Fox News Latest Headlines
Teen punched and kicked into a coma after Knicks-Spurs altercation near Madison Square Garden: police
The New York Knicks' miraculous Game 4 comeback earlier this week resulted in a teen being beaten into a coma.
The New York Police Department said Friday that a "group approached a 17-year-old" near Madison Square Garden and "got into an argument" before an individual "punched and kicked the teen."
"He had a seizure and was in a coma," the NYPD said of the teen.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
According to the New York Post, the wanted individual was the aggressor when he shouted, "Spurs are up right now. We’re winning. Spurs in 7."
Somebody in the injured teen's group, but not the teen, responded, ""F--- the Spurs. Suck my d---."
A brawl then commenced, which resulted in the teen's injuries.
The Post said that the teen has come out of the coma and was listed in critical but stable condition.
"He’s pulling through. He is responding," the teen's mother told the Post, adding that he should be taken out of the ICU.
KNICKS FANS AT JFK AIRPORT GO WILD AS NEW YORK COMPLETES LARGEST COMEBACK IN NBA FINALS HISTORY
"The doctor said they will take him off the ventilator today. Hopefully he will be in a regular room tomorrow."
The Knicks' comeback prompted insanity in the streets. However, that resulted in 15 arrests and eggs being thrown at Victor Wembanyama when the Spurs returned to their team hotel.
Watch parties have turned violent throughout the Knicks' run. During the Eastern Conference Finals, watch parties outside MSG were canceled, but they were brought back to start Games 1 and 2 of the NBA Finals. They were halted for Game 3 due to President Donald Trump's attendance, and while a 1,000-person party was scheduled for Game 4, owner James Dolan axed the idea, saying he did not want thousands of others shut out from the event.
Numerous fights and other chaotic behavior throughout the city have been caught on camera.
The Knicks have a chance to win their first title since 1973 on Saturday night as Game 5 commences in San Antonio at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday. Watch parties are slated to take place outside MSG and inside both Radio City Music Hall and Central Park.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
San Francisco Giants host gay couples renewing vows with drag queen in virtue-signaling Pride Night ceremony
We're nearly at the halfway point of June, which means we're halfway through Pride month.
Yeah, it's Pride month. Haven't you heard?! It's only been all over Major League Baseball these past few weeks.
Some teams celebrated the month with a typical PR social media post. Others, like the Dodgers, celebrated it by wearing rainbow hats last weekend. Others, like the Texas Rangers, didn't acknowledge it at all and instead are having a "Faith and Family Night" next week.
And that brings us to the San Francisco Giants, which held their obligatory Pride Night on Friday by having 10 gay couples renew their vows in a pregame ceremony that included having a drag queen along the first base line.
RED SOX FANS TREATED TO DRAG SHOW AT FENWAY AS TEAM PROMOTES 'INCLUSIVITY' DURING PRIDE NIGHT EVENT
Naturally, the Giants then lost to the Cubs, 5-1, falling to 28-42 and a healthy 16 games out of first place in the NL West.
What a scene:
Goodness gracious. I don't even know where to begin. It's just stunning. What do you think Tony Vitello was thinking during that? Honestly.
You think that stuff went on before a big game in Knoxville? Come on. He must be so angry at himself for leaving Tennessee. Lord knows I would be.
Look, I'm pretty numb to all of it at this point. I've done this so many times before, it just bounces off me like rubber bullets. This ain't my first June. We do this every year.
But renewing wedding vows on the field before a baseball game is a new level of virtue-signaling that I didn't think existed. Shame on me. I should've known better. Never doubt the left! Never let your guard down with them.
NFL'S VIRTUE SIGNALING JUST HIT AN EMBARRASSING NEW LOW
You give 'em an inch, and they'll take a mile!
Par for the course, I reckon. Again, do whatever you want on your own time. It doesn't matter. But is it really necessary to have 10 gay couples renew their vows before first pitch, and then put them all on the outfield jumbotron for the big kiss?
Come on. Can't we just play baseball and be normal? We don't need to virtue-signal all the time. I promise. We don't. It's OK to take your foot off the gas every now and then. We won't tell anyone!
Oh well. Again, I'm numb to it. Usually I let these things slide.
This was a bit much.
Joan Collins shares her simple secrets to aging gracefully at 93
Joan Collins knows a thing or two about building a "Dynasty."
The legendary actress, who is keeping busy at age 93 and starring in a new movie titled "My Duchess," is offering crystal-clear advice on aging gracefully.
"I just love life," the "Dynasty" alum told The Independent at Variety's Women of Power event. "I wake up every morning and breathe the air, try to get a good night's sleep, drink lots of water and take care of myself."
DENNIS QUAID SAYS 'EVERY DAY IS PARADISE' WITH WIFE 39 YEARS HIS JUNIOR
Even Collins needs a confidence boost now and then. The star has a glamorous cure: watching "old movies."
"If you’re very lucky, you might manage to find an old Bette Davis film once in a while," Collins told the outlet. "But I like the films of the ‘80s and ‘90s, the ones with [Jack] Nicholson and Sarah Jessica Parker."
The Emmy-nominee previously told The Telegraph that she still goes to the gym to both look and feel her best.
WATCH: DAME JOAN COLLINS PAYS TRIBUTE TO QUEEN ELIZABETH
"I work out with my trainer a couple of times a week," she explained. "Just basic Pilates-type exercises rather than using one of those [reformer] Pilates machines."
As for getting her steps in, Collins isn't exactly pounding the pavement.
"It bores me," she admitted to the outlet. "I'll walk around my apartment tweaking the flowers, but that's about it. That sounds ridiculous, and it will look ridiculous when you see it in print, but it's true."
Collins emphasized she’s lucky to have "very good genes."
"My father lived to be 87, and for somebody born in 1903, that’s pretty amazing," she said. "My mother took incredibly exceptional care of me and my sister. When we were growing up, she gave us all [kinds of] supplements when nobody was taking supplements."
WATCH: LARRY FLYNT WROTE JACKIE COLLINS THREATENING LETTER AFTER DISTRESSING NUDE PHOTO PROMPTED LEGAL BATTLE
Collins' secret to staying young at heart may also be closer to home: husband No. 5 Percy Gibson, who is 32 years her junior. Collins married the producer in 2002, and after kissing plenty of frogs, she believes she has finally found her prince.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER
"First of all, we were great pals before we got married," the actress explained to Fox News Digital in 2023. "We worked together on a play. We enjoyed each other's company. We hung out together. We saw each other the following year. We wrote love letters. It was a gradual thing. And we realized that we were very much on the same wavelength."
"He is a really nice, kind, grounded person," she said. "Many of the people that I've been with — and I'm not going to specify which ones — have been either neurotic, slightly unbalanced or gotten into different things."
For Collins, their age gap is "just a number." She noted that it's "never too late" to find love at any stage of life.
"That’s how we both feel," she explained. "And we were friends first, above anything else."
She noted at the time that they shared the same drive, which she said has been part of the secret behind their lasting union.
LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
"I was born with a tremendous enthusiasm for life," she said. "My mother used to say that I never kept still when I was a child. I used to do five different things at once. I would be doing a crossword puzzle, making a doll's house, reading, painting and trying to become a detective — all at once!"
"Life is a gift," she said. "That's why they call it the present — it's a gift. And so many people waste it. It's so sad. It's a gift, and it does not last very long."
In her memoir "Behind the Shoulder Pads," Collins wrote that Gibson wasn't concerned about the age difference because "I have great vitality and enthusiasm for life and all it has to offer."
"Percy often admits that I can wear him out!" she wrote.
NASCAR legend Tony Stewart calls mourning fans 'a--holes' in tone-deaf rant about Kyle Busch
It's been nearly a month since Kyle Busch's tragic death shook the NASCAR world, and I thought we'd seen all the takes.
We've seen the tributes and the warnings. The flashbacks. The memories. We've heard all the Kyle Busch stories, seen all the highlights from all of his wins, and heard from wife, Samantha, and son, Brexton.
One month post-Rowdy, I thought we'd heard it all ...
Until now. Enter, Tony Stewart.
One of the greatest NASCAR drivers of all time, and Kyle's former Joe Gibbs teammate, has decided to pop in with his thoughts on the death of Kyle Busch, and they are ... puzzling.
Frankly, they're a little baffling.
I'm not sure why Tony Stewart is angry, or who, exactly, he's angry at, but he's "pissed off" at how we've handled Kyle's death, and he made sure to talk about it ahead of this weekend's NHRA race.
Strap in:
"I guess the biggest thing in this tragedy that’s happened that pisses me off the most is that now everybody wants to talk about how he was as a person," Stewart said. "Outside of that, all they wanted to do is judge what they saw on TV. It’s frustrating.
"That’s the way every one of us are judged by what they see on TV and then once you die, they want to talk about how good a person you were. That’s the part that pisses me off the most about it right now. Should’ve given him a chance to learn him as a person before they judged him in the first place.
"So, right now, I don’t care about educating everybody about how Kyle Busch was. I know how Kyle Busch was. The fact that they all want to learn now, they’re the a--holes for not taking the time to learn him and accept him for who he was back then.
"You want to wait until a guy dies and then care about who he was as a person is the part that pisses me off about everybody."
Goodness gracious. I reckon I shouldn't be surprised given it's Tony Stewart, but still, this feels out of left field, even for him.
I agree with "Smoke" on a lot of things. I love Tony Stewart. I loved him when he raced, and I've really grown to love him in retirement because he's become even more of a loose cannon.
That being said, I disagree with just about everything Tony said here. It's among the more tone-deaf rants I've heard, and that's saying something.
Again, I'm not sure who he's referring to or who he's angry at, but I'm gonna go ahead and assume it's the fans and the ... media? He never really clarifies, but that's the vibe I get.
If so, I'm not sure what Tony wants us to do? Fans are fans. We only saw Kyle Busch on TV every Sunday for a few hours. We didn't ride in the hauler with him to the track, or hang out on pit-road with him, or go to dinner with the Busch family.
How else are we supposed to judge an athlete, besides ... what we see on TV? That's sort of part of the deal. It's literally the only way we can judge them, because we only see them on TV.
Fair or not, it's how this works. It's the only way this works.
"You want to wait until a guy dies and then care about who he was as a person is the part that pisses me off about everybody."
Huh? What does that even mean, Tony? Again, I'm not sure why he's so angry, but something has triggered him. The comments just make no sense. None. Zero. Nada. I feel like I'm trying to solve the "Da Vinci Code" here.
Here's the part that I really don't understand, and I've written about this a few times since Busch's death on May 21.
Kyle Busch had become a fan favorite over the past few years, which is shocking to say given how hated he was during the early part of his career. And I mean HATED.
He infamously wrecked Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 2008 at Richmond, had to basically be escorted out of the track by the Secret Service, and was universally despised for the next decade.
But something changed when he moved to Richard Childress Racing in 2023. Something clicked with NASCAR fans, and he was suddenly beloved. Trust me, I've covered four Daytona 500s since Kyle joined RCR, and the cheering was deafening during driver intros.
He started on the pole for what turned out to be his final Daytona 500 this past February, and fans were thrilled. I was there. I heard it.
Maybe it was because he stopped winning so much? Maybe it's because folks started to realize he was the last true "old-school" driver? Hell, maybe after becoming the winningest NASCAR driver ever, Kyle just earned everyone's respect?
Regardless, Kyle Busch was adored by fans these past four years. Adored.
So no, Tony, I don't believe he was unfairly judged while he was alive, whatever that means. I think he was judged pretty damn fairly, and I think fans knew — and loved — the person he was.
Spare us the lecture.
San Francisco Giants pitcher writes Bible verse on hat in defiance of Pride Night
As the old saying goes, courage is contagious. That is the exact term that should be used when a professional athlete defies the calls for complete and utter loyalty to the LGBTQ agenda during Pride Nights.
We’ve seen it from Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Blake Treinen this season, and from a small few around professional sports that have refused to wear rainbow Pride jerseys, hats and more. On Friday night in San Francisco, Giants pitcher Landen Roupp made a powerful statement of faith in God by his protest against his team celebrating Pride Night.
On a night when the San Francisco Giants invited same-sex couples to renew their marriage vows in the presence of a drag queen on the field, the national anthem was sung by an LGBTQ-affirming nondenominational church, and the team celebrated transgender people and other LGBTQ identities through their rainbow-colored hats, Roupp stood out by writing the Bible verses Genesis 9:12-16. These verses are the same ones legendary Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw wrote on his Pride hat last season during his team’s Pride Night.
The verses are about God’s covenant (promise), signified through a rainbow, that He would never destroy mankind through a flood like He did in the days of the prophet Noah.
"And God said, 'This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.'" Genesis 9:12-16
DODGERS PITCHER CLAYTON KERSHAW DISPLAYS BIBLE PASSAGE ON HAT DURING PRIDE NIGHT
While unsurprisingly many Giants fans weren’t happy to see Roupp’s message on his hat, one saying, "Just let Landen Roupp go to another team, disrespecting SF Pride with his biblical reference. We don't want him on our team," there were many Christians on social media that showed support.
One supporter on X said, "WELL DONE, Roupp. We need more Christians with his courage."
When speaking to media postgame, Roupp said the message was meant to point people to "God's covenant and the promise that He makes to us."
Roupp went on to say, "It's something that I believe in, and I stand firm in that. Thankfully, we live in a country where we get to believe what we want."
He emphasized that the rainbow is a Christian symbol and as for the backlash to his anti-Pride messaging, he said, "There's no hate at all. It’s just what I stand for, and what I stand in. I believe in God." He also said he would "push them (LGBTQ-identifying individuals) to read the Bible."
The important point is that disagreement with a specific lifestyle does not equal hate. Many years ago we could agree to disagree, but with the infusion of the LGBTQ in corporate America and sports, athletes are expected to affirm, accept and ally with this movement. That's not freedom, that's coercion.
In my opinion, this takes a lot of guts and should not only be admired, but celebrated. No Christian athlete should be forced to endorse and accept something that goes against their religion.
As for Roupp’s performance, his outing wasn’t what he and his team hoped for. He went 4.2 innings, giving up 4 earned runs on 4 hits in a decisive 5-1 victory for the Chicago Cubs.
Bill Maher urges Maine voters to elect Graham Platner, despite the candidate’s ‘scary’ issues
Bill Maher, host of HBO's "Real Time," endorsed Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner on Friday, saying he supported the Democrat's run despite some of Platner's "scary" positions and actions.
"I would still urge the folks in Maine to vote for him, for two reasons," Maher said after listing off numerous controversies. "One, we need to restore balance in our government, and a Democratic Senate would help a lot with that."
He then added, "And two, get used to it. America is a country filled with a lot of broken, horribly educated, phone-addicted, sort of nutty people. And as long as we live in a representative democracy, we are always electing our reflection in the mirror. I wish the tattoo was the scariest thing about Platner. It's not. That would be his solution to a home invasion, which is to rape the home invader."
According to a woman who previously dated Platner and now has raised concerns about alleged disturbing behavior, he previously told her: "He said this a lot: If anybody ever broke in here, I would rape them," but not in a sexual or "gay" way, Lyndsey Fifield said, adding that Platner stated he would want to instead impose dominance over them through penetration and that he believed rape was about power.
THE GROWING LIST OF CONTROVERSIES THREATENING DEMOCRAT GRAHAM PLATNER'S MAINE SENATE BID
"Let's get real about Graham Platner," Maher said. "The big story is the Democrats can likely take back the Senate in November if they win Maine. But their local candidate… is after the primary this week, let's just say, a guy who has a backstory that screams, ‘don't ask,’" Maher said.
"Now, I don't judge Graham Platner because I'm just learning who he is," Maher continued. "Problem is, so is he. What I do know is he served his country in the Marines in war, and you can never discount how big that is. But then there's the sexting while married, uh, scary behavior. So, say some of his exes, old posts about how he's a communist and all cops are bastards and black people don't tip."
Platner, who formally became the Democratic nominee to challenge incumbent Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, earlier this week, has grappled with his resurfaced past — receiving criticism for making off-color remarks on sexual abuse, race and terror and allegedly threatening behavior toward women.
He also has received criticism for a tattoo on his chest, which resembled the Nazi "Totenkopf" or Death's Head, a symbol that was used by concentration camp guards.
"And then of course there's the Nazi tattoo on his chest," Maher said. "I mean, seriously, this guy's whole life is the movie ‘The Hangover.’ He doesn't need a term in the Senate. He needs a gap year in Costa Rica."
Fox News Digital reached out to Platner for comment but did not immediately hear back.
Maher went on to say Mainers should vote for Platner.
Later in the segment, Maher also took a jab at President Donald Trump’s communication style, connecting him to a new wave of politicians where bizarre behavior or comments don't matter.
NYT PANEL DEBATES WHETHER GRAHAM PLATNER IS A ‘DIRTBAG’ OR DEMOCRATS’ ANSWER TO TRUMP-ERA POLITICS
"Our current president just speaks out loud his internal monologue," Maher said.
"You know what the internal monologue is, right," he asked. "It's just that stream of thoughts that we all have pouring through our heads all the time and that we all edit. We edit our thoughts. We don't just fling all of our feces. We have a Strait of Hormuz between our brain and our mouth where we don't let everything through. But not the president of the United States."
Fox News' Charles Creitz , Leo Briceno , Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
Taylor Swift’s controversial wedding rule has fans debating who should make plus-one list
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce have so far been keeping their wedding plans very locked down even as rumors swirl — but there's already a controversy brewing.
The famous couple, engaged since August 2025, have not yet confirmed where or when they will tie the knot. Yet according to reports, the couple is reigniting a long-standing debate about plus-ones at weddings.
Swift and Kelce are apparently enforcing a no ring, no bring policy — so if a guest is not married or engaged, he or she cannot bring a date to the wedding.
TAKE A PEEK INSIDE THE PRIVATE 38-ACRE BAHAMAS PARADISE WHERE DONALD TRUMP JR GOT MARRIED
Given the couple's close celebrity friendships, the rule could potentially create matrimonial mayhem, at least as some people see it.
Swift's longtime friend Selena Gomez recently married Benny Blanco — and Kelce's teammate and friend Patrick Mahomes has been married to his wife, Brittany, just over four years. They're all likely to be on the list.
But there are other potential problems. One of Swift's best friends, Gigi Hadid, is in a serious relationship with Bradley Cooper, based on multiple recent reports — but they're not married.
Swift's friend Gracie Abrams, who may be invited, is in a serious relationship with actor Paul Mescal, as a June Vogue piece and other accounts have made clear. They also are not married.
Kate Middleton's sister Pippa Middleton reportedly implemented the no ring, no bring policy at her 2017 wedding to James Matthews.
At the time, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were not married. Markle skipped the wedding ceremony but attended the reception, according to Vanity Fair.
The no ring, no bring policy has generated strong reactions online.
One anonymously sourced comment helped fuel the frenzy: A single woman reportedly said she was considering skipping the wedding because she wouldn't know many people there.
TAYLOR SWIFT DANCES, SHIMMIES AND STEALS HEADLINES AS KNICKS ERASE 29-POINT HOLE IN NBA STUNNER
"No one's entitled to a plus-one simply because you were invited," professional development expert Jan Goss, based in Texas, told Fox News Digital.
"A wedding invitation [is] a gift of inclusion. … It's not some contract guaranteeing your specific accommodations."
In a Reddit discussion, commenters noted that a couple who have been together for 10 years might not even receive a joint invitation — while a couple engaged after just six months could.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER
One poster on the wedding site The Knot advised inviting someone along with a significant other together on one invitation.
If the guest is single, the invitation can say "and guest."
"You do not need to allow random dates," wrote one person.
Goss said the controversy surrounding Swift's potential guest list reflects a larger cultural shift.
"People increasingly view invitations through a lens of personal entitlement, rather than gratitude," she said.
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
But other Reddit users agreed with Swift and Kelce.
"Seems sensible," commented one user about the no ring, no bring idea. "She wants a wedding with people she actually knows, not people there to bring along friends as a 'favor' to ogle her like a rare animal."
"I didn't want random people I didn't know at my wedding either," another wrote, "and I'm not a famous person trying to enjoy my day without being papped."
Ultimately, "the bride and groom get to decide what their day looks like," Goss said.
"I would remind people that weddings are actually one of the easiest social events. … Think of it as an opportunity to meet new people."
Goss said it's fine to just go up and ask others, "How are you connected to the bride and groom?"
"Make the focus on celebrating the couple rather than your own discomfort," Goss said.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE STORIES
"Put your phone away and engage with humans," she also said. "You're there to lift up the bride and the groom."
But attending is, of course, not obligatory, she said.
Too uncomfortable going solo?
"Just decline graciously," said Goss.
Meanwhile, some reports claim Swift and Kelce may be getting married in New York's Madison Square Garden the first weekend of July.
Jessica Mekles of Fox News Digital contributed reporting.
Grammy-nominated singer Anne Wilson says speaking about Jesus cost her opportunities, but she won't back down
Anne Wilson believes following Jesus can come with a cost — and she's willing to pay it.
The Grammy-nominated Christian-country singer opens up in her new book, "Rebel: Following Jesus When the World Walks the Other Way," about navigating criticism, industry pressure and fears of rejection while refusing to soften her message about faith.
The Kentucky native told Fox News Digital that she believes being outspoken about Christianity has cost her professional opportunities along the way despite her successful rise in Nashville.
KATHIE LEE GIFFORD SAYS GOD ‘MADE ME FAMOUS’ SO SHE COULD BE ‘BOLD’ ABOUT JESUS
"I've missed a lot of opportunities for speaking about my faith," said the singer/songwriter. "I think it's definitely come at a cost, but I'm the kind of person that I'm very bold in the things I believe in. When I stand for something, I'm going to stand for it knowing the cost."
"There were moments early on when even my manager and team would be like, 'Anne, do you know what you're doing by saying this?' Or, 'Do you know what could happen if you speak about this?'" the 24-year-old recalled. "And I would always say, 'Yeah, I do, but I want to do it anyway.'"
That conviction appears throughout the book. Wilson writes that when she began discussions with a major country label, she made her position clear from the start.
WATCH: ANNE WILSON SAYS CHRISTIANS MUST BE BOLD ABOUT THEIR FAITH
"If they tried to change me or my message about Jesus, there was no deal," she wrote.
"There's definitely been moments when I'm looked at a certain way, shows I'm playing at a country festival where I'm literally preaching Jesus and the gospel, and people look at me like I'm crazy. ... But I know my calling, and it's to take Jesus to the world. I believe it with every fiber of my being that that's what I'm supposed to do."
Wilson told Fox News Digital that sharing the gospel has always been her purpose in pursuing a music career.
"[I remember] the head of the label told me, 'I want you to bring God back to country music,'" she said. "I remember hearing those words, and I was just so inspired. I was going to be authentically myself coming into the country music industry."
"I remember feeling, 'Are people going to accept this? Am I going to be authentically myself?' And honestly, the response [has been] really special. I feel like both sides of Christian music and country music have accepted me for who I am."
That acceptance became one of the surprises Wilson recounts throughout the book, which often contrasts her fears of rejection with moments of encouragement from within the country music industry.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER
In the book, Wilson described performing at Florida's Tortuga Music Festival in 2024. She felt "overwhelmed by a sense of discouragement" whenever she peeked out from backstage.
"The tent was nearly empty, and my start time was drawing too close for comfort," she wrote.
"Best known in the Christian music world, I was not yet well known as a country artist. Now no one was showing up to hear me sing at this country venue. ... The empty tent didn't lie. I sold out my tours in the Christian world — but now I couldn't fill a small tent. What if I had made a mistake by focusing on developing as a country artist?"
"... I did not fit in there, and evidently, everybody knew it," she continued. "Most of the fans at this festival were barely clothed and deep into partying by this point. How could I relate to them or even get my message across? What in the world was I doing here?"
The songstress turned to Lainey Wilson, who encouraged her to "be my authentic self, which would always be more than enough." Minutes before walking onstage, Wilson heard the growing buzz of voices. People were coming to see her.
"Then I walked out, stood on that stage, and shared Jesus with every person who showed up," she wrote.
LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
There were even moments when Wilson was tempted to make her message "easier to digest and a little more politically correct" so more people would accept her.
"I have been tempted to change a set list so that my songs aren't so 'in your face' about Jesus," she wrote. "I know that if I made just one inappropriate video, I would gain thousands of 'followers' on social media. But would it be worth it? Is that what Jesus would do? Not on your life."
In another passage from "Rebel," Wilson recalled performing at the 2022 Rock the South festival, where 50,000 people "were there to party, and I was there to preach."
"What was I doing, standing there in my cute — but modest — outfit, with my message of Jesus' salvation?" she wrote. "All the other women were scantily clad in outfits that flaunted their feminine attributes. The other acts were amazingly talented, but they weren't carrying the same message I was or living the same lifestyle. The whole atmosphere was one of party and reckless abandon."
"... I knew that when I walked out on that stage, I'd face confusion from the crowd, if not mockery," Wilson wrote. "Perhaps even some hatred. I was just a 20-year-old girl from the Bluegrass who loved to sing about Jesus."
Wilson said those moments reinforced the reality that speaking openly about her faith could sometimes come with professional consequences.
"... It wasn't hurtful as much as [I] was just a little bummed out that I missed out on something because of the things I believe in and speak about," Wilson admitted to Fox News Digital. "But then I also think it was a reminder of just the world we're living in and the state of the world, how dark it is, and that when we speak up about our faith, we are judged, and we lose out on opportunities. ... I need to continue to be the light in any way I can."
Wilson said that these days, it isn't always easy for Christian artists to speak openly about their faith without fear of alienating fans or facing backlash.
"... If we speak about the things that we believe in, whatever they are, there's always going to be pushback from other people," she said. "But there's something harder about speaking up about your faith. I think for my generation, there's this fear that they don't feel like they can speak about their faith. They don't want to get judged or criticized for doing so."
Wilson also wrote that she felt pressure at times to dress more provocatively but chose not to.
"I want to be respected for the message I share, not for how my body looks," Wilson wrote. "Revealing outfits and inappropriate lyrics tend to draw likes and follows, but I'm not looking for that kind of attention. The only reason I am walking this path is to share about my Jesus and bring Him glory."
Wilson told Fox News Digital she has zero plans to change her image or message as she continues to navigate the music industry, on her terms.
"I have never let anyone sway me," she said. "I'm going to stay true to myself."
83-year-old woman sues Honolulu after website error turned into $590K nightmare
An 83-year-old woman is suing the city of Honolulu after she was fined nearly $600,000 over an online rental listing error.
Sandra May has lived in her Honolulu home for 56 years, raising her son there and relying on rental income from an attached apartment to supplement her fixed income.
According to a newly filed federal lawsuit, the City and County of Honolulu fined May $10,000 a day for nearly two months over a glitch on the rental website. May’s attorney said the hosting platform's system accidentally permitted users to view short-term availability, even though users could not actually book a short-term stay during this period.
Under Honolulu ordinances, residential properties outside designated resort zones cannot be rented or advertised for periods of less than 30 days.
According to the complaint, the city issued a notice of violation, but May did not immediately see the mail because she had been hospitalized following a serious car crash. By the time she returned home and was able to address the matter, the fines had ballooned to $590,000.
When May contacted city officials to explain the medical emergency and rectify the listing, she said their only response was to tell her to hire a lawyer.
"It feels to me like they're just trying to take my house, put me on the street with the rest of the homeless people," May told Fox News Digital. "It's very depressing, very upsetting."
HIGH TOURIST TAX IN HAWAII DESIGNED TO RAISE FUNDS FOR CLIMATE CHANGE CHALLENGED BY LAWSUIT
The city has placed a lien on her house and has blocked her from accessing basic government services, such as renewing her driver's license or car registration, forcing her to find other methods of transportation.
May told Fox News Digital she cannot afford to pay such a heavy fine and that the thought of losing her treasured home of over 50 years is devastating.
"All the stress, the stomach problems, every day wondering if I'm gonna have a house... I was gonna live here for the rest of the days I have," May said. "This is actually — I call this my little piece of paradise on earth. ... The thought of losing it is — I can't imagine."
DISABLED VETERAN FIGHTS HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION LAWSUIT OVER FLAGPOLE IN FLORIDA YARD
"It's really frightening. I don't want to be a burden on my son," she added.
May's legal team argues the massive penalty violates the Eighth Amendment, which shields against government fines that far outweigh the underlying offense.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE
"The Constitution prohibits excessive fines," Loren Seehase, an attorney with Pacific Legal Foundation, told Fox News Digital. "Governments cannot simply impose fines that are so ruinous that they would financially devastate someone over a simple error. And that's what we're fighting for."
Seehase noted that the case is part of a broader issue in Honolulu, where she said the city has issued more than $90 million in fines for similar advertising violations.
"In Sandra's case, she was in and out of the hospital, couldn't get her mail, didn't know about the violation, and it took her 59 days to correct it," she continued. "And rather than having some sympathy and understanding that she was out of and in the hospital. They said, Well, we're going to still fine her $590,000."
The city of Honolulu said they could not comment on pending litigation.
EXCLUSIVE: Collins pits record built in Maine potato fields against Platner's 'angry rhetoric'
EXCLUSIVE: Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, learned hard work in the dirt.
When she was 10 years old, like several other children in Caribou, Maine, she left school to pick potato fields to aid farmers with the harvest deep in potato country in Aroostook County, dubbed "The County" by locals.
"I remember my mother saying to me when I was going to pick for the first time at age 10, saying, ‘Now, Susan, this is really hard, back-breaking work, but you cannot quit. The farmers are depending on you, and you can't let them down,’" Collins told Fox News Digital. "And those words have always stayed with me."
SCHUMER’S ‘NUMBER ONE TARGET’ SAYS VOTERS WILL SEE HER DEMOCRAT SENATE CHALLENGER AS TOO EXTREME
It’s that work ethic born in her hometown of Caribou, molded by her parents' separate stints as mayor of the small town in the county that helped shape her into the political titan she is today, propelling her to a record 10,000th straight vote in the Senate and a gavel atop the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee.
It’s also caused her to have the biggest target on her back in a highly contentious election cycle where Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., is once again trying to flip her seat.
Collins’ race has also become the most-watched and controversial of the cycle because of her unlikely opponent, Democratic nominee Graham Platner, who over the last several months has been rocked by scandal after scandal.
Speaking to Fox News Digital on the drive between Bangor, Maine and Portland, one she's made several times since joining the Senate in 1997, Collins acknowledged Platner's rocky past and present but that she still was taking him seriously as an opponent.
MAINE DEMOCRATS DECIDE FATE OF SENATE CANDIDATE DOGGED BY EXPLOSIVE ALLEGATIONS
"I am surprised that [Gov. Janet Mills] is not my opponent," Collins said. "That's what I would have predicted, particularly given the very serious allegations against Graham Platner. Plus, his own words over many years, including recently. So, I think that he has a lot of questions to answer, but I do take him very seriously as a candidate."
Platner has been no stranger when it comes to attacking Collins in his insurgent campaign, skewering her for her vote to authorize the Iraq War two decades ago or her backing of parts of President Donald Trump's agenda.
During his acceptance speech earlier this week, he accused her of being "just as spineless and corrupt as the establishment she now serves."
Collins, who is no stranger to heated campaigns, argued that her ability to produce results was a better metric for Mainers.
"I think when people look at the accomplishments and results that I've delivered for the people of Maine, that the contrast is enormous," Collins said. "And angry rhetoric does not produce results."
She knows how to bring the bacon home to Maine. In her climb to the top of the Senate Appropriations Committee, she’s sent back $1.5 billion over five years, dozens of new or renovated fire stations, billions in rural healthcare funding and a fire boat that saved key businesses along Portland’s waterfront when a blaze broke out.
Still, she’s in a tight race with Platner, despite the scandals and baggage.
And Schumer, who has spent years trying to beat her, hopes to seize the opportunity in this cycle, even with a candidate who was not his first choice.
WATCH: CHUCK SCHUMER SIDESTEPS PLATNER SCANDALS, CONFIRMS SUPPORT FOR CONTROVERSIAL DEM
Schumer told Semafor that Collins is "weaker than in 2020," when they last squared off, arguing that her defense of Trump, her vote to confirm Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and the role that vote played in overturning Roe v. Wade have weighed her down.
"To me, this is déjà vu all over again," Collins said, noting that six years ago, Schumer and Democrats spent over $160 million to defeat her.
Collins contended, "Democratic leaders always distort my record," and added that when she voted to advance Trump’s "big, beautiful bill" last year, it was so she and others could modify the bill. She ultimately voted against the final product but scored a $50 billion rural hospital fund nonetheless.
"If we can't get on the bill, I can't help fix that," Collins said.
And on Kavanaugh, Collins noted that she disagreed with how he voted on Roe v. Wade, but that she also voted "for people who voted on the other side of that decision."
"I voted for Sonia Sotomayor. I voted for Elena Kagan. I voted for Justice Jackson," Collins said. "And that always seems to get left out."
She doesn’t vote in lockstep with Trump, either, who recently said that Collins was "not my best friend at all," but was a "sane woman." That prompted a laugh from the longtime lawmaker, who noted, "I've worked with five different presidents, and I have never agreed with a single one of them on every issue."
"I know that there's some people who want me to oppose President Trump, just because he's President Trump, and that's not how I operate," Collins said. "I look at each individual issue and then make my decision. And based on whether it's helpful to the state of Maine, and improves the lives of families in the state of Maine."