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We’ve seen some moving America’s Got Talent stories before, but a recent viral audition absolutely requires a tissue warning. I tried to steel myself in preparation when I saw the “Admit it, we were *all* in tears after this” caption on the Facebook share of it, but I failed.

In a video that’s been shared more than 95,000 times, the “Britain’s Got Talent” audition shows two tiny little girls onstage with their grandmother. They introduce themselves as “Cally” (age 4) and “Savannah” (age 3) and “Nanny” (their “daddy’s mummy”) then the girls share that they are there to surprise their dad.

Dad—also known as Nick Edwards—is sitting in the audience. He thought the family was there to watch the audition on a fun outing; he had no idea that they had arranged a surprise audition for him, so when his girls and mom showed up on stage, he wondered what was going on.

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A “Britain’s Got Talent” spokesperson explained to the Daily Mail how they got Edwards mic’d up without giving away the surprise.

“When Nick entered the Palladium auditorium during ‘BGT’ auditions, he was approached to be part of our ‘gogglebox’ audience and told he would be mic’d up so we could capture his reactions throughout the day as he sat in the audience,” they said. “He was totally unsuspecting. We did this so we could mic him up without him suspecting a thing.”

As Edwards tried to figure out what his mom and daughters were doing on stage, Edwards’ mother explained to the judges and the audience that he sings a special song to his girls. She said they wanted him to come up and sing it. Naturally, not being prepared for an audition, Edwards was stunned. But the judges sent him backstage to “grab a glass of water” so he could compose himself and get ready.

“They gave me some time to warm up—about 45 minutes in total,” Edwards told This Morning. “They gave me my guitar my family brought down on the day, they [producers] said this is the song we want you to sing because we’d seen it on your Instagram.”

The song is an emotional doozy, especially if you’re a parent. “It’s a song I’ve felt quite attached to so I sing it a lot around the house,” Edwards told the judges before he started to sing. Once you hear it, you’ll see why he joked about trying to keep from crying while he sang it.

Lovely voice. Beautiful song. Adorable little girls. Not a dry eye in the house.

Tissue, seriously. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

The fact that Edwards was able to pull off that audition with less than an hour of preparation was quite impressive. He told This Morning what he was thinking during that prep time.

“If I go out I’ve got two options here, I either go out and try to own it or I come out and it all crumbles…” he said. “The whole thing just went so quickly. I do remember playing and in a way my fingers started to get a bit jelly, I remember thinking ‘this is going to be a big moment for you.’ I don’t want to stuff it up.”

Stuff it up he did not. What a lovely performance, and what lucky little girls to have a daddy who shares his love for them in such a beautiful and creative way.

This article originally appeared on 04.22.22

Samuel J. Seymour was one of the approximately 1,700 people at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., on April 14, 1865, the night President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth. He was also the last to live long enough to talk about that historic night on television.

Seymour was 5 years old when he went to see the play “Our American Cousin” with his nurse, Sarah Cook, and Mrs. Goldsboro, the wife of his father’s employer.

When Booth shot Lincoln, he pulled the trigger during the biggest laugh of the night so that it wouldn’t be heard. What caught Seymour’s attention was when Booth fell from the balcony after a scuffle with Henry Reed Rathbone.

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Chaos erupted in the theater and Seymour was ushered out by his nurse. While they fled he overheard people screaming, “Lincoln’s shot! The President is dead!”

“I saw Lincoln slumped forward in his seat,” the old man later recalled. “That night I was shot 50 times, at least, in my dreams—and I sometimes relive the horror of Lincoln’s assassination, dozing in my rocker as an old codger like me is bound to do.”

Two months before Seymour’s death at the age of 95, he appeared on the game show “I’ve Got a Secret,” where panelists tried to guess his secret: “I saw John Wilkes Booth shoot Abraham Lincoln (April 14, 1865).”

Seymour didn’t speak much during the show but he did make a historic understatement when panelist Jayne Meadows asked if his secret was “a pleasant thing,” to which Seymour replied, “Not very pleasant I don’t think. I was scared to death.”

This article originally appeared on 2.3.23

A 42-year-old mother wondered whether she did the right thing by disciplining her 18-year-old daughter, Abby, who disinvited a friend from vacation because of her weight. The mother asked people on Reddit for their opinion.

For some background, Abby had struggled with her weight for many years, so she went to her mother for help. The two set up a program where Abby was given a reward for every milestone she achieved.

“Four months ago, she asked that I don’t get her any more rewards and add it up to her birthday gift, and for her gift she wants a vacation I will pay for, for her and her friends instead of the huge party I had promised for her 18th. I said OK,” the mother wrote.

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So, instead of a series of small gifts, Abbey wanted one large one, a vacation with two of her friends. The vacation would also celebrate Abby’s 18th birthday. The mother agreed and booked the trip for the 3 girls.

“Fast forward to last weekend, we started preparing for her vacation,” the mother wrote. “I called the other two girls’ parents to confirm the girls would be and learned Abby’s best friend Betty isn’t going. Betty loves traveling and was looking forward to the vacation, so I asked why. Apparently, Abby uninvited her because ‘she is too chubby to look good in pictures.’”

When the mother approached Abby about the situation, she doubled down on her comments to Betty. “I calmly talked to Abby and reminded her how Betty would feel being left out for such a reason, and she went off with, ‘I didn’t work so hard for this vacation so my pictures will be ruined,'” the mother wrote.

Abby then asked Betty to contact her mom and say that she decided not to go on the trip because she wasn’t feeling well. Betty refused to lie, and Abby sent her a “ton of hateful texts and body-shaming insults.” Betty shared screenshots of the texts to the mother, and she promptly canceled the entire vacation.

Now, Abby’s father, who shares 50-50 custody with the mother, is livid, and Abby won’t speak to the mother. The mom asked the Reddit
AITA forum to see if she was in the wrong, and the commenters overwhelmingly said she did the right thing. “Some of my friends agree on my approach, while others think I should have put my daughter first,” the mother said.

The most popular commenter was short and to the point.

“Teaching your daughter to not be a horrible human being IS putting her first,” Due_Laugh_3851 wrote. “I commend your strength and parenting skills. This was the right thing to do and would’ve been hard to do. Well done, you deserve to go on the holiday yourself,” Loud_Wallaby737 added.

“… uninviting someone because you only want skinny people in your pictures is a disgusting attitude frankly. Sorry, I just don’t find a nicer word for it. I am totally with you that this needs to have consequences, and while I’m very much against breaking promises, I do believe this is an exception. Like you said, your daughter knows what it feels like. She (but anyone really) should be supportive of friends wanting to lose weight if that is the case and if it isn’t they she should just mind her own
business body,” SensitiveSires wrote.

One of the few people who thought she was in the wrong believed that the mother set her daughter up for failure.

“[You’re wrong] for giving your daughter who is a child rewards for weight loss. Her behavior of value based on weight shows she likely has developed disordered eating patterns and attitudes and this will cause her a lifetime of pain,” tamtheprogram wrote.

The silver lining to the story is that many people who commented said that even though her daughter did something very hurtful, she’s still a teenager and there’s a chance she’ll realize the error of her ways.

“The daughter is just a teenager, she still has a lot of time to learn and grow up. Writing off her entire future as a mean girl when it’s very rare to be the same exact person you were at 18 as you grow up is a lot,” Stephapeaz wrote.

When you lose a loved one, the grief can sometimes feel impossible to bear. Time may help to soften the initial blow, but grieving is an up-and-down process without a specific trajectory or timeline. Some small thing can happen to trigger a memory—a song, a sound, a smell—and a wave of grief can hit without warning.

But is there a way to proactively manage grief rather than just react to it? According to singer and songwriter Andy Grammer, there can be, and it’s really quite lovely.

If you don’t know, Grammer is the multi-platinum recording artist behind a slew of uplifting hits such as “Keep Your Head Up,” “Good to Be Alive (Hallelujah),” and “Lease on Life.” He’s known for his positive, optimistic songwriting, which might lead some to assume he’s not experienced a painful loss. On the contrary, Grammer’s mother, Kathy, passed away from breast cancer when he was 25, and her death rocked his world.

He’s written about her in many of his songs, but he also takes an approach to grief that he refers to as “going on offense.”

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In an interview on Podcrushed, Grammer explained what he means by that.

“If I see someone that’s the same age as my mother in front of me in line, I’ll go on offense and I’ll be like, ‘Hey, I lost my mom and I don’t get to buy her stuff. Would you mind if I bought your coffee?’ I’ll just live that way. And when you live that way, crazy stuff happens.”

He shared a story as an example.

Grammer was eating breakfast at a cafe in Boston back in 2018 near where he was playing a show. He saw a group of women about his mom’s age at a table and had that feeling that he wanted to buy their breakfast. He hesitated because it was so close to the venue he was playing and he didn’t want to seem like he was doing something nice to draw attention to himself, but the feeling persisted.

“Finally, I just give into it and I walk over and I say, ‘Listen, my mom passed away. One of the things I like to do for her is just pay for women’s breakfasts sometimes. It would mean a lot to me…if you would just let me pay for your breakfast this morning.’ The lady on the left just starts bawling. And she says, ‘I lost my son. He was about your age.’ So we both stand up and I’m just like bawling with a stranger.”

The worst thing that can happen when you stay open and follow those inner promptings, Grammer says, is that you feel stupid sometimes if someone responds like you’re being weird. But most of the time, that’s not the reaction.

“I dare everyone to live and to play with it,” he said. “Grief doesn’t have to be something that just hits you when you’re not ready for it.”

He suggests to people who are grieving the loss of someone to think of something specific about that person, something they did or something they loved, and go out and offer that thing to other people.

“Their thing was to make bread? Set days and make bread and give it out. Go on offense to be a part of it, and get this really sweet feeling of remembering them.”

Watch how he explains:

@podcrushed

Go on offense with grief 🖤 #grief #loss #lossofaparent

Grammer’s approach really resonated with people who have lost loved ones themselves.

“I don’t who this man is but I just lost my dad who just turned 60 and I struggle so much with it. I’m sobbing at how beautiful this approach is,” shared one person.

“Lost my dad to the pandemic and this feels like this thinking I might be a game changer for me. Thank you,” wrote another.

“I’m so utterly affected by this conversation. It speaks to healing with community by giving ourselves permission to connect with others,” shared another.

“Thank you. My mom died two years ago and I’m so tired of people telling me to get over it and move on. I want to celebrate her all the time,” someone else added.

“THIS IS SO GOOD. I lost my mom too and could not agree more. I’ve never heard it explained like ‘offense’ love it ❤️❤️,” added another.

Grammer and the hosts of Podcrushed went deeper into grief processing in their full conversation. You can listen to the Podcrushed episode with Andy Grammer here.

The Denver Broncos looked like they would get themselves to 1-1 on the season when they took a 21-3 first half lead at home against Sam Howell and the Washington Commanders. Instead, they found themselves down 11 in the fourth quarter after a complete meltdown saw Washington rattle off a 32-3 run as the Broncos just fell apart on both sides of the ball.

However, Russell Wilson and the Broncos offense came back to life at the very end of the game, cutting the deficit to 8 and then finding a miracle in the form of a 50-yard Hail Mary in the final seconds that got tipped a few times before falling into the hands of rookie receiver Brandon Johnson to cut the lead to two.

It was a wild play that had Tom Jackson screaming “KNOCK IT DOWN!” ringing through the ears of anyone old enough to have watched NFL Primetime. The good news for the Commanders secondary that botched their Hail Mary defense was they had a second chance to preserve a win on the two-point try. Wilson tried to find Courtland Sutton coming across the end zone to his right, but the pass got broken up by Benjamin St-Juste, who jumped over Sutton’s back to make the play — to the chagrin of Broncos fans who thought it should’ve been pass interference.

It was certainly close to being early contact, but by making a play on the ball he probably saved himself from the flag. It’s a brutal loss for the Broncos, who never should’ve needed late game heroics in the first place. However, to get the hard part of the equation done with the 50-yard bomb and then not score from a few yards out on the two-point conversion only sprinkles a little extra salt in the wound of an 0-2 start to the season.

The Los Angeles Rams played host to the San Francisco 49ers in the annual “road” game for the Niners that is really another home game with the amount of red jerseys in SoFi Stadium. Both teams were coming off of wins, with the Rams beating the Seahawks on the road while the Niners authored one of the most dominant performances of Week 1 with their win in Pittsburgh.

As such, San Francisco was a 7.5-point favorite in Los Angeles, and while the Rams stayed close in what was a 17-17 game at the half, the second half was almost all Niners. San Francisco opened up a 10-point lead late in the fourth quarter and they seemed like they would cruise to not only a win but a cover for Niners bettors, but the Rams and Sean McVay had other ideas. After moving the ball into San Francisco territory, the Rams spiked the ball with four seconds on the clock and trotted out the field goal unit for a walkoff field goal to lose by 7 — but cover the number.

It’s a truly sick way to lose if you had a 49ers ticket and there were plenty of people calling for the investigation into why they’d kick there, but the answer is McVay was simply going for the Madden field goal — where when down 10 you kick as soon as you get into range to give yourself time for the touchdown after an onside kick. The problem was, with four seconds there’s not even close to enough time to execute that plan and the result is just a swift kick in the teeth for those that laid the points — but Rams fans who backed their squad got a little consolation prize in the loss.

Justin Timberlake has been quite the busy little bee. In the past year alone, Timberlake has had topic epic reunions. One was with fellow musicians Timbaland and Nelly Furtado on the track “Keep Going Up.” The other was with his former boy band NYSYNC, both onstage at the 2023 VMAs and in the booth via their forthcoming Trolls Band Together soundtrack song. He even teamed up with R&B newbie Coco Jones for her track “ICU Remix.”

Indeed, all his music efforts point to something greater, right? So, does Justin Timberlake have a new solo album coming out soon? Well, according to a report from Billboard, the simple answer is yes. In a report theorizing what an NYSYNC reunion tour could amount the publisher revealed that Timberlake road plans aren’t exactly in alignment with fans’ growing demands.

Billboard has alleged that Timberlake plans to hit the road next year; however, it will be a solo tour. The article went on to say that several dates have been placed on hold at arenas across North America. Sources told the outlet that Timberlake will drop a brand new album in addition to the tour.

Justin Timberlake nor his team has confirmed the news. Fans will need to stay tuned to see if the rumors become a reality.

Since arriving in D.C. in 2021, Marjorie Taylor Greene has been no normal congressperson. She has a history of stalking and harassing her now-colleagues. She spent her first two years booted from committees over her chaotic behavior and kooky beliefs. She’s heckled President Joe Biden. After the GOP took control of the House, she’s tried to calm down, or as much as someone can who’s still trying to get Biden impeached over nonsense. Heck, she, of all people, is even calling for civility.

On Sunday, Axios reported that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has quietly deep-sixed the Senate’s dress code, meaning that folks like John Fetterman, who favors hoodies and gym shorts, don’t have to show up in fancy wear.

“Senators are able to choose what they wear on the Senate floor,” Schumer told the publication. “I will continue to wear a suit.”

Everything makes Greene mad, even this.

“The Senate no longer enforcing a dress code for Senators to appease Fetterman is disgraceful,” Greene steamed on the joint formerly known as Twitter, as caught by Raw Story. “Dress code is one of society’s standards that set etiquette and respect for our institutions. Stop lowering the bar!”

There are many ways in which Greene sticking up for “etiquette and respect” is rich. For one thing, it wasn’t that long ago that the MAGA lawmaker called fellow MAGA lawmaker Lauren Boebert a “little b*tch” on the House floor. Then again, at least Greene hasn’t been caught getting handsy with her date while watching a musical filled with kids.

(Via Raw Story)

Over the last several months, several notable Hollywood couples have stunned fans by announcing they’ve split. First, it was Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner. Then, it was Jeezy and Jeannie Mai. They were followed by Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness. Now, Teyana Taylor and Iman Shumpert are shattering relationship goal collages everywhere.

On Sunday, September 17, in a post shared on her official Instagram page, Teyana annoucced the pair’s separation. They officially got married back in 2016 and since then have welcomed two daughters, Iman “Junie” Tayla Shumpert Jr. and Rue Rose Shumpert. Although Teyena did not confirm whether the separation would graduate into a full-fledged divorce, she was adamant they are still good friends.

Read Teyana’s full statement below.

AHT AHT! Not too much on my bestie! In all fairness, Iman and I are separated and have been for a while. To be 1000% clear, ‘infidelity’ ain’t one of the reasons for our departure. We are still the best of friends, great business partners, and are one hell of a team when it comes to co-parenting our 2 beautiful children. Most importantly, we are FAMILY & in the 10 years together, 7 years married, we ain’t ever played with or about THAT. We just keep y’all asses out of the group chat, lol, which is the reason we’ve been able to successfully & peacefully separate without all of the outside noise. The only reason I’m even sharing THIS part of the chat is because the narratives are getting a little out of hand & it’s unfair to all parties involved. I hope this provided some clarity for y’all. Okay, AunTey, taking y’all back out of the chat. Bye! 

“F*kumean” rapper Gunna’s return to rap hasn’t been smooth sailing. Still, he’s at least managed to land on several top music charts with the release of his latest album, A Gift And A Curse. However, hundreds of hip-hop fans refuse to throw their support behind Gunna due to rumors that he snitched on his Young Stoner Life label head, Young Thug (real name Jeffery Lamar Williams). Given that Young Thug is still behind bars as he fights the YSL RICO case brought up against him, he hasn’t released many public statements.

On the other hand, Young Thug’s dad, Jeffrey Lamar Williams Sr., more affectionally known as Big Jeff, has remained vocal in the press. In an interview with YouTuber Infamous Sylvia, Big Jeff spoke in support of Gunna, shutting down rumors that the rapper is a snitch.

When asked about his thoughts on Gunna, he answered, “I love Gunna.” Shortly after viewers flooded the video’s chat forum to ask for clarity on the claims that Gunna had snitched on his son, he replied, “Let me try to help the attorney clarify that a little simpler. Gunna hasn’t done anything whatsoever that can hurt us on this case, period.”

Further into the interview, Williams Sr. said that he feels Gunna was railroaded and encouraged him to jump back into releasing music to help bring in money for the YSL label. Gunna was charged as a co-defendant in the YSL RICO case, but when offered a plea deal in December, he told it and was released shortly after.

Listen to the full interview above.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.