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Virginia Madsen says veterans aren’t trained to come home after nephew’s suicide
This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
When Virginia Madsen thinks of her late nephew, she beams — then fights to hold back tears.
"When he came to visit, he had matured," the Oscar nominee recalled to Fox News Digital. "He had changed. He was stronger. You never thought this person would be taken from us — and he was."
‘SHEEPDOG’ SHINES LIGHT ON THE WAR AFTER WAR, AS VETERANS CONTINUE TO STRUGGLE WITH LIFE BACK HOME
"It was joyous the last time I saw him," she shared. "I was so glad I had that visit. I was so proud of him."
The actress last saw her nephew, Hudson Madsen — the son of her late older brother, actor Michael Madsen — in 2018 while he was home on leave from the Army.
The 26-year-old Army sergeant died by suicide in January 2022, shortly after completing a tour of duty in Afghanistan. Hudson was stationed at an Army base in Oahu, Hawaii, where he lived with his wife, Carlie.
WATCH: VIRGINIA MADSEN SHARES PERSONAL MISSION BEHIND VETERAN FILM ‘SHEEPDOG’
As she grappled with grief and supported her family, Madsen felt compelled to speak out, determined to shine a light on the silent battles many combat veterans face when they return home. Less than a year after Hudson’s death, she received the script for "Sheepdog," which opened in theaters Jan. 16.
Steven Grayhm — who wrote, directed and stars in the film — previously told Fox News Digital the story had been a deeply personal project. It was shaped by conversations with veterans, their families and mental health professionals about the often unseen toll of life after service.
"It’s a good-news story about recovery," Madsen said. "It’s about a guy who comes back, gets help and has the support of other veterans. He can choose life — and I loved that part of it. I wish my nephew had been able to have that kind of help."
"We were so devastated, but also, at the same time, isolated in our grief," the 64-year-old reflected. "I just didn’t know what to do. I wanted to do something. I wanted to be able to help my family, and I wanted to be able to put my grief into action. But what to do?"
"I didn’t want to make a war movie," she clarified. "I wanted to talk about what happens when a veteran comes home."
"I can’t understand what my nephew was carrying and what he was going through internally. What I’ve learned from others is that they are trained to be soldiers. They’re not trained to come home and be civilians. I’ve heard about PTSD but didn’t really know much about it. But there’s also growth after trauma. It’s possible to heal."
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Madsen described Hudson as "a golden child" who dreamed of serving his country.
"It was so surprising that he said, ‘I want to join the Army. I want to be in the service of my country,’" the actress recalled. "Well, OK. So, we supported him. And he really believed in it. He was training before he signed up on his own. So, I knew that it really meant something to him. And I felt really proud of him. I wanted to be supportive, even though I was really afraid."
"I wrote letters, and it was scary," she said. "Sometimes we would get pictures of him while he was serving when he was allowed to send them. And I think he was very proud, too."
Looking back, Madsen said she had no idea her nephew was struggling when he returned home. As she portrayed a therapist treating soldiers with PTSD in "Sheepdog," Hudson was always on her mind.
"What you went through was not normal, but you are normal," she said. "You can live, and you can come back into [society]. [But] they’re changed. And what does the family do with that change? What do their friends do? What do they do on their own? How do they get the courage to speak out and ask for help? That has to come first. And maybe someone reaching out to them could be the key."
WATCH: FILM ‘SHEEPDOG’ CHRONICLES COMBAT VETERAN’S RETURN HOME
"Each case is very different, but I didn’t know," Madsen continued. "I didn’t know that he was as troubled as he was. I think many families find themselves in that place. So it’s a good thing to ask. It’s a good thing not to say, ‘Are you OK?’ but to ask, ‘How are you doing?’ Call a friend that you miss, that you haven’t talked to in a while, and say, ‘How are you doing?’"
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Before agreeing to do "Sheepdog," Madsen sought the blessing of her family, including Hudson’s widow and his father. Michael, known for playing tough guys in films like "Kill Bill" and "Reservoir Dogs," died in 2025 of cardiac arrest after a long struggle with alcoholism. He was 67.
"I cannot fathom the depth of grief that a mother and father go through with the loss of a child," said Madsen. "Hudson was not my son, but he sure felt like it. And we are a close family."
"I did not take this job lightly," Madsen said of agreeing to do the film. "This was more than a paycheck. This job would involve my heart and soul, which means it would involve my family."
WATCH: NEW FILM ‘SHEEPDOG’ SHINES LIGHT ON HIDDEN BATTLES VETERANS FACE AFTER MILITARY SERVICE
"I wanted them to know that I was doing it for all of us. I wanted to know if it was OK that I would make something like this. They trusted my judgment. And I know that for some, they’re glad that the story is out there. That Hudson is not anonymous. He isn’t gone. He is remembered. He is honored. And by doing this, I can honor others as well."
As "Sheepdog" made its way through theaters and film festivals, Madsen came face-to-face with veterans and loved ones eager to share their stories. Those encounters became a lifeline.
"I got a lot of hugs," she said. "They told me their stories, but they were generous enough to hear my story, hug me and tell me, ‘I understand.’ And wow, they really did."
"I ended up going on my own exploration of healing. They convinced me it was OK to get therapy — I needed that, too. So, I did. I took their advice, and it really helped."
"They really helped me feel part of them," Madsen said. "They were generous and kind. And I’m better for it. I’m stronger now."
Madsen hopes to bring "Sheepdog" to more theaters and streaming platforms. Proceeds from the film’s online merchandise will fund free tickets for veterans to see "Sheepdog."
"I love that probably more than anything," she said with a smile. "It’s a way to share. People can get something and support our troops."
Though the pain never fades, Madsen cherishes every chance to talk about Hudson and keep his memory alive. She believes "Sheepdog" will inspire others fighting unseen battles to speak out.
"Hudson was a beautiful human being," she said. "He was selfless. He wanted to serve, and he did. He was on a journey, and in this case, he took another exit. But we’re blessed to have had him as long as we did. He shared his life with us for as long as he could. He was a good man. He did his best. And he’s loved."
NFL legend Jimmy Johnson slams AI video circulating across social media
Pro Football Hall of Famer Jimmy Johnson appeared to be just as unsettled as other football fans were over an AI video that appeared of him during the college football national championship.
An AI video made its way around social media of Johnson kissing a younger woman on the sideline. He reacted to the clip Tuesday morning.
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"This is fake…this is so wrong!" he wrote on his X account.
The post he reacted to was later deleted.
Johnson, 82, was at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, to watch the Miami Hurricanes take on the Indiana Hoosiers. Johnson coached Miami from 1984 to 1988 before being hired as the Dallas Cowboys head coach.
He led the Hurricanes to a national championship in 1987.
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Unfortunately, Johnson watched Miami come up just short against Indiana. The Hurricanes couldn’t get the necessary stops to keep Indiana out of the end zone. Miami quarterback Carson Beck threw an interception on the final drive to help seal the Hoosiers’ win.
"Canes came up short but had a good year," Johnson added on X.
Miami finished second in the final Associated Press top 25 poll. It’s the second time the school had finished with at least 10 wins under Mario Cristobal and only the third time since they hit the threshold since winning the Orange Bowl under Larry Coker in 2003.
The Hurricanes will look to reload and prep for another run in 2026.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Far-left agitator who organized MN church storming raked in over $1 million from anti-poverty nonprofit
FIRST ON FOX: Far-left agitator Nekima Levy Armstrong, who was one of the organizers of the storming of a Minnesota church to protest ICE on Sunday, raked in over $1 million during six years leading a Minneapolis civil rights nonprofit that addresses anti-poverty issues.
Armstrong, whose website identifies her as a civil rights lawyer and "scholar-activist," helped to organize the storming of Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Sunday.
In a Facebook post, she claimed that one of the church’s pastors is a leader at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The demonstration is one of many throughout the Twin Cities in protest of the federal government’s surge of immigration enforcement officials to crack down on widespread fraud taking place in the state.
Armstrong, who is currently the founder and CEO of a cannabis company called Dope Roots, led the nonprofit as executive director for at least six years, from 2019 through 2024, according to tax filings by the Wayfinder Foundation,
The 2024 tax filing shows that despite the foundation being dedicated to giving grants to anti-poverty community initiatives, it awarded just $158,811 that year, while Armstrong brought in a salary of $215,726. She also took an additional $40,548 in health benefits, benefit plan contributions and deferred compensation, according to the 2024 filing.
In 2023, the year that the nonprofit awarded $133,698 in grants, Armstrong brought in a salary of $170,726, plus $44,300 in other "compensation from the organization and related organizations," according to that year’s filing.
The year before reflects the same pattern, with Armstrong bringing in $175,000 in compensation, plus an estimated $33,126 in other compensation, while the organization gave just $161,325 in grants, per the 2022 filing.
According to filings ranging from 2019 to 2024, in six years Armstrong made $936,395 as executive director of the Wayfinder Foundation, plus an additional $201,313 in health benefits and other compensation. Meanwhile, during her time in leadership, the Wayfinder Foundation disbursed approximately $700,052 in grants.
In the same time span, the foundation reported $5,246,387 in revenue. The group has counted Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation as a donor. According to a 2023 Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation tax filing, the group donated $20,000 to Wayfinder "to conduct activities to educate and support Black communities."
The Walton Family Foundation, which makes charitable donations on behalf of the family behind Walmart’s founding, is also a major donor. According to 2018-2024 tax filings by the Walton Family Foundation, it donated $2,340,000 to the Wayfinder Foundation during that time period.
While the nonprofit's website is now defunct, Fox News Digital reviewed some of its archived pages, and it reveals that in its "signature Community Activist Fellowship (CAF) program, we intentionally invest in Black women and Latina activists, organizers, and change agents who are using their social, political, and financial capital to challenge the status quo and to disrupt business-as-usual within systems that perpetuate oppression."
"Where others see deficiencies, lack, and want, Wayfinder sees opportunity for little revolutions that place demands on power and change systems for the better," Armstrong says in a message to potential donors on the defunct website of the Wayfinder Foundation. "We get there by investing directly in the most basic unit of change in a child’s life, their mother."
ANTI-ICE AGITATOR DEFENDS INVADING CHURCH, CLAIMS 'IT'S WHAT NEEDED TO BE DONE'
Before the Sunday service disruption, Armstrong caused controversy through her far-left views and activism. She has also been a key organizer of the boycotts against Target over its decision to scale back its diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
In a September 26 post, Armstrong had high praise for Joanne Chesimard, also known as Assata Shakur, who was convicted of the murder of State Trooper Werner Foerster in 1977. Armstrong called her "a brave, wise, powerful, and revolutionary Black woman."
Fox News Digital reached out to Armstrong and the Wayfinder Foundation for comment but did not immediately receive a response. Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, the Walton Family Foundation and Walmart also did not respond to Fox News Digital's requests for comment.
California Republicans appeal to Supreme Court to block congressional maps
The California Republican Party is aiming to get the U.S. Supreme Court to block the Golden State from using a new congressional map.
"If left uncorrected, this pernicious and unconstitutional use of race will irreparably harm Applicants and the public. Applicants therefore respectfully request an injunction pending appeal precluding California from conducting any congressional election under the map enacted through Proposition 50 ('Proposition 50 Map') and requiring it to use the prior map adopted in 2021 by the independent Citizens Redistricting Commission," the emergency application declares.
In November, California voters approved Proposition 50 to temporarily adopt the new congressional map.
FEDERAL COURT CLEARS CALIFORNIA'S NEW HOUSE MAP BOOSTING DEMOCRATS AHEAD OF 2026 MIDTERMS
Those redrawn districts would apply during this year's midterms.
If California elections are allowed to proceed according to the new map, Democrats would likely see an advantage during the 2026 contests as they seek to win the House majority.
FEDERAL JUDGE SCORCHES DEMS FOR PANDERING TO LATINOS WITH CALIFORNIA MAP IN FIERY DISSENT
"California cannot create districts by race, and the state should not be allowed to lock in districts that break federal law," California Republican Party Chairwoman Corrin Rankin said, according to a post on X by the California Republican Party.
"Our emergency application asks the Supreme Court to put the brakes on Prop. 50 now, before the Democrats try to run out the clock and force candidates and voters to live with unconstitutional congressional districts," Rankin said. "Californians deserve fair districts and clean elections, not a backroom redraw that picks winners and losers based on race."
Democrats dodge questions as House GOP prepares contempt votes against the Clintons
House Democrats are largely mum about whether they'll help Republicans advance a pair of contempt resolutions against former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Wednesday.
The House Oversight Committee is meeting at 10 a.m. to weigh a pair of reports on holding the Clintons in contempt of Congress for defying subpoenas in the panel's Jeffrey Epstein probe. What's likely to be hours of debate will be followed by votes on whether to tee up those reports as House-wide votes on resolutions referring the former first couple to the Department of Justice (DOJ) for criminal prosecution.
The resolutions are likely to advance, at least along party lines. But two Democrats on the committee who spoke with Fox News Digital on Tuesday were careful to avoid making concrete decisions before the pivotal votes.
"Right now, we should all be focused on releasing the Epstein files," Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., told Fox News Digital. "After the files are released, call in the Clintons, and they should testify, as should anyone. But it's premature to be calling in people to testify when the files haven't been released."
REPUBLICAN HOUSE LEADER SIGNALS PLAN TO BEGIN CONTEMPT PROCEEDINGS AGAINST BILL AND HILLARY CLINTON
Khanna, along with Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., led a successful effort to force a vote on mandating that the DOJ release nearly all of its Epstein files.
The DOJ has yet to produce more than a fraction of the documents, however, more than a month after the deadline set by Congress.
When asked directly how he would vote regarding the Clintons on Wednesday, Khanna said, "I would say that they need to come in after the files are released."
CLINTON SPOKESMAN LASHES OUT AT COMER OVER EPSTEIN PROBE AS CONTEMPT VOTE NEARS
Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, D-Va., a first-term member of the committee, told Fox News Digital when asked how he'll vote, "We'll see how they're treating all of the other people who have not complied completely with the committee, because I think what they've started doing is making this partisan."
The Clintons were two of 10 people subpoenaed to appear before the committee after a unanimous committee vote to launch the investigation.
To date, however, just one of those original 10 people — former Trump Attorney General Bill Barr — has appeared in person. Former Trump Labor Secretary Alex Azar was also deposed pursuant to a separate subpoena.
BILL, HILLARY CLINTON RISK CRIMINAL CONTEMPT CHARGES AFTER DEFYING HOUSE SUBPOENAS IN EPSTEIN PROBE
But the Clintons are the only two so far who Republicans have pursued contempt charges against, arguing they have repeatedly refused to work with the committee in good faith on scheduling their depositions. The Clintons' lawyers said the subpoenas are not legally valid.
"It should be an interesting hearing, because if they're going to hold the Clintons in contempt, I'm interested to hear if they'll hold anyone else in contempt, including Republicans in this administration," Subramanyam said.
Multiple requests for comment to the remaining 19 Democrats on the committee went unanswered on Tuesday.
EX-FEDERAL PROSECUTOR SAYS DOJ HAD POWER TO RELEASE ALL EPSTEIN FILES
That includes Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., the top Democrat on the committee, who did not attend either of the panel's scheduled depositions with the Clintons in January.
Rep. Emily Randall, D-Wash., another member of the panel, even waved Fox News Digital off during an attempt to ask about her thoughts on the Clinton contempt effort. She claimed she was engaged in an "intense" conversation with a congressional aide.
Garcia had previously accused House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., of hypocrisy in trying to hold the Clintons accountable while not pushing harder to enforce the subpoena aimed at forcing the DOJ to release all of its Epstein files, which it has not yet done.
"I think it's incredibly hypocritical for James Comer to go out and try to hold in contempt his political enemies while [Attorney General Pam Bondi] is actively breaking the law, and he refuses to hold her in contempt," Garcia told MS NOW last week.
But in his opening remarks ahead of the committee meeting, Comer is expected to argue that it would be Democrats who are acting hypocritical if they do not vote to hold House-wide contempt votes.
"We’ve offered flexibility on scheduling. The response we received was not cooperation, but defiance, marked by repeated delays, excuses, and obstruction," Comer will say, according to remarks obtained by Fox News Digital. "Today, the Clintons must be held accountable for their actions. And Democrats must support these measures, or they will be exposed as hypocrites."
Neither of the Clintons have been implicated in any wrongdoing related to Epstein.
US trade rep shrugs off world leaders’ swipes at Trump amid Davos backlash
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer dismissed swipes at President Donald Trump from world leaders at the Davos summit on Tuesday, telling Fox News that backlash from "elites" is nothing new.
"This idea of the elites hating a populist president and the Europeans hating us, that's gone on for a long time," Greer told "The Ingraham Angle."
"I think Pew did a study a few years ago, and they showed polls for Americans overseas, and whenever there's a Republican president it goes down, it's a Democratic president, it goes up. That's just how it is," he said.
"These are cultural things, and we need to worry about what's best for the American people, and we shouldn't be worrying about whether the Europeans are going to say nice [things] about us."
The chilly reception from some allied nations comes as Trump turns up the temperature over Danish-owned Greenland, which he has said would be a significant strategic and military asset for the United States.
The president has threatened to impose 10% tariffs on Danish and other European goods to pressure a deal that would allow the U.S. to purchase Greenland, a move that has sparked sharp backlash from some world leaders.
"We need more stability in this world, but we do prefer respect to bullies. We do prefer science to plotism, and we do prefer rule of law to brutality," French President Emmanuel Macron said this week.
HOUSE SPEAKER MIKE JOHNSON TELLS BRITISH PARLIAMENT HE CAME TO 'CALM THE WATERS'
Greer fired back at the remarks on Tuesday.
"We live in the real world, and it's not necessarily about what we prefer. It's about how we accommodate American interests. It's how we achieve the goals and objectives that the American people have," he said.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney also appeared to take a swipe at Trump while warning of a broader shift in global relations.
"We are in the midst of a rupture, not a transition," Carney said at the World Economic Forum.
"Great powers have begun using economic integration as weapons. Tariffs as leverage, financial infrastructure as coercion, supply chains as vulnerabilities to be exploited."
DHS website traffic surges 68% as thousands use Trump's self-deportation app for voluntary departure
FIRST ON FOX: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) revealed record website traffic to the agency’s official site, with one of the most visited pages on the site including information on self-deportation through the CBP Home App.
DHS reported a 68.49% increase in traffic from 2024. The department reports that its website received 102 million page views last year and 67 million unique visitors — an increase from 40 million page views in 2024.
"Under the leadership of President Donald J. Trump and Secretary Noem, DHS celebrated one of the most consequential periods of action and reform in American history in 2025," a spokesperson from DHS told Fox News Digital in a statement. "From delivering the most secure border ever and removing dangerous criminal illegal aliens, to fixing disaster response and ushering in a golden age of travel, DHS will continue to build upon this success and innovate to find ways to deliver for the American people."
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TOUTS ‘MOST SECURE BORDER IN HISTORY’ AS 2.5 MILLION MIGRANTS EXIT US
The agency is also planning to launch a new website that will enhance transparency about DHS and ease navigation.
"This redesigned website is another example of that commitment to innovation and being the most transparent administration in American history," the spokesperson added.
The CPB Home App is a mobile application that allows users who are in the U.S. illegally to self-deport. The app launched last March under the second Trump administration.
DHS TARGETS ‘WORST-OF-THE-WORST’: CHRISTMASTIME SWEEP NETS SEXUAL PREDATORS, DRUG KINGPINS
DHS has reported that tens of thousands of illegal migrants have used the app to self-deport. The agency also pays a $1,000 stipend to individuals who successfully self-deport, as well as "financial and travel assistance to facilitate travel back to their home country."
The agency has rolled out several new features as a means of communicating with the public, including the "Worst of the Worst" website, which highlights the most dangerous illegal migrants that the agency apprehends.
The "Worst of the Worst" site includes rapists, murderers, child predators and other illegal migrants who were convicted or faced charges in the U.S.
The new look and record traffic to the website comes as the agency touted historic numbers in the first year of the second Trump administration.
"In President Trump’s first year back in office, nearly 3 million illegal aliens have left the U.S. because of the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration, including an estimated 2.2 million self-deportations and more than 675,000 deportations," DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement.
The agency says that U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) apprehensions over the past 12 months were the lowest in USBP history, and the total number of apprehensions over the past year were less than the average monthly apprehensions during the Biden administration.
"In the last year, fentanyl trafficking at the southern border has also been cut by more than half compared to the same period in 2024," Noem added. "The U.S. Coast Guard alone seized enough cocaine to kill more than 177 million Americans."
"Meanwhile, we have saved taxpayers more than $13.2 billion here at DHS," Noem continued.
The agency looks ahead to the next calendar year with new initiatives as well as the continued efforts to deport illegal migrants, which includes U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services enforcing a "new rule to prioritize the allocation of H-1B visas to higher-skilled and higher-paid aliens."
Archaeologists uncover 3,000-year-old beer-like drinks brewed with unusual ingredients
Archaeologists recently uncovered proof of ancient fermented beverages in western China — revealing how people brewed beer-like drinks more than 3,000 years ago.
The research was published in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports in December.
The study centered around the Mogou site in Gansu Province, located in northwestern China near the northeastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau.
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The site had long been used as a cemetery during the Bronze Age, in the late second millennium B.C. Researchers analyzed 42 vessels from four tombs and found microscopic residue showing they once held fermented liquids.
Experts conducted microfossil analyses and uncovered starch granules, phytoliths and fungi that show the "diverse range" of the diet of ancient Mogou people, per the study's abstract.
The Mogou people brewed the beverages using the "qu method," which involved preparing the fermentation starter with rice and Monascus mold, or red mold. The drinks were crafted from grains such as millet, rice, wheat and barley.
Li Liu, an East Asian Languages and Cultures professor at Stanford University and co-author of the study, said these fermented beverages were "likely similar to unfiltered beer, with a porridge-like consistency."
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The drinks also had a low alcohol content and a "mildly sweet-sour flavor profile," Liu told Fox News Digital.
"They were probably consumed fresh and did not include hops, which are used in brewing modern beer."
Liu added that fermented alcoholic beverages had a long history in China. They were used as mortuary offerings and in festive settings for around 10,000 years.
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"At the same time, these beverages may also have functioned as everyday food resources, as fermentation would have enhanced preservation, nutritional value and digestibility, allowing them to be consumed beyond strictly ritual contexts," she added.
The most surprising aspect of the study, Liu said, was the evidence that red mold was used in the fermentation process — an unusual type of mold in the Tibetan Plateau region.
"Rice may not have been locally produced in this highland environment, and the growing of Monascus typically requires warm and humid conditions," Liu said.
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"Its presence in the western highlands suggests a remarkably long-lasting and far-reaching cultural transmission of brewing knowledge."
She also said the brewing methods stayed largely the same for centuries, suggesting a well-established tradition.
The study represents the "first scientific analysis of ancient alcoholic residues from Bronze Age western China," Liu said.
"Because the site is situated along major east-west cultural communication routes, the findings highlight how 'invisible' traditions — such as brewing knowledge and fermentation practices — were an important but often overlooked component of long-distance human interaction and cultural exchange," she said.
Billy Bush compares Brooklyn Beckham family fallout to Prince Harry: ‘He went nuclear’
Television host Billy Bush is comparing Brooklyn Beckham's "nuclear" statement about Victoria and David Beckham to Prince Harry's infamous fall-out from the royal family.
During an interview with Fox News Digital, Bush addressed Brooklyn making his family feud public by posting a lengthy statement on his Instagram stories on Monday.
"Well, it's unfortunate. I mean, like everything else, you've got to think the truth lies somewhere in the middle, right?" Bush began.
The TV host addressed a 2022 lawsuit where Nicola Peltz's father, Nelson Peltz, sued the original wedding planners hired for their Palm Beach wedding to get his down payment refunded.
BROOKLYN BECKHAM BLASTS PARENTS DAVID AND VICTORIA, SAYS FAMILY ‘CONTROLLED’ HIM FOR YEARS
"Those wedding planners, the original ones said she was very difficult," Bush said of Brooklyn's wife. "Nicola was like a bridezilla, right? So, and then on the other side, you know, the Beckhams are a very public family."
He continued, "There's all kinds of items out there where you can see that maybe they didn't love Nicola, or they didn't embrace Nicola. And Brooklyn is in a terrible spot. You know what spot he's in? The same spot as Prince Harry. I mean, it's almost identical, right? Not talking to his father, not talking to his brother, in this case, brothers for Brooklyn. Total fallout. The only difference is mom. The role of mom, who seems to be the focus of Brooklyn's ire. It's sad. And there's probably a little bit of truth on both sides, and we live in a world where two things cannot be true at the same time. But most things are."
Bush is hopeful that like Prince Harry, Brooklyn will one day be able to mend his relationship with his family.
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"Like with Harry, you always hold a small little space, a little percentage that maybe they'll reconcile down the road and perhaps that's sadly in divorce. Who knows, it looks like if Brooklyn Beckham stays married to Nicola Peltz Beckham for eternity, the chances they heal are probably not great.
WATCH: Billy Bush compares Brooklyn Beckham's family rift to Prince Harry
"But if something happens, maybe he does go back to his family, but right now he's taking his wife's side. What do they say? Happy wife, happy life. I mean, what choice does he have?"
He doesn't think Victoria or David were expecting that type of statement from their son.
"I think they're shocked. Who was the one that told mom, you know? Imagine, like, Victoria's in the house, and is it one of the other brothers? Mom, you're not gonna believe what Brooklyn did. Imagine her face, dad's face, and they're like, wait, what? He just went public, he just went nuclear," Bush said.
"I'm sure they were shocked, and now it's about as definitive and demonstrative as it could be. It doesn't look like healing is in the offing anytime too soon," Bush continued.
Bush said the seven-part statement Brooklyn made was a "big move."
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Brooklyn posted several slides to his Instagram story on Monday, claiming he was standing up for himself for the "first time" in his life. He accused his famous parents of inappropriate behavior, disliking his now wife, and always putting the Beckham brand over family.
WATCH: Billy Bush believes Victoria and David Beckham were 'shocked' by Brooklyn's statement
"I have been silent for years and made every effort to keep these matters private," Brooklyn began. He said that his parents had gone to the press, which left him with "no choice" but to address the family rift publicly.
"I do not want to reconcile with my family. I’m not being controlled, I’m standing up for myself for the first time in my life. For my entire life, my parents have controlled narratives in the press about our family," Brooklyn wrote.
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He continued, "For my entire life, my parents have controlled narratives in the press about our family [with] performative social media posts, family events and inauthentic relationships. … Recently, I have seen with my own eyes the lengths that they’ll go through to place countless lies in the media, mostly at the expense of innocent people, to preserve their own facade."
Brooklyn continued making harsh claims about his family and said they "value public promotion and endorsements above all else."
"Brand Beckham comes first," he alleged.
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"Family ‘love’ is decided by how much you post on social media, or how quickly you drop everything to show up and pose for a family photo opp, even if it’s at the expense of our professional obligations. We’ve gone out of our way for years to show up and support at every fashion show, every party and every press activity to show ‘our perfect family,'" he continued. "But the one time my wife asked for my mum’s support to save displaced dogs during the LA fires, my mum refused."
Nicola is a dog activist and co-founded the non-profit, Yogi's House, which helps rescue and rehome dogs.
Bush believes that the Beckham family is stronger than their brand.
"I think the Beckham brand ought to lay low for a minute, regroup, kind of look at each other and say, 'What's going on here? What are we doing?' How important is our oldest son to this unit?'" Bush said.
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Brooklyn alleged that the night before his wedding, family members told him that Nicola was "not family." Brooklyn said Victoria "hijacked" his first dance at his wedding, which was in front of 500 guests at their Palm Beach, Florida, nuptials in 2022. He said Marc Anthony called him to the stage at the time when he was scheduled to dance with his wife. Instead, Victoria was waiting for him at the stage for a dance.
"She danced very inappropriately on me in front of everyone. I've never felt more uncomfortable or humiliated in my entire life," Brooklyn said.
Bush said that Nicola is an "outspoken woman" who is "probably used to getting her way, much like Brooklyn's mom."
"It's very clear that Brooklyn is caught between his wife and his mother. What really shocked me in his stories and what he put out there was when he said, my mom at the wedding was dancing very inappropriately on me, not with me, on me. Which gave everybody the ick factor," Bush said.
MIKE DAVIS: Don Lemon and his church-storming mob must face Ku Klux Klan, FACE Act charges
The freedom of worship is a cornerstone value of our Republic, enshrined in the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. Last Sunday, a group of anti-ICE agitators violated this most sacred right when they stormed into Cities Church in St. Paul, Minn., during church services to protest the pastor’s supposed ties to ICE. This mob of leftist bigots included fired CNN anchor Don Lemon, who stunningly claimed they (somehow) had the First Amendment right to target, trespass into, terrify and disrupt a church service – even based upon the race and religion of the congregants. Non-attorney Lemon has refused to back down – and in fact, has doubled down – on his demonstrably wrong and dangerous legal analysis. For his outrageous criminal behavior and total lack of remorse, Lemon must face legal accountability – including federal felony charges under the FACE Act and Ku Klux Klan Act. In short, Lemon must go to federal prison – and for years.
In 1994, Democrats had the trifecta: control of the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House of Representatives and the Bill and Hillary Clinton White House. Leftist Sen. Ted Kennedy, abortion-industry monopolist Planned Parenthood’s Senate champion, prioritized protecting abortion clinics from pro-life Christian protesters. (Protesters and public scrutiny are bad for the business of mass-killing unborn children.) Kennedy led the charge in passing the Freedom of Access to Clinical Entrances (FACE) Act, 18 U.S.C. § 248. This law criminalizes the use of intimidation or force to impede individuals from entering or operating in abortion clinics. But in order to win the necessary Senate Republican support to overcome a likely legislative filibuster, the compromise statute also prohibits such acts with respect to any house of worship. First-time FACE Act offenders, who cause no injury, generally face federal misdemeanor charges and up to one year in federal prison. Repeat offenders or offenders who make threats, use force or cause injury generally face federal felony charges and years in federal prison.
The Biden Justice Department did not hesitate to enforce the FACE Act against abortion-clinic protesters; in fact, the Biden DOJ enforced the FACE Act mercilessly. This included coupling FACE Act charges with federal conspiracy charges under the Ku Klux Klan Act (18 U.S.C. § 241) — passed after the Civil War to punish individuals who conspire to violate the civil rights of others. The Biden DOJ threw the book at and imprisoned — for years — elderly Christians, young pro-life Black mothers and the like. Meanwhile, the Biden DOJ gave amnesty to left-wing radicals who attacked White churches, synagogues and pro-life pregnancy centers — but no doubt not Black churches or mosques.
For instance, the Biden DOJ imprisoned for two years Paulette Harlow – at age 75 – with FACE Act and Klan Act charges after she protested outside an abortion clinic. The Biden DOJ had a young Black mother, Bevelyn Williams, thrown in prison for 41 months for FACE Act and Klan Act violations for protesting at a Manhattan abortion clinic.
Lemon and his conspirators’ church-crashing last Sunday constituted textbook violations of the FACE Act and Klan Act. Cities Church worshippers were inside during a religious service. All of a sudden, a group of anti-ICE agitators barged in and began yelling at the churchgoers. The worshipers included small children, who were understandably frightened by the events. Just last year, a trans-terrorist busted into the Church of the Annunciation in Minneapolis, murdered two children, and injured dozens more. As such, the fear Lemon and his fellow modern-day klansmen would become violent was eminently reasonable. And Lemon was right in the middle of the mob, approaching parishioners – and even the pastor on the pulpit during the church service – with his microphone and interrogating them. One man told Lemon the protesters had no right to come into the church and begin yelling. Lemon claimed that the First Amendment allows such misconduct – but he is plainly and dangerously wrong.
The First Amendment, among other things, generally prohibits Congress from unlawfully restricting free speech or religious expression. The protesters’ actions are not protected by the First Amendment or any other provision of law. This church is private property. Worshipers were asserting their own First Amendment right to exercise their religion freely by worshipping. If the First Amendment protected actions like those of the protesters, then people could barge into any religious service and begin shouting to protest anything. The pro-Hamas crowd, for instance, could storm synagogues and rail against the "genocide" in Gaza. Individuals opposed to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani could crash a service at a mosque to rail against his socialist policies. White men could crash a Black church service to protest DEI policies. The examples of the chaos that would be permissible under non-attorney Lemon’s absurd legal theory are endless.
Fortunately for decent society, Lemon’s legal theory is not the law. Neither the Supreme Court nor any court has ever sanctioned protesters’ storming into a religious service to engage in such disruptive misconduct. The behavior of these agitators interfered with the First Amendment rights of the worshippers, but Lemon appears to have no regard for these First Amendment rights. Neither does Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, a radical leftist disgrace. When asked about the storming of the church, Ellison responded that "[n]one of us are immune from the voice of the public." This absurd statement crumbles upon the slightest scrutiny. Would Ellison, a Muslim, support people who charged into a mosque service yelling that all Muslims should be deported? Of course not. He would scream Islamophobia and charge the trespassers.
PASTORS WARN OF 'CHILLING EFFECT' AFTER ANTI-ICE AGITATORS STORM MINNESOTA CHURCH SERVICE
Lemon also claimed that he was merely covering the rally as a journalist. Even if true, several individuals made the same argument concerning the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021. These people were in the Capitol and engaged in no violence. The Biden Justice Department, however, still charged them with trespassing. Journalists are subject to trespassing laws just like everyone else; otherwise, journalists could climb over fences and enter one’s yard without permission. Journalists could even enter individuals’ homes under this absurd theory. Lemon also asserted that he had no idea that the protesters, who are affiliated with Black Lives Matter, were going to the church until they arrived.
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But, as the New York Post reported, "Don Lemon admitted he was embedded with anti-ICE agitators in Minneapolis and knew of their plans before they burst into a St. Paul church during Sunday services — despite claiming he was there as a journalist and had no advance knowledge of what was going down."
Lemon and his co-conspirators clearly violated the federal FACE Act. And these thugs face another potential charge under the modern-day version of the Ku Klux Klan Act. Here, Lemon and his fellow modern-day klansmen conspired to deprive the pastor and his parishioners of the right to worship by storming their church. The law also provides for potential civil liability as to state officials who fail to act to stop such unlawful conduct. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison, two modern-day confederates, have appeared to take no real steps to hold these anarchists accountable; indeed, Ellison appeared to offer a statement of defense for their despicable conduct.
Minnesota has descended into lawlessness. Billions of taxpayer dollars are squandered because of rampant fraud, mostly concerning the Somali community. Because of deranged anti-ICE rhetoric from inept confederate-like leaders Walz, Ellison and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey (i.e., calling the federal government’s presence an invasion and claiming that Minnesota is at war with the federal government), modern-day klansmen in Minnesota, like Lemon, have good reason to think that it is open season on federal law enforcement–because state authorities will do nothing about violence directed against ICE and even citizens supposedly associated with ICE. Those who stormed the church – especially Lemon – must receive indictments to punish them and send a crystal clear message to every other modern-day klansmen who is contemplating a similar act. We cannot tolerate this seditious and bigoted misconduct, and any perpetrator like Lemon must spend a long time in federal prison.