Salman Rushdie, Cheryl Strayed, Carl Hiassen and Ibram X

Robert Downey Jr has praised Cillian Murphy's "sacrifice" to play theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer in Christopher Nolan's 'Oppenheimer'.

In a dimly lit Damascus cafe, Sharief Homsi kicked off comedy night with a quip about war-battered Syria's modern-day prince charming: an eligible bachelor with...

The head of Japan's top pop agency Johnny & Associates stepped down Thursday after admitting that her uncle, the company's late founder, had sexually abused minors for years, following months of international scrutiny and an independent investigation.

Lizzo has been sued by three of her former backup dancers, who have accused her of sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment

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Denise Richard and Aaron Phypers made a stylish appearance in Malibu

Tyrie Cleveland was, however, said to be doing okay as his team posted, 'He has movement in all of his extremities'

Premier League youth footballer-turned-porn star Oliver Spedding has died at the age of 34. The tragedy comes just weeks after Spedding, better known on social media as Damian Oliver, hit headlines for falsely claiming that his wife, adult star Sophie Anderson, was dead. Whilst the circumstances surrounding Spedding’s death have not yet been confirmed, it is largely accepted that, this time, the news is true. On Saturday, Spedding’s former club Croydon FC released a statement, describing him as a “much-loved individual who always gave his utmost effort for the team.” "Oliver will be hugely missed by everyone at the club and our thoughts are with his family and friends at this difficult time,” they added. The club also held a minute’s silence ahead of their match against Meridian VP. Friends and ex-colleagues have paid tributes to the former sportsman, while fans have shared their shock at the terrible real-life plot twist. Back in September, Spedding announced that Anderson, 35, had “died unfortunately,” and even provided details of her funeral. In one X/Twitter reply, he insisted that he “hadn’t lied” about the “bad news”, adding that people could pay their respects at a crematorium in Bromley, southeast London, on 12 September. However, the day after the cremation that never was, the former footballer tweeted a lengthy statement, revealing that he had “20 hours in a cell because of the stupid hoax”. He continued: “I cannot say anything more as part of my bail conditions but it was just a silly drunken joke.” He then dropped two bombshells, writing that he and Anderson were having a baby and that they had just got married. “We are unbreakable,” he added. The message was swiftly followed up by a photo showing him standing beside Anderson, apparently during their wedding, which he said took place at the Little White Chapel in Las Vegas. Anderson who, while all of this was playing out, had been silent on social media, later supported Spedding’s claims by sharing the same wedding photo to her Twitter/X account. Over the subsequent weeks, the two of them posted explicit content of each other – both separately and together – including an X-rated spoof of the film Scream for Halloween. The last time Spedding posted to social media was around 12 November, with Anderson last writing on Twitter/X last week. Her post was about their marriage, which she said she’d “never forget”. Whilst the porn icon has yet to address the “love of her life’s” passing, tributes have been pouring in from admirers. Croydon FC manager Liam Giles shared his devastation at the “heartbreaking news", writing on X/Twitter: "Ollie was a warrior on the pitch and gave 100 per cent every time he represented Croydon FC. "We spoke a couple of weeks ago about him getting back into football. "I hope you find your peace, mate - sleep tight." His apparent desire to return to sport is perhaps unsurprising, given admissions he’s made about his career change in the past. Spedding said he never would have envisaged a career in the adult industry as a kid hanging out in south-east London gangs, but fell into it after escaping an abusive relationship. Speaking on the ‘Anything Goes with James English' podcast last year, the one-time athlete, who played for Crystal Palace academy in his youth, lamented how he “let himself down” at the age of 17 by “going off the rails” He admitted that he ended up in prison after his grandmother died, and could have made more of his other talents, instead of chasing a name for himself in porn. “When I was at Crystal Palace, if I’d have stayed with them, then I could have been earning a lot more playing football. I used to fight as well, maybe that could have gone somewhere,” he said. “I was good at both [of those] things, but being a porn star, I thought that would be just as good. But it’s not as good as people think.” Still, it wasn’t all bad. Spedding met Anderson through the industry, and they set up their own blue movie production company. Acknowledging that he could never have dreamed that “one of the biggest porn stars in the country” would be his “soulmate”, he said Anderson was “the first person that I feel like I've ever had the ultimate connection with – she is like my twin”. “We're so compatible,” he added in his ‘Anything Goes’ interview. anders“I've never had anyone that connects on so many different levels like that.” Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings

After 'Love Island USA' Season 5 star Bergie said that he does not know how to flirt or kiss, fans wondered if he is really an innocent person or he is just acting like one

Former This Morning presenter Phillip Schofield has given his first set of media interviews since his departure from the ITV daytime show and his revelation that he had an affair with a younger male colleague in comments made in May. In a statement issued to The Daily Mail last week, the broadcaster confirmed he had a “consensual on-off relationship” with the individual and while it was “unwise”, it was “not illegal” and is “now over”. “I am painfully conscious that I have lied to my employers at ITV, to my colleagues and friends, to my agents, to the media and therefore the public and most importantly of all to my family. “I am so very, very sorry, as I am for having been unfaithful to my wife,” he said. When asked by The Sun if he “groomed” the young co-worker, Schofield – who vaped during the interview – said he “did not” and that there were “accusations of all sorts of things”. A lengthier conversation, though, came in the form of a 45-minute long interview with the BBC’s Media Editor, Amol Rajan, which aired on Friday. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter If you’re in a hurry, here’s the key lines from the powerful interview. 1. “I understand how Caroline Flack felt” With Rajan starting the discussion by asking Schofield how he was, Schofield referenced the late ITV presenter who died by suicide in February 2020 following intense tabloid coverage of her life. She had been charged with assaulting her boyfriend after an altercation in December 2019, and left her role presenting the ITV2 reality show Love Island. Schofield said: “Last week, if my daughters hadn’t been there, I wouldn’t be here. They guarded me and wouldn’t let me out of their sight. “It’s like a weird numbness. I know that’s a selfish point of view, but you come to a point where you just think, ‘how much are you supposed to take? “’If all of those people who write all of that stuff, do they ever think that there’s actually a person at the other end?’” 2. “Do you want me to die?” In further comments about the “relentless” remarks made about him online and in the media, Schofield said: “If you don’t think that is going to have the most catastrophic effect on someone’s mind… Do you want me to die? “Because that’s where I am. I have lost everything. “My girls saved my life … Last week, they haven’t left me for a moment. They’ve been by my side every moment, because they’re scared to let me out of their sight. “They said to me, ‘don’t you dare do this on our watch. We’re supposed to be looking after you.’ “If my girls hadn’t been there, I wouldn’t be here, because I don’t see a future. And so how much do you want a man to take? “And this is how Caroline Flack felt, and it didn’t stop.” 3. His message to Holly Willoughby On the same day he “put the statement up” – suggesting it was the one posted to his Instagram Story announcing his departure from This Morning, rather than the one to the Mail – Schofield wrote to his former co-presenter on WhatsApp. He said: “I know you can’t reply, or you’re probably not allowed to, but please know that I am so desperately, desperately sorry.” He added that she did not reply to the message, said he did not see their relationship as broken and that he does not “have a problem with Holly at all” 4. The “homophobia” behind the scrutiny Referring to “new friends” he has made off the back of the scandal, Schofield revealed one “very prominent public figure” phoned him to say they had “never seen such homophobia in my life”. He continued: “If it’s a gay relationship, then suddenly it raises eyebrows. It’s wrong. People do find each other attractive in different age groups.” The broadcaster said the fact it has become “so massive” is “predominantly homophobic” and that he has become a “victim of hate”. 5. “We were mates” Explaining why he agreed to the BBC interview, Schofield said: “There is an innocent person here who didn’t do anything wrong, who is vulnerable, and probably feels like I do.” He confirmed he was paying for legal advice for the unnamed younger man, and last spoke to him a “couple of weeks” ago to instruct lawyers for him. The individual – who was 15 at the time - was followed by Schofield on Twitter following a visit to the school, and the presenter said “there has not been any whiff of impropriety” on the social media platform, where he follows more than 11,000 people. He went on to add that the man was 20 when Schofield first had sexual contact with him. “He’d been working with the show for a few months and we became mates – we were mates, around the studios, we hung out together. “And then, in my dressing room one day, something happened … It happened maybe four or five times over the next few months. “We weren’t boyfriends, we weren’t in a relationship,” Schofield said, and went on to say he did not love him. 6. “I’ve never abused my power in any way” When asked by Rajan if what was “morally wrong” about the situation was that there was an “abuse of power”, Schofield replied to say he has “never abused my power in any way” and that he is “not a bully”. The conversation soon moved to the work environment at ITV and comments made by Dr Ranj Singh, at which point the presenter stressed: “There is no toxicity, there is no bullying, there is no discrimination at This Morning. “All I see are angry people shouting about a show they’re not on anymore.” Schofield also denied the young man frequently came to his flat and that claims from Eamonn Holmes that he was taxied from the presenter's home are “utterly untrue”. ”He came to the flat once. To my recollection, he didn’t stay over. “He said he was passing. He came for a beer,” he said. 7. “The lie got too big” After Rajan questioned why the scandal has come out now, Schofield said: “It got too big. The lie got too big for both of us.” He added it was his “biggest, sorriest secret”. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Logan Paul gears up for his upcoming match against Dillon Danis, showcasing his training on the heavy bag