Will Smith almost died while diving in the North Pole: 'Accidentally pulled my mask off'

Will Smith almost died while diving in the North Pole: 'Accidentally pulled my mask off' Emlyn TravisJanuary 22, 2026 at 12:07 AM 1 Phil McCarten/CBS via Getty Will Smith at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, Calif Will Smith learned the hard way that ice isn't always nice. The 57yearold actor revealed that he almost died while diving in the Arctic as part of his recently released Disney+ travel series, Pole to Pole With Will Smith.

- - Will Smith almost died while diving in the North Pole: 'Accidentally pulled my mask off'

Emlyn TravisJanuary 22, 2026 at 12:07 AM

1

Phil McCarten/CBS via Getty

Will Smith at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, Calif

Will Smith learned the hard way that ice isn't always nice.

The 57-year-old actor revealed that he almost died while diving in the Arctic as part of his recently released Disney+ travel series, Pole to Pole With Will Smith.

"We went scuba diving at the North Pole, right? So we did a dive under the ice," Smith explained to host Jimmy Fallon on Tuesday's episode of The Tonight Show. "So you go under the ice, and the ice can be up to 10 feet thick. So we're under, we went out about 40 yards away… It's like an upside-down ice mountain range, right?"

Todd Owyoung/NBC

Will Smith holds an anaconda on 'The Tonight Show'

However, his underwater adventure took a turn for the worse only minutes after it had begun.

"We went under, and I start hearing, 'Abort dive! Abort dive! Abort!'" Smith recalled. "And I'm like, 'Oh no,' right? So I went to ascend and hit ice. I was like, 'Oh no, Will, calm down. Calm down.' You have a tether on, and you have to pull yourself back to the hole, right? I grabbed and accidentally pulled my mask off."

He immediately affixed his mask back to his face and tried his best to calm himself down after the heart-pounding experience. "I was like, 'If I get out of here, I'm only gonna do Black stuff from here on out,'" he joked. "I promise Lord! African American behavior from here on out!"

Smith explained that he was in the process of calming down when he felt somebody grab "my tether up top and started pulling" him to safety.

"When I realized I was good, I just relaxed and I looked around and when I tell you, the sun is coming through the ice and it went from terror to the most spiritual, beautiful thing," he said. "And I was just like, 'Whoever's up there, don't let go of my tether!'"

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That wasn't the only deadly adventure that Smith embarked on for the series. He also recalled his unique experience hunting for an anaconda while in the Amazon.

"We were with the natives, and they didn't even have no clothes on, their whole name and address was hanging out," Smith said. "And so we're going down the river, and they see the anaconda and jump out of the boat into the water and swim for the anaconda."

The Men In Black alum explained that their hunt was part of a larger "conservation" initiative.

"They had a sense that there was some kind of illegal dumping going on, and the scales of the anaconda, they hold whatever's in the water," he said. "So they would take a scale from the anaconda and test it to be able to use it in court."

Still, he added, "I don't know why they needed me!"

Watch Smith discuss his near-death experience — and hold an anaconda — in the clip above.

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Will Smith almost died while diving in the North Pole: 'Accidentally pulled my mask off'

Will Smith almost died while diving in the North Pole: 'Accidentally pulled my mask off' Emlyn TravisJanuary ...

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Travis Kelce Asks for Wedding Advice amid His Taylor Swift Engagement, but It's Not What You Think

Travis Kelce Asks for Wedding Advice amid His Taylor Swift Engagement, but It's Not What You Think Rachel McRadyJanuary 22, 2026 at 12:52 AM 0 New Heights Pocast; Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce Travis Kelce; Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift Travis Kelce asked pal Greg Olsen for wedding planning advice during his Jan. 21 appearance on the New Heights podcast But Kelce emphasized he wasn't asking for advice for his own impending wedding to Taylor Swift Kelce and Swift announced their engagement in Aug.

- - Travis Kelce Asks for Wedding Advice amid His Taylor Swift Engagement, but It's Not What You Think

Rachel McRadyJanuary 22, 2026 at 12:52 AM

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New Heights Pocast; Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce

Travis Kelce; Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift -

Travis Kelce asked pal Greg Olsen for wedding planning advice during his Jan. 21 appearance on the New Heights podcast

But Kelce emphasized he wasn't asking for advice for his own impending wedding to Taylor Swift

Kelce and Swift announced their engagement in Aug. 2025

Travis Kelce is seeking out wedding advice from his friend Greg Olsen, but it doesn't involve his impending nuptials to Taylor Swift.

The 36-year-old Kansas City Chiefs tight end welcomed retired NFL star and sports commentator Olsen on the Wednesday, Jan. 21 episode of his and brother Jason Kelce's New Heights podcast.

During the episode, the Kelce brothers mentioned that Olsen had attended NFL star Christian McCaffrey's 2024 wedding to Olivia Culpo and was seen tearing up the dance floor at the reception. Travis, who announced his engagement to Swift back in August, then noted that their producer, "Intern Brandon" Borders, is also engaged.

"Do you have any advice for him — and him alone — on the five must-haves at a good wedding?" Travis asked, grinning.

Olsen then turned his response around, joking, "Number one's me. I'm mean, let's just be honest. I just want to be clear here for anyone potentially getting married — I don't say it, but there's a lot of people sayin' it — if you want it to be memorable and you want there to be great energy and great camaraderie and fellowship and moments, I'm at the top of that list."

David Eulitt/Getty

Greg Olsen and Travis Kelce

Jason then urged his younger brother, "Send the invite, Trav! Send the invite, Trav!" as Travis laughed.

But Olsen insisted, "Listen, we don't do pity invites. There's no pressure."

Despite taking the pressure off, Olsen gave several reasons why he makes for a good wedding guest, including his ability to "dance with grandma or the bride or the bridesmaid" and his skill for karaoke, referencing his appearance alongside Travis at the Tight Ends & Friends event in 2024.

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Travis and the "Opalite" singer haven't discussed much when it comes to their wedding plans. But back in December a source opened up to PEOPLE about how the couple is handling the division of duties.

"When it comes to wedding planning, nothing feels rushed or one-sided," the source exclusively told PEOPLE. "They're both equally involved and excited, and this isn't something one or the other is carrying on their own. They're approaching it as a partnership, talking things through together and enjoying the process in a way that feels natural to them."

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Travis Kelce Asks for Wedding Advice amid His Taylor Swift Engagement, but It's Not What You Think

Travis Kelce Asks for Wedding Advice amid His Taylor Swift Engagement, but It's Not What You Think Rachel McRad...

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'The Beauty' Is Wildly Entertaining and Surprisingly Smart

'The Beauty' Is Wildly Entertaining and Surprisingly Smart Judy BermanJanuary 21, 2026 at 10:06 PM 0 Bella Hadid in The Beauty Credit Philippe Antonello—FX Ryan Murphy never gives us any peace. One month, the megaproducer is on Netflix, using Ed Gein as a vehicle to indict the audience that devours the kind of lurid truecrime tales that are his specialty; the next, he pops up on Hulu, pairing a halfdozen acclaimed actresses with one of the most famous women on the planet for what is nominally a lawyer show but actually just hollow girlboss pastiche.

- - 'The Beauty' Is Wildly Entertaining and Surprisingly Smart

Judy BermanJanuary 21, 2026 at 10:06 PM

0

Bella Hadid in The Beauty Credit - Philippe Antonello—FX

Ryan Murphy never gives us any peace. One month, the megaproducer is on Netflix, using Ed Gein as a vehicle to indict the audience that devours the kind of lurid true-crime tales that are his specialty; the next, he pops up on Hulu, pairing a half-dozen acclaimed actresses with one of the most famous women on the planet for what is nominally a lawyer show but actually just hollow girlboss pastiche. In February, he'll celebrate Valentine's Day with Love Story, an FX anthology series that will dramatize real-life romances, beginning—riskily—with that of JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy. But for his first contribution to the network in 2026, The Beauty, he and co-creator Matthew Hodgson have concocted a genre-hopping oddity that sounds even less likely to work. The big surprise is that, unlike so many of Murphy's recent projects, it does.

Premiering with two episodes on Jan. 21, the series proceeds from a premise that immediately calls to mind the darkly comic horror movie The Substance, an underdog 2024 Best Picture contender that earned Oscar nominations for both its director, Coralie Fargeat, and its star, Demi Moore. A revolutionary biotech product called The Beauty catalyzes—through a grotesque process involving a sort of flesh cocoon—radical physical transformations, turning the old, the sick, the ugly, and the merely average into young, healthy, stunning specimens of human perfection. Most creators would presumably want to downplay the resemblance between their new show (which is based on a decade-old comic by Jeremy Haun, an executive producer, and Jason A. Hurley) and one of the most prominent movies of the last few years. But brazenness has always been Murphy's M.O. Of all the people he could have cast as The Beauty's yassified mastermind, he chose Ashton Kutcher, a man equally famous for his career as an actor turned venture capitalist and for marrying a 42-year-old Moore when he was 27.

The BeautyFX" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/lSQTv_bhVO0mEhTGNTu9kg--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD01MTk-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/aol_time_773/9bcbc1669f2d24ed11d6324fe87fba00>The BeautyFX" src=https://ift.tt/yJOGV1H class=caas-img>Ashton Kutcher in The BeautyFX

You'd think the Substance-Beauty, Kutcher-Moore connection would be tough to get past. (Moore, who had a role in 2024's Feud: Capote vs. the Swans, is also part of the Murphyverse.) As it turned out, I basically forgot about that bit of casting-as-metacommentary within the first few installments of the 11-episode season. That's one benefit of Murphy's maximalist approach to storytelling: rarely does a single element of his shows overwhelm the rest. Yet the result is too often, especially in the past decade, as his output has exploded, exhausting—a messily assembled collage of camp, glamor, genre tropes, celebrity stunt casting, and strident sociopolitical satire. The Beauty delivers all of the above as early as its opening sequence, which sends a model played by Bella Hadid on a violent rampage through Paris. But its mix of styles, performers, tones, and ideas is organized into a tighter, more dynamic narrative than we usually get from Murphy. Instead of tiring us out with one macabre set piece after another, he switches up the mood regularly enough to keep scripts nimble and (mostly) avoid repetition.

Although the show picks up settings and storylines as it goes, the setup is fairly simple. Jordan Bennett (Rebecca Hall) and Cooper Madsen (Murphy regular Evan Peters) are FBI agents sent to Europe to investigate a string of gory supermodel deaths. (Who would give the name Cooper, first or last, to an FBI-agent character after Twin Peaks? Ryan Murphy, of course.) Partners and friends with benefits who've ruled out romance, they have potentially incompatible worldviews. He's into "embracing imperfections"; she's always chasing something better, whether it's a ritzier hotel on assignment or breast implants. They mean more to each other than either seems to realize. In a series thick with Murphy's signature schadenfreude, and one that casts its strongest actors in the few roles that require emotional realism, theirs is the rare bond that feels authentic.

The BeautyFX" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/CpoQgFCNEY8ri96kUbAhxA--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD01MjA-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/aol_time_773/1d4ad98d0529a433c58a851383271723>The BeautyFX" src=https://ift.tt/j3JwsiQ class=caas-img>Evan Peters and Rebecca Hall in The BeautyFX

As their investigation points to a sexually transmitted virus as the cause of victims' journeys from schlumpy to hot to dead, we glimpse a more deliberate path to perfection. Kutcher's character—the richest man in the world, who calls himself The Corporation—has, in defiance of all ethical, legal, and medical precepts, developed The Beauty. Though its primary purpose is to beautify, this miracle injection fundamentally alters the human body, turning back the clock on aging and illness, with profound implications on everything from gender to disability. The STI version poses a threat to The Corporation, both because it creates a black market and because patients who undergo the bootleg treatment tend to meet disgusting, public ends. So he's got a roving hitman (Anthony Ramos' The Assassin) on the payroll to kill them before they can spread it. The Beauty's portrayal of The Corporation as a sociopath (though it's The Assassin who loves Christopher Cross the way American Psycho's Patrick Bateman loved Huey Lewis) with conspicuous parallels to Elon Musk is Murphy at his broadest. He says things like: "Billionaires, we don't need friends. We have staff." In its bluster and smarm, it's the ideal role for Kutcher.

If The Corporation were its protagonist, like the many one-dimensional monsters around whom Murphy has built many hit TV franchises, The Beauty might be pretty hard to take. Instead, taking structural cues from the comic-book medium, it makes neither Kutcher's character nor the FBI lovers constant presences. More than a cat-and-mouse game between him and them, the series uses that procedural framework to imagine, in psychologically astute and electrifyingly strange ways, an entire world altered by The Beauty. There's an unexpectedly moving vignette about a trans scientist and her supportive lab partner; a pocket family melodrama in which the parents of a profoundly ill girl are faced with an unthinkable dilemma; and a mini teen soap that applies all the overused conventions of the afterschool special to this outlandish scenario.

The BeautyEric Liebowitz—FX" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/u_Fhgn39QrmV4mqJgby9lw--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD04ODc-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/aol_time_773/aec019cd797f4f0e9cc72bd1b839f7f8>The BeautyEric Liebowitz—FX" src=https://ift.tt/YMAfEjK class=caas-img>Jeremy Pope, left, and Anthony Ramos in The BeautyEric Liebowitz—FX

The Beauty is sometimes an action thriller—there are a few cool fight sequences—sometimes a sci-fi thought experiment, sometimes a body horror frightfest, sometimes a screwball romance, sometimes a Succession-on-steroids wealth satire. It's a lark, except for when it's a gut punch. It's silly, except for when it's serious. A gruesome incident that goes down amid snarky fashion-world gossip in the notorious Condé Nast cafeteria threatens to eclipse this spring's The Devil Wears Prada sequel. There's great scenery chomping from Isabella Rossellini, whose operatic performance as The Corporation's trophy wife turned scathing critic reveals a perspective on beauty and its discontents accessible only to those who've possessed, then transcended it. Demographically, her character is the closest The Beauty comes to Moore in The Substance. But her relationship to her aging body is less predictable, her experience just one data point on a matrix of individuals shaped and warped by our society's obsession with beauty. The problem isn't limited to older women.

The show rarely lingers long enough in any mode to strain viewers' patience. In lieu of the subtlety we've learned never to expect from Murphy, who reliably turns subtextual references to AIDS or Ozempic or the Sackler dynasty into blunt dialogue that mentions them by name, we get brisk movement from one analogy to the next and plenty of thoughtful synergy between intersecting themes. The pleasure, as with the unpredictable FX not-quite-anthologies Atlanta and Reservation Dogs, is in never knowing what each compact episode will bring.

The BeautyPhilippe Antonello—FX" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/MMl3MD6fGxox.OrfzG0Npg--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD04Mjg-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/aol_time_773/faba21daac3091645b9065051123a0b8>The BeautyPhilippe Antonello—FX" src=https://ift.tt/l5VYnOD class=caas-img>Isabella Rossellini in The BeautyPhilippe Antonello—FX

I wouldn't put The Beauty in the same exalted league as those shows, not by a long shot. Murphy and Hodgson, longtime collaborators who wrote every episode together, throw too much low-carb spaghetti at the wall for all of it to stick. An early storyline features what might be the laziest incel caricature ever committed to video. Once we know which horrors to expect out of the standard Beauty onset, the lengthy transformation scenes get redundant. The dialogue sometimes lapses from bad-funny to just bad. As per usual for Hollywood, but in a choice that undermines this particular show's themes, characters who we're supposed to see as plain are played by extremely attractive actors. (Peters does not have "a face like a catcher's mitt," come on, be serious.)

The Beauty puts all of its ideas on the surface of the story, leaving little room for interpretation or ambiguity. But it's so entertaining—and feels so timely without being a doomy drag—that it seems uncharitable to complain that it isn't a masterpiece. The rare drama that manages to be smart without being subtle, it might make you suspect that Murphy injected himself with some professional equivalent of The Beauty and evolved, however briefly, into his ideal TV-creator self.

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'The Beauty' Is Wildly Entertaining and Surprisingly Smart

'The Beauty' Is Wildly Entertaining and Surprisingly Smart Judy BermanJanuary 21, 2026 at 10:06 PM 0 Bella Hadid i...

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Prince Harry, on the Verge of Tears, Says U.K. Tabloids Are Making Meghan Markle's Life 'an Absolute Misery'

Prince Harry, on the Verge of Tears, Says U.K. Tabloids Are Making Meghan Markle's Life 'an Absolute Misery' Simon Perry, Janine HenniJanuary 22, 2026 at 12:13 AM 0 Peter Nicholls/Getty; Craig Barritt/Getty Prince Harry on Jan. 21, 2026 at High Court in London; Meghan Markle in 2025 Prince Harry ended his High Court testimony on an emotional note, his voice breaking as he addressed the judge in his case against Associated Newspapers The Duke of Sussex, 41, took the stand on Jan.

- - Prince Harry, on the Verge of Tears, Says U.K. Tabloids Are Making Meghan Markle's Life 'an Absolute Misery'

Simon Perry, Janine HenniJanuary 22, 2026 at 12:13 AM

0

Peter Nicholls/Getty; Craig Barritt/Getty

Prince Harry on Jan. 21, 2026 at High Court in London; Meghan Markle in 2025 -

Prince Harry ended his High Court testimony on an emotional note, his voice breaking as he addressed the judge in his case against Associated Newspapers

The Duke of Sussex, 41, took the stand on Jan. 21 in his trial against the publisher of the Daily Mail and The Mail on Sunday

Harry said the tabloids he is suing are making his wife, Meghan Markle's life an "absolute misery"

Prince Harry ended his nearly two-hour testimony in London's High Court on an emotional note, his voice breaking as he accused the U.K. tabloids he is suing of continuing to target him — and, he said, making his wife Meghan Markle's life "an absolute misery."

On Wednesday, Jan. 21, the Duke of Sussex, 41, finished giving evidence in his lawsuit against Associated Newspapers, the publisher of the Daily Mail and The Mail on Sunday. Turning toward the judge, Harry's voice broke as he spoke about the toll the case — and the coverage surrounding it — has taken on his family.

"By standing up here and taking a stand against them, this has continued to come after me," Harry said, his voice cracking with emotion. "And they have made my wife's life an absolute misery, my Lord."

Asked earlier about the impact of the press coverage during the years-long legal fight, Harry said the situation had only intensified. "Through the course of this litigation, it's only got worse, not better," he told the court. "It's fundamentally wrong to put all of us through all of this again. What's required is an apology and some accountability. It's a horrible experience."

PEOPLE was inside the courtroom as Harry appeared on the verge of tears while concluding his evidence, pausing as he addressed the judge and spoke about the personal cost of pursuing the case.

Alamy

Court artist sketch by Elizabeth Cook of Prince Harry giving evidence on Jan. 21, 2026

Harry is one of seven high-profile claimants — including Elton John and Elizabeth Hurley — suing Associated Newspapers over allegations of unlawful information gathering, claims the publisher has strongly denied. The case marks Harry's final active lawsuit against the British press, capping years of litigation over tabloid practices.

In his witness statement, seen by PEOPLE, Harry said he felt compelled to take legal action after what he described as "vicious" and "sometimes racist" coverage of Meghan following the start of their relationship in 2016.

Karwai Tang/WireImage

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry in Vancouver in Feb. 2025

"However, in late 2016, when my relationship with Meghan, my now wife, became public, I started to become increasingly troubled by the approach of not taking action against the press in the wake of vicious persistent attacks on, harassment of and intrusive, sometimes racist articles concerning Meghan. The situation got worse when she became pregnant and after our son, Archie, was born," he said, referring to their son Prince Archie, now 6.

Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty

Prince Harry arrives at High Court in London on Jan. 21, 2026

The emotional testimony comes a year after Harry reached a surprise settlement with the publisher of The Sun, which paid an eight-figure sum in damages and issued an unprecedented apology acknowledging unlawful actions.

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Harry traveled from his California home earlier this week for the start of what is expected to be a nine-week trial in London — a case he has described as part of a long-running effort to seek accountability from the British press.

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Prince Harry, on the Verge of Tears, Says U.K. Tabloids Are Making Meghan Markle's Life 'an Absolute Misery'

Prince Harry, on the Verge of Tears, Says U.K. Tabloids Are Making Meghan Markle's Life 'an Absolute Misery...

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Prince Harry says U.K. tabloid court battle is "not just about me"

Prince Harry says U.K. tabloid court battle is "not just about me" CBSNewsJanuary 21, 2026 at 10:21 AM 0 Prince Harry struck a combative tone as he testified Wednesday in his lawsuit against the publisher of the Daily Mail and insisted that his latest legal battle with Associated Newspaper Ltd. was "in the public interest." Harry and six other prominent figures, including Elton John and actor Elizabeth Hurley, allege that the publisher invaded their privacy by engaging in a "clear, systematic and sustained use of unlawful information gathering" for two decades, attorney David Sherborne said.

- - Prince Harry says U.K. tabloid court battle is "not just about me"

CBSNewsJanuary 21, 2026 at 10:21 AM

0

Prince Harry struck a combative tone as he testified Wednesday in his lawsuit against the publisher of the Daily Mail and insisted that his latest legal battle with Associated Newspaper Ltd. was "in the public interest."

Harry and six other prominent figures, including Elton John and actor Elizabeth Hurley, allege that the publisher invaded their privacy by engaging in a "clear, systematic and sustained use of unlawful information gathering" for two decades, attorney David Sherborne said. The celebrities allege that the company illegally spied on them by hiring private investigators to hack their phones, bug their cars and access private records. Testimony from several private investigators, who have said they worked on behalf of Associated Newspapers, is set to be used in the trial.

Associated Newspapers Ltd. has denied the allegations, called them preposterous and said the roughly 50 articles in question were reported with legitimate sources that included close associates willing to inform on their famous friends.

Harry said in his 23-page witness statement that he was distressed and disturbed by the intrusion into his early life by the Mail and its sister publication the Mail on Sunday, and that it made him "paranoid beyond belief." Harry also alleged that the lives of "thousands of people" were "invaded" by Associated "because of greed."

"There is obviously a personal element to bringing this claim, motivated by truth, justice and accountability, but it is not just about me," Harry said in a written statement unveiled as he entered the witness box. Under the English civil court system, witnesses present written testimony, and after asserting that it's the truth are immediately put under cross examination. "I am determined to hold Associated accountable, for everyone's sake ... I believe it is in the public interest."

Britain's Prince Harry arrives at London's High Court in London, Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026. / Credit: Kirsty Wigglesworth / AP (Kirsty Wigglesworth / AP)

A heated cross examination

Harry, dressed in a dark suit, held a small Bible in his right hand in London's High Court and swore to "almighty God that the evidence I shall give will be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth." After the Duke of Sussex said he preferred to be called Prince Harry, he acknowledged that his 23-page statement was authentic and accurate.

Defense lawyer Antony White, in a calm and gentle tone, began to put questions to Harry to determine if the sourcing of the articles, in fact, had come from royal correspondents working their sources at official events or from friends or associates of the prince. Harry said that his "social circles were not leaky" and disputed suggestions that he had been cozy with journalists who covered the royal family.

Harry suggested that information had come from eavesdropping on his phone calls or having private investigators snoop on him. He said journalist Katie Nicholl had the luxury to use the term "unidentified source" deceptively to hide unlawful measures of investigation.

"If you complain, they double down on you in my experience," he said in explaining why he had not objected to the articles at the time.

As a soft-spoken Harry became increasingly defensive, White said: "I am intent on you not having a bad experience with me, but it is my job to ask you these questions."

Eventually, Justice Matthew Nicklin intervened in the tense back-and-forth and told Harry not to argue with the defense lawyer as he tried to explain what it's like living under what he called "24-hour surveillance." Nicklin also reminded Harry that he does not "have to bear the burden of arguing the case today."

At another point in his cross examination, Harry appeared close to tears as he said tabloids had made his wife Meghan's life "an absolute misery." Harry has previously said persistent press attacks led to the couple's decision to leave royal life and move to the U.S. in 2020.

Harry's media crusade

For decades, Harry has had what he called an "uneasy" relationship with the media, but kept mum and followed the family protocol of "never complain, never explain," he said.

The litigation is part of Harry's self-proclaimed mission to reform the media that he blames for the death of his mother, Princess Diana, who was killed in a car crash in 1997 while being pursued by paparazzi in Paris.

He said "vicious persistent attacks," harassment and event racists articles about Meghan, who is biracial, had inspired him to break from family tradition to finally sue the press.

It is Harry's second time testifying after he bucked House of Windsor tradition and became the first senior royal to testify in a court in well over a century when he took the stand in a similar, successful lawsuit against the publisher of the Daily Mirror in 2023.

Last year, on the eve of another scheduled trial, Rupert Murdoch's U.K. tabloid publisher NGN agreed to pay Harry "substantial damages" for privacy breaches, including phone hacking.

This trial is expected to last nine weeks and a written verdict could comes months later.

"If Harry wins this case, it will give him a feeling … that he wasn't being paranoid all the time," Royah Nikkhah, royal editor for The Sunday Times and a CBS News contributor, told CBS News on Monday. "If Harry loses this case, it's huge jeopardy for him, not just in terms of cost, but in terms of pushing all the way to trial and not seeking to settle. So we have to wait and see, but it's high stakes for Harry."

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Published: January 21, 2026 at 05:45PM on Source: RED MAG

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Prince Harry says U.K. tabloid court battle is "not just about me"

Prince Harry says U.K. tabloid court battle is "not just about me" CBSNewsJanuary 21, 2026 at 10:21 AM 0 Pri...

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Prince Harry Called to Testify Earlier Than Expected After Schedule Change, Source Alleges ‘Game Playing and Dirty Tricks’

Prince Harry Called to Testify Earlier Than Expected After Schedule Change, Source Alleges 'Game Playing and Dirty Tricks' Erin Hill, Simon PerryJanuary 21, 2026 at 10:20 AM 0 Henry NICHOLLS / AFP via Getty Prince Harry arrives at High Court in London on Jan. 21, 2026 Prince Harry was called to testify earlier than expected after lawyers for the Daily Mail's publisher wrapped their opening arguments faster than anticipated A source close to the Duke alleges the sudden schedule change amounted to "game playing and dirty tricks," saying the publisher had months to alert the court to the shortene...

- - Prince Harry Called to Testify Earlier Than Expected After Schedule Change, Source Alleges 'Game Playing and Dirty Tricks'

Erin Hill, Simon PerryJanuary 21, 2026 at 10:20 AM

0

Henry NICHOLLS / AFP via Getty

Prince Harry arrives at High Court in London on Jan. 21, 2026 -

Prince Harry was called to testify earlier than expected after lawyers for the Daily Mail's publisher wrapped their opening arguments faster than anticipated

A source close to the Duke alleges the sudden schedule change amounted to "game playing and dirty tricks," saying the publisher had months to alert the court to the shortened opening

The nine-week High Court trial pits Harry and six other high-profile claimants against Associated Newspapers, which denies allegations of illegal information gathering

Prince Harry was called to give evidence earlier than expected in his High Court privacy case against the publisher of the Daily Mail, prompting allegations from a source close to the Duke of Sussex that the move amounted to "game playing and dirty tricks."

The Duke of Sussex had been scheduled to take the witness stand on Thursday, Jan. 22, but his appearance was brought forward after lawyers for Associated Newspapers concluded their opening submissions in just 75 minutes on Wednesday, Jan. 21.

A source close to Harry's claim tells PEOPLE that the publisher and its legal team had months to inform the court that their opening argument would take less than two hours.

"ANL, publishers of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday and MailOnline, and their legal team, have had months to inform the court that their opening argument would last less than two hours," the source says. "Instead, they have had to resort to game playing and dirty tricks — consistent with the way they have treated not just the Duke but all of the victims in this case."

James Veysey/Shutterstock

Prince Harry arrives at the Royal Courts of Justice to give evidence in a High Court Trial against Associated Newspapers on Jan. 21, 2026

The source adds that moving the schedule forward by 24 hours appeared designed to limit Harry's preparation time. "They think that by pulling the schedule forward 24 hours they are giving Prince Harry less time to prepare," the source says. "He's been preparing for this moment for the last three years. Safe to say, he's ready."

Harry is one of seven high-profile claimants — including Elton John, Elizabeth Hurley and Jude Law's ex-wife, Sadie Frost — who are suing Associated Newspapers, alleging the unlawful gathering of private information.

The publisher has strongly denied the allegations and is defending the claims, maintaining that its reporting was sourced legitimately.

In written submissions, Harry says the articles in question had a "profoundly distressing effect," leaving him "paranoid beyond belief," fostering distrust and suspicion, and isolating him from those around him. The filings also say the alleged reporting was "terrifying" for those close to him and placed a "massive strain" on his personal relationships.

James Veysey/Shutterstock

Prince Harry arrives at High Court in London on Jan. 21, 2026

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"I find it deeply troubling that Associated used phrases such as 'sources,' 'friends' and the like as a device to hide unlawful information gathering," Harry said in a statement included in the submission.

"This is the culmination of what has been years of litigation," a source previously told PEOPLE. "He sees this as an injustice that needs to be righted."

The nine-week trial is expected to cost an estimated $50 million. It marks a pivotal stage in Harry's final active lawsuit against the British media, following years of litigation over alleged tabloid practices.

on People

Original Article on Source

Source: "AOL Entertainment"

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Source: Entertainment

Published: January 21, 2026 at 05:45PM on Source: RED MAG

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Prince Harry Called to Testify Earlier Than Expected After Schedule Change, Source Alleges ‘Game Playing and Dirty Tricks’

Prince Harry Called to Testify Earlier Than Expected After Schedule Change, Source Alleges 'Game Playing and D...

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Meghan Trainor Explains Why She Used a Surrogate for Baby No. 3: 'It's Not Something to Whisper About or Judge' (Exclusive)

Meghan Trainor Explains Why She Used a Surrogate for Baby No. 3: 'It's Not Something to Whisper About or Judge' (Exclusive) Jeff NelsonJanuary 21, 2026 at 10:35 AM 0 Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty; Meghan Trainor/Instagram Meghan Trainor in August 2025; Trainor's baby daughter Mikey Moon Trainor in a Jan. 20 Instagram post Meghan Trainor and her husband Daryl Sabara welcomed their daughter, Mikey Moon, on Jan.

- - Meghan Trainor Explains Why She Used a Surrogate for Baby No. 3: 'It's Not Something to Whisper About or Judge' (Exclusive)

Jeff NelsonJanuary 21, 2026 at 10:35 AM

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Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty; Meghan Trainor/Instagram

Meghan Trainor in August 2025; Trainor's baby daughter Mikey Moon Trainor in a Jan. 20 Instagram post -

Meghan Trainor and her husband Daryl Sabara welcomed their daughter, Mikey Moon, on Jan. 18 via surrogate

The pair are also parents to sons Riley, 4, and Barry, 2

"I want people to know that surrogacy is just another beautiful way to build a family," Trainor tells PEOPLE

Meghan Trainor is opening up about her journey to welcoming baby No. 3.

The "Still Don't Care" singer, 32, and her husband Daryl Sabara, 33, welcomed their daughter Mikey Moon via surrogate on Sunday, Jan. 18.

"It wasn't our first choice, but we had endless conversations with our doctors on this journey, and this was the safest way for us to be able to continue growing our family," Trainor tells PEOPLE of deciding on surrogacy. "We are forever grateful for that option."

The pop star and Spy Kids actor Sabara — who married in 2018 — are also parents to their sons Riley, 4, and Barry, 2, both of whom she carried.

Meghan Trainor/Instagram

Meghan Trainor with daughter Mikey Moon and Meghan Trainor's children Riley, Barry and Mikey in a Jan. 20 Instagram post

"I want people to know that surrogacy is just another beautiful way to build a family. It's not something to whisper about or judge. It's rooted in trust, science, love, and teamwork," Trainor says. "Every family's journey looks different, and all of them are extremely valid."

And Trainor says that she had "an incredible" experience working with the surrogate they worked with, whom the family has not identified.

"Our surrogate is one of the most selfless, strong and loving people I've ever met. We felt so connected throughout the entire journey, and I'll always be grateful for the care and love she showed our daughter," Trainor adds. "She gave us the greatest gift of our lives. She graciously answered our many check-in texts to make sure she was doing okay."

The Grammy winner announced in a Jan. 20 Instagram post that she and Sabara had expanded their family.

"Our baby girl Mikey Moon Trainor has finally made it to the world thanks to our incredible, superwoman surrogate. We are forever grateful to all the doctors, nurses, teams who made this dream possible," Trainor captioned a carousel with photos of her new party of five. "We had endless conversations with our doctors in this journey and this was the safest way for us to be able to continue growing our family."

In her post, Trainor added: "We are over the moon in love with this precious girl. Riley and Barry have been so excited, they even got to choose her middle name. We are going to enjoy our family time now, love you all."

Meghan Trainor/Instagram

Meghan Trainor, Daryl Sabara and their daughter Mikey Moon in a Jan. 20 Instagram post

The "All About That Bass" singer — who wrote Dear Future Mama, a pregnancy and parenting book released in 2023 — has been candid about the struggles she faced during, and after, her first two pregnancies.

After Riley was born, he struggled with breathing issues and was in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for days before he was healthy enough to be discharged. Trainor later revealed to PEOPLE in 2023 that she suffered post-traumatic stress disorder following Riley's birth, when he was rushed to the NICU with Sabara while Trainor was left being treated on the surgical table.

Meghan Trainor/Instagram

Meghan Trainor and Daryl Sabara's children Barry and Mikey Moon in a Jan. 20 Instagram post

"Usually when you're being sewn up for 45 minutes, you're like, 'Look at my gorgeous baby. We did it. This is everything.' But I was laying there alone," Trainor told PEOPLE. "In the moment, I was so drugged up, I was calling my mom, and she's crying on the phone, like, 'Are you okay?' And I was like, 'We're fine.' And then when I tell people what happened, they're like, 'Jesus Christ,' and I'm like, 'Yeah, that was kind of messed up, right?' ... I had to learn how traumatic that was."

Trainor has also written about how she reached a "breaking point" and struggled with her mental and physical health after Barry's birth.

"I was alone with Barry and he would not stop crying and then I was crying. I was having a panic attack and I was just over-exhausted, but I felt like I was dying. I felt if I stood up, I would pass out. I didn't feel safe holding the baby and at the same time I felt like my body was giving up on me," she wrote in a January 2025 essay for Today.com.

Taylor Hill/FilmMagic

Daryl Sabara and Meghan trainor in December 2024 in N.Y.C.

In her essay, she continued, "Having a kid is the hardest thing. When I talk to other moms about it, I'm like, "Isn't this traumatic and crazy?" And we're expected to walk around like we're fine. That's why I want to share my own experience — to show other moms that they're not alone, and also to encourage them to ask for help and seek support. That means being honest about my own support system."

Despite the challenges, Trainor told PEOPLE in an interview for a 2025 feature that "my kids made me want to be the best version of me."

on People

Original Article on Source

Source: "AOL Entertainment"

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---

Source: Entertainment

Published: January 21, 2026 at 05:45PM on Source: RED MAG

#ShowBiz#Sports#Celebrities#Lifestyle

byRed Roads Media

in

8:01 AM

Meghan Trainor Explains Why She Used a Surrogate for Baby No. 3: 'It's Not Something to Whisper About or Judge' (Exclusive)

Meghan Trainor Explains Why She Used a Surrogate for Baby No. 3: 'It's Not Something to Whisper About or Judg...

Read More