Actor Gene Hackman’s dogs heartbreakingly led paramedics to the actor’s body in a final act of loyalty, it’s been revealed.
Bear, a German Shepherd, and Nikita, an Akita-shepherd mix, kept running up and barking at the crew attending the scene, before running off. They thought the dogs wanted to play before realising they were leading them to the mudroom where Hackman’s body lay.
Earlier paramedics had found Betsy’s body but had spent 30minutes searching the house to no avail until the dogs ‘ intervention.
“They realized (the dog) was trying to say, ‘ Hey, come over here! Come over here! ‘” Santa Fe Fire Chief Brian Moya told USA Today. Hackman was found in the mudroom which was in the far end of the house. A back door was propped open, allowing the dogs to go in and out.
It comes as the surviving dogs are currently in a state of “limbo” and cannot be rehomed until the couple’s wills have been read. They are presently residing at a dog boarding facility in Santa Fe, New Mexico, after being rescued from the couple’s home.
Gene Hackman was a massive dog lover (Facebook)
They will remain there indefinitely until it becomes clear what provisions – if any – Hackman made for the dogs following his death. It is yet to be determined whether any of Hackman’s family will adopt the dogs, or if they will find a new home with another family.
This comes as distressing new details about the condition in which the dogs were found have come to light. Police had previously described the two dogs as “healthy”, while the remains of a third “mummified” dog were discovered in a bathroom closet near Betsy’s body. It has since been revealed that the deceased dog was Zinna, a 12 year old Australian Kelpie mixed-breed.
Law enforcement officials talking outside the home of actor Gene Hackman (AP)
While Bear, who was found near Betsy’s body, was easily captured, Nikita was running around and appeared “skittish because of all the commotion”. In a tragic turn of events, authorities had to resort to setting up an overnight door trap for Nikita, the dog who refused to leave her deceased owners ‘ side, after attempts with treats and coaxing failed. Both dogs were eventually taken to a boarding facility, where they remain.
The renowned actor Hackman and his classical pianist wife Betsy, 65, were discovered lifeless in different rooms of their Santa Fe home two weeks ago. Betsy died of a rare respiratory disease around seven days before her husband. His Alzheimer’s disease led investigators to suspect he may have remained unaware his wife had died.
The billionaire pal of Princes William and Harry has announced he and his wife are expecting their first child.
The Duke of Westminster, also known as Hugh Grosvenor, and his wife Olivia, now the Duchess of Westminster, are preparing to welcome their baby in the summer. The duke, one of the UK’s biggest landowners, is a close friend of both the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Sussex, and godfather to Prince George and also reportedly to Prince Archie.
William acted as an usher at his wedding in Chester Cathedral last year but Harry mutually agreed with the groom he would not attend amid his long-running rift with his brother.
Hugh and Olivia married last year in a huge society wedding
A spokesman for the couple said: “The duchess is expecting a baby in the summer. The couple are delighted with the news and are very much looking forward to starting a family together”.
Hugh, once considered one of the country’s most eligible bachelors, became an instant billionaire when he inherited his title and control of the historic Grosvenor Estate aged 25, following the death of his father from a heart attack in 2016.
His property company, Grosvenor Group, owns hundreds of acres of land in Mayfair and Belgravia, as well as major city centre developments such as Liverpool’s One shopping centre. In 2020, the duke donated £12.5 million to the UK’s Covid-19 relief effort including funds for NHS Charities Together and for medical research and development.
Prince William is a close pal of Hugh’s (Getty Images)
As it stands, the new baby will be affected by a centuries-old rule that also led to Hugh inheriting the immense Grosvenor fortune, estimated at £10bn. Peerages only pass down the male line (known as male primogeniture), which means that the peerage can only be inherited by a male relative.
Therefore, if the Duke and Duchess’s child is a girl, under the current laws, she will not be entitled to inherit the Westminster title, nor the family fortune and estate that goes with it. Instead, she would be styled as Lady, while an eldest son would be known as Earl Grosvenor until he inherits the dukedom.
The same rule also directly impacted Hugh, who has two older sisters, Lady Tamara and Lady Edwina Grosvenor. When their father, Gerald Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster, died in 2016, the family title went to Hugh, his third child and only son.
His marriage has reignited the debate over the archaic rule, with campaigners calling for a law change preventing younger sons inheriting over firstborn daughters.
The family has several enormous estates that include Eaton Hall in Cheshire and the Abbeystead Estate in Lancashire, as well as homes in Scotland and Spain. Hugh is Britain’s richest person aged under 40, according to The Sunday Times 2024 Rich List, with an estimated wealth of £10.127 billion, rising from £9.878 billion in 2023.
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The Senate has asked the Federal Government to establish a permanent military base in Gwer-West Local Government Area of Benue State to improve security and provide a faster response to attacks by bandits who often disguise themselves as herders.
This was part of resolutions during plenary on Wednesday after Senator Tartenger-Zam raised a matter of urgent public importance, drawing attention to the worsening security crisis in Gwer-West.
He criticised the slow response of the state government, stating that authorities often downplay the attacks as ‘ mere skirmishes’.
The Senate, therefore, unanimously resolved to push for a permanent military base in the area.
The call followed a fresh wave of violence in the area between Sunday and Monday night, where at least four people were killed in another brutal invasion by armed attackers.
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Tartenger-Zam warned that the persistent attacks could have severe economic consequences, particularly in agriculture, which is the primary occupation of Gwer-West residents.
Meanwhile, the Senate Minority Leader, Sen. Abba Moro, reechoed Tartenger-Zam’s concerns, criticizing the Benue State government’s inaction, which he said was pushing citizens to take the law into their own hands.
According to him, the communities believe it is their responsibility to provide security, while expressing disappointment over the deteriorating situation.
The lawmakers also urged the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to provide urgent relief materials to affected communities.
They called on the Benue State Government to enforce its anti-open grazing law to prevent further conflicts as well as mandated its Committees on National Security, Intelligence, Livestock, Army, Police, Navy, Air Force, and Defence to visit Gwer-West for an on-the-spot security assessment and express sympathy to victims of the attacks.
Love Island star Kaz Kamwi appeared to take aim at her former best friend Liberty Poole as she shared a new video on TikTok.
The 30-year-old fashion blogger and Liberty, 25, became best friends after meeting on the ITV2 show in 2021. They often went on holiday together and even had a joint podcast, but shortly after appearing on Love Island: All Stars last year, they sparked rumours of a feud through a number of social media snubs.
Now, Kaz has shared a video on TikTok revealing that she has cut some people out of her life. In the video, the TV personality, wearing a burgundy mini dress, can be seen miming to lyrics from Bhad Bhabie by Ms. Whitman.
Kaz in her new TikTok video (TikTok/Kaz Kamwi/@kazkamwi)
The reality TV star was seen miming to lyrics from Bhad Bhabie by Ms. Whitman (TikTok/Kaz Kamwi/@kazkamwi)
“Are you really dumb enough to think I’d tell you anything”?, she is seen miming. “I wouldn’t tell you what colour socks I’ve got on”. Kaz captioned the video: “Why aren’t you friends with them anymore”?
While Kaz didn’t directly confirm who she was referring to in the video, many fans speculated in the comment section that the clip was directed to Liberty. One wrote: “i was wondering why you two were never together no more”.
Another said: “Not my Kiberty. Nooo”. A third wrote: “Why’s everyone confused who like it isn’t her old best friend”. Someone else commented: “I don’t think anyone knew but they fr wanna know now”. Several people also shared emojis of the Statue of Liberty, alleging Kaz was taking a swipe at her ex-best friend.
Liberty also fuelled rumours that she had fallen out with Kaz when she shared a cryptic post about “morals” in April last year. Eagle-eyed fans noticed that the former Love Island star deleted the link to the pals ‘ joint podcast from her Instagram bio without explanation before sharing a photo with the caption: “For all the nice girls out there keep being you]heart emoji] nice doesn’t mean boring it’s just having morals while still being a boss love you”.
In a Reddit post from six months ago, fans who had been following the two friends wondered if they had a fall-out. A fan claimed: “Kaz didn’t wish liberty a happy birthday in the comments, but she told Tom happy birthday which means there’s something going on between them. Liberty only hangs out with her boyfriend and Lucinda”.
Another said: “I think they’ve grown apart long before she got her new bf tbf. I think they’re still friends of course but it’s pretty obvious that they’re not as close as they used to be which is perfectly fine”.
But one wrote: “I feel like they’ve been more distant since Liberty started seeing her boyfriend but I don’t think there’s any fallout between them”. As another person pointed out: “i noticed they weren’t as close straight after all stars tbh when kaz got closer to toby and chris, shes with them nearly every weekend, so im assuming they just drifted apart and lib having a boyfriend probably made them drift even further”.
Kaz previously said she was proud of Liberty (Instagram/kazkamwi)
Liberty also fuelled rumours of a feud by deleting the link to their joint podcast from her Instagram bio (Instagram/libertypoolex)
In August 2021, Kaz revealed she was proud of Liberty for making it to the final of the reality show. Kaz said of their friendship: “Liberty and I clicked from the very first day. We walked in together and our friendship blossomed from there”.
The pair’s close bond proved a valuable asset to both ladies in the villa, but no more so than when Liberty decided to end her romance with ex-boyfriend Jake Cornish just days before the grand final and later left the villa. Kaz continued: “When she explained to me the situation and how she felt, honestly I had nothing but the utmost respect for her because it takes a lot to admit your feelings and be really set in a decision like that, especially so close to the final”.
The social media influencer continued to praise Liberty for her decisions and revealed just how much of an impression her friend’s behaviour had on her. “She is so genuine”, said Kaz, “It broke my heart knowing she never found that special connection that I think she deserves.
” I was trying to be strong when she was leaving but when we went to the terrace and I was in tears. “Kaz concluded of Liberty:” Overall, I am proud of her and she stood her ground and followed her gut and trusted her intuition. “
Here on the Mirror beauty team we’ve been noticing a real shift in the world of aesthetics recently. People are moving away from very invasive treatments and traditional injectables like fillers and Botox that simply ‘ fill ‘ or ‘ freeze’, and towards more subtle tweakments that boost the skin’s overall health, keeping it performing at its best for longer.
And one of these, which has become hugely popular recently, is polyneucleotides, also often referred to as ‘ salmon sperm DNA ‘ or ‘ the fish sperm facial ‘ (more on that later). Celebrities such as Jennifer Aniston, Millie Mackintosh and Zara McDermott have all said they’re fans of this subtle injectable, which is most commonly used around the eyes to improve the look of dark circles, fine lines and crepey skin – and several members of our team have said it’s now their go-to-treatment.
Keen to see what all the fuss is about – and if it could make a difference to my tired, baggy eyes – I booked in for polyneucleotides with Khatra Paterson at her chic Cheshire clinic, KP Aesthetics – and learnt a few surprising facts along the way…
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Polyneucleotides are a trending treatment at the moment (Getty)
What is a polyneucleotides treatment?
“The polyneucleotides treatment involves injecting a solution that contains fragments of DNA from the sperm of fish]typically salmon or trout], which is the closest match to our own DNA”, explains Khatra, who uses the brand Plinest in her aesthetics clinic (Plinest is, I think, one of the most reputable polyneucleotides products, with plenty of proven results to back up its claims).
“Rather than filling or freezing, polyneucleotides are more about cell messaging, they sit on our cells ‘ fibroblasts and send messages to them to be more efficient at producing collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid”, she adds.
“They also help with fibroblasts that aren’t working as well as they should, called senescent cells – which are causing inflammation. Think of it like a rotten piece of fruit in a bowl – it will start to affect all the other good fruit around it. What polyneucleotides do is reduce that inflammation and getting senescent cells to work more efficiently again.
” They’re regenerative, and for those who don’t want to make any structural changes by adding filler, this is how you get your body to work more effectively. “
Where can polyneucleotides be used?
Polyneucleotides can be used on skin anywhere on the body, but under and around the eyes is one of the most commonly requested treatment areas, and this is one of the first zones to show signs of ageing.
” For crepey lines under the eyes, there’s nothing else you can inject into that region, “says Khatra”. You can’t put hyaluronic acid boosters]such as Profhilo] there as HA draws fluid to the area, and this will just make the eyes look puffy. “
Polyneucleotides can also be used on the skin before surgery to strengthen it.
My treatment
I had three sessions of polyneucleotides at KP Aesthetics about three weeks apart, each session took under an hour (including numbing), and included 2ml of Plinest injectioned in about 30-35 tiny jabs around my eyes on each side, right up to my waterline and also along my brow bone.
It took a couple of days for the little bumps and pinpricks to go down (which is fine as I work from home), but otherwise the treatment was quick, painless and hassle-free.
After my first session I thought I saw some improvements, but it was really after my second – and definitely after my third – that I felt there were real changes. It was very subtle – no sudden erasing of bags or dark circles – but I felt that my skin and face in general looked brighter, fresher and healthier – and, actually, a little younger too.
I feel like I look less tired when I look in the mirror, and I think it’s made an improvement to my skin overall, not just my eye area. I’d absolutely recommend polyneucleotides for anyone looking for subtle improvement – are here are a things to be aware of before you book in…
Five things I didn’t know about polyneucleotides until I had them
Expect some downtime
Although everyone’s pain threshold is different, as your skin is numbed beforehand you shouldn’t feel too much discomfort during your treatment (I found a few injections close to the eyes a little eye-watering, but totally bearable, I’ve had much more uncomfortable treatments).
You’ll need to plan your appointment well though as you will leave the clinic with little raised bumps in the treatment area, it looks a bit reptilian, and takes about 48 hours to go down completely. It’s nothing a pair of dark sunglasses won’t hide, but worth thinking about if you’re planning on seeing people up close straight away afterwards. There’s also a low risk of minor bruising.
Results are subtle
Unlike dermal fillers, which you’ll notice straight away, and Botox, which inhibits your muscles from moving approximately 7-14 days after your treatment, polyneucleotides are unlikely to result in a very visibly change, although I thought I looked fresher and healthier, my boyfriend couldn’t notice a difference (a good thing, in my opinion).
What did surprise me, however, were the improvements in my skin that weren’t really visible to the naked eye. I had my face analysed with a professional skin scanner before and after, and the high-tech device picked up clear improvements in the deep pigmentation and tiny lines around my eyes – a result of my skin being stronger and performing better.
Laura noticed pigmentation reduced around her eyes after having polyneucleotides (KP Aesthetics)
Tiny lines around the eyes were reduced too (KP Aesthetics)
Multiple treatments will be needed
Before booking, you should factor in the cost of having multiple treatments for the best results, as it’s rare that you’ll just need one, Khatra recommends 3-4 treatments every 2-3 weeks (although every face is different), with top-ups every 6-12 months.
I personally didn’t start to notice results until a couple of weeks after my second treatment, and the third was definitely needed for me.
Don’t forget about skincare
I truly believe that the skincare I used during and after my treatments hugely improved my results. After identifying redness and sensitivity in my skin, Khatra and her team advised me to strip back all the skincare products I’d been using and they instead prescribed me a basic routine of professional products: Biretix Cleanser, £20, ALL|SKIN MED Regenerating Ampoules, £98, ALL|SKIN MED Replenishing Cream, £70, and a Heliocare SPF (l like Heliocare 360° Pigment Solution SPF50+, £32.99).
I really believe that the two approaches worked together to get my skin looking its best.
It’s not necessarily a one-and-done miracle solution to all skin concerns
Polyneucleotides can be great for tackling crepey skin, fine lines and dark circles, but they might not be the solution to all eye concerns. If your dark circles are caused by deep troughs under the eyes then fillers might still be the best course of action, and Khatra explains that the only real solution for severe under-eye bags is surgery”. Bags are usually more of a structural issue, “she explains”. As you get older that fat pad can herniate, which is what becomes a visible bag. “
Polyneucleotides can also be paired with other treatments for the best results”. I often combine polyneucleotides with CO2 laser, particularly under the eyes, either at the same session, or after all your sessions – it just optimises the result. “
This is why it’s important to have a thorough consultation with a professional about your concerns and recommended treatment options to get the best results.
Three of the best wrinkle-filling skincare products
This serum from celeb-adored brand RoC is packed with three types of hyaluronic acid for instant skin plumping and smoothing of lines and wrinkles, alongside retinal to promote cell renewal.
This instant skin smoother has been flying off the shelves since its launch, and uses Nivea’s famous Q10 complex plus ‘ Bioxifill peptides ‘ to smooth out wrinkles in just five minutes, according to nine out of 10 testers.
