Jenny Slate slams Justin Baldoni's team as 'pigs' in unsealed texts

Jenny Slatemade her feelings aboutJustin Baldoniknown toBlake Lively.

In texts with her "It Ends with Us" costar,unsealed in court recordson Jan. 20, the actress called Baldoni, 41, and his team at Wayfarer Studios "greedy and brazen" and wrote that she got a negative "general vibe" from the director but "pushed past it."

The texts, exchanged a month before the film's release in August 2024, have been unsealed among hundreds of exhibits in Lively'ssexual harassment and retaliation lawsuitagainst Baldoni and Wayfarer.

In Lively's texts to Slate, 43, the "Gossip Girl" actress claims Wayfarer is attempting to sell a book with her name and likeness, with "It Ends with Us" writerColleen Hooveras the author, "even though she wouldn't sign the contact be she didn't want to be apart [sic] of it either."

Since her days on "Gossip Girl," Blake Lively has been both an acting and a fashion darling.

See her achievements and most iconic looks, starting with Lively's appearance at the Tribeca Festival Artists Dinner in New York City on June 9, 2025.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> America Ferrera, Alexis Bledel, Ken Kwapis, Amber Tamblyn and Blake Lively arrive at the premiere of "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" at The Grauman's Chinese Theatre on May 31, 2005, in Hollywood, California.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> From left, Ed Westwick, Leighton Meester, Blake Lively, Nicole Fiscella, Taylor Momsen, Chace Crawford and Matthew Settle attend the CW Network Upfront at Madison Square Garden on May 17, 2006, in New York City.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Lively arrives at the Hollywood Life magazine's 6th annual Breakthrough Awards held at Henry Fonda Music Box Theatre on Dec. 10, 2006, in Hollywood, California.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Lively attends the launch party for CW Network's "Gossip Girls" at Tenjune on Sept. 18, 2007, in New York City.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Lively and Leighton Meester appear onstage during MTV's Total Request Live at the MTV Times Square Studios on Oct. 1, 2007, in New York City.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Lively leaves the Valentino fashion show during Paris Fashion Week (Haute Couture) Spring-Summer 2008 on Jan. 23, 2008, in Paris.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Lively arrives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala, Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy, held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 5, 2008, in New York City.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Blake Lively, Alexis Bledel, America Ferrera and Amber Tamblyn attend the world premiere of "The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants 2" presented by Warner Bros. Pictures at the Ziegfeld Theatre on July 28, 2008, in New York City.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Lively and Ernie Lively, Blake's father, arrive at the InStyle/Warner Bros. after party for the 66th Annual Golden Globe Awards held at the Oasis Court at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Jan. 11, 2009, in Beverly Hills, California.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> From left, Keanu Reeves, Blake Lively, Rebecca Miller, Robin Wright Penn and Zoe Kazan attend the premiere for "The Private Lives of Pippa Lee" as part of the 59th Berlin Film Festival at the Berlinal Palast on Feb. 9, 2009, in Berlin.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Lively arrives at "The Town" Premiere held at Roy Thomson Hall during the 35th Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 11, 2010, in Toronto.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Lively and designer Karl Lagerfeld pose on the red carpet at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit celebrating the opening of Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty in New York on May 2, 2011.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Lively arrives to attend the Museum of Modern Art's fourth annual Film Benefit in New York on Nov. 15, 2011.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> For the 2013 Met Gala in May, she chose another Gucci gown to meet the "PUNK: Chaos to Couture" theme.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> For the 2014 Met Gala, themed "Charles James: Beyond Fashion," Lively wore an iridescent Gucci gown.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Lively went back to a haltered Gucci for the "Grace of Monaco" Cannes Film Festival premiere in May 2014.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> She wowed in Chanel Couture for the "Mr. Turner" premiere at Cannes in May 2014.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Lively went with Gucci again for the Captives premiere during the 67th annual Cannes Film Festival in May 2014.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Lively had a great red carpet run while promoting "The Age of Adaline," especially with this red Monique Lhuillier for the NYC premiere on April 19, 2015.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Lively went with a silver Ralph & Russo dress for the State Dinner in honor of Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the White House in March 2016.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> For the 2016 Met Gala, she chose a chiffon Burberry gown with laser-cut floral detailing on the back.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Lively went blue and asymmetrical in Atelier Versace at the premiere of Steven Spielberg's film "BFG" in May 2016 during the 69th annual Cannes Film Festival at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes, France.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Corey Stoll, Blake Lively, Woody Allen, Kristen Stewart, Jesse Eisenberg and Pierre Lescure attend the "Cafe Society" premiere and the Opening Night Gala during the 69th annual Cannes Film Festival at the Palais des Festivals on May 11, 2016, in Cannes, France.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Lively attends the "Slack Bay (Ma Loute)" premiere during the 69th annual Cannes Film Festival at the Palais des Festivals on May 13, 2016, in Cannes, France.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> For the world premiere of "The Shallows" in June 2016, the star chose a bustier-topped Carolina Herrera dress.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> She shined in a gilded, form-fitting Atelier Versace gown, accented by cobalt and cyan feathers at the 2017 Met Gala in May.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Lively debuted this instantly iconic princess look, designed by Versace, at the 2018 Met Gala in May.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Lively (L) and American actress Anna Kendrick pose on the red carpet upon arrival for the UK premiere of the film "A Simple Favour" in central London on Sept. 17, 2018.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Lively revealed her third pregnancy in a canary-yellow dress on the carpet for "Pokemon: Detective Pikachu" in May 2019.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Here is Lively in pastel blue with the fashion icon, Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, at the Michael Kors runway show in February 2022. 

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Another February 2022 fashion moment for Lively as she wore a pastel gown for the premiere of "The Adam Project." 

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Lively's most incredible fashion moment took place on the Met Gala steps in May 2022. The actress showed off a color-changing gown to represent the Statue of Liberty for the gala's theme "In America: An Anthology of Fashion." 

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Tah-dah! Here is the moment she unveiled the teal portion of her dress as the onlookers were fixed on the transformation. She and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, were co-chairs of the star-studded event. 

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Lively and Gigi Hadid attend the "Deadpool & Wolverine" New York Premiere on July 22, 2024, in New York City.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Lively attends the "It Ends With Us" New York Premiere at AMC Lincoln Square Theater on Aug. 6, 2024, in New York City.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Lively attends the 13th annual Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) Art+Film Gala in Los Angeles on Nov. 2, 2024.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Lively and Michele Marrone attend the world premiere of "Another Simple Favor" during the 2025 SXSW Conference and Festival at The Paramount Theatre on March 7, 2025, in Austin, Texas.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Donning an elegant, off-the-shoulder red gown, Lively attends the TIME100 gala in New York City on April 24, 2025.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Lively, left, poses on the TIME100 gala red carpet alongside husband Ryan Reynolds, center, and Lively's mother, Elaine Lively.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Lively, Paul Feig and Anna Kendrick attend "Another Simple Favor" New York Screening at Jazz at Lincoln Center on April 27, 2025, in New York City.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Lively channels summer chic in a knitted, floral-patterned dress and accompanying denim jacket for the Tribeca Festival Artists Dinner in New York City on June 9, 2025.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

Revisit 'Gossip Girl' star Blake Lively's career, iconic looks

Since her days on "Gossip Girl,"Blake Livelyhas been both an acting and a fashion darling.See her achievements and most iconic looks, starting with Lively's appearance at the Tribeca Festival Artists Dinner in New York City on June 9, 2025.

Taylor Swift's textswith Blake Lively emerge in unsealed court docs

Slate responded with disgust, calling the director's production company "pigs."

"I can't believe how greedy and brazen and dim they are," she continued. "They are so desperate and greedy for the cheapest marks of fame, and they're not worthy adversaries. but they keep worming their way into these horrid battles."

She added: "What did they think would happen? didn't they expect that you most likely have really great lawyers, and that you yourself are incredibly smart, and that they could never get away with that?"

'It Ends with Us' authorColleen Hoover reveals cancer diagnosis

Lively then recalled a conversation with Baldoni, in which he allegedly said, with others present, "Have I always asked fro [sic] consent? … No. Have I always listened when they said no? … No."

The "Another Simple Favor" actress added, "People show you who they are, believe them the first time," to which Slate responded, "That is my central takeaway here. I also saw something in him, was aware of a general vibe that I'm not into, and I pushed past it. Never again! Lesson learned."

USA TODAY has reached out to reps for Slate and Baldoni for comment.

Jenny Slate called Baldoni a 'fraud' and 'clown' in 2023 texts

Slate's issues with Baldoni were expressed months before the aforementioned texts, as she texted her team that she did not want to work with the director during publicity for the film.

"i don't want to do anything with Justin, i don't want to talk about him, like … nothing. And the same goes for Jamey [Heath], who is truly unprofessional," she texted her team in June 2023, according toPeople.

She continued: "['It Ends with Us'] has been a really gross and disturbing shoot, and I'm one of many who feel [this] way," and added she and Lively, 38, "both complained directly."

The "Zootopia" voice actress further slammed Baldoni as "truly a false ally" and wrote she was "unwilling to do anything that promotes the image that he's crafting as a 'male feminist' … like … honestly i have no words to describe what a fraud he is."

She added: "He's the biggest clown and the most intense narcissist. Lots of lessons learned!"

Lively's December 2024 lawsuit claimed the "It Ends with Us" directorengaged in inappropriate sexual conduct on and off setand helped orchestrate a smear campaign against her. Baldoni's team has vehemently denied the allegations. A defamation countersuit filed by Baldoni wasofficially terminated in October.

Lawyers for both sides returned to New York federal court on Thursday, Jan. 22. The trialis due to begin on May 18.

Contributing: KiMi Robinson, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Jenny Slate slams Justin Baldoni in unsealed texts to Blake Lively

byCosmopolite

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January 22, 2026

Jenny Slate slams Justin Baldoni's team as 'pigs' in unsealed texts

Jenny Slatemade her feelings aboutJustin Baldoniknown toBlake Lively. In texts with her "It Ends with Us...

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After fatal rail accident, a missing dog that captivated Spain is found

MADRID (AP) — After back-to-backfatal train crashessent shock waves through Spain, some good news arrived on Thursday: Boro, the missing dog, was found.

Days earlier, Boro's owner Ana Garcíaissued a desperate pleato help find him after the dog bolted Sunday in the aftermath of the high-speedtrain crash in southern Spainthat killed at least 43 people. García, 26, and her pregnant sister were traveling with Boro on the train that derailed.

On Thursday, forest firefighters in southern Spain found the black-and-white pooch, writing on X: "At this time of the morning, we share some good news: Boro, the missing dog, has been found."

García is seen holding Boro, embracing him with one of her legs in a brace in images that the firefighters posted online.

The search for Boro appeared to provide Spaniards something to hope for amid the week's tragedy.

For days, people had rallied online to find him, amplifying García's call and sharing video of her interview. Photos of Boro, a medium-sized black dog with white eyebrows went viral alongside phone numbers for García and her family. Television broadcasters covered the search as did Spanish newspapers.

When the search ended on a positive note, Spaniards celebrated.

"A picture of hope in Adamuz. Boro is returning home to his family," one user on Xwrote.

García, her sister and the dog had been traveling Sunday by high-speed train from Malaga, their hometown in southernSpain,to the capital Madrid, when the tail of their train car jumped the railsfor reasons that remain unclear, and smashed into another train.

The collision killed dozens and injured more than 150 people. Rescue crews helped García and her sister out of the tilted train car. That's when she briefly saw Boro before he ran.

"Please, if you can help, look for the animals," a limping García told reporters, choked up and holding back tears. "We were coming back from a family weekend with the little dog, who's family, too."

She spoke to the cameras with a blanket draped over her shoulders and her face still visibly bruised from Spain'sworst rail accidentin more than a decade.

The Associated Press reached one of Garcia's family members by text message on Thursday. "I can confirm that we have the dog and there's hope," the person wrote, before saying they had to tend to Garcia's sister still in the hospital.

García thanked "all of Spain" for helping find her pooch.

"Many thanks. I promise that I am going to look after him a lot," she told reporters in a video posted online. "Now let's go home, buddy."

Associated Press journalist Teresa Medrano in Madrid contributed to this report.

byCosmopolite

in

January 22, 2026

After fatal rail accident, a missing dog that captivated Spain is found

MADRID (AP) — After back-to-backfatal train crashessent shock waves through Spain, some good news arrived on Thursday: Bo...

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One of the most extreme winter storms in years is set to deliver damaging ice and heavy snow to nearly half the US

A major winter storm — among the most extreme and widespread in years — is set to lash more than two dozen states with damaging ice and heavy snow late this week.

It's all being fed and worsened by a brutal blast of Arctic air that could set records during the typical coldest time of the year.

The storm will be so extensive, its snow, sleet and freezing rain could stretch more than 1,500 miles from the Plains across the South and into the Northeast. Major travel disruption on roads and at airports is a given across its entire footprint, and widespread and potentially long-lasting power outages are also possible, particularly from its ice storm in the South.

The extreme cold will worsen the storm and its impacts by causing snow and ice to accumulate faster on roads, making them harder to treat, and possibly leaving those that lose power shivering without heat for days.

Snow and ice will start to develop over the Central and Southern Plains on Friday as the storm begins to intensify and then expand on Saturday, stretching from Oklahoma and northern Texas to North Carolina, Virginia and Maryland by Saturday night. Snow and ice will reach the Northeast early Sunday and continue into Monday.

However, the track of this storm and how it interacts with the blast of cold air is still somewhat uncertain and that will make a big difference when it comes to snow and ice totals in any one location. Those details are coming into better focus now, but changes are possible over the next couple of days.

Winter storm alerts have been hoisted for more than 125 million people across parts of at least two dozen states ahead of the storm and more are likely in the next day or two.

Ice could knock out power to many

Damaging ice from freezing rain is the storm's most serious threat.

Freezing rain causes ice to build up on surfaces, and its tremendous amount of added weight can bring down trees and power lines. The amount of ice in a worst-case scenario for this storm could cause many power outages, some that could be long-lasting. But power outages are likely even in the most likely scenario.

Portions of the South from northern and eastern Texas into the lower-Mississippi and Tennessee valleys, northern Georgia and parts of the Carolinas and Virginia are at greatest risk for significant icing and power outages based on the current forecast. This includes major cities such as Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth, Charlotte, Huntsville, Alabama, Little Rock, Arkansas, and Memphis, Tennessee.

Travel could be brought to a standstill across major cities even with smaller amounts of ice.

North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein declared a state of emergency Wednesday. "I encourage all North Carolinians to stay home and off the roads this weekend unless absolutely necessary so first responders can do their jobs safely and effectively," the governor said in a news release. Crews across the state are out brining roads and bridges, but officials warned impacts will likely linger into next week.

A state of emergency is also in effect in South Carolina. The declaration allows the state to mobilize resources, activate National Guard personnel and coordinate response efforts, according to a news release from Gov. Henry McMaster's office.

In Georgia, state agencies were also working to pre-treat roads and prepare, Gov. Brian Kemp said in a Wednesday social media post. "Take this time to secure food, fill up on gas and ensure you're prepared for any potential loss of power," Kemp urged residents.

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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott activated state emergency response resources on Tuesday to prepare for the storm. Crews to pre-treat roadways and personnel and equipment to support any motorists who become stranded are among the resources, according to a news release from the governor's office. Agencies will also monitor power and natural gas utilities.

Heavy snow threat from Plains to East Coast

Heavy snow will pile up for a wide area to the north of the storm's freezing rain zone.

A half-foot or more of snow could fall from far northern Texas, much of Oklahoma and southern Kansas through the mid-Mississippi and Ohio valleys and into the mid-Atlantic and parts of the Northeast. Some could see as much as a foot.

Exactly where the most snow happens will depend on the storm's track, which is still unclear, Oklahoma City and Tulsa, Oklahoma, Louisville, Kentucky, Washington, DC, and New York City are in play.

Sleet or freezing rain could mix with snow in some areas, which complicates the forecast and makes potential snowfall totals less certain.

One thing thing is clear: Brutal cold is on the way for millions, and any snow and ice that accumulates will not melt quickly. That means any impacts could last into early next week for areas that see significant snow and ice totals.

Record-breaking cold possible

The Arctic cold invasion that will feed this winter storm arrives in the Midwest and Plains Thursday into Friday and will then spread into the South and East this weekend. Dozens of locations could break daily high and low cold temperature records, especially this weekend into early next week.

Dallas-Fort Worth and Raleigh, North Carolina, are among the cities threatening to break cold records, with highs not expected to rise out of the 20s on Saturday. Dallas-Fort Worth could approach record lows both those days, possibly bottoming out near 10 degrees Sunday and Monday.

The worst of the cold kicks in with temperatures that will be more than 30 degrees below average by Friday in much of the Midwest and Plains. That's significant since mid-to-late January is whenaverage temperatures are already at their lowest levelfor many locations east of the Rockies.

Thermometers in the Twin Cities will likely remain below zero all day on Friday and lows both that morning and Saturday might bottom out near minus 20 degrees. Chicago could see at least two consecutive mornings with subzero low temperatures.

Dangerously cold wind chills are also expected. The upper Midwest will see feels-like temperatures between 30 and 50 degrees below zero. Frostbite on exposed skin can occur in as little as 10 minutes when wind chills are this cold.

The worst of the cold will push into parts of the South while also spreading into the Northeast on Saturday, plunging thermometers as much as 20 to 40 degrees colder than average.

CNN Meteorologist Briana Waxman contributed to this report.

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byCosmopolite

in

January 22, 2026

One of the most extreme winter storms in years is set to deliver damaging ice and heavy snow to nearly half the US

A major winter storm — among the most extreme and widespread in years — is set to lash more than two dozen states with da...

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Germany expels a Russian diplomat after a suspect is arrested in an espionage case

BERLIN (AP) — The German government on Thursday announced the expulsion of a Russian diplomat over a case in which a woman was arrested on suspicion of supplying information related to thewar in Ukraineto an intelligence contact at Moscow's embassy in Berlin.

The Foreign Ministry said in a social media post that "the German government doesn't tolerate espionage in Germany, still less under the disguise of diplomatic status." It said it summoned the Russian ambassador and told him it was expelling "the person in question who spied on behalf of Russia."

The main suspect in the case, a German-Ukrainian dual citizen,was arrestedin Berlin on Wednesday. Federal prosecutors said she had been in contact since at least November 2023 with a man at the Russian Embassy who worked for a Russian intelligence service.

They alleged that, on various occasions, she supplied him with information linked to the war in Ukraine. She allegedly helped with inquiries about defense industry locations, drone tests and planned drone deliveries to Ukraine, and turned to former employees in "the area of operations of the Defense Ministry" who were personal acquaintances.

The woman also occasionally helped her Russian Embassy contact visit political events in Berlin under aliases so that he could make contacts for Russian intelligence, prosecutors said.

The Defense Ministry said the investigation also involves two former German military employees, one of them a recently retired officer, who are suspected of disclosing information to the main suspect.

byCosmopolite

in

January 22, 2026

Germany expels a Russian diplomat after a suspect is arrested in an espionage case

BERLIN (AP) — The German government on Thursday announced the expulsion of a Russian diplomat over a case in which a woma...

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How Norway's ski jumping scandal led to new rules in place for the Winter Olympics

The difference between winning an Olympic medal inski jumpingor being disqualified could come down to a bit of fabric.

A larger suit can extend a ski jumper's flight by several meters but it could violate rules that have become more stringent after the Norwegian team was caught cheating at last year's world championships by manipulating the crotch area in the uniforms of its top two male jumpers.

Regulators added new measures this season before theMilan Cortina Winter Gamesto ensure all competitors play by the same rules after the scandal rocked the sport in March.

"There have been disqualifications in the past, many. It's part of the sport," said Bruno Sassi, spokesman for the international ski federation, FIS, the sport's regulatory body. "But there had never been that kind of a brazen attempt to not only bend the rules, but like downright do something ... to cheat the system in a way that it is very different from simply having a suit that is a tad too long or a tad too loose."

Ski jumping is as much a science as an art. Teams of experts test skis and clothing in wind tunnels to maximize the aerodynamics at play long before jumpers try to achieve the perfect takeoff, flying form and landing.

A study published in October in the journal Frontiers in Sports and Active Living showed that adding 1 cm (0.4 inches) of fabric to the circumference of the suit could increase a jump by 2.8 meters (9.2 feet) — enough to separate a winner from an also-ran.

"In most cases, enlargement of the suit is beneficial," said co-author Sören Müller, who heads ski jumping research at the Institute for Applied Training Science in Leipzig, Germany. "However, the area stretched by the V-position of the legs in the crotch area is the most noticeable and also offers the greatest advantage."

The scandal

Ski jumpers have often pushed the limits on the size of their suits but video shot by a whistleblower was stunning because it captured Norwegian team officials in the act of cheating.

Head coach Magnus Brevik, assistant coach Thomas Lobben and staff member Adrian Livelten were recentlybanned from the sport for 18 monthsfor tampering with the suits before the men's large hill event. Extra material had been sewn into the crotch to stiffen and add surface area that would help during takeoff.

The alterations could not be spotted and were only found when the seams were examined after the contest.

"We regret it like dogs, and I'm terribly sorry that this happened," Brevik said at the time.

The violation cost defending Olympic large hill ski jump gold medalistMarius Lindvika world championship silver medal and brought shame to the team from Norway, the nation that invented ski jumping and has historically dominated the sport.

Lindvikand teammate Johann André Forfang, a two-time Olympic medalist, accepted three-month suspensions that allowed them to compete in this season's events. Neither was charged with knowing about the stitch witchery butFISsaid they "should have checked and asked questions about the night-time adjustments."

The discovery caused outrage in thetight-knit ski jumping community.

"This is doping," former German Olympic champ Jens Weissflog told German newspaper Bild, "just with a different needle."

The scandal led Norway to sack its men's team leadership.

In the wake of the cheating, FIS has modified its rules and brought in a coordinator to oversee screening of gear and hired former Austrian ski jumper Mathias Hafele to work as equipment expert.

"He used to make a make a living off of trying to make the most out of the rule book," Sassi said. "Now he's on our side putting together the new rule book."

Before ski jumping events, two FIS controllers and a doctor will use improved 3-D measurements to evaluate athletes in their uniforms. The shape of the suits will make it harder to tamper with arm and leg cuffs and more difficult to lower the crotch to provide more surface area.

After suits pass the control checkpoint, tamper-proof microchips are affixed throughout the suit to prevent manipulation. Scanners will be able to tell before and after the jump if the chips are all in place.

A system like in soccer will also be applied so that anyone disqualified for an equipment violation will get a yellow card. A subsequent violation will lead to a red card and disqualification from the next event and a team will also lose a slot for a skier in the competition.

Eyes on Norway

After the scandal, Rune Velta, a former Norwegian team ski jumper, took over as head coach in June and was given the difficult task of restoring Norway's reputation.

"It's the hardest thing I've ever done," Velta said. "We are building everything around the athletes from scratch. We started five months ago with zero and now we have a team around them to make them perform."

Velta, who as Swiss coach last year had publicly criticized the cheating, feels that Norway is under more scrutiny this season.

During the summer ski jumping season when competitors slide down ceramic or porcelain tracks and land on bristly plastic mats, the team tried to adjust to the new ski suit dimensions.

"Acceptance for a kind of minor error and mistakes are really low," Velta said. "We needed this summer to understand the standards and to learn kind of the line of the control and execution of the rules."

AP Olympics coverage:https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

byCosmopolite

in

January 22, 2026

How Norway's ski jumping scandal led to new rules in place for the Winter Olympics

The difference between winning an Olympic medal inski jumpingor being disqualified could come down to a bit of fabric. ...

Read More