A firefighter in Camden, four miles east of Philadelphia, fell into the Delaware River near the Wiggins Park Marina around 11:30 a.m. Thursday, as firefighters conducted a routine maintenance check of a fire boat, Camden Fire Chief Jesse Flax said during a press conference.
The tragic incident drew a “split-second” reaction from the firefighter’s colleagues on scene, Flax said. Authorities did not share the name of the firefighter, but said that he was a husband and father.
Despite the quick response, “rough reports” indicate that the firefighter was stuck under the ice for about 30 minutes, Flax said.
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“It’s a tragic loss, and at this time, the family still has to fully come to grips with what just happened. Not everyone is aware of what happened,” Flax said.
A New Jersey firefighter has died after falling into a frozen river while conducting routine maintenance on a fire boat, officials in Camden said (AFP via Getty Images)
The firefighter plunged into the icy water while conducting routine maintenance on the fire boat. It was not immediately clear what caused the fall, but Flax said the group working on the boat had all the tools and equipment required.
First responders performed life-saving measures before the man was taken to the hospital, officials said.
“This is a very difficult time for all of us. I do not have enough words that I can even say that could tell you how this is hurting all of us,” Flax said.
Flax said authorities are still investigating the firefighter’s death. Camden Mayor Victor Carstarphen said the city would provide full support to the man’s family.
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“It’s a tough time,” Carstarphen said.
The Independent has reached out to officials in Camden for more information.
Officials said personnel from Philadelphia, across the Delaware River, jumped into action to help. The Philadelphia Fire Fighters and Paramedics Union expressed their condolences following the tragedy.
“Today is a heartbreaking day for the Camden Fire Department and for the City of Camden. IAFF Local 22 mourns the tragic loss of one of their firefighters. On behalf of the members of Local 22, I extend our deepest condolences and prayers to the firefighters’ family, loved ones, and brothers and sisters of the Camden Fire Department. We stand with you in grief, in solidarity, and in unwavering support,” IAFF Local 22 President Mike Bresnan.
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It was unclear if any other firefighters were injured in the incident.
A medical examiner is still determining the cause of death.
A woman ended her marriage after believing her husband was on dating apps – but was devastated when she discovered it was their neighbour’s catfishing scam
Discovering your partner has cheated is devastating – but one woman experienced an extraordinary twist regarding her husband’s alleged betrayal.
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The distraught wife ended her marriage after discovering her husband was on dating apps, only to later learn their neighbour had created the fake profile using his photographs to catfish women online.
She accused her neighbour of stealing from her family “our love and happiness” and whilst she hasn’t spoken to her husband in over a year, she’s now hoping to salvage their relationship after uncovering the truth.
She turned to Reddit’s Relationship_Advice forum to share her harrowing ordeal, explaining they are currently “not on speaking terms”.
In her anonymous post, she explained receiving a Facebook message last September claiming her “husband was talking and exchanging naked photos with other women on Tinder”.
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After viewing screenshots of the images showing her ‘husband’s’ exchanges with the woman, the wife downloaded Tinder herself and stumbled upon her ‘husband’s’ profile – which indicated his location was “nearby”
However, the situation took an unexpected turn when she confronted him.
She wrote: “I was convinced that he was cheating, and we had a terrible fallout that evening which led to my family coming over to calm the situation, but instead, it escalated when my brother punched and grabbed hold of my husband.
“The neighbours called the police and my husband was asked to pack a few things and stay elsewhere for a while. We separated shortly after, and he has since moved to Sydney to be closer to his ailing father but sees our kids for a weekend twice a month.
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“It has now been 14 months since the woman separated from her husband and she was finally moving on, only for the neighbour’s wife to knock on the door.”
She then discovered her neighbour had been catfishing a woman online – when someone pretends to be another person online – and had been using her husband’s photos to do it.
The post went on to say: “[The neighbour] downloaded these photos from a Macbook that we lent him during COVID, and some of these photos were of intimate nature…and of me. The police are currently dealing with this.”
The shocked wife confessed she now wants to reconcile with her ex-husband but has no clue how to go about it as she’s concerned it might be too late.
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She explained: “I am so scared that we might be down too far the rabbit hole and that he will likely push for a divorce, even though I know that we love each other deeply, but this took a massive toll on our mental health, finances and the wellbeing of our three kids.”
One Reddit user responded: “Your husband experienced something that you will never understand: A false accusation, an assault from your brother, spousal alienation….I am afraid there is no going back for you. You chose to not listen to him when he said it was not him.”
Whilst another addd: “You two got screwed over, not just by your neighbour, but also by your brother…being married is being part of a shared family. The fact that your family got in the middle of it and bodily hurt him would make anyone think twice about getting back in.”
The woman then returned to the same post several months later to provide an update. She revealed that following a sit-down discussion about everything, he remained determined to proceed with the divorce.
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“It was decided that our marriage was beyond repair and that we should go our separate ways.
“He is currently in therapy and has requested we have a clean break with no further contact in the future – I intend to respect his wishes and will continue to communicate through his lawyer on matters that concern our kids.”
She then disclosed her brother had apologised and was “extremely remorseful” and added: “It is a series of unfortunate events that has changed many lives and robbed my family of our love and happiness.”
Savannah Guthrie’s brother issues new plea to mother’s kidnappers
Savannah Guthrie’s family has issued a fresh plea to their mother’s suspected kidnappers after the deadline listed on an apparent ransom letter connected to the 84-year-old’s disappearance passed.
“Whoever is out there holding our mother. We want to hear from you,” the “Today” show co-host’s brother, Camron Guthrie, said in a second video posted to Instagram Thursday evening.
“We haven’t heard anything directly. We need you to reach out, and we need a way to communicate with you so we can move forward. But first we have to know that you have our mom. We want to talk to you, and we are waiting for contact.”
Police believe Nancy Guthrie was abducted from her Arizona home, where she was last seen Saturday evening. As searches continued for a fifth day with no suspects identified, investigators revealed new details about a ransom letter sent to multiple media outlets earlier this week.
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The ransom note listed an initial deadline of 5 p.m. Thursday and a second deadline next Monday, FBI Phoenix Special Agent in Charge Heith Janke said at an earlier press conference. Nancy’s family members are “still waiting for communication” and have not received “proof of life,” he noted.
Investigators also arrested one person in connection with an “imposter” ransom demand, Janke told reporters.
What we know about Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance
“Today” show star Savannah Guthrie’s mom, Nancy Guthrie, was last seen at her Arizona home Saturday night.
The 84-year-old is “limited in mobility” but of “great sound mind,” according to local authorities. Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said Monday that he believes Nancy was abducted.
Police are investigating a ransom letter sent to news outlets earlier this week. The letter lists a deadline of 5 p.m. Thursday, along with a second deadline next Monday, according to Heith Janke, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Phoenix office.
The family has not received “proof of life,” and there has been “no contact” since the note was sent, Janke said.
President Donald Trump said Wednesday night he spoke with Savannah and is “deploying all resources to get her mother home safely.”
Katie Hawkinson5 February 2026 19:33
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Recap: Timeline of Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance
Earlier Thursday, the Pima County Sheriff’s Office revealed an updated timeline of the events leading up to Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance.
Saturday, 5:32 p.m.: Nancy travels to a local family member’s home for dinner.
Saturday, 9:48 p.m.: Family members drop Nancy off at her home, and her garage door opens.
Saturday, 9:50 p.m.: Nancy’s garage door closes.
Sunday, 1:47 a.m.: Nancy’s doorbell camera disconnects.
Sunday, 2:12 a.m.: Software detects a person on the camera (authorities have said there is no video available).
Sunday, 2:28 a.m.: Nancy’s pacemaker app shows it disconnected from her phone.
Sunday, 11:56 a.m.: The family checks on Nancy after hearing she did not attend church.
Sunday, 12:03 p.m.: 911 call made to Pima County Sheriff’s Department.
Sunday, 12:15 p.m.: Patrol car arrives at Nancy’s home.
Mike Bedigan6 February 2026 03:20
Nancy Guthrie is ‘okay but scared,’ according to alleged ransom letter
Nancy Guthrie is “okay but scared,” according to the alleged ransom note sent to media outlets.
“They began the letter by saying that that Nancy is is okay, but scared,” TMZ founder Harvey Levin, who has seen the letter, told CNN.
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“So they say she is okay, and also that she’s aware of the letter and the demands.”
The Guthrie family has urged the person behind their mother’s disappearance to “reach out” and provide proof that she is still alive.
Levin added that he believed the suspected kidnapper was based “in the Tuscon area,” based on discussions with his colleagues.
“This doesn’t feel like this is somebody out of state or out of the country who hatched this plan. It feels more localized,” he said.
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Police are still working to verify the authenticity of the alleged ransom letter, which was also sent to a local news outlet in Tuscon, in Arizona, as well as TMZ.
Speaking to CNN, TMZ founder Harvey Levin said that the ransom letter had two deadlines – but that one had sounded “more consequential.”
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“There was this deadline at five o’clock today, and… I’m trying to pick my words carefully here, there is a change. There is a change in what the kidnapper may want,” he said.
“The Monday deadline is far more consequential.”
Levin added: “It felt like somebody means business. I mean, when you read it, it’s very detailed. This person thought through, I believe, again, if it’s legit, this person thought through the markers of showing that it’s real.”
Police are investigating the ransom letter, sent to news outlets earlier this week, and are yet to verify its authenticity.
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Mike Bedigan6 February 2026 02:40
TMZ founder says Guthrie family has ‘no way’ of contacting suspected kidnapper
The founder of TMZ, one of two media outlets that received copies of an alleged ransom letter for Nancy Guthrie, says that her family currently has no way to contact a suspected kidnapper.
Harvey Levin spoke to CNN shortly after the release of a second video by the Guthrie family in which they urged the person holding their mother to “reach out.”
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“They are pleading for this person to come forward. If it indeed is the person behind this letter, the letter says you will have no way of contacting me. This is the only contact,” Levin said.
“So that’s why they’re pleading for proof of life. That’s why they are begging because they have no idea how to get in touch with this person.
“They went to great lengths in sending this email to us, in making sure that it stays anonymous.”
Police are investigating the ransom letter, sent to news outlets earlier this week, and are yet to verify its authenticity.
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Mike Bedigan6 February 2026 02:20
Watch: Savannah Guthrie’s brother issues new plea to mother’s kidnappers
Savannah Guthrie’s brother issues new plea to mother’s kidnappers
Mike Bedigan6 February 2026 02:00
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Read the full DOJ statement on imposter arrest
Here is the full DOJ statement on the recent arrest of a man over an “imposter” ransom demand.
On Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, the FBI arrested Derrick Callella in Hawthorne, Calif. Callella has been charged via a criminal complaint filed in federal court for transmitting a demand for ransom in interstate commerce, and without disclosing his identity, utilizing a telecommunications device with the intent to abuse, threaten, or harass a person.
“The Department of Justice will protect victims and families at all costs, and grief profiteers will be held accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine. “This case came together in under 24 hours because of the coordinated work of the FBI, local law enforcement and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.”
“To those imposters who are trying to take advantage and profit from this situation – we will investigate and ensure you are held accountable for your actions,” said FBI Phoenix Special Agent in Charge Heith Janke.
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Per policy, the FBI does not release booking photos.
A criminal complaint is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Mike Bedigan6 February 2026 01:40
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Trump keeping tabs on search for Nancy Guthrie
Donald Trump is keeping tabs on the ongoing search for Nancy Guthrie, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has said.
The president watched Thursday’s press conference updates and has personally spoken with her daughter, NBC anchor Savannah Guthrie.
“The president, as you all know, spoke directly with Savannah yesterday and told her that the federal government is here to help. Any requests that are made by state and local officials in the search of Mrs. Guthrie will absolutely be accommodated,” Leavitt said.
“I spoke with the FBI directly about that today as well, and our hearts and our prayers are with Savannah and her entire family as they search for her dear mother.”
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Mike Bedigan6 February 2026 01:20
Sheriff’s department says comms staff ‘overwhelmed’ by well-wishers
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department has asked that well-wishers stop using its non-emergency phone line to send messages to the Guthrie family following the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie.
“The Pima County Sheriff’s Department understands that many people want to share their thoughts and prayers with the family of Nancy Guthrie, and we appreciate the community’s support,” the department wrote on X.
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“We respectfully ask that these messages be shared on social media and not through the PCSD non-emergency phone line. Calls expressing condolences have overwhelmed our communications staff, and it’s critical that the line remain available for law enforcement purposes.
“Thank you for your understanding and cooperation as we continue to serve the community.”
Mike Bedigan6 February 2026 01:00
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What happened to Savannah Guthrie’s mom? The search continues as Today Show host demands proof of life
Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of Today co-host Savannah Guthrie, has been missing for five days, and while authorities have no proof she’s alive, they are holding out hope that she’s “still out there.”
Sipho William Mdletshe, from South Africa, was in his 20s when he ended up in a serious car crash alongside his partner and knocked unconscious, only to wake up in a mortuary
A fiancée was left grieving for her partner after the couple were in an apparently fatal car crash – only he was still alive.
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Sipho William Mdletshe was declared dead after a serious car crash in 1993, but just 48 hours later he was screaming to be let out of the freezing cold morgue he suddenly found himself in. The man in his 20s, from the township of Sebokeng south of Johannesburg in South Africa, was soon taken to a mortuary.
He was then placed in storage, as is routine following such declarations. But the story took a chilling twist two days later when workers at the morgue heard creepy noises coming from inside one of the metal drawers.
Realising something was terribly wrong, staff opened the compartment and to their shock Mdletshe was alive, having regained consciousness and called out for help from inside.
His survival was nothing short of extraordinary and, according to published reports, he slowly awoke after the crash, became alert enough to realise where he was, and then began shouting. This act ultimately saved his life.
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However, the ordeal didn’t end there for unlucky Mdletshe, reports Unilad. When he later tried to reconnect with his fiancée – who herself suffered a few injuries in the crash – she reportedly recoiled, believing he was something other than human after being told he had died. She even thought he was a zombie back from the dead.
In a separate tale of someone returning from the dead, the loved ones of Essie Dunbar were devastated when she died aged just 30 after suffering an epileptic seizure.
Her funeral was quickly arranged and she was buried six feet under the ground inside a wooden coffin in South Carolina, US in 1915. However, her grieving sister was late for the service and asked for the coffin to be dug back up so she could see her sibling one last time.
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What happened next beggars belief. After prizing open the lid, Essie was very much alive and smiling back at the world. The ministers conducting the service panicked and they all fell into the grave, with one of them breaking some ribs, according to ‘Buried Alive’, published in 2002.
Even Essie’s own family fled in terror, believing they were witnessing something supernatural as the undead woman climbed out of the coffin and tried to follow them. Remarkably, after her horrifying ordeal, Essie returned to her quiet life. Reports from decades later describe her working in the fields, picking cotton and living independently.
More recently, a woman who was declared dead at a hospital horrifyingly ‘came back to life’ en route to her own funeral last year. After taking a turn for the worse, she was found to have died and was moved from the mortuary to the funeral parlour in preparation for her burial.
But staff were reportedly horrified when they discovered that the elderly woman actually had a pulse. Compounding their panic, she is said to have moved her fingers.
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Paramedics at the funeral home in Son Valenti funeral parlour in Palma, Majorca confirmed she was alive and rushed her back to the city’s Juan March de Bunyola Hospital.
The 2026 Six Nations is underway at last, and a new multimillion pound broadcasting deal has ensured the tournament remains free-to-air in the UK.
However, a power reshuffle between its co-broadcasters has changed where fans must go to find each game.
Indeed, ITV is showing the majority of Men’s Six Nations games live throughout the duration of its deal, in place from 2026 to 2029, as well as broadcasting the brand new Nations Championships, a 12-team tournament which launches its first edition this summer.
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As far as the rest of the action, one out of three matches in each round of the Six Nations will be broadcast on BBC One and streamed on BBC iPlayer as well as the BBC Sport website and app.
They include potential dark horses Scotland’s enticing trip to Italy in round one, the visit of holders France to new-look Wales in round two followed by Murrayfield in round four, plus round three’s showdown between the Scots and the Welsh in Cardiff.
How to watch Six Nations 2026 live
Ireland vs Italy (2:10pm, Aviva Stadium, ITV1)
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Scotland vs England (4:40pm, Murrayfield, ITV1)
Wales vs France (3:10pm, Principality Stadium, BBC One)
England vs Ireland (2:10pm, Allianz Stadium, ITV1)
Wales vs Scotland (4:40pm, Principality Stadium, BBC One)
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France vs Italy (3:10pm, Stade Pierre Mauroy, ITV1)
Ireland vs Wales (8:10pm, Aviva Stadium, ITV1)
Scotland vs France (2:10pm, Murrayfield, BBC One)
Italy vs England (4:40pm, Stadio Olimpico, ITV1)
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Ireland vs Scotland (2:10pm, Aviva Stadium, ITV1)
Wales vs Italy (4:40pm, Principality Stadium, BBC One)
The gilet can easily be thrown over any outfit for some extra warmth.
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
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The end of winter is in sight, which means the weather will soon be getting sunnier. It can be hard to style chic outfits in between seasons when the weather is likely to be more unpredictable.
If you are looking for some new spring clothing to add to your wardrobe, you might want to visit a Tesco store to check out its clothing brand F&F. The brand has just launched the F&F Edit Sleeveless Gilet in Khaki that is a “cool and comfortable layer” for throwing on over a jumper.
The gilet has “two flap pockets and a concealed zip fastening” and has a “loose fit style” that is great for layering over long sleeved tops. The gilet is currently being sold for £29.50 and will be a staple piece to have in your springtime wardrobe.
The gilet was posted to the Tesco F&F Instagram page, which currently has 886K followers, in a video with a few of the brand’s other spring pieces. The video was captioned: “Outfits of the week with @debbielegrainger. Which one is your fave?”
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Fans of the clothing brand have already taken to social media to share their opinions on the new springtime items. One commenter said: “So many gorgeous pieces,” and another said: “Love the blazer suit.”
If you want to get the gilet or any of the new pieces, you can go to the Tesco website to browse all of its clothes. You could also go to a Tesco store with a clothing department.
If this gilet is not quite in line with your style, you might want to check out Boden instead. There is this Gloucester Mac, which would be a trendy addition to your wardrobe, or this Linen Scoop Neck Waistcoat that can be worn with the matching Kensington Linen Trousers.
France have stormed to an early lead in the 2026 Six Nations, dispatching Ireland with ease in the curtain-raiser to lay down the gauntlet for title hopefuls England.
They nipped out to an early lead through Louis Bielle-Barrey and scarcely looked back, though it was not quite a perfect outing. The reigning champions shipped two second-half tries to take the final score to 36-14 in their favour.
Steve Borthwick’s men arrive in fine form, though, having pieced together 11 straight wins last year, and will fancy their chances of breaking the recent stranglehold held on this tournament by Ireland and current holders France, who meet in Paris for a star-studded opener on Thursday.
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It is new-look Wales up first for England and while Super Saturday features two potential title deciders, the early rounds of this year’s condensed competition also bring their fair share of eye-catching match-ups.
Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend has high hopes for his side, too, and the fixtures have aligned well for a talented group desperate to hoist the Six Nations trophy for the first time.
GOSSIP Girl is making a comeback with a “sequel” novel centered around Blair Waldorf as an adult in New York City, over a decade after the show’s end.
The series, which was adapted from the book of the same name by Cecily von Ziegesar, aired on The CW for six seasons from 2007 to 2012.
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Gossip Girl is returning with a ‘sequel’ novel, over a decade since the show’s endCredit: AlamyThe new book centers around Blair Waldorf, played on TV series by Leighton Meester, 20 years after the original novelCredit: Alamy
According to Deadline, the author is revisiting the character’s story, portrayed by Leighton Meester on-screen, for a new standalone novel titled Blair.
Alloy Entertainment sold the novel to Karen Kosztolnyik, VP, Executive Editorial Director of Fiction at Grand Central Publishing, in a major book deal, per the outlet.
The book will be published in the U.S. and through Charlotte Mursell, Publisher of Orion Fiction at Orion, a division of Hachette UK, for a global English-language release.
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Blair will reportedly take place 20 years after the original Gossip Girl series was released, with the former snobby overachiever in her 40s, returning to the Upper East Side to regain her dominance in the food chain.
It’s unknown if the book could make its way to the small screen, but Alloy Entertainment – which is also behind other successful book-to-series favorites including The Vampire Diaries, You, and Pretty Little Liars – has obtained film and television rights if it drums up interest.
The original novel surely did, having sold over 6 million copies and spent more than 100 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list after its 2002 release.
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There have been no reports on whether anyone else in Blair’s former inner circle will appear in the book, although her relationships with many of them translated differently in the TV series.
Serena van der Woodsen was the other main character in the book and in the show, as Blair’s BFF and sometimes nemesis, played by Blake Lively.
Penn Badgley, Chase Crawford, Ed Westwick, Kelly Rutherford, Matthew Settle, Taylor Momsen, and Jessica Szohr also portrayed prominent characters in the TV adaptation.
Gossip Girl got a reboot on HBO Max in 2021, featuring an all-new cast, with Kristen Bell returning as the narrator.
Many complained that the show’s teachers’ actions were “predatory,” and the overall allure was nowhere near that of the original namesake.
The revival also didn’t seem to thrust its cast into the same level of stardom as the former series did for stars such as Blake, Leighton, and Penn.
Blake has starred in a number of films since her Gossip Girl run ended, including the romance, It Ends with Us, which was the matchbox that sparked her ongoing legal war with her co-star and director, Justin Baldoni.
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Meanwhile, Leighton has had fans swooning over her since joining the cast of the Netflix series Nobody Wants This, alongside fellow Gossip Girl alum Kristen Bell and her husband, Adam Brody.
Penn also cemented his place in another TV series, playing a vastly different character than the “Lonely Boy” from Brooklyn, Dan Humphrey.
The actor portrayed obsessive stalker and serial killer Joe Goldberg in the Netflix series, You, for five seasons from 2018 to 2025.
Gossip Girl is available to stream on multiple platforms, including HBO Max, Netflix, and Hulu.
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The book will follow Blair’s life in her 40s as she returns to New York City and regains her dominance in the food chainCredit: AlamyCecily von Ziegesar, the author of the original bestselling novel, is the writer behind the next installmentCredit: Little, Brown and CompanyThe original book and show also featured Blair’s BFF, Serena van der Woodsen, played by Blake LivelyCredit: Alamy
Pål K. Lønseth, head of Økokrim – the economic crime unit investigating Jagland – said: “We consider there are reasonable grounds for investigation, given that he held the positions of chair of the Nobel Committee and Secretary General of the Council of Europe during the period covered by the released documents.
Baroness Hilary Cass, who led that review, has previously said her report “uncovered a very weak evidence base” for the benefits of puberty blockers for children and young people with gender dysphoria, but that “given that there are clinicians, children and families who believe passionately in the beneficial effects, a trial was the only way forward to make sense of this”.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — Derrick Johnson buried his mother’s ashes beneath a golden dewdrop tree with purple blossoms at his home on Maui’s Haleakalā Volcano, fulfilling her wish of a final resting place looking over her grandchildren.
Then the FBI called.
It was Feb. 4, 2024, and Johnson was teaching an eighth-grade gym class.
“‘Are you the son of Ellen Lopes?’” a woman asked, Johnson recalled in an interview with The Associated Press.
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There had been an incident, and an FBI agent would fly out to explain, the caller said. Then she asked: “‘Did you use Return to Nature for a funeral home?’”
“‘You should probably google them,’” she added.
In the clatter of the weight room, Johnson typed “Return to Nature” into his cellphone. Dozens of news reports appeared, details popping out in a blur.
Hundreds of bodies stacked on top of each other. Inches of body decomposition fluid. Swarms of bugs. Investigators traumatized. Governor declares state of emergency.
Johnson felt nauseated and his chest constricted, forcing the breath from his lungs. He pushed himself out of the building as another teacher heard his cries and came running.
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Derrick Johnson, whose mother’s body was one of 189 left to decay in the Return to Nature Funeral Home in Penrose, Colo., holds family photos in his aunt’s home in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Thomas Peipert)
Derrick Johnson, whose mother’s body was one of 189 left to decay in the Return to Nature Funeral Home in Penrose, Colo., holds family photos in his aunt’s home in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Thomas Peipert)
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Two FBI agents visited Johnson the following week, confirming his mother’s body was among 189 that Return to Nature’s owners, Jon and Carie Hallford, had stashed in a Colorado building between 2019 and Oct. 4, 2023, when the bodies were found.
Even as the Hallfords’ bills went unpaid, authorities said they spent lavishly on Tiffany jewelry, luxury cars and laser-body sculpting, pocketing about $130,000 clients paid for cremations.
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They were arrested in Oklahoma in November 2023 and charged with abusing nearly 200 corpses.
Hundreds of families learned from officials that the ashes they ceremonially spread or kept close weren’t actually their loved ones’ remains. The bodies of their mothers, fathers, grandparents, children and babies had moldered in a room-temperature building in Colorado.
Jon Hallford will be sentenced Friday, facing between 30 to 50 years in prison, and Carie Hallford in April after a judge accepted their plea agreements in December. Attorneys for Jon and Carie Hallford did not respond to an AP request for comment.
Johnson, 45, who’s suffered panic attacks since the FBI called, promised himself that he would speak at Hallford’s sentencing and ask for the maximum penalty.
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“When the judge passes out how long you’re going to jail, and you walk away in cuffs,” he said, “you’re gonna hear me.”
“She lied”
Jon and Carie Hallford were a husband-and-wife team who advertised “green burials” without embalming as well as cremation at their Return to Nature funeral home in Colorado Springs.
She would greet grieving families, guiding them through their loved ones’ final journey. He was less seen.
Johnson called the funeral home in early February 2023, the week his mother died. Carie Hallford assured him she would take good care of his mother, Johnson said.
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Days later, she handed Johnson a blue box containing a zip-tied plastic bag with gray powder, saying those were his mother’s ashes.
“She lied to me over the phone. She lied to me through email. She lied to me in person,” Johnson told the AP.
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Derrick Johnson, whose mother’s body was one of 189 left to decay in the Return to Nature Funeral Home in Penrose, Colo., poses for a portrait in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Thomas Peipert)
Derrick Johnson, whose mother’s body was one of 189 left to decay in the Return to Nature Funeral Home in Penrose, Colo., poses for a portrait in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Thomas Peipert)
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The following day, the box lay surrounded by flowers and photos of Ellen Marie Shriver-Lopes at a memorial service at a Holiday Inn in Colorado Springs.
Johnson sprinkled rose petals over it as a preacher said: “Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.”
Caught on video
On Sept. 9, 2023, surveillance footage showed a man appearing to be Jon Hallford walk inside a building owned by Return to Nature in the town of Penrose, outside Colorado Springs, according to an arrest affidavit.
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Camera footage inside showed a body laying on a gurney wearing a diaper and hospital socks. The man flipped it onto the floor.
Then he “appeared to wipe the remaining decomposition from the gurney onto other bodies in the room,” before wheeling what appeared to be two more bodies into the building, the affidavit said.
In a text to his wife, Hallford said, “while I was making the transfer, I got people juice on me,” according to court testimony.
The neighborhood mom
Johnson grew up with his mother in an affordable-housing complex in Colorado Springs, where she knew everyone.
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Johnson’s father wasn’t around much; at 5 years old, Johnson remembers seeing him punch his mom, sending her careening into a table, then onto a guitar, breaking it.
It was Lopes who taught Johnson to shave and hollered from the bleachers at his football games.
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Photographs of Ellen Marie Shriver-Lopes, whose body was one of 189 left to decay in the Return to Nature Funeral Home in Penrose, Colo., are stacked in her sister’s home in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Thomas Peipert)
Photographs of Ellen Marie Shriver-Lopes, whose body was one of 189 left to decay in the Return to Nature Funeral Home in Penrose, Colo., are stacked in her sister’s home in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Thomas Peipert)
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Neighborhood kids called her “mom,” some sleeping on the couch when they needed a place to stay and a warm meal. She would chat with Jehovah’s Witnesses because she didn’t want to be rude. With a life spent in social work, Lopes would say: “If you have the ability and you have the voice to help: Help.”
Johnson spoke with his mother nearly everyday. After diabetes left her blind and bedridden at age 65, she’d ask Johnson to describe what her grandchildren looked like over the phone.
It was Super Bowl Sunday in 2023 when her heart stopped.
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Johnson, who had flown in from Hawaii to be at her bedside, clutched her warm hand and held it until it was cold.
A gruesome discovery
Detective Sgt. Michael Jolliffe and Laura Allen, the county’s deputy coroner, stood outside the Penrose building on Oct. 3, 2023, according to the 50-page arrest affidavit.
A sign on the door read “Return to Nature Funeral Home” and listed a phone number. When Jolliffe called it, it was disconnected. Cracked concrete and yellow stalks of grass encircled the building. At back was a shabby hearse with expired registration. A window air-conditioner hummed.
Someone had told Jolliffe of a rank smell coming from the building the day before, the affidavit said.
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One neighbor told an AP reporter they thought it came from a septic tank; another said her daughter’s dog always headed to the building whenever it got off-leash.
It was reminiscent of rancid manure or rotting fish, and struck anyone downwind of the building.
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A hearse and van sit outside the Return to Nature Funeral Home, in Penrose, Colo., Oct. 6, 2023. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)
A hearse and van sit outside the Return to Nature Funeral Home, in Penrose, Colo., Oct. 6, 2023. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)
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Jolliffe and Allen spotted a dark stain under the door and on the building’s stucco exterior. They thought it looked like fluids they had seen during investigations with decaying bodies, the affidavit said.
But the building’s windows were covered and they couldn’t see inside.
Allen contacted the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agency, which oversees funeral homes, which got in touch with Jon Hallford. Hallford agreed to show an inspector inside the next afternoon.
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Inspector Joseph Berry arrived, but Hallford didn’t show.
Berry found a small opening in one of the window coverings, the affidavit said. Peering through, he saw white plastic bags that looked like body bags on the floor.
A judge issued a search warrant that week.
Bodies stacked high
Donning protective suits, gloves, boots and respirators, investigators entered the 2,500-square-foot (232-square-meter) building on Oct. 5, 2023, according to the affidavit.
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Inside, they found a large bone grinder and next to it a bag of Quikrete that investigators suspected was used to mimic ashes. Bodies were stacked in nearly a dozen rooms, including the bathroom, sometimes so high they blocked doorways, the affidavit said.
There were 189.
Some had decayed for years, others several months, according to the affidavit. Many were in body bags, some wrapped in sheets and duct tape. Others were half-exposed, on gurneys or in plastic totes, or lay with no covering, it said.
Investigators believed the Hallfords were experimenting with water cremation, which can dissolve a body in several hours, the document said. There were swarms of bugs and maggots.
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Body bags were filled with fluid, according to the affidavit. Some had ripped. Five-gallon buckets had been placed to catch the leaks. Removal teams “trudged through layers of human decomposition on the floor,” it said.
Investigators identified bodies using fingerprints, hospital bracelets and medical implants, the affidavit said. It said one body was supposed to be buried in Pikes Peak National Cemetery.
Investigators exhumed the wooden casket at the burial site of the U.S. Army veteran, who served in Vietnam and the Persian Gulf. Inside was a woman’s deteriorated body, wrapped in duct tape and plastic sheets.
The veteran’s body was discovered in the Penrose building, covered in maggots.
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“Ashes to ashes”
Following the call from the FBI, Johnson promised himself he would speak at the Hallfords’ sentencing. But he struggled to talk about what had happened even with close friends, let alone in front of a judge and the Hallfords.
For months, Johnson obsessed over the case, reading dozens of news reports, often glued to his phone until one of his children would interrupt him to play.
When he shut his eyes, he said he imagined trudging through the building with “maggots, flies, centipedes. There’s rats, they’re feasting.” He asked a preacher if his mother’s soul had been trapped there. She reassured him it hadn’t. When an episode of the zombie show “The Walking Dead” came on, he broke down.
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Derrick Johnson, whose mother’s body was one of 189 left to decay in the Return to Nature Funeral Home in Penrose, Colo., poses for a portrait in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Thomas Peipert)
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Derrick Johnson, whose mother’s body was one of 189 left to decay in the Return to Nature Funeral Home in Penrose, Colo., poses for a portrait in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Thomas Peipert)
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Johnson started seeing a therapist and was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. He joined Zoom meetings with other victims’ relatives as the number grew from dozens to hundreds.
After Lopes’ body was identified, Johnson flew in March 2024 to Colorado, where his mother’s remains lay in a brown box in a crematorium.
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“I don’t think you blame me, but I still want to tell you I’m sorry,” he recalled saying, placing his hand on the box.
Then Lopes’ body was loaded into the cremator and Johnson pushed the button.
Justice
Johnson has slowly improved with therapy, engaging more with his students and children. He practiced speaking at the Hallfords’ sentencings while in therapy. Closing his eyes, he envisioned standing in front of the judge — and the Hallfords.
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Derrick Johnson, whose mother’s body was one of 189 left to decay in the Return to Nature Funeral Home in Penrose, Colo., is interviewed in his aunt’s home in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Thomas Peipert)
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Derrick Johnson, whose mother’s body was one of 189 left to decay in the Return to Nature Funeral Home in Penrose, Colo., is interviewed in his aunt’s home in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Thomas Peipert)
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“Justice is, it’s the part that is missing from this whole equation,” he said. “Maybe somehow this justice frees me.”
“And then there’s part of me that’s scared it won’t, because it probably won’t.”