In a lengthy Us Weekly cover story on Wednesday, sources opened up about how the Duchess of Sussex has found her new purpose after taking her Prince Charming and going home. Noting that she’s gone through many career changes in her past, a family friend told the outlet:

“You’re established in one world and then you enter another and your narrative is dictated by external forces.”

Not easy to navigate!

Related: Prince Harry Is Making This BOLD Move To Reconcile With His Family!

After leaving the royal family, Meghan and Prince Harry made a splash by doing several media projects and interviews, but it quickly became apparent none of it was panning out the way they had hoped. Their podcast, their Netflix deal, nothing was hitting.

In recent months, however, the Suits alum has clearly been preparing for her next shot. Not only is she teasing the launch of her lifestyle company American Rivera Orchards, but she’s also taking pointers from Hollywood powerhouses like Reese Witherspoon and Gwyneth Paltrow. She joined them and others at the house of broker Amy Griffin for a one-day business summit in July, an insider dished:

“Meghan was there to network. She was very kind and humble and eager to learn.”

Over the summer, she’s also gotten more involved with various charity organizations, like The Parents’ Network, a campaign to protect kids from online harm. She and her hubby also made a trip to Colombia. A second insider reflected:

“Meghan has transitioned from actress to royal to entrepreneur. She’s worn many hats, but she believes age and experience have [prepared her] for a bigger purpose in life. She’s very happy with the role she’s carved out.”

It was important for her to take the time to process everything and come up with a new plan of action after her initial media blitz post-royals, the family friend acknowledged:

“After Spare, [Harry and Meghan] realized, ‘OK, we’re ready to move on. We want to focus on our future. We can have meaning and importance separate from the lives we had previously.’”

They added:

“Meghan doesn’t harbor any negative feelings. She just wants peace, and knows you can’t find peace if you harbor resentments.”

She seemed to address this herself earlier this month in Colombia, saying:

“So much of how I approach things is less about the fight and more about how do we show up in the space and wash things over with love and kindness and generosity.”

Take her feud with Princess Catherine, for example. While she was happy to wish her well amid her cancer diagnosis, Meghan and Harry have not spoken out about other royal matters — and that’s on purpose. The family friend dished:

“Meghan’s team gets asked daily to comment on stuff that has nothing to do with their lives now. They have left it behind.”

She’s also left some of her own family members behind, like controversial father Thomas Markle, the first source said:

“Meghan still has no contact with her dad. She does not plan on having a relationship with him, and he has not met his grandkids. That ship has sailed.”

Instead, she leans on her pals and “has a great group of friends who are all successful in their own ways who she really trusts.” This includes Serena Williams and Ellen DeGeneres plus other local moms she meets up with regularly. The first insider added that she’s “very close” with neighbor and Bumble founder Whitney Wolfe Herd while a second insider said she’s befriended entrepreneur Jamie Kern Lima, cofounder of IT Cosmetics.

Things are a bit more difficult for Harry. He “has a small [group] of close friends,” the second source shared, claiming he prefers to keep his inner circle small for “understandable reasons.” While that may be true, we have been hearing his UK friends don’t like his wife and that’s a big reason he’s become more lonely. Not to mention, most live in the UK, and he had to move to California — so that can’t be easy! Regardless, it sounds like he’ll always put his family first, the source went on:

“He’ll always be fond of his home country, but the way he views it, his wife and kids are his priority. If that means making sure they’re safe and happy in Montecito, then he supports that.”

The husband and wife are both very hands-on parents who want their kids Archie and Lilibet to have normal childhoods despite their fame, the family friend continued:

“They take the kids to school, they pick them up, and they are very active and present with them throughout the day.”

Referencing the Duke’s battle for security in the UK, the family friend insisted the children are going to stay out of the spotlight for their safety, noting:

“I think every parent wants to share their kid with the world, but they just can’t. … [Prince] William’s kids, for example, have way more safety, even though they’re recognizable. And the same doesn’t apply to Meghan and Harry’s children. They know the world wants to see [them but] I would expect them to live smaller lives until that gets sorted, if it ever does.”

It sounds like the kids may not even understand their royal heritage yet, as the friend pointed out, “they’ll have those conversations in due time.” Right now, Meg and Harry want the little ones to feel loved for who they are:

“They’re so well-mannered. Archie is sweet and curious and playful, and Lili is vibrant and happy.”

The second source added that the parents are happy just being parents right now. Thankfully they apparently have plenty of time despite working on their Archewell Foundation campaigns and launching their business ventures. But as the kids get older, anything is possible:

“Afterwards who’s to say? But I think the focus is very much on raising their two children.”

And staying on the same page really helps. Meghan and Harry have been leaning on each other for support this whole time, the friend shared:

“They’re so in sync. Throughout their relationship, they’ve stood together no matter what.”

The second insider revealed that they enjoy downtime together and try to keep a positive mindset and are motivated to do their best work always, saying:

“It’s rooted in the bonds they share together.”

As for their new life in California, they do a lot of low-key activities like gardening, hiking, and cooking. The second insider described it as “a California lifestyle.” What, they don’t garden in Merry Old England??

While it was no doubt difficult to walk away from the royal family, they do have a big bonus now. They can work on “projects they are passionate about as opposed to being given projects to do,” making the work “more personal,” the second insider dished. Good point!

Along with The Parents’ Network, Meghan is working on her new initiative, the Welcome Project, which helps empower female refugees from Afghanistan. A third source who has worked with the former actress told the outlet:

“Female advocacy remains a centerpiece of her philanthropic intent.”

She’s also looking forward to launching her lifestyle brand sometime early next year, around the time her new Netflix series is supposed to premiere. The second source expressed:

“[ARO] will likely be very much in line with who Meghan is as a person. She loves hosting events, and she’s very thoughtful about how she treats her guests whenever they come over.”

The third insider said her series “is going to be a take on her and the joy of living,” including “little things she’s learned in terms of being a modern-day hostess.” It’s been rumored Harry may make an appearance. For now, the sources just promised there would be many familiar faces joining in.

So, Meghan has a lot on her plate coming up — but she’s NOT planning to run for office, return to acting, or write a memoir despite rampant rumors, the third confidant maintained. She’s just being Meghan:

“Meghan’s in the middle of her story right now.”

Maybe one day! Right now, a big passion of the 43-year-old’s is simply to give back, the family friend added:

“She knows her life would be extraordinarily different if she did not marry who she married. There is privilege and so much room to do good. She wants to meet the moment and make good on her good fortune.”

The friend noted that it was hard for her to “be herself” in the royal household which is why this change of pace is so refreshing, they shared:

“Most people are not really allowed to be themselves — if you’ve watched The Crown, I think that’s pretty understood.”

That’s why she’s so excited about this moment:

“There’s air and space and room. She can just be who she is.”

It’s certainly an exciting time with so much still to come from Meg! We just hope her business ventures and media projects are more successful this time around! Otherwise, she’s gonna have to come up with a whole new plan!

Thoughts?? Sound OFF (below)!

[Image via MEGA/WENN]

The post Meghan Markle Is NOT Writing A Memoir -- She's Leaving The Royal Hate Behind For A NEW Purpose! Friends Tell All! appeared first on Perez Hilton.

Taking to Instagram Story on Friday, the 39-year-old television personality posted a video showing herself and their 1-year-old son Sidney at the hospital with the musician as he got treated for second-degree burns on his face and arms! Kelly warned her followers in the post:

“This is why you don’t f**k with burn piles. He literally set himself on fire and exploded everything.”

Related: Catfish‘s Nev Schulman Reveals He Broke His Neck In Brutal Bike Accident

Oh no! See the post (below):

Meanwhile, Sid hopped on social media to share his own update while getting a chest x-ray and the wounds to his face and arms dressed. He said:

“Hi everybody, I had an explosion in my face. I’m OK, I’m going to be OK. But I did have some serious burns to my face and my arms. … You can see I’m singed everywhere — my eyebrows are singed, my mouth is blistered… both my arms are pretty bad.”

Despite the pain, the DJ promised fans he plans to return to the stage for the band’s next show on September 1 in Oklahoma. Whether that will actually happen, we shall see because his injuries look pretty bad! But Sid is positive he’ll be on that stage:

“I’m gonna be alright you guys, and I don’t care what it takes, I will see you on tour … You guys take care of yourself, and I will take better care of myself. I’ll see you soon.”

Watch the video (below):

Even the band expects him to return to work very soon! They issued a statement on Friday night, saying:

“Our brother Sid Wilson was in an accident today and sustained burns across his body. He’s recovering with his family and will still join us on stage at Rocklahoma next weekend. He thanks everyone for the well wishes, and will see you all soon.”

Hmm. Again, we’ll see! As for what happened to the rocker? He explained in a follow-up video that he was “out working on the farm” he and Kelly share in Iowa and tried stoking a burn pile when it suddenly exploded. Whoa! So scary! See (below):

We hope Sid has a speedy recovery! Reactions, Perezcious readers? Let us know in the comments!

[Image via Kelly Osbourne/Sid Wilson/Instagram]

The post Kelly Osbourne’s Boyfriend Sid Wilson Hospitalized After He ‘Set Himself On Fire’ In Scary Farm Accident! appeared first on Perez Hilton.

As we reported on Tuesday, the Clueless alum caught the attention of social media users beginning on Monday night, when she posted a video across TikTok and Instagram inquiring about a specific species of berry that she found while walking through London. And then… she ate one of the berries!

Normally, that wouldn’t be a problem. It’s just a berry, right? But not with THIS berry! As it turned out, the berry in question was a Jerusalem cherry — which is a VERY poisonous member of the Nightshade family! So poisonous, in fact, that eating more than a few of them can be FATAL!!!

Related: Adele Shouts Out Viral Olympics Breakdancer Raygun: ‘So F**king Funny’!

Naturally, fans were concerned. And they grew even more concerned when the 47-year-old actress proceeded to completely disappear from social media after posting the poison berry vid!! Was she safe?! Was she OK?? Was she even still alive?!?!?!

Luckily, our worries have been finally quelled. On Tuesday afternoon, Alicia popped up on IG with a HIGHlarious comment about not having been felled by those infamous berries:

“Alive and well! Don’t worry… I didn’t swallow”

Ha!!!

Thoughts, Perezcious readers?? We’re just glad she made it through this ordeal and lived to tell about it!!

[Image via Alicia Silverstone/Instagram/WENN/Avalon]

The post Alicia Silverstone Is Alive And Well -- Tells Fans She Survived Poisonous Berry-Eating Incident In The Funniest Way! appeared first on Perez Hilton.

We’re only, uh, half-serious with that question… we hope… after she posted a video across her TikTok and Instagram pages on Monday night in which she appeared to eat a VERY poisonous berry while openly wondering what it was and whether she should even be eating it after all! And at this point, considering she hasn’t posted anything since for hours now, we’re getting a little bit concerned!

Related: Passengers Complained About Plane As Scary ‘Old Wreck’ — A Day Later Everyone On Board Died

So, this all started on Monday evening, when the Clueless alum popped up with a video from the streets of London which had her openly wondering what in the heck these specific berries were that she found in someone’s garden. Rather than just look at them from afar, or even maybe just pick one up and touch it, tho… SHE ATE IT!

As you can see (below), even while admitting that she probably wasn’t supposed to eat the berries, she went and did it anyways while blissfully unaware that anything might possibly be the matter:

@aliciasilverstone

What the heck is this!? I’m in England and can’t figure it out. ????

♬ original sound – Alicia Silverstone

But here’s the thing… the berries in question are actually known as Jerusalem cherries. They are part of the Nightshade family, and they are very poisonous. Like, very poisonous When ingested in large amounts, they can LITERALLY BE FATAL to humans and pets alike! Even just eating one or two can make a human very, very sick!!

this tiktok of a confused alicia silverstone eating a fruit off a bush from someone’s front yard in london blissfully unaware that it’s actually a very poisonous form of deadly nightshade has absolutely killed me. she’s not posted since either rip girl you were great in clueless pic.twitter.com/ozdnL0RvC5

— joshua ???? (@joshcharles_21) August 20, 2024

As soon as Alicia posted the clip on TikTok and IG, fans rushed into the comments and informed her what she was holding (and eating). Many also begged her NOT to put those Jerusalem cherries in her mouth, which is smart advice. And some asked why a person would eat anything off the street if they didn’t know what it was! Which is pretty much what we were thinking!

Ch-ch-check out some of the responses (below):

“Jerusalem Cherry… They are poisonous”

“OMG NO!! Jerusalem Cherry very poisonous in the Nightshade family. Hope you are ok”

“We eating stuff off the street bushes?”

“Why would ANYONE eat random, unknown things from the street?!?”

“eating random stuff from bushes when you don’t know what it is, is a level of non anxiety that I can only aspire to.”

“can someone tag me when we know she’s OK”

“Why in the world would you eat something that you don’t know what it is?”

“Imagine looking into your front yard and seeing Alicia Silverstone munching your garden.”

“Ma’am please post again, we can’t be left clueless and need to know you’re ok”

“WOMAN! UPDATE US. ARE YOU ALIVE AND WELL!?!”

“She’s clearly clueless…”

Oof.

Alicia, girl, what the hell are you doing?!?! And like we said, as of Tuesday morning, she still hasn’t posted on any of her socials since making that initial berries video. So fans still don’t know if she’s actually, ya know, safe and sound. Or even alive at all. WTF!!!

[Image via MEGA/WENN/Alicia Silverstone/TikTok]

The post Is Alicia Silverstone Ok?? Fans Freak Out After Actress Ate Poisonous Berries In Latest TikTok And Hasn't Posted Since!! appeared first on Perez Hilton.

The Friends alum died last October at his home in west Los Angeles, of course. He’d ingested a fatal dose of ketamine while in his hot tub on October 28, and was then found unconscious and face down in the water. And now, based on newly released documents that have come out amid all the arrests that have been made in the case involving his death, we know now what his final words were to his assistant Kenneth Iwamasa.

Related: Matthew Met His ‘Ketamine Queen’ Drug Dealer In Rehab — Here’s Why That Is SO Troubling!

Per DailyMail.com, according to newly released court docs in the case against those who supplied ketamine to Perry, the last words he told his assistant before he was found dead in his home were:

“Shoot me up with a big one.”

OMG…

On that fateful day, Perry asked Iwamasa to “prepare the jacuzzi,” according to the docs, before requesting that he get “shot up” with ketamine by the loyal assistant. Prosecutors say Perry received a first shot of ketamine at around 8:30 a.m on the day he died, and then another one at about 12:45 p.m. that afternoon.

The docs also revealed that Perry was found unconscious at his El Lay home TWICE in incidents before that fateful day in October when he died. Jeez…

What a horrible situation all around. And to think that those were Perry’s last known words… that’s truly heartbreaking on a whole new level.

If you or someone you know is experiencing substance abuse, help is available. Consider checking out the resources SAMHSA provides at https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline or check out StartYourRecovery.org.

[Image via Joseph Marzullo/WENN]

The post These Were Matthew Perry's Devastating Final Words To His Assistant appeared first on Perez Hilton.

Of course, we’ve been covering the tale of the so-called “Ketamine Queen,” whose real name is Jasveen Sangha. She has been accused, along with several other people, of funneling ketamine to the Friends alum in the months leading up to his death last year. She’s also been accused of dealing drugs in a massive and unsettling second investigation that is unrelated to Perry. And now, we are learning more about how she came into contact with the sitcom star in the first place.

Related: Matthew Perry’s Ketamine Problem Was So Bad! He Was Even About To Start Dealing It!

On Friday night, TMZ‘s Harvey Levin appeared alongside Dr. Drew Pinsky on CUOMO on NewsNation. During that interview, Levin indicated that his outlet’s sources have determined that Sangha and Perry were in the same Los Angeles-area rehab facility at the same time not long before Perry’s death. During that stay, they met and connected — and then, Levin claims, Sangha and her network began to supply Perry with ketamine and reap the profits of those sales.

The issue is much bigger than just Perry and Sangha, too. Levin was adamant during Friday’s interview that there is unfortunately a network of doctors and dealers accessing and distributing drugs to rich clients for profit. Inevitably and tragically, some of those cases spiral into addiction — and then, as with Perry, their addictions end in death. Levin said:

“This is not just about Matthew Perry. There is a network of doctors and others who are funneling drugs to people with means. A lot of these people meet in rehab!”

The TMZ boss continued during his chat with Pinsky and show host Chris Cuomo:

“This is a serious problem that tragically happened to Matthew Perry, but goes way beyond him.”

Unsettling…

As for Pinsky, he hypothesized that the two defendants in the Perry case who have not pled guilty or agreed to a plea deal already may concoct a defense that Perry’s death was unintentional and negligent, rather than directly motivated or induced. Dr. Drew explained:

“Somebody may use this [as] a defense in court, which is awful, because it doesn’t make it any less outrageous that he was given extraordinary amounts of clearly dangerous drugs. This was a customer. They didn’t want him to die.”

You can watch the full interview (below):

Wow. Reactions, Perezcious readers? Share ’em (below)…

[Image via Nicky Nelson/WENN]

The post Matthew Perry Met His 'Ketamine Queen' Drug Dealer In Rehab -- Here's Why That Is SO Troubling! appeared first on Perez Hilton.

According to the LAPD, 73-year-old comedian Perry Kurtz was killed late on Thursday night after he was hit by a car in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles. Per the cops, an 18-year-old identified as Nathon Jaimes has been arrested for felony hit-and-run, and for fleeing the scene of the deadly crash that claimed Kurtz’s life.

Related: YouTuber Luke Goodwin Dead At 35 — Moving Final Message To Fans Revealed

According to a release from the police department, the incident occurred along Ventura Boulevard at around 11:20 p.m. on Thursday night. Per Fox News and others who were sent the release, the department’s findings stated:

“A gray Honda Civic was traveling eastbound on Ventura Boulevard when it struck and killed a pedestrian who was walking across Ventura Boulevard east of Corbin Avenue. The pedestrian was thrown into an easterly direction before colliding with the roadway. The Honda continued eastbound failing to stop, identify self, or render aid as required by law.”

Wow…

First responders were called by other people in the area, and when they arrived on scene, they found that the person struck by the vehicle was already dead in the roadway. He was later identified as Kurtz, who enjoyed a long comedy career in Los Angeles and had built up a throng of many adoring fans along the way.

Cops began to look for the car involved in the crash, and they quickly found it. Per the LAPD release, the vehicle “was located abandoned not far from the scene of the collision.” Cops tracked the car based on its license plate and VIN, and quickly arrived at Jaimes’ identity. He was arrested hours later, on Friday, at a location in Reseda.

Kurtz’s longtime rep Dante Rusciolelli shared a statement with Fox News Digital about the comedian’s death, saying:

“Golden Artists Entertainment and myself are personally devastated by this news. Perry was not only a client, he’s been my friend since 1987. He has been a staple in the Los Angeles comedy community for decades and will be greatly missed. Our prayers are with his family.”

So sad…

Kurtz auditioned for the eighth season of America’s Got Talent, and wowed the judges Heidi Klum, Howard Stern, and Mel B with a rap about them. During his long career, he also enjoyed appearances on The Late Late Show with James Corden, and The Tonight Show with host Jay Leno.

We send our condolences to Kurtz’s family, friends, and loved ones. So terrible. Rest In Peace…

[Image via The Late Late Show/YouTube]

The post <i>America's Got Talent</i> Fan-Favorite Comic Killed In Awful Hit-And-Run -- Teenage Driver Arrested Hours Later appeared first on Perez Hilton.

As you’ll recall, Wactor was killed in downtown Los Angeles back in May after leaving his bartending job very early one morning. He’d approached a group of people who were trying to steal the catalytic converter on his car in a parking lot in DTLA, and as he confronted them over the theft, one of them shot and killed the star.

For months, the LAPD hadn’t revealed much information about their investigation into the awful murder of the General Hospital actor. But now, there has been a major break in the case: three people have been arrested and booked on murder charges. Whoa!

Related: Johnny Wactor’s Family FURIOUS With His Ex For Speaking Out About Murder

According to a new report from TMZ on Friday morning, the LAPD has three members of the Florencia 13 gang in custody right now on those aforementioned murder charges. A fourth gang member has also been arrested and charged with being an accessory to the killing.

This comes after an early Thursday morning raid taken out by the LAPD on an undisclosed location in the city. Per that outlet’s reporting, the law enforcement outfit had multiple arrest warrants for multiple people, as well as search warrants that were carried out in connection with the case.

Beyond that, specifics aren’t clear as far as where that Thursday raid was carried out. We also don’t yet know who was arrested. Presumably, all that info will come out soon. For now, though, it sounds like justice is in the process of being served in this awful and tragic case. We can only hope!!

[Image via MEGA/WENN]

The post Four Gang Members Arrested On Charges Relating To Former <I>General Hospital</I> Actor Johnny Wactor's Murder -- DETAILS appeared first on Perez Hilton.

On Friday afternoon, a Voepass Airlines flight that had departed from Cascavel, in Brazil’s Parana state, crashed in a residential area in the city of Vinhedo, in São Paulo state. It had been scheduled to fly to Guarulhos, also in São Paulo state, but sadly, it never made it. Video footage taken from the ground showed the plane quite literally dropping like a rock out of the sky. It hit the ground and exploded, killing all 62 people on board.

Related: Pokémon Star Rachael Lillis Dead At 46

Now, word is coming out that people who flew on the ATR 72-500 aircraft were terrified of how old and broken down it seemed to be prior to the crash. On Sunday, Brazilian outlet Globo G1 interviewed a woman named Maria de Fátima Albuquerque. She lost her daughter, Arianne Albuquerque Risso, in Friday’s crash. And the grieving mother did not mince words about how unreliable the plane was prior to its crash:

“It wasn’t a fatality, anyone who was on that plane would have died, because it was an old wreck. It wasn’t a fatality, it was a crime. Who can ease my pain? You’ll see me fighting every day.”

That’s far from the only comment about the plane’s apparent issues, either. A 23-year-old woman named Rosanna Santos Xavier was killed in Friday’s crash, as well. Just after she boarded the fateful flight — an hour before her death — she texted her family group chat about how she was worried that the plane wasn’t mechanically sound. Per that same news outlet, she wrote to her family members:

“I’m so scared of this flight, I swear, it’s an old plane. There’s a broken seat, it’s chaos.”

OMG…

The young woman’s mother, Rosemeire dos Santos Xavier, told her to read the Bible to calm her nerves. But Rosemeire had a bad feeling, regardless. And after seeing that the plane had gone down, the mother knew her instincts had been correct:

“I panicked. I started running around the house screaming.”

The plane had been recently undergoing a series of maintenance shutdowns recently, as well. Brazilian television news program Fantastico found that the Voepass aircraft had experienced significant hydraulic problems in March after abnormal contact with a runway caused “structural damage.”

To repair it, the plane was first flown to the state of Bahia, where it was parked for more than two weeks. Then, on March 28, it was flown to the Voepass aircraft maintenance plant in Ribeirão Preto, Sao Paulo. More than three months later, in early July, it was returned to service.

But immediately after that, it had another problem! It was forced to return to the Voepass plant in Ribeirão Preto after it experienced a depressurization in flight on its very first route. It went through another four days of repairs to fix that situation, and was then returned to service full-time on July 13 — a little less than a month before it crashed on Friday afternoon.

Related: Family Created Trap For ‘Sinners’ But Shot Cops Instead — The Battle Ended With 4 Dead

On Thursday, one day before its fateful crash, passengers who boarded the very same plane reported that the air conditioning system was broken and the flight they’d been on was unbearably hot. Three people who took that Thursday flight between São Paulo and Goias reported that passengers experienced extreme heat after the plane suffered a cooling breakdown in flight. A woman named Angela Espíndola, who was on that prior flight one day before the plane crash, said:

“It was really hot. I was even scared because, usually, when you get on the flight, everything is ready to receive [the passengers]. It got colder towards the end, arriving in Guarulhos [Sao Paulo].”

Another passenger, Cleiton Feitosa, added:

“The heat inside the plane was unbearable.”

And a third, journalist Daniela Arbex, also said:

“I was very distressed by that situation, because I thought, if they are not capable of carrying out proper maintenance on a simple air conditioner, is this flight safe?”

So unsettling…

And there is still more to know about this tragedy. One of the 62 victims of Friday’s Voepass flight was a Brazilian lawyer who had been involved in at least 90 lawsuits against her home nation’s airlines! Laiana Vasatta was a 32-year-old woman who was an expert in aviation litigation for a major law firm in the South American nation. She specialized in legal cases against Brazilian airlines and their international competitors.

Sadly, she was killed on Friday’s flight, which she was taking to attend the wedding of a friend. Her husband Fábio Bigolin had initially been planning to catch the same flight, per the U.S. Sun, but ended up leaving for São Paulo on an earlier flight. And now, he is grieving the awful and untimely loss of his wife — along with all the other families of loved ones lost in the crash. So awful.

[Image via Movieclips/YouTube]

The post Passengers Complained About Plane Being A Scary 'Old Wreck' -- 24 Hours Later Everyone On Board Died appeared first on Perez Hilton.

On Thursday morning, the Chicago Fire Department was called to O’Hare Airport at around 7:45 a.m. local time. There, they received a report of “a woman pinned in machinery,” per the Chicago Tribune and others. When first responders arrived, they discovered an adult woman had indeed been trapped in the luggage conveyer belt system at Terminal 5. Sadly, there was nothing they could do to save the woman; paramedics pronounced her dead at the scene.

Related: Skydiving Star’s Wife’s Accidental Death Was From Awful Freak Weather Event

At first, the woman was not publicly identified. Airport officials merely told the news media that she had been 57 years old, and she was not an employee of the airport. Then, early on Friday morning, the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office opted to release her identity. Per ABC 7 Chicago and others, the deceased woman was identified as Virginia Christine Vinton, and she resided in Waxhaw, North Carolina which is just outside Charlotte.

The Chicago Police Department also confirmed that Vinton had been stuck in the airport overnight while traveling. However, they don’t yet have any answers for why she was in the baggage claim area. And not only that, but the specific luggage conveyer belt in which she became pinned was NOT accessible by the public.

Airport authorities reported to the Tribune and others that Vinton was seen on surveillance video going into an employee-only area just before 2:30 a.m. on Thursday morning — a little more than five hours before her body was discovered and first responders were called. Officials said the area where Vinton was found is restricted to employees only, but it is not considered a high security area. No kidding…

That location is full of conveyer belts that bring luggage in from airplanes that have just landed at O’Hare’s international terminal. Those bags then go through a full customs inspection later on before being released to the public or transferred to connecting flights.

Investigators haven’t disclosed whether they have been able to track Vinton’s activities between her 2:30 a.m. entry into that area and the time she was found after 7:30 a.m. It’s also not year clear exactly when she died, or how long she was in that area before her death.

Such an awful story all around. We send our condolences to Vinton’s family, friends, and loved ones. What a terrible way to go…

[Image via WENN]

The post Woman Killed In Freak Chicago Airport Accident After Getting Stuck On Luggage Conveyer Belt! appeared first on Perez Hilton.