Fox News Latest Headlines
Homeowner blames 'militant vegan' for missing milk before camera reveals real thief
After weeks of missing milk deliveries, a homeowner finally caught the thief on camera — and it wasn't who he expected.
Gordon Campbell, 42, who lives near Glasgow, Scotland, set up a security camera after bottles of milk repeatedly disappeared from his doorstep, news agency SWNS reported.
When he checked the footage, he discovered a young fox had been helping itself to the deliveries.
6 JAW-DROPPING FOOD HEISTS THAT CAME BEFORE THE MASSIVE 12-TON KITKAT THEFT
Video shows the animal trotting up the front steps, grabbing a glass bottle of milk in its mouth, knocking it over and carrying it away.
The mystery had been unfolding for about a month, Campbell told SWNS. At first, he suspected a person was responsible.
He even joked that the culprit might have been "a militant vegan" before discovering it was actually a fox.
"I didn't really know exactly who would be doing it," Campbell said. "I thought it was a person or an animal."
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER
"The magpies got the blame for a while, as they're really smart birds, but I was thinking they probably wouldn't have the strength to roll a bottle away."
Determined to solve the mystery, Campbell set up what he described as a "sting" by placing a spare glass bottle filled with milk outside while positioning a camera to capture the culprit.
The plan worked within hours. Just after 2:30 a.m. on July 20, the fox appeared and took the bait.
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
"I just thought it was kind of hilarious that this ... cute fox was popping up and taking it away," Campbell said.
"All was forgiven when I saw its big ears and its wee face."
Campbell had been receiving milk deliveries since the COVID-19 pandemic but temporarily stopped the service because of the repeated thefts, opting to buy milk at the grocery store instead, he said.
Now that he knows who's been taking the bottles, Campbell said he may resume the deliveries but plans to leave a protective box outside, so the milk can be stored safely.
The fox wasn't making its first appearance around the family's home.
Just months earlier, Campbell's cat, Bruce, chased another fox away after it tried to get into the house through the cat door.
How the Cubs unintentionally helped the Dodgers land Tarik Skubal in blockbuster trade deadline move
The Los Angeles Dodgers' acquisition of ace pitcher Tarik Skubal from the Detroit Tigers has sent shockwaves through Major League Baseball ahead of Monday's trade deadline.
While Tigers fans are understandably the most bent out of shape over the back-to-back Cy Young winner getting shipped out of town, fans of the Chicago Cubs have to be No. 2 on the list of most-frustrated fan bases.
The Cubs were among the many teams that appeared to have a legitimate chance of acquiring Skubal, especially during the early stages of the trade rumors involving the 29-year-old. Chicago's starting rotation has been decimated by injuries in 2026, but the team has managed to grab hold of the top spot in the National League Wild Card race.
DODGERS REPORTEDLY ACQUIRE ACE TARIK SKUBAL FROM TIGERS IN TRADE THAT STIRS UP MLB WORLD
Adding Skubal, even with the fact that he is expected to hit free agency following the season, could have thrust the Cubs into the conversation as the top contender in the National League to potentially take down the Dodgers in their quest to win three straight World Series.
Instead, the Dodgers got significantly stronger with the postseason fast approaching, and not only did the Cubs fail to land a certified superstar in Skubal, but they inadvertently helped Los Angeles acquire one of the best pitchers in all of baseball.
In exchange for Skubal, the Dodgers dealt prospects Zyhir Hope, River Ryan, and Brady Smith to Detroit. Hope, the top-rated prospect in the deal, was drafted 11th overall by the Cubs in the 2023 MLB June Amateur Draft before Chicago traded him in 2024 to the Dodgers as part of a deal that moved first baseman Michael Busch to the Windy City.
ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON'T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!
Busch has been an important, very reliable piece for the Cubs in what is now his third season in Chicago, but it's impossible to ignore how a former prospect with the Cubs helped what is already the best team in baseball get even better by dealing for a pitcher the team was highly interested in.
Insult to injury could be added sooner rather than later as well, with Skubal potentially making his debut for the Dodgers this week in Chicago when the Cubs host LA for a three-game series beginning on Monday.
At least 72 dead amid mass migrant rush to storm Spanish enclave of Ceuta sparking border crisis
At least 72 migrants are dead after a chaotic rush to storm the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, turning one of Europe's latest border crises into a humanitarian disaster that is reigniting debate over immigration across the continent.
Spanish authorities continued searching the waters off Ceuta over the weekend for additional victims after an estimated 50,000 to 60,000 migrants — most of them young men — poured into the tiny Spanish territory in North Africa. Officials said many of the victims drowned while attempting the crossing, while others were killed in a stampede near a breakwater barrier.
The mass crossing unfolded over several days, temporarily increasing Ceuta's population of roughly 84,000 by more than half. By Sunday, many migrants had returned to neighboring Morocco, while others remained in the city or tried to avoid authorities.
SPAIN DEPLOYS MILITARY AFTER THOUSANDS OF MIGRANTS OVERWHELM BORDER ENCLAVE, AT LEAST 18 DEAD
The deaths have intensified the political fight over immigration in Spain and across Europe. Far-right leaders called for tighter border security and the removal of migrants who remained in the enclave.
Santiago Abascal, leader of Spain's nationalist Vox party, visited Ceuta on Sunday and blasted the country's government, calling the migrant influx "an invasion" and accusing officials of failing to protect Spain's borders.
Tensions were also on display Saturday when European Parliament member Alvise Pérez faced angry counterprotesters during a rally in Ceuta. Pérez eventually took shelter inside a nearby bar before police escorted him away.
MIGRANT CRISIS PUSHES ITALY TO RESTORE BORDER CHECKS WITH SPAIN, TESTING EUROPE'S OPEN-BORDER SYSTEM
Many local residents expressed sorrow over the loss of life, even as the political debate intensified.
"It pains me deeply that young people are dying at sea. It's not right that, in the year 2026, women with children as young as two months old should be crossing the sea only to die," Karima Abenaz, a French national in Ceuta with family in Morocco, told Reuters.
"In Morocco, there's food, there's everything we need," she said. "If we don't have a decent job, we should go on strike and demand our rights from the government. We shouldn't be dying at sea. It's not right."
Other local residents said the migrants themselves should not be blamed.
Mohamad Abdelkader Driss, a waiter in Ceuta, told The Associated Press that responsibility lies with the authorities.
"If you open the border, of course everyone comes in, but the young men aren't to blame. The authorities are responsible," he said.
Others said the events had tested Ceuta's reputation as a city where Christian, Muslim, Jewish and Hindu communities have long lived side by side. Some also voiced concerns about security and questioned whether another mass crossing could happen again.
The U.S. State Department on Saturday raised its Travel Advisory for Ceuta to Level 3: Reconsider Travel in response to the surge, warning that the "massive and uncontrolled arrival of migrants from Morocco to Ceuta may lead to unpredictable and dangerous security situations."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Trans activists harass, hurl slurs at Sophie Cunningham supporters before Fever game in Minnesota
Sophie Cunningham’s stance on protecting women’s sports has become a major flash point across the WNBA, and the backlash followed her supporters to Minnesota on Sunday.
Women’s sports advocates gathered peacefully outside Target Center ahead of the Indiana Fever’s game against the Minnesota Lynx, wearing XX-XY Athletics shirts and holding signs with slogans like "Pro-Women, Not Anti-Trans" and "Trust the Science."
CLICK HERE FOR MORE OUTKICK SPORTS COVERAGE
It marked the third rally organized in support of Cunningham since the Fever guard publicly said young female athletes "shouldn’t have to go against biological men."
But trans activists gathered nearby were considerably less interested in peaceful disagreement.
Video from outside the arena shows counterprotesters shouting through megaphones, hurling slurs and attempting to rip XX-XY shirts from the hands of Cunningham’s supporters. One man held a fan displaying the word "C—T" over the women’s heads.
At one point, an activist became physical with a supporter, forcing security personnel to intervene.
So much for love and tolerance.
The Minnesota confrontation followed similar scenes surrounding Fever games in Seattle and Portland.
During the first rally in Seattle, two teenage girls later attended the game wearing XX-XY shirts and holding a sign that read, "Thank You Sophie For Speaking Up For Girls." Storm minority owner Celeste Keaton allegedly approached the girls courtside, cursed at them and called them "f—ing insane," leaving one of them in tears.
The WNBA subsequently fined the Storm and suspended Keaton from attending the team’s next five home games.
Supporters rallied again Friday outside Portland’s Moda Center, where trans activists interrupted speakers, cursed at reporters and confronted attendees. Inside the arena, Cunningham was relentlessly booed whenever she entered the game or touched the ball.
Cunningham, however, made it clear before the Portland game that she had no intention of backing down.
"I’m here to play basketball, but I’m also here to be me," she said. "I’m not going to, like, shadow that or hide or, you know, dim my light just because maybe people don’t agree with that."
WWE legend Torrie Wilson nearly retired from posting sexy photos after a call from a so-called friend
Last summer, Torrie Wilson toed the rubber and proved that she still had her fastball as she turned 50. The WWE legend has continued to lead the way for an entire generation.
On Saturday, she revealed just how close to retiring from posting bikini content she came. It started a few years ago with a call from a friend. A friend with terrible advice.
Wilson, who just turned 51 in July, said this friend thought she needed to hear that she didn't have to post "sexy" photos anymore. Can you believe the level of self-importance to think you need to make a call like that?
ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!
"Honestly? It stung. I felt judged by someone I cared about, and for a long time, I stopped posting altogether," she wrote.
"What hurt the most was that, at that point in my life, I finally felt free—free to embrace my femininity, my confidence, and the work I’d put into taking care of myself."
The "provocative" photo Torrie's so-called friend was referring to and caused her to feel the need to call the WWE Hall of Famer was one of her in a bikini.
WWE LEGEND TORRIE WILSON SLIPPED INTO BIKINIS FOR THE FOURTH OF JULY
"I let that conversation live in my head for far too long," she continued. "Then one day, something clicked. (Ironically, my fun page on Passes helped me find that confidence again.)"
Wilson finally decided that she wasn't going to be held back. She had put in 37 years of work lifting weights, eating right, and showing up when she didn't feel like it. If she wanted to slip into a bikini and post it on the internet, she was going to.
"I'm not celebrating perfection. I'm celebrating discipline, consistency, health, and feeling at home in my own skin," she added. "And I refuse to apologize for that anymore."
Does Torrie Wilson have to post bikini photos? Of course not. But what this friend of hers, who passed along the ill-advised and unsolicited advice, failed to recognize was that she wanted to.
She still wants to and, thanks to some soul-searching through her exclusive content, she didn’t call it quits. She's still adding to her legacy and showing the jealous friend of hers that she'll hang up the bikinis when she's ready to.
Sen Bernie Moreno calls for ex-son-in-law to resign from House, get 'serious psychological help'
Unmoved by his former son-in-law's X livestream denials Sunday, Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, called on Rep. Max Miller, R-Ohio, to resign from Congress and seek "serious psychological help."
"If there are any basic standards of character required to hold elected office, Max Miller fails them," Moreno wrote in a lengthy statement on X. "He should not serve in the House of Representatives."
It was a call repeated by Miller's Democratic challenger in Ohio's 7th Congressional District.
"No one credibly accused of holding a gun to his wife's head and breaking their 2-year-old daughter's collarbone belongs in the halls of power," Brian Poindexter, the union ironworker and Brook Park city councilman, wrote in a statement Sunday.
GOP REP MAX MILLER PUSHES BACK AGAINST ABUSE ALLEGATIONS: ‘I HAVE NOTHING TO HIDE’
Moreno delivered an even more blistering public rebuke an hour after Miller livestreamed a sweeping denial of domestic abuse allegations made by ex-wife Emily Moreno, the daughter of the senator.
"As he has admitted privately, Max Miller needs serious psychological help," Moreno wrote. "He is a danger to my daughter, and I hold my breath every minute he has custody of my granddaughter."
The aftermath of the couple’s divorce had been "pure hell" for his family, Moreno began.
"As a father and husband, I can tell you the last two years have been pure hell for my wife Bridget, our daughter Emily, me, and our entire family in the aftermath of Emily's divorce," Moreno wrote.
5TH ACCUSER COMES FORWARD AGAINST REP ERIC SWALWELL AHEAD OF EXPECTED RESIGNATION
"It has been horrific to watch this play out in full public view, all while knowing an innocent two-year-old girl is caught in the middle. Our priority has always been protecting our daughter and our granddaughter.
"Out of concern for the safety of my family, I hoped to keep this matter private but Max Miller’s increasingly erratic and dangerous behavior has made that impossible."
Miller has categorically denied abusing Emily Moreno or their daughter. In the livestream, he said no court or government agency had substantiated an allegation of abuse against him and that he had never faced a criminal charge related to the claims.
The congressman said child welfare investigations involving his daughter had been closed without findings against him. He also argued that the allegations emerged as the former couple’s custody battle intensified and accused his former wife of using them as leverage.
DEMOCRATS TARGET MORE GOP HOUSE SEATS AFTER SOCIALIST VICTORIES ROCK LEFT-WING PRIMARIES
Emily Moreno has accused Miller of physically assaulting and threatening her during their marriage, including allegedly holding a gun to her head. Questions have also been raised about how the couple’s daughter suffered a broken collarbone. Miller denies causing the injury and said his daughter was no longer in his care when it was discovered.
Miller also denied an allegation that he threw boiling water on his former wife, saying he sprayed her with water from a kitchen sink during what he described as horseplay.
"It is shameful that Max Miller decided to go on a bizarre and lie-filled rant about his ex-wife to desperately try to save his political career," Emily Moreno spokesman Stefan Mychajliw wrote in a statement Sunday.
"There is a documented trove of evidence that Miller has a history of violent and dangerous behavior and no amount of victim shaming will change that.
"It is despicable and abhorrent that Miller lied on an unhinged and humiliating video for their daughter to watch one day.
"No loving parent would have ever used their daughter as a PR pawn to save their own political career. Miller can lie and spin on X, but he cannot do so under oath in a court of law. We are confident that justice will prevail in court."
The extraordinary intervention from a sitting Republican senator adds pressure on Miller as a Wednesday deadline approaches for the party to replace him on the November ballot. Democrats have increasingly viewed the northeast Ohio district as a possible pickup opportunity amid the controversy.
Miller, a former advisor in President Donald Trump’s first administration who had Trump’s endorsement, insisted Sunday that he would remain the Republican nominee.
"I’m not dropping out of this race," Miller said. "And I’ll win in November."
Eagles' Cooper DeJean walks out with Morgan Wallen during final stop on 'I'm the Problem' tour
Morgan Wallen closed out his "I’m the Problem" tour Saturday night with a little help from one of Philadelphia’s newest sports heroes.
Eagles cornerback Cooper DeJean joined Wallen for his signature pre-show walkout at Lincoln Financial Field, sending the hometown crowd into a frenzy before the country star ever reached the stage.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE FROM OUTKICK
Wallen wore Allen Iverson's Philadelphia 76ers jersey as the two walked toward the stage. But the previous night, Wallen rocked DeJean’s No. 33.
A little foreshadowing, perhaps? Apparently, DeJean had been sitting on the surprise all day.
During Eagles practice earlier Saturday, the All-Pro defensive back was asked how he felt about Wallen wearing his jersey on stage. DeJean called it "sick" and said he is a "huge Morgan Wallen fan."
Then he offered a small hint about what was coming later that night.
"Stay tuned," DeJean said in a video posted by the Eagles on social media.
DeJean has quickly become one of Philadelphia’s most popular athletes after helping the Eagles win Super Bowl LIX then earning First-Team All-Pro honors in 2025.
MORGAN WALLEN AND ELLA LANGLEY'S BALTIMORE PERFORMANCE OF 'I CAN'T LOVE YOU ANYMORE' GOES VIRAL
Celebrity walkouts have become a regular feature of Wallen’s stadium shows, and DeJean is now the latest in a very long line of prominent athletes and sports figures to get the honor.
Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Ray Lewis and Myles Garrett are among the NFL stars who have previously accompanied Wallen. Caitlin Clark, Tyrese Haliburton, Mike Tyson and Connor McDavid have also made appearances.
Yet Clark was somehow the only one who got absolutely skewered for it and labeled a racist by certain corners of the internet.
For some reason.
But I digress.
Saturday’s concert capped a two-night run at Lincoln Financial Field and officially brought Wallen’s massive stadium tour to a close. Brooks & Dunn, Ella Langley, Hudson Westbrook and Blake Whiten were among the supporting acts for the finale.
The end of the tour does not appear to mean Wallen plans on disappearing for long, either.
During a recent show in Ann Arbor, Mich., Wallen told fans he has already been back in the studio working on whatever comes next.
"It’s a little bittersweet because we’re getting close to the end of this tour. Kind of the end of this album’s era, I guess you could say," Wallen said. "I ain’t really sure exactly what I’m gonna do next, but I do know that I’ve been in the studio. I’ve been making a lot of music. I’m excited about it."
New Wallen music coming and the NFL season kicking off in just over a month. It’s a good time to love pop country and football.
Stephen Baldwin on choosing born-again Christianity over Hollywood after a life-changing encounter with God
Stephen Baldwin believes he could have been one of Hollywood's biggest stars, but he doesn't regret leaving the business for something far more important: his faith.
In a new interview, Baldwin, 60, reflected on the career-defining success that followed his role in the Oscar-winning 1995 crime thriller, "The Usual Suspects," and opened up about why he never felt drawn to chase stardom.
"I probably could have pointed myself in the direction of becoming a big star," Baldwin told People. "But that wasn't me. I didn't want to be Tom Cruise, and have to make $100 million at the box office. I'd rather be a schmuck from Massapequa."
HEATHER LOCKLEAR SAYS SHE LIVES 'FAR AWAY' FROM HOLLYWOOD AND STAYS OUT OF THE SOCIAL SCENE
Baldwin said his priorities shifted dramatically after embracing born-again Christianity in 2001.
According to the actor, his faith journey began after he and his wife, Kennya, hired a Brazilian housekeeper who claimed she had been sent by God because the couple would one day become Christians and start a ministry.
"My wife tells me, ‘I just spoke to Augusta, and she said the real reason she’s here is because God spoke to her, and she said in the future you and I will become born-again Christians and have our own ministry,’" Baldwin told the outlet.
JD VANCE REVEALS WHAT DREW HIM BACK TO GOD AFTER SEEING CHRISTIANS HAD LIFE ‘FIGURED OUT’
At first, Baldwin admitted he was skeptical. However, after attending a handful of evangelical events with his sister — who had already become a born-again Christian — and witnessing a Christian skateboarding ministry that blended extreme sports with worship, he said everything shifted.
"Down on the beach, they had built a skate park on the sand with plywood. And these funky, super committed, cool, tattooed, pierced skateboarders were there and they’d skate, stop, pick up a microphone and start preaching evangelistically, and like 5,000 kids would be around watching because of their interest in the skateboarders," he recalled. "I felt a calling."
Baldwin eventually created a skate video with a Christian message, titled "Livin' It."
FORMER SUPERMODEL SAYS CELEBRITIES NEED TO 'WAKE UP' AND RECOGNIZE CHRISTIAN FANS
"In the first six months we’d distributed 10,000 copies. Then one of the bigger churches called and asked what it would cost to bring the skaters from the video to their church for a live event. So that’s when I left Hollywood," he said. "I went to 125 churches over four years," he said. "Jesus and the Holy Spirit fascinated me."
Baldwin admitted that Hollywood hasn't always been super accepting of his religious and political outspokenness.
"I think they thought I act a little too weird," said Baldwin, who supported President Donald Trump in 2016 and 2024.
"I get a lot of DMs from people who tell me how my work has touched them and that’s all that matters. I’m happy to be where I’m now at 60. I’m so blessed. And I absolutely believe that the best is yet to come."
Today, Baldwin says he's focused on producing faith-based films for younger audiences while hosting his podcast, "One Bad Movie," where actors discuss the worst film or filming experience of their careers.
The actor also said becoming a grandfather has only strengthened his perspective on life.
"I've done 100 movies, I've made more money than I could have wildly imagined, and I'm married to the hottest chick I've ever seen in my life," Baldwin said. "Jesus is my rock. My wife is my anchor."
RFK Jr torches CNN anchor Dana Bash for 'press malpractice' over COVID coverage in explosive clash
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. accused CNN anchor Dana Bash of COVID-era media malpractice Sunday, saying she failed to challenge public health authorities and helped marginalize dissenters during the pandemic.
"You were part of the problem. There was absolute press malpractice. Your job — your job — is a fierce skepticism toward authority, and you weren’t doing that," Kennedy said on "State of the Union."
"You were beating up on people who were dissenting," the HHS secretary added.
Kennedy leveled the attack after Bash asked how HHS would prepare for another pandemic and tried to move him away from re-litigating the prior federal response.
Bash pushed back, saying she was trying to ask how Kennedy would prevent another public health crisis.
EX-CBS REPORTER CLAIMS QUESTIONING FAUCI GOT HER 'PULLED OFF AIR' DURING COVID PANDEMIC
"I also don’t want to use this interview to allow you to say things that aren’t entirely true," Bash said. "You’re talking about therapeutics. Fine. It is also factually true that the COVID vaccine worked. The COVID vaccine prevented deaths. There is data, upon data, upon data."
CDC and Harvard researchers estimated in 2023 that primary vaccination could have prevented at least 232,000 deaths among unvaccinated U.S. adults.
After Bash acknowledged the frightening nature of the pandemic and said officials made mistakes, Kennedy accused CNN of contributing to public fear.
"You were scaring people," Kennedy said.
INSIDE FAUCI'S PRIVATE DIARY: WHAT HE WROTE ABOUT TRUMP, TV PERSONALITIES AND CELEBRITIES
Bash asked why he believed CNN had frightened viewers, prompting Kennedy to point to its pandemic chyrons.
"Because that was the job of CNN," Kennedy said.
Bash said the network had been covering government officials, including President Donald Trump's daily White House briefings.
"We were listening to the leaders in this country, including the president, who had a daily press conference explaining what was going on," Bash said.
LEGACY MEDIA COVERS ANTHONY FAUCI DIARY BY CRITICIZING DONALD TRUMP INSTEAD OF FAUCI'S DISHONESTY
CNN defended Bash’s questioning and the network’s pandemic coverage in a statement to Fox News Digital.
"Dana Bash is a veteran journalist who conducted a newsmaking interview with Secretary Kennedy in which he stated that he supports parents getting their children vaccinated against measles and addressed President Trump’s push for further study into autism and vaccines," a CNN spokesperson said.
"Asking tough, substantive questions to those in power is the job of every journalist, and Dana did hers incredibly well today. We stand behind Dana, her reporting, and CNN’s overall coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic," the spokesperson added.
Kennedy later accused Bash of punishing people who distrusted Fauci, claiming he lied about masks, social distancing, natural immunity, vaccine transmission and COVID-19's origins.
"We know that Anthony Fauci, who was the expert, was lying about everything," Kennedy said. "He was lying. And you were punishing people for not trusting the experts."
CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE
The interview aired four days after Fauci invoked the Fifth Amendment 111 times on his attorney's advice during a Senate hearing into the pandemic response and COVID-19's origins, Fox News Digital reported.
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., has said his committee will vote on a contempt resolution.
Bash’s questioning also came as the United States recorded its highest measles total in 35 years. The CDC reported 2,371 confirmed cases through July 30, surpassing 2,289 for all of 2025. Kindergarten MMR coverage fell from 95.2% during the 2019-2020 school year to 92.5% during 2024-2025.
When Bash asked Kennedy to tell parents directly to get their children vaccinated, he endorsed the MMR vaccine.
"Parents should get their children vaccinated for measles," Kennedy said. "Measles vaccine is effective. It stops measles in about 97% of the cases. People should get vaccinated."
Bash previously said in April reporters should identify false or misleading claims instead of merely presenting competing positions.
"Objective reporting doesn’t mean just giving all sides of the issue," she said. "Objective reporting now, rightly so, means explaining what somebody says when it’s false or when it’s not right or when it’s misleading."
Fox News Digital reached out to RFK Jr. for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.
Tom Selleck said he almost missed playing iconic role on 'Magnum, P.I.': 'It was a big fight'
Tom Selleck almost passed up one of his most iconic roles.
During a recent conversation with Ted Danson on his podcast, "Where Everybody Knows Your Name," Selleck explained that a conversation with fellow actor James Garner about his issues with the original script of "Magnum, P.I." ultimately convinced him to take the job.
"I'm sitting there, and I'm pretty preoccupied 'cause something had happened," Selleck told Danson. "And he says, ‘What's wrong?’ And I said, ‘Well, look, I had a contract at the studio for a series, but I fulfilled that contract. Now the studio is assigning this show to me, saying the contract is still valid and that I have to do it.’ The show, incidentally, was called ‘Magnum’ and I hated it. It was terrible."
TOM SELLECK SAYS ‘BLUE BLOODS’ CAST MADE MAJOR SACRIFICE TO SAVE THE SHOW BEFORE CANCELLATION
In the original script, written by Glen A. Larson of "Battlestar Galactica" and "Fall Guy," Thomas Magnum had "no flaws, and he had two beautiful women on his arm and a Ferrari."
Garner advised Selleck, "‘You don't have much power, but if they want you, you'll never have more power than you do right now. That's all I'm gonna say.’ And I said no to the studio. And Jim Garner, in a way, just kind of saved my life. I would've been long gone from that version of ‘Magnum.’"
Selleck has made similar comments in the past – in 2015, he told AARP that the original version of the character was "very James Bond-like."
He referenced Garner then, too, saying that he told the people behind the show that he'd prefer it if the character was more similar to Garner's Jim Rockford on "The Rockford Files."
"I said, 'I don't want to be Rockford, but I want to do something like that, where the guy is fallible,'" he said at the time.
Selleck admitted to Danson that "it was a big fight for a long time," saying that his lawyer later told him that he would have a choice of three submissions for "Magnum, P.I."
By that time, Selleck said he had done a miniseries called "The Sacketts," "which was a huge, huge break. So they knew that I could handle a series. And so, they gave me a choice. ‘And you're gonna meet with these writers.’"
Selleck said he had never met with a writer, "And now the writers are auditioning for me."
He told "Magnum, P.I." co-creator Donald P. Bellisario, "I want to do something like ‘Rockford.’ I want a character with flaws and some heart.’ And he said, ‘Say no more.’ He did. And he came back in about two weeks with the best TV movie I had ever read at the time, and it was called ‘Magnum.’"
Selleck admitted to Charlie Rose in 1997 that he'd "bet the farm" by pushing back so hard on the initial script.
"They said I can’t do that, and I said ‘I know I can’t, but I’m going to, and you’ve got to change this, or I can’t do it,'" he told Rose, adding that "had it not worked out, I think I would have gotten a pretty good reputation for being difficult and never worked again. But the point was I wanted to play a flawed guy."
The "Blue Bloods" star told Danson he refuses to ever call the show anything but "Magnum" because after the studio lawyers looked at it, they worried Clint Eastwood would sue over the title’s similarity to "Magnum Force," "So, we'll put a P.I. there."
"I did not like that," he said. "But we lost that battle. P.I. in Hawaii is not the most flattering term for Filipino Islander, and I was living in Hawaii at the time, and I just… so I don't call it that name, I call it ‘Magnum.’"
At the time, Selleck said that despite his success with "The Sacketts," he had done six unsold pilots, "and I know what they were saying. They're saying, ‘Who the hell does he think he is? He's never even gotten on the air.’ So, if it hadn't worked, I would've been long gone and back with United Airlines pretty quick."
Selleck had participated in United Airlines’ management training program while studying business in college.
"But, I don't know, it was a risk. I'm not sure my dad ever said, ‘Risk is the price you pay for opportunity,’ but he lived his life that way. And this seemed to me to be the time to take a risk."