RORY MCILROY caught an outrageous stray during a discussion about the upcoming US Presidential election on ABC.

The PGA golfer found himself at the centre of a brutal swipe at Vice President Kamala Harris during the latest episode of This Week with George Stephanopoulos.

Reince Priebus, a former White House Chief of Staff under Donald Trump was criticising Harris’ recent appearance on US talk show The View.

The former chairman of the Republican National Committee was picking holes in Trump’s rival when he dragged up McIlroy’s collapse at the US Open in June.

Priebus said: “She wanted to clarify the two most important issues that are facing these two candidates – the US economy and immigration.

“She bombed like Rory at the US Open and said that there would be nothing that she would do that would be different to Joe Biden.”

Missing out on the US Open title was undoubtedly one of the most disappointing days in McIlroy’s career.

McIlroy was left utterly devastated after his last hole implosion made him narrowly miss out on the US Open to Bryson DeChambeau.

Holding a two-shot lead during the final round, McIlroy carded three bogeys across the final five holes – missing two putts from a combined distance of seven feet.

The Northern Irishman called it the “toughest day in 17 years” after he came within two shots of ending his 10 year major drought.

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The former world No1 stepped back from golf course for a few weeks following his meltdown at Pinehurst and divorce U-turn drama.

He called off his separation less than a month after he initially filed paperwork to split with the mother of his three-year-old daughter.

Responding to the random gibe, one fan wrote on X: “McIlroy catching strays while political pundits talk about Kamala Harris.”

A second said: “Rory McIlroy just caught an unnecessary / awesome stray.”

A third added: “Damn! Why is poor McIlroy being dragged into this?”

While another replied “We’ve reached a point in the election cycle where even McIlroy is catching strays.”

TED Danson has unveiled the disgusting reason Woody Harrelson would ‘shut down’ the Cheers set.

The beloved sitcom aired for 11 years on NBC, spanning 1982 to 1993.

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Woody Harrelson starred as bartender Woody Boyd in Cheers[/caption]

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Woody joined in season four, while the cast also included Ted Danson, Kelsey Grammer and Kirstie Alley[/caption]

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Woody and former co-star Ted Danson now host a podcast called Where Everybody Knows Your Name[/caption]

Woody, 63, and Ted, 76, co-host a podcast titled Where Everybody Knows Your Name, a name based on the show’s theme song.

Joined by guest Simu Liu – who stars with Woody in upcoming film Last Breath – Ted asked about working in close quarters.

He queried: “Did you shoot in that chamber where you have to be onboard the ship – what is it called?”, referring to a “sat chamber”.

However, Woody interrupted: “It wasn’t an actual sat chamber. I mean, it was, but it wasn’t.”

Ted continued: “It was close quarters, though.

“There’s a reason why I bring this up. When I worked with Woody, it was a huge sound stage, but his vegetarian farts were so horrible that he would shut down production.

“I’m just wondering what happened with you.”

Laughing, Woody replied: “Excuse me, but it was vegan farts.”

“Vegan.  Sorry, vegan”, Ted apologised. “Which gives it an actual pecan.”

Simu then joined in, as he remarked: “They were vegan farts to be fair.

“You were really nice. I think you were really nice about it.”

Meanwhile, Woody quipped: “That was back when I didn’t chew my food.”

The star joined Cheers in its fourth season, playing bartender Woody Boyd, who ended up working for Ted’s Sam Malone.

Woody replaced the character Coach, following actor Nicholas Colasanto’s death.

It comes amid news of the iconic sitcom reportedly being set for a shock remake.

According to Deadline, Big Talk Studios pitched to make a UK version of the hit comedy.

The company enlisted the likes of Simon Nye – who is behind hit shows such as Men Behaving Badly and The Durrells – to adapt the series.

The outlet reported the production company is in the early stages of development after CBS gave the producers the green light to develop an adaptation.

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Cheers ended in 1993 after its 11th and final series on air[/caption]

WHEN Lorena Bobbitt cut off her husband’s penis with a butcher’s knife, it made headlines worldwide.

It is just over 30 years since she went on trial for the shocking crime, which saw her attack husband John, before driving off with his member and throwing it out of a car window.

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Lorena Bobbitt is speaking in a new ITV documentary[/caption]

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The infamous case which saw Lorena chop off husband John’s penis has gone down in history[/caption]

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John later cashed in on his fame with X-rated movies[/caption]

Police later retrieved it from a field and put it on ice in a hotdog box, before surgeons were able to reattach it following a nine-hour operation.

Both went through court cases that laid bare the violence and lack of trust in their four-year marriage.

The-then 24-year-old manicurist Lorena claimed her husband John Wayne Bobbitt raped her before he fell asleep that night, prompting her to take a knife to his groin.

But the former US Marine John was found not guilty of marital sexual assault and maintains that he did not abuse her. He later used his fame to launch a stint as a porn star – and even formed a rock band called The Severed Parts.

And after undergoing 45 days of psychiatric examinations, Lorena was acquitted of malicious wounding after the court concluded she was temporarily insane, which led her to mutilate her husband while he slept.

Now, a new ITV documentary reveals the extraordinary case is actually one of many and explores what really drives such unique acts of violence.

The one-off film, called I Cut Off His Penis: The Truth Behind The Headlines, which airs tonight, hears the personal testimony of both women and men who have witnessed and felt the impact of this act, known as penicide.

Speaking in the documentary, Lorena says: “As the whole world knows, I cut his penis off. There’s no way for me to candy-coat it. I just said it, because that’s what happened.”

However, she adds that the world “misses the essence of what this whole story was about”, saying: “That’s not who I am, so it’s not why I did it. It’s about what put me in that position.”

Campaigners and psychologists also weigh in on the psychology behind penicide, with one expert explaining: “We often say it’s not an abnormal act – it’s a normal response to an abnormal experience.”

‘Red flags’

Lorena was born in Venezuela and moved to America when she was 17 “for more opportunities.”

She says: “That was my American dream. Work very hard and find somebody that I could marry, buy a house, have children.”

She adds: “And up until I met my ex-husband everything was fine.”

Lorena worked as a nail technician in a beauty salon and met John at the Marine Club.

She recalls: “He was very nice, very charming, very kind and I just fell in love with him. He had these beautiful blue eyes and I just thought this guy is very attractive, like a poster guy for the Marines.

“Coming from a Catholic background, I never had any boyfriends before. Like I said, I was very young. I was very naive. He was my first love. It was just so innocent and so natural. So yes, it did move quite fast.”

Lorena describes in the film how he proposed to her after finding a ring at the bottom of a swimming pool. The couple got married shortly after Lorena’s 20th birthday.

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John’s wife chopped off his manhood while he slept[/caption]

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The couple on their wedding day before the shocking incident[/caption]

She says: “They threw us a very nice sweet reception at the campground.”

But she claims that after the reception, John left for a couple of hours to go to a strip bar with his friends.

Lorena says: “I found out later that was going on.”

She adds: “Those were red flags. Big red flags, right? But to me, the sense of being married meant a lot because God says divorce is not acceptable.”

Lorena claims that about a month after they tied the knot, he began to be physically abusive to her.

She alleges: “It escalated to the point that I was raped. In a healthy relationship, yes, you have arguments – not to the point where your husband beats you up or rapes you.

“People say why did she not leave, why did she not pack up and go? Well, it’s not easy.”

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Lorena cries as she testifies about the night she cut her husband’s penis off[/caption]

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John Wayne Bobbitt points during testimony[/caption]

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She adds: “He made me feel like I was his property. You’re trapped in this situation and there’s no way out. I tried to get away from him but he told me, ‘No matter where you, I’m always going to find you.”

The incident happened on June 23, 1993 in Manassas, Virginia. Lorena recalls: “I was working in a nail salon. I was very tired. I was exhausted.

“We closed the salon at 8pm so I went off to get something to eat before I went home and I fall asleep.

“The next thing I remember is John on top of me. Half asleep/half awake, I was like ‘what’s going on here?’ That’s all I remember.

“I remember that I went to get a glass of water. I don’t remember seeing the knife. I don’t remember any of that.”

She claims she has no memory of chopping off his private parts.

Lorena says: “Next thing I do remember is I was driving in the car and I have the penis in one hand and the knife in the other hand.

“I couldn’t drive straight. I have no idea how I got into the car.”

She adds: “I got scared and I threw it out of the window, his organ.

“I was not in my right frame of mind.”

She admits she didn’t “have a plan” and called her boss who phoned the police before taking Lorena to the hospital.

Lorena recalls: “Ironically he was on the other side of the hospital.”

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Lorena has dedicated her life to helping others since the incident[/caption]

Journalist Glen Oglaza covered the case for ITV News and compares it to “like something from a horror film.”

Speaking in the documentary, he says of the court case: “It was like the circus had come to town.

“It wasn’t just all the TV cameras and satellite trucks from around the world, there was a carnival atmosphere.

“There were food stalls. There were drinks. There was sausages, hot dogs, all the puns you can imagine.

“People were selling T-shirts, most of them supporting John Wayne Bobbitt.”

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John poses for a photo at Tunnel nightclub in March 1993 in New York[/caption]

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Porn stars Crystal Gold, John Wayne Bobbitt, Veronica Brazil and Tiffany Lords attend the ‘John Wayne Bobbitt Uncut’ Beverly Hills Premiere in 1994[/caption]

He adds: “The way that it generated interest around the world was very unusual, particularly for what was basically a domestic story. It wasn’t a war.

“And the amount of interest was incredible because it’s not the first or last time that this has happened.”

As the trial progressed, Glen says “the pendulum of sympathy swung from him to her.”

Reflecting on what happened, Lorena says: “Sometimes I wish it didn’t happen to me. My life is not a tape that I can rewind.”

Speaking about her life now, she says: “I have become a mother. I have a relationship with this wonderful man. It’s really a matter of having a new life.”

She has set up the Lorena Gallo Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation, which supports victims of domestic violence.

Lorena says: “I’m not only a survivor, but I’m advocate against domestic violence and sexual assault and marital rape.”

Waves of mutilation

While the number of penicide cases remains low today, experts tell the documentary that incidents have strangely often come in waves over past decades.

Jacqueline Helfgott, a professor at the Department of Criminal Justice at Seattle University, explains: “Men and women have cut off penises since the dawn of time.

“If you look historically there’s lots of examples of penis cutting around the world.

“And there have been waves of what’s happened in countries like Vietnam, Kenya – so in a community where you have one, you see patterns of a series of women.

“A whole wave of that could be a contagion effect.”

Dr Apirag Chuangsuwanich, from Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok, recalls a particular “epidemic of amputations” across Thailand in the 1970s, with approximately 100 cases of ‘penicide’ nationwide.

It became so alarming that the the Ministry of Public Health sent out information leaflets explaining how to preserve severed organs.

“We started receiving such patients one after the other,” Dr Apirag adds.

“I believe it led to copycat incidents. In some cases the wife had tried to destroy the severed part by flushing it down the toilet or throwing it to animals to eat.”

Tragic cases

Another tragic case covered in the documentary is that of Brigitte Harris, who cut off her father Eric’s penis following years of sexual abuse as a child.

After researching cases including the Bobbitt trial and buying a scalpel on eBay, the New Yorker, now 43, handcuffed her father to a chair, gagged him and sliced off his penis before throwing it into the ocean in 2007.

However, in a grim turn of events, after she called police and ambulance services, they arrived to find Eric had choked to death on his gag.

Brigitte was eventually convicted of manslaughter in the second degree after her sister testified that Eric had abused her too.

She was sentenced to the maximum of five to 15 years in prison, but was released on parole after three.

Explaining her actions, she insisted she didn’t mean to kill her father, but wanted to stop him committing further assaults.

She said: “I remember what he did to me when I was sitting on his lap and there was no way I was going to let that happen, so I made up a plan… to stop him doing to others what he did to me, to stop him hurting anyone else.

“When I read about the Bobbitt case and that they were able to reattach his penis I wanted to make sure that couldn’t happen so I would destroy it.”

What unites both Lorena and Brigitte is an insistence that their actions were not motivated by vengeance.

And while motivation can vary, Harriet Wistrich, founder and director of the Centre for Women’s Justice, has an explanation for the psychological pressures that often lead to penicide.

The solicitor says: “We often say it’s not an abnormal act – it’s a normal response to an abnormal experience. You need to look at the circumstances of what took place and the woman’s specific history.”

I Cut Off His Penis: The Truth Behind The Headlines airs at 9pm tonight on ITV1 and is available on ITVX

PAYTON Koch is a highly-acclaimed film editor and the twin of actor Cooper.

The filmmaker jumped to his brother’s defense following online comments criticizing his brother’s portrayal of an infamous murderer.

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Cooper Koch (left) with his twin brother Payton Koch[/caption]

Cooper Koch, who plays Erik Menendez in Netflix’s Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, has found himself at the center of controversy following the series’ release.

The actor’s twin brother Payton has come to his defense amid backlash from viewers and Erik Menendez himself.

Who is Payton Koch?

Payton Koch was born on July 16, 1996 in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles.

He is an Emmy-nominated film editor known for his work on popular television series including Only Murders in the Building, American Horror Story and Ratched.

Payton, who is the grandson of producer Hawk Koch, began his filmmaking journey at a young age, experimenting with iMovie and creating short films.

He earned a Bachelor’s degree in film production from Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts.

Payton is also the twin brother of actor Cooper Koch, who portrays Erik Menendez in Netflix’s Monsters series.

Payton’s Insta post

On September 19, 2024, Payton shared photos on Instagram of Cooper, 28, on the set of Monsters, expressing his pride in his brother’s performance.

He wrote: “Have never felt more proud of another human being. I love you so much and am so so happy for you”.

The post attracted criticism from fans who took issue with the series’ portrayal of the Menendez brothers.

One commenter posted: “The audacity of Cooper to have photos of Erik everywhere on the mirror like a shrine when he’s participating in a show that drags his name through the mud”.

Payton’s defense of Cooper

In response to the criticism, Payton defended his twin brother’s portrayal of the killer and shed light on Cooper’s approach to the role.

He stated: “I won’t speak for Cooper but I will say that he cares immensely for the boys and stands with them and all victims of abuse.

“He did everything he could to ensure their stories of abuse were seen on screen and I think in episode 5, it is abundantly clear where he stands”.

It is sad for me to know that Netflix’s dishonest portrayal of the tragedies surrounding our crime have taken the painful truths several steps backward

Erik MenendezX

Addressing the difficulties of dramatizing real-life events, Payton acknowledged: “Any true story portrayal is going to be tough, but please trust me when I say he does care about them and their story.”

He also added that actors are “only vessels for the writers/producers of the show”.

Context

The backlash comes in the wake of criticism from Erik Menendez himself, who called it “disheartening slander”.

In a statement related via his wife on X, Erik Menendez criticized the production the day after it was released.

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Cooper Koch as Erik Menendez (right) and Nicholas Chavez as Lyle Menendez in Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story[/caption]

He said: “I believed we had moved beyond the lies and ruinous character portrayals of Lyle, creating a caricature of Lyle rooted in horrible and blatant lies rampant in the show.

“I can only believe they were done so on purpose. It is with a heavy heart that I say, I believe Ryan Murphy cannot be this naive and inaccurate about the facts of our lives so as to do this without bad intent.”

He continued: “It is sad for me to know that Netflix’s dishonest portrayal of the tragedies surrounding our crime have taken the painful truths several steps backward — back through time to an era when the prosecution built a narrative on a belief system that males were not sexually abused, and that males experienced rape trauma differently than women.

“Those awful lies have been disrupted and exposed by countless brave victims over the last two decades who have broken through their personal shame and bravely spoken out.”

Background on the Menendez murders

Erik, now 53, and Lyle, 56, were convicted of murdering their parents, José and Kitty Menendez, in their Beverly Hills home in 1989.

The brothers alleged in court that they were physically and sexually abused by their father, and that their mother Kitty was physically abusive and an enabler of her husband’s behavior.

The Menendez brothers were sentenced to life in prison in 1996.

They currently remain incarcerated at Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego.

THE Los Angeles Dodgers’ game vs the New York Mets was bizarrely interrupted by a SNAKE last night.

Shohei Ohtani and Co went into the game two contest at Dodger Stadium leading the NLCS series 1-0 thanks to a 9-0 triumph in game one.

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A snake was pointed out during the contest[/caption]

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The reptile was shown slithering through the dugout[/caption]

Making his way to the bench during Monday’s game, Brent Honeywell spotted the snake in the players’ area.

The pitcher, 29, quickly pointed it out to his team.

Viewers watching at home were then shown a shot of the snake weaving its way through the dugout.

Fox commentator Joe Davis did not seem overly concerned by the matter.

He said: “We’ve had ‘Snakes on a Plane’, ‘Snakes on a Train’, and the latest Hollywood hit – ‘Snake in the Dugout’.”

With the game briefly stopped, a staffer was tasked with dealing with the problem.

They swiftly picked up the snake with a towel before removing it from the vicinity.

The interruption didn’t seem to do the Dodgers much good, as they went on to lose 7-3, with the Mets tying the series at 1-1.

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After the game, Honeywell was asked about the experience.

He said: “I’ve seen all kinds of stuff in the dugout before. But when I walked off, I saw it was just a snake there. I don’t think [Dodgers bench coach Danny Lehmann] saw it…

“I was hoping it was a rally snake. We pushed some [runs] across after that.”

The snake wasn’t the first intimidating reptile that Honeywell has seen on a field.

As a prospect playing for the Charlotte Stone Crabs in 2015, he saw an alligator in his team’s dugout.

He said at the time: “I came in and I don’t see anyone in the clubhouse. I knew something was up, I thought, ‘Hey, they’re playing a joke on me.

“In comes my conditioning coach [Justin Weiss] he says, ‘There’s 10-foot gator in the dugout!'”

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Brent Honeywell spotted the snake in the dugout[/caption]

JOHN Kear has hit out after northern hemisphere teams’ journeys to the Rugby League World Cup even tougher.

Put simply, it all looks primed for the Pacific.

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International Rugby League’s decision to cut the tournament from 16 nations to 10 has left the likes of Wales facing a slog.

Kear’s side faces European qualifiers against Serbia and, most likely, France in France, but even coming through does not book a place at Australia 2026.

For whoever wins will have to head to the World Series, where they, Cook Islands, tonight’s opponents Jamaica and South Africa – who want to host it – will fight for the last two spots.

As it stands, England and Lebanon are the only qualified sides north of the Equator – and the latter is formed of Aussie heritage players.

And Kear fears Wales, along with the likes of France, Scotland, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica and Greece, who all featured in 2022, may be cast aside as the riches of the NRL in the Pacific region dominate.

“It’s sad,” he said. “We’re supposed to be encouraging the spread of the game – one of the ways you do that is by featuring at a World Cup.

“Rugby union has shown us the way. Teams have been walloped but what it does is create a profile and interest.

“Even though there’s the World Series, you’ve got to say the Cook Islands are favourites as they could be virtually on home turf.

“It’s sad and it’s something we need to address.”

Kear’s squad takes to the pitch in Neath tonight for, astonishingly, the first senior men’s international in South Wales since 2016.

And he told SunSport of his hopes to get an annual game in that area as Billy Walkley leads the new generation of homegrown talent.

He added: “Billy’s a very confident and very gifted kid. I’m excited to see what he brings to the party. I think he’ll surprise a few people.

“The fact it’s an inexperienced squad is testament to the work going on down there. A lot of the younger players have come through our pathway.

“It’s a heck of an important game regarding us re-establishing ourselves in South Wales. Hopefully, we’ll play an annual game – make people realise there is another code out there.”

LAURA Rutledge had a busy night on ESPN as she stepped in for a missing regular.

The NFL host, 36, worked the side line at MetLife Stadium for Monday’s clash between the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets.

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She also filled in as side line reporter with Lisa Salters off[/caption]

Just hours beforehand she was presenting NFL Live in her usual position on the network.

But Rutledge had a busy Monday as she pulled double duty.

She filled in for lead sideline reporter Lisa Salters.

Commentator Joe Buck revealed on the broadcast that Salters was dealing with a personal matter.

“We look forward to her return,” Buck added.

“And all of us sending our very best to Lisa and her family.”

Buck and Salters are part of ESPN’s top broadcast team with Troy Aikman.

Rutledge filled in for the MNF showdown – which the Bills won 23-20.

She has worked the sidelines for the network before and is a more than capable fill-in.

The 36-year-old has been in that role twice this season already while ESPN has broadcast two NFL games at once.

She will most likely be back on the side line next week during another double header.

Rutledge could possibly join either join the main team on Ravens-Bucs if Salters is still absent, or the Chargers-Cardinals broadcast.

During the playoffs last year, she joined Salters in working the side line.

ESPN had a reporter on each team’s side line for those games.

Rutledge also worked a huge college football game Saturday.

She was at the Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas, Texas for the ‘Red River Rivalry’

The host worked on ESPN’s coverage of the Texas Longhorns against their rival Oklahoma Sooners.

The former Miss Florida sustained a stain on her white sleeveless top and took to social media.

Rutledge said on Instagram: “Alright guys, I just made it down here.

“By the way, stain on my shirt walking through the crowd, but it’s the Red River Rivalry, you just gotta go for it.”

This year she has also presented Masters golf coverage.

STEPHEN A. SMITH slammed the Dallas Cowboys after their “atrocious” loss to the Detroit Lions during a sensational five-minute rant on his First Take show.

The Cowboys were torn to shreds by the Lions on Sunday with a score of 47-9 in their own ground of AT&T Stadium, which means they have now lost all three of their home games this season.

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The Cowboys suffered an embarrassing loss to the Detroit Lions at home[/caption]

Smith, 57, warned viewers that he had an “awful lot to talk about” on his ESPN show after the game and he kept his promise as he went off on a tangent while wearing a large cowboy hat and holding a cigar.

The American broadcaster pulled no punches on his brutal assessment of the NFL side as he dubbed them a “walking atrocity”.

The TV presenter went as far as to accuse the franchise of trying to send owner Jerry Jones “down under” with their poor display – which he dubbed a “stinker” – on his 82nd birthday.

The ESPN star backed his harsh claims with stats about the Cowboys‘ recent track record on runs, passes and blocks.

The presenter concluded by stating Dallas’ season is “done” because they ” stink”.

Smith said on First Take: “What an atrocity. What an absolute atrocity. And we’ve gotta put it in its proper perspective.

“On the 82nd birthday of Jerry Jones, they tried to send him down under. That’s what they tried to do. They tried to send him under.

“You understand what I’m saying? They tried to bury that man, because that’s how depressed he looked.

“Now we’ve gotta put certain things in proper perspective. Again, I understand what you’re saying about the Detroit Lions.

“But guess what? I have factual statistical evidence that this has been going on before the Lions ever showed up yesterday.

“So you can’t stop the run, you can’t run. You can’t stop the pass, you can’t pass. You can’t block, and you can’t stop people from blocking you.

“So what I’m saying to you is this, on the 82nd birthday of your owner, your President, your GM, you would think you’d have the decency to just show up and act like it was a football game.

“And what do they give us instead? Not only do they give us a stinker. They give us another weak press conference with your $60million (£46m) quarterback.

“The Dallas Cowboys are an absolute mess. They are a walking atrocity.

“And in the end, what happened yesterday might be the last ray of hope for them, because when you stink that bad, that flagrantly, that might be the message that says, ‘We’ve gotta do something about this’.

“You can’t do it this season. Your season is done. Can’t do it this season. But there’s hope for the future because you stink. And when you stink that bad, something has to be done.”

Voting just got even cooler.

Touting the "un-American" and "un-corporate" studio, Katie Goodson-Thomas tells the BFI London Film Festival that under Disney's ownership, it has had more focus on brand but also "total creative freedom."