The short-lived marriage of Kenny Chesney and Renée Zellweger

By
Monica Pop
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Hollywood is the place where the magic happens. Besides all those glorious million-dollar worth productions, it is also known for the love stories of many celebrities who hope to find the right one in a colleague or a co-star. However, what is typical for most Hollywood marriages is that they don’t usually last, and the one between the Bridget Jones’ Diary star Renée Zellweger and country singer Kenny Chesney is an example of that.

From the very start, the public believed that this couple was a bit unlike. Renée was reaching for the stars at the time, while Kenny already had a number of famous songs under his belt, so they were both famous in their own right.

What they had in common was that they were both from Texas, but that wasn’t reason enough for their union to succeed.

Getty Images

The two were reported to have first met during NBC’s broadcast “Concert of Hope,” a tsunami aid telethon in January 2005. Apparently, Kenny learned that Renée was trying to “pass him a note.”

“When the broadcast wrapped, [Chesney] went over [to Zellweger] and said, ‘I hear you are trying to pass me a note — don’t let the principal find out,’” a friend of Rene’s told People.

Before this meeting, Renée was dating other people. She was shortly engaged to actor Jim Carrey and dated musician Jack White, lead singer of The White Stripes.

At the time, Kenny already had 20 albums and more than 40 top 10 singles on the US Billboard Hot Country, while Renée charmed the world with her roles in Jerry Maguire and the iconic Bridget Jones Diary.

Jim Carrey & Renee Zellweger at the Mann Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California
(Photo by Steve Granitz/WireImage)

Once Renée and Kenny announced they were dating, the news took the magazines by storm. Few weeks later, they revealed they tied the knot during a private ceremony at St. John at Kenny’s place in the gated community of Peter Bay.

“It’s a quick, surprise wedding, kind of a shocker for all of us here in Hollywood who did not see it coming,” Mark Steins of Entertainment Tonight wrote at the time.

What came as a bigger shock was that just four months after saying I do, Renée asked her marriage to be annulled. Neither of them wanted to speak of the reasons which led to the decision at the time, but over the years, they both opened up and tried to make things more clear.

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Apparently, Rene listed “fraud” as the reason for her marriage to be annulled, and that caused quite a stir because people started speculating that Kenny could be gay. The actress the felt the urge to comment on those speculations, saying, “the miscommunication of the objective of their marriage at the start is the only reason for this annulment.”

Further, she was reported to have told Celebrity Nine, “That made me sad. It made me sad that somehow people were using that as a way to be cruel and calling someone gay as a pejorative, which has fateful consequences. Of course, there’s the bigger-picture problem of why anyone had to make up a story at all.”

Some believed the problem started at their honeymoon. “Well, we did our honeymoon in Little Rock at a show. I had to go back on the road, so we went to Little Rock, Oklahoma City, Dallas and San Antonio. And then I flew here. So it was not that great of a honeymoon,” the musician reported back in the day.

During an appearance at Oprah, Kenny tried to explain what really happened between him and his now ex-wife. He said his life was sort of packed in a box, and Renée somehow didn’t fit in that box.

”I panicked. It was out of the box. Oh my God, but it’s tough. It really is tough, and she’s a sweet soul, no doubt about it, but I just wasn’t ready…. This is the first time I’ve actually talked about it, but that’s what happened.”

This, however, didn’t put a stop to the rumors, so in 2009, Kenny had an interview with Playboy, as reported by CMT News, and went further on to explain, “That is the most unbelievable thing in the world … What guy who loves girls wouldn’t be angry about that sh—? I didn’t sign up for that. I think people need to live their lives the way they want to, but I’m pretty confident in the fact that I love girls. (laughs) I’ve got a long line of girls who could testify that I am not gay.”

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Although this celeb marriage was short-lived, it managed to cause controversy. We believe both Renée and Kenny are glad this period of their lives is behind them as they both continued be great at what they do when it comes to their professional lives.

Amber Rachdi became a role model for millions of people after she lost over 260 pounds on “My 600-lb Life”

By
Monica Pop
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0

Every journey starts with a single step, and the road to a healthier lifestyle for the “star” of the third season of My 600–lb Life, Amber Rachdi, was challenging and burdensome. It took this young lady five years for her to get her life back. This is her story.

Youtube/HealthyWays

Amber struggled with her weight basically her whole life. When this Oregon girl was just five, she weighted 160 pounds. She struggled with eating disorder that later led to anxiety disorder and anxiety attacks. Sadly, in order to calm down, Amber would always turn to food. She admitted she found comfort in eating and her parents cooked her meals whenever she was anxious or nervous.

When Amber was 23, her life didn’t resemble that of those her age in any way. While her friends were out partying, she was “imprisoned” in her home and had a hard time performing even the simplest of tasks such as getting down the stairs.

The only time she went out was when she and boyfriend Rowdy, who lived with her and her parents, went shopping together. Even then, she was moving around using a mobility scooter.

Youtube/HealthyWayse

The worst of all was that although Amber hated the condition she put herself in, she believed there was nothing that could be done and instead of turning to a healthier way of living, she would just eat more and more with each passing day.

“I’ve tried so hard, so many times, to change the way I eat. But I can’t. I’m already such a failure. Why not just keep failing? I hate being in public. I feel like a sideshow,” she said.

However, her wake-up call was when she was told that in case she doesn’t change her life, she wouldn’t likely reach her 30th birthday.

Youtube/HealthyWays

At the age of 23, Amber met the doctor who would change her life, famous Dr. Nowzaradan, also known as “Dr Now” who’s part of the TLC’s show My 600-lb Life.

However, on her way to Houston, Texas, where the show is filmed, she experienced an unpleasant situation. Her wheelchair couldn’t hold her and broke down, so her father had to wheel her through the airport in an over-sized luggage cart. On the plane, Amber was sitting on two sits and could hardly squeeze into the row.

Youtube/HealthyWays

Amber was hoping to get the so much anticipated gastric bypass to reduce her enlarged stomach, but that wasn’t as easy as she thought. Dr. Now said her condition was worrying and asked her to lose at least 20 pounds before he considered operating on her.

She was determined to continue her journey and her diet now consisted of mainly vegetables and chicken. Her family moved to Houston to help her stay on the right path, although her boyfriend continued eating junk food in Amber’s presence but she didn’t fall into temptation. Instead, she started going to the gym. “Starting to walk again has been difficult,” she explained. “It hurts and it’s hard.”

Youtube/HealthyWays

Amber lost 17 pounds, and Dr. Now decided it was enough for the surgery to take place. Her stomach was reduced from the size of a football to the size of a baseball. It was the new start she was longing for for so long, and she knew there was no going back if she wanted to be happy and healthy again.

Over the course of a year, brave and determined Amber lost 267lb, going from size 6X to 2X.

She said her journey was hard and described it as a “crummy experience,” according to the In Touch Weekly. “They exert a certain kind of pressure and lack a human touch sometimes,” she wrote. “They assumed we would be difficult and were rather forceful with their demands? It didn’t feel good, respectful, or mutually beneficial working with the production. There are lovely individuals on their payroll, and I met some incredible people, but it definitely wasn’t an experience I want to repeat.”

After Amber’s family got back to Oregon, she and her boyfriend stayed in Houston and could finally go on their second date outside her house.

“I surprised myself.” Amber said. “I’m shopping for myself, I’m eating healthy and I’m working out. I’ve taken control of my life.”

Amber inspired millions of people and was dubbed a role model by many.

Today, five years after her journey started, Amber is getting married to her new boyfriend, as she and Rowdy split but remained good friends.

She wants everyone to know that taking back control over your life is not always easy but it’s well worth it.

Speaking about her life-changing journey, Amber wrote on Instagram, “I was REAL fat. Now, I’m just normal fat. Life ain’t bad.”

We wish her only the best in life.

Girl raises $2K for veterans through her lemonade stand

By
Monica Pop
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0

Children have the purest souls.They always speak their mind and do impressive things. The parents of 8-year-old Sammie Striker of Saginaw, Michigan, have a lot to be proud of because of their daughter. You see, Sammie isn’t an ordinary girl who dreams of buying herself a bunch of toys and fancy clothes. She knows that somebody out there could use the money she earns for much practical purposes.

Sammie “runs” a lemonade stand and all the money she makes go to a special place, the VA Hospital in Saginaw.

Source: WILX News 10

Although she’s young, she understands the sacrifice of our veterans so she wants to repay them for their service in the most adorable way. Knowing she collects money for the veterans, most of her customers don’t ask for a change when they buy a cup of her juicy refreshment. Many leave $10 or even $20.

Last year, she sold 65 gallons of lemonade and made $1,500. This year, she set her goal to $2,000, and thanks to everyone who stopped by her stand, she reached it.

Sammie presented the hospital with a check of $2,111.

Source: WILX News 10

“They said that we need more people like you in the community because we can take all the help we can get for the hospitals and because there’s a lot of people that need help,” Sammie said of the hospital’s officials.

Jeffrey Wendt, an official with the VA Hospital, said that they are impressed with Sammie’s work and her dedication to her cause. “It’s a great message to other students and other young people to be as generous and as hard working as she is,” he said.

For next year, Sammie is hoping to raise $5,000 that she’s planning on donating again.

What a thoughtful thing to do.

Kidnapper grabs pre-teen, but soon realizes he messed with the wrong group of girls

By
Monica Pop
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Four girls who were out having fun and hanging out were suddenly attacked by one man who tried to kidnap one of them. He pulled the girl by the hair and started pulling her towards him. It was a moment of shock for both the girl in question and her friends.

“He looked really weird,” Allison Eickhoff told Inside Edition. “He grabbed me and he, like, covered my mouth and he grabbed my head. He said, ‘You’re coming with me,’ and I was, like, in shock.”

Source: YouTube/ Inside Edition

Luckily, the rest of the girls, among which Allison’s sister, acted quickly and prevented the worst case scenario from taking place all because of our favorite beverage; coffee. Having their huge cups of coffee in their hands, the quick-thinking girls threw them at the alleged abductor and started hitting him on the head.

“I grabbed my drink and chucked it at his head. I tried, I punched him in the head,” Lauren told ABC News. “Seeing that your little sister was going to get taken is very scary.”

Source: YouTube/ Inside Edition

The police arrived at the scene just in time to arrest the predator, 22-year-old Bruce Hipkins who has since been charged with a multitude of cases including unlawful imprisonment, assault and battery, and two counts of criminal sexual conduct. His bail was set at $250,000.

The girl’s bravery could also be seen on Hipkins’ mugshot, which shows his shirt visibly covered in coffee stains.

The girls’ dad, Aaron Eickhoff, has taught his daughters how to act in self-defense and his glad those lesson came in handy when they needed them the most.

“Punch ’em, kick ’em, anything to get away and always punch in the throat … they go and stop breathing,” Allison shared some of the tricks with Inside Edition.

Source: YouTube/ Inside Edition

Millington Police Chief Jason Oliver was pretty impressed with the girls’ act and how they saved themselves. “The girls thought fast and did the right thing by fighting back,” he said.

The girls shared a piece of advice with others, saying to “always fight back because you always have a chance.”

For more on the story check out the video below. We are so glad everything turned out for the best and a disaster was avoided from taking place.

Donald Trump met up with Kyle Rittenhouse days after he was found not guilty

By
Monica Pop
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The trial of Kyle Rittenhouse, which ended with him being found not guilty, attracted the attention of the wide public. And while some believed he acted in self-defense the night he killed two people and wounded one, others were convinced he needed to be found guilty of all the charges and jailed for life.

On the night of August 25, 2020, Rittenhouse left his home in Antioch, Illinois, and went Kenosha, Wisconsin, holding a weapon. He claimed he drove to Kenosha in order to protect businesses from the rioters protesting against the police in the shooting of Jacob Blake.

Rittenhouse faced charges of first-degree reckless homicide and first-degree intentional homicide, amongst others, with the second of those carrying a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole. The entire time, he claimed that he killed his victims, Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber, and wounded third, because he acted in self-defense.

Source: Getty Images

Amid his trial, a poll asked the public to take a stand, and the results showed that two-thirds of Republicans believed he should be acquitted, while three-quarters of Democrats thought he should be convicted.

After reaching a verdict and finding Rittenhouse not guilty, he went on to speak of his case, saying that it was a classic example of prosecutorial misconduct. In an interview with right-wing host Tucker Carlson, Rittenhouse said, “It wasn’t Kyle Rittenhouse on trial in Wisconsin; it was the right of self-defense on trial.”

He then went on to explain, “I believe there needs to be change. I believe there’s a lot of prosecutorial misconduct — not just in my case, but in other cases. And it’s just amazing to see how much a prosecutor can take advantage of somebody. If they did this to me, imagine what they could have done to a person of color who doesn’t maybe have the resources I do or isn’t widely publicized, like my case.”

One of the public figures who stood by Rittenhouse’s side from day one was former President Donald Trump. Six days after the trial started back in 2020, while Trump was still POTUS, he was reported saying, “He was trying to get away from them, I guess, it looks like. I guess he was in very big trouble. He probably would have been killed,” referring to the shooting.

Days after getting out of prison, not surprisingly, Rittenhouse paid Trump a visit at his Mar-A-Lago resort in Florida. The two shared a photo on Twitter on which they have huge grins on their faces.

After the meeting, Trump had an hour-long interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity, during which, among the rest, he discussed meeting Rittenhouse and his mother.

“Kyle, I got to know him a little bit. He called. He wanted to know if he could come over and say hello because he was a fan, unlike the other guy,” Trump said.

Referring to the trial, Trump added, “He should never have been put through that. That was prosecutorial misconduct,” calling Kyle “a really nice young man.”

Army veteran with terminal cancer walks his seven daughters down the aisle before dying

By
Monica Pop
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0

Most women dream of getting married to the love of their life and having their father walk them down the aisle. However, only the luckiest ones get to experience this joy.

William “Willie” Shelton, a U.S. Army veteran and a father of seven daughters, always hoped to walk his girls down the aisle on their most special day. Sadly, after he was diagnosed with brain cancer and was only given weeks to live, this dream of his became very distant, almost impossible to be fulfilled.

His wife Cheryl was devastated. The thought of losing her husband broke her heart, but there was still one thing she could do for him. As one of their daughters, Emily Flinn, got married at a courthouse before, Cheryl decided to organize a wedding ceremony in the family’s backyard. However, not only Emily, but the rest of Willie’s daughters were dressed in wedding gowns, and he got to walk each and every one of them down the aisle.

Facebook / KTVU Fox 2

He won’t be there on the day they marry, but at least they will have one special memory of their dad to hold and to cherish.

The ceremony was organized in just three days time with the help of many kindhearted individuals, including David’s Bridal, Taylor Elchert Photography, and a hair studio, as well as local businesses and the LifeCare Hospice.

Facebook / KTVU Fox 2

“We had this idea we put together in three days. We got all the wedding gowns for the girls and hospice helped us out a great deal with some of the planning,” Cheryl told Fox 8 News Cleveland.

“I always assumed that my dad would be there to walk me down the aisle and when the possibility was there that he wasn’t going to be able to — this was everything,” said Lindsey Shelton, one of Willie’s daughters.

Unfortunately, Willie passed away two weeks after the touching ceremony took place. He was 44.

Facebook / KTVU Fox 2

You can take a look at the beautiful event in the video below. Rest in peace Willie.

Dying baby has only weeks to live, his parents are trying to complete his bucket list

By
Monica Pop
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0

There is no greater pain than that of losing a child. Watching your most precious jewel struggle and fights for their life while there is nothing you can do to ease their pain has to be the most heartbreaking thing ever. Unfortunately, some parents experience this heartbreak and are forced to say that last goodbye to their child.

Christine and Chris McArdle received devastating news when they were told their 9-month-old baby boy Brice had Embryonal tumors with multilayered rosettes (ETMR). He had to undergo a number of surgeries and chemo treatments, but that didn’t help much. Instead, the parents were told that there was nothing left to be done and that sweet Brice had between two to twelve weeks to live.

Source: Facebook/Chris McArdle

Instead of spending that time crying, Christine and Chris decided to make the most out of it and complete a bucket list which included a bunch of fun activities.

On Monday, they went to America’s biggest mall where Brice could spend some time playing at the kid-friendly attractions, including merry-go-round.

They also visited a science museum, a railroad museum, and had Star Wars experience.

Source: Facebook/Chris McArdle

Brice spent most of his final days at hospice and his mom and dad took as much time off of work as they could, with their colleagues donating work shifts and even money.

Chris said, “We got the news that basically it’s a done deal, we both just decided we are not gonna work. We are going to spend every waking moment with him we can and we trust God with the results of that.” Christine added, “All the things we imagined doing with Brice, all in one four to twelve week period. All the things we thought we’d be doing when he was a toddler, we want to do now.”

Source: Facebook/Chris McArdle

Unfortunately, baby Brice died on August 10 and left his parents’ hearts filled with grief. They are glad his last days were filled with fun. Rest in peace, little one.

Lieutenant Weaver was killed in Afghanistan – Days after his funeral his wife found hidden files on his laptop

By
Kelly White
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When something is so beautiful, even though it happened quite some time ago, it’s still worth talking about and sharing, such an amazing show of Love you could ever see!

It was back in 2010, and 1st Lieutenant Todd Weaver was in Afghanistan, unfortunately, it was there that he lost his life, killed by an improvised explosive device.

Emma, his widow, was completely devastated, his young not even one year old daughter, Kylie, would never get to meet her father.

Todd was given a hero’s funeral back on American soil and buried in the Arlington National Cemetery.

Such a sad thing that Emma and Kylie never got to say goodbye to the loving father, Todd never got the chance to tell them all his feelings before he left too, well, so Emma thought….

Emma was at her computer, a couple of days after the funeral when she found something breathtaking. Just staring at her on her computer desktop was a folder with two ‘Word documents’, one called “Dear Emma” and another called “Dear Kiley”.

Her Loving husband Todd must have written the letters before he went out to Afghanistan, just in case the worse came to worse.

Such beautiful letters are a testament to the love he had for them both, and that of a hero and proud father!

Read the two amazing and beautiful letters:

KTVU/Facebook

The first letter is from Todd to his wife, Emma:

Dear Emma:

Well if you are reading this, I guess I did not make it home and therefore, I was not able to remind you again of how much I love you.

I love you so much baby and I will always love you. Although I may not be here right now, take comfort in the fact that I am watching over you right now.

I am not gone and I will always be with you in spirit. I know this time must be hard for you but I also know how strong you are.

Never forget that God knew what was best for us before we were even born. Take comfort in that. This happened for a reason. Although you may not believe it now, you will one day.

I want you to know just how important you are to me. I could not ask for a more caring, beautiful and loving wife. The memories that we have shared over the last few years have been the best of my life. Although it may seem like my life was cut short, I lived a life that most can only dream of. I married the perfect woman. I have a beautiful daughter that amazed me every day.

I even had two great dogs — at least most of the time. I couldn’t ask for anything more. If you feel sad, just think back to the memories that we shared. Look at our daughter and how beautiful she is.

Be strong for her. Remind her about her Daddy and tell her that I loved her more than anything else in the world. Her birth was the best day of my life and she was the best thing that ever happened to me. Her smile and laughter represent all that is good and beautiful in this world.

Tell her that Daddy is in heaven now and will watch over her and protect her every minute of every day. I love you Emma. But never be afraid to do what you need to do to be happy. It is so important that you continue to find happiness in your life. Although you may think this is impossible right now, have faith.

Much better times are coming. You and Kiley have a wonderful life ahead of you and I am so happy to have shared some of it with you.

I love you.
Your loving Husband,
Todd

KTVU/Facebook

The second is from Todd to his 9-month-old daughter, Kiley:

Dear Kiley, My Sweetie:

Although you may not remember me, I want you to know how very much your Daddy loves you.

I left for Afghanistan when you were 9 months old.

Leaving you was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.

You are so very special to me sweetie — you are truly a gift from God.

The best day of my life was the day you were born.

Every time I saw you smile my heart would just melt.

You were my sweetie — my life was not complete until you were born.

I am so sorry I will not be able to see you grow up.

But remember, your Daddy is not gone. I am in heaven now smiling down on you every day.

You are so very lucky to have such a wonderful Mom to take care of you.

Make sure you are good for her and help her out whenever you can.

Always remember to say your prayers at night and be thankful for all your many blessings.

Never forget how important and special you are to so many people.

We love you so very much. When you get older and start school, do your best and try to learn as much as you can about the world you live in.

Always be nice and caring to others and you will discover that the world will be nice to you.

But when things aren’t going your way, never forget that God knows what is best for you and everything will work out in the end.

You have such a bright and beautiful future ahead of you.

Have fun. Enjoy it. And remember, your Daddy will always be proud of you and will always love you.

You are and will always be my sweetie.

With very much love,
Your Daddy

Not a single thing can replace their loss, but it’s still amazing that Todd was able to write these letters before he died AND that Emma found them and read them!

Our thoughts and prayers are with his family!

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