Savannah Guthrie touches on 'horrible' divorce: 'It took me years to recover'

Savannah Guthrie touches on 'horrible' divorce: 'It took me years to recover'

Savannah Guthrieis offering rare insight into her divorce from her first husband. The "Today" host, 53, touched on her split from Mark Orchard during a discussion onMonica Lewinsky's"Reclaiming" podcast in an episode released on Tuesday, July 1. "It was horrible and sad, and it broke my heart," she said. "It took me years to recover." Guthrie was married to Orchard from 2005 to 2009. The topic was brought up when Lewinsky asked Guthrie about her decision to include a disclaimer in her 2024 book, "Mostly What God Does: Reflections on Seeking and Finding His Love Everywhere," stating that there were some personal subjects she would not go into depth on. Guthrie said she included this disclaimer because she wanted to establish her qualifications to write about topics like loss and suffering, without fully getting into details about her experience in those areas. "I wanted to say, 'You know what? I have experienced adversity, but I don't really want to tell you about the depths of that, because some of it was just too personal and too embarrassing,'" she told Lewinsky. "I have had my moments, and I have had my sadnesses. ... But I don't want to go there," the NBC host went on to say. "I'm down here, my feet are burning on the pavement. I just don't want to tell you why the pavement was so hot, or how many blisters I had on my feet. I don't want to give you the gory details." Savannah Guthriereveals this was 'the hardest' topic to write about in her book on faith Guthrie pointed to her divorce as an example of one of those topics she did not want to go into further detail about in her writing. "I'm not blaming anyone, but I don't really want to get into it," she said. Guthrie has been married to Michael Feldman since 2014. They have two children together. Speaking toUSA TODAY in 2024, Guthrie described "Mostly What God Does" as a "really vulnerable and personal" series of reflections on faith. "It's that way because in so many ways, this is the book that I need to read," she said. "… I need to be reminded, like we all do, that God loves us and is on our side and has an eternal promise to be present to us." Contributing: Erin Jensen This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Savannah Guthrie talks 'horrible' divorce from Mark Orchard

byAlpha World

in

July 01, 2025

Savannah Guthrie touches on 'horrible' divorce: 'It took me years to recover'

Savannah Guthrie touches on 'horrible' divorce: 'It took me years to recover' Savannah Guthrieis offering rare insight into ...

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The new 'Golden Bachelor' Mel Owens says he will 'cut' any woman older than 60

The new 'Golden Bachelor' Mel Owens says he will 'cut' any woman older than 60

ABC's new "Golden Bachelor" Mel Owenshas a cutoff age, revealing that any female contestant age 60 or over would be "cut." "It's blind up until they get out of the limo. But they asked me, 'what's your preferences?' So, I just said 45 to 60, just being honest," Owens,the former NFL veteran-turned-lawyer and father, shared in aJune 4 interviewwith "In The Trenches," a podcast hosted by Jon Jansen for the University of Michigan Athletics. "And then the process went, and I was selected, right? And then we had lunch with the executive producer. I said, 'you know, if they're 60 or over, I'm cutting them,'" the 66-year-old said. "Oh Mel, you can't, you know, this is not the 'Silver Bachelor.' It's the 'Golden Bachelor.' He goes, but they're going to be hot, don't worry about it. Don't worry about it." The age range for the 22 contestants that participated in the inaugural "Golden Bachelor" season was between 60 and 75. The show's lead, Gerry Turner, was 72 at the time and went on to marry Theresa Nist, 70, before the couple split in April 2024. Owens, who wasannouncedasthe show's leadin late April, insisted that he knew nothing about the women themselves, other than that they would be "beautiful." "I had no resume, but they asked me, what is my, like, my profile?" Owens said. "Well, they got to be fit because I stay in shape, should work out and stuff. And I told them, you know, try to stay away from the artificial hips and the wigs, you know, that kind of stuff, right." "Well, I don't think they're (there are) going to be artificial hips or wigs there, right? Because I know there's amazing women out there," Owens tells Jansen before elaborating more on his type. Other than no artificial hips or wigs, Owens says he's looking for someone "who's a lifetime learner, enjoys to love life and work out and stay fit and eat and have fun and be energetic and life live." We've got reality TV covered:Sign upfor USA TODAY's Entertainment newsletter. Owens, 66, was "born and raised in a close-knit Midwestern family in Detroit," but later moved to Michigan to play college football as his "athleticism shone through from an early age." After graduating from the University of Michigan, he was selected as the ninth overall pick in the 1981 NFL Draft by theLos Angeles Ramsand played as their linebacker for nine seasons, from 1981 to 1989. Owens became a lawyer and moved to Orange County, California following his retirement from the NFL. He's currently a partner a local law firm specializing in sports injuries and workers' compensation. He's 66 and single — for now. Meet Mel Owens, a former NFL player-turned-lawyer, proud father, and your next Golden Bachelor. 🌹pic.twitter.com/hRqA3UIY6L — The Golden Bachelor (@GoldenBachABC)April 22, 2025 "It was during this time that he met his first love, and together they had two sons," ABC's press release says. "While life took an unexpected turn with the passing of his father and the end of his marriage, Owens channeled his energy into being the best father he could be, focusing on raising his sons and coaching their extracurricular sports teams." Owens was previously married for 25 years and said he's found himself missing "companionship." As for the kind of woman he's looking for, Owens said: "Someone that's honest, charming, loving, fit, someone full of life." "After several years as a devoted dad, Owens is ready to rediscover a love rooted in the simple joys of companionship – sharing life's everyday moments, making plans for the future, and growing stronger together as a couple," according to ABC's press release. "As the Golden Bachelor, he's eager to meet someone who shares this vision and finally find that perfect teammate he's been waiting for in his golden years." ABC has kept pretty much all the details about the upcoming season close to the vest, saying in an April 22 news release that a premiere date will be "announced at a later date." Contributing: KiMi Robinson and Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:'Golden Bachelor' Mel Owens reveals his cutoff age for contestants

byAlpha World

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July 01, 2025

The new 'Golden Bachelor' Mel Owens says he will 'cut' any woman older than 60

The new 'Golden Bachelor' Mel Owens says he will 'cut' any woman older than 60 ABC's new "Golden Bachelor" Mel...

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Televangelist Jimmy Swaggart, whose ministry was toppled by prostitution scandals, dies at 90

Televangelist Jimmy Swaggart, whose ministry was toppled by prostitution scandals, dies at 90

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Televangelist Jimmy Swaggart, who became a household name amassing an enormous following and multimillion-dollar ministry only to be undone by his penchant for prostitutes, has died. Swaggart died decades after his once vast audience dwindled and his name became a punchline on late night television. His death was announced Tuesday on his public Facebook page. A cause wasn't immediately given, though at 90 he had been in poor health, having suffered cardiac arrest last month. The Louisiana native was best known for being a captivating Pentecostal preacher with a massive following before being caught on camera with a prostitute in New Orleans in 1988, one of a string of successful TV preachers brought down in the 1980s and 1990s by sex scandals. He continued preaching for decades, but with a reduced audience. Swaggart encapsulated his downfall in a tearful 1988 sermon, in which he wept and apologized but made no reference to his connection to a prostitute. "I have sinned against you," Swaggart told parishioners nationwide. "I beg you to forgive me." He announced his resignation from the Assemblies of God later that year, shortly after the church said it was defrocking him for rejecting punishment it had ordered for "moral failure." The church had wanted him to undergo a two-year rehabilitation program, including not preaching for a full year. Swaggart said at the time that he knew dismissal was inevitable but insisted he had no choice but to separate from the church to save his ministry and Bible college. From poverty and oil fields to a household name Swaggart grew up poor, the son of a preacher, in a music-rich family. He excelled at piano and gospel music, playing and singing with talented cousins who took different paths: rock-'n'-rollerJerry Lee Lewisand country singerMickey Gilley. In his hometown of Ferriday, Louisiana, Swaggart said he first heard the call of God at age 8. The voice gave him goose bumps and made his hair tingle, he said. "Everything seemed different after that day in front of the Arcade Theater," he said in a 1985 interview with the Jacksonville Journal-Courier in Illinois. "I felt better inside. Almost like taking a bath." He preached and worked part time in oil fields until he was 23. He then moved entirely into his ministry: preaching, playing piano and singing gospel songs with the barrelhouse fervor of cousin Lewis at Assemblies of God revivals and camp meetings. Swaggart started a radio show, a magazine, and then moved into television, with outspoken views. He called Roman Catholicism "a false religion. It is not the Christian way," and claimed that Jews suffered for thousands of years "because of their rejection of Christ." "If you don't like what I say, talk to my boss," he once shouted as he strode in front of his congregation at his Family Worship Center in Baton Rouge, where his sermons moved listeners to speak in tongues and stand up as if possessed by the Holy Spirit. Swaggart's messages stirred thousands of congregants and millions of TV viewers, making him a household name by the late 1980s. Contributors built Jimmy Swaggart Ministries into a business that made an estimated $142 million in 1986. His Baton Rouge complex still includes a worship center and broadcasting and recording facilities. The scandals that led to Swaggart's ruin Swaggart's downfall came in the late 1980s as other prominent preachers faced similar scandals. Swaggart said publicly that his earnings were hurt in 1987 by the sex scandal surroundingrival televangelist Jim Bakkerand a former church secretary at Bakker's PTL ministry organization. The following year, Swaggart was photographed at a hotel with Debra Murphree, an admitted prostitute who told reporters that the two did not have sex but that the preacher had paid her to pose nude. She later repeated the claim — and posed nude — for Penthouse magazine. The surveillance photos that crippled Swaggart's career apparently stemmed from his rivalry with preacher Marvin Gorman, who Swaggart had accused of sexual misdeeds. Gorman hired the photographer who captured Swaggart and Murphree on film. Swaggart later paid Gorman $1.8 million to settle a lawsuit over the sexual allegations against Gorman. More trouble came in 1991, when police in California detained Swaggart with another prostitute. The evangelist was charged with driving on the wrong side of the road and driving an unregistered Jaguar. His companion, Rosemary Garcia, said Swaggart became nervous when he saw the police car and weaved when he tried to stuff pornographic magazines under a car seat. Swaggart was later mocked by the late TV comic Phil Hartman, who impersonated him on NBC's "Saturday Night Live." Out of the public eye but still in the pulpit The evangelist largely stayed out of the news in later years but remained in the pulpit at Jimmy Swaggart Ministries, often joined by his son, Donnie, a fellow preacher. His radio station broadcast church services and gospel music to 21 states, and Swaggart's ministry boasted a worldwide audience on the internet. "My dad was a warrior. My dad was preacher. He didn't want to be anything else except a preacher of the gospel," Donnie Swaggart said in avideo message sharedon social media Tuesday following his father's death. "That's what he was put on this earth to do." The preacher caused another brief stir in 2004 with remarks about being "looked at" amorously by a gay man. "And I'm going to be blunt and plain: If one ever looks at me like that, I'm going to kill him and tell God he died," Jimmy Swaggart said, to laughter from the congregation. He later apologized. Swaggart made few public appearances outside his church, save for singing "Amazing Grace" at the 2005 funeral of Louisiana Secretary of State Fox McKeithen, a prominent name in state politics for decades. In 2022, he shared memories at thememorial servicefor Lewis, his cousin and rock 'n' roll pioneer. The pair had released "The Boys From Ferriday," a gospel album, earlier that year. Donnie Swaggart said he promised his father that "I will continue the work" — distributing Bibles, sharing the gospel and "proclaiming the message of Christ." Swaggart is survived by his wife, Frances, son Donnie, daughter-in-law Debbie, grandson Gabriel, daughter Jill, granddaughter Jennifer, son-in-law Clif, son Matt, daughter-in-law Joanna and nine great-grandchildren.

byAlpha World

in

July 01, 2025

Televangelist Jimmy Swaggart, whose ministry was toppled by prostitution scandals, dies at 90

Televangelist Jimmy Swaggart, whose ministry was toppled by prostitution scandals, dies at 90 BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Televangelist Jimmy Sw...

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140,000 pounds of bologna recalled nationwide

140,000 pounds of bologna recalled nationwide

More than 140,000 pounds of ready-to-eat bologna have been recalled because the products were mislabeled, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service. The bologna, made by Gaiser's European Style Provisions Inc., contains meat or poultry ingredients that are not declared on the packaging. The recall includes products sold under various brand names, including: Vacuum-packed "Family Tree Bologna Veal," which contains undeclared pork Plastic-wrapped "Babushka's Recipe Chicken Bologna," which contains undeclared pork Plastic-wrapped "Fancy Bologna," labeled as containing pork but also containing undeclared beef and chicken Vacuum-packed "Gaiser's Russian Brand Doktorskaya Bologna," which contains undeclared beef Plastic-wrapped "Gaiser's Bologna Veal," which contains undeclared chicken and pork Plastic-wrapped "Gaiser's Turkey Bologna," which contains undeclared chicken and pork Plastic-wrapped "Chicken Bologna Kypoyka Paba," which contains undeclared pork The USDA said the products were shipped to both retail and wholesale outlets across the country. Although no illnesses have been reported, officials advise consumers not to eat the recalled bologna. The products may still be in refrigerators or freezers, and should be thrown away or returned to the store.

byAlpha World

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July 01, 2025

140,000 pounds of bologna recalled nationwide

140,000 pounds of bologna recalled nationwide More than 140,000 pounds of ready-to-eat bologna have been recalled because the products were ...

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Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial updates: Jury will keep deliberating after partial verdict

Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial updates: Jury will keep deliberating after partial verdict

This story may contain accounts and descriptions of actual or alleged events that some readers may find disturbing. Read ongoing updates in the trial of Sean "Diddy" Combs. Jul 1, 5:24 PMJury done for the day The jury sent back a note saying they plan to go home for the day.The jury will return at 9 a.m. on Wednesday to resume deliberations."Make sure to keep an open mind as you continue your deliberations," Judge Arun Subramanian told the jury before sending them home. "I wish you all a great evening."Combs maintained his composure when the jury was in the room.Before the judge and jury entered, half a dozen lawyers huddled around Combs. He appeared to wipe his eyes after he grasped a copy of the jury's note. Defense attorneys Anna Estevao and Teny Geragos stood around him with their arms wrapped around him, while another lawyer appeared to touch Combs' shoulders. Jul 1, 5:18 PMJudge sends jury back to deliberation room Judge Arun Subramanian brought the jury back into the courtroom and told them to continue deliberating.He said if they want to go home for the day and resume their deliberations in the morning, he instructed them to send back a note.Sean Combs stood with his hands in his pockets as the jury exited. Jul 1, 5:13 PMJudge says he'll tell jury to 'deliberate with a view to reaching an agreement' Judge Arun Subramanian said he plans to read back a portion of the jury instructions to encourage further deliberations. The jury is not yet in the courtroom.Subramanian said he will read to the jury: "It is your duty as jurors to consult with one another and to deliberate with a view to reaching an agreement. Each of you must decide the case for himself or herself, but you should do so only after a consideration of the case with your fellow jurors, and you should not hesitate to change an opinion when convinced that it is erroneous. Discuss and weigh your respective opinions dispassionately, without regard to sympathy, without regard to prejudice or favor for either party, and follow my instructions on the law." "Again, your verdict must be unanimous, but you are not bound to surrender your honest convictions concerning the effect or weight of the evidence for the mere purpose of returning a verdict or solely because of the opinion of other jurors. Each of you must make your own decision about the proper outcome of this case based on your consideration of the evidence and your discussions with your fellow jurors. No juror should surrender his or her conscientious beliefs for the purpose of returning a unanimous verdict." Jul 1, 4:49 PMNo verdict being read, judge will instruct jury to keep deliberating Judge Arun Subramanian said he will not take a partial verdict.Once the lawyers work out the language, the judge will call the jurors into the courtroom and instruct them to keep deliberating.Both sides asked the judge to do this, and the judge agreed.No verdict is being read now.It is not yet clear whether jurors will continue deliberating tonight or whether they will opt to go home for the day. Jul 1, 4:37 PMJury reaches partial verdict The jury has reached a partial verdict in the trial of Sean "Diddy" Combs.The jury has reached a verdict on counts 2, 3, 4, 5, which are: Sex Trafficking by Force, Fraud, or Coercion (for one victim); Transportation to Engage in Prostitution (for one victim); Sex Trafficking by Force, Fraud, or Coercion (for a second victim); and Transportation to Engage in Prostitution (for a second victim).The note said they are unable to reach a verdict on the racketeering conspiracy count.At the consent of both sides, the judge said he plans to instruct the jury to continue deliberating. They are now debating the next steps.According to the note from the jury, there are "unpersuadable opinions" on both sides related to the racketeering conspiracy count. Jul 1, 4:24 PMJury sends a sixth note to the court The jury has sent a new note to the judge.This is their sixth note since deliberations began Monday, including the first note in which they selected a foreperson. The defense attorneys and prosecutors have reconvened in the courtroom. Jul 1, 2:13 PMJury receives requested testimony transcript after roughly three hours of court discussion About three hours after they asked for testimony from star witness Cassie Ventura and male escort Daniel Phillip, the jury in Sean Combs sex trafficking trial received the transcripts they requested.The delay was caused in part because of a dispute between the lawyers about how much of the testimony to include.Defense lawyers wanted to add more – including testimony about the Ventura's $10 million settlement with the Los Angeles InterContinental Hotel – while prosecutors advocated to send a narrower portion of the transcript. After Judge Arun Subramanian suggested sending the jury the entirety of Ventura's testimony – prompting Combs to visibly shake his head at his lawyer – defense lawyers relented and agreed to send a shorter portion of the transcript. Overall, the testimony the jury requested focuses on three instances that prosecutors highlighted as examples of Combs' alleged sex trafficking of Ventura.First, the jury requested Ventura's testimony about being assaulted by Combs at the InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles. She testified that she tried to leave a so-called "freak-off" sexual encounter after Combs gave her a black eye.The jury also requested testimony given by Ventura and Phillip about an alleged instance in which Combs became violent with Ventura at a New York hotel during a "freak-off."The last portion of testimony requested by the jury focused on a time when Ventura traveled with Combs overseas to attend the Cannes Film Festival in France. Jul 1, 12:23 PMParties continue to discuss transcripts to be provided to the jury The parties are still debating which portions of the requested testimony transcripts from Cassie Ventura and male escort Daniel Phillip will be provided to the jury. Jul 1, 11:54 AMJury asks for testimony transcripts from Cassie Ventura and male escort Daniel Phillip The jury sent its fifth note to Judge Arun Subramanian about an hour and 15 minutes into its first full day of deliberations.The note was a request to to review the transcripts of Cassie Ventura's testimony about the March 5, 2016 Los Angeles InterContinental Hotel incident in which Sean Combs was caught on security camera surveillance video physically attacking her.The jury also asked for her testimony about a trip Ventura took with Combs to the Cannes Film Festival in France. Ventura testified that on the flight home, Combs showed her videos of her having sex during so-called "freak-off" encounters.Ventura told the jury that she thought Combs "was going to embarrass me and release them." The jury also asked for a portion of Ventura's testimony about "freak-offs" with Daniel Phillip, a male escort who was also a prosecution witness.The jury further asked for Phillip's testimony regarding an alleged "freak-off" at the Essex Hotel in New York. Phillip testified he saw Ventura "completely passed out" and "slumped over" at that time.The lawyers are working through which portions of the transcript to send back to the jury room. Jul 1, 11:15 AMLawyers continue to discuss latest jury note For the last 30 minutes, the lawyers have been hunched over their laptops in the courtroom following the latest, as-yet unspecified note from the jury. Combs is on a laptop with one of his lawyers.The judge and jury have not yet entered the room. Click here to read the rest of the blog.

byAlpha World

in

July 01, 2025

Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial updates: Jury will keep deliberating after partial verdict

Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial updates: Jury will keep deliberating after partial verdict This story may contain accounts and descriptions...

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