Connect with us

News

Hope Solo: My DUI Arrest Was the ‘Worst Mistake of My Life’

Published

on

Setting herself straight. Hope Solo is working on finding her way back after her recent arrest for drunk driving.

“It’s been a long road, but I’m slowly coming back from taking time off,” Solo, 40, wrote via Instagram on Monday, July 25. “The upside of making a mistake this big is that hard lessons are learned quickly. Learning these lessons has been difficult, and at times, very painful.”

The U.S. women’s soccer player, who entered an in-patient treatment facility for alcohol abuse in April, revealed that the events leading up to her March arrest were “easily the worst mistake of my life,” adding that she “underestimated what a destructive part of my life alcohol had become.”

While the Washington native explained how “proud” she is of herself and husband Jerramy Stevens for what they have “done day in and day out for two years throughout the pandemic with two-year-old twins,” she noted that it has also been an “incredibly hard” time for her family. 

“I want to thank my beautifully strong husband for supporting me through this in so many meaningful ways and my mom for being there for us, always,” she gushed in the open letter. “I [also] want to thank all the friends who showed me support and also the ones who pushed me to take the hardest steps.”

Us Weekly confirmed in April that the Solo: A Memoir of Hope author was taken into custody in North Carolina on charges of impaired driving (DWI) and resisted arrest but was subsequently released.

“On the advice of counsel, Hope can’t speak about this situation,” Rich Nichols, a lawyer for the soccer star told Us in a statement at the time. “But she wants everyone to know that her kids are her life, that she was released immediately and is now at home with her family, that the story is more sympathetic than the initial charges suggest, and that she looks forward to her opportunity to defend these charges.”

According to the police report obtained by Us, Solo had allegedly been “passed out behind [the wheel]” for more than an hour while the engine was running. The Washington native’s children — Lozen and Vittorio, both 2 — were also in the vehicle. When local police officers woke Solo up, they allegedly noticed the scent of alcohol on her breath and claimed her eyes were red.

The Dancing With the Stars alum later broke her silence via Instagram, writing, “For those who have reached out showing love and support, thank you. Our family is strong and surrounded with love. “Our kids are strong intelligent, happy and vibrant and we are present every day giving them the best life possible.”

Following the arrest, the professional athlete revealed via Twitter that she had contacted the Hall of Fame and “respectfully requested a postponement of my [National Soccer] Hall of Face Induction ceremony to 2023”  in lieu of her “voluntarily entering an in-patient alcohol treatment program” to address her substance abuse challenges. 

“My energies and focus are totally directed to my health, healing and taking care of my family. I want to thank the Hall of Fame for their support and for understanding my decision,” she wrote at the time.

In July, Solo pled guilty while driving impaired. According to an article from The Washington Post published Monday, July 25, a news release from the Forsyth County District Attorney’s Office confirmed that a judge gave the goalkeeper a suspended sentence of 24 months and an active sentence of 30 days. She was given 30 days credit for her time spent in an in-patient rehabilitation facility and ordered to pay $2500 in fines and a $600 fee for the cost of lab tests. All other charges were dropped.

Solo’s most recent legal troubles weren’t her first run-in with the law. In June 2014, the Olympic gold medalist was arrested and charged with two misdemeanor counts of assault in the fourth degree against her half-sister and nephew. The athlete was reportedly intoxicated when the alleged incident occurred, but the charges against her are later dropped. 

News

Gabi Confronts Zach About Revealing They Had Sex: ‘Beyond a TV Show to Me’

Published

on

Her turn to ask the questions. Zach Shallcross had an emotional reunion with Gabi Elnicki during the Monday, March 27, finale of The Bachelor.

The 25-year-old was crying when she joined Jesse Palmer after watching her breakup with Zach, 26. “It’s honestly worse watching it back,” Gabi, who predicted that Zach wasn’t going to propose to her, said. “I don’t even have words right now. … I never thought that somebody who said they were falling in love with me would make it go through that. … I felt humiliated.”

When Zach joined Gabi on stage, she told him she was “still hurting” and “sad” about the situation. The senior account executive, who called it “violating” that Zach told Kaity Biggar (and the “entire nation”) that they had sex, claimed she and Zach promised things would stay “between us.”

“When you came to my hotel room, I was blindsided. … I understand that you were trying to be honest and trying to think of everyone’s feelings. … However, what I wish would have happened was that you warned me that you were going to use my name and that you were going to tell everyone what had happened because I didn’t know you are going to do that,” she said. “And even when you talk to me in my hotel room, it was just, ‘I don’t want there to keep secrets, I don’t want to start a relationship with you based on a secret,’ And it was never, ‘Hey, this is what happened, it was with Gabi.’ I didn’t know you had told everyone until I watched it last week. … And it was beyond a TV show for me.”

Gabi continued to cry. “I feel ashamed — from a moment that felt like love to me,” she said. “It’s very painful that I went through. And during that rose ceremony … you were only speaking to Kaity in that moment. Because Ariel didn’t know, and I didn’t know then until watching it back. And I wish you would have just sent me home and saved me all of the pain.”

Zach admitted he was “completely wrong” for how he handled things. “In my mind — which was wrong — I felt like I needed to let everyone know that I went against my word,” he said. “In my mind, it was just the secret that I had to not have. … The last thing I wanted to do was hurt you like that. … From the bottom of my heart, I’m sorry.”

Gabi and Zach’s romance took a turn during fantasy suites. After he told finalist Ariel Frenkel that he wasn’t going to have sex with anyone on the show, Zach slept with Gabi and began to feel guilty ahead of his third date of the week with Kaity Biggar.

“It was very special, it was important and it was both what we both wanted and needed for the relationship. I feel terrible because, obviously, I’ve gone against my word and I have fears with how Kaity would feel, how would Ariel feel,” Zach said on the March 20 episode. “I have a guilt about the whole week now.”

Zach subsequently told Gabi that he was falling in love with her — and that he was going to tell Kaity that they slept together. While things appeared awkward at the rose ceremony between the top two, Kaity later spoke out to clarify her love for the Vermont native.

“Beyond grateful for this incredible [woman] and our friendship,” the nurse wrote via Instagram. “Thank you for always lighting up a room with your beautiful, [quirky] personality! You exude the best energy that is so contagious to be around! Thank you for always being YOU! Truly, one of the most beautiful humans inside and out. Keep sprinkling sunshine.”

During Monday’s finale, Zach ended things with Gabi because he had stronger feelings for Kaity. He previously spoke to Us Weekly about his relationships with both women.

“It, like, started a little slow and then, I don’t know the exact certain point where it just kind of clicked, where it was starting to progress,” Zach explained of Gabi in February. “But then once London came around and we had that one-on-one date, that was a big deal for our relationship. That I think really was the thing that, like, really put us on the radar.”

Speaking about “total sweetheart” Kaity, Zach gushed: “She is someone [who] from the very beginning had my attention and is someone that shows and exudes kindness and compassion with, like, everyone. She just kind of, like, brightens up a room.”

The Bachelor finale continues live on ABC until 11 p.m. ET.

Continue Reading

News

Daddy-Daughter Date! See Jason Bateman Take Daughter Maple to Lakers Game

Published

on

Continue Reading

News

Ariel Slams Zach for How He Handled Fantasy Suites: ‘You Took Away My Agency’

Published

on

Getting proper closure. Ariel Frenkel reunited with Zach Shallcross during the live finale of The Bachelor on Monday, March 27 — and didn’t hold back when it came to her feelings about fantasy suites.

Ariel, 28, first told Jesse Palmer that she was “really hurt” to learn Zach, 26, had sex with Gabi Elnicki. after telling the New Yorker that he planned not to sleep with her, Kaity Biggar or Gabi. When Zach joined her on stage, Ariel noted it was “really difficult” to be “left in the dark” in Thailand.

“It was really difficult to see that you weren’t honest with me. I committed to being in an open relationship — that’s what it is, that’s what I want to call it,” she said. “And when the parameters of an open relationship change, I should be the first to know. I should have not been left in the dark, standing up there in Thailand at the rose ceremony when you had ample time to tell me about everything before I left. So, I just really want to know why the other women were given grace and honesty — and that is something you really pride yourself on — and why I wasn’t given that same respect?”

Zach said he has a lot of regrets about how he handled that week. “I was going through a lot mentally and I didn’t know the right way to handle everything,” he said. “You’re right. I should have told you — probably first. … There’s no excuse for it.”

While she appreciated his apology, Ariel accused Zach of taking away her “agency” in the relationship.

“You took away my agency and you took away my ability to even have a conversation. If you had waited, you would have found out that I was on the same page as you,” she added. “And I think by putting sex off the table, you made the entire week about sex, and it didn’t need to be like that.”

Fans will recall Ariel was eliminated by Zach at the rose ceremony during the March 20 episode of the ABC show after she had the first overnight date.

“What feels right to me is not to explore sexual connections with three different women before falling in love,” he explained before their date. “When sex is involved, it can cause so many additional hurdles and real feelings are at stake. Now don’t get me wrong, it’s difficult because I have a physical connection with [Ariel, Kaity and Gabi].”

Following their date, Zach confirmed that he and Ariel did not sleep together.

“My relationship with Ariel is so much stronger and I have so much more clarity. This was a very important night for us,” he said in a confessional. “I came into this week not wanting to involve sex and with Ariel, it was more difficult than I could have ever imagined. But we both agreed on it and it was very important to just have conversations and not have sex involved. I think it was the right decision.”

During his subsequent date with Gabi, however, Zach broke his own rule.

“It was very special, it was important and it was what we both wanted and needed for the relationship,” Zach told the audience. “I feel terrible because, obviously, I’ve gone against my word and I have fears with how Kaity would feel, how would Ariel feel. I have a guilt about the whole week now.”

While Kaity was informed during the third overnight date about what happened, Ariel went home without learning Zach had sex with Gabi.

“This was easily the hardest thing I’ve had to do,” Zach told Ariel after she didn’t receive a rose. “And I want you to know that I appreciate you more than you know. And you are one of the most interesting, intriguing, beautiful, respectful, mature, intelligent women I’ve ever met and I’m blessed to know you.”

After thanking Zach for “making it easy” for her to open up, Ariel admitted it “hurt a lot” to say goodbye to the lead. “I’m hurt because I know, like, how great of a person he is,” she said in the limo. “And I know that I felt this way for the first time in a while for a reason. It’s like that future and that life that you envision is just, like, gone in a cloud, in a way.”

The Bachelor finale continues live on ABC until 11 p.m. ET.

Continue Reading

Trending