At the start of 2025, the state of California is facing an unprecedented wave of wildfires, which have ravaged thousands of homes around Los Angeles. Several upscale neighborhoods have been affected, and many celebrities have been forced to evacuate, some seeing their homes go up in smoke.

Amid the turmoil, a number of celebrities decided to return to the burnt-out areas to help the victims. Among them, the Sussex couple, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The couple visited those affected in Los Angeles on January 11. The visit was yet another opportunity for observers to criticize the couple for their alleged good deeds.

Actress Justine Bateman was initially very critical of the visit, the day after the appearance. A few days later, other celebrities took aim at the couple. British singer Kelly Osbourne, for example, posted a video on her Instagram account, which she eventually deleted. “Is it just me being my usual, overly cynical and thoughtful self, or is it really disturbing to see all these celebrities using other people’s pain and suffering as a photo op,” she asked her followers.

TikTok-loving journalist Candace Owens, meanwhile, took direct aim at the Sussex couple. “It looked like they were both really trying to be helpful. I saw Meghan Markle bend down and take the lid off a plastic garbage can. Do they really want to get their hands dirty?” she quipped. “If you see plastic garbage cans that need picking up, you can contact your girlfriend Meghan Markle,” she concluded wryly. This is yet another blow for Meghan and Harry, who are already often the target of ridicule since their exile in the United States.

British singer Liam Payne, of the group One Direction, died on Wednesday at the age of 31. Police initially reported that Liam Payne had “fallen from the third floor” of a hotel in Bueno Aires.
 

But now we learn that the singer “jumped from the balcony of his room”, Pablo Policicchio, communications director for the Buenos Aires Ministry of Security, told the Associated Press. It would appear that the man was aggressive.
 

A transcript of the 911 call was also released. The hotel explains that there is “a guest overwhelmed with drugs and alcohol… He’s destroying the entire room and, well, we need you to send someone, please.”
 

Emergency chief Alberto Crescenti reported that Liam Payne had “very serious injuries following his fall.”

Jean-Claude Van Damme, star of the action films of the 80s and 90s, is facing a great personal tragedy. On Friday, he lost his mother, Eliana Van Varenbergh, reports Public magazine.
 

Very attached to her, the Belgian actor, who is about to celebrate his 64th birthday, was present at her side in a nursing home in Knokke-le-Zoute, Belgium, to share his last moments with her. Eliana had played a fundamental role in the actor’s life, supporting him throughout his career, even in difficult times.
 

Jean-Claude Van Damme, who launched his own brand of Whisky a few months ago, has spoken publicly of his mother’s influence on his life on numerous occasions.
 

This loss comes at a time when Van Damme is in the midst of promoting his next film, Kill ’em All 2, due for release in a few weeks’ time.