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“Survivor” Alum Monica Culpepper Mourns Son Rex After His Death at 28: 'Our Worst Nightmare Won't End'

Monica Culpepper shared a heartfelt tribute to her late son, Rex Culpepper, who died in a dirt bike accident at the age of 28

Rex Culpepper; Monica CulpepperCredit: Savanna Morgan/Instagram; Monty Brinton/CBS

NEED TO KNOW

The Survivor star called the loss "our worst nightmare" and thanked those who have shown up to support the family
Rex’s fiancée, Savanna Morgan, shared the news in a March 16 Instagram post, calling him "one in a billion"

Monica Culpepper has broken her silence after thesudden death of her son Rex Culpepper.

TheSurvivoralum took to Instagram Monday, April 6,to mourn the lossof the late college football star, who died last month at age 28 after a dirt bike accident in Florida,theTampa Bay Timesreported. Alongside a series of images of Rex, Monica shared a heartfelt message.

“No words. Feeble try…” she began. “Our world stopped at 5:12 pm on 3/14/26. We are overwhelmed with a gut wrenching grief, so hard it makes us ill. It’s as if the world is spinning and we are stuck somewhere detached. The nausea is constant. Our worst nightmare won’t end.”

Monica Culpepper, Rex Culpepper and familyCredit: Monica Culpepper/Instagram

She continued: “It’s hard to move but things must get done to honor our dear Rexy. I’m writing this to thank you… ALL of YOU. The love, prayers, cards, texts, calls, meals, flowers, posts and hugs are felt and matter. The shared stories, music, and videos of Rex’s dynamic interests and talents are uplifting and incredible.”

“It’s deep, it’s messy, it’s organic, it’s beautiful and authentic,” Monica concluded, going on to name their loved ones. “I’m channeling my shattered heart for my dear Brad, Judge, Honor, Elijah , and sweet Savanna.”

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In addition to Rex, Monica and her husband Brad Culpepper, who also competed onSurvivor,are parents to sons Judge and Honor Culpepper. Savanna Morgan is Rex’s fiancée, whoannounced the newsthat her longtime partner had died ina social media poston March 16.

“No one expects to meet the love of your life and lose them in only 6 short years after meeting,” she wrote. “Rex didn't always believe in soulmates but towards the end he told me that he didn't realize what having a soulmate felt like until we felt like extensions of each other. And one thing about us is that we lived every single day like it was our last. We did every little thing that we set our minds to, between learning new skills and hobbies, and traveling to new places, there was never any free time with us and not a moment spent apart. I don't regret a single day in our 6 years.”

Rex Culpepper and Savanna MorganCredit: Monica Culpepper/Instagram

“You made six years feel like a lifetime Rexy,” she added. “Im sure that myself and all of you who cared about him will never truly be able to move on after knowing someone like him. You dont just meet people like Rex all the time. He was one in a billion. There wasnt one thing that man couldnt do. Lawyer, mechanic, musician, chef, athlete, nerd….lover. He became such a lover.”

“I will never take for granted how cool Rex was and how cool he eventually made me too. I will carry on his hobbies forever. I dont think this Rex shaped hole inside of me will ever be filled. But seeing how much everyone around him loved him so greatly, makes my heart full. So here are some parts of him that I would like to share with you, to hopefully make your heart full too. Our story was a good one babe.”

The Syracuse football team, for which Rex previously played as a quarterback, also addressed his death in a statement.

"Rex lived his life with endless passion, having overcome cancer at the age of 20 while playing for the Orange. Appearing in 30 games, Rex played football as fierce as he lived life,” the program said. "Our hearts are with the Culpepper family & all those who loved him."

According toUSA Today, Rex played for Syracuse from 2017 to 2020. In 2018, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer, but he went on to play in six games the following fall after being declared cancer-free in June of that year, ultimately earning the school’s Jim DaRin Courage Award.

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April 08, 2026

“Survivor” Alum Monica Culpepper Mourns Son Rex After His Death at 28: 'Our Worst Nightmare Won't End'

Monica Culpepper shared a heartfelt tribute to her late son, Rex Culpepper, who died in a dirt bike accident at the age of 28 NEE...

Former Australian soldier to remain in jail after being charged with Afghan war crimes

By Christine Chen

Media wait outside Silverwater Correctional Complex after former Australian Defence Force soldier Ben Roberts-Smith was charged with alleged war crimes committed in Afghanistan, in Sydney, Australia, April 8, 2026. REUTERS/Hollie Adams

FILE PHOTO: Britain's Queen Elizabeth II greets Australian SAS Corporal Ben Roberts-Smith (L), who was recently awarded the Victoria Cross for Australia, during an audience at Buckingham Palace in London November 15, 2011. REUTERS/Anthony Devlin/POOL/File Photo

Media wait outside Silverwater Correctional Complex in Sydney

SYDNEY, April 8 (Reuters) - Australia's most decorated living soldier will remain behind bars after his legal team did not seek bail following his arrest ‌over multiple alleged war crimes, local media reported on Wednesday.

Police on Tuesday arrested and ‌charged Ben Roberts-Smith, 47, with five counts of war crimes in connection with the murder of five civilians in Afghanistan between 2009 and 2012. Each charge carries a maximum sentence of life in jail.

He was refused bail by police and taken to Silverwater Correctional Complex in Sydney’s west where he stayed overnight.

Roberts-Smith did not appear via video link at an online bail court hearing on Wednesday morning, ‌local media reported.

His lawyer, Jordan Portokalli, ⁠told the court he would not be applying for bail, and sought an in-person hearing for later in the day.

A bail review hearing was ⁠instead scheduled for April 17 at a courthouse in Sydney.

Roberts-Smith, a veteran of the elite Special Air Services Regiment, was hailed as a national hero for his actions during six tours in Afghanistan from 2006 to 2012.

He was awarded several top military honours, including the Victoria Cross, the highest ‌military decoration for members of the armed forces of Britain and the Commonwealth.

The Australian Federal Police said they would allege that his victims were not taking part in hostilities at the time of their deaths and were detained, unarmed and under the control of Australian forces when they were killed.

Police would also allege the victims were either shot by the accused or ‌his subordinates acting on his orders and in his presence.

The charges follow a joint investigation between the AFP and the Office of the Special Investigator, set up to examine allegations of criminal misconduct by members of ‌Australia's defence force, which began in 2021.

Roberts-Smith has consistently denied allegations of wrongdoing during his service, many of which were first reported by Nine Entertainment newspapers in a series of articles starting in 2018.

He unsuccessfully challenged the accusations in court in what became the most ‌expensive defamation trial in Australian history, and was found on the balance of probabilities to have been involved in the murder of four Afghan civilians.

(Reporting by Christine Chen in Sydney; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)

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April 08, 2026

Former Australian soldier to remain in jail after being charged with Afghan war crimes

By Christine Chen Media wait outside Silverwater Correctional Complex in Sydney SYDNEY, April 8 (Reuters) - Australia's mo...

Kevin Durant's juke sends Dillon Brooks to the floor as Rockets rally past Suns for 7th straight win

PHOENIX (AP) — Phoenix Suns well-known instigator Dillon Brooks was trying to get under the skin of Houston Rockets superstar Kevin Durant during a possession in the second quarter on Tuesday night, talking his usual trash while playing physical defense.

Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant, right, dribbles the ball against Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks (3) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, April 7, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant, right, pauses before dribbling against Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks (3) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, April 7, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Rockets Suns Basketball

That turned out to be a mistake.

On the ensuing play, Durant juked Brooks,driving past him and making a jumperwhile Brooks stumbled to his knees. The play helped the Rockets rally from an early 21-point deficit fora 119-105 victoryin Durant's return to the desert after spending 2 1/2 seasons with the Suns from 2023-25.

Durant brushed aside questions about whether Brooks' antics motivated him. The 37-year-old forward finished with 24 points and shot 5 of 9 on 3-pointers after being greeted with a mix of cheers and boos from Phoenix fans during pregame introductions.

“I'm not giving him that — he doesn't get that kind of credit with me,” Durant said. "Maybe some other guys may turn up because he talks to them, but he's not that important or special to me to get me going. I wake up getting ready to play.

“But I respect Dillon, I respect what he brings to the game. Like I said earlier, I think that gets him going more than me. I just happened to get that ball right afterwards and make a good move.”

Durant came to the Suns in 2023 aspart of a four-team, trade-deadline dealjust hours after Mat Ishbia officiallytook the reins of the franchiseas a majority owner. The splashy move was widely praised at the time.

However, Durant's tenure in the desert was mostly notable for the lack of postseason success. He played well on an individual level — making the All-Star team in both full seasons — while the team regressed.

The Suns lost to the eventual NBA champion Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference semifinals in 2023, got swept in the first round by the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2024 and didn't even make the playoffs in 2025.

Durant was eventually traded during the offseason in a move that's worked out well for both sides. He's averaging nearly 26 points per game for the Rockets, who are on a seven-game winning streak and improved to 50-29.

The Suns have also been better than expected at 43-36 — partly thanks to the arrival of Brooks and Jalen Green. The two came to Phoenix as part of the Durant deal. It was Green's first time playing against his former team after he missed the first three meetings with a hamstring injury.

Green finished with 15 points on 5-of-14 shooting.

First-year Suns coach Jordan Ott worked with Durant when the two were with the Brooklyn Nets from 2020-22. Ott spoke highly of the 16-time All-Star, reminiscing about how Durant nearly carried the Nets past the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2021 Eastern Conference semifinals before losing in seven games.

The Bucks went on to win the NBA title against the Suns.

“Just his day-to-day, consistent work ethic, it's not a surprise the career he's had,” Ott said pregame. “Just his ability to match every moment, even in those playoffs where we were banged-up in that series with Milwaukee. Lot of good memories.”

AP NBA:https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

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April 08, 2026

Kevin Durant's juke sends Dillon Brooks to the floor as Rockets rally past Suns for 7th straight win

PHOENIX (AP) — Phoenix Suns well-known instigator Dillon Brooks was trying to get under the skin of Houston Rockets superstar Kevin Dur...

MLB is cool with ABS. But is new rule a Trojan horse for 100% robo-umps?

PHOENIX — The fans love it.

The umpires tolerate it.

The players are getting used to it.

And after nearly two weeks of the ABS challenge system implemented inMajor League Baseball– with 585 challenges already through Monday – we can't help but wonder if a full automated strike zone comes next.

“I hope not,”Detroit Tigersmanager A.J. Hinch said. “I think the human element is super important. I don’t want to lose the catcher catching a close pitch and being frustrated, but not willing to challenge. That element of the game I think is important.”

Still, there are others who believe robo-umps are coming soon, just the way instant replay was slowly implemented in baseball. It began in 2008 only on home run calls, to now being available on virtually every play.

So, why just make sure that calls are right with two challenges a game when you can assure that every pitch is called correctly?

An overturned call displayed on the scoreboard at Citi Field.

While strategy still is being formulated on the proper times to challenge a call (seventh through the ninth innings are the most popular) or what players on a team are permitted to make a challenge (only 14 by pitchers), there definitely has been a side effect.

Silence from the dugout.

“The benches are a lot quieter during the game," Hinch said. “You don’t hear the razzing with players and umpires."

There has not been a single player ejected from a game this year, and only five managers.

“We’re definitely going to see ejections go down to record lows,” Atlanta All-Star first baseman Matt Olson said. “Why argue when you can go to replay?"

Indeed, there’s no reason to scream at the umpire when you can simply tap your helmet and challenge.

How does ABS work in MLB?

Certainly, the challenge system has already had a critical effect in some games. Atlanta second baseman Ozzie Albies turned a strikeout into a leadoff walk that turned into an eight-run inning last week.Arizona DiamondbacksDH Adrian Del Castillo turned an inning-ending strikeout Tuesday into a two-run, game-tying single against the New York Mets.

“I’m happy they have that system," Albies said. “That changed the whole game."

While the challenge system can certainly lead to some embarrassment for umpires, with the entire ballpark now able to judge them in real time, and being held accountable just as the players and managers are

“I think people will understand just how hard their job is," said Arizona Diamondbacks starter Zac Gallen, “and how good these umpires have gotten over the last few years with the emphasis on the strike zone."

(Salaries in present-day value calculated by MLB Labor Relations Department, impacted by deferrals and signing bonuses)

1. Juan Soto, Mets - $61,875,000