Former Child Actor Blake Garrett from “How to Eat Fried Worms” Dies at 33

Denise Truscello/WireImage

NEED TO KNOW

• How to Eat Fried Worms actor Blake Garrett has died at age 33

• His mom Carol told TMZ that he died on Sunday, Feb. 8

• Garrett's appearance in 2006's How to Eat Fried Worms was his first movie role

Blake Garrett, a former child actor who appeared in the 2006 movieHow to Eat Fried Worms, has died at age 33.

TMZwas first to report news of his death on Monday, Feb. 9, as his mother Carol Garrett told the outlet he died Sunday, Feb. 8, and that her family is waiting to receive autopsy results from a medical examiner in Oklahoma to determine his cause of death.

According to the outlet, Carol said Blake recently went to the emergency room in Oklahoma after he experienced intense pain and was diagnosed with shingles. Blake's mother stated that Blake has been living in Tulsa for the last three years and had embraced a sober lifestyle in recent years.

PEOPLE was unable to immediately reach Carol for confirmation.

Blake is credited with two onscreen roles as a child actor, in the 2004Barney & FriendsspecialBarney's Colorful World, Live!and as the character Plug in 2006'sHow to Eat Fried Worms, based on the 1974 children's book by Thomas Rockwell.

Van Redin/New Line

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How to Eat Fried Wormsfollows a child named Billy (Luke Benward) who finds himself making a bet with classroom bully Joe (Adam Hicks) that he must eat 10 worms without vomiting after starting at a new school.

"I play the bully's henchman," Blake told Oklahoma City-based newspaperThe Oklahomanin a 2006 interview when he was 13. "But everybody got along on the set."

"There were rows of bicycles, and they let me have first pick," he said of his experience on set. "There was one scene where we were riding on a gravel road and got to slide to a stop. The guys who could ride worked on that scene. They had a camera on the ground, and in one scene I slid and gravel hit the camera. They really liked that shot, and that's the one they used in the movie."

Van Redin/New Line

Blake and the rest ofHow to Eat a Fried Wormschild actors — the movie also starred Hallie Kate Eisenberg, Alexander Gould, Ryan Malgarini, Ty Panitz, Philip Bolden, Andrew Gillingham, Austin Rogers, Nick Krause, Stephan Bender and Alexander Agate —won a Young Artist Awardin 2007 for Best Young Ensemble Cast in a Feature Film overNanny McPhee,Santa Clause 3: The Escape ClauseandUnaccompanied Minors.

The movie's adult cast included Tom Cavanagh, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, James Rebhorn and Andrea Martin.

Blake didn't continue with screen acting afterHow to Eat Fried Worms. At the time he spoke withThe Oklahomanabout his experience in the movie, the newspaper reporter that he was interested in playing football and wrestling.

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February 09, 2026

Former Child Actor Blake Garrett from “How to Eat Fried Worms” Dies at 33

Denise Truscello/WireImage NEED TO KNOW How to Eat Fried Worms actor Blake Garrett has died at age 33 His mom Carol told TMZ that he di...

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Sam Claflin Admits He 'Didn't Have a Clue' How to Be a Single Dad as He Recalls Difficult Transition After Divorce

Sam Claflin is sharing more about being a single dad to his two kids

NEED TO KNOW

• The actor opened up about navigating that transition during the pandemic

• Claflin shares daughter Margot, 78, and son Pip, 10, with ex-wife Laura Haddock

Sam Claflinis opening up about being a single dad to his two kids.

Speaking withBustlefor a new interview, the actor, 39, shared that when he became a single dad to his two kids — son Pip, 10, and daughter Margot, 8 — in 2019 after splitting from ex-wife Laura Haddock, it took some time to transition into his new normal.

"I had a 4 and 2-year-old, and I was potty training my daughter, homeschooling my son, whilst trying to cook," Claflin said of separating from his ex during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"My gosh, I didn't have a clue," he continued. "There were moments where I was crying to myself, but we got through that together, and being forced to be on my own was the best thing that ever happened to [our] relationship."

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Elsewhere in the article, Claflin spoke about how it was his dream in life to become a dad ever since he was 3.

"When I was a teenager and beyond, if I was at a wedding, I would always go and hang out with the kids," he shared, adding that he used to tell people when he was younger that he wanted to be a dad when he grew up.

Eventually, Claflin and his ex-wife Haddock became parents shortly after the actor starred inThe Hunger Gamesfranchise.

"WhenThe Hunger Gamesfinished, me and my wife at the time were trying for a baby so I didn't want to be away for five months shooting," he explained. "I wanted to be at home and start my family."

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Claflin then took some time off from Hollywood, opting to shoot smaller projects so he could stay closer to home.

"I was speaking to one director quite recently [who asked], 'So, where have you been?' I was sort of everywhere for a little while and then I went off the map in Hollywood's eyes, I guess," said Claflin. "The truth is, I'm really proud of that decision. I don't regret any of it."

Daniele Venturelli/WireImage/Getty

Back in 2023, Claflin alluded tobeing in a "bad place" after his separationfrom Haddock, whom he was with for six years, in an interview withVariety.

"I'd been through quite a lot personally at the time. I was in a really bad place," he explained at the time. "I think I needed to work out a few kinks in my own life, to figure out who I was as this dad on my own in a house outnumbered by two toddlers."

"Then this job coming out the back of that was just the most fun, joyous fresh start," he said of beginning his work onDaisy Jones.

The actor announced his and Haddock's split on his Instagram Stories in August 2019, sharing a joint statement from the former couple promising that they were moving forward with "nothing but love."

"Laura and I have decided to legally separate," the statement said. "We will move forward with nothing but love, friendship and a deep respect for one another, whilst we continue to raise our family together."

"We won't be commenting on this further," the statement continued. "Thank you in advance for your support and respecting our privacy at this time. Both of us x."

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February 09, 2026

Sam Claflin Admits He 'Didn't Have a Clue' How to Be a Single Dad as He Recalls Difficult Transition After Divorce

Sam Claflin is sharing more about being a single dad to his two kids NEED TO KNOW The actor opened up about ...

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Tom Brady and Alix Earle Are 'Hooking Up,' Says Source as They're Spotted Together During Super Bowl Weekend (Exclusive)

Phillip Faraone/Getty; Kevin Mazur/Getty

NEED TO KNOW

• Alix Earle and Tom Brady are "hooking up," a source tells PEOPLE

• The influencer, 25, and former NFL star, 48, were seen spending time together at a Super Bowl weekend event ahead of the championship game on Sunday, Feb. 8

• A source previously confirmed to PEOPLE that the pair attended the same New Year's Eve party in St. Barths, where they hung out and looked cozy together

Alix EarleandTom Bradyhave been spending time together beyond their public appearances at the same parties.

A source tells PEOPLE that the influencer, 25, and retired New England Patriots star, 48, are "hooking up."

Reps for Earle and Brady have not commented on the relationship to PEOPLE.

The news comes amid speculation about the pair's relationship after they were first seen hanging outat the same event in St. Barthson Dec. 31, 2025. In videos obtained by PEOPLE, Earle and Brady looked cozy as they danced together, laughed and chatted at the New Year's Eve party.

Phillip Faraone/Getty for Raising Cane's

At one point, Earle flashed Brady a grin and could also be seen leaning over to whisper something in Brady's ear while rubbing her hand along his back.

More recently, the twopublicly reunitedoverSuper Bowlweekend. Videos shared onsocial mediaby DeuxMoi showed Brady and theDancing with the Starsfinalist talking and dancing at a party ahead of the big game on Sunday, Feb. 8.

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Earle and Brady could be seen smiling at each other as they held drinks. The NFL alum sported glasses and a baseball cap, and Alix styled her long blonde hair in loose curls for the casual outing.

In early December, PEOPLE confirmed that Alix and her boyfriend of two years, Houston Texans wide receiverBraxton Berrios, hadbroken up. The internet personalitylater sharedin a tearful TikTok post that the pair split because she couldn't "be what Braxton needs — noting that they had been long-distance for five months during Berrios'demanding NFL scheduleand her taping of season 34 ofDancing with the Stars.

On Jan. 21, Earleshared an emotionalTikTok video discussing her breakup, specifically opening up about how she felt "being alone." The content creator admitted it felt "so weird" to not have a "male partner" around to talk to or to "distract" her.

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"I think I've just always had boyfriends. I was, like, a boyfriend hopper," she explained to her millions of followers. "This year, I'm gonna be dedicated to being OK with being alone. But I don't know why I can't do it. This is like growth or something, but I'm sad."

She added, "I feel like it just makes life feel so lonely, but it's not, and I'm not lonely."

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Tom Brady and Alix Earle Are 'Hooking Up,' Says Source as They're Spotted Together During Super Bowl Weekend (Exclusive)

Phillip Faraone/Getty; Kevin Mazur/Getty NEED TO KNOW Alix Earle and Tom Brady are "hooking up," ...

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Lebanon's Tripoli building collapse kills 15

Feb 9 (Reuters) - The death toll from the collapse of residential buildings in the Lebanese city of Tripoli rose to 15 after search and rescue ​operations ended, Lebanon's National News Agency said on Monday, citing the civil defence ‌chief.

Civil defence director general Imad Khreiss said rescue teams rescued eight people from the rubble of the collapsed ‌buildings in the northern city's Bab al-Tabbaneh neighbourhood.

Officials said on Sunday that two adjoining buildings had collapsed.

Abdel Hamid Karimeh, head of Tripoli's municipal council, said he could not confirm how many people remained missing. Earlier, the head of Lebanon's civil defence rescue service said the two ⁠buildings were home to 22 ‌residents.

A number of aging residential buildings have collapsed in Tripoli, Lebanon's second-largest city, in recent weeks, highlighting deteriorating infrastructure and years of neglect, ‍state media reported, citing municipal officials.

The Lebanese cabinet said following a meeting that the city's municipal council is set to issue a decision to evacuate 114 buildings at risk of collapse within a ​period not exceeding one month.

Temporary housing assistance would be made available for families being ‌evacuated for one year, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said on X.

Karimeh said the issue of unsafe buildings in Tripoli was longstanding and driven by multiple factors, including construction violations, years of disorder, weak oversight and a lack of regular maintenance, partly linked to restrictive rent control laws that discourage owners from investing in repairs.

He said many buildings in ⁠the city were between 60 and 70 years old ​and had exceeded their structural lifespan without undergoing ​essential maintenance, increasing the risk of collapse. The problem, he added, exceeded the capacity of the municipality and residents alone, calling for direct state intervention.

Authorities ‍have begun providing temporary ⁠shelter to displaced families, while Lebanon's Higher Relief Committee is offering housing allowances for up to three months, Karimeh said.

He added that charities, the Ministry of Social ⁠Affairs and international organisations were coordinating to provide assistance, saying the aim was to secure a minimum ‌acceptable level of support for affected households.

(Reporting by Jana Choukeir and Jaidaa Taha; ‌Editing by Kirsten Donovan and David Holmes)

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February 09, 2026

Lebanon's Tripoli building collapse kills 15

Feb 9 (Reuters) - The death toll from the collapse of residential buildings in the Lebanese city of Tripoli rose to 15 a...

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NYC nurses reach a deal to end a strike at 2 major hospitals while walkout continues at another

NEW YORK (AP) — Nurses and two major hospital systems in New York City have reached a deal to end anearly monthlong strikeover staffing levels, workplace safety, health insurance and other issues.

The tentative agreement announced Monday by the nurses' union involves the Montefiore and Mount Sinai hospital systems. Nurses remain on strike at NewYork Presbyterian.

The walkout began Jan. 12, prompting the hospitals to scramble to hire legions of temporary nurses to fill in duringa demanding flu season.

The union said members at Montefiore and Mount Sinai hospitals will vote this week on whether to ratify the contracts and return to work.

The three-year deal affects roughly 10,500 of the some 15,000 nurses on strike at some of the city's biggest private, nonprofit hospitals.

"For four weeks, nearly 15,000 NYSNA members held the line in the cold and in the snow for safe patient care," Nancy Hagans, president of the New York State Nurses Association, said in a statement. "Now, nurses at Montefiore and Mount Sinai systems are heading back to the bedside with our heads held high."

The nurses union said the tentative agreement calls for a 12% pay raise over the life of the contract, as well as maintains nurses' health benefits with no additional out-of-pocket costs.

In addition, the proposed pact includes new protections against workplace violence, including specific protections for transgender and immigrant nurses and patients, as well as provisions addressing artificial intelligence in hospitals, the union said.

Nurses at Montefiore and Mount Sinai hospitals will vote to ratify their contracts starting Monday, the union said. If the tentative contract agreements are ratified, nurses will return to work on Saturday.

Mount Sinai said it would comment later on the deal while a Montefiore spokesperson confirmed its nurses will be voting Monday through Wednesday but declined to comment further.

Meanwhile, NewYork-Presbyterian said it agreed over the weekend to a proposal presented by mediators that includes pay raises, preserves nurses' pensions, maintains their health benefits and increases staffing levels. The union reiterated that the strike remains in effect at NewYork-Presbyterian hospitals.

The affected hospitals have insisted theiroperations are running smoothlyduring the walkout, with organ transplants, cardiac surgeries and other complex procedures largely uninterrupted. Many of the medical centers, however, canceled scheduled surgeries, transferred some patients and discharged others ahead of the strike.

The striking nurses priorities vary by hospital, but staffing has generally been a central issue. Nurses complained of being overworked, saying the hospitals held out for weeks on committing to more manageable patient loads. The union said Monday that the tentative agreements would increase staffing and otherwise address those concerns.

The hospitals and nurses also have been at odds over benefits, and the union sought workplace security upgrades and restrictions on the use ofartificial intelligence. Hospital staffers' longstanding security concerns flared into public view when agunman entered Mount Sinaiin November and a manholed up in a Brooklyn hospitalwith a sharp object last month. Police killed both men.

The hospitals said the union's demands were exorbitant. They say unionized nurses' salaries already average $162,000 to $165,000 a year, not including benefits.

The nurses and their political allies, including New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and independent U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, countered that top hospital executivesmake millions of dollars a year.

Not every hospital in the three health care systems was affected by the strike, nor were any city-run public hospitals. Other private hospitals reached last-minute deals with the union.

Nurses staged a three-day strike in 2023 in the Mount Sinai and Montefiore systems. They ultimately inked contracts that raised pay 19% over three years and sought to make staffing improvements enforceable by allowing for extra pay if nurses worked short-handed.

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February 09, 2026

NYC nurses reach a deal to end a strike at 2 major hospitals while walkout continues at another

NEW YORK (AP) — Nurses and two major hospital systems in New York City have reached a deal to end anearly monthlong stri...

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Jimmy Lai's children look to Trump and other leaders to push China to free their father

WASHINGTON (AP) — Thechildren of Jimmy Lai, a pro-democracy former Hong Kong media mogul and China critic, said Monday that a possible visit by President DonaldTrump to Beijing in Aprilcould be "crucial" in securing the release of their 78-year-old father.

Britain Hong Kong Jimmy Lai Family

Lai's son and daughter pleaded for their father's freedom on humanitarian grounds after a Hong Kong court on Mondaysentenced him to 20 years in prisonfollowing convictions under a Beijing-imposed national security law that has virtually silenced the city's dissent.

"The president has said multiple times that this is a case that he cares about," Sebastien Lai said about Trump during a call with reporters. "We are in a situation where the April visit will be, more obviously, be crucial, and, hopefully, my father will still be OK health-wise until that point."

Speaking of his father, the younger Lai said "this is a man who is, unfortunately, is very close to dying. He's a man who has gone through a tremendous amount. His body has deteriorated."

The ruling in Hong Kong is certain to add friction toalready fragile U.S.-China relations, with Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping expected to meet this year to keep ties stabilized over thorny issues like tariffs, export restrictions andU.S. arms sales to Taiwan,a self-governed island that Beijing claims is Chinese territory.

While Trump has said several times he will be visiting Beijing this April, China has yet to confirm it.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the decision to sentence Lai to 20 years "an unjust and tragic conclusion to this case." In a statement, Rubio urged Chinese authorities to grant Lai humanitarian parole, noting that Lai and his family "have suffered enough" after a trial lasting two years and his detention for more than five years.

After Lai was convicted in December, Trump said he felt "so badly" and that he had asked Xi to consider releasing Lai, who is the founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper, which was known for its critical reports about the governments in Hong Kong and Beijing.

"We're hopeful but we don't know," his daughter Claire Lai said of the prospects that Trump would successfully negotiate for her father's release.

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Chris Tang, Hong Kong's secretary for security, accused "external forces" of ignoring the facts and making biased criticisms of court decisions. "We will refute baseless allegations and smearing resolutely by presenting the truth and facts for all to see," Tang said.

In an interview with The Associated Press in London, Sebastien Lai said it's time forworld leaders to keep pressure on Beijingwhen they visit China or meet with Xi by bringing up his father's case.

"I could only pray that this pressure helps," the younger Lai said. "I think my father's case is the litmus test to whatever engagement we have with China."

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's government said he directly raised Jimmy Lai's case with Xi duringa visit to Chinalast month. U.K. officials said they will "rapidly engage further" after Monday's sentencing, but it wasn't clear what that entailed.

Sebastien Lai said he is "incredibly grateful" for Trump's past remarks about freeing his father, which have "given my family a lot of hope."

Now, it's about saving his father's life, the son said.

"It's a 20-year sentence, which is comically large, given that my father's 78. At that point in 20 years, he'll be 100 almost," he said. "But in the conditions he's been kept in ... he might die before then."

Hui reported from London.

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February 09, 2026

Jimmy Lai's children look to Trump and other leaders to push China to free their father

WASHINGTON (AP) — Thechildren of Jimmy Lai, a pro-democracy former Hong Kong media mogul and China critic, said Monday t...

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Maxwell invokes the Fifth Amendment at closed virtual House Oversight deposition

Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted co-conspirator of Jeffrey Epstein, invoked the Fifth Amendment during the closed-door virtual deposition before the House Oversight Committee on Monday, according to Chairman James Comer.

It was expected that Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year sentence in federal prison in Texas,would refuse to answer questionsfrom lawmakers and committee staffers as part of the panel's investigation into the late financier and his ties to some of the world's most powerful figures in politics, business and entertainment. Epstein, a convicted sex offender, died by suicide in 2019 while at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York City.

Latest release of Epstein files includes some survivors' names, despite DOJ assurances, lawyers say

Maxwell has a petition pending in federal court in New York which seeks to overturn her conviction or reduce her sentence.

Some committee lawmakers were expected to attend the closed deposition.

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The deposition was more than six months in the making, and was first requested last July, when Comerformally issued a subpoenafor a deposition with Maxwell to occur at Federal Correctional Institution Tallahassee on Aug. 11.

Comer agreed to delay the deposition as Maxwell awaited a Supreme Court ruling on her appeal,which she ultimately lost.

Maxwell was moved to a minimum-security prison in Texas, whereDeputy Attorney General Todd Blancheinterviewed her over two daysin July.

After Epstein's death, investigation weighed potential charges against co-conspirators

During that interview, Maxwell told Blanche that she never witnessed nor heard of any criminal or inappropriate activity by President Donald Trump, former President Bill Clinton, nor any of the well-known men who associated with Epstein, according to the sources.

The closed deposition with Maxwell comes on the same day that members of Congress can go to the Department of Justice to view unredacted versions of the Epstein files that the department has withheld from public disclosure.

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February 09, 2026

Maxwell invokes the Fifth Amendment at closed virtual House Oversight deposition

Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted co-conspirator of Jeffrey Epstein, invoked the Fifth Amendment during the closed-do...

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