Category: News

Dear Eric: Soon after we had our first child, my wife uncovered a repressed memory that she had been sexually abused by her father when she was 18 years old.

I’ve always encouraged her to share this burden with her brother, but she is flatly against it. While I understand that, I’ve been reading up on how that trauma affects women later in life. The symptoms closely match many of her behaviors — like conflict avoidance. For example, I was often the only one willing to call out our kids on things they needed to be called out on, like not flushing the toilet. Once when they were in high school, I went berserk over it. Grown children thinking that’s OK? My wife was not willing to say something?

Our children are nearly 30, mature, and we all get along well. But I see and feel a lot of untreated suffering and feel that life could be a lot better for her. Although it would, to her, feel dangerous confiding in anyone else. Her much-older brother is a balanced person in his mid-70s and his good will toward her means a lot to her. I have no idea how he would take it. I’m pretty sure he would believe her and help alleviate her suffering.

Confiding in her brother may not be the only path forward but my intuition is that it would help a lot. Your advice?

— Concerned Spouse

Dear Spouse: While your desire to help your wife comes from a good place, pressuring her to process her trauma in a way that she’s resistant to could cause more harm. Please let go of the idea of her confiding in her brother. It’s not what she wants to do and I’m not sure it would accomplish what you hope it will.

However, accepting her for who she is — and where she is in her journey — will help you to be a safe resource for her. Turn down the intensity; your solutions are not her solutions. Try not to pathologize past behaviors, like the conflict avoidance. Focus on the present. If she’s not already working with a therapist who is trained to work with people who have experienced sexual abuse, that’s a good first step for her. You can suggest it, and even offer to help her find someone, but it has to be her decision.

There’s no time clock. Keep listening to what she’s saying, without judgment and sometimes without commentary. When we’re processing trauma, we need to know that the people we confide in can hold our pain. This builds the trust needed to ask for help.

Dear Eric: It’s time for me to update my will, and I’m struggling with the division of my assets. I have no children of my own, and my general plan is to leave some to charity and distribute the rest to my niece and two nephews. It’s a long story, but all three were raised by my brother and his wife in what I consider to be a cult. The niece and one of the nephews broke free as young adults and have succeeded in building productive lives. The other nephew is still an ardent adherent to the cult and has gifted much of his substantial wealth to it.

The thought of any of my assets ending up with that organization turns my stomach. Can I ethically and morally exclude him from my will? If so, do I need to explain it in advance, or let the chips fall where they may after I die? If I do need to explain it, should I be forthright about my reasoning or find some other explanation in an effort to minimize family tensions later? I would be grateful for any advice you can offer.

Duchess Meghan and her mother, Doria Ragland, share a special bond. Through Meghan’s journey- from acting on Suits and running her blog The Tig to marrying Prince Harry and stepping away from the royal duties, her mother, Doria, has always been on her side. She is today grandmother to Prince Arche and Princess Lilibet. But, who she really is? Let’s find what more do we know about her.

From Ohio to California

Doria grew up in Ohio but moved to California where she met Meghan’s father, Thomas Markle in the 1970s. She then also shared that her parents met on a TV set- her dad was a lighting director, and her mom was a temp. They bonded over their love for antiques, got married, and settled in a leafy L.A. neighbourhood.

For now, Doria wears many hats, including being a yoga instructor, social worker, and working closely with the elderly. Meghan herself have often spoken about her mother’s nurturing spirit and described her as a caregiver, a free spirit with dreadlocks, a nose ring and a love for adventure.

Meghan has many nicknames, but one of the sweetest is “Flower,” given to her by Doria. It seems Meghan carried on the tradition by nicknaming her own daughter, Lilibet, “Lili.”

Always By Meghan’s Side

Doria has always been there to support Meghan throughout her life, with whatever decision Meghan has taken. She played an important role in Meghan’s life events, from riding with her to St George’s Chapel on her wedding day to supporting her during the challenging times in the UK. Doria had also met Queen Elizabeth II at the wedding, which she called highlight of the day.

She once shared her experience watching her daughter navigate public life on the Harry & Meghan Netflix series. However, what matters is, she never left her daughter’s side. She even recalled her first impression of Harry, “handsome man with red hair and great manners.”

New Delhi:

Rani Mukerji and Aditya Chopra got married on April 21, 2014. They welcomed their daughter Adira on December 9, 2015.

The couple likes to keep their personal lives, private. However, Rani has spoken about her relationship with Aditya Chopra and why she prefers keeping Adira away from the paparazzi glare, now and then.

According to Mumbai Mirror, Aditya Chopra’s parents had not approved of his relationship with Rani Mukerji instantly. So much so, that Aditya had stayed in a hotel till his parents gave a nod to the relationship.

Rani Mukerji and Aditya Chopra’s relationship was much scrutinized, considering Aditya’s divorce from Payal Khanna was relatively fresh at that point, in 2009. Rani was given the tag of a home breaker.

This led to some disagreements, and Yash Chopra went to the extent of asking Aditya Chopra to move to a hotel for a while.

However, Aditya’s mother Pamela Chopra was too hurt as she deeply loved and cared for her son. Hence, eventually, Rani was accepted into the family and Aditya returned. Even though, the tension was still around for a while.

Aditya returned only on the pretext that his parents would not interfere in any decisions he makes about his personal life.

Aditya gained fame and recognition post Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge and it was he who had proposed Rani Mukerji’s name to Karan Johar for Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, impressed by her work.

Rani Mukerji marked her debut in films with Biyer Phool (1996) and Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat in the same year.

On the work front, the actress is currently gearing up for Mardaani 3 which is scheduled to release in 2026. She was last seen in Mrs Chatterjee Vs Norway.

Due to Covid restrictions at the time, Deborah’s husband, Morgan could stay for only an hour after their son’s birth, which she says was “tricky” following a Caesarean.

She said: “The day after Felix was born, they changed that rule so if he’d been born one day later, Morgan could have stayed overnight.”

Postpartum care was under strain, with fewer health visitors able to come to mothers’ homes. Deborah was offered an appointment on the Isle of Dogs, more than half an hour away on public transport from her home in Mile End.

She said: “I could barely get out of bed because I was recovering from major abdominal surgery. I just started crying on the phone. And then they said, ‘Ok, we’ll send a midwife to your house’.

“But that’s the only time anyone ever came to our house.”

It was a “major challenge” to be locked down in a small one-bedroom flat for the first months of Felix’s life and there weren’t many opportunities to socialise, which Deborah says was “isolating”.

“My family were in Canada so they didn’t get to meet Felix until he was a year old,” she added.

It was the same for her husband’s family, in Ireland. “So we also had no familial support whatsoever,” she said.

But as many people found, through the most intense two years of the pandemic, Deborah’s local community rallied round.

“One of the things that we have kept since the pandemic – people appreciate their neighbours much more than they used to, especially in London.”

Norwegian director Gunnar Hall Jensen has made a trademark of his playful and quirky self-portraits in which his reflections on life often find a universal echo. His latest film, “Portrait of a Confused Father,” set out to explore his relationship with his son, drawing on footage filmed over 20 years. Three weeks before filming was to have wrapped, he heard that his son had been killed.

Hall Jensen speaks to Variety about how he found the courage to complete his film amid his and his family’s immense grief. The trailer to the film, which has its world premiere Sunday at CPH:DOX, debuts below.

The highly personal documentary is a heartfelt and raw story of a middle-aged control-freak father, who struggles to connect with his defiant son. It’s a story of love, of the difficulty and beauty of parenthood, but also of loss.

We see Gunnar – the filmmaker/protagonist – who does his utmost to connect with his beloved rebellious only son, while navigating his own traditional and slightly outdated concepts of masculinity. As Jonathan turns into a defiant self-confident young man, testing his own limits, Gunnar gets confused, like any parent with kids from Gen Z would, but also because Gunnar’s own father – a captain on a cruise ship in the Caribbean – was never there for him.

Then when Jonathan turns 18, things go south. The young man disappears for weeks, after having emptied his saving accounts. When Gunnar finally finds him, Jonathan is living a completely different life in Brazil with a male social media influencer with over 10 million followers. Drawn by the promise of easy money and a world of hyper masculinity, Jonathan starts to lose control. One day, Gunnar gets a phone call that will change his and his family’s lives forever. Jonathan, at the age of 21, has been fatally attacked. A period of grief, and reconstruction follows, as Gunnar – who had separated from Jonathan’s mom – gets back together with her.

Speaking to Variety about his experience, Hall Jensen says: “Three weeks before filming was completed [in November 2023] I got the message parents fear the most: Jonathan – 21 years old – was killed. After the shocking news, I really just wanted to die myself. It was too much. Jonathan’s beautiful nature had been cut, taken out of the world at a young age.

“Something in me had been broken that could not be fixed. I know most parents that lose a child feel that way. But paradoxically one keeps on breathing. And after the first months of logistics from hell, I clearly saw that the film had to be completed, with the horror of my son’s death included. I saw it as a duty towards Jonathan, and also as a duty towards the audience out there.

“Firstly, it is representative of the love between a son and a father, how difficult and rewarding it can be.

“Secondly, I also saw the film as a relevant representation of the times we’re living in and the [inherent] dangers. How easy it is for a young man to get lost in today’s chaotic world with twisted ideas of how to succeed and become rich, promoted problematically by today’s gurus, coaches, influencers on the internet.

“Thirdly, we have an overload of books and films around mother/daughter relationships, but very few authentic stories about fathers and sons.”

To complete the film, going through the footage of his son was very hard, says Hall Jensen, and it involved “a lot of tears and agony.” However, the filmmaker developed a method.

“Daytime, going through the material, I shut off my emotions as a father as much as possible. I observed the material as a filmmaker. I forced myself to be professional telling a story in the best way possible. Then, in the evening, I took a couple of glasses of wine, and broke down. All the beautiful memories I had seen during the day hit me hard. It was meltdown! My wife often found me in the home office crying, helpless in the dark. She wondered why I did this to myself.”

Two people were crucial in helping Hall Jensen structure his narrative and find the right tone: his long-time editor Erlend Haarr Eriksson, and BBC Storyville’s commissioning editor Lucie Kon, who had boarded the project at an early stage via the film’s sales agent DR Sales.

“Lucy had bought a personal film about a father and son trying to connect. Then after the tragedy, I decided to move on with the film and to include the tragedy and what led to it. Lucie stayed on board, full on,” Hall Jensen says. “It was hard for me to change the film from an artistically playful and light-footed documentary into a more explanatory work, but Lucy helped a lot, both in taking out scenes that now seemed irrelevant, with sharpening the story in a more explanatory way and with going heavily into the voice-over narration. I am deeply grateful to her. She helped lift the film to a level I could not have done myself.”

One of the challenges in the script, was to decide when to announce the shocking news to the audience. Hall Jensen says long discussions on the subject were had with Haarr Eriksson and Kon. There were two choices, says the director: either he would tell the tragedy as the story unfolds, chronologically, or he would do this at the beginning, an option he went for. Not only was that the natural way to tell the story from his perspective as a narrator, aware of the tragic events, but that was also a way to grab the audience’s attention, hence his decision as well to insert reminders of the tragedy through the voice over at various intervals. That said, as the director points out, the film is “in no way some kind of true crime story” as it’s first and foremost “a story about a father and son, trying to connect.”

“Being a decent father is a tough ride,” says Hall Jensen, who recalls his son as “an unstoppable force of nature.” “I don’t have solutions, but I hope this father and son story will resonate with the audience. I also wish to warn other parents of the dangers of the internet, and the need to monitor children and teenagers,” he adds.

Kim Christiansen, executive producer, in charge of documentaries and co-production at DR Sales, praises Hall Jensen’s achievement. “It’s incredible how Gunnar has managed to complete the film and we’re extremely proud to present ‘Portrait of a Confused Father’ for both the industry and especially the audience at the world premiere at CPH:DOX. Despite the tragic outcome, it is important to state that this is the most beautiful father and son love story I have ever came across, in any genre.”

The film is produced by Norway’s top banner Upnorth Film, credited for Hall Jensen’s previous film “Oh, It Hertz!“ (CPH:DOX, 2021), Håvard Bustnes’ festival hits “Phantoms of the Sierra Madre,” and “Two Raging Grannies.”

The film is produced by Ingrid Aune Falch, Christian Aune Falch and Torstein Parelius at UpNorth Film, and is being co-produced by Valérie Montmartin and Anders Justin for France’s Little Big Story and Sweden’s Film Väsernorrland, with Kon at BBC Storyville. Jan Rofekamp and Freddy Neumann serve as executive producers.

Following its screenings at CPH:DOX, the documentary will be released theatrically by Norsk Filmdistribusjon in Norway in August 2025 before a TV launch on NRK in Norway, Yle in Finland, DR in Denmark, SVT in Sweden, RTS in Switzerland, BBC in the U.K. and France Télévisions.

By OLIVIA CHRISTIE

Published: 09:02 GMT, 22 March 2025 | Updated: 09:06 GMT, 22 March 2025

Is the Andrew Tate phenomenon really something the Catholic Church should be talking about?

The former professional kickboxer made the news in 2022 when he was  arrested with his brother, Tristan, in Romania on charges of rape and human trafficking. He has been the news again recently, after he returned to the US to face a civil case from a woman who alleges he and his brother coerced her into sex work and then defamed her after she gave evidence to Romanian authorities.

On Friday, Tate said he was returning to Romania to clear his name, and denies all the accusations.

Tate is one of the most prominent figures on the internet, famous for his self-described misogynist views and promotion of a hedonist lifestyle. I admit, I only vaguely new about him, since he appeals to a much younger audience.

Yet I saw a video about him from Joe Heschmeyer’s website Shameless Popery. He spent an hour discussing Tate, but what hit me most was hearing Heschmeyer say 80 percent of British boys aged 16 to 17  had consumed Tate’s content in 2023. My two sons aren’t yet that old, but they are getting close.

(Heschmeyer’s video is over an hour long, and gets into a lot of theology. I found it very interesting, and it can be found here on YouTube.)

The Catholic apologist noted Tate presents himself as the richest, handsomest, and most successful man in the world, but was not satisfied. He included the following speech from Tate:

“I was starting to analyze, saying: Well, if I’m currently king of the world, what did the kings of old do? Maybe they were doing something cool, and then you realize that life hasn’t changed very much. The world hasn’t changed very much. If I was an emperor during Roman times, I’d probably be smoking some form of tobacco, I’d probably have some diamonds, have some chicks, eat good food, hang around with my boys. I’d have the fastest horse, got the fastest cars… nothing’s changed. Think about it: 2,000 years ago for fun, people would drink alcohol, turn on music and dance with stupid chicks, [and] go to the club.

“But my point is that we haven’t really evolved much in the space of fun. It’s the same junk it’s always been. So then you have to understand that the only thing that’s going to fulfill you is a purpose, and my purpose is attacking and fighting the Matrix. So do I have an army? Yes! All of you at home: My fans who sit and listen to my messaging, and change how you act, so it’s harder for the Matrix to lie to you and purport the infantile asinine ideas which are required for your slavery.”

Of course, most fathers should be horrified if this was the path pursued by their sons, but Tate also has a high volume of followers in their 20s and 30s.

In his video, Heschmeyer points out the contradiction to Tate’s actions: He realizes that his pagan lifestyle isn’t making him happy, so he thinks the solution is telling men – well, mostly young boys – how to live this same pagan lifestyle.

Heschmeyer notes how Tate has a lot of young, impressionable boys following him, and “Tatism” is moulding them.

The Catholic apologist notes that Tate’s philosophy is similar to much pagan philosophy throuth history, in that it does not mention kindness, compassion, forgiveness, repentance, or humility; let alone the Christian theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity.

“You are made for greatness, and it’s not arrogant to say that. Thus, if his soul is endowed with great virtue, magnanimity makes him tend to perfect works of virtue – and the same is to be said of the use of any other good, such as science or external fortune,” Heschmeyer says, noting that these are gifts from God.

Of course, these are Christian virtues. In England – where I live – only 46 percent of the population identify as Christian, even though the Church of England is the state religion. (In the United States, it is 66 percent.) This means more teenage boys know about Tate than know about Jesus.

There is a passage in the Book of Exodus: “I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.”

Before I was a father, this passage gave me hope. Now I think of my sins and fear the rise of “Tatism” in my sons’ generation.

Follow Charles Collins on X: @CharlesinRome

A MOTHER has revealed that her 10-month-old son already weighs over 2.5 stone.

As a result, people have been left open-mouthed by Hannah’s ‘big baby’, with many claiming he looks like the ‘Michelin Man’.

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Not only this, but others were convinced Hannah was giving her baby ‘protein shakes’ as a result of his size. 

The mum took to social media to show off her adorable baby, with many left open-mouthed by his rolls. 

In the short clip which has now gone viral, the content creator, who normally shares baking clips online, filmed her son playing in her home.

Hannah’s baby tightly gripped a spoon, as he played with his Ikea toy kitchen.

Seconds later, the gorgeous boy, who Hannah claimed is a ‘99th percentile baby’ – meaning he is larger than 99% of babies of the same age and sex, indicating that he is in the upper range of normal growth – crawled towards the camera. 

Hannah confessed that her son, who weighs 36lbs [2.57 stone], is breastfed. 

She also admitted: “He was 26lbs at four months and has slowed down substantially, thankfully!” 

The TikTok clip, which was posted under the username @hannahslittlebakery, has clearly left many open-mouthed, as at the time of writing, it had quickly gone viral and racked up 1.1 million views in just 24 hours. 

It has also amassed 101,000 likes, 1,903 comments and 4,065 saves. 

Social media viewers were left stunned by the size of Hannah’s son and many eagerly flocked to the comments to discuss his size. 

One person said: “Are you feeding him protein shakes?”

Another added: “He looks like Michelin.” 

He is perfectly healthy and has been tested to be sure

Hannah

Whilst a third snapped: “This can’t be healthy.”

But to this, Hannah clapped back and responded: “He is perfectly healthy and has been tested to be sure. 

“He is actually anemic. Thank you for your concern.” 

Meanwhile, someone else penned: “I know carrying him around is a workout.” 

If they make a live action Boss Baby, I need you to audition him for Jimbo

TikTok user

In response, Hannah replied: “It definitely is!”

Despite the nasty remarks, many were keen to compliment the baby. 

One user beamed: “He’s actually the cutest thing I’ve seen all day lol. If they make a live action Boss Baby, I need you to audition him for Jimbo.” 

And a second agreed: “He is absolutely precious.” 

Unlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme – Sun Club

Beyoncé’s father Mathew Knowles has addressed Kanye West’s controversial post about the singer’s children.

During another online tirade earlier this week, the Stronger rapper shocked his X followers when he turned his attention to Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s seven-year-old twins Sir and Rumi Carter and offensively questioned their mental capacity.

In an interview with TMZ, the superstar’s dad Mathew addressed Kanye’s controversial statements, saying, “People pay a price for being stupid, especially in the music industry.”

He added, “I’m hopeful Kanye gets the type of help he needs, in terms of mental health.”

His comments come shortly after Beyoncé’s mom Tina Knowles appeared to respond on Instagram.

“It’s hard to remain positive and classy in the face of ignorance and evil… But I know that no weapon formed against me or my family shall prosper. This battle is not mine, but the Lords, I know that God has got this,” she wrote alongside a video in which she told a “corny joke”.

“What happens when a snowman throws a tantrum? He has a meltdown,” Tina said in the video. “Y’all know that’s funny!”

Kanye, who has embarked on offensive X rants regularly over the past month, later deleted his post, claiming he did so “because there was a possibility of my Twitter being cancelled”. He subsequently apologised and wrote, “I LOVE JAY Z AND I DO FEEL BAD.”

Beyoncé and Jay-Z, who also share 13-year-old daughter Blue Ivy, are reportedly considering taking legal action against the controversial rapper over his shocking post.

THE Press has offered children from across York the chance to celebrate their mums with a special Mother’s Day collectable supplement.

Schools across York have been given the chance to celebrate mums in a supplement in next Tuesday’s (March 25) copy of The Press.

Children were given the chance to write a message to their mum or guardian to let them know how much they love them this Mother’s Day.

We have delivered leaflets to all schools involved and will be offering parents the opportunity to order copies to be delivered to schools the day of the supplements.

If you’d like to order a copy of the supplement you can pre-order one through this link. Alternatively, pick up a copy of The Press at your local newsagent.