Alternate dates with Spa offer Barcelona reprieve on F1 calendar

BARCELONA (AP) — Barcelona will carry on staging Formula 1 races for another six years after an agreement was made for it to alternate with the Belgian Grand Prix.

The Circuit de Catalunya has been replaced by Madrid as host of the Spanish Grand Prix this year but will continue on the calendar and become the venue for the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix in June.

Under the terms of the agreement with F1, Barcelona will continue to stage a race in 2028, 2030 and 2032, alternating with Spa-Francorchamps.

"Barcelona is an incredible city, and the Formula 1 fans there always welcome us with such passion, so I am delighted that we will continue to race at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya for years to come," F1 president and CEO Stefano Domenicali said.

"The team have invested heavily in the circuit and hosted fantastic fan festivals in recent years, so we look forward to seeing how they continue to develop the experience, both for attendees at the race and for the city as a whole."

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The new F1 season gets underway with the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on March 8.

AP auto racing:https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

Formula 1:https://apnews.com/hub/formula-one

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February 16, 2026

Alternate dates with Spa offer Barcelona reprieve on F1 calendar

BARCELONA (AP) — Barcelona will carry on staging Formula 1 races for another six years after an agreement was made for it...

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8 Olympic Athletes Who Were Stripped of Their Medals

Mike Powell /Allsport; Mehmet Murat Onel/Anadolu via Getty; Branger/Roger Viollet via Getty

NEED TO KNOW

• Throughout the history of the Olympic Games, several athletes have had their medals stripped away

• Jim Thorpe and Jordan Chiles are among the American athletes who have seen their gold, silver or bronze medals revoked

• The 2026 Winter Olympics officially began on Feb. 6 in Milan

It's the crowning achievement of a lifetime when an athletewins an Olympic medal, but sometimes their hard-earned hardware can be stripped away.

Over the years, there have been instances when the powers that be — the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the governing body of the Olympic Games, or the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which has arbitral jurisdiction over all matters related to theOlympic Games— have ruled that an athlete must return their gold, silver or bronze medals for different reasons.

While failing a drug test or using banned substances like performance-enhancing drugs is the most common reason for medals to be rescinded, some instances are more nuanced and unique. In the case of American gymnastJordan Chiles, the revoking decision could potentially be reversed, though it's rare.

Chiles' bronze medal from the2024 Paris Olympicswas taken after a dispute regarding the timing of a judging inquiry. On Jan. 29, 2026, Chiles'appeal was granted, with the Swiss Federal Supreme Court referring her case back to the CAS to examine new evidence that could prove the inquiry was filed within the appropriate timeframe.

With the2026 Winter Olympicsunderway on Feb. 6 in Milan, discover the American athletes who've had their Olympic medals taken away and why.

Jim Thorpe, 1912 Summer Olympics

George Rinhart/Corbis via Getty

Jim Thorpe, regarded as one of the greatest athletes of his time, was the first Native American to win an Olympic gold medal for the U.S. at the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm. He placed first in both the pentathlon and decathlon.

The following year, the IOC stripped Thorpe of his medals and erased his records because he had made a small sum of money playing two seasons of summertime semi-pro baseball. At the time, this was a violation of the elitist Victorian rules of amateurism,perSmithsonianmagazine.

In July 2022, the IOC announced that it would change itsofficial websiteto display Thorpe as the sole gold medal winner of the two events.

The change came on the 110th anniversary of Thorpe receiving the medal in the decathlon.

"It's long past time," Pulitzer-winning journalist David Maraniss told PEOPLE of Thorpe's medals being reinstated. "This decision by the IOC is 110 years too late, but better late than never."

Maraniss continued, "When Jim's medals were rescinded after his brilliant performances in Stockholm, the move went against Olympic rules, common sense, and public opinion."

Rick DeMont, 1972 Summer Olympics

Jerry Cooke/Sports Illustrated via Getty

Rick DeMont — a former competitive swimmer with several world records to his name — won a gold medal at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich for his first-place finish in the men's 400-meter freestyle.

After his victory, the IOC revoked his gold medal after he tested positive for a banned substance in his post-race urinalysis. DeMont, an asthmatic, regularly took Marax (an ephedrine derivative) to control his wheezing and did so in the Olympic Village before the race.

DeMont didn't deny his usage, nor hide the fact that he took Marax; however, the U.S. medical team failed to check if it contained any banned substances. According to theLos Angeles Times, he sued the U.S. Olympic Committee for mishandling the situation and fought to get his medal. Despite DeMont's efforts, his gold medal was not restored.

Lance Armstrong, 2000 Summer Olympics

Bob Martin /Sports Illustrated via Getty

Former professional road racing cyclistLance Armstrongwasstripped of his bronze medalfrom the 2000 Summer Games in Sydney, a full 13 years after finishing third in the men's individual road cycling time trial.

The IOC asked for his medal back after the athlete admitted to taking performance-enhancing drugs during his cycling career.

The revocation of Armstrong's medal was one of the most highly followed cases in American history, resulting in his lifelong ban from Olympic sports. He was alsostripped of his Tour de France titlesand other cycling accolades earned since 1998.

Marion Jones, 2000 Summer Olympics

Former track star Marion Jones won three gold and two bronze medals at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. She finished first in the 100-meter sprint, 200-meter sprint and 4×400-meter relay and third in the long jump and 4×100-meter relay.

In October 2007,CBS Newsreported that Jones' medals were revoked after she admitted that she lied to a grand jury when she stated that she had never taken performance-enhancing drugs.

Not only did the IOC strip her of her medals and records that December, but she was also sentenced to six months in jail and two years of supervised release, perABC News.

Tyler Hamilton, 2004 Summer Olympics

Doug Pensinger/Getty

Revered as one of the greatest American cyclists, Tyler Hamilton won a gold medal in the individual time trial at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. The victory, however, was overshadowed by a doping test that had a positive A sample.

Meanwhile, Hamilton's B sample was frozen, which prevented it from being tested. Therefore, the athlete wasn't docked for a doping violation and was initially allowed to keep his gold medal, according to theBBC.

However,The New York TimesreportedHamilton admitted to past doping and voluntarily surrendered his gold medal to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) in 2011. The IOC officially stripped him of it the following year.

Jordan Chiles, 2024 Paris Olympics

Naomi Baker/Getty

Chiles had an impressive run at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris,earning a team all-around goldwith the rest of the U.S. gymnastics team on July 30 and abronze in the individual floor exercisecompetition on Aug. 5.

The American gymnast wasstripped of her bronze medalfive days later after a CAS judge ruled in favor of two Romanian gymnasts, Ana Barbosu and Sabrina Maneca-Voinea. They finished in fourth and fifth place, respectively.

The decision to revoke Chiles' medal came after a protest by the Romanian Gymnastics Federation, which claimed that the difficulty score inquiry submitted by the American's coachpassed the one-minute deadline. (Chiles originally finished in fifth place, before the inquiry that boosted her score to a medal.)

Chiles hasn't given up on the quest to get her medal back. In September 2024, shefiled an appealin the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland. Her appeal was granted in January 2026, with the case still ongoing.

Carl Lewis, 1988 Summer Olympics

Focus on Sport/Getty

Carl Lewisis one of only a handful of athletes to have won nine Olympic gold medals. His medal-removal case at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, differed from the previously mentioned athletes, as his place was bumped up following the disqualification of his competitor.

Canada's Ben Johnson originally won gold in the 100-meter final. However, after a failed drug test that ultimately disqualified him from the competition, Johnson was required to hand over the top prize to Lewis. The American traded his silver medal for an Olympic gold that year.

Jason Turner, 2008 Summer Olympics

Phil Walter/Getty

Jason Turner's case at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing was similar to that of Lewis' medal switch-up in Seoul two decades prior. The American shooter originally placed fourth in the 10-meter air pistol competition, but ultimately topped the podium after his competitor's disqualification.

His opponent, North Korea's Kim Jong-su, initially won the bronze medal. Days later, the Vietnamese gymnast tested positive for the banned substance propranolol,perThe Guardian, forcing him to give up his medal to Turner.

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8 Olympic Athletes Who Were Stripped of Their Medals

Mike Powell /Allsport; Mehmet Murat Onel/Anadolu via Getty; Branger/Roger Viollet via Getty NEED TO KNOW Throughout the history of the Ol...

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Dolphins reportedly release edge rusher Bradley Chubb

The Miami Dolphins will reportedly release edge rusher Bradley Chubb, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. Last season, Chubb had 47 tackles, 8.5 sacks and 2 forced fumbles. He was able to play all 17 games after missing the 2024 season with atorn ACL.

The 29-year-old had been with the Dolphins since 2022, after beingacquired from the Denver Broncosat the trade deadline for running back Chase Edmonds and a first-round pick. Chubb signeda five-year, $110 million extensionwith the Dolphins shortly after getting moved.

Despite being under contract until 2027, Chubb was expected to be moved this offseason after the Dolphins did not move him at the trade deadline. After restructuring his contract last offseason, Chubbreportedlyhas a cap number of more than $31M for 2026.

Despite turning 30 in June, expect teams to be interested in the two-time Pro Bowler before the start of free agency. In his last three full seasons, Chubb has had at least eight sacks.

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For the Dolphins, moving on from Chubb continues to signal a rebuild. The Dolphins tradedJaelan Phillipsbefore the trade deadline andJalen Ramseybefore the season. The team also hiredJeff Hafley as head coach and Jon-Eric Sullivanas general manager this offseason.

While the Dolphins have recently moved on from some of their defensive pieces, there are still questions surrounding what the team will do offensively. The Dolphins are expected to try tomove quarterback Tua Tagovailoaafter he got benched in favor of seventh-round rookie quarterback Quinn Ewers in Week 16.

The Dolphins signedTagovailoato a four-year, $212.1 million extension in July 2024. They reportedly already owe him $54 million guaranteed in 2026, and another $3 million of Tagovailoa's 2027 salary becomes guaranteed on the fifth day of the new league year, March 15.

Cutting Tagovailoa would leave a $99 million dead-money salary-cap charge, the largest in NFL history, while designating him as a post–June 1 cut would spread the money over two years.

Coming off a 7-10 season, expect the Dolphins to have more decisions to make.

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February 16, 2026

Dolphins reportedly release edge rusher Bradley Chubb

The Miami Dolphins will reportedly release edge rusher Bradley Chubb, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. Last ...

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Tiffany Ervin reveals her plan to manipulate Q's ego on “Survivor 50”

Robert Voets/CBS

They were the closest of allies… until they weren't.

Tiffany ErvinandQ Burdetteworked closely together at the start ofSurvivor 46to somehow survive being stuck on one Yanu, of the worst tribes ever. But an alliance forged out of shared perseverance was shattered at the merge when Q moved against Tiffany and told others about her immunity idol.

That led to a big blow up back at camp and an evenbiggerblow up at Tribal Council. In the end, the friction and drama got both players voted out of the game. And now they're back. So how will Tiffany handle Q if they end up on the same beach at some point onSurvivor 50(premiering Feb. 25 on CBS)? We asked the 35-year-old Tiffany exact that when we sat down in Fiji just days before filming began, and she got into her Q strategy as well as what else she needs to improve upon during her second outing, including "fact-checking everything."

Robert Voets/CBS

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Tell me why you're going to winSurvivor 50, Tiffany.

TIFFANY ERVIN:I'm going to winSurvivor 50because I've spent the last two years thinking about everything I did wrong and how I could come back and make it right.

Give everyone the update what have you've been up to since you last playedSurvivor.

Since I last playedSurvivor, I've left the East Coast. I now live in L.A. I'm an East Coast girl at heart forever, but L.A.'s not been bad. It has been treating me well. The weather's nice. I'm still working on art. I've been producing videos for different media companies since I've been out there freelancing. I've been having a pretty good time.

Why come back and do this again?

Well, the money. That's the obvious answer, but I'm also here because the level of transformation that I feel like I went through after playingSurvivorthe first time, I feel like it can only double or have amazing ripple effects in my life if I do it again. I learned to trust myself a little bit more. I learned to lean on my own opinions versus relying on the opinions of others about what I should do, how I feel about myself. And more than anything, I kind of just want to prove to myself that I can do it again.

Robert Voets/CBS

How do you think the other contestants see you as a player?

That's a question I've been asking myself for quite some time. I don't really know how they see me, but if I had to guess, I would assume that they probably think that I'm a pretty smart player, pretty good strategically, if they watched my season.

But I think that they probably also think that I'm easy to read. They would more than likely think that I'm a person who's going to say what's on my mind 90 percent of the time. So I don't think there's a lot of confusion around how I navigate the game. I don't know how many people see me as a threat. I didn't win a lot of challenges when I was out there last time, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I'm hoping I'm underestimated. I'm actually banking on it.

What's your biggest weakness as a player?

I think my biggest weakness as a player, at least the last time I played, was not trusting my own intuition and leaning on others, sharing too much information and not double checking my sources. I looked back when I watched my season, and there are so many moments where I was fed information and I didn't question it. If I had questioned it or gone to the source three or four times throughout my season, I think things would've ended a lot differently for me. Now I'm fact-checking everything. I don't care. You don't want me to tell this person that they said my name? I'm asking anyway. I don't care.

Is it surreal being out here with some of these people?

It's absolutely surreal realizing that I'm about to be playing with the people that I've been watching since I started watchingSurvivor. It's so crazy to think about. I've been watchingOzzyandCiriefor years, and now to think I'm about to be competing against them, I am still trying to wrap my mind around it.

Tell me who the people you're really excited to work with.

I'm really excited to work withChristianand I'm really excited to work withMike White.

Why Christian and Mike White?

Well, Mike White, I'm more excited to just kind of kiki with him. He's funny. I feel like our personalities would gel really well and I think he would just be really fun to play with. Christian, I would love to pick his brain watching how his mind works mathematically. That's not a place where I'm super strong, but I think that it would be very interesting to work with him. I feel like I could learn a lot from him. I would love to work with Cirie. She's Cirie! I don't even know how else to say it. I'm a little weary of Ozzy.

Robert Voets/CBS

Ozzy has this larger-than-life reputation when it comes toSurvivorfor being this crazy challenge beast. And obviously that's going to be one of his strengths out here, assuming that he plays the way he played previously. But his social game, I'm weary because Ozzy just seems like a person who could kind of flip flop and go back and forth and change his mind a lot. And he also seems like a person who might want to stick with old-school players and not really be open to working with new-school players. He has something to prove.

That old-school versus new-school thing happened onWinners at War. Do you think that's going to happen again?

Winners at Waris kind of all I have to go on right now. There hasn't been a returning season since fricking 2016, so I do think that naturally that's going to happen. And I think that if people want it to change, they're going to have to actually put in the work to bridge the gap between old-school and new-school.

Dalton Ross

Let's talk about your season. There's three of you out here. Does that help you or hurt you in this game?

Well, considering the people that I'm out here with, it does not help me. It hurts me tremendously. These aren't people that I was super strong allies with during my season. One of was my number one ally and then turned on me. So that is something that has been hanging over my head. And thenCharlie, I thought we were cool, and then he wrote my name down, so it hurts because we're going to be perceived as a trio, but then at the same time, these aren't people that I even really am sure I'm going to work with out here.

How much pre-gaming did you do with other players? Everyone knows it happens.

If I'm being totally honest, the only person I spoke to pre-game was Q. I did not exchange words with anybody before coming out here other than Q. But that's because Q and I are actually real-life friends. So crazy to think about. We're like arch nemeses on TV, but we're real friends. We FaceTime all the time. I'll be on FaceTime with his son. I know his wife.

We're cool, but I cannot depend on that because the first time we played the game, we were so cool and he turned into a ticking time bomb. So I'm not putting any faith in the fact that just because we're friends in real life, it's going to translate out here.

You know what a chaotic element he is, and chaotic elements are very dangerous. So how do you want to handle him the second time around?

My plan to handle Q is to take the opposite approach of what I did last time. I think the reason Q and I have so much friction when it comes to competition is because we're alike in a lot of ways. We have a lot of alpha energy, both of us.

But I think this time, even though it goes against every fiber in my being, I'm going to seemingly take the backseat and allow Q to believe that he's driving the car. I think that the best tool that I have at my disposal out here is Q's ego, and if I learn how to manipulate that to my will, then I can do whatever I want.

Wait, does Q have an ego?

Oh, please. Q's ego is big enough to fly us all home. Please!

What about Charlie? What's your relationship been off the island?

Honestly, Charlie and I are cool too. I don't have really any bad blood with anybody from my season. I told myself as soon as I got back to Ponderosa, I was leaving everything out there on the island. Charlie and I are cool. We text every now and again. No beef. We don't talk as often as Q and I do, but we're cool too. But that doesn't mean it's going to translate out here. Charlie's a very shrewd player. He's smart, he's sneaky, and I thought he had my back last time and there wasn't even an inkling that he didn't. So I'm putting in less faith in Charlie than I am in Q.

What about these two 49 people? You all haven't even seen their season.

I think the best approach to unknown is to go in head first. You got to figure out who they are, what makes them tick, what are they driven by? Are they good allies? Are there things that they do? Do they have quirks that you could kind of pin on them to make other people or dislike them? At the end of it, you got to get to know who they are before you make any assumptions because the easy thing is to be like, "Let's just get the new people out we don't know." But at the end of the day, they could be valuable tools to my game.

Want to be kept up with all things Survivor? Dig deep and sign up for Entertainment Weekly'sfree Survivor Weekly newsletterto have all the latest news, interviews, and commentary sent right to your inbox.

OtherSurvivor 50deep dive player interviews:•Survivor 50star Ozzy Lusth opens up about hitting 'rock bottom of my life'•Survivor 50star Aubry Bracco opens up about the 'freedom when you fall from grace'•Colby Donaldson reacts to playingSurvivorfor the first time without Jerri•Angelina Keeley refused to doSurvivor 50unless they gave her a jacket•Survivor 50's Coach goes deep on evolving from an 'arrogant ass' into the… Tide Walker?•Survivor 50star Jenna Lewis-Dougherty is 'here to f--- you over in every way, shape, or form'•Cirie Fields says winningThe Traitorsdoes not take sting out ofSurvivorloses•Mike White on how he is handlingSurvivor 50castmastes angling forWhite Lotuscameos•Chrissy Hofbeck opens up about controversial season 35 finish and being bashed by previous cast•Rick Devens explains why he is a lunatic that wants to play with other lunatics•Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick wants to prove that 'mom really is a badass'•Christian Hubicki wanted to tell Survivor 50 pre-gamers to 'f--- off'•Genevieve Mushaluk on why watchingSurvivor 50will be more terrifying than playing it•Dee Valladares welcomes being one ofSurvivor 50's biggest threats: 'I want them to come for me'•Q Burdette reveals ridiculous things he did to prep forSurvivor 50•Kamilla Karthigesu feared she would be cut fromSurvivor 50for pregaming•Emily Flippen says 'If I winSurvivor, something crazy has happened'•Jonathan Young shares theSurvivorlessons Boston Rob gave him before season 50

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Tiffany Ervin reveals her plan to manipulate Q's ego on “Survivor 50”

Robert Voets/CBS They were the closest of allies… until they weren't. Tiffany ErvinandQ Burdetteworked closely together at the start ...

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Laura Dern recalls bomb threats from 'Ellen' coming out episode

Laura Dernis looking back on her role in making TV history.

The actress, who starred in the 1997 episode of the ABC sitcom "Ellen" whereEllen DeGenerescomes out, talked about the support she has received from the LGBTQ community. Dern told hostsBowen Yang and Matt Rogerson the"Las Culturistas" podcastFeb. 11 episode that in order to "affect change," someone had to be "first."

"The idea of culture catching up to storytelling had to be a thing when someone would go first," she said, referring to the "Ellen" episode.

Dern said she was excited to be a part of the episode, which was one of the first times a character came out as gay on TV and came shortly after DeGeneres came out in real life. But the actress said her choice to star in the episode amid her film success in "Jurassic Park" confused the people around her.

She said it was an "honor and privilege" to be a part of the episode alongside her "friend," with other guest stars includingOprah Winfrey,Demi Mooreand Billy Bob Thornton. She called it a "massive moment" but also recalled the series receiving bomb threats and losing advertisers.

"In a way, the assumption is you're going to do this thing and thank God people will wake up, love their relatives and their neighbors, see them, everything will expand, culture will catch up, and it will be a beautiful celebration," she added. But instead, there was "major security for a couple of years for any of us involved, the world went 'no, no, no,' she lost her show."

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Dern faced intense backlash for starring in the episode, once telling DeGeneres on her talk show 10 years after that she did not work for a year and a half after because of it. But, she added, for the LGBTQ community, seeing that representation on screen meant a great deal.

"You go, 'Oh, right.' That's why you want culture to catch up later. Culture is doing it when nobody's caught up," she continued. "It's such a gift."

In the two-part "The Puppy Episode," Ellen's character connects with a woman named Susan – played by Dern – who suggests she might be lesbian, but Ellen rejects the idea. But after Ellen admits the connection to her therapist, played by Winfrey, she rushes to the airport to catch Susan and comes out to her, though mistakenly doing so over the airport's intercom.

"Being part of that moment with Ellen, it wasn't that I was somebody supporting an actor or a friend by being part of the show," Dern said. "But I was holding her hands as they were shaking, and she was looking in my eyes, saying for the first time, 'I'm gay' out loud with people watching."

She continued: "The privilege, the luxury of feeling it for someone in a moment was so beautiful, literally holding space. It was one of the most incredible experiences of my life."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Laura Dern on Ellen DeGeneres coming out on TV, making history

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February 16, 2026

Laura Dern recalls bomb threats from 'Ellen' coming out episode

Laura Dernis looking back on her role in making TV history. The actress, who starred in the 1997 episode of the...

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Jay Manuel Reveals the Status of His Friendship with Tyra Banks 14 Years After He Exited “America's Next Top Model” (Exclusive)

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty; Taylor Hill/Getty

NEED TO KNOW

• In the new Netflix documentary Reality Check: Inside America's Next Top Model, Jay Manuel reveals that he wanted to leave the show much earlier than he actually did

• When he told host and friend Tyra Banks about his desire to exit, Manuel claims she didn't take the news well

• Banks says in the documentary that she did not want to talk about what happened with Manuel

Tyra Banks and Jay Manuel have a long, winding relationship, both professionally and personally.

Banks, 52, brought Manuel, 53, on forAmerica's Next Top Modelwhen it launched its first cycle in 2003. He had previously worked with her as a makeup artist, so when she needed a creative for the show on UPN, she called him up.

For several cycles of the show, the two friends worked together seamlessly, however, Manuel says he got to a point where he decided he was ready to move on to other things. In Netflix's new documentaryReality Check: Inside America's Next Top Model, Manuel reveals the story of his falling out with the model.

Manuel decided in cycle 8 that he was ready to part ways with the show, so he emailed Banks to thank her for everything.

Sylvain Gaboury/FilmMagic

"She didn't respond," he shares in the documentary. "It was probably the longest three days ever. And she ultimately wrote back just three words. 'I am disappointed.' After that email exchange, all communication just stopped. It should've been the opportunity to have a heart-to-heart, but that did not happen."

Despite wanting to be free of the show, Manuel ended up coming back for cycle 9 at the request of the higher-ups in the network. He was told they just wanted him for one more cycle while they figured out who could replace him. He reveals in the documentary that he had hoped that coming back would give him the opportunity to address Banks.

He quickly realized that would not happen.

"Tyra chose not to speak with me at all while the cameras were off. When they were on, she'd speak to me," Manuel tells PEOPLE exclusively of what happened when he returned to film. "After [trying to leave], I did cycle 9, which was ... torture for me. I was so broken by the end of that cycle because of the mental torture of what was going on."

InReality Check, Banks was asked if she would talk about what went down with Manuel, and she declined, saying she "should call" him and deal with it personally.

"I never got that phone call," Manuel tells PEOPLE of what Banks said when they filmed the documentary about a year ago. "I don't think I'm getting a phone call. She's got my number."

Gregg DeGuire/WireImage

Manuel shares that he last saw Banks in 2017 (five years after he exited the show in 2012 alongside fellow panelists Miss J Alexander and Nigel Barker) when they were at BeautyCon. He says they had a "really nice conversation."

"Other than that, we've had no communication of any sort, text, email, anything," he says. "Tyra and I were close, and when we were in New York shooting, or even in L.A. shooting, she'd be at my house or I'd be at her house, and we would really download. But at the same time, and she knows this to be true, the things that are those really, really trusted important things that she has said to me, I will never repeat. I will forever honor my relationship with her in the past."

Despite everything that happened, Manuel says he's still "very open" to talking to Banks if she wants to.

"I'm in a healed place," he says. "I wish her no ill will."

That includes feeling healed from the way he, Barker and Alexander were removed from the show after cycle 18 in 2012. As the documentary shows, the three were unceremoniously removed together and thought they would be given an opportunity to make a statement to share the news. However, a "leak" in the media claimed all three were "fired."

Manuel tells PEOPLE how it felt to go through that — and what he claims really happened.

Larry Busacca/WireImage

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On a two-year contract at the time, Manuel says he was actually already planning to be done at the end of cycle 18, but that wasn't the case for Barker and Alexander, whom he claims were in the middle of four-year contracts. Just before the "leak" happened, Manuel says all three of them received a phone call telling them their time on the show was over.

"[The network] always was looking for drama. The ratings were going down. They literally threw us under the bus," Manuel claims, adding that the whole situation felt like a "slap in the face."

The show continued for six more cycles, four of which included Banks still at the helm. She was eventually replaced as host by Rita Ora for the final two cycles.

Reality Check: Inside America's Next Top Modelis streaming on Netflix now.

Read the original article onPeople

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Jay Manuel Reveals the Status of His Friendship with Tyra Banks 14 Years After He Exited “America's Next Top Model” (Exclusive)

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty; Taylor Hill/Getty NEED TO KNOW In the new Netflix documentary Reality Check: Inside America's Next Top Mod...

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Ash Wednesday marks the start of Lent, a period of fasting, reflection — and fish fries

This is the week of Ash Wednesday, a solemn day of fasting and reflection that signals the start of Lent, the most penitential season of the church calendar for Catholics and many other Christians.

On Ash Wednesday, many Christians go to church for a service that emphasizes the start of a season of reflection, self-denial and repentance from sin.

Worshippers receive ashes, commonly imposed in the shape of a cross on the forehead. The officiant typically says, "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return," a stark reminder that death is part of life and that one should focus on things of the spirit. Or the officiant says, "Repent and believe in the Gospel."

Ashes in churches, chapels — and parking lots

Ash Wednesday is considered an obligatory fast day for Roman Catholics between 18 and 59 — meaning limiting food to one full meal and two smaller-than-normal meals.

Many Protestants — particularly those in Episcopal, Lutheran and other historic churches — also mark Ash Wednesday with similar liturgies.

In recent years, many Episcopal and other churches in the United States have begun offering "Ashes to Go" in parking lots, commuter-rail stations and elsewhere. Clergy offer to impose ashes on busy workers and others who want to participate in the ritual but may lack the time to get to church.

Chaplains of various denominations offer ashes at airport chapels and other sites.

Among other Protestants, such as Baptists and other evangelical groups, traditions vary. Some observe Ash Wednesday and Lent, others don't. But they often have their own penitential and ascetic traditions. Many Pentecostals, for example, fast for a period in January to consecrate the year ahead.

Members of another of the world's largest religions are also about to embark on their season of prayer and fasting. The start of Ramadan and the start of Lent may fall on the same date — for sure within the same week — this year.

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the season of Lent, leading up to observances of Jesus' death on Good Friday and resurrection on Easter.

Ash Wednesday is designated by counting backward 40 days from Easter, minus the Sundays.

Different churches have found various ways of calculating the traditional 40 days of Lent, but the number itself is important. It connects to the biblical symbolism of the number 40, typically used for times of testing, judgment, purification or renewal. Most directly, it alludes to the 40 days that Jesus fasted in the wilderness after his baptism, in preparation for his public ministry.

During Lent, the faithful devote themselves to prayer and other devotions, as well as charitable deeds, fasting and other forms of self-discipline. People speak of giving up something for Lent — stereotypically chocolate, but really anything that one finds difficult to do without. These days, that might mean reducing screen time.

Many churches also have extra times of devotions and other activities. Catholics often have group meditations on the Stations of the Cross, marking different events surrounding the crucifixion of Jesus.

Observant Catholics also abstain from meat on Fridays — though not fish.

To that point, Lent is not all solemnity. For many Catholic parishes in the U.S.,the Friday fish fryhas become a tradition combining food, fundraising and community bonding.

A movable fast

Ash Wednesday is not a fixed date. Its timing is tied to Easter Sunday. For most Christians, Easter will fall on April 5 this year.

Easter moves annually, swinging between March 22 and April 25, following anancient formulain which Easter falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon in spring.

Eastern Orthodox Christians calculate the beginning and end of their "Great Lent" differently. They begin their observances on a Monday — this year on Feb. 23 — which they call "Clean Monday" or "Pure Monday." While they don't use ashes, they do start a period of penance and fasting. The Great Lent continues through the Friday before Holy Week, including Sundays.

The dates for Great Lent are also determined in tandem withOrthodox calculationsof Easter (Pascha), which differ from those of Western churches. Orthodox Easter is April 12 this year — as in most years, falling later than Catholic and Protestant observances.

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP'scollaborationwith The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

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February 16, 2026

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