight of who I am. I think that’s what gets you places where you want to go in life.”

Related: Drake Maye Says Moving to New England Was ‘An Adjustment’ for Wife Ann

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye is grateful to have his wife, Ann Michael Maye, by his side throughout his NFL career. “It’s been awesome to follow her journey. I know [I] was looking forward to her getting up here,” Drake, 23, said during a Thursday, January 29, press conference. “After we got married, she […]

Drake has been married to his wife, middle school sweetheart Ann Michael Maye, since 2025. In addition to tirelessly supporting his football career, she’s also plied the Patriots with homemade cookies during training camp.

“Sometimes you got to take breakfast off or kind of eat, like, a yogurt or eat something small to try to save some room for some cookies,” Drake quipped. “She makes [baked goods] and … brings them to the offensive lineman! They make the rookies write out little notes and say thank you. Even the receivers want some, so everyone wants a little taste.”

The Exorcist star Linda Blair has broken her silence hours after 70 law enforcement officers reportedly raided her property.

“I just wanted to check in because we got a really big surprise visit,” Blair, 67, began a Friday, July 31, Instagram video, addressing the reports. “As it turns out, there is nothing but some paperwork and some new diagrams and things. But, as everybody knows, I have been trying to move for the last two years, really. It’s imperative to my health and trying to help more animals.”

TMZ reported earlier on Friday that approximately 70 members of various law enforcement and animal agencies were issued an investigative warrant to search her property for any violations and count how many animals that Blair houses on the premises. The outlet claimed that Blair has a permit to keep 60 dogs, though authorities found 200 canines living there. None of Blair’s animals were immediately removed from her care.

As for the actress, she stressed that she is alright.

Related: Emma Roberts and More Stars Who Have Adopted or Fostered Pets

Stars’ best friends! Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez and more celebrities have turned to their furry friends for comfort during the coronavirus outbreak — and many are providing forever homes to pups in need. The “Slide Away” singer and ex-boyfriend Cody Simpson introduced their rescue pup Bo to their Instagram followers in March 2020, adding to […]

“I’m fine [and] the animals are fine,” Blair said in her Friday update. “We just have some paperwork that has to be dealt with, and that’s all this was all about. I don’t know why mail isn’t used more often to notify somebody, just saying.”

Blair founded her eponymous nonprofit, the Linda Blair Worldheart Foundation, in 2003 to rescue and rehabilitate abused, neglected or abandoned animals.

“With, as busy as we all are in animal rescue and saving lives from the hot deserts and abandoned animals and shelters, everyone’s emails and social media are overloaded!” Blair captioned her upload. “Turns out, we just have some paperwork to do and some diagrams but as everybody knows, I’m looking to move so I can be more educational and help more animals. I’d rather move forward. I always say you know a good old-fashioned letter of contact always works. Be safe; safe lives support animal rescue ‘cause we’re all fighting to save lives.”

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Custody battles in Hollywood’s most publicized divorces can sometimes take an ugly turn, but the fight for guardianship isn’t always centered around an estranged couple’s children. In some cases, deciding over the ownership of pets can prove to be just as difficult. Thank You! You have successfully subscribed. Subscribe to newsletters Enter your email Please […]

Amid her acclaimed Hollywood career, Blair launched her nonprofit to help animals in need.

“I started rescuing in 1997 [and promoting] animal welfare since 1984,” Blair wrote via Instagram late last month. “I am hands-on in my foundation. I am the main rescuer, hands-on, preventative care, healer, behaviorist, trainer and matchmaker for [potential] adopters.”

She continued at the time, “We have a pet overpopulation crisis in the world! … We need help with this $5000-plus bill to get all these dogs, spayed, neutered, microchip and rabies. If you can help, please do!”

Influencer Elyse Myers is opening up about the years she spent living with chronic pain, revealing she had a hysterectomy after “bleeding out” on a daily basis.

“Hi, I’m going to make this video one time and then if anyone else has any questions about the changes and the size of my body you can just link them to this video,” Myers, 33, shared in a video uploaded via TikTok on Friday, July 31. “I had a hysterectomy a little less than a year ago.”

She continued, “I was on my way back to track the very first day of my audio book and I went to beg my OB for a uterine oblation, which is where they cauterize the inside of your uterus, because I had been in so much pain for, like, five plus years. So much pain. And not just pain, but I had been bleeding out every single day for years straight — like no reprieve.”

According to the influencer, she was bleeding so much she had to wear “a tampon, a pad and an adult diaper” — and still, she said she had to put down a towel “on every single surface I sat on” because she would still bleed through.

Related: Celebrities Who Got Real About Battling Endometriosis

Olivia Culpo, Julianne Hough and more stars have become fierce advocates for women’s health — especially when it comes to endometriosis. Endometriosis causes abnormal tissue growth in and around the uterus, and is one of the leading causes of infertility in women. The condition occurs in as many as 1 in 10 women, according to […]

“I am humiliated making this video,” she added. “But the change in my appearance is because for the very first time I’m not experiencing all of this. I’m not in chronic pain. I’m not throwing up in the middle of the day because I’m hurting. I’m not bleeding out. I’m not about to pass out.”

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♬ original sound – Elyse Myers

She continued, “You met me when I was months postpartum from my very first child and then I got pregnant again — he had a hole in his heart, that’s a whole other thing we can talk about another time, he’s great now — and then after all of that was finally resolved I finally realized, like, ‘Oh my god, maybe it’s not normal that I’m bleeding out every single day for years at a time. Maybe it’s not normal that I’m doubled over in pain, and maybe there’s a solution for this.’ So I tried everything. Everything. The only solution was to get my uterus and my cervix removed.”

The 33-year-old influencer, who has amassed more than 7 million followers on TikTok alone, said that she was “devastated” to hear the news that the only treatment for her chronic pain was to have her uterus removed.

“I cannot tell you how sad I was,” she continued. “And I did it. And three weeks later, I went on my book tour where every single night I had to sit on a stage with ice on my lap. And that was better than the reality I had been living in.”

She added, “So the way that you’re seeing me show up now is the version of me that should have existed the whole time. I am so happy and so healthy, I won’t apologize for that. I also understand that I don’t want to trigger people with my body.”

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Related: Amy Schumer Bronzed Her Uterus After Having It Surgically Removed

Amy Schumer kept her uterus as a souvenir after having it surgically removed. The comedian, 42, discussed her bronze trophy on an episode of the “SmartLess” podcast with Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes and Will Arnett, which was released on Monday, March 11. “Jason asked me one time, like very rudely, because I actually had my […]

Myers, who published her illustrated memoir That’s a Great Question, I’d Love to Tell You in October 2025, went on to address online comments about her body in the wake of her hysterectomy.

“I don’t know if I have a responsibility to explain why the size of my body has changed or not but I do take it seriously because I want to be a safe place for people,” she explained. “Every single piece of content I make, my goal is to make people feel loved, known and like they belong. I don’t want my physical appearance to hinder people from feeling that way, but I don’t really know — I don’t know how to get past that because I feel so happy.”

She continued, at times growing emotional, “I’m sorry if my experience post-hysterectomy doesn’t align with what you think it should or what your experience was. And I’m sorry if my appearance is triggering to you because gosh that makes me sad. But what I’m not going to do is apologize for being pain-free and happy and genuinely so happy for the first time in so many years.”

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is crediting his mystery wife, Brittani, for his recent family reunion.

“There’s been a lot of conversation about it outside of my own conversations for so many years,” Rodgers, 42, told NFL Network’s Kyle Brandt on Saturday, August 1, of his decision to reconnect with his previously estranged family members. “You know, a big part of it was getting married and having those conversations with my wife that allowed me to kind of open up to the possibility of coming together — it’s been a couple-year process now, the conversations with [my family].”

Rodgers, who announced he married a woman named Brittani in June 2025, shared a July 2026 Instagram carousel of photos featuring the former Green Bay Packers quarterback posing with his parents, Ed Rodgers and Darla Rodgers, and his older brother, Luke Rodgers. (Aaron’s younger brother, Jordan Rodgers, was noticeably absent from the social media post.)

“Another bonding week,” Aaron captioned the carousel at the time.

Related: Aaron Rodgers Biographer Shares Insight Into Family Dynamic After Reunion Pic

Aaron Rodgers’ biographer is shedding light on the pro quarterback’s family dynamic, days after he shared photos via Instagram with his parents and brother, Luke. “They had been working towards reconciliation for a while,” The Athletic columnist and author Ian O’Connor wrote via X on Tuesday, July 21. “Rodgers invited parents Ed & Darla to […]

According to footage obtained by TMZ, the quarterback was spending time with his mom and dad back in April — well before his social media upload — at the inaugural Pleasant Valley High School Athletics Hall of Fame dinner in Chico, California. (The ceremony, held at the Chico Elks Lodge, celebrated Aaron’s journey from a three-sport standout at Pleasant Valley High School to one of football’s most successful quarterbacks. According to TMZ, Aaron gave a speech during the event and even thanked his parents.)

“I have been very closed off about that part of my life and I want to keep it that way, but there’s been a narrative that has gone on for too long that I wanted to kind of shut down,” Aaron continued on Saturday. “And it’s been really beautiful to reconnect with them — all of them.”

He added, “And I got to spend a long weekend recently — [where] those [social media] pictures are from — in Nashville with my parents and his brother and his sweet wife and their incredible two kids. So I got to be an uncle, so it’s really special.”

Aaron, who also credited his wife for “allowing” him to return to the NFL for one final season — said that the past year has been a “full circle” moment for the star.

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“And I’m happy to be reunited and that part of my life is a really beautiful addition and I got to give my wife a lot of credit — not that she was pushing me, because she never was, but just the way that she loves and supports me,” he added. “Having her by my side during this process has been really special, and I miss those relationships. And there’s reasons for it that don’t need to be talked about but I’m thankful that that’s come all the way back around.”

Related: Aaron Rodgers Addresses Family Drama While Discussing His Mystery Wife

As Aaron Rodgers celebrates his new marriage, he revealed the hostility within his immediate family continues to rage on. Rodgers, 41, appeared on ESPN’s The Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday, June 24, where he discussed his wife, Brittani, for the first time since he announced they had tied the knot recently. In doing so, Rodgers […]

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Brandt, for his part, told the quarterback that he is “happy” for him and his wife, who has remained out of the spotlight since Aaron announced he is no longer a single man.

“I was genuinely moved by your post with your family and your parents — like genuinely, I thought it was really, really cool,” Brandt told Aaron at the beginning of their conversation.

The Sopranos alum Vincent Pastore has died. He was 80.

Pastore was found dead in his City Island residence in the Bronx on Saturday, August 1, by a neighbor, per Page Six. The outlet reported that police suspect Pastore died from natural causes.

“I had the privilege of representing Vinny for more than 30 years, long before The Sopranos made him a household name,” his manager, Robert Attermann, told Page Six on Saturday, confirming the actor’s death. “To the world, he will always be remembered as the unforgettable ‘Big Pussy,’ but to those of us who knew him, he was so much more.”

His statement continued, “Vinny was one of the kindest, most generous people I have ever known. He treated everyone with warmth and respect, never turning down a fan who wanted a photograph or an autograph.”

Pastore is best known for playing Tony Soprano’s mafioso henchman-turned-saboteur Salvatore “Big Pussy” Bonpensiero on the first two seasons of HBO’s The Sopranos. (Following Sal’s infamous exit story line, Pastore returned multiple times for guest appearances on the HBO drama.)

He broke into acting after obtaining a drama degree from New York’s Pace University. He had previously served in the U.S. military, fighting in the country’s Vietnam War. Pastore carved out a niche within the sprawling entertainment industry via various supporting roles in classic mob movies, including Goodfellas, Carlito’s Way, Witness to the Mob and Mafia!.

Away from the mob movie genre, Pastore lent his voice to the 2004 animated movie Shark Tale as the octopus Luca and voiced Terry on Aqua Teen Hunger Force.

Following the announcement of his death, Pastore was remembered as a “beloved friend and collaborator” by Sopranos costar Michael Imperioli on Saturday. (Imperioli portrayed Tony Soprano’s drug-addicted protege Christopher on the HBO drama.)

“This is a hard one for us, it seems like I’ve known Vinny forever. We did lots of work together and traveled all over the USA as well as Italy and Australia,” Imperioli, 60, wrote via Instagram. “Lots of good times. Lots of laughs. Vinny was a kind hearted brother who cared deeply about his family and friends. I will miss him always.”

Fellow Sopranos alum Edie Falco — who played Tony Soprano’s long-suffering wife Carmella — told Page Six on Saturday that Pastore’s death was “an awful loss” and “so unexpected.”

“Vinnie was always so full of life,” Falco, 63, noted.

Having worked with Pastore on both The Sopranos and Goodfellas, Lorraine Bracco remembered the actor as “such a charming and funny man” via her Instagram Story. (Bracco starred as Tony’s psychiatrist, Dr. Jennifer Melfi, on The Sopranos.)

“Just a beautiful soul. Absolutely heartbreaking.” Bracco, 71, added.

Junior Soprano actor Dominic Chianese shared via his own Instagram Story that he’d “lost a friend” on Saturday.

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“Paying respect and sending Love in tribute,” Chianese, 75, continued. “You were a gem Vinnie🤍.”

Vincent is survived by a daughter, Renee Pastore, from his marriage to ex-wife Nancy Berke.

His final big-screen performance will be in the upcoming 1950s coming-of-age drama Bad News on the Doorstep, in which he costarred with Mischa Barton, Rob Gronkowski and Chazz Palminteri.

Longtime fans of The Rookie were thrown a gigantic curveball in the show’s Season 8 finale. Tim Bradford (Eric Winter) finally proposed to Lucy Chen (Melissa O’Neil). She said yes, and all seemed right with the world — until the two were kidnapped by assailants working for the criminal Heath Everett (Jeffrey Vincent Parise), leaving viewers on a gut-punching cliffhanger. Unfortunately, viewers won’t find out what happens to Tim and Lucy until the show returns for its ninth season in 2027! The good news is that the show will kick off Season 9 with an exciting new storyline, marking a major change in the Chenford dynamic.

Season 9 Can Finally Move Away From Chenford’s Relationship Drama

After failing to give fans what they wanted in Season 7, the writers of The Rookie finally delivered the Tim and Lucy reunion early in Season 8. During Season 9, the couple primarily navigated the challenges of living together while also still working in the Mid-Wilshire Division together, and Lucy met Tim’s mother, Joy (Sela Ward). Now, they’ve been kidnapped by dangerous individuals who want them dead. The Season 9 premiere of The Rookie throws the couple into a fight for their lives, and their colleagues into a race against the clock to rescue them. This promises an action-heavy plot, so The Rookie will hit the ground running when the curtain rises on Season 9. The Mid-Wilshire Division will be thrust into a pulse-pounding adventure as Tim and Lucy’s friends desperately seek to help their teammates. That’s a lot more exciting than the melodrama over whether Tim and Lucy can finally reconcile their romance.

‘The Rookie Season 9 Will Open With a Huge Two-Parter

We don’t know much about The Rookie Season 9 premiere, but series creator and showrunner Alexi Hawley dropped a couple of tantalizing details during the show’s panel at the 2026 San Diego Comic-Con. Season 9 opens with a two-parter that will be “huge” in scope. Melissa O’Neil informed TV Insider that Tim and Lucy are in deep trouble, with the couple “currently incapacitated, unconscious with bags on their heads,” and Eric Winter noting that they’re “fighting for their lives.” O’Neil also teased that the two will likely be separated, which will likely cause emotional turmoil for Tim.

Lucy is an experienced undercover officer, and Bradford is a military combat veteran, which gives them an edge to survive this ordeal. This also isn’t the first time Lucy has been kidnapped, as fans will recall she was kidnapped by the serial killer Caleb Wright (Michael Cassidy) back in Season 2, who attempted to bury her alive. As traumatic as that ordeal was for Lucy, she’s a tough and hardened survivor. Although it’s an intense scenario, it provides potential for great, suspenseful storytelling.

The Mid-Wilshire Division Will Be All Hands on Deck

Image via ABC

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The other exciting aspect about the storyline to start Season 9 is that it will put the entire Mid-Wilshire Division on alert, with all hands on deck in the search for Tim and Lucy. The Mid-Wilshire Division has become an extended family over the years, and all the main cast members have a personal stake in finding their friends. Tim and Angela Lopez (Alyssa Diaz) are best friends, with Angela even taking an active role in helping Tim and Lucy get back together early in Season 8.

On Lucy’s side, Nyla Harper (Mekia Cox) and Lucy bonded and grew closer back when Nyla mentored Lucy during her UC training and then again when they went undercover in Season 8. Lucy and Celina Juarez (Lisseth Chavez) became roommates and lived together throughout Season 7, and Celina looks up to Lucy as a veteran officer. Meanwhile, Angela’s husband, defense attorney Wesley Evers (Shawn Ashmore), will likely feel responsible for Tim and Lucy’s kidnapping, since he briefly served as part of Heath Everett’s defense team near the end of the season. That will provide a strong emotional motivation for Wesley in the storyline, as he seeks to redeem himself with Tim.

For their former watch commander, Wade Grey (Richard T. Jones), Lucy and Tim are like his “kids,” as the actor refers to them when speaking to TV Insider. Grey is a father figure to both officers, grooming Tim to be his replacement as the new Watch Commander, and supervising Lucy from her first days as a rookie officer. This big-time storyline will showcase how important Tim and Lucy are to the entire crew, who will stop at nothing to make sure their friends return home safely. Although it’s a long wait, The Rookie Season 9 will kick off with a bang when it returns to ABC next year.

Joint discomfort doesn’t just affect athletes or people recovering from injuries. Everyday wear and tear can leave knees, shoulders, elbows and other joints feeling stiff over time, making it more important than ever to take action before your daily mobility is negatively impacted.

Enter MOVE+ by Kineon, a wearable red and infrared light therapy device — the kind of light physios use in clinic — that you wrap around a sore knee, shoulder or foot for about ten minutes a day. Think of light as a charger for tired cells: it gives the tissue in a sore joint more of the energy it needs to repair. Most red-light panels scatter at the skin; MOVE+ adds medical-grade lasers that stay focused enough to reach the deeper tissue where the pain actually lives.

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Unlike bulky recovery equipment or complicated gadgets, MOVE+ is lightweight, wearable and totally hands-free. All it takes is ten minutes while you work or sit on the couch. Right now you can save $50 with code USM10.

Red and near-infrared light work with the body’s natural recovery process, making the technology an increasingly popular addition to modern wellness routines. MOVE+ isn’t a quick fix — the benefits build over weeks of consistent use, according to real-life users.

“What is clear is that slowly, the pain is less and I am able to flex the joint more easily,” one five-star reviewer wrote. “My daughter has used it a few times for a stiff neck and notices immediate relief.”

“I’ve been using my MOVE+ for several years now and with incredible results,” another five-star customer said. “I have found the MOVE+ extremely effective on my knee, in which I’ve had two cartilage scrapes, and my biceps tendons and rotator cuffs, which are both torn from overuse.”

Recovery isn’t just for athletes; it’s becoming part of how people support long-term health and wellness to maintain an active lifestyle. If you’ve been curious about wearable wellness technology, MOVE+ makes recovery feel a little more effortless.

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Travis Kelce has formally corroborated his sister-in-law Kylie Kelce’s claim that three of her daughters already have him “wrapped” around their pinkies.

Kylie, 34, revealed on the Thursday, July 30, episode of her “Not Gonna Lie” podcast that Travis, 36, is a complete pushover when it comes to his nieces Wyatt, 6, Ellie, 5, and Bennett, 3. The jury is still out, however, for Finnley, who was born in March 2025.

“Confirmed!!” Travis wrote on Saturday, August 1, in the Instagram comments section of footage of the podcast clip. “Only a matter of time til Finn has me wrapped around her finger too.”

Kylie married Travis’ brother, retired Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce, before they welcomed their four little girls. Since then, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end has become the ultimate uncle.

“I think they all know that he is very down for anything they ask him to do or play. He’s in it,” Kylie revealed on Thursday about Travis’ bond with her kids. “They know that he’s a willing participant and will very rarely get a ’No.’”

The field hockey coach continued, “Typically, when they see Uncle Trav, it’s everybody in. I would say the only person who does not have Uncle Trav wrapped around their finger is Finn, and that’s because Finn wants nothing to do with anybody. Finn is mom’s child.”

While 17-month-old Finn is focused solely on her mother’s attention, Kylie explained that her eldest daughters often go “fullcourt press him whenever they see” Travis.

“I would say [Wyatt and Ellie] are more into the type of all-in play that both dad and Uncle Trav play,” Kylie recalled. “Uncle Trav will get down on the floor and play a quiet game of Barbies, but he will do the throw, launch, all that stuff, and the two older girls are more into that stuff. Bennett is — she’s a lady. She has pearls. She can’t be bothered with that type of play.”

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Related: Kylie Kelce Gushes Over How Travis and Taylor Swift Play With Her Kids

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Kylie Kelce is opening up about the sweet bond brother-in-law Travis Kelce and his fiancée, Taylor Swift, share with her and Jason Kelce‘s four daughters. During the Friday, February 6, episode of Kylie’s “Not Gonna Lie” podcast, Travis, 36, revealed the biggest request he gets from his nieces — Wyatt, 6, Ellie, 4, Bennett, 2, […]

Wyatt, Ellie, Bennett and Finn all got a chance to show off their bond with Travis when they served as flower girls during his wedding to now-wife Taylor Swift last month. (Swift, 36, and Travis said “I do” inside New York City’s Madison Square Garden arena after three years of dating.)

“It was a special event for our entire family, and obviously my daughters are incredible,” Jason, 38, told reporters at the American Century Championship last month. “They’re beautiful, they’re incredible personalities. … So, very happy we were able to be a part of it. And more importantly, very happy for those two. It was an amazing day.”

Jason was his brother’s best man, while Taylor enlisted her sibling, Austin Swift, to be her Man of Honor in lieu of a traditional bridal party.

Former NFL player and Aussie Rules football star Patrick Murtagh and his girlfriend, Hannah Orval, endured the ramifications of a pregnancy loss one year before their baby boy was born sleeping.

“From the outside it can feel like everyone is blessed with their pregnancies, able to carry a child time after time without struggle,” Orval, 27, wrote to fans via Instagram in May. “Though I have come to understand it is just that we don’t talk about the other side of it. And personally we couldn’t at the time either so I understand why. But now I want to bring light to something that I hope no two people ever feel alone in again.”

Orval and Murtagh, 26, announced in a joint statement on Friday, July 31, that their baby son Meelo Michael Murtagh entered the world stillborn.

“Meelo Michael Murtagh, born into this big world early and sleeping. 🤍👼 he will forever be the biggest missing piece of the rest of our story. to be a family for even just for a day was irreplaceable,” the couple wrote. “Childbirth, I would do it over again every day in every lifetime to meet him. we are absolutely devestated [SIC], but forever our biggest achievement in life.”

Related: Hailey Okula’s Husband Marks 1 Year After Her Death From Childbirth

Hailey Okula’s husband, Matt, is paying tribute to the influencer one year after her death at age 33. “Crew’s 1st Birthday 🎂March 29 was Crew’s first birthday, and also a day of reflecting on losing Hailey a year earlier. Being surrounded by family and close friends at Hailey and my favorite campground made it a […]

Later, the influencer penned a personal letter to Meelo where she wrote that it was “a dream for a lifetime of being” his mother.

“I walk you through your next life too because I’ll always be your mumma,” Orval vowed via her Instagram Stories. “My heart will forever be frozen in time to the day we met you. Your little fingers, your little toes, your daddy’s nose.”

Calling childbirth “the most sacred thing” she’d experienced, Orval reached out to other mothers who have lost children.

“The pain that we, as mothers, would choose to go through over and over again in every lifetime. Nothing could ever prepare you for the feeling of your baby touching your skin for the first time, now I understand,” she wrote. “Though we are strong as mothers to bare these children, I 1785650857 understood more in that moment the real power of who we choose to have kids with.”

Two months before the loss of Meelo, Orval revealed in a powerful Instagram post that she and the athlete previously suffered a pregnancy loss in 2025.

“Last year we were so excited to be having our daughter. Our first child, our first pregnancy. We also then simultaneously carried the grief of a missed miscarriage,” she recalled. “Unfortunately at our 12.5 week scan we were made aware her heartbeat could no longer be found. She had unfortunately stopped growing the week prior & I had shown no signs of miscarriage. My body had not told me in any way so we were utterly shocked by the news.”

Orval clarified that the heartbreaking news came during a period of tremendous upheaval in her and Patrick’s lives as he was deep into training for the NFL. (Patrick signed with the Denver Broncos practice squad in August 2025 after being waived by the Jacksonville Jaguars that May.)

“A different country, a new state, a new team, a new bunch of faces. Just us two to carry something so great. Timelines, decisions, surgeries, recovery, grief. It truely [SIC] was a cruel experience and I want to give my heart to the many that face this,” she wrote.

She went on, “To carry both life and death. It does something profound to you. I craved the comfort of knowing other people had the same struggle, the same story. Though I didn’t want that experience for anyone else, I did want to know it wasn’t my fault, that I was not alone. I did everything right? Why us?”

Orval stressed that she was sharing her story so any couples going through similarly traumatic experiences will know that they aren’t alone.

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“I by no means share this to scare anyone but I do want people to feel seen, to understand it is not their fault. They aren’t alone in that story, that grief or that loneliness,” she noted. “I hope this can open up conversation about the struggles many face. That it encourages women and men to both lean on their people for support during times of grief and struggle. You are never alone.”

She poignantly concluded her by post, writing, “The first piece of us is a piece that will always be missing.”

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.