Ava Sambora Celebrates ‘Most Beautiful’ Bridal Shower with Her Mom Heather Locklear Ahead of Wedding to Fiancé Tyler Farrar

Ava Sambora shared photos from her floral-themed bridal shower ahead of her wedding to fiancé Tyler Farrar

NEED TO KNOW

• The celebration included appearances from her mother, Heather Locklear, family members, and close friends

• Sambora and Farrar announced their engagement in 2024 after five years of dating

Ava Samborais celebrating her upcoming wedding with an elegant bridal shower attended by family and close friends.

The 28-year-old daughter ofHeather LocklearandRichie Samborarecently marked her bridal shower with a floral-themed gathering ahead of her wedding to fiancé Tyler Farrar.

Sambora shared moments from the celebration in anInstagram carouselpost featuring pink floral arrangements, decorative gift boxes, and a table filled with blooms in shades of white and pink. Other images showed the bride-to-be wearing a white dress adorned with pink flowers, posing alongside her mother, spending time with Farrar and cuddling with the couple’s golden retriever.

“The most beautiful bridal shower,” Sambora wrote in the caption. “Thank you to all the amazing women who hosted, organized, and attended this special day. I am beyond grateful for each of them, especially my mama, God mother Juliet, future mother in law Mary, and sister Monica.”

Sambora announced herengagement to Farrarin 2024 in a joint Instagram post featuring photos from the proposal.

“Hard launch!!” the couple wrote alongside images of Farrar proposing at sunset by the ocean. In one photo, he presented Sambora with an engagement ring as the pair stood surrounded by candles beneath an arch of white roses.

“My two favorite people💗," Locklear, 64, replied to the announcement.

The mother-daughter duo has previouslyspoken publicly about their close relationship.

Locklear supported her daughter through struggles with anxiety, which Sambora discussed in companion essays with her mother for PEOPLE in October 2020.

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“Anytime of the day, she would stop what she was doing and come to comfort me,” Sambora said of Locklear at the time. “She did everything she could to help me get through those difficult months, from taking me to every doctor’s appointment to giving me tons of books on managing anxiety.”

“Dealing with anxiety can be tough when you feel like people don’t understand you,” she continued. “My mom always made me feel heard. She never judged me and made sure I didn’t feel alone.”

Sambora also shares aclose bond with her father. “Ava is killing it," the former Bon Jovi guitarist told PEOPLE in 2023.

“She’s basically practicing psychology,” Richie, 66, added at the time, sharing that his daughter had earned her master’s degree and was preparing to pursue a doctorate. He also revealed he surprised her with a retriever puppy to celebrate her academic accomplishments.

Farrar appears to have earned the approval of his future father-in-law as well. During a November 2024 appearance on theHowie Mandel Does Stuffpodcast, Richie said he and Farrar had grown close during the couple’s five-year relationship.

“It’s like, you know, my speech [at the engagement party] was they’re really in love. I love the kid,” he said. “I mean I’ve taken him on vacation. I like to put him right in the limelight so I get to know him, I get to see him, we get to talk.”

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Locklear and Richie married in 1994 and welcomed Ava in 1997. Though the pair divorced in 2007 following a split and custody battle, they have continued to reunite for important milestones in their daughter’s life.

“If you don’t get along you are messing the kid up. That’s what happens,” Richie toldPEOPLE in 2014. “So you have to put that before whatever s––– is going on. Communication has got to come first.”

Read the original article onPeople

byJastin Mags

in

May 07, 2026

Ava Sambora Celebrates ‘Most Beautiful’ Bridal Shower with Her Mom Heather Locklear Ahead of Wedding to Fiancé Tyler Farrar

Ava Sambora shared photos from her floral-themed bridal shower ahead of her wedding to fiancé Tyler Farrar NEED TO KNOW ...

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Farage under pressure to tackle racist Reform candidates who ‘spew hate online’

Reform UKcandidates standing in this week’s local elections appear to have posted racist and Islamophobic views onsocial media, as well as support for far-right figures likeTommy Robinsonand Nick Griffin,The Independentcan reveal.

The revelations about candidates standing for the party in seats in south-east England add to concerns thatNigel Farageis failing to tackleextremismin his party despite his claims that Reform’s vetting system is the best in British politics.

It also follows a failure byReform to deal with candidates in the north of Englandexposed byThe Independent, who espoused racist, misogynist and homophobic views on social media.

With Reform expected to win more than 1,500 seats next week, there are concerns that their failure to vet candidates properly will mean extremists will win seats across England.

Among the candidates accused of “spewing hate online” is Lynn Smith, the Reform UK candidate for Blackfen and Lamorbey ward who was previously a UKIP councillor in Bexley. She appears to have reposted a graphic containing a photo of a Muslim woman and the text “hates Jews, Christians, atheists, gays, dogs, bacon, wine, beer, your civilisation, your culture, your traditions, your country, and you. Complains aboutislamophobia”.

Then on X (formerly Twitter), she appears to have said: “Has the NHS become the new Islam, criticise at your own risk?”

Then again on X she appears to have said: “@GBNews I don’t think we should have the ‘word’ islamaphobia. Wherever I look abroad at Islamic countries as a woman I am fearful for them, and am fearful of the growth of Islam here.”

Ms Smith also appears to have posted a picture of herself using a scarf as a hijab on Facebook, stating: “Thinking of becoming a Muslim just as a reason to hide my pelican neck. Then again, I couldn’t give up alcohol.”

The Reform UK candidate seemingly expressed support forTommy Robinson, despite Mr Farage’s attempts to distance himself from the far right activist. Replying to a Nick Ferrari post about interviewing the friend of the Westminster terror attack suspect, she said: “I used to be against Tommy [Robinson]’s methods but when the MSM are too cowardly to dig deep into radical Islam he’s now a hero for sure.”

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Meanwhile Mike Ferro, the Reform UK candidate for Blendon and Penhill ward, appears to have posted a Facebook message saying: “Am I the only person who thinks that Uran Nabiev has been harshly treated by the law”.

Nabiev was sentenced to 14 years for killing a man in a “grotesque” overreaction to a broken wing-mirror by driving into two people after one of them punched his car. One of the victims received a fatal head injury when he was dragged 9 metres along the pavement on Bickley Road, Erith.

Also on Facebook he seems to have commented on the Black Lives Matter protests, saying: “They are delighted - overjoyed - at the shocking manner of his death, and the platform it has given them to promote their odious beliefs. The irony is, these groups themselves are the new totalitarians, heirs to the Nazis…”

Old Bexley and Sidcup Tory MP Louie French described the comments by the three Reform candidates as “truly shocking.”

He added: “Reform selected three candidates who are spewing hate online and sharing wild conspiracy theories. I urge Reform UK to do the right thing and disown these candidates now.”

Meanwhile in Chingford another Reform candidate, Matt Davis, who has been pictured with Mr Farage, has posted numerous hate messages on a now deleted X account about Islam.

He appeared to refer to Islam as “an evil death cult” and “evil” in dozens of messages, as well as making other unpublishable comments.

Conservative chairman Kevin Hollinrake said: “Reform UK claimed they had professionalised and properly vetted their candidates. These comments show that simply isn’t true.

“Instead we’re seeing a pattern of offensive remarks, conspiracies, and poor judgment. These aren’t the high standards they promised; it’s the exact opposite.”

A Reform spokesman said: “We are looking into these posts.”

byJastin Mags

in

May 07, 2026

Farage under pressure to tackle racist Reform candidates who ‘spew hate online’

Reform UKcandidates standing in this week’s local elections appear to have posted racist and Islamophobic views onsocial media, as well...

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Branch County car show and swap meet returns with new cruise route

COLDWATER, MI — Favorable weather is expected for the Branch County Swap Meet and Car Show, returning to the Branch County Fairgrounds on Friday, May 8, and Saturday, May 9.

The Branch County Fair Board revived the annual Mother’s Day weekend tradition after the original organizers stepped down last year.

Last year’s event attracted over 800 vehicles and 2,000 spectators.

Organizers anticipate even higher attendance this year, with many vendors already registered for the swap meet—one of the region’s first opportunities to showcase classic cars and motorcycles, both restored and in progress.

Spectator admission is $5 per person; children under 12 enter free.

Last year’s event did not include the traditional car cruise because it was organized in just 60 days and permitting was not possible.

Fair Manager Alyssa Blonde announced that the cruise will feature a new, shorter route, approved by the Coldwater City Council, to improve traffic management.

Participants will travel north on Jefferson, west on U.S. 12, south on S. Clay Street, east on Park Street, and return to the fairgrounds.

Vehicles will assemble at the fairgrounds at 3 p.m. and depart at 3:30 p.m.

Schedule:

Friday, May 8:

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• Swap & Craft Meet: 8 a.m.–6 p.m.

Saturday, May 9:

• Swap, Craft, Car & Bike Show: 8 a.m.–3 p.m.

• Blessing of the Bikes: noon

• Muffler Rap: 12:30 p.m.

Swap meet vendors will sell and trade automotive parts and related items on the west side of the fairgrounds.

Arts and crafts booths will be located in buildings and throughout the grounds.

Food booths and trucks will line the road.

Vehicle registration is available online only and is non-refundable.

The event will take place rain or shine, with sunny skies and temperatures around 65 degrees expected on Saturday.

The Branch County Fairgrounds are located at 262 S. Sprague St., Coldwater.

For more information, contact organizers at 517-278-5367, email branchcountyfair@gmail.com, or visitwww.branchfair.com.

Organizers encourage early online registration for participants and highlight that vendor spaces for the swap meet and crafts are still available.

The event is a major community attraction that celebrates automotive history while supporting local vendors and the fairgrounds.

Subscribe:Support local news. Subscribe to the Coldwater Reporter

Contact Don Reid, dReid@USATodayCo.Com

This article originally appeared on Coldwater Daily Reporter:Branch County, Mi car show and swap meet returns

byJastin Mags

in

May 07, 2026

Branch County car show and swap meet returns with new cruise route

COLDWATER, MI — Favorable weather is expected for the Branch County Swap Meet and Car Show, returning to the Branch County Fairgrounds ...

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Mina Kimes takes over as Scripps National Spelling Bee host as part of reimagined broadcast

Mina Kimes is taking over as television host of theScripps National Spelling Bee,and the ESPN NFL analyst hopes to use her outsider's perspective to capture the excitement of the 101-year-old competition.

US Spelling Bee Kimes

Kimes, whose hiring was announced Tuesday, becomes the first celebrity host for the bee sinceLeVar Burtonin 2022. That was the year Scripps took over the broadcast from ESPN, its longtime TV home, and began airing it on ION and Bounce, both of which are owned by the Cincinnati-based media company.

Scripps has also brought in a new production team for the broadcast, led by Michael Davies — currently the executive producer of “Jeopardy!” — as it seeks to reverse a decline in ratings.

This year's beeruns from May 26-28 at a new venue, Constitution Hall in downtown Washington, with 247 spellers competing for a trophy and more than $50,000 in cash and prizes.

“My goal in this is to give it the big-game feel,” Kimes told The Associated Press in an interview ahead of the announcement. “Any event that requires skill and knowledge and preparation can have that feel if it's presented with enough care and pride on television.”

Davies, whose credits also include “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,” “Reading Rainbow” and “Good Morning Football,” shares Kimes' appreciation for the bee, and he told AP his goal is to “make it bigger and make it more famous.”

“We really need to focus the entire broadcast and everything we're doing around the stakes of the competition and the incredible winning moment, the winning word that happens at the end of the final,” he said.

A Yale-educated journalist, the 40-year-old Kimes is known for using extensive research and study of game video to explain the strengths and weaknesses of NFL players and coaches. She said her preparation for the bee has been similar.

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“It honestly does feel a little bit like watching game tape because I really think these kids are elite competitors, not just in terms of being the best of the best, but you can see all of the work that they so clearly put in,” Kimes said. “The way they get to the right answer is fascinating to me and the more you watch, the more you see the way their brains work. I see a lot of similarities to what I do with football, and I'm so pumped to be a part of this.”

Although she never competed on the national stage, Kimes has a history in spelling, winning bees at the school level in the second, third and fifth grades.

Spellers qualify for the National Spelling Bee by winning regional bees around the country and are eligible to compete through the eighth grade. Even the most gifted kids, many of whom study and train year-round under the tutelage of paid coaches, often get only one or two chances to win the most prestigious spelling competition in the English language before they age out.

Over the last few years, Scripps has relied mostly on former spellers as on-air hosts and commentators. Longtime analyst Paul Loeffler, a sports broadcaster, former speller and the brother of bee executive director Corrie Loeffler, will return in that role.

While Scripps touted bigger potential audiences from its move to ION, which is available in more households than ESPN, ratings have been stagnant and dipped slightly over the past two years, according to Nielsen data. The combined audience for the primetime finals on ION and Bounce was 609,000 in 2022, 641,000 in 2023, 461,000 in 2024 and 488,000 last year.

The bee drew over 1 million viewers on ESPN in 2012. The finals of the last three pre-pandemic bees on ESPN had viewership of 606,000 (2017), 550,000 (2018) and 559,000 (2019).

Ben Nuckols has covered the Scripps National Spelling Bee since 2012. Follow him athttps://x.com/APBenNuckols

byJastin Mags

in

May 07, 2026

Mina Kimes takes over as Scripps National Spelling Bee host as part of reimagined broadcast

Mina Kimes is taking over as television host of theScripps National Spelling Bee,and the ESPN NFL analyst hopes to use her outsider...

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Chaka Khan Dishes on Friendship with 'Brilliant' Sia and How She Became the Singer's 'Godmother' (Exclusive)

Chaka Khan and Sia collaborated on the dance-pop single "Chakzilla," the first release from the "I'm Every Woman" singer's upcoming album

NEED TO KNOW

• Khan tells PEOPLE about how she became Sia's godmother

• "Chaka is the Godzilla of chanteuses alive," Sia tells PEOPLE in a statement

Friendship looks good onChaka KhanandSia.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame member's new single "Chakzilla" is out now, and the dance-pop track was written with Sia, who also provides backing vocals, marking their latest collaboration after years of knowing one another.

"The moment we met, we felt like we knew each other forever," Khan, 73, tells PEOPLE of the "Chandelier" singer-songwriter, 50. "She's now my goddaughter. I'm a godmother."

How did Khan become Sia's godmother? "Quite naturally," she explains. "She asked me to be her godmother. I said, 'Absolutely.' Simple as that."

The two artists previously performed "I'm Every Woman" together when Khan was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2023, and they later collaborated on the song "Immortal Queen" from Sia's 2024 albumReasonable Woman.

"She's got a big, beautiful heart. And she's such a talent," says Khan of Sia. "She's so clever and so smart and a great singer, a great writer. I mean, she's almost perfection when it comes to art. She's brilliant."

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"Chakzilla" serves as the first single off Khan's upcoming album of the same name, which comes out on Friday, Sept. 18 after about "a year and a half" of making the project together with producer Greg Kurstin.

Sia tells PEOPLE in a statement, "Chaka is the Godzilla of chanteuses alive, and it was my honor to collaborate with her on this music!"

The "Cheap Thrills" artist came up with the title of "Chakzilla," according to Khan. "I would've never thought of that," she says. "[Sia is] clever. She comes up with lots of ideas."

In the song's music video, Khan portrays a Godzilla-like "monster of a person" who rebuilds society instead of destroying it. She was inspired to embody the altruistic character "because that's closer to what I am," she says. "I tried to make it true to who I am and what I'm about."

Chakzillawill mark Khan's first new album since 2019'sHello Happiness. "It's a really, really great album, a great CD with great songs. It's going to be on the pop dance side," she explains. "We've got lots of great people collaborating as well."

Read the original article onPeople

byJastin Mags

in

May 07, 2026

Chaka Khan Dishes on Friendship with 'Brilliant' Sia and How She Became the Singer's 'Godmother' (Exclusive)

Chaka Khan and Sia collaborated on the dance-pop single "Chakzilla," the first release from the "I'm Every Woman...

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Carrie Underwood on HiNote, Healthy Habits and Life on a Farm (Exclusive)

Carrie Underwood launched HiNote, a wellness brand designed to make wellness feel doable

NEED TO KNOW

• Underwood emphasizes self-care through fitness, nutrition and going on walks to balance her career and family life

• The "Jesus, Take the Wheel" singer says she finds joy and fulfillment living on her Tennessee farm

Carrie Underwoodwants to live life on a HiNote.

At 43, Underwood has her priorities straight — and she wants to show up as her best possible self for it all.

"I have to take care of myself because if I get sick, if I get down, if I get unhealthy, everything suffers," Underwood says. "I can't do my job the way I want to, I can'tbe a momthe way I want to, I can'tbe a wifethe way I want to or a friend."

After launching the Fit52 app in 2020, Underwood knew she was ready to take it a step further — this time by simplifying the path to "the best version of yourself" for women everywhere. The result was her newly launched wellness brandHiNote.

"Over the past couple of decades, I really have been trying my best to take care of myself," Underwood, who's currently serving as judge onAmerican Idol, says. "I know better than anyone. I'm in gyms all over the world, it's confusing and there's so much information out there and we really wanted to simplify."

According to a press release, HiNote brings together movement, nourishment and community to make wellness feel doable. The first product launch is HiNote's Everyday Energy Daily Nutrition Drink Mix, which is available in three flavors.

"We want to create things that are easily implementable into daily life. Nothing should be too complicated," she says of the drink mix. "It's not a meal replacement. We're not telling you to get on some crazy diet... You're going to be hydrated. You're going to get your protein, you're going to get some fiber, you're going to get some greens and some super foods and some veggies in there."

She continues, "I'm in my 40s and I feel now it's more important than ever to make sure that those numbers stay where they need to be."

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Over the years, Underwood — who released her last studio albumDenim & Rhinestonesin 2022 — has found that the best remedies involve making time for herself and staying off social media.

"If I do have time to work out, I'm going to work out. If I don't, I might go for a walk. I try to look for those windows in my day that it's like, 'What can I do right now instead of sitting on your phone scrolling?' Which is everybody's favorite pastime these days," she says.

"The foundation is good sleep and good nutrition. I feel like we try to over complicate things," she says, adding, "And then having healthy snacks, having our HiNotes sitting on the counter, it's an easy win. All those little easy wins really do make a big difference."

Most recently, however, Underwood has found fulfillment at her Tennessee farm.

"I grew up in a small town on a farm to leave the farm, go and do all this other stuff, only to end back up on a farm," she says. "I love getting my hands in the dirt. I love growing things. I love it when I make dinner and my husband's a big hunter, my boys are hunters, so we get the cleanest meat anywhere," she says.

The "Somethin' Bad" singer continues, "It's something really soul-filling, as well as fueling your body right when you know exactly what's in it. Nobody's sneaking anything, it was grown right. It's fun and it's great for your brain and your body to be out in the sunshine and have your hands in the dirt. It's very cup-filling for me."

Learn more aboutHiNote here.

Read the original article onPeople

byJastin Mags

in

May 06, 2026

Carrie Underwood on HiNote, Healthy Habits and Life on a Farm (Exclusive)

Carrie Underwood launched HiNote, a wellness brand designed to make wellness feel doable NEED TO KNOW Underwood em...

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Justin Hartley Makes Rare Comment on Marriage to 'Fantastic' Wife Sofia Pernas, Reveals Why He's Protective of Their Relationship

Justin Hartley has been married to Sofia Pernas since 2021, when they quietly wed after a year of dating

NEED TO KNOW

• On the May 5 episode of Tommy DiDario's podcast, I've Never Said This Before, Hartley made rare comments about his life with Pernas, who he said is "everything"

• He also opened up about why he's so protective of their relationship, thanks to some advice his stepdad gave him "a long, long time ago"

Justin Hartleyis protective when it comes to his marriage.

TheTrackerstar, 49, marriedSofia Pernasin 2021, and on the May 5 episode of Tommy DiDario's podcast,I've Never Said This Before, he offered some rare insight into how he keeps their relationship sacred.

"People write songs about it, people talk about it, and I think you want to believe that everyone has that in their life, you know, that everyone gets to a point where they meet their soulmate or whatever you want to call it. It's unfortunate that, I think, a lot of people don't, and that's sad," Hartley said. "But when you do have it, man, you got to hold on to it."

"It's so special and fragile, in some ways, and rare, unfortunately," he said, adding of Pernas, 36, "She's everything. She's fantastic."

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Hartley also reflected on a lesson his stepdad, David, instilled in him "a long, long time ago" about relationships that he still abides by to this day.

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"He said, 'You've got to take care of your relationship and be very protective of who you surround yourself with and what relationships you surround yourself with, because ... there will be people in your life that you think are your friends, and they simply cannot handle your relationship. They can't handle it,' " he said. "It's a strange thing, but it's true."

Hartley and Pernasbegan dating in 2020andwed in a private ceremonythe following year. They made theirred carpet debut as a coupleat the2021 MTV Movie & TV Awardsshortly afterwards.

Before Pernas,Hartley was married to Chrishell Stausefrom 2017 to 2019, and to Lindsay Korman from 2004 to 2012. He shares a daughter,Isabella, with Korman.

In 2024, theThis Is Usalum told PEOPLE that he and Pernas "hang out at home pretty much all day" and always enjoy the time they spend together.

“We hang out at home pretty much all the time. We love it at home. Every night's a date night," he said. "I'm having the time of my life with her, it's wonderful."

Read the original article onPeople

byJastin Mags

in

May 06, 2026

Justin Hartley Makes Rare Comment on Marriage to 'Fantastic' Wife Sofia Pernas, Reveals Why He's Protective of Their Relationship

Justin Hartley has been married to Sofia Pernas since 2021, when they quietly wed after a year of dating NEED TO KNOW ...

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