He’s on the edge! Moment a fight breaks out at Brazil’s famous ‘cliff-hanging’ selfie spot after one man’s photo gets spoiled

• The unnamed pair fought at the top of Pedra do Telegrafo, in Rio De Janeiro
• One man pushed the other after he accidentally got in the way of his photoshoot

By Perkin Amalaraj

Published: 04:16 EDT, 22 September 2023 | Updated: 09:46 EDT, 22 September 2023

Russell Brand breaks silence: Under-fire comedian faced ‘extraordinary and distressing week’ after rape and sexual assault allegations – as he begs fans to ‘support him’ and reveals when he will be returning to his show on Rumble

By Eirian Jane Prosser

Published: 17:03 EDT, 22 September 2023 | Updated: 17:22 EDT, 22 September 2023

Kirsty Gallacher breaks her silence as she posts on social media for the first time since brother-in-law Russell Brand was accused of rape, sexual assault and predatory behaviour

By Jason Chester for MailOnline

Published: 08:33 EDT, 20 September 2023 | Updated: 09:00 EDT, 20 September 2023

Bernard Tomic breaks his silence to make shocking revelation about video of him being brutally beaten by two thugs outside a Gold Coast tattoo parlour

• Disturbing footage shows tennis star being assaulted by two men 
• Tomic defends himself against barrage of kicks and punches 
• Star has spoken out about the video for the first time 

By Shayne Bugden For Daily Mail Australia

Published: 19:25 EDT, 9 September 2023 | Updated: 20:51 EDT, 9 September 2023

Man, 27, breaks his neck and will likely be left quadriplegic after diving into foam pit at new Spanish leisure centre

• Tests show that the 27-year-old from Blimea has a complete spinal cord injury

By James Callery

Updated: 18:40 EDT, 2 September 2023

Kevin Costner has broken his silence on his divorce from Christine Baumgartner and revealed he still has love for his ex – amid their contentious child support battle.

Speaking outside court in Santa Barbara after his latest divorce hearing on Friday, Costner, 68, told Access: ‘This is a horrible place to be but this is where we’re at. It feels so bad, we’re talking about somebody I love on the other side. I just can’t.’

He said he ‘still has love’ for Christine and that he thinks ‘everybody’ hopes things are resolved quickly. 

Costner took the stand in his divorce hearing on Friday, chuckling at times and becoming engaged in an angry war of words with his ex-wife’s lawyer in others.

In a shocking moment during his testimony today, Costner said he will ‘probably go to court’ over smash hit series Yellowstone. 

The veteran actor made the explosive revelation during testimony over his income which is part of his divorce battle with estranged wife Christine Baumgartner. 

Asked if the single property compared to his five lot compound, the veteran actor said: ‘I only live in one of the properties so I believe they’re comparable. I don’t think they’re equal.’

When attorney John Rydell asked if he would swap homes with his ex, Costner, wearing a pair of black framed glasses, burst out laughing and quipped: ‘This is tricky!’

He went on: ‘No, I would not but not because I don’t think that home is comparable.

‘I have raised three children in my home, their hands are in the stone. I think most people would understand that.’

Smiling, he added: ‘There are some features [of Baumgartner’s new house] I’d like to have in mine.’

Costner’s testimony followed a morning dominated by wrangling over figures and whether or not the actor’s tax liabilities had been taken into account.

At one point, the actor was seen nodding in agreement when his attorney Susan Wiesner got forensic accountant Jill Bombino to accept his tax payments had not been deducted from her figures.

Rydell claimed that was because Costner failed to turn his tax returns over to his wife’s team.

Her team say his fees from the Paramount show should be included as part of his total income, while his team say they should not – describing it as past and not future income.

Costner cut a laconic figure on the stand, frequently making quips and drawing chuckles from onlookers but turned serious when the discussion turned towards the revenues he has made from Yellowstone.

Having been shown a breakdown of his fees from the shows, he said: ‘I was concerned about the first three years. I thought I made $5m.’

Told he made more, he deadpanned: ‘Oh good. I thought we were going to have to launch a treasure hunt to find it.’

Costner told court he had originally agreed to make seasons five, six and seven of the Western series and had negotiated a fee of $12m for each.

But season five was bifurcated into season 5A and 5B – each with eight episodes. He told court, he had rearranged his schedule to shoot 5B – even moving filming of his movie Horizon to accommodate it for which he charged a ‘$10m push fee’ that was plowed into the movie budget.

But by the time he was ready to film last fall, work on scripts for 5B hadn’t been completed leaving him with a gap in his schedule.

Costner says negotiations over season six continued in February and again in May over money and ‘creative differences’ but he says Paramount eventually walked away after he asked for $12m to film that season.

He said: ‘It’s a little disappointing that the No.1 show on television is not producing. I’ll probably go to court over it. I’m disappointed in the production.’

Talk also turned to Costner’s four part series of films – Horizon – which he has funded to the tune of $20m and owns a third share in.

Horizon one and two are complete and Costner said he expects a fee of $12m for each one but has deferred that payment for now to avoid overstretching the film’s budget.

Challenged over why he didn’t just take the $24m fee he is owed, Costner said: ‘I would have liked to have it. I think anyone would but I did what I thought was right.’

Asked if he expects to make a profit on Horizon once it is released, he drawled: ‘Boy, I’d like it to roll.’

Costner will return to the stand later this afternoon as a witness for his own side but had to be told to come down by his attorney Laura Wasser who wanted to make a short opening statement.

In it, she accused Baumgartner of making ‘unreasonable’ financial demands and poured cold water on the notion that the Costner children care about ocean views and what happens at their father’s Aspen ranch when they are not there.

Wasser told court the Costner family ‘do not live like movie stars’, adding that the children do not wear designer clothes or drive expensive cars, and attend regular public schools.

She told court Costner no longer owns his own private jet and added: ‘But even in LA, I have never seen a child support request this high.’

Wasser and Costner say Baumgartner plans to live off the child support payments, despite having already received a $1.5m payout – an amount specified in the former couple’s prenuptial agreement in the event of a divorce.

She also described Baumgartner’s much maligned new home as ‘stunning’ and pointed out it has features such as a jacuzzi which Costner’s property does not have.

Concluding, Wasser described Baumgartner’s demands as ‘overreach’ and noted that there will be a trial in November over the prenuptial agreement and her request for spousal support.

Both Costner and Baumgartner arrived early for the second day, with Costner sneaking in through a side door a navy blue tailored suit. Baumgartner wore a black slacks and a white blouse.

Costner’s new role is due to his ongoing divorce battle with the pair fighting over child support payments – he wants to pay $60,000 per month while she is demanding $161,592.

On the opening day of the two-day hearing, the court heard how Costner rakes in $1,468,953 per month and lives in a sprawling beachfront property with five lots inside that is worth between $75m and $95m according to Baumgartner.

She is currently renting a luxury home for $40,000-a-month but says it isn’t good enough for their family and wants to trade up to a $150,000-a-month home close to her old one if she can get her child support payments bumped up.

During her testimony, Baumgartner described the family’s lavish lifestyle – including Christmas parties that saw the pair ship 40 tons of snow to sunny Santa Barbara and Aspen vacations at Costner’s 160,000-acre ranch.

But things turned edgy when the subject of Josh Connor – a family friend who she traveled to Hawaii with last month – was raised.

Costner has accused her of being in a relationship with recently divorced Connor. As a result, Baumgartner was forced to deny the pair were an item on the stand and was made to attempt to explain two envelopes of cash he gave her – each containing $10,000.

One was handed to her mother who, until the separation, had been enjoying monthly payments of $5,000-a-month towards her mortgage.

Baumgartner says she kept the other at home and eventually returned it to Connor ‘because I don’t need the money right now.’

She told the court he had dropped the envelopes in her purse after she had confided in him that she was worried about her finances due to the ongoing divorce battle.

The mom-of-three also had to admit she had borrowed $80,000 from her brother to pay the first installment of the rent on her new home but blamed that on Costner who, she said, had previously deducted cash from her current child support payments.

She said she had since reimbursed her brother for the money but squirmed when asked by Susan Wiesner – one of Costner’s attorneys – whether she plans to get a job or is in fact planning to pay her bills using the child support she is awarded.

The 49-year-old also became sharp when Wiesner pointed out she bought her parents a $50,000 BMW SUV each at the end of 2022 and beginning of 2023 and had acquired a membership at the Montecito Country Club for herself and her family around the same time.

Membership fees at the luxury golf club start at $100,000 but can cost as much as $275,000 for the top tier.

Prior to that, Baumgartner also spent a long time explaining why her new residence doesn’t offer her children a ‘comparable’ lifestyle to the one they have with their father.

Adjusting a pair of white-framed glasses and speaking confidently, she talked the court through a series of photos of Costner’s Carpinteria property – among them pictures showing the bleached wood deck, an infinity pool overlooking the ocean, a chicken coop and two guest homes. 

Interior shots showed decor designed to chime with what she described as ‘California living’ with colorful striped rugs, tan leather couches and a huge marble table with dark wooden chairs overlooking the ocean. 

Baumgartner, who introduced herself to the court as ‘Costner’, also told of the family’s sporty lifestyle which includes regular surfing, fishing, scuba diving and volleyball. 

That includes a boat owned by their son Cayden, 16, and a dedicated room set aside to hold the family’s large collection of surfboards, wetsuits and paddle boards. 

The Carpinteria property consists of five separate lots, one of which is a former neighbor’s residence purchased in 2016 and now used as a guesthouse, as well as a site for ‘sitting by the fire and roasting marshmallows’ and holding family celebrations. 

In his opening statement, Baumgartner’s lawyer John Rydell referenced the eye watering sums involved – telling court Costner rakes in more than $1.4m per month. 

During his deposition two weeks ago, the Dances with Wolves star put his monthly living expenses at $240,000 but wants to pay his ex no more than $60,000 per month. 

Rydell also spoke of the family’s lavish lifestyle when in Aspen, Colorado – describing how the ranch has sledding trails that light up at night and have music piped through the trees, as well as multiple canoes and fishing lakes. 

According to Rydell, the property is currently being rented out for an eye-watering $50,000 per day.

• Tourists watched in awe as an iceberg flipped over in Svalbard, Norway
• Iceberg flipping is a rare phenomenon that takes place as a glacier breaks apart

By Lauren Haughey and Dimple Mistry For Mailonline

Published: 04:14 EDT, 20 August 2023 | Updated: 05:31 EDT, 20 August 2023

Joe Biden on Tuesday appeared to forget the name Maui, referring to the island in a speech in Milwaukee as ‘the one where you see on television all the time.’

As the death toll rose to 106, and as rescuers continued to comb the rubble in Lahaina, Hawaii, the president told the crowd that there were still fires on the Big Island – also known as Hawaii.

He pointed out the fires were blazing on the Big Island, not Maui, but appeared to struggle to name Maui.

‘The Army helicopters helped fire suppression efforts on the Big Island because there’s still some burning on the Big Island — not the one that, not the one where you see on television all the time,’ he said.

Biden, who was quick to approve a Federal Emergency, but who has been criticized by Republicans for not yet traveling to the devastated island, said he and his wife intended to visit soon.

‘My wife Jill and I are going to travel to Hawaii as soon as we can,’ he said.

‘That’s what I’ve been talking to the governor about.

‘I don’t want to get in the way. I’ve been to too many disaster areas. But I want to go make sure we got everything they need. Want to be sure we don’t disrupt the ongoing recovery efforts.’

On Sunday, he added to anger by replying ‘no comment’ when asked, after spending two hours at the beach in Delaware, for his reaction to the tragedy.

Kaniela Ing, a Democratic former member of Hawaii’s state legislature, said he was not satisfied by the Biden administration’s response.

‘I campaigned for you,’ he said. ‘Now, when I lose dozens of my friends, family, and neighbors – this?’

More than 3,000 people have registered for federal assistance, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and that number was expected to grow.

FEMA was providing $700 to displaced residents to cover the cost of food, water, first aid and medical supplies, in addition to qualifying coverage for the loss of homes and personal property.

The Biden administration was also seeking $12 billion more for the government’s disaster relief fund, as part of its supplemental funding request to Congress.

The grim task of locating and identifying victims of the worst wildfire in the United States in 100 years was continuing on Tuesday.

While the area has been closed to the public, the state announced plans to reopen the Lahaina Bypass Road on Tuesday to locals. It will be open the entire public on Wednesday. 

Maui County officials said on Tuesday morning that they had combed only a third – about 32 percent of the search area, a week after the blazes near the destroyed town of Lahaina broke out.

John Pelletier, the Maui police chief, said in a Monday news conference that he hopes searchers will have covered 85 to 90 percent by the weekend.

On Tuesday, a mobile morgue unit finally arrived to help Hawaii officials working painstakingly to identify the 106 people confirmed killed.

The site was pictured being prepared by FBI agents on Sunday, but by Tuesday it was expected to be operational.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has deployed a team of coroners, pathologists and technicians along with exam tables, X-ray units and other equipment to identify victims and process remains, said Jonathan Greene, the agency’s deputy assistant secretary for response.

‘It’s going to be a very, very difficult mission,’ Greene said.

‘And patience will be incredibly important because of the number of victims.’

Just three bodies have been identified, and officials expected to start releasing names on Tuesday, Pelletier said.

He urged others who have missing relatives to submit DNA samples.

So far 41 samples have been submitted, the county statement said, and 13 DNA profiles have been obtained from remains.

Josh Green, the governor of Hawaii, said on Tuesday that children were among the missing.

‘Tragically, yes,’ he told Hawaii News Now. ‘When the bodies are smaller, we know it’s a child.’

He described some of the sites being searched as ‘too much to share or see from just a human perspective.’

Another complicating factor, Green said, is that storms with rain and high winds were forecast for the weekend.

Officials are mulling whether to ‘preemptively power down or not for a short period of time, because right now all of the infrastructure is weaker.’

A week after the fires started, some residents remained with intermittent power, unreliable cellphone service and uncertainty over where to get assistance.

Some people walked periodically to a seawall, where phone connections were strongest, to make calls.

Flying low off the coast, a single-prop airplane used a loudspeaker to blare information about where to get water and supplies.

The local power utility has already faced criticism for not shutting off power as strong winds buffeted a parched area under high risk for fire.

The official cause of the fire has not been confirmed, and it is not clear whether the utility’s equipment played any role in igniting the flames.

Shelee Kimura, the president of Hawaiian Electric, said many factors go into a decision to cut power, including the impact on people who rely on specialized medical equipment and concerns that a shutoff in the fire area would have knocked out water pumps.

Green has said the flames raced as fast as a mile every minute in one area, fueled by dry grass and propelled by strong winds from a passing hurricane .

The blaze that swept into centuries-old Lahaina last week destroyed nearly every building in the town of 13,000.

The Lahaina fire caused about $3.2 billion in insured property losses, according to calculations by Karen Clark & Company, a prominent disaster and risk modeling company.

The firm said more than 2,200 buildings were damaged or destroyed by flames, with about 3,000 damaged by fire or smoke or both.

Even where the flames have retreated, authorities have warned that toxic byproducts may remain, including in drinking water, after the flames spewed poisonous fumes.

That has left many unable to return home.

The Red Cross said 575 evacuees were spread across five shelters as of Monday.

Green said thousands of people will need housing for at least 36 weeks.

He said on Tuesday that some 450 hotel rooms and 1,000 Airbnb rentals were being made available.

Ariana Grande and Dalton Gomez are headed for divorce and have been reportedly separated since January 2023 – after two years of marriage.

A spokesperson confirmed the news to DailyMail.com on Monday.

Ariana, 30, and Dalton, 27, had a whirlwind romance during the 2020 Covid-19 lockdown, getting engaged that same year and tying the knot in 2021.

Ariana oftentimes shared cuddled up snaps of the two of them to her Instagram, professing her love to her realtor husband.

The star has been busy filming Wicked in London – making time for Wimbledon on Sunday – where the star was seen ring-less in the crowd, sparking rumors of a rocky patch.

‘Ariana and Dalton have nothing but respect for one another. They’re still friends and want to remain that way moving forward. There was no cheating, no resentment between them, the marriage just simply didn’t work out. These things happen,’ a source close to the couple told DailyMail.com.

As Ariana and Dalton go their separate ways after two years of marriage – Dailymail.com looks back at their whirlwind romance….

FEBRUARY 2020 – FIRST PUBLIC SIGHTING ONE MONTH AFTER THEY STARTED DATING

Ariana and Dalton were first seen kissing at Bar Louie in Northridge, California, TMZ reported at the time.

His identity was unknown.

They were seen in a booth at the bar sharing a number of kisses during the 1 am visit.

The duo were with pals, and sat at the bar booth for only thirty minutes.

MARCH 2020 – HIS IDENTITY IS REVEALED

In late March 2020, his identity was revealed by TMZ.

Dalton is a high-end realtor working for real estate group Aaron Kirkman in Los Angeles.

Details of their relationship surfaced – with the start of their relationship beginning in January 2020, per People, as they confirmed their romance began two months ago, via their insiders.

The pair first met when Grande was looking for another home through his luxury real estate firm and her team happened to enlist his help in particular.

‘Ariana was looking for a home outside of Los Angeles to be her getaway house, and her team found Dalton to help,’ a source told Us Weekly.

‘When she saw him, she immediately thought he was cute and very good-looking, and she asked her team to set up an in-person meeting with him. Ariana fell very hard for Dalton shortly after they met.’

During the Covid-19 lockdown, Ariana and Dalton quarantined together at her home in LA.

‘Ariana is stay at home with friends. She is serious about self-distancing and has been with the same group of people for days. One of the people she is with right now is Dalton- they have been hanging out for a couple of months. Ariana doesn’t want to do another public relationship, so she is tryin to keep this one quiet, but she seems very happy with Dalton,’ People’s source said.

MAY 2020 – DALTON APPEARS IN HER MUSIC VIDEO WITH JUSTIN BIEBER FOR STUCK WITH U

Ariana and Dalton appeared briefly in the music video for her duet with Justin Bieber – called Stuck With U.

The music video featured Justin and Hailey Bieber, as well as fans and other celebrities – like Gwyneth Paltrow and Brad Falchuk, Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis, Stephen and Ayesha Curry – plus sisters Kendall and Kylie Jenner..

They were seen dancing, hugging and also practicing social distancing in the video.

Ariana appeared with Dalton in the video, as they danced and smiled at each other.

JUNE 2020 – ARIANA GOES INSTAGRAM OFFICIAL WITH DALTON AHEAD OF HER 27TH BIRTHDAY

Ariana cuddled up with her boyfriend Dalton Gomez in a cute photo shared late Thursday night ahead of her 27th birthday – going Instagram official in the process.

The pop singer also included a hodgepodge of photos and videos from her quarantine at her Beverly Hills home.

She captioned the photos, ‘almost 27,’ and had comments turned off, preventing anyone from send her birthday wishes.

Ariana’s photo with Dalton featured the high-end real estate agent wrapping his arm around the singer, who had her hand partially obscuring her face.

Dalton shared a photo on his Instagram of him and Ariana about to kiss – in honor of her birthday.

‘happy birthday to the best person in this world,’ he captioned a photo of the two leaning in for a cute kiss.

AUGUST 2020 – ARIANA CELEBRATES DALTON’S BEITHDAY WITH SWEET TRIBUTE ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Ariana kicked her relationship with Dalton up a notch as she helped him celebrate his birthday.

The pop star shared a bevy of sweet photos and videos featuring the two that showed how inseparable they are.

Ariana began with an underlit video of her with Dalton wrapping his arms around her from behind.

The couple swayed to the strains of L-O-V-E while the young real estate agent leaned in for a sweet kiss on the cheek as she flashed an angelic smile.

‘hbd to my baby my best friend my fav part of all the days,’ she wrote in the caption, adding, ‘i love u’ and a smiley face.

DECEMBER 20, 2020 – ARIANA AND DALTON ANNOUNCE ENGAGEMENT

Ariana announced that she is engaged to Dalton Gomez.

The pop star shared a photo of a stunning diamond ring on her left finger as she wrote, ‘forever n then some,’ along with some loved-up snaps.

The engagement comes just after nearly a year of dating her real estate beau.

The asymmetrical oval shaped diamond featured a pearl next to it on a simple platinum band. In 2014 Grande tweeted about a pearl ring that had sentimental value relative to her grandpa, which led her fans to believe the pearl on her current ring may have been repurposed, though it is unconfirmed.

‘Nonna had a ring made for me w/ the pearl from grandpa’s tie pin. she says he told her in a dream it’d protect me <3'.

A source from Grande’s camp told People, ‘They couldn’t be happier, they’re just so excited. This is a happy time for them, both sets of parents are thrilled.’

Grande has not been shy on social media about her love for her now fiance as she has called him her ‘best friend,’ and ‘favorite part of all the days.’

MAY 2021 – ARIANA AND DALTON GET MARRIED IN INTIMATE CEREMONY AT HER MONTECITO HOME

Ariana secretly married her fiancé Dalton Gomez.

The 27-year-old singer is said to have tied the knot with the real estate agent, 25, over the weekend at her $6.75m home in Montecito, California.

A representative for the singer confirmed to PEOPLE on Monday night: ‘They got married. It was tiny and intimate – less than 20 people. The room was so happy and full of love. The couple and both families couldn’t be happier.’

Despite the scaled-down celebrations, Ariana and Dalton – a real estate agent – are said to have exchanged the traditional ‘I dos’, TMZ also reports.

A source close to the Grammy winner confirmed to the outlet that the secret ceremony took place at her California home where her neighbours include the likes of Oprah Winfrey, Ellen DeGeneres, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

Ariana is said to have bought Ellen’s former home, a unique 5,500-square-foot Tudor-style mansion which she paid $6.75 million for last August.

Ariana is said to have bought Ellen’s former home, a unique 5,500-square-foot Tudor-style mansion which she paid $6.75 million for last August.

JULY 2021 – NEWLYWEDS ENJOY HONEYMOON TO AMSTERDAM

Ariana gave her more than 250 million Instagram followers a first look at her honeymoon with Dalton in Amsterdam.

The newlyweds looked happy in love as they went sightseeing in Netherlands’ capital, which is famous for its canals, artistic heritage and beautiful houses.

In addition to posting a few scenic shots around the city, she shared a snap of herself gazing at Dalton as they sat in a pair of giant wooden shoes.

NOVEMBER 2021 – LOVEBIRDS ENJOY THANKSGIVING WITH HER FAMILY

They celebrated Thanksgiving with her family and her co-stars from The Voice.

The singer shared a string of snaps and videos from the festivities including one of her and Dalton with their pet dog Toulouse.

Ariana shyly hid her face in the pooch’s fur as Dalton laughed, her hair pulled up in its signature ponytail with a sweet ribbon tied in a bow.

AUGUST 7, 2022 – ARIANA SHUTS DOWN SPLIT RUMORS AFTER SHE DOESN’T WEAR HER RING

In August 2022, Ariana shared a makeup tutorial and wasn’t wearing her ring – she shut down any rumors by revealing that her ring was getting cleaned.

‘I’m not wearing my wedding ring, it’s getting cleaned. I’m not getting a divorce before you start, don’t,’ she said at the time.

FEBRUARY 2023 – DALTON SHARES SWEET VALENTINE’S DAY POST

Dalton posted an Instagram story on Valentine’s Day 2023 of them cuddling together – which she re-posted on her stories.

He had captioned the image ‘My forever valentine,’ and she re-posted it with her own comment – ‘I love you’ and a heart.

MAY 15, 2023 – ARIANA GUSHES ABOUT DALTON AS SHE CELEBRATES TWO YEAR WEDDING ANNIVERSARY

In May 2023, Ariana celebrated her two-year wedding anniversary on Instagram – with a photo from her wedding day.

The photo, shared on her Instagram stories two months ago, feature Ariana and Dalton kissing on their wedding day.

She captioned the photo ‘2’ to signify two years of marriage, adding a heart and ‘3.5 years together.’

She also added: ‘I love him so.’

JULY 17, 2023 – ARIANA AND DALTON SPLIT – AND HEADED FOR DIVORCE

Ariana and husband Dalton have split, and have been separated since January 2023.

The couple are heading for divorce, the insider said as it emerged Ariana had deleted all of the romantic photos of her May 2021 wedding from Instagram.

A spokesperson for Ariana confirmed the news to DailyMail.com.

Ariana, 30, was seen ring-less at Wimbledon over the weekend; she has not been seen wearing her ring for some time now.

Their insider claimed that the couple tried to reconcile two months ago but it ‘failed.’ It was also claimed Gomez had flown to London in January in a last ditch effort to save the pair’s marriage – visiting his wife on the set of Wicked but it ‘didn’t work out’, reports PageSix. The pair were seen having crepes together in the UK capital.

‘Ariana and Dalton have been having some issues for months now,’ Us Weekly’s source said on Monday.

In mid-May 2021, Ariana and Dalton, a 27-year-old luxury realtor, tied the knot at her $6.75 million Montecito home.

Ariana has been busy filming the musical Wicked across the UK since December 2022.

The source reported that the Ariana and Dalton had been having ‘problem’s before she began filming.

The actress and the realtor still ‘talk’ on the phone regularly and ‘remain friends.’

The Us Weekly insider ‘were having issues before she left for Wicked filming [in London] that they couldn’t resolve, and the distance did not help. They haven’t been speaking and are speaking, and a divorce is likely.’

Another insider from the outlet noted that their marriage was ‘thriving’ until earlier this year: ‘Things had been going really well for Ariana and Dalton since they got married. But unfortunately, they hit a rough patch a few months ago and haven’t been able to recover.’

Page Six also reported their ‘split,’ with their source revealing: ‘They came to the decision together. They came to the decision together. They were having problems before January, but they want to remain best friends.’

He tried to ‘save’ their marriage with a trip to visit her on the set of Wicked but the source said ‘it didn’t work out.’

‘They’ve been really good friends throughout the entire process and their friends and families have been trying to protect them,’ the source said.

Lizzo has dismissed the sexual harassment lawsuit filed against her as ‘unbelievable’ and ‘outrageous’ as she broke her silence on the claims.

The Good As Hell hitmaker, 35, is being sued by three of her former backing dancers for alleged sexual harassment, creating a hostile work environment and discrimination and on Thursday, she took to Instagram to break her silence. 

Lizzo insisted the claims are untrue and insisted her accusers had previously been warned about their own ‘inappropriate and unprofessional’ conduct.

She also finally addressed THOSE banana sex act allegations which claimed the singer invited cast members to eat bananas from nude performers’ vaginas while in Amsterdam.

Lizzo wrote in a statement: ‘These last few days have been gut wrenchingly difficult and overwhelmingly disappointing. 

‘My work ethic, morals and respectfulness have been questioned. My character has been criticized. Usually I choose not to respond to false allegations but these are as unbelievable as they sound and too outrageous to not be addressed. 

‘These sensationalized stories are coming from former employees who have already publicly admitted that they were told their behavior on tour was inappropriate and unprofessional.

‘As an artist I have always been very passionate about what I do. I take my music and my performances seriously because at the end of the day I only want to put out the best art that represents me and my fans.

‘With passion comes hard work and high standards. Sometimes I have to make hard decisions but it’s never my intention to make anyone feel uncomfortable or like they aren’t valued as an important part of the team.

‘l am not here to be looked at as a victim, but I also know that I am not the villain that people and the media have portrayed me to be these last few days. 

‘I am very open with my sexuality and expressing myself but I cannot accept or allow people to use that openness to make me out to be something I am not. 

‘There is nothing I take more seriously than the respect we deserve as women in the world. I know what it feels like to be body shamed on a daily basis and would absolutely never criticize or terminate an employee because of their weight.

‘I’m hurt but I will not let the good work I’ve done in the world be overshadowed by this. I want to thank everyone who has reached out in support to lift me up during this difficult time.’

Plaintiffs Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams and Noelle Rodriguez have accused Grammy-winning winner – as well as the Big Grrrl Big Touring and dance team captain Shirlene Quigley – of creating a ‘sexually charged and uncomfortable’ work environment in their lawsuit 

The trio claim while on a concert trip with the Grammy Award-winning artist to Amsterdam in February 2023, Lizzo invited them for a night out on the town that ended in the city’s Red Light District.

They said in their filing: ‘Things quickly got out of hand. Lizzo began inviting cast members to take turns touching the nude performers, catching dildos launched from the performers’ vaginas, and eating bananas protruding from the performers’ vaginas.’

The dancers added Lizzo allegedly ‘pressured’ and ‘goaded’ Arianna into touching one of the nude performer’s breasts.

She refused multiple times, while the popstar allegedly chanted louder and louder to encourage her to do the act, the lawsuit claimed. She eventually did touch the performer.

In another instance, the plaintiffs claim Lizzo invited the dancers to a club in Paris – but failed to mention that it was a nude cabaret bar. This ‘shocked’ the dancers, who said Lizzo ‘robbed them of the choice not to participate,’ the suit said.

Lizzo also allegedly made a claim the dancers were drinking before performances, which Williams then spoke out about. The popstar allegedly made the group go through an ‘excruciating’ 12-hour rehearsal.

Arianna, meanwhile, soiled her pants during the intense rehearsal because she was so fearful she’d lose her job, the documents state. She was then handed a see-through outfit with no undergarments to finish the performance, the suit said.

Rodriguez complained to a manager about the decision to publicly fire Williams, after Lizzo had told the group she had ‘eyes and ears everywhere.’ 

Davis recorded the meeting on April 27, because she claimed she suffers from an eye condition that leaves her disoriented.

But as a result, Lizzo held a meeting and had security confiscate dancers’ phones, the lawsuit claimed.

When Davis tried to tell Lizzo and Quigley she meant no harm recording the meeting, they berated her and Lizzo fired her on the spot, the suit read.

Rodriguez then expressed how she felt disrespected and threatened to resign – to which Lizzo said she was ‘lucky.’

When Rodriguez did indeed quit, Lizzo showed her two middle fingers and yelled a slur at her, the lawsuit claimed.

Since the lawsuit, Lizzo has lost over 120,000 followers on Instagram.

Casino comparison site KingCasinoBonus analysed data on Lizzo’s social channels via Social Blade, revealing a loss of 123,489 followers on Instagram since the news broke. 

In just one day, the singer’s follower count fell by a huge 88,885. While on Twitter/X, Lizzo has lost over 14,000 followers since the lawsuit was filed in California on August 1. 

Ron Zambrano, the plaintiffs’ attorney, said in a statement: ‘The stunning nature of how Lizzo and her management team treated their performers seems to go against everything Lizzo stands for publicly, while privately she weight-shames her dancers and demeans them in ways that are not only illegal but absolutely demoralizing.’

Hours after the lawsuit news was made public, Lizzo’s her former creative director Quinn Whitney Wilson and dancer Courtney Hollinquest claimed they experienced similar mistreatment.

Courtney said on her Instagram on Tuesday: ‘For clarification, I’m not a part of the lawsuit – but this was very much my experience in my time there.

‘Big shoutout to the dancers who had the courage to bring this to light.’

Quinn shared a screenshot online of Courtney’s statement to her own social media page, saying she was ‘echoing’ everything that was already said.

She added: ‘I haven’t been a part of that world for around three years, for a reason.

‘I very much applaud the dancers courage to bring this to light. and I grieve parts of my own experience.’

‘I’d appreciate space to understand my feelings.’

A 2019 interview in which Lizzo made pointed remarks involving her interest in seeing bananas incorporated into sex acts has also resurfaced following news of the lawsuit.

The Grammy Award-winning performer in 2019 spoke with 3FM Gemist Frank van der Lende about the racy ongoings she’d observed while visiting Amsterdam’s Red Light District on past tours.

The songstress, whose real name is Melissa Viviane Jefferson, said that one show consisted of ‘people f***ing’ in front of an audience, which she described as both ‘crazy’ and ‘beautiful.’

The Detroit native added in the chat, ‘I’m trying to go to the show where you eat the banana out the p***** – which one is that?’ to which van der Lende told her it was the Bananenbar.

The Truth Hurts artist said, ‘Oh, that’s the Bananenbar? And they have the banana in the coochie and you have to’ bite on it.

She added, ‘I need my potassium if you know what I’m saying – my p***-tassium.’

Lizzo’s rise to prominence 

Born Melissa Jefferson, Lizzo is best known as a US singer and rapper, who kickstarted her career with her hits Juice and Good As Hell in 2019.

Her music career first took off while she was living in Minneapolis, and she received huge support from legendary artist Prince.

During her rise to stardom, Lizzo performed with many different groups and duos, forming an electro soul-pop duo called Lizzo and the Larva Inks, as well as an all-female rap and R&B group, The Chalice. 

Her father, Michael, passed away when she was 21, and following his death, Lizzo struggled with her mental mental health and lived in her car while pursuing music as a career. 

When her song Truth Hurts flopped in 2017, Lizzo admitted she came dangerously close to quitting music and sought therapy, telling The Times in 2020: ‘That was really scary.

‘But being vulnerable with someone I didn’t know, then learning how to be vulnerable with people that I do know, gave me the courage to be vulnerable as a vocalist.’

The tracks that made Lizzo a star were a far cry from her original career path as a classical flutist, though she regularly shows off her skills on-stage. 

Her first major label album Cuz I Love You, made it into the Billboard Top Ten, a featured the one-flopped track Truth Hurts, which received a huge resurgence despite originally being released in 2017.

Lizzo released her second mainstream album, Special, in 2022, which featured one of her most well-known tracks About Damn Time, which soared to number one on the US charts.

A body positivity advocate

Ever since her career began, Lizzo has been praised for advocating body positivity and confidence, no matter your size or shape. 

She’s never shied away from flaunting her curves in a slew of sexy and revealing looks, whether it be on-stage, the red carpet, or Instagram. 

But in a previous interview with Vogue, she revealed that she would prefer to be known for being ‘body-normative,’ rather than ‘body positive’.

She said: ‘I think it’s lazy for me to just say I’m body positive at this point…I would like to be body-normative. I want to normalize my body.’

The star also added that she’s ready to continue paving the way for ‘girls with back fat’ and ‘girls with bellies that hang’ saying, ‘I owe it to the people who started this to not just stop here.

‘We have to make people uncomfortable again, so that we can continue to change. Change is always uncomfortable, right?’

Lizzo is also no stranger to defending herself and the body positivity movement, appearing on The Zane Lowe Show in August 2021, saying: ‘People saying s**t about me that just doesn’t even make sense. It’s fat-phobic, and it’s racist, and it’s hurtful.

‘If you don’t like my music, cool. If you don’t like Rumors, the song, cool. But a lot of people don’t like me because of the way I look.’

She also said, ‘It’s like it doesn’t matter how much positive energy you put into the world, you’re still going to have people who have … something mean to say about you. 

‘And for the most part, it doesn’t hurt my feelings—I don’t care. I just think when I’m working this hard, my tolerance gets lower. My patience is lower. I’m more sensitive, and it gets to me.

‘I’m only going to focus on positive comments from here on out. I don’t have time for your negativity, your internalised self-hatred that you project onto me with your racism and fatphobia. I don’t have time for it. Anyways, I’m going to continue to be me. I’m going to continue to be a bad b*tch.’

Hitting back at fat-shamers

As an advocate for body positivity, Lizzo has been forced to hit back at trolls on multiple occasions, even threatening to quit music altogether after falling victim to fat-shaming critics.

In May 2023, she was left incensed after seeing a mean comment online from author Layah Heilpern which read: ‘How is Lizzo still THIS fat when she’s constantly moving this much on stage?! I wonder what she must be eating.’

Reposting the comment, Lizzo wrote: ‘JUST logged on and the app and this is the type of s**t I see about me on a daily basis It’s really starting to make me hate the world. 

‘Then someone in the comments said I eat ‘lots of fast food’ I LITERALLY STOPPED EATING FAST FOOD YEARS AGO… I’m tired of explaining myself all the time and I just wanna get on this app w/out seeing my name in some bulls**t.

The star added that she ‘hated’ Twitter and said ‘this is what my body looks like when I’m eating clean and working out.’

Lizzo has also called out ‘fake doctors’ who tried to diagnose people who were struggling with their weight on TikTok, and also shut down rumours she’d ‘killed someone’ by stage-diving at her concert.

When a nude image of her body resurfaced, an internet troll attempted to body-shame Lizzo via Twitter, but it quickly backfired as fans rallied round to support her.

A feminist icon

Along with promoting body positivity, Lizzo has been vocal about the double standards pegged on women in the industry, balking at the idea that she is ‘brave’ for embracing her figure.

When speaking to Glamour as part of the publication’s ‘F’ word series, Lizzo expressed frustration when people use the word ‘brave’ to describe the confidence she exudes. 

‘When people look at my body and be like, ‘Oh my God, she’s so brave,” it’s like, ‘No, I’m not,” Lizzo said. ‘I’m just fine. I’m just me. I’m just sexy.’

She then mentioned how a double standard can exist with other women in the industry depending on their body type.  

‘If you saw Anne Hathaway in a bikini on a billboard, you wouldn’t call her brave,’ Lizzo said. ‘I just think there’s a double standard when it comes to women.’

In an interview with Vanity Fair in 2022, Lizzo added that her wild and colourful stage outfits are also helping her make a statement.

She said: ‘I wanted to be like a dancer, and also it was kind of political and feminist in my eyes to have me, a full-figured dancer, wearing leotards, showing and celebrating curves and being Olympian in strength, endurance, and flexibility. ‘

Plaudits for her groundbreaking series…

In 2022, Lizzo was praised by viewers for her groundbreaking new Amazon reality series, Watch Out For The Big Grrls.

The series follows Lizzo as she tries to put together a team of backup dancers who look more like her than the usual stick-thin dancers other musicians hire.

‘I needed big girls more than I needed a television show,’ she said of her show, explaining that she had trouble finding dancers who matched her size.

‘I didn’t see me reflected in the dancers and then one day I said, ‘You know what motherf***er, if I gotta get a TV show to bring some awareness for this, then pull up my sleeves and let’s go,” she recounted at the SXSW festival earlier this month.

She also said that her series would distinguish itself from other reality shows by not forcing the contestants to resort to cruelty to get a leg up on the competition.

‘It was also important that I changed the narrative of what a reality competition television show looks like,’ Lizzo explained. ‘We don’t always have to be cruel, we can be kind. We don’t have to pit people against each other.’

She continued, ‘I feel like it’s hard enough in the dance world already for girls who look like me, so why would I create that environment in my space? If I had the power to change that, why not change that?’

The series earned widespread critical acclaim, and won Outstanding Directing for a Reality Programme at the Emmy Awards.

… but a lawsuit brings backstage claims to the surface

While on the outside, Lizzo’s series was praised for its body positive image, over a year later, perceptions have changed.

In August 2023 it was revealed that she is being sued by three of her former backup dancers who accused her of sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment.

The plaintiffs – her former dancers – are named in the lawsuit as Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams, and Noelle Rodriguez. Williams and Davis both appeared on the recent Amazon Prime reality show ‘Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls’ – about the singer’s quest to find backup dancers. 

Hours after it came to light, Beyonce left out her name from the lyrics of her remixed version of Break My Soul.

The lyric mentioning Lizzo goes: ‘Betty Davis, Solange Knowles / [Erykah Badu], Lizzo, Kelly Rowl’ (You know you can do it).’

But in concert footage shared to Twitter, Beyonce purposely replaces Lizzo’s name with four repetitions of ‘Badu.’

Being branded a ‘narcissistic bully’ 

After coming forward with her own claims, director Sophia Nahli Allison has branded Lizzo a ‘narcissistic bully’ as she doubled down on the singer’s ‘toxic’ behaviour.

Allison, an Oscar-nominated filmmaker, shed more light about what she allegedly experienced while working with Lizzo on a documentary back in 2019. 

Alleging Lizzo’s brand was merely a ‘curated facade’, Allison shared her solidarity with those who endured ‘similar experiences’ working with the artist and her team. 

‘To be clear,’ she Allison posted on her stories. ‘Since I’ve spoken out, I’ve had others privately share their very similar experiences, and I have also been affirmed by people who witnessed what I went through.

‘Lizzo creates an extremely toxic and hostile working environment and undermines the work, labor, and authority of other black and brown womxn in the process. (Notice how the documentary ended up being directed by a cis white man.)

‘She is a narcissistic bully and has build her brand off of lies. I was excited to support and protect a Black woman through the documentary process but quickly learned her image and ‘message’ was a curated facade.

‘I stand with the dancers and anyone who has had similar experiences working with her and her team. These working conditions are not OK.’

Resurfaced lyrics raise eyebrows

Following the news of Lizzo’s lawsuit, resurfaced lyrics to her 2021 track Rumors have drawn more attention due to the song’s references to NDAs and ‘cutting some h**s loose.’

The song was a collaboration between the Truth Hurts performer and rapper Cardi B, which jumped onto the Billboard Top 10 chart at the time of its release.

Nearly 30 seconds into the track, Lizzo sings, ‘Had to cut some h**s loose, yeah/ NDA, no loose lips/ Now them h**s tryna sue me/ B***h I don’t give two s***s/ All the rumors are true, yeah.’