BREAKING NEWS Woman, 32, arrested over fatal hit-and-run of Netflix star Sara Burack in Hamptons
A 32-year-old Virginia woman has been arrested in connection with a fatal hit-and-run incident that claimed the life of a popular Netflix actress, authorities said.
Amanda Kempton was charged with leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident in connection to the hit-and-run death of Million Dollar Beach House star Sara Burack, according to the Southampton Town Police Department.
Burack, 40, a real estate agent and former reality television personality was struck by a vehicle shortly before 3:00 am on Montauk Highway near Villa Paul Restaurant in Hampton Bays, New York.
Emergency responders found her critically injured at the scene, and she later died at Stony Brook University Hospital due to severe trauma, including head injuries and multiple fractures.
The vehicle involved fled the scene, prompting a large-scale search by local and state authorities.
Following an extensive manhunt led by the Southampton Town Police Department and the New York State Police Accident Reconstruction Unit, Kempton was taken into custody.
She has been charged with leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident resulting in death, a Class D felony under New York State law. If convicted, she faces up to four years in prison.
Law enforcement officials have not yet disclosed details about how Kempton was identified as a suspect.
Kempton is scheduled to be arraigned on Saturday as the investigation remains active, according to the New York Post.
Public officials have urged anyone with additional information about the incident to contact Southampton Town Police, as the full circumstances surrounding the event are still under investigation, local outlet, Dan's Papers reported.
Sara Burack was a licensed real estate broker with experience in the luxury real estate market.
In addition to her professional accomplishments, she gained national visibility as a cast member on the Netflix series Million Dollar Beach House.
Burack was also active in charitable work, including fundraising for leukemia research and animal rescue initiatives.
Her sudden death has elicited an outpouring of grief from friends, former colleagues, and members of the entertainment and real estate communities.
'I want people to remember she was an amazing person who really cared for people,' close family friend and fellow realtor Paulette Corsair told Newsday.
'She was a hardworking real estate agent who was there for others. She was loved greatly by her friends and a close family.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Food Network star Anne Burrell's shock death under police investigation for possible drug overdose
Celebrity chef Anne Burrell's death is being investigated as a possible drug overdose after she was discovered on the floor of her bathroom surrounded 100 pills, police said. The beloved Food Network star, who hosted Secrets of a Restaurant Chef and co-hosted Worst Cooks in America, was found dead inside her Brooklyn apartment on Tuesday. New details revealed the 55-year-old was found 'in the shower unconscious and unresponsive surrounded by approximately (100) assorted pills', according to NYPD documents seen by The New York Times. Emergency medical teams had responded to the home that she shared with her husband Stuart Claxton. She was pronounced dead at the scene. A spokeswoman for the city's medical examiner's office confirmed that Burrell's autopsy had been completed. Findings on the exact cause of her death were still pending. Claxton reportedly last saw his wife alive at approximately 1AM the night prior before discovering her unconscious between six to seven hours later in their bathroom. It was reported earlier this week that EMS crews had attempted CPR on Burrell but could not resuscitate her. Her family said in a statement: 'Anne was a beloved wife, sister, daughter, stepmother, and friend — her smile lit up every room she entered. 'Anne's light radiated far beyond those she knew, touching millions across the world. Though she is no longer with us, her warmth, spirit, and boundless love remain eternal.' A Food Network spokesperson added, 'Anne was a remarkable person and culinary talent – teaching, competing and always sharing the importance of food in her life and the joy that a delicious meal can bring. 'Our thoughts are with Anne's family, friends and fans during this time of tremendous loss.' Just hours before her passing Burrell had performed at improv show at a comedy club in Brooklyn, after having taken classes at the venue's training center. In a podcast earlier this year she spoke with Tori Spelling on taking the classes and how she planned to expand her horizons. She said: 'I just started taking acting classes. I started yesterday, actually... It's like an improv for actors' class. 'I got there and it's like eight people in the class. I'm the oldest one. Every other person has like, "Oh, I have a master's in fine arts in theater."' Burrell showed off her self-awareness and sense of humor that her fans were familiar with as she joked about the age gap between she and her fellow students. She said: 'I'm like, "okay, I've never taken an acting class. I don't know, this is new to me." 'I wonder if these delightful and super talented kids look at me and they're like, "What's this old lady doing here?"' The television personality had taken a break from her show Worst Cooks In America for season 28 which baffled many fans and Spelling, 52, asked at the time what led her to that decision. Burrell answered: 'I can cook, yes, I can do TV, but also, what else? I've got more to do in my life, I feel like.' She also admitted that she was just 'dipping my toe' when it came to the pivot to acting. Burrell explained: 'I feel very excited about it. I've got a few other things that I'm working on as well, which I'm not quite ready to share yet. Hopefully, exciting [are] things coming.' Gigi Hadid, who famously appeared on the cooking competition series Beat Bobby Flay with Burrell, led the celebrities expressing their heartbreak over Burrell's death. 'I am heartbroken to hear of the loss of the Great Anne Burrell,' the supermodel, 30, began. Hadid included a photo of herself and Burrell from their time filming Beat Bobby Flay back in 2023. 'As a longtime fan, getting to share this day with her was a dream come true. Beat Bobby. Hang. Eat,' she recalled. 'I wish we could have done it again. She was awesome. Rest in Peace Legend.' Chef Carla Hall, who previously appeared on Food Network's Top Chef, called Burrell an 'incredible cook and teacher.' Queer Eye for the Straight Guy star Carson Kressley, who was a close friend of Burrell's, revealed that he spoke to her just days before her death. He also shared a post to his own Instagram page which included a photo of him and Burrell. 'Rest easy, Chef Anne. I'm so blessed I was able to work with you, learn from you, laugh with you. 'So many memories - on screen and off - I cherish this photo of us living our best lives, as the kids say,' Kressley wrote. 'It's one of my favorite memories - just swimming in the ocean after a great lunch. Good food, good friends and lots of love and laughter all around. 'That's what I wish for you where you are now . I'll see you again someday, dear friend.' To conclude the tribute, Kressley revealed that 'Anne loved this photo of us so I know she'd be happy I chose this one.' The TV chef - who became synonymous with her trademark spiky platinum hair - is survived by husband, whom she wed in October 2021 in an autumn-themed ceremony and reception in her hometown of Cazenovia, New York. She is also survived by her mother Marlene and sister Jane and her children Isabella, Amelia and Nicolas, and her brother Ben. Anne developed a passion for cooking at a young age, inspired by her mother's home-cooked meals and by watching food icon Julia Child on television. After earning a degree in English and Communications from Canisius College in Buffalo in 1991, she followed her culinary dreams and enrolled at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, graduating in 1996. She worked at a whole host of New York City hotspots including Felidia and Savoy in Soho, where she honed her craft in Mediterranean cuisine. She was later thrust into the spotlight and became best known as the longtime host of Worst Cooks in America. The show, which ran for 28 seasons, saw celebrated chefs mentor amateur cooks in an attempt to transform them from rookies to kitchen experts. Elsewhere, she appeared on Chef Wanted, Chopped, Food Network Star, and most recently, competition series House of Knives - which premiered in March this year. She also penned two of her own cookbooks - Cook Like a Rock Star and Own Your Kitchen: Recipes to Inspire & Empower.
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Blake Lively sends out new subpoenas in legal battle with Justin Baldoni
Blake Lively is currently wrapped up in a nasty court battle with her It Ends With Us costar and director Justin Baldoni. New legal documents obtained by reveal that the actress, 37, has filed motions to compel subpoenas from multiple executives at Baldoni's, 41, production company Wayfarer. According to the paperwork, Blake initially served third-party subpoenas in March, and is now asking the court to enforce them. The eight executives listed are Ashmi Elizabeth Dang, Ahmed Musiol, Mitz Toskovic, Tera Hanks, AJ Marbory, Jennifer Benson, Shekinah Reese, and Jarriesse Blackmon. Lively and Baldoni butted heads while filming the romantic drama last year, and things turned litigious in December when the Gossip Girl alum sued the actor for alleged sexual harassing and engineering a retaliatory smear campaign against her. Earlier this week Lively suffered a setback in the case when a New York judge denied her attorneys' application for a protective order seeking to block her text messages with Taylor Swift from being entered as evidence. Baldoni's team has subpoenaed Lively for text messages, emails and any other messages between herself and the singer. The Jane The Virgin actor's lawyers will now be allowed to pore through the text trail, with all communications related to It Ends With Us set for scrutiny. In one embarrassing text exchange, Lively appeared to refer to herself as the Game of Thrones character Khaleesi, and to Swift as one of her 'dragons.' Elsewhere in Baldoni's filing is the claim that Swift was present at a meeting convened by Lively at her New York penthouse to discuss It Ends With Us script changes. Sources close to Swift insisted the singer had no knowledge of the meeting and simply arrived to find it underway. The situation reportedly left Swift — who is godmother to Lively's three daughters — feeling 'exploited' by her friend of ten years. Six months ago Blake outlined work opportunities that she allegedly missed out on due to Baldoni in her explosive lawsuit against him. One of the missed work gigs listed was hosting the season 50 premiere of Saturday Night Live in September, which aired the month after the film was released. Earlier this week Lively suffered a setback in the case when a New York judge denied her attorneys' application for a protective order seeking to block her text messages with Taylor Swift from being entered as evidence; the former friends pictured in February 2024 'The effects on Ms. Lively's professional life were immediate and substantial,' said the suit. 'Given the ongoing nature of the campaign and the associated negative public sentiment, Ms. Lively did not believe she could proceed with public appearances or events without being forced to openly discuss what happened on set,' the filing stated. Baldoni hit back in January with a $400 million countersuit accusing Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds of defamation. All parties have denied the allegations. Last week, the defamation element of Baldoni's lawsuit was thrown out by a judge, although he is still suing for civil extortion and invasion of privacy among other claims. But contained in Baldoni's filing were screenshots of alleged text messages, in which Lively regularly mentioned Swift by name.
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
Key moments from the sixth week of Sean 'Diddy' Combs' sex trafficking trial
The sixth week of the Sean 'Diddy' Combs' sex trafficking trial was shortened by a holiday and a juror's illness as prosecutors nearly concluded their case, setting the stage for a one- or two-day defense presentation next week. In the trial's first five weeks, jurors repeatedly heard testimony about drug-fueled marathon sex events described as 'freak-offs' by one of Combs' ex-girlfriends and as 'hotel nights' by another. In the sixth week, they were shown about 20 minutes of video recordings from the dayslong events. Combs, the founder of Bad Boy Entertainment, has pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy charges in the trial, which continues Monday. Here are key moments from the past week: Jurors watch videos of 'freak-off' sex marathons they had heard so much about Jurors largely kept their reactions muted when they were shown about 20 minutes of recordings made by Combs of his then-girlfriends having sex with male sex workers at the elaborately staged 'freak-offs' or 'hotel nights.' Prosecutors say the events were proof of sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy charges because Combs coerced his employees, associates and even his girlfriends to recruit and arrange flights for sex workers while his workers obtained drugs, stocked hotel rooms with baby oil, lubricant, condoms, candles and liquor and delivered cash. In her opening statement, defense lawyer Teny Geragos had called the videos 'powerful evidence that the sexual conduct in this case was consensual and not based on coercion.' Prosecutors played about 2 minutes of the recordings before the defense team aired about 18 minutes of the videos. The public and the press were unable to observe whether the prosecutors or defense lawyers had the better arguments after the judge ruled that neither the recordings nor the sound could be seen or heard by anyone except lawyers, the judge and the jury. Several jurors seemed to cast their eyes and sometimes turn their bodies away from the screens directly in front of them while the recordings played. The jurors listened through earphones supplied by the court, as did Combs and lawyers. A juror is ejected from the panel by a judge who questions whether he has an agenda Judge Arun Subramanian started the week by dismissing a juror whose conflicting answers about whether he lived in New Jersey or New York convinced the judge he was a threat to the integrity of the trial. Subramanian said the juror's answers during jury selection and in the week before he was excused 'raised serious concerns as to the juror's candor and whether he shaded answers to get on and stay on the jury.' 'The inconsistencies — where the juror has lived and with whom — go to straightforward issues as to which there should not have been any doubts, and the answers also go to something vital: the basic qualifications of a juror to serve,' the judge said. Residents of New Jersey would not be permitted to sit on a New York federal jury. A day before Subramanian ruled, defense lawyers argued fiercely against dismissal, saying that replacing the Black juror with a white alternate juror so late in the trial would change the diverse demographics of the jury and require a mistrial. The jurors are anonymous for the Combs trial. It wasn't the only issue regarding jurors for the week. The judge, angered by a media report about the questioning of another juror the week before that occurred in a sealed proceeding, warned lawyers that they could face civil and criminal sanctions if such a leak happened again. That juror was not dismissed. And Wednesday's court session had to be canceled after a juror reported "vertigo symptoms" on the way to the courthouse. A defense lawyer predicts a presentation measured in hours rather than days Defense attorney Marc Agnifilo seemed to close the door on any chance Combs would testify when he said Friday that the defense presentation would be finished Tuesday or Wednesday the following week, even if prosecutors don't rest until late Monday. It is not uncommon for defendants to choose not to testify at criminal trials. Besides being exposed to cross-examination by prosecutors, the testimony can be used by the government against the defendant should there be a need for a retrial. Also, if there is a conviction, the judge can conclude that the jury believed the defendant lied on the stand. Another former Combs' employee requires immunity to testify about working for him Brendan Paul, fresh off the college basketball courts where he once played in a cameo role for Syracuse University, joined Combs' companies as a personal assistant in late 2022 and was warned by a friend who had worked for Combs about what was ahead. 'He told me to get in and get out,' Paul recalled for the jury, citing the endless days and always-on-edge existence. 'If you have a girlfriend, break up with her. And you're never going to see your family.' The friend also instructed him to 'build a rolodex of clientele and get out,' he said. Paul said he worked 80 to 100 hours a week for a music power broker who received 'thousands and thousands' of text messages and emails a day. He was paid $75,000 salary initially, but it was raised in January 2024 to $100,000. He said Combs told him he 'doesn't take no for an answer' and wanted his staff to 'move like Seal Team Six.' Several times, Paul said, he picked up drugs for Combs and knew to keep his boss out of the drug trade because 'it was very important to keep his profile low. He's a celebrity.' The job came to an abrupt end in March 2024 when Paul was arrested at a Miami airport on drug charges after a small amount of cocaine that he said he picked up in Combs' room that morning was mistakenly put in his travel bag as he prepared to join Combs on a trip to the Bahamas. The charges were later dropped in a pretrial diversion program. Paul said he hadn't seen Combs since.
