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James Van Der Beek/Instagram

NEED TO KNOW

• James Van Der Beek previously shared how his cancer treatment affected his role as a dad

• The actor wrote that he was sorry that "there have been spells" where he wasn't able to be the "father I would want to be for you"

• The actor, who was a dad of six, died on Wednesday, Feb. 11, following a journey with stage 3 colorectal cancer

James Van Der Beekpreviously shared how his cancer treatment affected his role as a dad.

TheDawson's Creekstar, who died at 48 on Wednesday, Feb. 11, following a journey with stage 3 colorectal cancer, touched on the impact when sharing a carousel of photos of son Jeremiahon Instagramas he celebrated his 4th birthday.

In his caption, Van Der Beek took a minute to celebrate Jeremiah, adding that he was sorry he couldn't be the "father I would want to be" amid his cancer treatment.

"I'm sorry there have been spells where I couldn't be the father I would want to be for you… where I was too weak to pick you up, throw you around, or even put you to bed," Van Der Beek wrote at one point in his lengthy caption. "But know that watching you reveal yourself to us has been one of the greatest joys of my life."

"I love you, bubba. And I always will. And all you ever have to do is be you. Happy birthday, my 'big little boy.' ❤️," the dad of six ended his post.

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Van Der Beek shares his six kids — Olivia, 15, Joshua, 13, Annabel, 12, Emilia, 9, Gwendolyn, 7, and Jeremiah, 4 — with wife Kimberly Van Der Beek.

The actor'swife announced his deathon Wednesday, sharing a statement on Instagram.

"Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed peacefully this morning. He met his final days with courage, faith, and grace," the post read. "There is much to share regarding his wishes, love for humanity and the sacredness of time. Those days will come. For now we ask for peaceful privacy as we grieve our loving husband, father, son, brother, and friend."

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Van Der Beek was diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer back in 2023. In December, the actor sat down with Craig Melvin to talk about how he was feeling at the time. The actor told Melvin that he "would not be aliveif it weren't for my wife."

"She just has stepped up as a caretaker, as a nurse, as head of the household," he said.

"And then my kids, as much as I want to shield them from seeing me in any kind of pain or stress, I wanted to be Superman, Super Dad. You realize that resilience is not only something that they have and can build, but it's the best thing for them."

Back in January, Van Der Beekshared his last Instagram post, which celebrated his daughter Annabel and his dad James' joint birthday.

"My father and my daughter share a birthday today. At first, I thought that was all they shared — they seemed so different to me," his caption, which accompanied a picture of himself hugging Annabel and one of Annabel cuddling her Grandfather, began.

"But as the two of you have evolved, and let more of who you are shine through, I can recognize the same open, warm, loving, gentle heart. I see the care and dedication you shower upon those you love most," he continued.

"In this crazy world, it's a wonder to me that you've managed to stay so open, so tender, and so genuinely good," he went on, "You are marvels… and I'm so insanely grateful to have you in my life."

Van Der Beek's post ended, "The world is a better place because the two of you are in it. Happy birthday, guys. I love you with all my heart ❤️."

Read the original article onPeople

On February 18, Prince William made a surprise appearance on BBC Radio 1's "Life Hacks."

The Gist

• As part of a panel discussion, the Prince of Wales discussed mental health and suicide, sharing rare insight into his own journey.

• The future king encouraged people to "learn to love yourself and understand yourself."

Even amid his kids' half-term break from school,Prince Williamtook the time to take part in a surprise interview—one that was vulnerable and focused on mental health.

On February 18, the Prince of Wales was an unexpected guest on BBC Radio 1's "Life Hacks," talking about his own mental health challenges and "tools" he uses to deal with them, perPeople. The future king encouraged people to "learn to love yourself and understand yourself" as he joined a panel discussion on male suicide.

"I take a long time trying to understand my emotions and why I feel like I do, and I feel like that's a really important process to do every now and again," William said on the show. "To check in with yourself and work out why you're feeling like you do." He added that "Sometimes there is an obvious explanation, sometimes there isn't. I think that idea that a mental health crisis is temporary—you can have a strong mental health crisis moment, but it will pass."

"Part of feeling comfortable talking about mental health is understanding it," he continued. "And if you've got guys who have really gone about trying to really learn about what feelings are, why we feel like we do, what can we do about it? That's part of the conversation, too."

The Prince of Wales said, "We need more male role models out there, kind of talking about it and normalizing it so that it becomes something that is second nature to all of us." He also spoke of having a mental health toolkit, telling the panel, "When we're born, and when we grow up, and through life, you're sort of, depending on circumstance, family, upbringing, whatever it might be, you have a certain toolbox next to you, but no one has all the tools in it."

"Not one person in this world has all the tools for every eventuality your mental state's going to come across," he said. "And I like to go around looking for new tools to put in my toolbox when I might need it. And if we look at it like that, it does normalize the idea that the brain just needs sometimes a little bit of help, but we can't expect to have all the answers ourselves, and it's okay to ask for support, ask a mate, reach out, and that becomes just the normalization process of what's going on inside your head."

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The Prince of Wales has long campaigned to end the stigma surrounding mental health, saying on "Life Hacks" that, historically, "We're not very good at talking about it," perThe Telegraph, and that it was a "national catastrophe" that mental health and suicide was not spoken about more.

William shared that, even as a royal, he was "not immune to bad days," but added, "I find that some of the places I go to, the people I meet are having a really tricky time. That helps me put my own life into perspective. But also, I carry with me their burden sometimes, and that's the bit I find very difficult sometimes. I feel other people's pain and that overwhelms me sometimes, and I have to deal with that."

Of his own kidsPrince George,Princess Charlotte, andPrince Louis,William jokedwhen asked if they talk openly about their feelings, "Yes, sometimes too much," adding, "I get all the details, which I love. It's amazing. Being able to understand it, have time with it, decipher it."

"You feel a sense you need to fix it for everyone, and that I find quite difficult," William continued. "I have to remind myself—you don't need to fix everything, but you do need to listen, and it's important to be okay with those feelings and those comments."

"So it's important we understand where we are now," he added. "We've got a long way to go in this journey, but it's really crucial to understand where we've come from."

Read the original article onInStyle

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NEED TO KNOW

• Chrissy Teigen is revealing which of her children is the singer of the family and has "great stage presence"

• While chatting with PEOPLE at the finale taping for Netflix's Star Search, the Lip Sync Battle co-host exclusively tells PEOPLE that her daughter Luna, 9, is the family's singer

• However, the mom of four says her daughter "steps back" whenever she and husband John Legend attempt to get her to take the craft more seriously

Chrissy Teigenis revealing which of her children is the singer of the family.

TheLip Sync Battleco-host, 40, recently chatted with PEOPLE at the finale tapping for Netflix'sStar Searchon Tuesday, Feb. 17, where she reveals that her daughter Luna, 9, whom she shares with husband John Legend, is the singer out of their four kids. Teigen shares that the tween even has a "great stage presence," but "steps back" when things get a "little too serious."

"I think Luna's our singer. She has such a great stage presence. She really loves her school plays," she says. "But when it gets a little too serious, like when we were like, 'Should we enroll her in a real theater school?' She's like, 'No.' She steps back. She wants to do it for fun and really truly enjoys it."

Chrissy Teigen/Instagram

Teigen also shares three other children,Wren, 2,Esti, 3, andMiles, 7, with the "All of Me" singer, 47. During the conversation, the doting mom also discussed each of her kids' individual talents.

"Miles wants to do break dancing. By the way, he's never done it. Not in any capacity, but he thinks he could do it," she says. "Wren is definitely a comedian. He is bananas."

As for Esti, Teigen admits she has no idea what she's going to be.

"Esti is such an old soul. I don't know what Este would be," Teigen tells PEOPLE. "She keeps me on my toes."

Elsewhere in the conversation, Teigen shared how her four children have taken her role as celebrity judge on the show and flipped it on her at home.

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Revealing how her kids are now judging things around the house — including her cooking — since she landed a role on the show, Teigen tells PEOPLE, "Esti, my 3-year-old, her favorite thing in the world, is just running around saying five stars to nothing. My older ones are more judgmental with it. They'll make jokes about my meals or something."

Her eldest children appear to be harsh critics, with the cookbook author admitting that she's "definitely [had] some four or fives. Mexican lasagna. I got a four."

"I haven't gotten any threes yet, which is good," she adds.

Chrissy Teigen/Instagram

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Though their children have become critics, Teigen says that she and Legend, who has been a talent show judge onThe Voicefor several seasons, has seen their brood show her more "respect."

"I think the best part about it is that we're a competition show household now, John and I," the TV personality and model tells PEOPLE. "I think it's given us just this look of power in the household. We know what we're talking about all the time. So our kids, I think they respect me more now."

Teigen's latest comments on her kids come after she shared anInstagram clipof her youngest children tuning in to watch her on the series — and having thecutest reaction.

After initially appearing slightly confused at seeing their mom on TV, Esti then clocked who it was and excitedly shouted, "That's momma! That's mommy!"

Read the original article onPeople

A group of skiers on the final stretch of a three‑day backcountry trip near Lake Tahoe was returning to the trailhead Tuesday morning when a wave of ice, rocks and debris came crashing down on them.

In the avalanche's wake, survivors were left scrambling to try and find the rest of their group — and to improvise shelter as they awaited rescue.

The disaster at Castle Peak set off a dangerous, hours-long rescue effort that was hampered by extreme weather conditions that were hammering the skiers: Heavy snow and strong winds from the winter storm roaring through the rugged Sierra Nevada mountains in northern California.

Emergency crews received reports of the avalanche around 11:30 a.m. and "highly skilled rescue ski teams" immediately began racing to the scene — 46 emergency first-responders in all, the sheriff said.

Eleven hours later, six survivors had been rescued with "various injuries," the sheriff's office said, noting two had to be transported to the hospital for treatment. Nine are still missing.

"The search is ongoing, pending weather conditions," the Nevada County Sheriff's Office said late Tuesday.

A race to reach the survivors

The area was under the second highest level, a 4 of 5, of avalanche threat Tuesday, which continued into the early hours of Wednesday.

Blackbird Mountain Guides, the company leading the trip, said the group included 12 clients and four guides who had been staying at the Frog Lake huts since Sunday.

The sheriff's office said a total of 15 people were on the trip, revising the number down. CNN has reached out to Blackbird Mountain guides for clarification.

"The leadership team at Blackbird Mountain Guides is working in full coordination with the Nevada County Sheriff's Office and Nevada County Search and Rescue to support the ongoing rescue operation," the company said in a statement. "Blackbird Mountain Guides is in direct contact with the emergency contacts of the affected clients and guides and is providing them with regular updates as verified information becomes available."

On itswebsite, the company advertises the ski trip to the Frog Lake Huts for those with an intermediate to advanced skill level.

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Skiers spend their days navigating the mountain off-trail through steep terrain with the aid of guides, before returning to the huts for dinner, the company says.

Following the first call for help Tuesday, dozens of first responders approached the scene from multiple directions: ski rescue teams from Boreal Mountain Ski Resort and Tahoe Donner's Alder Creek Adventure Center were dispatched, along with rescue crews from surrounding counties.

The rescuers approached the scene on skis and snowcats, with snowmobiles on standby, as they battled the harsh weather in the region, where snow was falling at a rate of 3 to 4 inches an hour Tuesday.

As the time ticked by, the survivors were told to "shelter in place as best they can in the conditions," the sheriff's office said.

The stranded skiers were communicating with rescuers through emergency beacons – including some with the ability to send text messages, Captain Russell Greene of the Nevada County Sheriff's Office toldCNN affiliate KCRA.

The group crafted a makeshift shelter from a tarp, "doing everything they can to survive," Greene said.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom's officesaidhe had been briefed on the developing situation and the state was coordinating an "all‑hands search‑and‑rescue effort with local partners and deploying resources to support the active response."

The snow slowed overnight, potentially helping rescue conditions, but on-and-off snow showers are expected through Wednesday as authorities brace for another coming storm Thursday that is expected to bring snow to the region.

This story has been updated with additional information.

CNN's Diego Mendoza, Karina Tsui, Danya Gainor, Briana Waxman and Brad Parks contributed to this report.

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TheHouse Oversight Committeeis hearing from a billionaire on Wednesday who was named one of Jeffrey Epstein's co-conspirators by a 2019 FBI document.

Les Wexner is the latest person to be deposed in the House's investigation into the federal government's handling of Epstein's case.

Unlike most previous depositions, however, committee staff and potentially some lawmakers are traveling to Ohio on Wednesday morning to depose Wexner in his home state.

A spokesperson for Wexner declined to comment on the deposition and on whether he would invoke his Fifth Amendment right to avoid answering questions.

Bill Clinton Comes Out Swinging Against Comer For Rejecting Public Epstein Hearing: 'Stop Playing Games'

But if he cooperates with the committee's questioning, Wexner's insight is likely to be key to unlocking information on just how Epstein obtained his vast wealth before dying by suicide in a Manhattan jail in 2019.

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The 88-year-old businessman is the founder of L Brands, formerly called The Limited, through which he acquired well-known companies Victoria's Secret, Bath & Body Works, Express, and Abercrombie & Fitch, among others.

He was also one of Epstein's first major clients as a financial advisor, with Epstein being granted power of attorney over Wexner's vast wealth.

Wexner also sold his Manhattan townhouse to Epstein, which was later discovered to be one of the locations where federal authorities accused Epstein of abusing young women and girls under 18.

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La Olympics Chief Responds After Emails With Ghislaine Maxwell Emerge In Epstein Files

But Wexner has never been criminally accused nor charged in relation to the late pedophile's crimes.

A letter from Wexner to his Wexner Foundation charity dated Aug. 7, 2019, said he ended his relationship with Epstein sometime after the first federal investigation into his crimes emerged nearly 20 years ago.

Wexner also accused Epstein of misusing his vast wealth.

"As the allegations against Mr. Epstein in Florida were emerging, he vehemently denied them. But by early fall 2007, it was agreed that he should step back from the management of our personal finances. In that process, we discovered that he hadmisappropriated vast sums of moneyfrom me and my family," read the letter, obtained by Fox News Digital on Tuesday.

"This was, frankly, a tremendous shock, even though it clearly pales in comparison to the unthinkable allegations against him now. With his credibility and our trust in him destroyed, we immediately severed ties with him. We were able to recover some of the funds."

Wexner is the fourth person appearing before the House Oversight Committee in its Epstein probe.

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House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., previously oversaw the panel through the depositions of former Trump administration Attorney General Bill Barr, ex-Trump Labor Secretary Alex Acosta, who was the U.S. attorney in Florida who signed off on Epstein's infamous 2008 non-prosecution agreement, and convicted Epstein accompliceGhislaine Maxwell.

Maxwell's deposition lasted less than an hour after she invoked the Fifth Amendment, refusing to answer questions unless she was granted clemency by PresidentDonald Trump.

Original article source:Billionaire Victoria's Secret mogul Les Wexner to testify in House Jeffrey Epstein probe

PARIS (AP) — For the Louvre, theworld's most visited museum, it is "statistically inevitable" that fraud would come up at some point, the museum's No. 2 said in the wake of a decade-long, 10 million euro ($11.8 million) suspectedticket-fraud schemerevealed last week.

France Louvre Ticket Fraud

Kim Pham, the Louvre's general administrator, told The Associated Press that the museum's unique scale makes it particularly vulnerable. However, pressed to name other institutions with similar problems, he declined to single out peers.

"Which museum in the world, with this level of attendance, would not at certain moments have some issues of fraud," wondered Pham, who oversees day-to-day operations, including administration and internal management.

And that's no easy task, with 86,000 square meters of space presenting 35,000 works of art to 9 million visitors a year.

A complex web of problems

Last week, Paris prosecutors said that nine people were being detained in connection to the ticket scheme. The nine have been formally charged and brought before investigating judges.

Among the suspects are two Chinese tour guides accused of bringing groups of tourists into the museum by fraudulently reusing the same tickets multiple times for different visitors, allegedly with the help of Louvre employees.

The Louvre had filed a complaint back in December 2024, prosecutors said. Investigators estimate losses of more than 10 million euros ($11.8 million) over a decade, with the alleged criminal network suspected of bringing in up to 20 guided groups a day.

With the judicial investigation ongoing, Pham declined to confirm those figures.

Prosecutors said that along with repeatedly reusing tickets, the tour guides sometimes split groups to avoid paying a required "speaking fee" — a sort of commission paid to the museum to allow them to operate.

In the last year alone, the Louvre has faced the October 2025high-profile theft of the French Crown Jewelsfrom the Apollo Gallery, water leaks that damaged priceless books, multiple staff walkouts and a wildcat strike last summer over poor conditions, mass tourism and understaffing.

Pressed on whether the latest case feeds a narrative of a Louvre out of control, Pham pushed back.

"Quite simply, the Louvre is the biggest museum in the world," he said.

'Many historical layers'

Pham described the Louvre as "a historic building that began to emerge at the start of the 13th century and has had many historical layers up to the 20th century."

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"It is normal that in this complexity we have difficulties," he added, though he acknowledged shortcomings in the museum's defenses.

"I won't tell you that we do everything very well and that we did everything well," he said. "What I'm telling you is that the fight against fraud is an action of every moment."

But Pham stressed that it was the museum who alerted police about the case — not the other way around.

He rejected the idea that understaffing — which has been one of the reasons for multiple staff strikes in the last year — contributed to the alleged ticket reuse. "Staffing is at the right level for those functions," he said.

He framed the broader problem as increasingly digital. "Ninety percent of tickets today are bought online, on the web," he said. "So that is where major fraud takes place."

He cited "fraudulent purchases with stolen cards" — "massively, we had that in 2023," he said — as well as the "siphoning of free tickets" for resale and the use of fake tickets.

Pham argued that visitor caps introduced after the pandemic can create scarcity that draws scammers.

"When you limit the number of people who can enter a museum each day, you increase the scarcity of the ticket and that brings fraudsters," he said, "It was like for a concert with a star — it's when places are limited that it creates even more fraud."

The fraud case has landed as the Louvre is still dealing with the fallout from the crisis that drew worldwide attention — then October crown jewels theft in which a team of four people broke in through a window during visiting hours and fled with an estimated 88 million euros ($104 million) worth of treasures.

Authorities have arrested several suspects in that case, but the stolen items remain missing.

Pham said the Louvre tightened how many times a ticket can be validated at its multiple checkpoints.

Individual tickets are now limited to two scans and group tickets to one, he said, a change meant to prevent guides from reusing the same ticket to bring in additional visitors. The museum has multiple access points into its wings, and prosecutors allege guides exploited ticket validation to reuse the same tickets to bring in additional groups.

"For several months — and we did not wait for this moment of the investigation and the recent arrests — we carry out checks before the checkpoint," he said, adding that checks also take place "once inside the museum galleries."

Pham said two Louvre employees questioned in the case have been told not to return to their jobs during the investigation, while also underscoring their presumption of innocence until the investigation and proceedings are completed.

Amy Sussman/Getty

NEED TO KNOW

• Jelly Roll praised wife Bunnie Xo for bravely sharing her story of trauma and resilience in her memoir

• The couple, married since 2016, is planning to grow their family through IVF with a surrogate

• Bunnie's memoir explores their "free, not open" relationship and overcoming challenges, including Jelly Roll's past affair

Jelly Rollis sharing his emotional reaction to his wifeBunnie Xo's new tell-all memoir.

While speaking exclusively to PEOPLE at the season 1 finale of Netflix'sStar Searchreboot on Tuesday, Feb. 17, the singer, 41, admitted that it was a "rough" for him reading his wife's memoirStripped Down: Unfiltered and Unapologetic, as he was reminded of their difficult journey together.

"It was rough at times just for me to read it. You know what I mean? We went through a lot of pain and having to go through it together, but reading the whole book and seeing where it ended at is really touching," Jelly Roll said of Bunnie's memoir, released on Tuesday, Feb. 10.

Despite the difficult read, the Grammy winner praised his wife for being "brave" in sharing her personal story with the world.

"I'm just proud of her for telling her story so unapologetically," he told PEOPLE. "I mean, she talks about everything fearlessly, from domestic assault to sexual assault. I'm just proud of her. She's so brave."

Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty

Jelly Roll and Bunnio Xo first met in 2015. The following year, Jelly Roll asked Bunnie Xo to marry him while on stage in Las Vegas, and the couple tied the knot in a courthouse wedding that same night.

Bunnie Xo is also stepmom to the country music singer's daughter, Bailee, and son, Noah. The couple are currentlyplanning their own family through IVFafter finding a surrogate.

In the memoir, Bunnie opens up about her and Jelly'stake on monogamy, describing their relationship as "free, not open." She also discusses the difficult period of her marriage where Jelly, whose real name is Jason DeFord, admitted to having a 10-month affair.

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"We both live by the motto that we aren't each other's possessions and consider our relationship to be free, not open," Bunnie writes.

Sharing the key to their long-lasting relationship, Jelly Roll told PEOPLE, "Love will always do it. Communication, just believing you're with the right person and believing that change can actually happen."

Kevin Mazur/Getty

"That's why we've been so honest about this story with everybody. We knew it would come with blow back, but our heart was to hope that somebody would hear it and believe that they could change," he added.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Stripped Down: Unfiltered and Unapologeticdetails Bunnie's "rag to riches" story, reflecting on her past heartbreak, healing, traumas and triumph in her life's journey.

Bunnie said of the memoir to PEOPLE, "I've always considered myself an open book, so when it came time to pour my heart into chapters, it only felt natural to write about what I know best — my journey, my perspective and the grit that's carried me through."

"Stripped Downis the rawest reflection of who I am in every form," she continued. "It felt only fitting to name my book after the way I've always lived life — raw, unfiltered and in my naked truth."

Read the original article onPeople