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According to TMZ,Kanye West'swife,Bianca Censori,is all set to testify in hislegal battle.According to court documents, West's ex-project manager, Tony Saxon, is suing the rapper over how he handled the controversial remodeling of his Malibu mansion. The lawsuit is headed for trial on February 21.

Bianca Censori will testify in Kanye West's legal battle

Kanye West's wife, Bianca Censori, will reportedly testify in his legal battle, which is headed for trial on February 21. According toTMZ, West's former employee, Saxon, has requested that Censori speak on the legal matter. It is unclear what kind of testimony Saxon expects Censori to provide.

Saxon had previously sued the "Runaway" rapper, claiming West hired him in September 2021 as project manager and full-time security for his Malibu property.

In the lawsuit, Saxon alleged that West made him work 16 hours a day with no proper rest or basic facilities. He even shared that he was forced to sleep on the floor using a coat as makeshift bedding.

Saxon claims that things took a turn for the worse in November 2021, when West demanded that Saxon remove all the windows and cut off the electricity supply. According to the suit, Saxon advised against this move, raising safety concerns.

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He warned that this move posed an "extreme danger," especially after West insisted on bringing large generators inside. Saxon was concerned that the generators might cause a major fire and that it was not an advisable move.

Furthermore, Saxon claimed that West threatened him. West said he would consider Saxon his "enemy" if he did not follow his orders. The "Heartless" rapper said, "If you don't do what I say, you're not going to work for me." Saxon revealed that he refused to listen to West, who fired him from his job on the spot.

Saxon has mentioned in his lawsuit that he is suing his former employer over unpaid dues and labor code violations and wants West's wife, Censori, to testify in the legal battle.

West has denied all the allegations levied by his former employee. Moreover, the rapper alleged that Saxon worked according to his own will. He even requested the court to toss the lawsuit entirely.

Originally reported by Anwaya Mane onMandatory

The postKanye West's Wife Will Testify in His Legal Battle — Reportappeared first onReality Tea.

It seemsTyra Bankswould prefernotto be on top of answering questions about her estranged friendJay Manuel's firing fromAmerica's Next Top Model, per a scene in the new Netflix docuseriesReality Check: Inside America's Next Top Model.

AsANTMcreative director and frequent panelist, Manuel says in the three-part documentary series, the fashion figure first sought longtime friend and collaborator Banks' approval to leave the beloved modeling competition series after its eighth cycle in 2007. He then alleges that things became uncomfortable on set between the pair, with Manuel claiming that Banks responded to his lengthy, emotional email on the subject with three words, "I am disappointed," and that he consequently felt pressured to remain on the show for the foreseeable future.

Manuel and fellow OGANTMpersonalities — photographerNigel Barkerandrunway coach Miss J. Alexander— were eventually dismissed from the show years later after cycle 18, which Manuel says came as a blindsiding surprise. He also suggests in the docuseries that Banks and producers might've had something to do with leaking news about the trio's firing ahead of what he says was a planned press release indicating an amicable split.

Evan Giordanella/The CW

WhenReality Checkproducers question Banks about Manuel in her sit-down interview for the project, she shuts down the inquiry and refuses to address the drama.

"Nah, I'd prefer…" Banks says, briefly trailing off before collecting her thoughts. "Yeah, I should call Jay."

She adds, "I don't want to do this here. But, he's a special man." (A representative for Banks did not respond toEntertainment Weekly's request for comment.)

Manuel elaborates on why he felt a pressure to remain with the show for so long after expressing interest in leaving, alleging that, "There was a warning that strikes the fear of God in you. People talk about being blacklisted. Those words were not used, but I suspected that's what it would turn into, and I didn't know how to talk to...because honestly the person I would always talk to was Tyra."

Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with ourEW Dispatch newsletter.

Of his dynamic with Banks on cycle 9, shortly after telling her that he wanted to leave the show, Manuel says the edition's premiere casting episode marked "the first time I really realized there was a real problem" because Banks "wouldn't speak with me" at the judging table.

"On camera, we learned to play and laugh, but it was just clear I was not allowed to speak with her outside of that, which, after that first day, I thought, there's absolutely no way I'm going to survive this cycle," he remembers.

Monty Brinton/UPN

Manuel has long hinted at tumultuous times on the set ofANTM, with fans even speculating that his 2020 fiction novelThe Wig, The Bitch & The Meltdown— about the turbulent relationship between a ruthless model-TV host and her friend and on-camera companion — was inspired by his time working with Banks onTop Model.

OtherTop Modelpersonalities also open up inReality Checkabout distance from Banks after the show, includingMiss J, who reveals in the series that he had a stroke in 2022that left him in a coma and subsequently paralyzed. He tells the production that Banks never came to see him in the hospital, despite their years of friendship before and duringANTM.

"I had a stroke. I woke up, I didn't know where I was, other than the hospital," Miss J says in the series. "I spent five weeks in a coma, and I couldn't walk. I couldn't talk. I thought to myself, what was I going to do? I couldn't walk, I couldn't speak. It was emotional; I cried. I'm not ashamed to say that. I cried, and then once I was in the hospital, Jay and Nigel came to visit."

"Did Tyra come and visit you?" a producer then asks Miss J, who replies, "No, not yet. She just sent me a text that she wants to come and visit me. But, no, not yet." (A representative for Banks also did not respond to EW's request for comment on this matter.)

AmidReality Check'sinvestigations into controversialANTMmoments from the past(including portions on photo shoots thattasked models with portraying women of different racesand gettingmedical procedures to continue in the competition), the docuseries also sees Banks reveal that the show is scheduled to return for a new cycle.

"I feel like my work is not done. You have no idea what we have planned for cycle 25," Banks says in the closing moments ofReality Check,years after first teasing to EW in a 2018 interview that she was considering, at the time, bringingANTMback for another all-star edition as a series finale. While the show was never formally canceled,the last all-new episode ofTop Modelaired on VH1 in 2018, after its 2003 debut on UPN and subsequent shift to The CW for cycle 7 in 2006.

Reality Check: Inside America's Next Top Modelis now streaming on Netflix.

Read the original article onEntertainment Weekly

Stephen Colbertdidn't hold back on Monday's (February 16)Late Showas he blasted his CBS bosses andFCC chairman Brendan Carrfor banning his interview with Texas Democratic state representative James Talarico.

At the top of the show, the late-night host introduced his house band and hyped the line-up of guests for Monday's show, which includedThe Last Thing He Told MestarJennifer Garner. He then told his audience, "You know who is not one of my guests tonight? That's Texas state representative James Talarico."

Colbert went on to explain, "He was supposed to be here, but we were told in no uncertain terms by our network's lawyers, who called us directly, that we could not have him on the broadcast."

As the studio audience booed, the comedian added, "Then, I was told, in some uncertain terms, that not only could I not have him on, I could not mention me not having him on. And because my network clearly does not want us to talk about this… Let's talk about this."

Colbert, who will broadcast thefinal episodeofThe Late Showin May, revealed the scrapped interview was the result of new guidance from FCC Chair Carr, who suggested that late-night shows follow the "equal time" rule. This rule requires broadcasters to provide equal time to each political candidate running for office.

There has long been an exception for news and talk-show interviews with politicians. However, as Colbert pointed out, Carr's latest guidelines said he was thinking about dropping the exception for late-night talk shows because "some of them are motivated by partisan purposes."

"Well, FCC you," Colbert retorted. "I think you are motivated by partisan purposes yourself. Sir, you smelt it because you dealt it. Let's call this what it is:Donald Trump's administration wants to silence anyone who says anything bad about Trump on TV because all Trump does is watch TV. He's like a toddler with too much screen time."

The host said the two people most affected by this new rule are himself and his friend and fellow late-night host,Jimmy Kimmel. Kimmel drew the ire of Carr last year after comments he made on-air about the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.ABC temporarily suspendedKimmel following backlash from right-wing critics.

Colbert played a clip of Carr defending his new guidelines, in which the FCC Chair said, "If Kimmel or Colbert want to continue to do their programming, and they don't want to have to comply with this requirement, then they can go to a cable channel or a podcast or a streaming service, and that's fine."

"I decided to take Brendan Carr's advice," Colbert said, telling his audience that he would still interview Talarico and post the entirety of it on theLate ShowYouTube channel. "The network says I can't give you a URL or a QR code, but I promise you, if you go to our YouTube page, you find it."

CBS previously announcedthatThe Late Showwould end in May 2026, following the close of the 2025–26 broadcast season. The network cited financial reasons for the cancellation, claiming the show loses $40 million annually. Some critics argued the axing was politically motivated, with parent company Paramount hoping to appease President Trump amid its merger with Skydance, which required government approval.

You can watch Colbert's monologue and the full interview with Talarico in the videos above.

The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,Weeknights, 11:35/10:35c, CBS

Read the latest entertainment news onTV Insider.

LIMA, Peru (AP) — Peru's Congress was set to vote Tuesday on a motion to remove interim President José Jerí as prosecutors look intoallegations of corruption involving unreported meetingsbetween Jerí and two Chinese businessmen.

If the legislators secure a majority, Jerí will be ousted from the presidency a mere four months into his term. His removal would trigger yet another transition, forcing the legislature to appoint a new leader and marking a volatile new chapter in Peruvian politics just two months before national elections.

Jerí is the seventh president to lead the nation in the past decade. Hewas sworn into office in October, after his predecessor was ousted by Congress over corruption allegations and a rise in violent crime. He now faces removal from office from his former colleagues in Congress, who have accused him of misconduct and lack of capacity to carry out his presidential duties.

The 39-year-old interim president said he was hopeful he would survive the vote.

"I'm not dead yet," Jerí said during an interview over the weekend on Peruvian television Panamericana, insisting he would continue to serve the people of Peru until his "last day" in the presidential palace.

If he is removed from office, the legislators will choose a new president from among their members to govern until July 28, when he the interim leader will hand over the office to the winner of the April 12 presidential election.

In turn, Jerí will return to his position as a legislator until July 28, when the new Congress also takes office.

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It is also possible that the legislators will not vote for removal. The president is supported by the Fuerza Popular party, led bypresidential candidate Keiko Fujimorithe daughter of a former president who was imprisoned for human rights abuses.

The accusations against Jerí stem from a leaked report regarding a clandestine December meeting with two Chinese executives. One attendee holds active government contracts, while the other is currently under investigation for alleged involvement in an illegal logging operation.

Jerí has denied wrongdoing. He said he met the executives to organize a Peruvian-Chinese festivity, but his opponents have accused him of corruption.

The crisis is the latest chapter in a prolonged political collapse in a country that has seenseven presidents since 2016, and is about to hold a general election amid widespread public outcry over a surge in violent crime.

Despite a revolving door of presidents, Peru's economy has remained stable.

The Andean nation had an external debt to gross domestic product ratio of 32% in 2024, one of the lowest in Latin America, and the government has welcomed foreign investment in areas like mining and infrastructure.

Follow AP's coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean athttps://apnews.com/hub/latin-america

GENEVA (AP) — Iran announcedthe temporary closure of the Strait of Hormuzon Tuesday for live fire military drills in a rare show of force as its negotiators held another round of indirect talks with the United States over its disputed nuclear program.

It was the first time Iran has announced the closure of the key international waterway, through which20% of the world's oil passes, since the U.S.began threatening Iranandrushing military assetsto the region. It was not immediately clear if the strait had been closed, but such a rare and perhaps unprecedented move could further escalate tensions that threaten to ignite another war in the Middle East.

As the talks began, Iran's state media announced that Iranian forces had fired live missiles toward the Strait and would close it for several hours for "safety and maritime concerns." Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei meanwhile warned that "the strongest army in the world might sometimes receive such a slap that it cannot get back on its feet."

Iran's foreign minister later adopted a different tone, expressing optimism about the talks and saying "a new window has opened" for reaching an agreement.

"We are hopeful that negotiations will lead to a sustainable and negotiated solution which can serve the interests of relevant parties and the broader region," Abbas Araghchi told a U.N. disarmament conference after leading the Iranian delegation at the talks held in Geneva.

He added that Iran "remains fully prepared to defend itself against any threat or act of aggression," and that the consequences of any attack on Iran would not be confined to its borders.

He made no specific mention of the military drills or the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Another round of indirect talks

U.S. President Donald Trump, who scrapped an earlier nuclear agreement with Iran during his first term, has repeatedly threatened to use force to compel Iran to agreeto constrain its nuclear program. Iran has said it would respond with an attack of its own. Trump has also threatened Iran over the killing of protesters.

The first round of talks Feb. 6 were held inOman, an Arab Gulf country that has long served as a regional mediator. The latest were held inside the residence of the Omani envoy to Geneva, with the sides meeting separately with mediators.

Trump's envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner led the U.S, delegation.

Araghchi, who led the Iranian side, also said he met with Director-General Rafael Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency, on Monday in Geneva. The Iranian minister said they discussed the agency's role in helping to achieve an agreement.

Oman's Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi said there had been "good progress towards identifying common goals and relevant technical issues."

Talking to reporters Monday night aboard Air Force One on his way to Washington, U.S. President Donald Trump said he planned to be involved in the talks, at least indirectly. "I think they want to make a deal. I don't think they want the consequences of not making a deal," he said.

TheU.S. is also hosting talksbetween envoys from Russia and Ukrainein Geneva on Tuesday and Wednesday, days ahead of the fourth anniversary of theall-out Russian invasion of its neighbor.

A live fire drill

Iran said its Revolutionary Guard started a drill early Monday in the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, which are crucial international shipping routes. It was the second time in recent weeks that Iran has held a live fire drill in the Strait of Hormuz.

The semiofficial Tasnim news agency, which is close to the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, said missiles launched inside Iran and along its coast had struck their targets in the strait as part of the drills.

Khamenei meanwhile stepped up his warnings to the U.S. over its buildup of military forces in the region.

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"Of course a warship is a dangerous apparatus, but more dangerous than the warship is the weapon that can sink the warship into the depths of the sea," Khamenei said, according to Iranian state TV.

He also warned the U.S. that "forcing the result of talks in advance is a wrong and foolish job."

US increases military presence

Last week, Trump said the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world's largest aircraft carrier, was being sent from the Caribbean Sea to the Mideast to join other warships in the region.

The Ford will join the USS Abraham Lincoln and its accompanying guided-missile destroyers, which havebeen in the regionfor over two weeks. U.S. forcesshot down an Iranian dronethat approached the Lincoln on the same day last week that Iran tried to stop a U.S.-flagged ship in the Strait of Hormuz.

Gulf Arab nations have warned any attack could spiral into another regional conflict in a Mideast still reeling from theIsrael-Hamas war.

The Trump administration is seeking a deal to limit Iran's nuclear program and ensure it does not develop nuclear weapons. Iran says it is not pursuing weapons and has so far resisted demands that it halt uranium enrichment on its soil or hand over its stockpile of highly-enriched uranium.

The U.S. and Iran were in the middle of months of meetings when Israel's launch ofa 12-day war against Iranback in June halted the talks.The U.S. bombed Iranian nuclear sitesduring that war, likely destroying many of the centrifuges that spun uranium to near weapons-grade purity. Israel's attacks decimated Iran's air defenses andtargeted its ballistic missile arsenalas well.

Iran has insisted its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. Before the June war, Iran had beenenriching uranium up to 60% purity,a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels.

Iran marks 40 days since protest crackdown

Iran is marking 40 days, the traditional Muslim mourning period, since one of the deadliest days in the crackdown onprotests that swept the country last month. Activists say at least 7,015 people have been killed, many in a bloody crackdown overnight between Jan. 8 and 9.

The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which offered the latest figures, has been accurate in counting deaths during previous rounds of unrest in Iran and relies on a network of activists in the country to verify deaths.

The Associated Press has been unable to independently assess the death toll, given authorities have disrupted internet access and international calls in Iran.

This story has been corrected to fix a misspelling of Khamenei.

Liechtenstein reported from Vienna. Associated Press writers Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv, Israel, and Darlene Superville in Washington contributed to this report.

The Associated Press receives support for nuclear security coverage fromthe Carnegie Corporation of New YorkandOutrider Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. ___ Additional AP coverage of the nuclear landscape:https://apnews.com/projects/the-new-nuclear-landscape/

The US government's release of more than3 million documentsrelated to Jeffrey Epstein has raised further questions about the ties of three prominent figures in British public life to the disgraced financier, who appears to have been granted access to the heart of Britain's government and royal family.

The formerPrince Andrew, his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson and Peter Mandelson, the former British ambassador to the United States, are all listed multiple times in the latest trove of Epstein files, ramping up pressure on the trio to explain their ties to the late sex offender and further distance themselves from British institutions.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has urged the former prince, now Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, to testify before the US Congress, while Mandelson, who resigned from the Labour Party on Sunday, is set to quit the House of Lords on Wednesday.

Here's how the US Justice Department's latest drop of files is scandalizing Britain.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor

The former Prince Andrew has for years attempted tobat awayquestions about his links to Epstein. In a now-infamous interview with the BBC in 2019, Mountbatten-Windsor claimed that he had severed all ties with Epstein in 2010, following the financier's 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution from an underage girl.

Emails uncovered last year called Mountbatten-Windsor's claim into question. The British media reported that Mountbatten-Windsor appeared to contact Epstein again in 2011, telling him to "keep in close touch" and that they were "in this together." Soon after, King Charles III stripped Mountbatten-Windsor, his brother, of his royal titles in October and began the process to evict him from the royal estate at Windsor.

But the latest trove of Epstein files has heaped further scrutiny on the disgraced royal. Three undated photos appear to show the former prince kneeling over what appears to be a woman or girl who is lying fully clothed and supine on the floor. Her face has been redacted. In two photos, Mountbatten-Windsor touches her stomach and waist; in a third, he looks at the camera while on all fours, leaning over her body.

It is unclear when or where the images were taken; no captions or context for the photographs were provided with the document release. Neither the photographs nor the email messages suggest any wrongdoing.

Mountbatten-Windsor previously faced pressure to explain a 2001 photograph that showed him standing with Ghislaine Maxwell, then Epstein's girlfriend and now a convicted child sex trafficker, and Virginia Giuffre, a prominent accuser of Epstein who died by suicide in April.

In her posthumous memoir, Giuffre once again accused Mountbatten-Windsor of sexually abusing her when she was 17. She wrote that Mountbatten-Windsor "believed that having sex with me was his birthright." Despite claiming never to have met her, Mountbatten-Windsor reportedly paid millions of dollars to Giuffre in 2022 to settle a civil case she brought against him. He has repeatedly denied all allegations of wrongdoing and said he never witnessed or suspected any of the behavior that Epstein was accused of.

The latest Epstein documents also contain an emailexchangebetween Epstein and Mountbatten-Windsor in August 2010, in which the financier invites the royal to meet a "friend" — whose name was redacted — for dinner in London. Mountbatten-Windsor replied that he would be "delighted to see her" and told Epstein to pass on his contact details. Epstein then describes the woman as a 26-year-old Russian who is "clevere (sic) beautiful, trustworthy," and confirms that she has Mountbatten-Windsor's email.

Thames Valley Police said Tuesday that they are aware of "reports about a woman said to have been taken to an address in Windsor in 2010 for sexual purposes," and that they are assessing the information. It is unclear if police are referring to the same woman referenced in the email exchange.

"We take any reports of sexual crimes extremely seriously and encourage anyone with information to come forward," police said. "At this time, these allegations have not been reported to Thames Valley Police by either the lawyer or their client."

In November, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee requested that Mountbatten-Windsor come to Washington to give evidence as part of the panel's investigation into Epstein. Although Mountbatten-Windsor did not respond to the request at the time, Starmer on Saturday urged the former prince to submit himself to questioning.

"Anybody who has got information should be prepared to share that information in whatever form they are asked to do that," Starmer said. "You can't be victim-centered if you're not prepared to do that."

The royal family has not issued a statement on the latest revelations. At a summit in Dubai on Tuesday, Prince Edward, the brother of Charles and Mountbatten-Windsor, told CNN, "It's all really important always to remember the victims." He did not comment further.

Sarah Ferguson

Mountbatten-Windsor's ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, known as "Fergie," is also mentioned several times in the latest tranche of files, although this does not indicate any wrongdoing. Ferguson was dropped last year as the patron or ambassador to several British charities after earlier documents showed she had called Epstein her "supreme friend." At the time, a spokesperson for Ferguson said she regretted her association with Epstein.

But the latest documents are further evidence of the depth of their relationship. In August 2009, Ferguson, then the Duchess of York,sentan email thanking Epstein, touting fashion and media outlets that she said now wanted to work with her.

"In just one week, after your lunch, it seems the energy has lifted. I have never been more touched by a friends (sic) kindness," she wrote. "Thank you Jeffrey for being the brother I have always wished for."

In January 2010, shewrote: "You are a legend. I really don't have the words to describe, my love, gratitude for your generosity and kindness. Xx I am at your service. Just marry me."

The emails also appear to suggest that Epstein wanted to use Ferguson to help clear his name. In one undatedemail, Epstein wrote to Mike Sitrick, chair of the crisis management firm Sitrick and Company, which was retained by Epstein's law firm. "I would like you to draft a statement that in an ideal world fergie would put out," he wrote. Sitrick told CNN that he had never contacted Ferguson or her representatives directly.

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In a March 2011 email to Sitrick and two others, Epstein wrote: "I think Fergie can now say, I am not a pedo." Inreply, Sitrick said there is a "strategy" to "get newspapers to stop calling you a pedophile and get the truth out," and that one tactic was to "get Fergie to retract."

The next month, Fergusonwrotein an email to Epstein and James Henderson, her spokesperson at the time, saying she "did not" and "would not" call him a "P."

In October 2009, shewroteto Epstein saying that she "urgently" needed £20,000 for rent, and that her landlord had "threatened to go to the newspapers if I don't pay."

It was not clear if Epstein sent that money. However, in 2001, years before Ferguson's request, newly released documents appeared to show that Epsteinwiredthe former duchess $150,000 after helping her to cash in the share options she earned from her work for Weight Watchers. CNN has asked a spokesperson for Ferguson for comment.

On Monday evening, Ferguson's charitable foundation "Sarah's Trust" announced it would close "for the foreseeable future" after "some months" of discussion, according to the United Kingdom's PA Media news agency.

Peter Mandelson

Mandelson, widely known in political circles as the "Prince of Darkness" for his Machiavellian approach to power, was fired as the UK's ambassador to Washington in September over the deepening scandal surrounding his ties to Epstein. That month, US lawmakers had released a "birthday book," compiled for Epstein's 50th birthday in 2003, in which Mandelson penned a handwritten note describing the financier as "my best pal."

The latest tranche of documents has revealed that Mandelson appeared to leak sensitive UK government tax plans to Epstein. They also show that his partner, Reinaldo Avila da Silva, regularly received undisclosed payments from him.

In September 2009, da Silva — who married Mandelson in 2023 after three decades together —emailedEpstein to ask for £10,000 to help fund his osteopathy course. Epsteinreplied: "I will wire your loan amount immediated'y (sic)."

In April 2010, da Silva emailed Epstein again, sharing his bank details. Epstein forwarded the message to his accountant, Rich Kahn,adding: "send 13k dollars."

That same month, Epstein told Kahn to "send 2k per month to reinaldo." When Kahnaskedif this was in addition to the original $13,000, Epsteinreplied: "no after rethinkoing (sic) send 4000 dollars only."

In October that year, MandelsonaskedEpstein, jokingly: "Have you permanently stopped the reinaldo sub?! I may have to put him out to work on the streets."

Financial records newly released by the DOJ also appear to show that Mandelson himself may have received payments totaling $75,000 from Epstein between2003and2004. A spokesperson for Mandelson told British media that neither the former ambassador nor da Silva "has any record or recollection of receiving payments in 2003 and 2004 or know whether the documentation is authentic."

The latest files also revealed that Mandelson appeared to leak a sensitive UK government document to the financier while he was business secretary in 2009. Thememo, written for then-Prime Minister Gordon Brown, advocated £20 billion of asset sales to help relieve Britain's debt burden following the 2008 financial crisis, and revealed Labour's tax policy plans.

In December 2009, Mandelson and Epstein alsoexchangedemails about Britain's plans to impose an additional tax on bankers' bonuses — a punitive one-off measure following the crash. An email from Epstein asked if "jamie" — possibly referring to Jamie Dimon, who was then and still is CEO of JP MorganChase — should call "darling," likely Alistair Darling, then Britain's finance minister, "one more time." In reply, Mandelson appears to suggest that Epstein should call Darling again and "mildly threaten" him. The BBCreportedthat Darling later had a "painful and angry" phone call with Dimon.

In another exchange, in May 2010, Mandelson appeared to tip off Epstein that the European Union was planning a €500 billion bailout to save the euro. Epsteinwrote: "sources tell me 500 b euro bailout, almost compelte (sic)." Soon after, Mandelson replied: "Sd be announced tonight." Mandelson had previously served as European commissioner for trade between 2004 and 2008.

On Sunday, Mandelson, who also sits in the House of Lords, announced his resignation from Labour, saying he did not want to cause the party "further embarrassment." He also apologized "to the women and girls whose voices should have been heard long before now." CNN was unable to contact Mandelson for further comment.

London's Metropolitan Police said Monday it had received a number of reports relating to alleged misconduct in a public office following the latest release. Mandelson will face a criminal investigation into allegations that he leaked market sensitive information from Downing Street to Epstein, PA Media reported Tuesday.

Former British prime minister Gordon Brown, whose government Mandelson had served in as business secretary, wrote to London's Metropolitan Police to provide information relating to the alleged disclosure of sensitive information, according to PA.

"The reports will all be reviewed to determine if they meet the criminal threshold for investigation," police commander Ella Marriott said.

Mandelson will also resign from the House of Lords on Wednesday, the speaker of the British Parliament's upper chamber said Tuesday.

CNN's Kara Fox, James Frater, Max Foster, Lauren Said-Moorhouse and Eleni Giokos contributed reporting.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account atCNN.com

Tommaso Boddi/Getty; Kristina Bumphrey/getty

James Van Der Beek's friend and fellow actorMehcad Brooksshared a powerful message on social media to anyone criticizing the family'sGoFundMein the wake of his death.

On Saturday,Law & Orderalum Brooks responded toa user on Threads who shared a headlinereporting that the lateDawson's Creekalum bought a $4.8 million Texas home in January before he died. The user said the family asking for donations via the GoFundMe "doesn't sit right with me" after buying such an expensive home.

"I am one of the Van Der Beek's closet friends, and the headlines are fake AF," Brooks wrote onThreadsin response. "You have no idea wtf you're talking about. You have no idea the pain they went through. It's ok to stfu when you can't know what the f--- you're talking about."

TheMortal Kombatstar continued, "It's ok not to try to seek attention off of other people's suffering or the generosity in response to it. Because James touched them for decades. It's ok for you to stay quiet in the face of blind stupidity, meanness and lack of empathy. But maybe you're not okay."

James Van Der Beek/Instagram

Earlier on Saturday, the Threads user posted a screenshot of a TMZ article reporting that Van Der Beek purchased the multi-million dollar ranch one month before he died on Feb. 11 at age 48, leaving behind his wife, Kimberly, and their six children. The screenshot also showed the GoFundMe set up for the family after his death, which has raised nearly $2.7 million as of Monday.

"This doesn't sit right with me. Not at all," the user wrote. "Sure, I get it. But thousands of people around the world face this exact situation every day and deal with the struggle. They don't get $2.5 million. It's just weird. He had to have had life insurance… and residual checks…"

TheDawson's Creekstar left Los Angeles in 2020 with his wife and their six children to begin renting a sprawling 36-acre property on the outskirts of Austin. He made moves topurchase the ranch in January with "help" from friends, a representative for the late actor confirmed on Sunday.

"James secured down payment for the Texas ranch for the family with the help of friends through a trust so they could shift from rent to mortgage," a spokesperson for the actor said on Saturday. According toRealtor.com, the home cost $4.76 million and was purchased on Jan. 9, just over a month before the actor died.

Rick Kern/Getty

Van Der Beek, who played the titular character on all six seasons ofDawson's Creek, died on Wednesday after announcing in November 2024 that he'd been diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer and had been privately undergoing treatment. Following his death, friends of the beloved actor set up a GoFundMe toprovide financial support for his familyas they faced "an uncertain future."

"The costs of James's medical care and the extended fight against cancer have left the family out of funds," the GoFundMe states. "They are working hard to stay in their home and to ensure the children can continue their education and maintain some stability during this incredibly difficult time."

They added that donations would go toward "essential living expenses, [to] pay bills, and support the children's education."

In addition to fans' generous contributions, the Van Der Beek family has also receivedhigh-value donationsfromSteven Spielberg, Zoe Saldaña,Dancing With the Starsjudge Derek Hough, andWickeddirector Jon M. Chu.

The late actor previously opened up about receiving "almost nothing" fromDawson's Creekresiduals, which helps explain why his family is currently struggling financially in the wake of his death.

"There was no residual money," Van Der Beek toldTODAY.comin 2012. "I was 20. It was a bad contract. I saw almost nothing from that."

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He revealed in that same 2012 interview that he decided to star inDon't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23"when the [Dawson's Creek] money ran out," and he realized he needed to "buckle down" and sign on to projects to provide for his family.

Before his death, Van Der Beek spent monthsauctioning off items from some of his most iconic roles,includingDawson's CreekandVarsity Blues,to help pay for his medical care.

"I've been storing these treasures for years, waiting for the right time to do something with them, and with all of the recent unexpected twists and turns life has presented recently, it's clear that the time is now," the actor toldPEOPLEin November 2025. "While I have some nostalgia tugging at me as I part with these items, it feels good to be able to offer them through Propstore's auction to share with those who have supported my work over the years."

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