Latest news with #Lothario
The Guardian
27-07-2025
- The Guardian
The heartbreak of watching a parent fall for fraud: ‘Dad, this is a scam – have you given her money?'
Bomba wasn't the first, but she exploded in our lives like a digital grenade. She's not real, I told my dad – then in his early seventies. I was in Australia at this time, where I've lived for the last 13 years. Physically speaking, he was still in California – but within himself he was adrift in a rapidly sinking lifeboat, floating in a morass of debris primarily of his own doing. But it must be said before I go further: my dad isn't the bad guy in this story. Not this time. At times, he was the bad guy in other people's stories– but that is another story. If she's not real, he countered, then how is it that we've spoken on the phone? That we video-chatted? I'll admit that threw me. In most catfishing stories the catfish goes to great lengths to avoid video chatting. But my dad being the unreliable source he was, I wasn't entirely sure he was being truthful about that detail. It was a heartbreaking thing to have to break down for my dad. My dad – who had once been a handsome, charismatic Lothario with swagger, with game – now had to be told by both of his daughters that this chic Bomba was 100% not real, not into him, not what or who she says she is. He didn't believe us. Bomba had presented herself, via Facebook, as a widow living in Naples, Florida. She and her late husband had been in the gemstone business, and she was a millionaire. A lonely millionaire at that, looking for love and companionship. She's not real, Dad. I begged him to understand. But I've seen her bank statements. Why would she show you her bank statements? Because her money is tied up in Europe, she can't access it, but she wanted me to know she has it. Dad. This is a scam. Have you given her money? Did she ask for money? Dad? DAD? Needless to say, he didn't believe me. The thing about my dad and money is that he had lived a life of great abundance and great scarcity. He'd been born into 1950's Midwestern high-society, the son of a department store titan, and then – as many of his cohort did in the sixties and seventies, he 'dropped out.' He spent most of his twenties and early thirties in the Motown music scene – he was a talented saxophone player – and in that scene he became addicted to heroin and other substances. He was a low to mid-level drug dealer himself and I am pretty sure there are things I still don't know about that time. What I do know – because I lived it – is that, while he was never what you'd call 'straight' – he did straighten out. He began the long process of untangling himself from heroin after I was born, but he'd never kick his dependence on alcohol and weed – and that taste for opioids would come back for its pound of flesh. He aimed higher. He got 'good' jobs. He started businesses. He achieved as an athlete, and was the basketball coach at my high school. For a period of time he, and those around him, flourished. He had money. And then he lost it, along with his second marriage, his house in the California mountains, his fancy RV … and his pride. By the time Bomba appeared, he was still nursing the faint hope that he might – somehow, some way – get it all back again. Even though by this time he'd burnt so many bridges he was practically an island, and was thoroughly physically incapacitated by the severe scoliosis he'd always outrun as a younger, fitter man. For the pain that the gin couldn't help, his doctors prescribed OxyContin. We'll get to that. He never admitted to sending Bomba money, but my gut says he did. I'd hoped maybe that would be the last scam, but then this happened: my dad called one afternoon to tell me that he was going to buy my husband a better boat. How, I asked? Because I've won the lottery, he said. My heart sank. Dad. It's not real. He forwarded me the documents he'd been sent – on Facebook – by some guy, let's call him Bob. One was a 'winning certificate' telling him that he'd won US$580m. I pointed out to him that I couldn't find anything online to verify it – and plenty of things to alert us to the fact this was a scam. Other things he forwarded me were full of spelling errors and other 'tells'. Still, he was intractable and unpersuadable. By this time – the time that my sister and I refer to as the whole lottery thing – or just the scam – we knew, to the penny, what my dad had left in the bank – which was about $50,000. His social security checks were paltry, and he was carefully rationing what he had left on fast-food, cheap gin, weed, and dog food and meds for his golden retriever, Sonny. What happened next took place over a period of about six weeks … maybe more, maybe less – to be honest, it's all a trauma-blur. Like clockwork, the scammers told my dad that in order to receive his winnings he had to cover the costs of the paperwork, transfer fees, insurance, and other vague items – that bill was around US$10k, give or take. He paid it. Then he was told that because they'd be delivering the $580m dollars in cash to his doorstep, he'd need to cover yet more bank fees, and the cost of the delivery itself, and various other dubious requirements – to the tune of another $10k or so. He paid that, too. When the money didn't arrive and the scammers went quiet, my dad finally understood he'd been scammed (or so we believed). The FBI got involved, only to tell him that his money was, essentially, unrecoverable. They told him the obvious: don't give them anything more and stop contact. This is where things get really weird and where my dad's fragmenting mind and broken spirit came into stark relief. Now that my dad knew he'd been scammed he was understandably furious. But because of his own days as a low-level crim who had engaged in his own scams (there's a weird story about a fake timeshare business he was a part of, and something to do with diamonds) – he was determined that he'd out-crim the crims. Somewhere in this timeline my dad had been hospitalised for the third or fourth time in as many months. We'd recently been told that he had alcohol induced brain atrophy. And there was all the oxy. And the deep well of anger, sorrow and fear. Somewhere in this timeline I'd had to call the police multiple times from my home in Australia and send them to check on my dad – who had, again, threatened suicide. Against this backdrop – my dad resumed communication with the people he knew had already stolen around US$20k from him – nearly half of all the money he had left in the world – the people the FBI had verified were, indeed, scammers. Weird, scary things happened. He threatened them. They threatened him. At one point, a plan was made to meet in a park after dark where, apparently, they were going to give him money. To this day I'm unsure as to whether my dad did, indeed, go to a park at night, wander around in his painful gait, confused, ashamed and angry, his pants too big for his dwindling frame – an image that cuts me to the bone. I was so angry with him. He was honest with me about not having cut communication – and then he relayed the fact that they were, again, asking him for money. It was, essentially, to cover the same kinds of fake costs that he'd already paid. But this time, he was sure they were going to make him whole. So he gave them the rest. All of it. Every last cent. In the last week of his life he was texting friends and family asking for $300 to send to the scammers for the petrol they said they needed to drive him his millions. In the last days, he was, quite literally, penniless. A few days after my dad died the scammers found my sister and me. We typed our outrage into the ether, screamed into the void, told them that they had blood on their hands – but we know that there was not a single person on the other end of that message. There are whole fleets. My dad was likely talking to multiple people – many of whom are probably living their own tragedies, in service of traffickers. Knowing that our experience wasn't uncommon was a cold comfort. We knew we weren't the only adult children grappling with the devastating fallout of financial scams. The scammers my dad encountered were not sophisticated, he suspended his own disbelief wilfully. But many scammers are sophisticated – their scams don't have spelling errors and inconsistencies. With AI, they are getting harder and harder for people to detect. Especially people who aren't tech savvy. As their children and loved ones, talking to them about changing their passwords and not clicking on links feels like the epitome of taking a knife to a gun fight. Financial scams aren't the only scams – I've come to see the other 'scams' that, over time, chipped away at my dad. Fox News convinced him that all of his many troubles could be blamed on immigrants, feminism, China … others. The Maga cult that conned him into thinking that Donald Trump would usher in a new era of success aimed at those who most needed it. The big pharma scam that told my dad that he could manage OxyContin – even though he'd told them he couldn't. These days, I've come to fear that the entire American project is a scam. The call is no longer only coming from shadowy figures on Facebook, it's coming from inside the house – the White House – with the President himself hawking gold bibles and bizarre coins and EFTs. My dad fell for all of that, too. There is a character in my new novel, Mother Tongue, named Eric. Eric has fallen for the Maga scam, for the Fox News scam, the Christian Patriarchy scam … but he goes down a far, far darker path than my dad did. Creating Eric was cathartic, as was creating his daughter, Jenny – who, like my sister and me, felt the sting of knowing that her father's view of the world, of women, of humanity, was so painfully distant from her own – and that it was a worldview that, if realised to its fullest potential, would cost her dearly. When I first began to draft the character of Eric, I thought I was writing about something rare, drawn from the distinct and precise experiences I'd had with my own dad. By the time I finished, it was clear that I was writing about something many children are grappling with when it comes to their susceptible parents, and my heart breaks for them, too. Mother Tongue by Naima Brown (Pan MacMillan, $16.99) is out now
Spectator
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Spectator
2707: Get-together
Twelve unclued entries can form six new words (not in the grid) Across 4 Each Chrome browser's opening changes online site for self-validation? (4,7) 12 No charge for these new dancing routines (9) 13 Goblin at last living in tree trunk (5) 14 Cover turned over, novel is Catch-22? (7) 15 Observe small branch (4) 16 A third of Americans put on weight – belly for some (4) 17 Internally, customer's right (4) 20 Taking time, sumptuous western showed triumphant joy (7) 21 Carpet fabric, mainly rush, packed into cube (7) 25 Last line of defence – boiler fixed (6) 30 Live start of match involving very good sweeper? (5) 32 Southern docks bringing in old military spies (6) 35 Mixture of perfume ingredients combined to net love (6) 38 Boss, lazy, missing first post (7) 40 Maybe still wearing stockings in care home (7) 43 Church blocks huge declarations in Scotland (4) 44 See you time and time again, always at the front (2-2) 45 Without antennae, nothing stops flying saucer (7) 47 School accepting odd boorish Aussie rugby player (5-4) 48 Tough trooper positioned around island infested with bugs (11) Down 1 Dippy sort of office aid? (7) 3 Chief good on breaking total silence linked to wrong (6,5) 5 One weeping about that gutted US animal (7) 6 Having elevated land, hardened by cold when removing top (6) 8 Area, but off beaten track (7) 10 Do away with chatty flier superior group absorbs (9) 11 Rarely go back to wish otherwise, finally yielding to case for defence (7) 18 State bore put up in No. 10 (5) 19 Injurious nasty DJ peculiar about single (11) 22 Tobacco plant aril oddly contains mostly fluid (9) 27 D-Day target of May has finally gone (5) 29 Young lady indulged over blunder (7) 31 Objective means upright (7) 34 Judge provided very loud reprimands (4,3) 36 Exclusive bunch accepts Lothario but not her (6) 37 Happy over solver being welcomed by Jeeves after vacation (6) Download a printable version here. A first prize of a £30 John Lewis voucher and two runners-up prizes of £20 vouchers for the first correct solutions opened on Monday 30 June. Please scan or photograph entries and email them (including the crossword number in the subject field) to crosswords@ or post to: Crossword 2707, The Spectator, 22 Old Queen Street, London SW1H 9HP. Please allow six weeks for prize delivery.
Perth Now
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Patti LuPone 'took an instant dislike' to Kevin Kline
Patti LuPone's relationship with Kevin Kline was "painful". The 76-year-old actress met Kevin, 77, at Juilliard, a performing arts school in New York City, in the 70s, and she wasn't a fan of him at first. Patti told The New Yorker magazine: "I took an instant dislike to him. "He looked like Pinocchio to me. He had skinny legs, and he was tall, and I didn't really see the handsomeness." Despite this, the duo grew closer over time and their on-and-off relationship ultimately lasted for seven years. Patti now looks back on their romance with a lot of regret, describing it as a "painful" experience. The actress said: "He was a Lothario. It was a painful relationship. "I was his girlfriend when he wanted me to be his girlfriend, but, if there was somebody else, he would break up with me and go out with that person. And I, for some reason, stuck it out - until I couldn't stick it out anymore." Kevin concedes that their relationship was "fraught". The actor - who has been married to actress Phoebe Cates since 1989 - explained: "We fought all the time. "In the company, we were known as the Strindbergs." Patti previously claimed that her turbulent romance with Kevin "exhausted [her] heart". The 'Driving Miss Daisy' star also described her former partner as a "player". Patti - who has been married to Matthew Johnston since 1988 - told People back in 2022: "For me that was my first big love. And Kevin was also a player, and it was hard. That was incredibly hard on me. He exhausted my heart." Patti and Kevin have actually kept in touch with each other since ending their relationship, and the actress now considers them to be "friends". The award-winning star - who has enjoyed huge success on Broadway and in London's West End - said: "We have found a place where we can actually communicate and be friends. I think we can be friends. "I don't think we can double date, but I think Kevin and I can at least talk to each other."
Daily Mail
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE See the moment pot-bellied Casanova with SEVEN girlfriends is confronted by his lovers at a cafe - as the Jim Beam fan's love life explodes
A balding Romeo has rushed shame-faced from a cafe after he was caught red-handed by a gaggle of his seven lovers while cheating on them ALL at the same time. The pot-bellied Lothario had managed to keep all seven on the go without each other realising until his secret suddenly unravelled. Three of his scorned girlfriends confronted the middle-aged love cheat while in the midst of a date with yet another romantic hook-up at a cafe in Ballarat, Victoria. The women, who were filming with their phones as the drama unfolded, fired questions about his lies and gaslighting as he meekly sat at his table. He initially tried to carry on sipping on his freshly-brewed latte at Cobbs Coffee - with his hand visibly shaking in the embarrassing encounter. 'Three in 24 hours - what's the deal with that? You think it's okay to hurt women like you are?' yelled one at her former love match. Finally realising the game was up, he brusquely got up and mumbled 'what?' before he fled out the door without saying another word as they chased after him. His furious harem followed him down the street as he continued to shrug off their outrage until he reached his bright orange ute and drove off. A balding Romeo has rushed shame-faced from a cafe after he was caught red-handed by a gaggle of his seven lovers while cheating on them ALL at the same time 'He was my partner for almost a year,' one scorned ex, who wanted to remain anonymous, told Daily Mail Australia. 'We did it to allow other women to see what he is like so hopefully it saves anyone else getting hurt.' She also claimed her hapless-ex never even put his hand in his pocket during his jam-packed dating schedule. 'He doesn't work and he makes us pay for everything and we just believe his lies,' she said. 'It's been so hard on myself and my family, he has left a lot of pain for all of us.' The events at the cafe were made public after another scorned lover posted the video to social media. 'Play stupid games, win stupid prizes,' she wrote. 'I changed my Facebook status to 'in a relationship' with this man - then I was contacted by a queen who was also in a relationship with him.' The woman - who asked not to be named - revealed his amazing network of lovers was exposed when she shared his picture to a Facebook group dedicated to love cheats, called 'Sis, is this your man?'. It revealed he was hooking up with multiple new partners through Tinder and faking relationships while still looking for even more lovers. She added: 'More women came forward. This was Saturday. We created a group chat and formed a plan. 'We got up to seven women and he was still swiping on Tinder.' One of his many Tinder dates then arranged to meet her new squeeze but instead of a romantic catch up, he was confronted by three of his angry lovers. His latest date grinned from ear to ear as she relished the showdown and the Ballarat love rat squirming in his seat. 'I invited some friends,' she told him, gesturing to the three women as they approached the table. 'How you going?' said one of the women. 'It's so nice catching up ladies, something nice came out of this,' added another. Dressed in a Jim Beam T-shirt, the man quickly grabbed his phone and sunnies as he made his escape. 'What? You've got nothing to say about how you have played all of these women?' the third woman called after him. 'Hang on, you are going from one woman to another to another to another. All in the same day.' He also started recording the bizarre showdown while walking down the street. 'You can record us if you want because this is all going up on socials as well, you are in a public place. It's legal mate,' one of the women warned him. 'I don't think he is happy he has been caught out,' said one while laughing. 'Not only gaslighting, but you know, stuffing up women's lives. The first woman later posted the video to her own Facebook account and let people know she was okay after the confrontation. 'So people don't worry about me, this was my doing,' she explained. Her comment section was filled with support. 'Cheating creep, glad all the ladies stood tall and called him out,' said one. 'Gee, he was as red as a beetroot, go goddess,' added a second. 'Beyond proud of you and your girls, at the end of the day, think of it as his loss and you just gain a bunch of new girly friends,' added a third.
Buzz Feed
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
33 Hilarious People Who Took 'DGAF' To A Whole New Level
1. This big sister who suffers no fools: Objective_Regular158 / Via 2. This kid who has no time for fake IDs: Nesquick_moustache / Via 3. And this person who works smarter/lazier, not harder: ycr007 / Via 4. This forward-thinking uncle: 5. This wife who saw her chance to do something legendary and took it: 6. And this kid who saw the chance to be an ice cream cone ordering an ice cream cone from an ice cream cone and took it: 8. This mom who gets sassy when she needs coffee: 9. And this mom who also hilariously DGAF: 10. This guy who will go the extra mile to prove a point: 11. This vengeful cousin who played the long game: 12. And Jason, the 8th grade badass: 13. This (little) man of the house: 14. This person who should probably become a detective or something: 15. Ben's hilarious co-workers: 17. This party animal who didn't sleep on an opportunity: 18. Whoever dreamt up this bathroom prank: 19. And this genius who sees opportunity where others do not: 20. This guy at the Democratic National Convention: 22. And these high school legends: 24. This guy who is willing to risk getting fired to pull an A+ prank: 25. And here's one more worker with a gloriously DGAF attitude: 28. And this similarly DGAF AirDropper: PocketfulofThoughts / Via 29. This dating app Lothario who took a swing and hit a homer: haveeyoumetTed / Via 30. This student who decided to have a laugh regardless of how much it made his professor hate him: garbanzoboy / Via 31. Ditto for this guy: Impressive_Clerk_643 / Via 32. These kids who... rock: ycr007 / Via ycr007 33. And lastly, this person who 100% commit to the bit: rikhil- / Via
