Inside the Original “Dallas” Cast's Lives 48 Years After the Show Premiered

'Dallas' premiered on April 2, 1978, becoming an instant hit and running for 14 seasons over 13 years

NEED TO KNOW

• The beloved soap opera went on to launch spinoffs, reunion movies and a TNT revival, solidifying its legacy across generations

• Several of the original cast members continued acting and many have reflected on how the series changed their lives

Dallaspremiered 48 years ago on April 2, 1978.

The CBS soap opera became an instant hit and launched the careers of several of its stars — includingLarry Hagman,Ken Kercheval, Barbara Bel Geddes,Patrick DuffyandLinda Gray, among others. The show ran for 14 seasons and 13 years before it came to an end on May 3, 1991.

AlthoughDallasconcluded in 1991, it launched the spinoff seriesKnots Landing, two reunion movies and a TNT revival series. Just like its generation-spanning fanbase, the show's cast has previously looked back fondly on their time on the show.

"I think thatDallaswas like daytime soaps that were very popular andDallascame into play and it wasgigantic and it filled that same needthat people love to have a recurring story, suspense and something to look forward to," Gray told PEOPLE when the cast reunited in 2023.

While many of the show's stars reunited for the 45th anniversary in 2023, some of the cast members have died since the show ended.

Here's everything to know about where the originalDallascast is now.

Larry Hagman

While Hagman did pursue other acting opportunities after the originalDallasseries wrapped, his leading role as J.R. Ewing remained at the forefront of his career until hedied at age 81.

Hagman reprised the breakout character in the '90s TV moviesJ.R. ReturnsandWar of the Ewingsand again in 2011, when TNT rebooted the series.

Hagman announced that he'd been diagnosed with stage 2 throat cancer in 2011, over 15 years after he'd undergone a liver transplant. Hagman died on Nov. 23, 2012, due to complications from his cancer, thoughhis legacy lives onthrough his costars and friends.

Ken Kercheval

After getting his start on Broadway, Kercheval moved over to TV with cameos and soap opera roles in the mid-'60s. He made it big on the small screen when he starred onDallasas Cliff Barnes, the rival of J.R. Ewing.

Kercheval and Hagman were the only two actors who remained cast members throughoutDallas' original 13-season run. He also appeared as Cliff in all three seasons of the 2012 reboot.

Beforehis death in 2019, Kercheval made appearances in several TV movies throughout the 1990s and returned to theater in the mid-aughts. He played The General in U.K. productions ofWhite Christmasfrom 2006 to 2011.

Barbara Bel Geddes

Geddes finished her acting career playingDallasmatriarch Miss Ellie Ewing. The actress retired from screens and stages in 1990, after 12 seasons on the CBS soap, and shedied of lung cancer in 2005, at age 82.

Geddes established herself as a star long beforeDallas. She won awards for her performance in the Broadway showDeep Are the Roots. Her other theatrical hits during the 1950s and 1960s included productions likeThe Moon Is Blue,Cat on a Hot Tin RoofandMary, Mary.

In Hollywood, she earned critical acclaim for her film and TV work. Geddes was nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for her role in the 1948 movieI Remember Mama. She appeared in a couple of Alfred Hitchcock productions as well, including his 1958 psychological thrillerVertigoand a few episodes of his anthology seriesAlfred Hitchcock Presents.

Patrick Duffy

Patrick Duffyplayed J.R.'s older brother Bobby Ewing, who was famously (and controversially) killed off and brought back one season later. After the final season of the originalDallas, Duffy starred alongside Suzanne Somers on the sitcomStep by Step, which ran from 1991 to 1998.

The actor returned to the soap opera sphere in 2006, playing Stephen Logan onThe Bold and the Beautiful. He departed the show after five years, but did return in 2022 for atwo-episode stint, which featured his real-life girlfriendLinda Purlplaying Duffy's love interest. (Duffy's wife of over 40 years, Carlyn Rosser, died of cancer in 2017).

Beyond his TV roles and other cameos, theDallasalum also appeared in films likeYou Again(2010) andLady of the Manor(2021).

Linda Gray

After starring onDallasas Sue Ellen Ewing,Grayshared the screen with Sylvester Stallone in the 1991 comedyOscar. Then, in the early aughts, the actress took to the stage, appearing in productions ofThe Graduateon the West End and on Broadway.

Gray appeared on shows likeMelrose Place, its spinoffModels Inc. and on90210, another spinoff from the same franchise. She reprised herDallasrole in the TV moviesJ.R. ReturnsandWar of the Ewingsand the series' continuation on TNT in 2012.

More recently, Gray furthered her TV career in the Hallmark filmA Perfect Wedding,the 2023 Lifetime filmLadies of the '80s: A Divas Christmasand on the CW comedy seriesSignificant Mother. Hersoap stardomspans across the pond, too: Gray played Tabitha Maxwell-Brown in Britain's Channel 4 showHollyoaks.

Steve Kanaly

After playing Jock Ewing's illegitimate son Ray Krebbs, Steve Kanaly played Seabone Hunkle on the soapAll My Childrenfrom 1994 to 1995.

Like his costars, the actor appeared in one of theDallas-based TV movies, and he guest starred in four episodes of the reboot. His last known credit has been acting inDeVanityin 2014.

Howard Keel

Before his death in 2004, Howard Keel made a name for himself as a singer and actor, best known for his portrayal of Clayton Farlow onDallas. While on the show, Keel released more albums and continued the musical career he established in theatrical performances and MGM musicals.

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He slowed his performances down in the mid-'90s, afterDallas.However, Keel's talents were still recognized after he died of colon cancer: In 2019, the multi-hyphenate star was inducted into the Western Performers Hall of Fame.

Victoria Principal

Victoria PrincipalleftDallasin 1987, after nine years on the series.

Three decades later, she explained to PEOPLE that she felt there was "a definitive decline" in the show's quality. AsDallascontinued without her character, Pamela Barnes, Principal went on to guest star on other shows and star in TV movies, several of which were produced by her own production company.

After the turn of the century, Principal stepped away from screens and focused on her wellness projects. She has her own line of skincare products, Principal Secret, and has written four books on the subject of personal health.

Charlene Tilton

Charlene Tiltonstarted playing Lucy Ewing when she was just a teenager. The actress was beloved by many for her darling looks — though in 2023, Tilton told PEOPLE that she"had no idea"how beautiful she was during those years of child stardom.

Post-Dallas, Tilton starred in big- and small-screen movies. She revisited the legendary soap for its reboot in 2012, though she's since diversified her character work. Today the all-grown-up starlet appears in TV movies for faith-based streaming services and cable networks, like the Hallmark Channel.

Priscilla Presley

Priscilla Presleywas the third actress to star as Jenna Krebbs inDallas.She played Bobby's ex-fiancé from 1983 through 1988 and then went on star in the threeNaked Gunfranchise films. Presley also appeared in shows likeMelrose Place,Touched by an AngelandSpin Citybefore stepping away from acting.

She has, however, continued producing pieces of entertainment to honor her late ex-husband,Elvis Presley. She worked on the 1998 dramaFinding Gracelandand was the executive producer of a postmortem album release of his archival recordings in 2015. Most recently, she co-created the Netflix animationAgent Elvis, where she voiced thecartoon version of herselfin the series. A movie on her relationship with Elvis, simply calledPriscilla, also premiered to critical acclaim in 2023.

Presley's family life has also evolved in the years since her famed soap stint. She became a grandmother of four through her only daughter,Lisa Marie Presley— whodied at age 54in January 2023.

Lisa Marie's daughterRiley Keoughwelcomed theDallasstar'sfirst great-grandchildin 2022 andsecond in early 2025.

Susan Howard

After she stopped playing Donna Krebbs onDallas, Susan Howard hostedThe 700 Clubon the Christian Broadcasting Network for one year.

Howard has been married twice, first to Charles Howerton, with whom she welcomed her daughter Lynn, and then to Calvin Chrane.

She's since left television and has actively advocated for gun rights organizations like the National Rifle Association.

Jim Davis

Jim Davis died at age 71 after playing family patriarch Jock Ewing for four years.

Beyond his starring role onDallas, the actor is remembered for his prominence in many western films and television shows from the mid-century until his death in 1981.

Audrey Landers

Audrey Landers played nightclub singer Afton Cooper from 1981 through 1984, returning briefly in 1989 for a six-episode reappearance.

She further employed her musical talents as Val Clarke in the 1985 film version ofA Chorus Line, and in 1996, she and her mother created a television series calledThe Huggabug Club.

As a singer, Landersremains activein the industry, recording albums and performing in concerts around the world.

Sheree Wilson

Sheree Wilson played April Ewing in the later seasons ofDallas, from 1986 through 1991.

She continued to nab movie roles and guest star spots on TV. On multiple occasions, Wilson has shared the screen withChuck Norris, starring in the 1994 thrillerHellbound, his seriesWalker, Texas Rangerand its TV film adaptation.

Wilson can most recently be spotted in the TV movieA Mermaid for Christmasand the biographical dramaThe Silent Natural, both of which premiered in 2019.

Cathy Podewell

Cathy Podewell appeared as J.R.'s second wife, Cally Ewing, in the final three seasons ofDallas.

She went on to guest star on television shows, including one episode of the TNT reboot's second season. Beyond her role in the 2021 horror filmReunion from Hell, Podewell has largely stepped out of the spotlight to focus on her three children.

Read the original article onPeople

byCosmopolite

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April 05, 2026

Inside the Original “Dallas” Cast's Lives 48 Years After the Show Premiered

'Dallas' premiered on April 2, 1978, becoming an instant hit and running for 14 seasons over 13 years N...

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Halle Bailey Says Her ‘Village’ Helps Her as a Working Single Mom to Raise Halo, 2: 'You Don't Do It Alone' (Exclusive)

Halle Bailey opens up about being a busy working mom to son Halo, 2

NEED TO KNOW

• She credits her "village" of women in her life who support her as a single mom

• "He's made me more sure of myself," she says of her toddler

Mom's the word forHalle Baileythese days.

In this week's issue of PEOPLE theYou, Me & Tuscanystar, 26,opens up about her journeyto and through motherhood⸺and describes the loving community that supports her as she raises2-year-old son Halo.

"I think after I had my baby I was like, 'I'm grown-grown now,'" she says, with a wink to her past role on TV'sGrown-ish. "He's made me more sure of myself and confident in my voice. 'Stronger' is my word for this year."

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Bailey's been a fierce protector of her son, who she shares withex DDG, since before he was born.

She chose not to confirm her pregnancy or Halo's birth until she was ready, later explaining in atearful 2024 speechat theEssenceBlack Women in Hollywood honors: "Halo was my gift. He is the greatest blessing, and I had no obligation to expose him, me or my family to that unyielding spotlight."

These days, the tot makes occasional smiley appearances on his mom's social media. "It's very trippy to have a whole being grow inside you and now to see them run around and be their own person. I cry every day. I'm just obsessed."

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She's not the only one. As a single mom following hersplit from DDG, Bailey credits her close-knit crew, includingbig sister Chloe, for helping her raise Halo while she maintains a hectic Hollywood work schedule.

"You don't do it alone," she says. "I feel grateful that I have beautiful women in my life that surround me and lift me up and that are my village. It's a village job."

She continues, "Especially when you're trying to work on so many different things. You're trying to do your career as well as balance [motherhood], but I feel like women, we can do it all. Like we really can. We need to give ourselves more credit as women sometimes, too, and know that we are amazing."

When it is just her and Halo, Bailey says she makes the most of that time. "We love walks, hikes and just being in nature," she says of their free-time activities. And the two recently had the adventure of a lifetime in Italy where she brought him along to film.

"We were in Rome for the first like three, four weeks. On one of my off days, I found this really beautiful place," she says. "It was like a fresh water waterfall an hour outside of the city. It's called Narni or something. All the locals were saying the movie Narnia was based off of this little place."

Once they were there, "I felt like I was stepping into a fairytale land. I took so many pictures. The water was super cold, but I had to get in it. He loves water. He's a water baby. We were having so much fun."

For more on Halle Bailey's motherhood journey new rom-com, pick up this week's issue, available now.

Read the original article onPeople

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Halle Bailey Says Her ‘Village’ Helps Her as a Working Single Mom to Raise Halo, 2: 'You Don't Do It Alone' (Exclusive)

Halle Bailey opens up about being a busy working mom to son Halo, 2 NEED TO KNOW She credits her "village...

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Eulogy for the CIA Factbook: The free standard for world facts, long an educational staple, is gone

If you attended school any time after the Nixon administration, then you likely beheld at some point theCIA World Factbook,a map and reference manual of Planet Earth and its inhabitants upon which nearly everyone could agree.

Farewell Factbook

Maybe you read parts of it from a floppy disk or a CD-ROM for that social studies project due tomorrow. Or scanned its list of countries for Latvia, because that is the country you are representing next week in Model U.N. Even better, you wandered the earth in your imagination as you held the physical Factbook in your own hands, unfolding its maps and understanding, perhaps for the first time, that the thumbs-up gesture your friends flash each other is considered an obscene insult in parts of the Middle East, Europe and Argentina.

Who knew? The Factbook and its readers did,for more than six decades.

Its authors — some of the world's best intelligence-gatherers, who contributed thousands of their own photos — kept the curated database updated and online for public use at no charge. The reasons stated were geopolitical and philosophical. But since we are talking about facts, it also is true that the Factbook went public in 1975 with lofty statements of purpose at a time whenCongress was revealing abusesby U.S. intelligence agencies, including the CIA.

"We share these facts with the people of all nations in the belief that knowledge of the truth underpins the functioning of free societies," the CIA itself explained in its pages.

The spy agency is not sharing them anymore.

On Feb. 4, the Trump administrationabruptly shutteredthis widely accepted account of humanity and its flags, nations, customs, militaries and borders. The CIA framed the move as one of progress for an agency whose core mission has changed.

A great wave of grief rose from Factbook fans. Many said they mourned an America that valued knowledge for its own sake. Some saw darker forces at work under a president whose administrationhas promoted— intimesof war and peace —"alternative facts."

"Stay curious," the CIA advised in its "fond farewell" to the Factbook.

And, it might have added: Good luck figuring outwhat's truefrom thewildandfrequentlyinaccurateworld of theinternetandartificial intelligence.

The Factbook's origin story

Decades before Google became an everyday verb, there was the Factbook.

Its origin story is rooted in the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, a U.S. intelligence failure that inspired a more coordinated approach to gathering and organizing information on America's enemies. The Joint Army Navy Intelligence Studies was born, the country's first interdepartmental basic intelligence program. But by 1946, national security experts agreed that "the conduct of peace involves all countries, all human activities — not just the enemy and his war production," in the words of one, George S. Pettee.

The job of gathering basic intelligence on other countries was assigned to the newly minted CIA in 1947, according to the agency's website.

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The Cold War exposed the ongoing need for a one-stop source of basic intelligence — and an opportunity for what in 1971 became the unclassified Factbook. It was released to the public four years later.

In addition to becoming useful to students, it held geopolitical influence. The Factbook showed off American intelligence capabilities to the former Soviet Union and other enemies. Being included in it could confer legitimacy upon a nation or an opposition party. And it was ironic that an agency founded on the need to know and keep secrets was sharing so much data — called "basic intelligence" — with the public.

The Factbook also likely served as a boost to the CIA's public image and put distance between it and other intelligence agencies tarnished by congressional investigations. In 1975, U.S. Sen. Frank Church, D-Idaho, convened a panel that held more than 100 public hearings, many televised, of the most significant oversight of intelligence agencies since World War II.

In 1976, the Church Committee reported widespread abuse by the CIA, IRS, the National Security Agency and FBI, including the revelation of theCIA's "Family Jewels."That was aninternal accountof illegal CIA activities, such as spying on American activists and an assassination plot against Cuba's Fidel Castro.

Also in 1975, what would become the CIA World Factbook went public, ascending as a reliable research tool often recommended in class projects. There was never confirmation that the bad press inspired the wide release of the Factbook, but doing so around the same time fit the CIA's need to rehab its brand.

In 1981, the CIA renamed the publication The World Factbook, and in 1997, it leapt online. The CIA has described it as representing "a tremendous culmination of efforts from some of our country's brightest analytic minds."

The jolt of its Trump-era demise

News of the Factbook's end shocked more than just U.S. students and researchers. It was picked up by news outlets abroad. The story shot across social media, with Reddit users pointing each other to archived Factbooks and racing to set up and identify other sources of unbiased information that might suffice.

Isabel Altamirano, chemistry librarian assistant professor at Auburn University in Alabama, said the information is still out there, but "it'll be harder to find." University libraries, for example, offer similar resources to students, who get access through their tuition.

"It was so easy, because it was all in one place," she said in an interview, noting that on Feb. 4, when she saw the news, she rushed to delete the Factbook from a list of resources for her students in a business communications class.

Fundamentally, one analyst said, a Factbook assembled by a government agency with secret agendas and shadowy methods might never have been unbiased in the first place.

"The compilers aren't, nor can they be expected to be, neutral," said Binoy Kampmark, a professor of global, urban and social studies at Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Australia. Mourning its loss, he wrote in an email, would be "misplaced."

The Factbook, he added, might be better saved as a historical document. Its last publication on Feb. 4 is already outdated, according to an archived version: Under Iran, the country's head of government is still listed as Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Khameneiwas reported killed March 1 in U.S. and Israeli strikes. And the world changed once again, this time without the Factbook to note it.

byCosmopolite

in

April 05, 2026

Eulogy for the CIA Factbook: The free standard for world facts, long an educational staple, is gone

If you attended school any time after the Nixon administration, then you likely beheld at some point theCIA World Factboo...

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On Easter, Pope Leo urges world leaders to end wars, renounce conquest

By Joshua McElwee

Pope Leo XIV leads the Easter Mass in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican

VATICAN CITY, April 5 (Reuters) - Pope Leo urged global leaders in his Easter message on Sunday to end the conflicts raging across ‌the world and abandon any schemes for power, conquest or domination.

The pope, ‌who has emerged as an outspoken critic of the Iran war, lamented in a special message ​to the thousands gathered in St. Peter's Square that people "are growing accustomed to violence, resigning ourselves to it, and becoming indifferent".

"Let those who have weapons lay them down!" the first U.S. pope exhorted. "Let those who have the power to unleash wars choose peace!"

Leo ‌did not mention any specific ⁠conflicts in the message, known as the "Urbi et Orbi" (to the city and the world) blessing. It was unusually brief and direct.

The pope said ⁠that the story of Easter, when the Bible says Jesus rose from the dead three days after not resisting his execution by crucifixion, shows that Christ was "entirely nonviolent".

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"On this ​day of ​celebration, let us abandon every desire for ​conflict, domination, and power, and implore ‌the Lord to grant his peace to a world ravaged by wars," Leo urged.

Leo, who is known for choosing his words carefully, has been forcefully decrying the world's violent conflicts in recent weeks and ramping up his criticism of the Iran war.

In a sermon for the Easter vigil on Saturday night, he urged people not ‌to feel numbed by the scope of the ​conflicts raging across the world but to work ​for peace.

The pope made a rare direct ​appeal to U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday, urging him to find ‌an "off-ramp" to end the Iran war.

In ​his address from the ​balcony of St. Peter's Basilica on Sunday to the Square below, decorated with thousands of brightly coloured flowers for the holiday, Leo offered brief Easter ​greetings in ten languages, ‌including Latin, Arabic and Chinese.

The pope also announced he would return to ​the Basilica on April 11 to host a prayer vigil for peace.

(Reporting ​by Joshua McElwee; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)

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April 05, 2026

On Easter, Pope Leo urges world leaders to end wars, renounce conquest

By Joshua McElwee Pope Leo XIV leads the Easter Mass in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican VATICAN CITY, ...

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Congo says it will receive third-country deportees under new deal with US

KINSHASA, April 5 (Reuters) - Democratic Republic of Congo will receive third-country ‌nationals deported from the United States ‌under a new deal with the Trump ​administration, the government in Kinshasa said in a statement on Sunday.

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* The government said it will receive deportees starting ‌inApril, but ⁠did not say how many it had agreed to take. * ⁠The arrangement will be paid for by the United States,with no cost ​to the ​Congolese government, ​the statement said. * ‌Facilities have been prepared near the capital Kinshasa toaccommodate the deportees, it said. * The United States has sent third-country deportees toseveral African countries including Ghana, ‌Cameroon, EquatorialGuinea and Eswatini, ​drawing criticism from ​legal experts ​andrights groups. * The agreement coincides ‌with an effort by ​the Trumpadministration ​to implement a peace deal between Congo andRwanda and an agreement ​ensuring U.S. ‌access to Congolesecritical minerals.

(Writing by ​Nellie Peyton; Editing by Hugh Lawson ​and Ros Russell)

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April 05, 2026

Congo says it will receive third-country deportees under new deal with US

KINSHASA, April 5 (Reuters) - Democratic Republic of Congo will receive third-country ‌nationals deported from the United...

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Release from ICE detention brings relief and lingering trauma for wife of Army reservist

After four months and several court hearings,the wife of a U.S. Army Reserve Black Hawk pilotwas released earlier this week from an ICE detention facility in Houston.

Stephanie Kenny-Velasquez, who is from Venezuela, was detained in December just two days after marrying Chris Busby. On Tuesday, Busby, 28, stood outside the detention center with flowers and a smile waiting to hug his wife for the first time this year.

"I just can't believe it," he said on the phone. "We've waited so long."

Kenny-Velasquez was released after a federal judge ruled that her due process rights had been violated when immigration officers detained her last year. She had previously applied for asylum and was released into the U.S. in 2021.

Still, Kenny-Velasquez said she couldn't let herself celebrate until she was back in his arms.

"I was in shock. I'm still in shock," Kenny-Velasquez, 25, said Wednesday. "I'm just trying to process everything."

In an emailed statement, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security said all of Kenny-Velasquez's claims will be heard in immigration court and "will receive full due process."

But her pending asylum case does not grant her legal status in the U.S, the statement continued, noting that she was released into the country under the Biden, not Trump, administration.

"Being in detention is a choice. We encourage all illegal aliens to take control of their departure with the CBP Home App," the statement read in part."

Kenny-Velasquez's first night home wasn't as easy as she hoped. She cried thinking about the dozens of other women who were still inside the large room they shared for several months. Without any privacy, the 60 or so detainees, who speak a range of languages, had grown close.

Some were from Spanish-speaking countries like El Salvador, Honduras and Cuba. Others came to the United States in search of a better life from Vietnam, Russia, Romania and China, she said.

"There's people with family, with kids. I feel bad because I'm here and they're still inside," she said. "Chris said it's called survivor's guilt."

The oldest person she met, a woman from Venezuela, was 72 and had difficulty accessing medication on several occasions, Kenny-Velasquez said.

In the emailed statement, DHS said all detainees receive medical, dental and mental health care within 12 hours of arriving at a facility and have access to 24-hour emergency care.

Kenny-Velasquez said the women slept in bunk beds and shared a bathroom without doors, even for shower stalls and toilets. They woke up at 4:30 a.m. for breakfast — usually oatmeal and bread — and spent the rest of the day reading, talking or cleaning. The women had to be awake at 10 p.m. for the final head count. Gripped with fear and panic, they found sleep was nearly impossible, and Kenny-Velasquez said she endured multiple anxiety attacks.

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"Everything in there is made to feel uncomfortable," she said, adding that she didn't eat a single piece of fruit the whole time she was detained.

In Austin, Texas, where the couple lives, Busby dedicated much of the past few months to freeing his wife. He reached out to lawyers, media, hisformer Army Reservecommanders and local lawmakers asking for help. Nothing seemed to move the needle, not even his years of service dating back to 2015.

Kenny-Velasquez was denied bond on Jan. 9. Lawyers representing the Trump administration argued that she was a flight risk despite her recent marriage and strong ties to the area. She has a brother and extended family who live in Texas, including relatives that have been there for years.

Devastated, Busby found an attorney who specialized in filing habeas petitions for detained immigrants. These petitions are crucial to securing releases for noncitizens by allowing them to challenge their detention in federal, not immigration, court.

Federal judges serve under the U.S. Constitution while immigration judges serve in an administrative wing of the Department of Justice, explained Kenny-Velasquez's lawyer, Javier Rivera.

On Monday, Rivera stood before a U.S. district judge for the Southern District of Texas and successfully argued that his client's right to due process had been violated.

Rivera pointed to her pending asylum case, which dates to 2021, when she first presented herself to border agents. Like many Venezuelans, she and her brother came to the U.S. to escape economic instability and find better job prospects.

At that time she was briefly detained and released on parole while her application was reviewed. Kenny-Velasquez agreed to regularly check in with immigration officials and waited four years for her asylum case to be heard.

She does not have a criminal record, according to her lawyer and public records.

It was during one of those routine appointments that Kenny-Velasquez was detained. She had heard the stories of other people who were taken during check-ins, but both Busby and Kenny-Velasquez assumed that her existing parole would be enough to protect her.

It wasn't. So instead of preparing for an upcoming real estate licensing exam, she was whisked away to an ICE holding room and then sent by bus to the Montgomery Processing Center in Conroe, Texas. She was later relocated to the Houston facility.

She remained there for about four days and hardly ate the entire time due to anxiety and the low quality of food.

"I was ready to sign" out of sheer panic, she said of the option to self-deport.

Now that she and Busby have been reunited, the couple must wait as Rivera attempts to secure permanent residency for Kenny-Velasquez. She has an asylum hearing scheduled for 2027 and is also applying to two different programs that allow noncitizens to "parole in place."

Rivera said he recommends "not taking anything off the table."

"I don't really care which is successful as long as it's successful," he said.

byCosmopolite

in

April 05, 2026

Release from ICE detention brings relief and lingering trauma for wife of Army reservist

After four months and several court hearings,the wife of a U.S. Army Reserve Black Hawk pilotwas released earlier this we...

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'SNL' takes on Pam Bondi's firing by President Trump in cold open

"Saturday Night Live" is bidding farewell to Attorney GeneralPam Bondi.

The showkicked off its April 4 episodewith a sketch tackling the news thatPresident Donald Trump fired Bondi. In an unusual move for "SNL," though, it didn't feature James Austin Johnson's impression of Trump, who has become a cold open staple.

Instead, it depicted an NCAA Final Four post-game show and centered on Charles Barkley, played by Kenan Thompson, going off script several times to offer potentially controversial commentary on various non-basketball topics, including Bondi's ouster.

"As attorney general,Pam Bondiwas, and I don't say this often, terrible," Thompson as Barkley said. "It is a shame when somebody gets fired, but we should all be glad that that freckle-chested dragon lady is gone."

'SNL' welcomes Jack Black:The returning host joined the five-timers club in cameo-filled sketch

Not long after, Bondi, played by Ashley Padilla, entered to offer a rebuttal.

"The truth is, I was amazing at my job, and I am proud to say I made history as the first woman ever to be fired as attorney general," she said. "I shattered that glass exit door!"

But Padilla's Bondi quickly broke down in tears, saying that she already misses her job and declaring, "They threw my headshot in the trash like it was the Epstein files!"

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'SNL UK':New show says Trump wants to 'start World War III,' mocks Prince Andrew

The sketch also brieflyreferenced a recent reportfrom the Daily Mail, which has not been independently verified by USA TODAY, that former Department of Homeland Security SecretaryKristi Noem's husband Bryon Noem practices cross-dressing. Thompson's Barkley said that Noem's husband "looks like he's starring in 'Big Momma's House 4.' "

Another one of Barkley's hot takes in the sketch was that theArtemis II space missionis a waste of money. "They ain't even going to the moon! They're just flying around the moon," he said. "What's the point of that? It's like telling your kids you're going to Disney World, and then you just take them to Goofy Lot D and go home."

Who will host 'SNL'?The show tapped this Emmy-winning star to make hosting debut in April

This week's "SNL" cold open was a break in tradition after several years of Easter episodes that began with a sketch where Johnson as Trump delivered an Easter message. The episode also came just a few weeks after a cold open wherePadilla played another fired memberof the Trump administration, starring as Noem in the first episode after her ouster.

Jack Black hosted"SNL" with musical guest Jack White. This was the first new episode since March 14; the show went on a brief hiatus following itsHarry Styles episode.

"SNL" will be back with another new episode next week, withColman Domingo making his hosting debutalongside musical guest Anitta. The season will wrap sometime in May.

Contributing: Kate Perez, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:'SNL' cold open tackles Pam Bondi firing, Kristi Noem husband

byCosmopolite

in

April 04, 2026

'SNL' takes on Pam Bondi's firing by President Trump in cold open

"Saturday Night Live" is bidding farewell to Attorney GeneralPam Bondi. The showkicked off its April ...

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