Nancy Guthrie, Savannah Guthrie’s Mom, Being Held For Ransom; Alleged Kidnappers …

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We have a bizarre twist to report in the disappearance of Savannah Guthrie's mother, Nancy Guthrie.

The editors of TMZ allege that they've received a ransom note demanding that millions in Bitcoin be delivered to a specific account in exchange for Nancy's release.

As we previously reported, Nancy, 84, went missing from her home on Saturday night.

Savannah Guthrie attends the "Mostly What God Does" book presentation on February 21, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)

Her family placed a 911 call reporting her missing after she failed to show up for court the following morning.

Police now say that it looks as though Nancy was "harmed" in her home and taken against her will.

They have ruled out the possibility that she may have wandered off on her own, explaining that she does not suffer from any cognitive issues, but does have mobility problems that would prevent her from traveling far on foot.

Police say they are "aware of reports circulating about possible ransom note(s) regarding the investigation into Nancy Guthrie."

Journalist Savannah Guthrie attends The Hollywood Reporter 35 Most Powerful People In Media 2017 at The Pool on April 13, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for The Hollywood Reporter)

The letter, they said, will go "directly to our detectives who are coordinating with the FBI." They have yet to confirm or deny the authenticity of the letter.

"We're downloading and analyzing cell phones, obtaining cell tower information, conducting interviews, and providing any and all investigative support that the sheriff's department needs," FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jon Edwards told NPR this week.

Needless to say, this story grows more mysterious and more troubling by the day.

On Monday, the Guthrie family requested that all Tucson residents and anyone with any information about Nancy's whereabouts cooperate with police to help bring her home.

Later that night, Savannah took to Instagram and asked her followers to pray for Nancy.

"We believe in prayer. We believe in voices raised in unison, in love, in hope. We believe in goodness. We believe in humanity. Above all, we believe in Him," Savannah wrote on Instagram late Monday night.

Savannah Guthrie attends the "Mostly What God Does" book presentation on February 21, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)

"Thank you for lifting your prayers with ours for our beloved mom, our dearest Nancy, a woman of deep conviction, a good and faithful servant. Raise your prayers with us and believe with us that she will be lifted by them in this very moment," she continued, adding:

"We need you.

"He will keep in perfect peace those whose hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.' a verse of Isaiah for all time for all of us. Bring her home," Guthrie concluded.

The post promptly received hundreds of thousands of likes, along with supportive comments from many of Savannah's celebrity friends.

We will have further updates on this developing story as new information becomes available.

Nancy Guthrie, Savannah Guthrie's Mom, Being Held For Ransom; Alleged Kidnappers … was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.

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Ken Peplowski Cause of Death: Jazz Legend Passes Away Suddenly at 66

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We have tragic news to report from the world of music today.

Famed jazz musician Ken Peplowski has passed away at the age of 66.

And while he had been battling an illness, Peplowski's died not at home or in a hospital — but out at sea.

Acclaimed jazz musician Ken Peplowski passed away on a cruise ship this week. (YouTube)

According to a report from TMZ, Peplowski had been performing on a jazz cruise at the time of his passing.

News of his passing comes courtesy of a statement from Peplowski's close friend, musician and music journalist Lee Mergner:

"On the final day of The Jazz Cruise, Ken Peplowski died suddenly," Mergner wrote today.

"Since 2021, the clarinetist/saxophonist/bandleader had been suffering from multiple myeloma. He battled the often fatal disease with a unique combination of courage, fortitude and humor," he continued, adding:

"After all, humor was just one of Ken's many remarkable gifts. He was without question the quickest and sharpest wit amongst all our artists. Ken always brought the joy to every gig or occasion.

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A post shared by Jazz at WUSF (@wusfjazz)

"No one came away from a conversation with him without a laugh or smile. His humor was both incisive and self-deprecating. He would as easily make fun of you as he would himself. A truly rare combination."

Mergner wrote that Peplowski was one of the most gifted clarinetists on the planet — and added that his talents didn't stop there.

"Ken was also a remarkable tenor saxophonist, with a soft and fluid sound that was influenced by Zoot Sims, Stan Getz, Ben Webster and many other tenor greats," he wrote, adding:

"'For me, I spend most of my time practicing on clarinet, because that's the more unforgiving instrument,'" Ken told me.

"'The technique transfers over to the saxophone. When I pick the saxophone up, it's all about reminding myself of what I want it to sound like. I'm not saying I achieved this, but my goal for sound on tenor would be people like Ben Webster and Zoot Sims.'"

Across social media, many agreed with Mergner's observation that Peplowski was one of the jazz world's greatest talents.

Our thoughts go out to his loved ones during this difficult time.

Ken Peplowski Cause of Death: Jazz Legend Passes Away Suddenly at 66 was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.

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Kody Brown is a DEADBEAT DAD, Daughter Says in New Interview

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Kody Brown is basically a liar and a jerk and, most notably, a deadbeat dad who makes no real effort to reach out to his children.

This, according to one of those children themselves.

In an interview with the Growing Up in Polygamy YouTube channel, Mykelti Brown Padron — the daughter of Christine Brown Woolley and Kody Brown — didn't hold back very much when the conversation shifted to her dad and his relationship with most of his kids.

And also to her dad's wife.

(Image Credit: TLC)

"I would say there's probably 80-85 percent of my siblings who don't like Robyn," Mykelti said, clarifying that she wasn't referring here to Robyn's biological kids with Kody.

Over the last few months, meanwhile, the father of 18 has talked a bit more than usual about his broken relationships and has kinda, sorta, occasionally taken responsibility?

But he's also blamed his children for the two sides not talking.

"Several of my siblings have blocked him," Mykelti said during this new interview. "I know which ones have, but I'm not going to say it, but I do know that there are several of my siblings who have told him point-blank, 'Do not ever contact me again.'"

She continued, clearly critical of her father:

"So obviously with those, he's still going to generalize us, and he's not going to name us by name. But he isn't actively reaching out [to them] and seeking that relationship."

(TLC)

On the November 6 episode of Fox's Special Forces: World's Toughest Test, Brown actually broke down while admitting to his own shortcomings as a father to his sons and daughters.

"I should have had a stronger relationship with my children," Brown told a couple fellow contestants on this reality program.

"I'm at a place in my life now where I'm very willing to say that I've been wrong," he added, actually starting to cry on air.

"My failures were because I didn't know about being a good dad and husband, and I thought I did. I really thought I did, and I misunderstood that. I did it wrong in so many ways, and I hated being blamed for it, and so it made me resistant to ownership."

Sounds like a mature perspective.

But Mykelti added of her father's attempts to reconcile:

"I think he could try harder. He's not trying as hard as he could, and there's room for improvement."

(TLC)

Mykelti has never been shy about speaking her mind.

Last fall, for example, she blasted Meri Brown as a rather poor parent.

"She just was not a very good parent," Mykelti said simply at the time. "She wasn't a very good mom. She was not fun to be [around]."

Concluded the reality star back then of Meri

"I don't think she's a bad person. I just think she's made mistakes. She still deserves happiness at the end of it. I'm just never going to have a relationship with her."

Kody Brown is a DEADBEAT DAD, Daughter Says in New Interview was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.

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Kailyn Lowry Apologizes After Blasting Ike’s Baby Mama (Turns Out He’s …

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Last week, Kailyn Lowry declared her love for Ike.

Isaac "Ike" Knighton is her latest boyfriend who moved in with her super quickly after her last breakup.

In addition to threatening to have even more kids, Kail trashed Ike's baby mama.

Now, she's issuing a public apology. It turns out that her taste in men is tragically consistent.

On her Karma & Chaos podcast, Kailyn Lowry discussed her deadbeat dad in what are likely his final days. (Image Credit: Apple Podcasts)

Has Ike been 'robbed' of fatherhood?

On Monday, February 2, Kailyn took to her Instagram Stories to issue a bit of a retraction.

First, we should explain the claims that she made on her Patreon during an interview with Ike.

Kail, eager to defend her latest man, announced that Ike was being "robbed" of parenting his daughter with his baby mama, Jess.

Ike's daughter is 8 years old. Kailyn strongly implied that Jess is keeping him from their daughter. That is apparently not the case.

"I see what type of father he would be, and it makes me upset that his daughter is not getting [that]," Kail complained at the time. "That's what we are building for."

Her face shining with tears, Kailyn Lowry acknowledges that mental illness drives her cosmetic surgeries. (Image Credit: YouTube)

"Your daughter should be able to be raised with the chaos even if it's just a couple of weeks or the summertime. Because I see how much he tries," Kailyn insisted.

"He was robbed," she boldly claimed. "I don't care what her camp has to say. I know what I saw. I know what I've read. I know what conversations I've listened to and he was robbed as a father."

Given the quality of Kail's exes, it seems that her standards for men are so low that essentially anyone who deserves to live has the qualifications of a "great dad." That's not how she phrases it.

She phrases it: "It's hard for me to understand where she's coming from because there was no domestic abuse. Whatever the relationship looked like. I don't care. If there was no domestic abuse, why aren't you including him in [parenting]?"

These sound like they could have been great questions for Kailyn to ask Jess before mouthing off.

Kailyn Lowry has no regrets about her time on Teen Mom. (MTV)

Did he think that Kail would never hear from any of his exes?

Multiple women from Ike's past took to social media in the aftermath to clarify things.

As it turns out, Ike and Amanda reportedly dated for about a decade.

It was during this relationship that he cheated on Amanda with at least one person — Jess. That's how Jess became pregnant.

(Ike has admitted to being a cheater, but claims to be "in recovery," which is not a real thing for cheating. Betrayed partners "recover" from cheating, while cheaters choose to cheat)

Based upon the responses, as captured on Reddit, it sounds like Amanda and Jess have become friends. And it sounds like she's concealed Ike's cheating from those closest to her, only for it now to become a public conversation.

As screenshotted and shared on social media, Ike's ex, Amanda, took to Facebook to lament how Kailyn is publicly and inaccurately discussing her relationship history. (Image Credit: Facebook)

A close friend of Jess' also denounced Ike, The Ashley reports.

"He was not — in any way, shape or form — robbed of fatherhood!" she shared. "That allegation is crazy."

She argued: "He was given every opportunity to step up as a father, to the point where his baby's mother befriended his girlfriend [Amanda] at the time — they're still close to this day. She befriended his girlfriend at the time to give him the opportunity to be a father."

Her statement continued: "And he chose different. He never tried to initiate plans to come see [his daughter], never called her, never Facetimed. Birthdays went by, holidays went by, nothing. Crickets, up until now."

She accused: "Now, he's in this relationship with this 'Teen Mom' girl, and now he is interested in a relationship [with his daughter] and it's very convenient. … He has not been interested in a relationship with his daughter until now."

Kailyn Lowry is pictured here on an episode of Teen Mom 2, courtesy of an installment that aired in 2022. (Photo Credit: MTV)

From the bottom of Kail's heart: her bad

On her Instagram Story, Kailyn offered a grudging apology.

"I'm gonna apologize to Jess, because I don't need to speak on anything that Isaac goes through and I don't need to speak on what y'all have going on," she admitted.

Kail acknowledged: "I don't need to involve myself in any intricacies of y'alls dynamic." Smart!

"At the end of the day, I'm going to stay in my lane when it comes to [Ike's] parenting," she continued. "I know my kids, I know my situation."

Kailyn added: "I wouldn't want someone to speak on [my situation] that wasn't around. So, my lips are sealed and I don't need to speak on things that do not pertain to me."

She concluded, as always, on a defiant tone: "However, other people getting upset that are not related to Jess in any way, I don't give a f**k about your feelings."

Kailyn Lowry Apologizes After Blasting Ike's Baby Mama (Turns Out He's … was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.

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William Stevenson, Ex-Husband of Jill Biden, Arrested For Murder

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William Stevenson, a Delaware man who was married to Jill Biden from 1970 to 1975, has been arrested.

According to police, he was indicted Monday in Wilmington, Delaware after his wife, Linda Stevenson, was found dead in the couple's living room on December 28.

First responders administered aid but were unable to revive the 64-year-old.

William, 77, was the one who called 911.

William Stevenson, the ex-husband of Jill Biden, has been arrested for murder. (New Castle County Police Department)

According to a report from TMZ, he was taken into custody on Monday and is currently being held on $500,000 bail.

He is facing a charge of first-degree murder, according to a grand jury indictment filed in Delaware.

New Castle County police did not provide any details on the nature of Linda's fatal injuries.

The grand jury reports that William was arrested after an "extensive weekslong investigation" into the death of his wife.

He is currently in custody at the Howard Young Correctional Institution

Stevenson is the owner of The Stone Balloon near the University of Delaware.

U.S. President Joe Biden embraces first lady Jill Biden following the CNN Presidential Debate at the CNN Studios on June 27, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

According to The New York Post, he and Jill worked on Joe Biden's first campaign for Senate in 1972,

That same year, Biden's first wife, Neilia, and their infant daughter were killed in a car crash.

Stevenson alleges that Jill began having an affair with Joe before her first marriage had ended.

The Bidens have always maintained that they had their first date in 1975 after Jill's marriage to Stevenson had come to an end.

President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden ahead of him speaking at a campaign event at Pullman Yards on March 9, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Megan Varner/Getty Images)

They went on to welcome daughter Ashley Biden in 1981.

In addition to Naomi, Joe was already parent to Hunter and Beau, who died of brain cancer in 2015.

Obviously, beyond whatever compassion she feels for the victim, Jill has no connection to William's crimes, as the two of them have been divorced for over 50 years.

But this is a time when everything is partisan, and every scandal is dissected in search of a conspiracy.

So you can expect that people who hated the Bidens before all of this happened will delight in sharing the grisly details as they emerge.

We will have further updates on this developing story as more reliable information becomes available.

William Stevenson, Ex-Husband of Jill Biden, Arrested For Murder was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.

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Melinda French Gates: Ex-Husband Bill Must ‘Answer’ for Epstein Allegations

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The latest batch of Epstein documents name-dropped some of the world's most infamous villains.

It also mentioned noted philanthropist Bill Gates.

His ex-wife, Melinda French Gates, is responding.

She feels profound pain — for the alleged betrayal of their marriage and of her, but also for the many Epstein victims.

Speaking to NPR, Melinda French Gates offered a nuanced and emotional response to the allegations that mention her ex-husband. (Image Credit: YouTube)

'Some very, very painful times in my marriage'

On Tuesday, February 3, French Gates sat down with NPR's Wild Card podcast.

She addressed multiple topics with host Rachel Martin, but ultimately had to address the elephant in the room.

Martin even phrased it that way when she brought up French Gates' ex-husband, Bill Gates, and the latest release of Epstein documents.

The documents contain allegations that her ex engaged in multiple extramarital affairs and contracted an STI — and sought medication, and made plans to secretly administer the treatment without French Gates' knowledge.

Obviously, the documents also contain many horrific accounts of crimes committed by rich and powerful men against women and girls. But these communications featuring her ex of 27 years are obviously very personal.

French Gates acknowledged that the reporting reminded her of low moments from her erstwhile marriage.

She admitted that she feels "so happy to be away from all the muck that was there."

She expressed: "It's personally hard whenever those details come up, right? Because it brings back memories of some very, very painful times in my marriage."

French Gates affirmed: "I have moved on from that. I purposely pushed it away and I moved on."

However, she remains very much aware that, her ex-husband's alleged affairs with Russian women aside, she is not the center of this story.

Bill Gates speaks onstage at the Bloomberg Philanthropies Global Forum 2025 at The Plaza Hotel on September 24, 2025. (Photo Credit: Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Bloomberg Philanthropies)

'I hope there's some justice'

"I'm able to take my own sadness and look at those young girls and say, 'My God, how did that happen to those girls?'" French Gates remarked, centering the conversation upon the primary victims.

She reflected upon how she can so easily remember being the ages of these girls.

"I had to leave my marriage. I wanted to leave my marriage," she acknowledged. "At least for me, I've been able to move on in life."

French Gates then affirmed: "And I hope there's some justice for those now-women."

That would be nice. They certainly deserve justice.

However, history tends to indicate that evil, powerful men can do almost anything and get away with it.

And Donald Trump's 2024 campaign seems to have primarily been motivated by his desire to avoid prison.

When it comes to the allegations from these countless women, French Gates expressed feelings of "unbelievable sadness."

She added: "Whatever questions remain there… are for those people and for my ex-husband, they need to answer to those things, not me."

That is certainly true. Women are not responsible for the alleged crimes of their husbands, let alone their ex-husbands.

Bill Gates and his wife Melinda Gates introduce the Goalkeepers event at the Lincoln Center on September 26, 2018. (Photo Credit: LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP via Getty Images)

Epstein is, famously, not around to offer clarity on the powerful men implicated in his crimes

For what it's worth, a spokesperson for Bill Gates has claimed that the allegations against the man are "completely false."

Rather, the spokesperson called the mentions of Gates within the documents proof that Jeffrey Epstein was plotting "to entrap and defame" wealthy, famous acquaintances.

It is of course possible that one of the world's most infamous dead pedophiles, who was apparently plotting the downfall of civilization much as it seems to be playing out, was also a liar.

We do not know if he was lying or telling the truth or somewhere in between in these documents.

However, we can all understand how French Gates must be feeling in this moment. We can also hope for justice for all of the Epstein victims, alive or dead.

Melinda French Gates: Ex-Husband Bill Must 'Answer' for Epstein Allegations was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.

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Erika Kirk Posts Heartbreaking Tribute to Late Husband as She Demands Transparency In …

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Nearly five months after Charlie Kirk's murder, his widow, Erika Kirk, continues to make headlines.

In fact, she might be more visible than ever.

Last month, Erika launched her thirty-city US tour, and this week, she's making her presence known both on Instagram and in the legal sector.

Erika Kirk accepts the inaugural Charlie Kirk Legacy Award onstage during the 2025 Fox Nation Patriot Awards at Tilles Center for the Performing Arts on November 06, 2025 in Greenvale, New York. (Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images)

We learned today that Erika has made a new request of the judge who will preside over the trial of Tyler Robinosn, the man accused of murdering Charlie.

In court papers obtained by TMZ, Erika and her lawyers insisted that "any request to close court proceedings from the public eye should be denied."

It seems that Erika wants the trial to play out as publicly as possible, which makes sense.

After all, her husband was a public figure, and video of his death had circulated all over the world and been viewed tens of millions of times within hours of the murder.

Erika Kirk, the wife of the late conservative activist and media personality Charlie Kirk, attends the swearing-in ceremony of U.S. Ambassador to India Sergio Gor in the Oval Office of the White House on November 10, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

The judge might draw the line at cameras in the courtroom, but he'll likely agree that the unusual circumstances necessitate transparency during the trial.

This is not the first time that Erika and her legal team have filed documents pertaining to Robinson's trial.

She previously criticized the long delays in Robinson's court proceedings and noted that as a victim in this case, she too has a constitutionally protected right to a speedy trial.

It's unclear how the judge responded to that complaint.

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A post shared by E. (@mrserikakirk)

Elsewhere this week, Erika paid loving tribute to her late husband in a moving social media post.

"I relive you in a thousand quiet ways. Especially in these DC memories from a year ago…it's weird even typing out that this was a year ago. I replay it all," Erika captioned a collage of photos and videos from January of 2025, when she and Charlie attended the inauguration of Donald Trump.

"The way you love our babies, how we soaked in every moment for the season you worked so hard for, and the quiet moments of just the way we looked at each other when words weren't needed because the depth of love was so felt," she continued, adding:

"It just loops like a sacred film. And I find myself reliving the past, not to stay there, but to rewitness God's humbling grace…a living testimony that the Lord was faithful then, and He is faithful still."

Erika Kirk, widow of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, speaks during a Turning Point USA event where U.S. Vice President JD Vance is expected, at the Pavilion at Ole Miss at the University of Mississippi, on October 29, 2025 in Oxford, Mississippi. (Photo by Jonathan Ernst-Pool/Getty Images)

Not surprisingly, the post was promptly flooded with supportive comments, some of them from Erika's celebrity friends.

"I love you so so much! Charlie is so proud of you," wrote Savannah Chrisley, whose parents were recently pardoned by Trump.

"He was truly the best of us," another user wrote.

"We miss him so much," a third chimed in.

Erika Kirk Posts Heartbreaking Tribute to Late Husband as She Demands Transparency In … was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.

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