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BAFTA judge Jonte Richardson has resigned from the organization following their handling of an incident at Sunday night's ceremony in which a racial slur was shouted out when Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were on stage

NEED TO KNOW

• In a LinkedIn post, Richardson said he was "compelled" to step back due to BAFTA's "unforgivable" handling

• Following the airing of the n-word on the recorded show, BAFTA and the BBC issued separate apologies

BAFTAjudge Jonte Richardson has resigned over the handling of Sunday night's racial slurincident involving Tourette's Syndrome advocate John Davidsonat the 2026 British Academy Film Awards.

Davidson, 54 — who first began experiencing symptoms of the motor disorder, which causes involuntary verbal and physical tics, as a child — shouted the n-word asSinnersactorsMichael B. Jordan, 39, andDelroy Lindo, 73, presented the award for Best Visual Effects at the Sunday, Feb. 22 show.

TheBBChas since apologized after the moment was not edited out of the BBC One broadcast, which aired with a two-hour delay. It also remained on the broadcaster's catch-up service, BBC iPlayer, on Monday morning before being removed.

Tristan Fewings/BAFTA/Getty

After Davidson shouted the racial slur,Alan Cumming, who hosted the 2026 BAFTA Film Awards,spoke to the audience, noting that the movieI Swearaddressed the type of involuntary outbursts that audience members heard. He then addressed the audience again later in the evening, this time apologizing to anyone who may have been offended by Davidson's words.

Filmmaker Richardson was among those criticizing the way the whole thing was handled during and after the ceremony, sharinga statement on LinkedInon Monday, Feb. 23 confirming he felt "compelled" to "withdraw from the BAFTA emerging talent judging panel" after some "considerable soul-searching."

Richardson said the organization's "handling of the unfortunate Tourette's N-Word incident last night at the awards was utterly unforgivable."

"I cannot and will not contribute my time energy and expertise to an [organization] that has repeatedly failed to safeguard the dignity of its Black guests, members and the Black creative community," he continued.

"This is particularly unfortunate given that this year's cohort boasts some incredible Black talent, especially one of my favourite shows of 2025 'Just Act Normal.' However, when an [organization] like BAFTA, with its own long history of systemic racism, refuses to acknowledge the harm inflicted on both the Black and disabled communities and offer an appropriate apology, remaining involved would be tantamount to condoning its [behavior]," Richardson shared.

He concluded, "I hope BAFTA leadership comprehend the damage they and the BBC have caused and take the necessary steps to ensure their production staff are inclusive enough to prevent such an issue in the future," signing off the message, "Yours sincerely, Jonte Richardson."

BAFTA didn't immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE for comment regarding Richardson's post.

Jeff Spicer/Getty

The BBC told PEOPLE in a statement on Monday, "Some viewers may have heard strong and offensive language during the BAFTA Film Awards. This arose from involuntary verbal tics associated with Tourette syndrome, and as explained during the ceremony, it was not intentional. We [apologize] that this was not edited out prior to broadcast and it will now be removed from the version on BBC iPlayer."

BAFTA alsoreleased a statementon Monday,which included, "At the BAFTA Film Awards last night our guests heard very offensive language that carries incomparable trauma and pain for so many. We want to acknowledge the harm this has caused, address what happened and [apologize] to all."

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"Early in the ceremony a loud tic in the form of a profoundly offensive term was heard by many people in the room. Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were on stage at the time, and we [apologize] unreservedly to them, and to all those impacted. We would like to thank Michael and Delroy for their incredible dignity and professionalism," BATFA also said in the statement.

"We take full responsibility for putting our guests in a very difficult situation and we [apologize] to all. We will learn from this, and keep inclusion at the core of all we do, maintaining our belief in film and storytelling as a critical conduit for compassion and empathy," the post concluded.

In addition, Davidsonspoke out about the incident in a statementhe shared withVariety.

"I wanted to thank BAFTA and everyone involved in the awards last night for their support and understanding and inviting me to attend the broadcast. I appreciated the announcement to the auditorium in advance of the recording, warning everyone that my tics are involuntary and are not a reflection of my personal beliefs," Davidson said in his statement.

A stage manager at the BAFTA Film Awards had introduced Davidson to the audience before the show and alerted guests that they may hear some "involuntary noises or movements" during the ceremony, according to the outlet.

"I was heartened by the round of applause that followed this announcement and felt welcomed and understood in an environment that would normally be impossible for me," Davidson continued in his statement. "In addition to the announcement by Alan Cumming, the BBC and BAFTA, I can only add that I am, and always have been deeply mortified if anyone considers my involuntary tics to be intentional or to carry any meaning."

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Davidson attended the BAFTA Film Awards in London to represent the filmI Swear, which is based on his life and experiences with Tourette's. In his statement, Davidson said that the movie, "more than any film or TV documentary, explains the origins, condition, traits and manifestations of Tourette Syndrome."

He continued, "I have spent my life trying to support and empower the Tourette's community and to teach empathy, kindness and understanding from others and I will continue to do so. I chose to leave the auditorium early into the ceremony as I was aware of the distress my tics were causing."

After the incident, Lindo toldVanity Fairat a Warner Brothers' afterparty that he and Jordan "did what we had to do" when they were on stage, but admitted hewished "someone from BAFTA spoke to us [about the incident] afterwards."

Reps for Jordan and Lindo didn't immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE for comment on Monday, Feb. 23.

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A series of widely circulated images of a man on Nancy Guthrie's porch were not all taken the morning she disappeared from her Arizona home — one was captured earlier, two law enforcement sources familiar with the investigation said Monday.

Theimage showed the persondressed in dark clothing with a mask and gloves and — unlike other images released by FBI Director Kash Patel — without a backpack.

Patel said the image came from the same camera at Guthrie's front door in the Tucson area as other images captured the morning she disappeared on Feb. 1.

More coverage of Nancy Guthrie's disappearance

• What we know about the search for Guthrie

• What could come next in the investigation into Nancy Guthrie's disappearance

• Security video from Guthrie's home offers potential clues for investigators

• Genetic genealogy brings promise and challenges to the Nancy Guthrie case

A spokesperson with FBI headquarters declined to comment Monday on possible dates tied to the image or whether the person is the same person seen in the other security video released by the agency.

The Pima County Sheriff's Department said in a statement Monday that there is no date or timestamp associated with the image and that any suggestion that it was taken on a different day is "purely speculative."

"That's all it is is speculation," Sheriff Chris Nanos told NBC News. "We understand the thinking behind it, but again, I remind everybody, we follow the rules of evidence. And right now we have no evidence to suggest that it occurred that day or days before."

Nanos said that the images do not come with dates or timestamps and that officials believe the majority of images were from Feb. 1 only because they show the doorbell being disconnected.

Guthrie, 84, the mother of "TODAY" co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, was last seen Jan. 31. She was reported missing at about noon the next day when she did not show up to watch a virtual church service with friends.

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The weekslong investigation into her disappearance, which now involves local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, has drawn international attention. While authorities believe Guthrie may have been taken from her home, no suspects or persons of interest have been publicly identified.

The images the FBI released Feb. 10 were a significant development in the investigation into Guthrie's possible abduction. They showed a masked, armed man later described as a suspect appearing to tamper with Guthrie's Google Nest camera.

Recovering those imagesappears to have been a challenge.

Guthrie did not have a subscription that would have saved the video, and Nanos has said the camera was disconnected at 1:47 a.m. There were multiple cameras inside Guthrie's home, he said, and a person was detected at 2:12 a.m., though it is unclear which camera was responsible for detecting that motion.

Patel has said the FBI and the Pima County Sheriff's Department worked with "private sector partners" to recover the images from "residual data in backend systems."

Based on the images, officials have offered identifying details about the man, describing him as being of average build, 5 feet, 9 inches to 5 feet, 10 inches tall. He was wearing a black, 25-liter Ozark Trail Hiker Pack backpack, sold exclusively at Walmart, authorities have said.

Investigators discovered multiple sources of DNA in and around the crime scene, but testing has yielded no results.

Officials are working to testsamples found at Guthrie's home— which did not match her or anyone who was known to have been there recently —through a process called forensic genetic genealogyin the hope of identifying a suspect.

Nanos has said the DNA sample is mixed and contains genetic information from at least two people, which could take longer to test.

It's been two years sinceGerry TurnerandTheresa Nistexchanged vows in their televised wedding onThe Golden Bachelor. Since then, a whole lot of nonsense has happened.

Gerry and Theresa called it quits, he wrote a tell-all book, and now, he's engaged to a new woman named Lana Sutton. As he gets ready to walk down the aisle for a third time, he and Lana just purchased a million-dollar home.

Gerry Turner and fiancée Lana Sutton are moving house

When Gerry and Theresa broke up, one ofthe many explanationswas that they couldn't agree onwhere to live. Clearly, he and Lana aren't burdened by those same problems.

According toTMZ, Gerry and Lana dropped $1 million on a home in the Chatham Village neighborhood, just outside of Indianapolis, Indiana. The house has five bedrooms, five bathrooms, and 4,455 square feet. They've got a game room, a two-story family room, and everything that they need to live a golden life.

Gerry said he and Lana toured the property a few times, but they were hesitant about putting down an offer. Then, the builder of the house called them up and helped them negotiate a deal.

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Although Gerry and Lana haven't tied the knot and don't have a wedding date locked in, they both put their names on the deed. They're 50/50 owners, soif this relationship goes southlike the last one, they're going to have something serious to fight over.

For now, the two lovebirds are enjoying their new home, all 4,455 square feet of it. Gerry took to Instagram to show off pictures of the stunning, million-dollar property.

"Ther [sic] have been many great days over the last 12 months traveling, bonding families, building a loving and fun relationship with Lana," Gerry wrote. "But yesterday was one of the very best. Finding our perfect home was an arduous journey. So gratifying to close on our new home together."

The Golden Bacheloris streaming on Hulu and Disney+.

TELL US – DO YOU HAVE ANY WORDS OF SUPPORT FOR GERRY AND LANA AS THEY SETTLE INTO THEIR NEW HOME? ARE YOU SURPRISED THAT THEY PURCHASED A HOME TOGETHER BEFORE TYING THE KNOT?

The postGolden Bachelor Gerry Turner Buys $1 Million Home With New Fiancéeappeared first onReality Tea.

WASHINGTON, Feb 24 (Reuters) - The Trump administration has scrapped plans for an immigration detention facility in Merrimack, New Hampshire, the state's Republican governor said on Tuesday, as localities grapple ‌with a surge in planned detention centers nationwide.

Republican candidates speak at the First in the Nation Leadership Summit in Nashua

"The Department of Homeland Security will not move ‌forward with the proposed ICE facility in Merrimack," the New England state's governor, Kelly Ayotte, wrote on X following a meeting ​with DHS Secretary Kristi Noem in Washington last week.

Ayotte said she expressed the concerns of the town roughly 50 miles (80.5 kilometers) northeast of Boston, and that New Hampshire law enforcement would continue to cooperate with DHS to secure the state's northern border with Canada.

Noem, in a statement from DHS, confirmed the meeting and said ‌it would continue to work with ⁠New Hampshire, calling it "a strong partner."

The withdrawal comes as Republican President Donald Trump enacts his sweeping immigration campaign pledges. The deportation drive's aggressive tactics have been met ⁠with growing U.S. voter disapproval ahead of the November midterm election that will decide control of Congress.

ICE and U.S. Border Patrol agents have surged into major U.S. cities such as Los Angeles and Chicago, sweeping through neighborhoods ​and ​clashing with residents. Federal agents shot and killed two ​U.S. citizens in Minneapolis in January, and ‌another citizen was shot and killed last year in Texas.

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Trump's administration is also moving to increase detention centers to house immigrants as it ramps up its raids, spending more than $38 billion this year for facilities that have drawn criticism from Democrats as well as concerns from Ayotte and other Republicans.

Democrats, civil rights groups, clergy and other critics have cited human rights, legal and health concerns, including dismal conditions, poor ‌treatment and diseases such as measles at various detention facilities, ​which are run by companies including GEO Group and CoreCivic.

At ​least eight people have died in ICE detention ​centers since the start of 2026, following at least 31 deaths last year.

On ‌Tuesday, Democratic-led Maryland sued the Trump administration to ​halt a detention facility ​in its western Washington County.

DHS officials have rejected any claims that the buildings are akin to "warehouses."

Senate Democrats have blocked funding for DHS as they seek to rein in ICE. White House ​spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told reporters on ‌Tuesday that Trump would use his State of the Union speech later that night to ​call for funding to be approved.

(Reporting by Susan Heavey in Washington; additional reporting by ​Ted Hesson and Bhargav Acharya; Editing by Bill Berkrot)

PARIS (AP) — The Louvre Museum's director resigned Tuesday, ending months of questions in France's cultural world over why no top official had stepped down after the Octobercrown jewels theft.

France Louvre

Laurence des Cars' departure closed a bruising chapter for the world's biggest museum. It came as the Louvre faces a widening narrative of an institution spiraling out of control.

In the last year alone, the museum has endured the high-profile jewels theft from the Apollo Gallery, water leaks that damaged priceless books, multiple staff walkouts and a wildcat strike over poor working conditions, mass tourism and understaffing.

That scrutiny intensified again in recent weeks, when French authorities revealed a suspected decadelong ticket fraud scheme — carried out under their noses — linked to the museum that investigators say may have cost the Louvre 10 million euros ($11.8 million).

PresidentEmmanuel Macronaccepted des Cars' resignation as "an act of responsibility" at a moment when the Louvre needs "calm" and new momentum for security upgrades, modernization and other major projects, according to a statement from his office.

Macron wants to give des Cars a new mission during France's presidency of the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations, focused on cooperation among major museums, the statement said.

For many in France's cultural world, the resignation answers months of head-scratching over why no top official had fallen after the heist: a daylight robbery that many here saw as the most humiliating breach of French heritage security in living memory.

Brazen theft

Thieves tookless than eight minutesin October to steal crown jewels valued at 88 million euros ($102 million) from the Louvre, in a weekend operation that stunned visitors, exposed glaring vulnerabilities and left one of France's most symbolically charged collections in criminal hands.

Several suspects were later arrested, but the stolen pieces remain missing.

Des Cars, one of the most prominent museum directors in Europe, had reportedlyoffered to resignon the day of the robbery, but it was initially refused by the culture minister.

In remarks after the theft, she described the moment as a "tragic, brutal, violent reality" for the Louvre and said that, as the person in charge, it had felt right to offer her resignation.

She had led the Louvre since 2021, taking over one of the global museum world's most prestigious jobs at a time when the museum was still navigating the aftershocks of the pandemic and the return of mass tourism.

Multifaceted crisis

The latest announcement is the latest in a string of blows for the crumbling former royal palace, amid growing complaints that the museum's infrastructure and staffing haven't kept pace with the crowds pouring through its galleries.

In June, awildcat strikeby front-of-house staff and security workers forced the Louvre to halt operations, stranding thousands of visitors outside the glass pyramid and underscoring the depth of anger among employees over overcrowding, understaffing and what unions called untenable working conditions.

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Workers said that the pressure of daily visitor flows — particularly around the "Mona Lisa" — had become unmanageable and that promised reforms were arriving too slowly.

The resignation came at an especially punishing moment, less than two weeks after French authorities revealed the separate ticket fraud scheme.

That case widened scrutiny beyond the jewels robbery and toward the museum's day-to-day controls.

Fraud scheme

Prosecutors say tour guides are suspected of — up to 20 times a day — reusing the same tickets to bring in different visitor groups, at times allegedly with the help of Louvre employees, in a system investigators believe operated for a decade.

In a rare interview just days ago with The Associated Press after the fraud case was made public, the Louvre's No. 2, general administrator Kim Pham, said that fraud at an institution the size of the Louvre was "statistically inevitable."

He argued that the museum's sheer scale — millions of visitors, multiple checkpoints and a sprawling historic complex — makes it uniquely exposed.

But he also acknowledged shortcomings, and said that the museum had tightened validation checks and increased controls.

New Renaissance

The succession of crises has put new political weight on a project Macron has heavily championed: the Louvre's sweeping overhaul plan, branded the "Louvre New Renaissance."

Unveiled by Macron in January 2025, the renovation, which could take up to a decades, aims to modernize a museum widely seen as overstretched and physically worn down by mass tourism.

The plan includes a new entrance near the Seine River to ease pressure on I.M. Pei's pyramid, new underground spaces and a dedicated room for the "Mona Lisa" with timed access — all intended to improve crowd flow and reduce the daily crush that has become a symbol of the Louvre's success and its dysfunction.

The project is expected to cost roughly 700 million-800 million euros ($826 million-$944 million), with funding from ticket revenue, state support, donations and Louvre Abu Dhabi-related income.

Macron has framed the overhaul as a national priority, comparing its ambition to other landmark French restoration efforts and casting it as part of a broader defense of French cultural prestige.

But the events of the past year — staff unrest, security failures and now alleged fraud — have sharpened doubts over whether the Louvre can hold the line operationally, while preparing for a costly, yearslong transformation.

That tension defined des Cars' final months in office.

She was both the public face of the Louvre's modernization drive and the official left carrying the fallout from damaging failures.

Seventy-two tigers have died at a tourist parkin Thailandin less than two weeks.

The animals died at two facilities operated by Tiger Kingdom, in the northern city of Chiang Mai. Visitors to the park are allowed to touch and interact with the big cats.

Samples taken from the tigers showed signs of canine distemper virus, a highly contagious disease that attacks the respiratory, gastrointestinal and nervous systems, the local livestock department said.

The virus is normally found among dogs but can also infect big cats. It is not known to affect humans.

The carcasses also tested positive for a bacteria associated with respiratory disease, and some for feline parvovirus. The livestock department said it was expediting post-mortem examinations and would conduct an investigation into the deaths.

On Tuesday, officials said the virus was no longer spreading and no more tigers were dying, but the remaining gravely ill animals were recommended to be euthanised.

A veterinarian said nearly all the tigers across the park fell ill, but it is unclear how many will be culled.

At a news conference in Bangkok, Pattana Promphat, the public health minister, said no humans had been infected.

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"If we detect any sick persons, we will prepare for a nationwide monitoring measure," said Monthien Khanasawat, the director-general of the public health ministry's disease control department.

More than 240 tigers are kept at the park. The animals appeared to have been infected and become sick rapidly, with officials initially suspecting that the outbreak came from contaminated raw chicken used to feed them.

"By the time we realised they were sick, it was already too late," Somchuan Ratanamungklanon, the director of the national livestock department, previously told local media.

He said it was harder to detect sickness in tigers than animals such as common household cats or dogs.

Veterinarians or park staff working in the tiger enclosures were placed under observation for 21 days, but none had so far shown signs of illness, Thai PBS reported.

The deaths have prompted condemnation from animal rights groups over the treatment of captive tigers used as tourist attractions in Thailand.

"Currently, Thailand has approximately 1,500 captive tigers in over 60 locations. Many of these tigers are kept in deplorable conditions, bred for tourism, and it is believed that some may enter the illegal wildlife trade," Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand said in a statement.

"These venues prioritise entertainment and profit over animal welfare and conservation and this outbreak highlights the devastating consequences."

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When the NFL's free-agent signing period opens in March, one more veteran quarterback will be added to the list of available players. Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins will be released on the first day of the 2026 league year, Falcons general manager Ian Cunningham said Tuesday.

Cunningham made those comments during a local radio interview. He said hespoke to Cousins and the QB's agent about the move.

Cousins, 37, still showed some ability with the Falcons down the stretch. Following a season-ending injury to Michael Penix Jr., Cousins started the final seven games of the regular season for Atlanta. He threw for 1,471 yards, 10 touchdowns and 5 interceptions during those contests. The Falcons went 5-2 with Cousins under center down the stretch, but that wasn't good enough to push the team into the playoffs.

While Cousins already knows his fate, the Falcons will wait until March 11 — when the 2026 league year begins — to make the move for salary cap reasons.

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[Get more Falcons news: Atlanta team feed]

Once he becomes available, Cousins will join a free-agent quarterback market littered with older veterans like Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson and Joe Flacco. All four of those players could draw interest from teams, though none of them, with the exception of Rodgers, seems likely to be guaranteed a starting job.

Cousins turned in an excellent 12 seasons to start his NFL career, but an Achilles injury in his final season with the Minnesota Vikings cast doubt on his future. Cousins returned quickly from that injury, but struggled in his first year with the Falcons in 2024, eventually being benched for Penix.

While Cousins showed signs of life down the stretch, it's unclear whether that will lead to a significant role in 2026. The veteran might still have some ability in his right arm, and could help a team win some games next season, but he may have to compete for playing time on his new club.