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Jay-Z’s sexual assault accuser speaks out, admits to making ‘some mistakes’ in lawsuit of alleged rape

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Jay-Z and Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sexual assault accuser has admitted to some “inconsistencies” in her recollection of the night of the alleged rape.

On Friday, the Alabama woman, known as Jane Doe, sat down with NBC News and admitted to making “some mistakes” when recounting allegedly being sexually assaulted by two rap moguls 24 years ago.

“I have made some mistakes,” the woman told the outlet. She maintains that the accusations she has made against Jay-Z, whose legal name is Shawn Carter, and Combs are true.

Jay-Z attends a film premiere

Jay-Z’s sexual assault accuser admitted to making “some mistakes” in her lawsuit against the rap mogul. (Photo by Monica Schipper/WireImage)

One of the “mistakes” Jane Doe made was claiming her father picked her up after the alleged sexual assault, but he doesn’t recall that, according to NBC News. The woman also claimed to have spoken to an unnamed celebrity at the after-party, where she claimed to have been sexually assaulted, but the celebrity has said that they weren’t in New York at the time of the event, per the outlet.

WATCH ON FOX NATION: WHAT DIDDY DO?

The unidentified woman ended up at a VMAs afterparty after attempting to gain entry to the awards show at Radio City Music Hall, according to court documents.

“I have made some mistakes.”

— Jane Doe

On Friday, Jay-Z shared a statement with the outlet and continued to shut down Jane Doe’s claims against him.

“This incident didn’t happen and yet he filed it in court and doubled down in the press,” Jay-Z said, referring to one of the woman’s attorneys, Tony Buzbee. “True Justice is coming. We fight FROM victory, not FOR victory. This was over before it began. This 1-800 lawyer doesn’t realize it yet, but, soon.”

The lawsuit accuses Jay-Z and Diddy of raping a 13-year-old girl in 2000, Fox News Digital previously confirmed. Before Jay-Z was named, the rapper received a demand letter likely in an attempt to settle.

Jay-Z and P. Diddy at a White Party

Jay Z and Diddy were both named in a sexual assault lawsuit. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage for Bad Boy Entertainment)

Buzbee shared a statement with the outlet and maintained that he would continue to fight for his client. 

“Jane Doe’s case was referred to our firm by another, who vetted it prior to sending it to us,” he told the outlet in a statement. “Our client remains fiercely adamant that what she has stated is true, to the best of her memory. We will continue to vet her claims and collect corroborating data to the extent it exists. Because we have interrogated her intensely, she has even agreed to submit to a polygraph. I’ve never had a client suggest that before.

“In any event, we always do our best to vet each claim made, just as we did in this case. This has been extremely distressing for her, to the point she has experienced seizures and had to seek medical treatment due to the stress,” Buzbee concluded.

Jay-Z’s attorney, Alex Spiro, shared a statement with NBC News. “It is stunning that a lawyer would not only file such a serious complaint without proper vetting, but would make things worse by further peddling this false story in the press. We are asking the Court to dismiss this frivolous case today, and will take up the matter of additional discipline for Mr. Buzbee and all the lawyers that filed the complaint.”

Jay-Z and Diddy attend an MTV party

Jay-Z and Sean “Diddy” Combs alleged raped a 13-year-old at a VMAs after-party in 2000. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic, Inc)

Jay-Z’s attorney has called this lawsuit a “shameful money grab.” Buzbee has filed more than 20 lawsuits against Combs.

Fox News Digital reached out to Spiro and Buzbee for comment.

WATCH: JAY-Z ISSUES SCATHING DENIAL TO ALLEGATIONS HE SEXUALLY ASSAULTED 13-YEAR-OLD GIRL 

The woman, who continues to refuse to be identified, told NBC why she decided to come forward with her story now. She accused Jay-Z and Combs of raping her when she was 13 and she is now 38.

“You should always fight for what happened to you,” she told the outlet. “You should always advocate for yourself and be a voice for yourself. You should never let what somebody else did ruin or run your life. I just hope I can give others the strength to come forward like I came forward.”

Jay-Z attends an NFL football game

Jay-Z had adamantly rebuked the sexual assault claim. (Photo by Timothy Nwachukwu/Getty Images)

In the lawsuit, Jane Doe claimed to have been given a drink by a cocktail waitress at the VMAs after-party and “started feeling funny” and “tried to start looking for a place to lay down.”

Diddy, Jay-Z and an unidentified woman came into the room Jane Doe was lying down in. “You are ready to party!” she recalled Combs saying when entering the room, according to the lawsuit.

She then claimed that both Combs and Jay-Z raped her. 

“Jay-Z comes over, holds me down. I start trying to push away. He puts his hand over my mouth, tells me to stop it, to cut the sh*t and and then he rapes me like he had me overpowered,” she said, per the lawsuit. 

Rapper Sean Diddy Combs wears black suit at the MET Gala.

Sean “Diddy” Combs is currently in a New York Jail, awaiting trial. (Getty Images)

In the lawsuit, she claimed to have left the party immediately following the alleged assault.

“I was upset, and the person at the gas station could tell that I was obviously upset, and she let me use the phone. I called my dad because he was the only person I trust at that time. I told him I messed up and I needed a ride home,” Jane Doe told NBC News. “We rode home in silence. He didn’t ask me what happened. He didn’t ask me what I did or where I was.”

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The unidentified woman told the outlet that she never told anyone about the alleged rape or wrote it down in a diary. 

“Even if somebody found out, who was gonna believe me? I mean, it was to the word of two celebrities against mine,” she told the outlet.

Jay-Z and Diddy at a Roc Nation event

Jay-Z and Diddy attended the 2019 Roc Nation brunch together. (Photo by Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for Roc Nation)

Combs was first accused of raping a 13-year-old while celebrities watched in October. The lawsuit was filed in the Southern District of New York on Oct. 20 by Texas-based lawyer Buzbee on behalf of Jane Doe.

Diddy denied the allegations in a statement shared with Fox News Digital. Jay-Z was added to Jane Doe’s lawsuit against Sean “Diddy” Combs on Dec. 8. The amended complaint, also filed by Tony Buzbee, named the rap mogul as “Celebrity A.”

In the new version of the lawsuit, the 13-year-old became disoriented and found a bedroom to rest in after allegedly consuming one drink. Jay-Z, Diddy and female “Celebrity B” seemingly followed the girl into the room. She “immediately recognized all three celebrities,” according to the court document.

Sean Diddy Combs and Jay-Z wear colorful suits at Roc Nation brunch

Combs and Carter allegedly “took turns assaulting the minor,” according to documents. (Getty Images)

After Jay-Z was identified in the lawsuit, he shared a statement on Roc Nation’s social media platform.

“My lawyer received a blackmail attempt, called a demand letter, from a ‘lawyer’ named Tony Buzbee,” the statement said “What he had calculated was the nature of these allegations and the public scrutiny would make me want to settle.

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“No sir, it had the opposite effect! It made me want to expose you for the fraud you are in a VERY public fashion. So no, I will not give you ONE RED PENNY!!”

On Dec. 9, Jay-Z’s lawyers filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, one day after he was publicly named.

Jay Z and Diddy smiling

Jay-Z and Diddy were both accused of raping a minor following the MTV VMAs in 2000, according to a lawsuit. (Kevin Mazur)

Additionally, the rapper’s lawyer asked that the woman’s request to proceed anonymously be denied.

Jay-Z’s lawyers insisted the lawsuit was part of an “extortionate campaign” designed “to force payment of an exorbitant sum of money – [Jay-Z] would have to pay X millions of dollars irrespective of the truth, or else … “

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“When [Jay-Z] refused to pay and instead took measures to establish his innocence, this unnamed Plaintiff and her self-promoting counsel (whose name has been splashed across headlines and press conferences under auspices of representing her) went to extraordinary lengths to shut down fair defense. But those efforts, too, failed,” court docs obtained by Fox News Digital read.

Fox News Digital’s Lauryn Overhultz contributed to this report.

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American freed from Syrian prison after Assad’s overthrow taken out of country by US military

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An American who was released this week after being held in a Syrian prison for seven months has been flown out of the country on a U.S. military helicopter, according to a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity. 

Travis Timmerman, who was among thousands of prisoners freed by rebels who overthrew former President Bashar al-Assad over the weekend, said after his release that he had been on a Christian pilgrimage when he illegally crossed into the country seven months ago and was detained.  

He told The Associated Press that, along with another Syrian man, the “liberators” freed him with around 70 women, some of whom were also being held with their children. 

Timmerman said that he wasn’t treated badly while he was held in the infamous Syrian intelligence facility known as Palestine Branch. 

TRUMP’S PLEDGE AGAINST ‘FOREVER WARS’ COULD BE TESTED WITH SYRIA IN HANDS OF JIHADIST FACTIONS

Travis Timmerman

In this undated photo, Travis Timmerman sits on a porch swing in Urbana, Missouri. (Stacey Collins Gardiner via AP)

But he told the Al-Arabiya TV network that he could hear other men being tortured in the prison every day. 

“It was OK. I was fed. I was watered,” said Timmerman. “The one difficulty was that I couldn’t go to the bathroom when I wanted to. I was not beaten, and the guards treated me decently.”

He was allowed out of his cell three times a day to go to the bathroom. 

After Assad’s overthrow, he said the rebels came to the prison and “knocked the door down (of his cell) with a hammer.”

Timmerman was first seen in video that emerged online Thursday after rebels seized Damascus, the country’s capital. 

Travis Timmerman

Travis Timmerman speaking with reporters on Thursday after his release. (Abdulaziz Ketaz/AFP via Getty Images)

SYRIA’S LIBERATED POLITICAL PRISONS REVEAL GRIM REALITY OF BASHAR ASSAD’S REGIME OF TORTURE

In the video, a bearded Timmerman was lying on a mattress under a blanket in what appeared to be a private house. A group of men in the video said he was being treated well and would be safely returned home, The Associated Press reported.

Palestine Branch, also known as Branch 235, houses nearly a dozen buildings hidden behind high concrete walls, according to The New York Times. 

Human Rights Watch reported more than a decade ago that prisoners there were subjected to torture, including electrocutions and beatings. 

“The guards hung me by my wrists from the ceiling for eight days,” a former prisoner told the organization in 2012. “After a few days of hanging, being denied sleep, it felt like my brain stopped working. I was imagining things. My feet got swollen on the third day. I felt pain that I have never felt in my entire life. It was excruciating. I screamed that I needed to go to a hospital, but the guards just laughed at me.”

Many prisoners would also die of illnesses or starvation under the deplorable conditions. 

Bashar al-Assad

Former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was overthrown by rebels over the weekend. (Getty Images)

At another notorious Syrian prison known as Sednaya, The Free Press, in collaboration with the Center for Peace Communications, also discovered testimonies of torture and executions while investigating it after the fall of Assad’s regime this week. 

“They would call out names at dawn, strip the prisoners of their clothes, and take them away,” a former inmate told The Free Press. “We knew from the sound of chains on the platforms that these were executions. Condemned prisoners wouldn’t be fed for three days prior. Once a month, they would search us. During one such search, an officer declared, ‘We’re not here to inspect; we’re here to kill.’”

Since the thousands of prisoners were released, loved ones have been searching for signs of those who went missing in the barbaric prisons. 

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“We slept on top of each other,” one woman, who said she had been held at Palestine Branch for four and a half months in 2020 along with dozens of other women, told The New York Times. “They did not feed us, they beat us.”

Fox News’ Stephen Sorace and The Associated Press contributed to this report.  

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Local Virginia teachers no longer forced to use students’ preferred pronouns after settlement

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Teachers in Harrisonburg, Virginia, do not have to ask for or use students’ preferred pronouns after a lawsuit settlement Tuesday.

Deborah Figliola, Kristine Marsh and Laura Nelson filed a suit in June 2022 against the Harrisonburg City School Board saying their rights protected in the Commonwealth’s Free Speech Clause and the Virginia Religious Freedom Restoration Act had been violated by compelling speech to which they object.

The lawsuit stemmed from the teachers having to undergo training to ensure they were compliant with the school board’s nondiscrimination policy, according to the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), which represented the teachers. The training entailed requiring teachers to ask a student’s “preferred” name and pronouns and to always use them. 

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN TO END DIVERSITY STATEMENTS: ‘POTENTIAL TO LIMIT FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION’

The Alliance Defending Freedom scored a legal victory in the Rockingham County Circuit Court on Tuesday, representing Christian teachers who challenged the Harrisonburg City Public Schools. Photographer: Jeenah Moon/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The Alliance Defending Freedom scored a legal victory in the Rockingham County Circuit Court on Tuesday, representing Christian teachers who challenged the Harrisonburg City Public Schools. Photographer: Jeenah Moon/Bloomberg via Getty Images (Jeenah Moon)

The teachers said they were also expected to do so without notifying parents or seeking their consent. The Harrisonburg City Public Schools’ nondiscrimination policy threatened discipline against teachers and even “termination” for noncompliance.

The two sides reached an agreement when the school board granted the teachers religious accommodations Tuesday. 

In the settlement, the school board maintained that they do not require staff to ask for or use students’ preferred names and pronouns and “[do] not support hiding or withholding information from parents.” The board agreed to continue to inform staff about religious accommodations that are available.

ADF senior counsel Kate Anderson, director of the ADF Center for Parental Rights, said that all teachers are protected “under the Constitution to do their job in alignment with their religious beliefs, including how they refer to their students and the vital information they share with parents.”

“We are pleased to favorably resolve this case on behalf of our clients and ensure that the Harrisonburg City School Board will respect every teacher’s right to speak consistent with her faith,” Anderson said.

HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS FROM THE NORTH FLOCK TO SOUTHERN UNIVERSITIES: REPORT

Harrisonburg City Public Schools

The Alliance Defending Freedom scored a legal victory in the Rockingham County Circuit Court Tuesday, representing Christian teachers who challenged the Harrisonburg City Public Schools. 

The Harrisonburg City Public School Board said in a statement, “The Harrisonburg City School Division is pleased to see this litigation resolved. From the start, our focus has been to support all students and employees with dignity and respect. Before the litigation began, we were open to collaborating on accommodations for diverse needs, as evidenced by our correspondence with ADF in early 2022.

“Our commitment is reflected in School Board policies and actions, including the adoption of a formal religious accommodations policy (Policy 682) over a year ago and the implementation of training for employees this August. These efforts demonstrate our dedication to fostering a respectful and inclusive environment.

“This case concludes because the processes we have always encouraged—both informal and formal—proved effective. We are gratified by this resolution and wish it could have been accomplished without litigation.”

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ADF won a similar case in November involving a Virginia school board firing a teacher for refusing to use a student’s preferred pronouns.

An ADF attorney told Fox News Digital at the time that the settlement had “seismic implications.”

“It protects all teachers in Virginia and its rationale should guide other courts addressing similar issues,” ADF president and CEO Kristen Waggoner said.

The Virginia-based West Point School Board agreed to pay a former high school teacher, Peter Vlaming, $575,000 in damages and attorney’s fees after he refused to call a transgender student by their preferred pronouns.



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UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting suspect fled New York via train, not by bus as originally thought: reports

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The suspect accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson earlier this month in New York City fled Manhattan via train and not by bus as originally thought, according to reports. 

Luigi Mangione was charged with murder after he allegedly shot Thompson the morning of Dec. 4 as Thompson was walking into the Hilton in Midtown Manhattan. 

After the shooting, Mangione, 26, was on the run and was caught five days later in Altoona, Pennsylvania. 

UNITEDHEALTHCARE CEO MURDER SUSPECT LUIGI MANGIONE’S GRANDMOTHER LEFT MILLIONS TO FAMILY – EXCLUDING FELONS

Luigi Mangione, the suspect in the murder of United Healthcare CEO, Brian Thompson shouts as he is led into court

Luigi Mangione shouts while officers restrain him as he arrives for his extradition hearing at the Blair County Courthouse in Hollidaysburg, Pa., Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024.  (David Dee Delgado for Fox News Digital)

Investigators first thought Mangione had taken a bus out of the city because he was seen on surveillance video at the George Washington Bridge bus station. Now, they think he took the subway from the bus station to Penn Station and bought a train ticket to Pennsylvania before he was caught, CBS News and ABC News reported, citing police sources. 

Mangione is being held at a prison in Pennsylvania awaiting extradition to New York. 

He was denied bail Tuesday. 

Authorities arrested Mangione at a McDonald’s in Altoona, where he allegedly presented local police with a fake ID and appeared to start shaking when they asked if he had been in New York recently.

UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson and the alleged killer

UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot and killed in midtown Manhattan. (Businesswire | NYPD Crimestoppers)

Officials also found a handwritten manifesto condemning the health care industry, as NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny previously told Fox News. The manifesto specifically mentioned UnitedHealthcare.

UNITEDHEALTHCARE CEO MURDER SUSPECT HAS OUTBURST OUTSIDE PENNSYLVANIA COURTHOUSE

In New York, Mangione faces one count of murder, two counts of second-degree criminal weapons possession, one count of second-degree possession of a forged document and one count of third-degree criminal weapons possession.

In Pennsylvania, he faces one count of forgery, one count of carrying a gun without a license, one count of tampering with records or identification, one count of possession of instruments of a crime and one count of presenting false ID to law enforcement, according to court documents.

Luigi Mangione mugshot in prison orange

Luigi Mangione is pictured in a Pennsylvania mugshot after his arrest in the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. (Fox News Digital)

While officials have not commented on an official motive, the public has speculated that the suspect had strong grievances with both the health care industry and capitalism in general.

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UnitedHealthcare revealed Thursday to employees that Mangione was not covered by UnitedHealthcare. 

Fox News’ Sarah Rumpf-Whitten and Audrey Conklin contributed to this report. 

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Valerie Bertinelli is ‘proud’ of her body after ’64 years of gravity’

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Valerie Bertinelli is as proud as ever after stripping down to her underwear and uploading a mirror selfie to Instagram.

Bertinelli was a guest on “The Drew Barrymore Show” Friday and addressed her viral post that she uploaded earlier this month.

Barrymore’s co-host, Ross Matthews, asked Bertinelli why she decided to upload the risqué photo. 

“Well, you know what, I have been coming to terms with my body now, aging, and I saw myself in the light. And I went, ‘Oh I’m not mad at that,'” she said.

VALERIE BERTINELLI, 64, STRIPS DOWN TO UNDERWEAR IN LATEST MOVE PROVING SHE’S A HOLLYWOOD MAVERICK

A photo of Valerie Bertinelli

Valerie Bertinelli is embracing her body in her 60s. (David Livingston/Getty Images)

Bertinelli decided to give Barrymore and her viewers a closer look at her body and lifted her red sweater to reveal her midriff. 

The gesture got applause from Barrymore. 

“Like all those, you know, planks and sit-ups I’ve done, you can see underneath the saggy skin,” Bertinelli said. “But I have to say … it’s 64 years of gravity. It’s science. If you focus in on that picture, you’re gonna see the little saggies, and I’m proud of them because I’m 64. It’s a belly.”

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Bertinelli went on to discuss the commentary she’s received over the years regarding her body.

“Why, why, why? And there’s so many people, ‘You’re too thin. You’re too fat. You’re out of shape. You’re in shape. Oh my God. I want those abs. Oh my God, you’re ugly.’ So, what I’ve learned is my dad was wrong. You can’t make everybody like you. And I’m OK with that, finally at this age.

 “Well, you know what, I have been coming to terms with my body now, aging, and I saw myself in the light. And I went, ‘Oh I’m not mad at that.'”

— Valerie Bertinelli

“I don’t like that I was part of that manipulation of our brains of we have to look a certain way. We have to be a certain weight,” she added. “I’m a size 10. How is that too thin? I’m a size 10. How is that too fat? I’m just me. It’s my body.”

On Dec. 2, Bertinelli shared a picture of herself posing in a mirror in just her bra and underwear.

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“At some point I will talk about the madness my body has been through this year. But right now every lump bump wrinkle and saggy part of me just feels acceptance and simple appreciation to be standing in front of a mirror in a hotel bathroom in downtown Manhattan ready to color my roots late on a Monday night,” she captioned her post.

The Food Network star embarked on a journey of self-love and healing throughout the last year and has drawn the support of millions of fans as she shares relatable anecdotes online of her everyday life. 

Her journey toward acceptance hasn’t been an easy road, though. Earlier this year, Bertinelli chose to abstain from alcohol and focus more on her future and less on her past.

Actress Valerie Bertinelli smiles on red carpet wearing sheer blouse

Valerie Bertinelli posed in her underwear for fans on social media. (Unique Nicole)

She’s shared videos and inspirational messages encouraging followers to “never forget the miracle of being here.”

In one message, Bertinelli wrote, “I’ve always been really good at beating myself up about my past and how I could’ve done better. I became a master at judging myself. Judge, jury, and executioner.

“I don’t wanna do that anymore. I want to lead a full authentic life, with my heart open to experiencing everything. No more judging. Accepting who I am, flaws and all. What makes me, me.”

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Bertinelli addressed her followers, encouraging them to consider coping mechanisms or unhealthy habits, like drinking or binge-eating, that they might have developed that “can prevent us from opening our hearts fully.”

Valerie Bertinelli stands behind a cooktop counter during a Food Network event

The Food Network star has been on an “intentional” healing journey. (Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for NYCWFF)

Part of her “intentional” healing journey was through working on her latest cookbook, “Indulge.” She told People magazine the process of healing wasn’t linear and included “a lot of therapy sessions, a lot of learning that I deserve to feel good.”

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“First came the work,” she said. “Why I thought I didn’t deserve to be loved. Why I was using food to numb my feelings. All the drama and trauma I hadn’t dealt with — with Ed and my last marriage.

“The cookbook was an offshoot of the emotional and mental healing I‘ve been doing,” she said. “I know we’re talking about a cookbook, but this cookbook got me through all of it.”

Eddie Van Halen and Valerie Bertinelli

Eddie Van Halen and Valerie Bertinelli were married 26 years and shared one son, Wolfgang. (Paul Natkin)

“Ed” refers to late musician Eddie Van Halen, her first husband and the father of her only child, Wolfgang Van Halen. Her last marriage was to financial planner Tom Vitale, whom she divorced in 2022.

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“The more I let myself cry, the better I felt. I wasn’t trying to be happy or sad or thin. I wasn’t trying to be anything other than who I was,” she wrote in the book. 

While the Emmy Award-winning actress found love again in the arms of writer Mike Goodnough, the couple called it quits in November after 10 months of dating.

Fox News Digital’s Tracy Wright contributed to this post.



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Turkey seeks seeks to purge pro-US Kurdish force that helped defeat Islamic State in Syria

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JERUSALEM — Just hours after meeting with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and discussing the fight against the Islamic State in Syria, Turkey’s foreign minister sent a shocking message to Washington by saying his country’s goal is to eliminate the main fighting force of the Syrian Kurds, which defeated ISIS in tandem with the U.S..

According to Turkish media, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said in a live broadcast on NTV that “the elimination of YPG is [Turkey’s] strategic goal.” He also noted the country’s Kurds must be protected.

Asked about Fidan’s comments, the State Department referred Fox News Digital to comments made earlier on Friday after Blinken’s meeting with Fidan in Turkey. 

The statement said, in part, “Secretary Blinken emphasized the importance of U.S.-Turkish cooperation in the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS mission in Syria.”

SYRIAN DICTATOR BASHAR ASSAD FLEES INTO EXILE AS ISLAMIST REBELS CONQUER COUNTRY 

Blinken with hakan fidan

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets with Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan Dec. 13, 2024, in Ankara, Turkey.  (Getty Images)

The U.S. has a long-standing military alliance with the Syrian Kurdish military organization, The People’s Defense Units (YPG), in Syria. The YPG is part of a broader organization known as the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and played a key role in dismantling the Islamic State in Syria.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has seized on the collapse of Syrian dictator Bashar Assad’s rule to gobble up territory controlled by the pro-American Syrian Kurds, risking hard-won gains against the Islamist State terrorist movement.

Erdoğan’s campaign to purge the SDF in northern Syria has created a dangerous security situation in the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS), according to Gen. Mazloum Abdi, the SDF’s commander in chief.

In an exclusive interview Thursday, Mazloum told Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin, “We are still under constant attack from the Turkish military and the Turkish-supported opposition, which is called SNA. Eighty drone attacks a day we have from the Turkish military. There is intensive artillery shells. This situation has paralyzed our counterterror operation.” 

Erdogan rally in Turkey

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan speaks to attendees during a rally to show solidarity with the Palestinians in Istanbul, Turkey, Oct. 28.  (AP/Emrah Gurel)

Islamic State prisoners held in SDF-run detention camps could escape amid the military offensive launched by pro-Turkish forces against the SDF. The SDF has redirected much of its force capability and resources to blunt an aggressive Turkish-backed military offensive. 

In 2022, Fox News Digital reported that Erdoğan’s slated invasion of northern Syria could open the floodgates for the release of as many 10,000 Islamic State fighters.

The U.S. on Wednesday brokered a cease-fire between the pro-Turkey Syrian National Army (SNA), the Syrian opposition (TSO) and the SDF.

ISIS Syria

Syrian Kurdish security forces stand by as former detainees suspected of being members of the Islamic State are released in Syria’s northeastern city of Hasakeh Sept. 2, 2024. (Delil Souleimani/AFP via Getty Images)

FALL OF SYRIA’S BASHAR ASSAD IS STRATEGIC BLOW TO IRAN AND RUSSIA, EXPERTS SAY

The U.S. has about 900 troops stationed in northeast Syria who coordinate with the SDF to prevent the resurgence of the Islamic State after the new wave of Turkish attacks against the Syrian Kurds.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., warned the Turks on X, posting, “In the past I have drafted sanctions targeting Turkey if they engage in military operations against the Kurdish forces who helped President Trump destroy ISIS. I stand ready to do this again in a bipartisan way.

“We should not allow the Kurdish forces — who helped us destroy ISIS on President Trump’s watch — to be threatened by Turkey or the radical Islamists who have taken over Syria.”

Fox News Digital attempted to contact various Turkish officials, including its embassy spokespeople in Washington and Tel Aviv and its United Nations mission in New York.

“We have time and again pointed out threats against our national security, posed by the PKK/YPG terrorist network in Syria and Iraq,” Turkish diplomats previously told Fox News Digital about the Kurdish military forces PKK and YPG. PKK is an abbreviation for the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, an organization classified by the U.S. as a terrorist entity. 

kurds

Displaced Kurds leave a refugee camp in the north of Aleppo, fleeing to Afrin, Dec. 4, 2024. (Ugur Yildirim/DIA Images/Abaca/Sipa USA via AP Images)

Efrat Aviv, a professor in the Department of General History at Bar-Ilan University in Israel and a leading expert on Turkey, told Fox News Digital, “Turkey’s actions in Syria further complicate the situation and hinder international efforts to bring about a comprehensive resolution to the conflict. The withdrawal of Turkish forces from the region and the cessation of conflicts with the Kurds could contribute to improving regional stability and efforts to end ISIS terrorism.

TURKEY’S INVASION THREATS SHOULD BE TAKEN ‘VERY SERIOUSLY’: CYPRUS OFFICIAL

“Turkey’s military actions in Syria jeopardize regional stability and undermine efforts to end ISIS terrorism. The Turkish strikes not only harm the Kurds, but also exacerbate the humanitarian situation in the region, causing significant population displacement.”

Uzay Bulut, a Turkish-born political analyst, told Fox News Digital, “Erdoğan’s imperial ambition in Syria has not changed. Land grab and demographic change have always been Turkey’s plan in Syria. Turkey’s military campaigns against Syria have brought nothing but instability to the region and severe persecution of minorities.

“To prevent further abuses, massacres or forced displacements against Christians, Kurds and Yazidis and to stop the spread of jihadism in the region, the Trump administration should get involved diplomatically to protect religious and ethnic minorities, particularly defenseless Christians, in Syria.” 

Assad posters in Syria

The entrance of the Kweyris military airfield in the eastern part of Aleppo province Dec. 3, 2024, shows a portrait of Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad and a national flag in a dumpster after the takeover of the area by rebel groups. (Rami Al Sayed/AFP via Getty Images)

Syria’s Christian population could be as low as 2.5%, down from 10% before the civil war started in 2011. Christian and other ethnic and religious minorities face persecution from the radical Islamist Sunni terrorist organization Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and its extremist allies. 

“The ongoing jihadist assault against Syrian Kurds and Christians is led by the al Qaeda offshoot, HTS,” Bulut said. “HTS forces are backed by the government of Turkey and have brutalized and displaced religious minority communities in Idlib since 2017. HTS aims to install Islamic rule in Syria.”

The Trump transition team did not respond to Fox News Digital press queries.

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When asked by Fox News Digital if the U.S. was contemplating sanctioning Turkey, a State Department spokesperson said, “As a general matter, we do not preview sanctions.”

On his trip to the region Friday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken met his Turkish counterpart, and the two discussed the latest developments in the area. 

A readout of their meeting noted in part that Blinken “reiterated calls for all actors in Syria to respect the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all Syrians, including members of minority groups, and to prevent Syria from being used as a base for terrorism.”

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Texas father who ‘loved with all his heart’ shot, killed driving home from work

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A father of three was shot and killed while driving home from his job installing Christmas lights at the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

According to the Houston Police Department, detectives responded to a vehicle crash along a busy interstate at approximately 10:30 p.m. on Dec. 2.

Authorities found the driver, identified as 37-year-old Robert Schorovsky, in critical condition at the scene. Police said that he had been shot “at least one time.”

“We’re all in shock. It’s been rough. Just one gunshot—no holes in the truck, no windows shot out. Just the one,” his wife, Brittany Ray, told KHOU11.

Robert Schorovsky

The 37-year-old man was driving home from work on the Gulf Freeway when he was murdered (CrimeStoppers)

WILD DASHCAM VIDEO SHOWS OUT-OF-CONTROL TRUCK SLAM INTO FIRST RESPONDER VEHICLES ON SIDE OF ICY HIGHWAY

Schorovsky was transported by the Houston Fire Department to Ben Taub General Hospital where he was pronounced dead on Nov. 4. 

The 37-year-old was a father of three children, aged 9, 11, and 14.

wanted poster

A flyer asking the public’s help in identifying who killed Robert Schorovsky. (CrimeStoppers)

FLORIDA OFFICIALS RESCUE TWO DOLPHINS STRANDED IN SHALLOW LAGOON: ‘ALL HANDS ON DECK’

His obituary described him as family-oriented and a hard worker.

“Robbie loved to spend time with the family and make lasting memories. If he was not working, you might see him down at the neighborhood pond fishing to clear his mind,” the obituary said. “There are many memories with the kids hiking, bike riding, and traveling that they will forever hold in their hearts. He was a hard worker and took pride that he could fix just about anything – including his white Chevy truck.”

“His focus was on making and keeping his Brittany happy and would go as far as riding roller coasters with her even though he hated them,” it said. “Robbie loved with all his heart and enjoyed helping those around him when he could.”

Houston Police Department police car

Police are investigating a homicide that killed 37-year-old Robert Schorovsky. (Houston Police Department )

Police said that there are no known witnesses or suspects. 

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Anyone with information in this case is urged to contact the HPD Homicide Division at 713-308-3600 or speak anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS. Crimestoppers is offering a $5,000 reward.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Houston Police Department for comment.



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Will Smith denies participating in Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ alleged ‘freak offs,’ says any speculation is a ‘lie’

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Will Smith is making it clear he has no ties to Sean “Diddy” Combs or the alleged “freak off” parties the fallen music mogul allegedly hosted.  

During an appearance in San Diego Thursday, the “Men in Black” actor, who performed his new song “Tantrum” at the Observatory North Park theater, took a moment to address speculation he was involved in Combs’ infamous parties that allegedly involved a number of sex workers. 

“The world we’re in right now, it’s really hard for y’all to discern what’s real and what’s true, you know?” he said in a clip obtained by TMZ. 

“I’ve been seeing y’all’s memes and stuff. I’ve seen the memes. Some of the stuff is funny. But I haven’t addressed any of this publicly. But I want to say this very clear: I don’t have s— to do with Puffy, so y’all can stop all the memes. Stop all of that bulls—.”

DIDDY ACCUSED OF RAPING 13-YEAR-OLD WHILE CELEBRITIES WATCHED AT VMAS AFTER-PARTY: LAWSUIT

Will Smith, Sean 'Diddy' Combs

Will Smith made it clear he has zero involvement with Sean “Diddy” Combs and his alleged “freak offs.” (Getty Images)

Diddy and Will smith

Sean “Diddy” Combs and Will Smith at the 40th NAACP Image Awards at the Shrine Auditorium Feb. 12, 2009, in Los Angeles.  (Jeff Vespa/WireImage)

“I ain’t been nowhere near that man, ain’t did none of that stupid s—,” Smith added. “So, whenever y’all hear it, if somebody say that, it’s a damn lie.”

Smith went on to joke, “I don’t even like baby oil.”

He was referencing the feds seizing “cases and cases of the kinds of personal lubricant and baby oil that Combs’ staff allegedly used to stock hotel rooms for the freak offs — more than 1,000 bottles altogether,” according to authorities.

WATCH ON FOX NATION: WHAT DIDDY DO?

Combs faces charges of racketeering conspiracy; sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; and transportation to engage in prostitution. If found guilty, he faces a minimum of 15 years behind bars or a maximum sentence of life in prison.

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Sean Diddy Combs poses for portrait session wearing black suit.

Sean “Diddy” Combs was indicted on racketeering and sex trafficking charges in New York. (Shayan Asgharnia)

Authorities allege Combs ran a criminal enterprise through his businesses, including Bad Boy Entertainment, Combs Enterprises and Combs Global, among others. He used “firearms, threats of violence, coercion, and verbal, emotional, physical, and sexual abuse” to fulfill his sexual desires, according to the unsealed indictment.

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Officials claimed Combs and a number of unnamed associates in Combs’ enterprises used intimidation tactics to “lure female victims into Combs’ orbit, often under the pretense of a romantic relationship,” according to the indictment.

He would then use “force, threats of force, and coercion, to cause victims to engage in extended sex acts with male commercial sex workers that Combs referred to as, among other things, ‘Freak Offs,'” the indictment said.

Sean Diddy Combs looks at the camera

The disgraced music mogul has fought to be released from jail pending trial three times, and his most recent attempt was denied Nov. 27. (Getty Images)

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The disgraced music mogul has fought to be released from jail pending trial three times, with his most recent attempt denied Nov. 27. Diddy had offered up to $50 million to wait for his trial from his home on Star Island, but prosecutors insisted the musician was a threat to witnesses and victims.

Fox News Digital’s Lauryn Overhultz contributed to this post. 

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Woman arrested for attempting to smuggle 22 pounds of meth wrapped as Christmas gifts in carry-on bag

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Observant officers in a New Zealand airport unwrapped $2 million worth of methamphetamine wrapped as Christmas presents that a Canadian woman attempted to conceal.

The woman, 29, arrived at Auckland International Airport in New Zealand on a flight from Vancouver on December 8 carrying the illicit drugs in her carry-on bag, according to a release from the New Zealand Customs Service. 

FLORIDA MAN WHO WAS HALF-NAKED, ‘HIGH ON METH’ BREAKS INTO HOME, GRABS CARPET CLEANER

Upon landing, officers questioned the woman and searched her carry-on duffle bag, where they discovered more than 22 pounds of methamphetamine concealed beneath brightly wrapped snowflake wrapping paper.

meth-christmas-present1

A Canadian woman was arrested and is facing drug importation and possession charges after she allegedly attempted to smuggle pounds of methamphetamine wrapped as Christmas presents in her carry-on bag.  (New Zealand Customs Service)

Officials say the Canadian national’s bag contained the equivalent of more than $2 million U.S. dollars worth of the illicit drug. 

MORE THAN $31M OF METH CONCEALED IN SHIPMENT OF PEPPERS SEIZED AT TEXAS-MEXICO BORDER

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The woman, 29, arrived at Auckland International Airport in New Zealand on a flight from Vancouver on December 8.  (New Zealand Customs Service)

Auckland Airport Manager Paul Williams called the incident a “classic attempt by transnational organized criminal groups” at exploiting the busy travel season.

BRITISH WOMAN BUSTED AT LOS ANGELES AIRPORT WITH METH-SOAKED T-SHIRTS: POLICE

“But a busy airport does not mean Customs is not focused on or paying attention to anyone who may pose a drug risk,” Williams said in a statement. “The airport teams are made up of vigilant officers who are intently focused on catching those trying to bring harm to New Zealand.”

meth-christmas-present-2

Officials say the bag contained the equivalent of more than $2 million U.S. dollars worth of the drug.  (New Zealand Customs Service)

The woman has since appeared in district court on charges of importation and possession for supply of a Class A controlled drug, officers noted.

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“More collaborative work is being done with our Canadian partners to disrupt criminal gangs and the importation of drugs, including through the passenger stream,” Williams told Fox News Digital in an email. “As this is part of an ongoing investigation, Customs would not release further information for operational reasons.”

Authorities said the woman has been taken into custody.

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Social media erupts as kids correct Jill Biden’s ‘Happy Holidays’ with ‘Happy Christmas:’ ‘Epic response’

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First lady Jill Biden was shouted down by children for wishing “Happy Holidays” instead of Christmas, sparking laughter and joy from commentators online.

On Friday, the first lady hosted the annual Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots campaign at the White House. She greeted everyone with “Happy Holidays,” to which multiple children shouted back with emphasis, “Happy Christmas!”

“Happy Christmas,” Biden replied. “Yes!”

“If you only remember one thing for the holidays, after all the wrapping paper is cleaned up, let it be this: You are loved,” she told attending military children during her remarks. “There are so many people who care about you, from your family and your friends, from your teachers and your classmates, to the president and me.”

She concluded with, “Merry Christmas and happy holidays.”

Jill Biden speaks to children at Christmas

First lady Jill Biden spoke to the children of military families at the Toys for Tots event.

TRUMP, JILL BIDEN ATTEND NOTRE DAME REOPENING IN FRANCE WITH WORLD LEADERS

Commentators on X praised the children attending for correcting the first lady at the beginning of the event. 

“Even kids get it,” former NCAA swimmer and OutKick host Riley Gaines wrote with a laughing emoji.

The Babylon Bee’s news counterpart, Not The Bee, said that “one kid shouted back what we are all thinking.”

Conservative communicator Steve Guest argued the incident was an “epic response” to “Jill Biden’s war on Christmas.”

Jill Biden speaks at cabinet meeting

WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 20: U.S. first lady Jill Biden speaks while attending her first cabinet meeting during her husband President Joe Biden’s administration at the White House on September 20, 2024 in Washington, DC. Jill Biden spoke about progress made by the White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) ((Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images))

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“We are so back,” socially conservative Catholic group CatholicVote wrote with a cross emoji.

“THERE IS HOPE FOR THE FUTURE!” conservative show host David J. Harris Jr. cheered.

X show host Mario Nawfal said that this exchange, “basically sums up the Biden era…”

“And a little child shall lead them,” conservative podcaster Wade Stotts wrote, quoting scripture. 

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