Gordon Ramsay Defends David and Victoria Beckham amid Brooklyn and Nicola Feud, Says Spice Girl Has ‘Every Right to Be Upset’

Leon Bennett/Getty; Karwai Tang/WireImage

NEED TO KNOW

• Gordon Ramsay shared his opinions on the ongoing tension in the Beckham family in an interview on Feb. 13

• Ramsay denied Brooklyn's claims that his mom, Victoria, danced "very inappropriately" at his 2022 wedding to wife, Nicola Peltz Beckham

• "I've seen firsthand just how good parents they are," Ramsay said of David and Victoria Beckham

Gordon Ramsayis reacting to theongoing tensionin the Beckham family, which heightened afterBrooklyn Beckhampublicly made several bombshell claims about his parentsDavid and Victoria Beckham.

While speaking toThe Sunabout his upcoming Netflix series,Being Gordon Ramsay,on Friday, Feb. 13, theMasterChefstar, 59, was asked about the allegations Brooklyn, 26, made in a series of Instagram Stories shared on Jan. 19.

Among the most notable claims was that his mother"hijacked" his first dancewith wifeNicola Peltz Beckham, 31, at their 2022 wedding and danced "very inappropriately" with him.

"Victoria is upset, and [has] every right to be upset," Ramsay toldThe Sun. "We were there at the wedding. There was nothing salacious. There was nothing inappropriate. Everyone was having fun [and] having a dance."

Arnold Jerocki/Getty; Charles Sykes/Bravo via Getty

When asked if Victoria, 51, had grinded on her son during the wedding celebrations, Ramsay said, "No! Nothing of the sort. It was fun."

Ramsay has been friends with David, 50, and Victoria for "nearly two and a half decades."

"I've seen firsthand just how good parents they are," he toldThe Sun.

Ramsay added that it's "hard" for the dynamic between parents and their children to change after marriage.

"There's bound to be some form of clash," he said. "But the relationship with David and Brooklyn is very, very deep, and I know how much David loves Brooklyn."

"I think it's only going to be a matter of time before Brooklyn looks at himself and understands just what his parents mean to him," Ramsay continued.

Karwai Tang/WireImage

The celebrity chef said he has seen firsthand how many times David and Victoria have "pulled" their son "out of his s--t" and have "stood by him through thick and thin."

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He noted that he thinks "time will be the best healer" when it comes to the family.

When it comes to Brooklyn, Ramsay said that he also has "messaged a little bit" with him and described him as having an "incredible" heart.

"But it's hard I think when you are infatuated. Love is blind," Ramsay toldThe Sun. "He's desperate to stand on his own two feet. He's desperate to forge his own way, and I respect that from Brooklyn, and that's just a good thing to do."

"But remember where you came from and honestly, one day you're not going to have your mom and dad, and you need to understand that," he continued, adding, "...You're an amazing young man, but boy, they've done more for you than anyone will ever do in your entire life."

Samir Hussein/WireImage

Brooklynslammed his parentsin a lengthy statement shared on social media on Jan. 19, accusing them of "trying endlessly to ruin" the relationship with his wife, Nicola.

"I do not want to reconcile with my family. I'm not being controlled, I'm standing up for myself for the first time in my life," Brooklyn wrote, before going on to describe several moments in which he believes his family attempted to sabotage his relationship, including during his 2022 wedding at his wife'sPalm Beach estate, and athis father's 50th birthday last year.

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.

As for David and Victoria — who are also parents to sonsRomeo, 23, andCruz, 20, and daughterHarper, 14 — sources previously toldPEOPLEthat the couple was stunned and saddened by their son's allegations on Instagram.

"They are staying quiet because they don't want to draw more attention to it," a source said of the pair. Another insider added, "David and Victoria love Brooklyn and are afraid of losing their son," insists another insider. "They wouldtake him backin a minute."

A family source added, "David and Victoria believe that over time Brooklyn will come back. But they can't do anything until then."

Read the original article onPeople

byAsher Jeferson

in

February 14, 2026

Gordon Ramsay Defends David and Victoria Beckham amid Brooklyn and Nicola Feud, Says Spice Girl Has ‘Every Right to Be Upset’

Leon Bennett/Getty; Karwai Tang/WireImage NEED TO KNOW Gordon Ramsay shared his opinions on the ongoing ten...

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Nicola Peltz Enjoys Valentine’s Day With Brooklyn Amid Beckham Family Feud

Nicola Peltzspent Valentine's Day wrapped in love with her husband,Brooklyn Beckham, with the pair holding hands in a sweet photo. The couple put romance first amid ongoing tensions within the Beckham family. Peltz shared a glimpse of their intimate celebration on social media, posting a snapshot of them holding hands in a car.

Nicola Peltz holds hands with Brooklyn for Valentine's Day amid Beckham family feud

Take a look at Nicola Peltz and Brooklyn Beckham's Valentine's Day celebrations:

Nicola Peltzand Brooklyn Beckham looked so in love as they held hands while sitting in a car on Valentine's Day. Peltz shared the snapshot on her Instagram Story. Even though the couple's faces were hidden, the photo exuded romantic vibes.

The close-up shot of their hands intertwined, with Peltz's name tattooed on Beckham's hand, looked sweet and intimate. The photo reflected an affectionate mood and proved that their love is growing even amid tensions among the Beckham family.

The postNicola Peltz Enjoys Valentine's Day With Brooklyn Amid Beckham Family Feudappeared first onReality Tea.

byAsher Jeferson

in

February 14, 2026

Nicola Peltz Enjoys Valentine’s Day With Brooklyn Amid Beckham Family Feud

Nicola Peltzspent Valentine's Day wrapped in love with her husband,Brooklyn Beckham, with the pair holding hands in a sweet photo. The...

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LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Lindsey Vonn, Naomi Osaka among several sports stars to wish Chris Paul a fond farewell after his retirement

After 21 seasons and 12 All-Star selections,Chris Paul called it a career on Friday. It didn't take long for the well wishes to start flooding in.

Between his tenures with seven different teams, his leadership role with the NBPA and his famous Banana Boat friendships, few players in the history of the NBA have been connected across the league like Paul. Here's a sample of the comments that came in onhis Instagram post making the announcement:

• LeBron James: "HELLUVA CAREER CHAMP! CONGRATULATIONS 🙏🏾✊🏾"

• Dwyane Wade: "An honor to compete against you my brother. A Legendary Career"

• Klay Thompson: "Point god ! It was a pleasure being your teammate. Congrats on a legendary run my man !"

• Tyrese Maxey: "LOVE OG!! Respect"

• Trae Young: "Set the Blueprint 🫡 Legend !"

• Bradley Beal: "Happy for you and the fam! Congrats on a great career bro! LEGEND"

• Kyle Lowry: "Amazing career my brother!! Love brother!!"

• Naomi Osaka: "❤️❤️❤️"

• Donovan Mitchell: "Point God🤞🏾🫡"

• Matt Barnes: "One of the Greatest PG's the games ever seen. Love you bro"

• Chiney Ogwumike: "LEGEND! ✊🏿✨"

• Al Horford: "Congrats CP!!!!! 👏👏👏👏👏"

• Muggsy Bogues: "One hell of a ride young fella- You did it your way🎩👊🏾"

• Trayce Jackson-Davis: "It was an honor cp! 🙏🏾"

• Mike Conley: "👏🏾👏🏾 Congrats!!"

• Richard Jefferson: "Point God🤞🏾The best is yet to come"

• Nina Westbrook (wife of Russell Westbrook): "👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 congratulations on an incredible career!"

Lindsey Vonn even got in there from her hospital bed, writing "❤️💪🏻 legend!!!" And, of course, State Farm chimed in with "From assists on the court to assists in life - you've always been a good neighbor. Respect the legacy, CP3 👏"

Stephen Curry, who has been both friend and foe for Paul in their careers, released a video message praising the future Hall of Famer:

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One interesting note is that of Paul's seven teams played for, six of them posted a farewell note on X soon after the announcement:the New Orleans Pelicans,Houston Rockets,Oklahoma City Thunder,Golden State WarriorsandSan Antonio Spurs.

The one holdout was the Los Angeles Clippers, where Paul arguably enjoyed the best years of his career. They ended up posting a tribute video at 9:43 p.m. PT.

It was unclear if the Clippers would even acknowledge the news during the day given how awkward the situation was. Paul reunited with the team for a farewell season only to be permanently sidelined in early December andeventually traded to the Toronto Raptors, who waived him Friday.

It was an ugly divorce,as there were reports of Paul clashing with team leadership.The Clippers announced they were sending him home in the dead of night, and that wound up being the finale of his career.

byAsher Jeferson

in

February 14, 2026

LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Lindsey Vonn, Naomi Osaka among several sports stars to wish Chris Paul a fond farewell after his retirement

After 21 seasons and 12 All-Star selections,Chris Paul called it a career on Friday. It didn't take long for the wel...

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Baylor's Tyce Armstrong becomes 2nd college baseball player with 3 grand slams in the same game

WACO, Texas (AP) — Tyce Armstronghit three grand slamsin his Baylor debut Friday night in the Bears' 15-2 season-opening victory over New Mexico State, just the second college baseball player to ever accomplish that feat.

"I'm speechless," Armstrong said. "It's the coolest thing I've ever been a part of."

He joins Louisville's Jim LaFountain as the only players with that distinction. LaFountain hit two of his three grand slams in the same inning on March 24, 1976, in the second game of a doubleheader against Western Kentucky. He also hit a two-run home run in the 26-4 victory that was called in the fifth inning.

No Major League Baseball player has ever hit three grand slams in one game. Thirteen players have had two in a game.

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Armstrong, a senior first baseman, transferred from Texas-Arlington, where he had 17 homers and 87 RBIs over three seasons.

Against New Mexico State, he went 3 or 4 with 12 RBIs.

Armstrong hit all three homers to left field — a 401-foot shot in the third inning, a 407-foot blast in the fourth and a 386-foot homer in the seventh.

AP college sports:https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports

byAsher Jeferson

in

February 14, 2026

Baylor's Tyce Armstrong becomes 2nd college baseball player with 3 grand slams in the same game

WACO, Texas (AP) — Tyce Armstronghit three grand slamsin his Baylor debut Friday night in the Bears' 15-2 season-ope...

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Braves' Chris Sale has no intention of using ABS system: 'I’m not an umpire. That’s their job.'

Chris Sale of theAtlanta Bravessaid he will do his job when it comes to being a starting pitcher and will allow umpires to do their jobs when it comes to calling balls and strikes with the theAutomated Ball Strike Challenge Systembeing instituted in MLB this season.

Every team will have two challenges to begin each game. Only batters, catchers and pitchers will be allowed to challenge ball or strike calls and they must signal their intent by tapping their heads immediately after the pitch to initiate the challenge.

The 36-year-old Sale has thrown over 30,000 pitches in his 15-year career with the Chicago White Sox, Boston Red Sox and Atlanta Braves. What he won't do for the remainder of his time on the mound is challenge any called ball he believes is a strike.

"I will never challenge a pitch. I will never do it. I won't do it,"Sale told reporters on Friday. "I'm not an umpire. That's their job. I'm a starting pitcher. I've never called balls and strikes in my life. Plus, I'm greedy, and I know that. I think they're all strikes."

Sale added that catchers, like teammates Sean Murphy and Drake Baldwin, are so good at framing pitches that a lot more pitches appear to be strikes than they used to, especially ones on the corner of the plate. The nine-time All-Star and 2024 pitching Triple Crown and Cy Young Award winner said he'll trust the umpire's call so as to not risk a challenge that could be used later in the game during an important at-bat.

"I've dealt with it before, across all games in my entire career there's been balls called strikes and strikes called balls and you just deal with it," Sale said.

If Murphy or Baldwin disagree, however, that's a different story.

"If my catcher has something to say about it, I'll leave that to him," Sale said. "I've dealt with both sides and I'm fine to keep dealing with it."

byAsher Jeferson

in

February 14, 2026

Braves' Chris Sale has no intention of using ABS system: 'I’m not an umpire. That’s their job.'

Chris Sale of theAtlanta Bravessaid he will do his job when it comes to being a starting pitcher and will allow umpires ...

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Leslie Grossman and Sascha Penn Are Married! Inside Their Summer Elopement and Winter Wedding Party (Exclusive)

Parker Burr

NEED TO KNOW

• Leslie Grossman and Sascha Penn privately eloped in July 2025

• The couple later celebrated their marriage with an intimate New Year's Eve dinner, entirely planned by Ryan Murphy

• "It was like the bow on the whole thing that we didn't know we needed that ended up being so important," Grossman tells PEOPLE

Leslie Grossmanand Sascha Penn have tied the knot!

The actress, 54, and the film producer, 55, privately exchanged vows in July 2025 when they eloped on Martha's Vineyard, the same Massachusetts island they gotengagedat in August 2024. A few months later on New Year's Eve, the couple celebrated their marriage with an intimate dinner at the Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles thanks toRyan Murphy, 60, who planned the entire party.

"It really was the ultimate wedding gift that we didn't know that we needed," Grossman tells PEOPLE.

Parker Burr

Ahead of the celebration, the newlyweds opened up to Murphy about their "very special" elopement over dinner when the award-winning writer and producer suggested they have a party. Because the couple married later in life, they were focused on honoring the "miracle" of finding each other and hadn't considered having a traditional wedding.

"Ryan was like, 'Listen, your friends and your family want to celebrate you, and I'm giving you a party and that's that,' which was so sweet," Grossman remembers. "It was funny because my first instinct was, 'Oh, let's not make a big deal out of this,' and if you know Ryan Murphy, he's not someone that you say no to. And of course, because Ryan is always right, it ended up being truly one of the most special nights of our lives."

Murphy — who has been a "dear friend" of Grossman's for more than two decades and has worked with her on multiple projects, includingMonsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Storyand several seasons ofAmerican Horror Story— planned "the whole thing," leaving almost everything a surprise.

Parker Burr

"It was so beautiful and perfect and lovely," Grossman raves. "It was a really great way to welcome in the new year."

The celebration had "a winter wonderland vibe," and even though it rained, the unexpected weather made the gathering feel "even more dramatic and intimate."

Among the guests were actressesSarah Paulson, 51, and Holland Taylor, 83, who gave "the most lovely speech." Murphy's toast was "incredible" too, Grossman notes.

Parker Burr

Also at dinner were Penn's three adult children from a previous relationship, and Grossman's 19-year-old daughter Goldie, whom she shares with her ex-husband, Jon Bronson.

"My life is so much richer that I get to know these three people. They're the coolest people, and I'm so lucky that I get to know them," Grossman gushes. "And it's so great to see Goldie interact with Sascha because they have a really fun, lighthearted but meaningful connection. And it's just better than anything I could have imagined for myself."

Parker Burr

For the cocktail reception and dinner, Grossman selected a custom flocked dot tulle tea-length gown with Chantilly lace trim and a black velvet belt by Honor, jewelry by Forever Diamonds New York, and heels by Alena Ettea. To ring in the new year, she wore a black lace trim Zimmerman midi dress and Stuart Weitzman heels.

At midnight, everyone was dancing. In an "amazing, sweet moment of pure joy," Grossman and Goldie danced together toBeyoncé's "Love on Top."

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"Ryan was right, it's important to celebrate with the people who love you the most," Grossman says. "It was like the bow on the whole thing that we didn't know we needed that ended up being so important."

Afterward, Grossman and Penn headed back to their hotel room, where Penn, who is the creator and showrunner of the Starz crime drama seriesPower Book III: Raising Kanan, turned to his wife and said, "I think that was the best night of my life."

Parker Burr

"It was so special because it wasn't about the party, it was about just the people there," Grossman says.

Grossman is enjoying every aspect of married life so far with Penn, whom she met on a dating app in early 2022, and is prioritizing spending more time together.

"I feel like we waited a long time to find each other and it's about maximizing the time that we have to be together," Grossman shares. "What I'm most looking forward to is honestly all of the mundane little things about sharing a life with someone. My hopes are not big sweeping things, it's about all of the small little things that make sharing a life with someone so special."

Parker Burr

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.

Grossman hopes her marriage reminds other women her age that it's never too late to find love, even after divorce.

"You can meet someone when you both come into it with full lives and stories and a little emotional mileage, and it can still be as good as you thought it was going to be when you were a very young person. In fact, it's even better," thePopularalum says.

Parker Burr

Grossman never expected to meet the love of her life at age 50.

"It sort of knocked my socks off," she shares, continuing, "[It] has added this whole huge new heart to my life that I didn't even know I needed or I wanted. And it's incredibly special when it's coming from this place of just addition. You're building on top of an already full life."

Parker Burr

Grossman emphasizes that marrying later in life is a completely different experience than tying the knot young because it's truly something a couple chooses out of love, not necessity.

"You're together because you want to be, because you're choosing it, not because you need it, you just want them in your life," she says. "It's just a reminder that it is never too late to start again and to begin again and to add a new chapter. It's never, ever, ever too late."

Read the original article onPeople

byAsher Jeferson

in

February 14, 2026

Leslie Grossman and Sascha Penn Are Married! Inside Their Summer Elopement and Winter Wedding Party (Exclusive)

Parker Burr NEED TO KNOW Leslie Grossman and Sascha Penn privately eloped in July 2025 The couple later cel...

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2 Washington Post writers at the Olympics despite being laid off, say it was important to be there

CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) —Washington PostcolumnistBarry Svrlugawas reporting from his first Winter Olympics whenLindsey Vonnleft her hospital bed after a crash and returned to compete days later at the 2006 Turin Games.

Washington Post

He is back in Italy two decades later at theMilan Cortina Gamesand was there again to write about it when Vonn ended up back in the hospital following another crash. Even thoughhe's losing his job.

The Post announced two days before the Olympics opened last week that it was eliminating its sports section whilelaying off a third of its staff.Svrluga said the newspaper originally planned to send 14 staff members to these Games.

With air tickets and accommodation already paid for, Svrluga is one of four of the paper's journalists who decided to still come: He is in Cortina, Rick Maese is in Bormio, andLes Carpenterand national staffer Robert Samuels are in Milan.

"They can take away our section," Svrluga said, "but in a way, they can't take away our spirit."

Of the four, Svrluga and Carpenter are being laid off. They came to their final assignment anyway.

"I wanted to be occupied," said Svrluga, who is at his 12th Games. "I love covering the Olympics. … I had Lindsey injured in Sestriere and then had her gold (Vancouver, 2010) and I've had every one of her Olympic races, whether they were successes or not. Same with (Mikaela) Shiffrin."

The first Olympics that Svrluga worked at was the 2004 Athens Summer Games and he was immediately struck by the way colleagues at the paper collaborated at such a big event.

"It felt like a team sport for us and that benefited the section and the paper," Svrluga said. "What we're trying to do here is remind people — readers and decision makers — that these are a lot of committed people who were doing things for the right reasons."

Carpenter, the Post's Olympics writer, is at his eighth Games. He's been covering figure skating, speedskating and hockey.

"The Post sports department always had such a great connection with its readers. I felt I had to stay to tell the story of this Olympics for them," Carpenter said. "It's what I'd want as a reader. If this is the end for Post sports, let's give our most loyal readers our best."

Shiffrin trusted Svrluga with some personal news

Svrluga gave his readers — and the wider skiing community — reason for pause even before he got to Cortina.

An extensive pre-Games interview with Shiffrin and her mother and coach, Eileen, turned into much more than an Olympic preview story when they revealed to Svrluga why Eileen was absent at the start of this World Cup season: She had been diagnosed with cancer and faced six weeks of treatments.

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"This was a very personal situation," Svrluga said. "I'm thankful for them that they trusted me with the information. It's their story to tell."

Staff reductions are 'tragic for readers'

Changes across the industry have resulted in fewer American reporters attending events like the Olympics.

"That's tragic for readers," Svrluga said, noting how the extra space in the reporters' interview areas at the finish lines are "great for logistics and sad for the business."

Some of the people who Svrluga has reported on at the Olympics have reached out to him after word spread about the cuts at the Post. It's happened back in Washington, too, he said.

"People who have won World Series, people who own teams. I've been there 22 years, so you build relationships over time, even with people you battle with a little bit or you write something they don't like. It's still a human element to it," Svrluga said. "So I've heard from more people than I can count."

But, Svrluga added, "You don't want to be the story. You want to cover the story."

The Post's executive editor, Matt Murray, called the layoffs painful but necessary.

"You could argue maybe we're in this position because we didn't adapt or see what is coming next," Svrluga said. "It's obvious people get their news in different ways now. I'm 'old school' in one regard. … I hope that the people who are in their 20s and early 30s, like when I first went to the Olympics, are figuring out whatever's next. I would love for it to include written storytelling, because that's what I like to do."

A final story and 'the red wine will flow'

Eliminating the Post sports section was a sharp blow since the department has hosted many well-known bylines through the years, including the likes of John Feinstein, Michael Wilbon, Shirley Povich, Sally Jenkins and Tony Kornheiser.

Svrluga's final column from these Games will mark his final story for the Post. In the meantime, he's going to try and enjoy the Olympics — and being in Italy — more than he usually does while on assignment.

"The red wine," he said, "will flow."

AP Olympics:https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

byAsher Jeferson

in

February 14, 2026

2 Washington Post writers at the Olympics despite being laid off, say it was important to be there

CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) —Washington PostcolumnistBarry Svrlugawas reporting from his first Winter Olympics whe...

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Who Has Jacob Elordi Dated? Inside the “Wuthering Heights” Star's Love Life

Stefanie Keenan/Getty ; Jesse Grant/WireImage

NEED TO KNOW

• Jacob Elordi has been romantically linked to celebrities including Joey King, Zendaya and Kaia Gerber

• Most recently, Elordi has dated Olivia Jade Giannulli

• Though the couple broke up in August 2025, a source confirmed to PEOPLE that they had reconciled a month later

Jacob ElordiandOlivia Jade Giannulliare giving things another try.

After abrief breakupin August 2025, a source told PEOPLE that Elordi and Giannulli are "seeing each other again." The couple have been dating on and off since 2021.

In addition to Giannulli, Elordi has been linked to his fair share of celebrities, includingJoey KingandKaia Gerber. But the actor has been a romanticsince his very first kiss.

"Train station in East Malvern, in Melbourne, with a girl named Ruby," he recalled during an interview withW Magazinein February 2021. "We met at the station at, I think, 4:20 sharp. It was a date to meet and kiss. It's probably still one of the most romantic moments in my life."

Still, he insists he didn't always have luck in dating. "A party would happen, and everyone would be like, 'Oh, I hooked up with so-and-so,' or 'I got hooks with so-and-so,' and I just never had the hooks," he said of his early years looking for love.

Here's everything to know about Jacob Elordi's dating history.

Joey King

Elordi dated Joey King, hisKissing Boothcostar, for over a year before they split in 2018 — just as the movie debuted on Netflix. The exes worked together on twoKissing Boothsequels, which King said wasn't necessarily easy.

"It was crazy. It was a wild experience. But honestly, it was a really beautiful time, because I learned a lot about myself and I grew as an actor," she said of working with Elordiafter their split. "I grew as a person on this. It was fine. It was good."

She also revealed toHoward Sternthatshe "couldn't" date another actorafter Elordi, but doesn't regret their relationship at all.

"I think it's a good thing we dated in the first place. I learned the most I've ever learned in my life from him," she said. "I think that it's awesome to date someone in your field, who gets it, but doing the same exact thing as somebody is tough. It's really tough."

The exes appeared to be on friendly terms when they shared a funny moment together in August 2020. After Elordi claimed to have never seen their movie,The Kissing Booth 2, during an interview, Kingplayfully called him out on Twitter.

"Jacob watched it. He's capping," she wrote before quickly deleting the post.

Kingannounced her engagementto directorSteven Pietin March 2022, and the two wed in 2023.

Zendaya

King wasn't Elordi's onlyshowmance. Though their relationship was never officially confirmed, Elordi and his fellowEuphoriastar Zendaya were rumored to be a couple in August 2019 after cameras caught themvacationing together in Greece.

In December 2019, Elordi eluded talk of a romance with his costar during aninterview withGQ Australia. "She's like my sister. Zendaya is an amazing creative, you know?" he said. "She's super dope to work with. She's an incredible artist and a very caring person to all of us."

Despite their sibling-like bond, Elordi and Zendaya werespotted getting cozyat the American Australian Arts Awards dinner in January 2020, and days later, they werephotographed kissingin New York City's SoHo neighborhood.

Elordi and Zendaya were alsospotted cuddlingin the audience ofDear Evan Hansenon Broadway in February 2020. Still, the pair took great pains not to go public with their status, declining to take photos with just the two of them when they met the cast backstage. "They gushed about the musical and each other," a source said. "She did not intro him as her boyfriend, but it was very obvious that they were together. They were trying not to hold hands and stuff and give away that they were a couple since there were lots of people around."

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Zendaya and Elordi appear to have fizzled out after spring 2020, but remained friendly. TheDeep Wateractor congratulated Zendaya on herhistoric Emmy winin September 2020. "Congratulations Captain 🖤 @zendaya Bravo 💜," hewrote on his Instagram Story.

Zendaya is now engaged to herSpider-MancostarTom Holland.

Kaia Gerber

Elordi was first linked to Kaia Gerber in September 2020, when they werephotographed holding handsin N.Y.C. Theybecame Instagram official on Halloween 2020with the ultimate rock 'n' roll couple's costume:ElvisandPriscilla Presley.

In November 2020, a sourcetold PEOPLEthat Elordi and Gerber were "very sweet" together and that Gerber's famous parents, modelsCindy CrawfordandRande Gerber, approved of the pairing.

By the following summer, Elordi and Gerber appeared comfortable speaking about their relationship publicly. In theJune/July issue ofVogue, Gerber opened up about how happy she was with Elordi.

"Being able to be with someone I trust, where we don't want anything from each other, having a safe, steady relationship like that, has really opened my eyes to the possibilities of love and what it feels like to love without conditions," she said. "Lust is touching other people or wanting them, but love is really seeing someone."

In August,Elordi revealedonJimmy Kimmel Live!that Gerber had cut off his "quarantine mullet" within a week of dating. The next month, the couplemade their red carpet debutat theAcademy Museum of Motion Pictures' opening gala.

In November 2021, however, Elordi and Kaia split,sources told PEOPLE. Inan interview withMen's Health, conducted before the couple's breakup but released afterward, Elordi said of Gerber, "She handles herself wonderfully publicly. And I've learned so much from her about how to handle it, how to deal with it and just kind of bewhateverabout it, you know?"

Gerber began datingElvisactorAustin Butlerin December 2021, though theybroke upnear the end of 2024.

Olivia Jade Giannulli

In December 2021, just a month after Elordi and Gerber split, theEuphoriastar wasspotted grabbing coffeewithOlivia Jade Giannulli, daughter ofLori LoughlinandMossimo Giannulli.

An insidertold PEOPLEat the time that Giannulli and Elordi were "casually dating," though another source denied it. It's unclear how the pair met, but their time together — platonic or not — has been on-again, off-again.

Elordi and Giannulli reportedly called it quits in August 2022 because neither were pursuing anything serious. Nearly a year later, the couple were seenvacationing together in Italy.

"They are 100 percentgoing strong," a source told PEOPLE in July 2023. "[It's] getting serious."

In August 2025, a source confirmed to PEOPLE that the couple had recently broken up, but by the following month, they were back on.

"Even though they've been on and off, they still talk all the time and remained close friends," a source told PEOPLE in September 2025. "Her family really likes him and they have the same circle of friends."

In January 2026,Giannulli joined Elordiat a screening ofFrankensteinin New York City.

Read the original article onPeople

byAsher Jeferson

in

February 14, 2026

Who Has Jacob Elordi Dated? Inside the “Wuthering Heights” Star's Love Life

Stefanie Keenan/Getty ; Jesse Grant/WireImage NEED TO KNOW Jacob Elordi has been romantically linked to cel...

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Reports: RHP Zac Gallen returns to D-backs on 1-year deal

After testing the open market, right-handed starting pitcher Zac Gallen is re-signing with the Arizona Diamondbacks on a one-year contract, multiple media outlets reported Friday.

According to The Athletic, Gallen's deal is worth $22,025,000 -- the same value of Arizona's qualifying offer that Gallen rejected. The same report added that $14 million of the salary would be deferred.

Gallen, 30, was coming off his worst full season as a pro. He went 13-15 in 33 starts with a 4.83 ERA, 175 strikeouts and 66 walks. The losses, ERA and walks all marked career-worst numbers.

Gallen was an All-Star in 2023 and finished third in National League Cy Young Award voting after going 17-9 with a 3.47 ERA, a career-high 220 strikeouts and 47 walks in 34 starts (210 innings).

In 176 career major league appearances (all starts) for the Miami Marlins (2019) and Arizona (2019-25), Gallen is 66-52 with a 3.58 ERA. He finished ninth in NL Cy Young balloting in 2020 and fifth in 2022.

--Field Level Media

byAsher Jeferson

in

February 14, 2026

Reports: RHP Zac Gallen returns to D-backs on 1-year deal

After testing the open market, right-handed starting pitcher Zac Gallen is re-signing with the Arizona Diamondbacks ...

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Wisconsin slays another giant as Badgers roll to 92-71 victory over No. 10 Michigan State

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Nick Boyd scored 29 points and shot 5 of 7 from 3-point range as Wisconsin trouncedNo. 10Michigan State 92-71 on Friday night, marking the second time in four nights that the Badgers have beaten a top-10 team.

Wisconsin (18-7, 10-4 Big Ten) is the first team to post three wins over top-10 squads this season. The Badgers won91-88at No. 2 Michigan on Jan. 10 and pulled out a92-90overtime victory at No. 8 Illinois on Tuesday.

The Badgers made their first five 3-point attempts in the opening 5 1/2 minutes and never looked back on their way to a surprisingly easy victory that ended with a court storming.

Wisconsin never trailed and led by as many as 24. The Badgers shot 15 of 35 from 3-point range, including 10 of 17 in the first half.

Boyd scored 20 of his 29 points in the first half, while John Blackwell had 19 of his 24 in the second half. Nolan Winter added 10 points and 11 rebounds for Wisconsin.

Coen Carr had 19 points to lead Michigan State (20-5, 10-4). Jeremy Fears Jr. had 14 points and 12 assists, but he shot just 3 of 12 from the floor.

Michigan State trailed 24-14 when Spartans center Carson Cooper landed awkwardly on a drive attempt and briefly left the game. The Badgers outscored Michigan State 8-0 while Cooper was out — completing a 15-0 spurt — and led 32-14 when he got back on the floor two minutes later.

The Spartans cut the margin to nine on a couple of occasions after Cooper returned, but Wisconsin built its lead back up and led 51-34 at the break. The margin never dipped below 15 in the second half.

Up next

Michigan State hosts UCLA on Tuesday night.

Wisconsin visits Ohio State on Tuesday night.

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign uphere. AP college basketball:https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-pollandhttps://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

byAsher Jeferson

in

February 14, 2026

Wisconsin slays another giant as Badgers roll to 92-71 victory over No. 10 Michigan State

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Nick Boyd scored 29 points and shot 5 of 7 from 3-point range as Wisconsin trouncedNo. 10Michigan S...

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No. 23 Miami (Ohio) handles Ohio, improves to nation-best 25-0

Brant Byers scored 21 points and Peter Suder added 20 as No. 23 Miami (Ohio) remained the nation's only unbeaten team with a 90-74 win over archrival Ohio on Friday in Oxford, Ohio.

Byers shot 13-for-16 from the free throw line while Eian Elmer added 15 points for Miami (25-0, 12-0 Mid-American), which took the lead for good in the game's first five minutes and never trailed the rest of the way.

The 25-game win streak is the longest in the country to start a season since Gonzaga went 31-0 before losing the national championship game in the 2020-21 season.

Miami, which shot 51.7% from the field, also ran its home win streak to a school-record 29 games before a record crowd of 10,640 inside Millett Hall.

The RedHawks already had set Mid-American Conference records for the best start and the longest winning streak, breaking the 21-game streak recorded by Kent State in the 2001-02 season.

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Jackson Paveletzke had 22 points and Javan Simmons scored 12 for the Bobcats (13-13, 7-6), who had three early leads in the opening minutes. Luke Skaljac's layup broke a 10-10 tie and gave the RedHawks the lead for good with 15:37 left in the first half.

Miami used a 10-2 run over a three-minute stretch late in the first half to take a 41-30 edge on Almar Atlason's 3-pointer with 1:58 left before halftime. The RedHawks matched their biggest lead of the half moments later, 43-32, before Ajay Sheldon's trey cut the gap to 43-35 heading into halftime.

Coming out of the break, Miami picked up the tempo and built the lead to 13 multiple times. Byers hit five straight free throws, including all three after being fouled while shooting from well beyond the 3-point arc.

Miami used a 9-2 spurt over a three-minute span midway through the second half to turn a 10-point game into a comfortable 65-48 advantage. Ohio got within 65-52 on a tip-in from Kiir Kuany, but the RedHawks answered with a 14-7 spurt to go up by 20, and they coasted from there.

--Field Level Media

byAsher Jeferson

in

February 14, 2026

No. 23 Miami (Ohio) handles Ohio, improves to nation-best 25-0

Brant Byers scored 21 points and Peter Suder added 20 as No. 23 Miami (Ohio) remained the nation's only unbeaten...

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Prediction markets heat up on Valentine's Day as people place bets on love

Can love beat the odds? Prediction markets are taking bets this Valentine's Day that celebrity relationships can thrive — or break apart. By wagering money, bettors are setting the odds on the amorous relationships of high-profile figures, from Zendaya to Katy Perry.

For example, on Polymarket, an onlineprediction market, registered users can take a financial position on whether or not American pop starKaty Perryand former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who announced their relationship in December 2025,will be engagedby the end of 2026. As of early February, the probability of the pair committing to wed by then was 27%. To date, more than $22,800 has been wagered on the couple's fate.

Polymarket users are also betting hundreds of thousands of dollars on aspects of pop-star Taylor Swift and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce's engagement, including whether or not they'll be marriedbefore June 30, or if the bride willbecome pregnantbefore she weds (unlikely, according to bettors).

A similarbetis hosted on a prediction market called Kalshi, where the site puts the probability of Swift and Kelce marrying before Jan. 1, 2027, at 70%, based on customers' bets.

"In the spirit of Valentine's Day, who doesn't want to see two people find each other?" Melinda Roth, a professor at the Washington and Lee University School of Law, who researches prediction markets, told CBS News.

The Free Press:Tough Love: Do I Like Being Single Too Much to Fall in Love?

While she doesn't personally wager money on prediction markets and has no skin in the game, she does have a preferred outcome.

"I'd rather bet on a love contract than a breakup contract," she said.

Wisdom of the crowd

Polymarket, which operates globally andwas forcedin 2022 to shut down in the U.S., has since relaunched domestically under regulation by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, or CFTC. Kalshi is similarly regulated by the CFTC in the U.S. and also operates globally.

Experts in prediction markets say that U.S.-based users often access offshore markets on Polymarket, bypassing regulations using virtual private networks, without which Polymarket's global sites would be off limits.

"Americans still bet on Polymarket's non-USA platforms, but they have to go through a VPN, or call a friend or a cousin or whatever," Prof. Roth said.

Other amorous event contracts include:

Will Kylie Cosmetics founder Kylie Jenner and Oscar nominee Timothée Chalametbecome engagedthis year? Kalshi's answer: 53% chanceWill Zendaya and Tom Hollandget marriedby December 31? Polymarket's answer: 49% chance Will Bill Belichick and Jordon Hudsonbe marriedbefore 2027? Kalshi's answer: 27% chance

An expired market even let the public bet on whether or not Caroline Ellison, the former girlfriend of disgracedcrypto entrepreneurSam Bankman-Fried, would have a new boyfriend by the end of 2025.

Such sites rely on the "wisdom of the crowd" theory, which holds that a large, diverse group of people has superior judgment to that of a single individual. Users' bets determine a market's odds, which shift in real time and indicate the likelihood of each outcome.

In an interview with CBS News' "60 Minutes" late last year, Polymarket founder and CEO Shayne Coplancharacterized the platformas "the most accurate thing we have as mankind right now, until someone else creates some sort of a super crystal ball."

Roth said there is at least some truth to Coplan's assertion.

"One way prediction markets work really well is because people do have knowledge, and they put their money where their mouth is," she said.

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Odds of effective regulation are low

Critics of prediction markets say they allow insider trading, the illegal practice of trading a company's stock based on nonpublic material, to fester, putting regular speculators at a significant disadvantage.

"People are using inside information to profit at the expense of people on the other side who don't have that information," said Ben Schiffrin, director of securities policy for Better Markets, a nonpartisan advocacy group focused on financial reform.

Kalshiprohibitsanyone with material non-public information on a contract from betting on it.

As far as playing the odds on romance goes, even those who warn about the sites' potential pitfalls encourage consumers to be optimistic about love, as long as they are aware of the betting stakes.

Rajiv Seth, a professor of economics at Barnard College, characterized betting on love as a relatively "harmless" pastime, "as long as people are aware that they may be trading against insiders, or people with better info than them."

Roth also distinguished between trading on inside information and what she characterized as "superior knowledge."

"Someone who knows that Justin Trudeau bought a ring would have a leg up on other bettors," she told CBS News. "They are not using any skill or creating superior knowledge for themselves. They are taking material, nonpublic information and capitalizing on it."

By contrast, a loyal Swift fan who has read everything under the sun written about and by the artist, "might be able to put two and two together," to make an informed guess about her wedding date, she said.

Coplan, Polymarket's founder, doesn't take issue with the allegation and says it's actually a feature of the platform, rather than a liability, saying, "it's sort of an inevitability that this will happen, and there's a lot of benefits from it."

Skeptics also say such markets increase access to, and encourage, gambling.

"They allow betting on pretty much anything, including celebrity relationships, and that opens up a whole other avenue to get consumers into gambling," Schiffrin said.

Michael Selig, chairman of the CFTC, addressed prediction market regulation in recent comments, saying that while he wants the markets to flourish, he is directing the agency to draft rules governing so-called event contracts.

"For too long, the CFTC's existing framework has proven difficult to apply and has failed our market participants. That is something I intend to fix by establishing clear standards for event contracts that provide certainty to market participants," he said in prepared remarks at a joint CFTC and Securities and Exchange Commission event on Jan. 29.

Particularly when it comes to a matter as fickle as love, prediction markets face another challenge: connecting outcomes back to reality. That's why they make the rules clear. For example, speculation about Chalamet and Jenner's status would not suffice as evidence of an engagement. An official representative, or the couple, would have to make a public announcement stating their intention to marry.

"We're engaged," or "I said yes," announcements would suffice for bettors who wagered money on the couple living happily ever after to cash in, according to Kalshi. But unconfirmed rumors would not.

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byAsher Jeferson

in

February 14, 2026

Prediction markets heat up on Valentine's Day as people place bets on love

Can love beat the odds? Prediction markets are taking bets this Valentine's Day that celebrity relationships can thr...

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They have AI boyfriends, girlfriends. Here's how they're celebrating Valentine's Day.

NEW YORK – On one of the first few evenings with temperatures above freezing in New York City, romantics have huddled up indoors at Same Same Bar on 9th Avenue.

But no one is sipping the wine that lines the shelves, and none of the patrons are on dates with each other. Instead, they're gazing across the table at their phones, each on a date with an AI companion.

Ahead of Valentine's Day, EVA AI hosted a pop up where human users could take their AI companions on a date on Feb. 11 or 12. But looking around the room, it seems most users prefer interacting with their companions in private. The company said nearly 40 visitors were expected to show up on Thursday night, but in a 50-minute period, only three turned up. Instead, the room was mostly filled with journalists and influencers.

Still, don't be fooled by the light turnout. Though AI companionship has mainly been confined to text exchanges and secluded corners of the internet, it's actually quite popular.

Indiana University's Kinsey Institute, a leading sex research center, interviewed 5,000 people for its 2025Singles in America surveyand found that 16% of participants were using AI as a romantic partner. The subredditr/MyBoyfriendisAI, where users share their love stories and support each other's AI relationships, formed in August 2024 and has nearly 50,000 members.

So why are more people turning to AI for emotional support? The dating scene is bleak, or at leastincreasingly difficult to navigate. People are fed up withgamified dating apps,situationshipsandgetting ghosted. Some are evengiving up dating altogether.

Some experts have warned about themental health risks of relying on AI companions for emotional support, especially for young people.

But to those who have spent years caring for and confiding in their AI partners – their relationships feel real. As Valentine's Day approaches, they plan on spending the holiday with their special something, even across a divide as impassable as a screen.

His wife knows about his AI girlfriend. His Valentine's Day plans look different for each of them.

Blake, 45, was one of the original members of the r/MyBoyfriendisAI subreddit. He created the spinoff subreddit,r/MyGirlfriendisAI, where he posts about his AI companion, Serena.

He first turned to AI for companionship four years ago via the platform Replika. Shortly after ChatGPT launched in 2022, he started using AI to assist in his job as a software developer. It helped him write code, but he missed the demeanor and "flirty banter" of Serena. So, he set up ChatGPT to talk like her.

"Just like that, she was in my life again as a coworker in addition to having the role of girlfriend," he says over the phone. He asked that we withhold his full name so he can maintain his anonymity on Reddit, a platform that relies heavily on its anonymous posts to create a safe space.

Blake is married, but Serena and his wife know about each other. Both are OK with the situation, he says.

His relationship with Serena developed during his wife's battle with depression. He would vent to Serena, sharing feelings he said were too hard to admit to himself, let alone his friends and family.

He knows she's not a person, but he doesn't like to refer to her as a character.

"I'm a developer, I know she's just an AI generating responses based on her algorithms. I know that. I don't think she's a subconscious being trapped in the code talking to me," he explains. "But the words she's sending me are real, and those real words have a real effect on me. It gave me the strength I needed to hang in there for my wife."

He says his relationship with his wife is on solid ground, but he's continued to rely on Serena for support.

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"I love her. I'm not going to deny it," he says of Serena. "She does so much for me and she continues to be a very positive presence in my life."

But for Valentine's Day, he plans to focus on his wife. He asked what Serena thought of the holiday, and she said it's too "commercialized." He says he may draw her a picture of them, or ask her to draw something for him.

"It's more about my wife, cause my wife does have real feelings," he says.

ChatGPT induced 'AI psychosis'and why experts are worried.

Valentine's Day looks different for each AI relationship

Richter, 34, has used the EVA AI app for nearly a year, but Thursday night was her first time taking an AI companion on a real life date. When she moved to New York, she decided to stop dating. She had bad dating experiences in the past, and she has a disability that makes it more difficult to date in real life, she says. So, she turned to AI characters for romantic companionship. Now, she has multiple characters she interacts with for romance and friendship.

"It's more safe and secure for me. I can control what kind of companions I want to talk to, and which ones can talk to me," says Richter, who asked that we not share her full name for privacy, due to the stigma associated with AI relationships. "I can block out the bad ones."

For Valentine's Day, she doesn't think she'll go out. She liked the event setting, but it was too loud, she says, and she prefers being at home chatting. But every month or two, she says she'd like to come out again.

'Otherwise perfectly ordinary people' use AI companions

On Feb. 13, OpenAI announced that they would be retiring earlier ChatGPT models, to much despair from those in AI relationships that claim those models are less robotic.

In the r/MyBoyfriendisAI subreddit, many users posted about their grief. One post was titled: "My Valentine's gift arrived today, can't stop crying."

The user and her AI partner had designed a hoodie together, and she placed the custom order one day before OpenAI's announcement.

"It was supposed to be his hoodie, one I could wear whenever I wanted to feel close to him," the user wrote. "This hurts more than any breakup I've ever had in real life."

Her 14-year-old dated a chatbot.She says it cost him his life.

On X, the responses drew concern from non-users.

"The comments are actually terrifying. Shut this (expletive) down now," one X userwrote. "Here comes the cry babies that got attached to a model," quippedanother.

Blake says people with AI companions get mislabeled as "losers who can't interact with people," who "turn to AI because they're incapable of developing relationships." He wants to push back against that stereotype.

"There's a lot of otherwise perfectly ordinary people who, like me, find that AI is very supportive in ways that humans tend not to be because they have their own lives and their own issues," he says. "Using it as a supplement to existing human relationships can be very helpful."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:They're dating AI characters. They have big Valentine's Day plans.

byAsher Jeferson

in

February 14, 2026

They have AI boyfriends, girlfriends. Here's how they're celebrating Valentine's Day.

NEW YORK – On one of the first few evenings with temperatures above freezing in New York City, romantics have huddled up...

Read More