In the USA alone, over 600,000 people go missing each year. Often, these individuals are found alive and well. Rarely will they have suffered a terrible accident or been the victim of a fatality.

Even more uncommon is for someone to simply vanish off the face of the earth forever, with no trace of them left behind.

Still, it happens.

Here are seven individuals who disappeared in mysterious circumstances.

We have no clue what happened to them, where they went, or where they may be, though each case offers a trail of intriguing evidence that leads to a frustrating dead end.

Jennifer Kesse

24-year-old Jennifer Kesse lived in Orlando, Florida. She had a comfortable life working as a finance manager, was in a steady relationship, and had a loving family who doted on her.

So, on January 24, 2006, when she suddenly vanished without a trace, it seemed improbable she disappeared willingly.

The morning she vanished, her boyfriend was expecting a call from her, as he often did as she drove to work. The call wouldn’t arrive. When Jennifer’s boyfriend tried calling her, it went straight to voicemail.

A few hours passed, and Jennifer’s workplace had also been trying to get in touch with her all morning. It wasn’t like her not to show up to work.

Eventually, Jennifer’s parents were informed that she was uncontactable, and they knew straight away something untoward had happened. The Kesse parents made their way from Tampa to Orlando to look for their daughter.

Upon arriving at her condo, everything looked normal. Her car was absent, though, suggesting she’d headed out for work that morning as usual. But she hadn’t arrived.

Two days later, her Chevy was found parked outside a random apartment complex. It yielded no clues.

Months passed with no word from Jennifer or clues about where she may have gone. Jennifer had not used her phone or bank accounts since she vanished. Her cell phone and personal items, such as her purse, have never been recovered.

There was one small clue: grainy CCTV footage of a person of interest dropping off Jennifer’s Chevy outside the apartment complex.

However, the camera that captured the person wasn’t a live video camera. Instead, it took pictures every three seconds.

The time slots it snapped the images of the person of interest weren’t ideal: their face was obscured by a gate post each time.

Investigators could, though, determine that the individual was between 5 foot 3 and 5 foot 5 inches, though they couldn’t use the footage to confirm whether the person was male or female.

There was little in the way of tangible evidence to go off. All that was left for investigators to do was speak to the people who knew Jennifer to see if any of them stood out as a possible suspect.

Her boyfriend was quickly ruled out, as was her brother. Her ex-love interest fell on the radar for a short while, but he was cleared, too.

Another possible piece of evidence was Jennifer mentioning to her family that local construction workers would cat-call her. Had something untoward happened with one of the workers that morning?

Investigators followed this trail but couldn’t find any clues.

Years passed, and the Kesse family wasn’t prepared to let Jennifer’s case go cold. They filed a suit against the Orlando Police Department, so they would have to release the records they had on the case.

There were over 16,000 records, and there was one telling part of the investigation: the police had, in fact, found DNA evidence in Jennifer’s car after originally saying they didn’t. However, it was deemed too small to test.

Photos were included as part of the records. Some of them were images of Jennifer’s car, showing dust and dents on the hood.

The Kesse family was unaware that her vehicle was in this state before seeing the images. Perhaps, her family thought, a struggle had taken place on the hood of the car before Jennifer was abducted.

Jennifer’s dad thinks she’s a victim of human trafficking. He feels the Orlando police force has failed his daughter by not thoroughly investigating her disappearance.

In November 2022, the case was passed over to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

The Kesse family remains hopeful they will find Jennifer or uncover what really happened to her almost 20 years after she vanished.

Lars Mittank

German-born Lars Mittank embarked on a holiday with friends in June 2014. The group went to Varna, Bulgaria, known for its vibrant nightlife and warm climate.

A week later, all of the group arrived home safe and sound, except for Lars. He remained in Varna and, seemingly, would never make it back to Germany.

Nobody knows where he went or what happened to him.

For the first five or so days of the trip, the group of young men enjoyed the free-flowing beer, the sunshine, and the various pubs offering football on the big screen.

However, two days before the group was due to fly home, Lars got into an altercation with a fellow football fan who supported the opposing team.

After the brief disagreement, Lars’ group headed to get some food. Lars decided he wasn’t hungry and told his friends he’d meet them back at the hotel. He wouldn’t make it back until the following morning.

When he arrived the next day, Lars had a shocking story for his friends: he’d been beaten up as he made his way back to the hotel. It seemed he was telling the truth.

Lars looked disheveled, and it was clear he was in pain. So much so that he visited the doctor, who confirmed he had a jaw injury and a ruptured eardrum.

He was given an antibiotic and was advised against flying home since the pressure could damage his ear further.

The doctor also urged Lars to go to the hospital, but he declined. It was apparent Lars couldn’t fly home with the rest of his group; he needed to give his injury time to heal. So, he stayed in Bulgaria alone, despite one of his friends offering to stay with him.

Finding a new hotel proved difficult. They were either too expensive or in a rundown area. Lars eventually found Hotel Color, though it was in an unfamiliar area.

The pickings were slim, and he chose the best hotel he could afford. He was now alone in a new, strange place, which would make Lars’ behavior increasingly erratic.

He called his mother, Sandra, and asked her to block his credit card since he believed the details had been copied upon checking into Hotel Color.

Lars had several strange phone calls with his mother thereafter, at one point telling her he was being followed by four men. Other calls saw him whisper while speaking for fear of others listening in.

Then, Lars would become paranoid about the antibiotics he’d been prescribed. He was unsure of the ingredients and what purpose they served. He specifically told his mother he didn’t feel safe in the hotel.

CCTV footage can somewhat verify this; Lars is seen wandering up and down the hallways, looking behind him, and clearly hiding from unknown assailants.

He left the hotel for an hour before returning, and it’s unknown where he went during that time frame.

The next day, despite the doctor’s orders, Lars decided to fly home. Since his card was blocked, he asked his mother for money, which she transferred over. He’d never withdraw it.

Lars went to the airport and decided to check in with the doctor. It was apparent Lars was nervous and jumpy.

During the consultation, a construction worker mistakenly made his way into the doctor’s office, spooking Lars to the point he cried, “I don’t want to die here. I have to get out of here,” before racing out of the office.

CCTV captured Lars fleeing through the airport, clearly in a state of frenzy and panic. It also caught him once he was outside the airport.

He scaled a fence and disappeared in a field of high sunflowers, so high that you couldn’t see which way Lars went; the flowers towered over him. He hasn’t been seen since.

The theories about his vanishing have persisted since 2014. Some suggest he had an adverse reaction to his antibiotics and began hallucinating.

Others propose that Lars must have had undiagnosed mental health problems that caused him to enter a state of psychosis.

However, Lars had never exhibited signs of mental health issues. Some suggest Lars was right to be paranoid, and he was, in fact, abducted by the people following him.

His mother, Sandra, believes her son will return home one day.

Brian Shaffer

In the early hours of April 1, 2006, Brian Shaffer walked into a bar. Seemingly, he would never walk back out.

Medical student Brian, who was studying at Ohio State University, was out drinking with his friends on March 31. He made a late-night call to his girlfriend to tell her he loved her. It would be the last time they spoke.

Brian and his friend were drinking in a bar called the Ugly Tuna before heading to another bar. However, the pair decided to head back to the Ugly Tuna just after 1 a.m. on April 1.

CCTV footage picks up Brian talking to a couple of women outside at 2 a.m. before he heads back into the bar. He would never be seen again.

His mother, father, and girlfriend all tried to contact him that weekend. Brian wouldn’t return their calls. When he missed a flight he was supposed to take the following Monday, the family knew something serious had happened. They contacted the police.

Despite opening a missing persons report, the police had no clues to go off. It was as if Brian had simply vanished inside the bar.

Days passed with no leads, which turned into weeks, though the Shaffer family was intent on ensuring the case didn’t go cold by keeping Brian’s name in the press, hoping someone would come forward with clues.

One did, suggesting Brian had been shot in the Ugly Tuna. It turned out to be a sick hoax. Then, there was another alleged sighting in Atlanta, which proved to be wrong.

Meanwhile, one of Brian’s female friends, whom he was last seen with, was asked to take a polygraph test. She passed. The male friend he was with that night was also asked to take a polygraph but refused to do so.

One interesting clue was that Brian’s phone “pinged” at a cell tower in Hilliard, 14 miles outside of Columbus. Still, nothing came of this.

The only evidence investigators had to go off was the CCTV footage from the Ugly Tuna. There was one main entrance and exit. There was another rarely used exit that led to a construction site.

Two theories have arisen: Brian changed his clothes while inside the bar and exited covertly from the front main entrance, or he left via the construction site exit. Why he would want to do this remains unanswered.

His bank accounts remained untouched, and his phone has not been used since his disappearance.

There was hope of a breakthrough in 2020 when a picture of a homeless man in Mexico went viral because he looked just like Brian. Further investigation revealed it wasn’t him.

Amy Lynn Bradley

The Bradley family were enjoying a cruise in March 1998. The close-knit family had been enjoying a Mardi Gras-themed disco, particularly Amy and her brother Brad. Certainly, photos of that night depict 23-year-old Amy as having a fun-filled evening.

By the next morning, she’d be gone, no trace of her left behind.

At the disco, Amy was spotted dancing with a member of the live band, among other partygoers. By the early hours, Brad had had enough and returned to the family suite. He was logged as entering the room just after 3:30 a.m., and Amy wasn’t far behind him.

By then, Amy wasn’t too tired, so she headed to the balcony to smoke. As Brad fell asleep, he could see his sister sitting outside. The sibling’s father, Ron Bradley, awoke hours later to find Amy asleep on the balcony with the door closed.

He left his daughter where she was and went back to sleep. When he woke up at 6 a.m., she was gone. The balcony door, though, was now open.

The Bradleys began a panicked search for Amy and pleaded with the cruise management to announce Amy’s vanishing on the tannoy.

They didn’t, not right away anyway. By the time they did, many passengers had already exited the ship.

This would be the beginning of what the Bradley family thinks is a mishandling of Amy’s case. The family believes Royal Caribbean, the cruise line, has refused to cooperate with them in the ongoing investigation of Amy’s disappearance.

The FBI quickly got involved and even used cadaver dogs on the ship to determine if Amy had died aboard. The surrounding water was also searched for a body. Neither search brought back any conclusive evidence.

However, the Bradley family refuses to believe Amy took her own life and is certain that something sinister had happened to her. Specifically, they believe she has been used for trafficking.

In late 1998, two tourists alleged they spotted Amy on a Curacao beach.

The woman they spotted had many of the same tattoos as Amy, some of which were unique: a Tasmanian devil on her shoulder, a gecko around her belly button, a Chinese symbol above her ankle, and a sun on her lower back. Whoever the woman was, she looked uncomfortable.

The unknown woman was being guided by two men.

Then, the following year, a Navy officer claimed he had a conversation with Amy in a Curacao pleasure house. He knew it was Amy because she specifically said, “My name is Amy Bradley. Please help me.”

The officer advised her to head toward the docks where she could leave, but the distressed woman told him he didn’t understand: she was Amy Bradley and needed help.

The man wouldn’t get help out of fear of getting into trouble with his superiors for being at the brothel. He did, however, come forward to Amy’s parents and tell them where she was. By this point, years had passed, and the officer had since retired. Nothing came of this lead.

Another alleged sighting came in 2005 when a woman went to the police saying she’d spotted Amy in Barbados with three men flanking her.

Again, nothing came of this, and the case of Amy Bradley remains unsolved.

Amelia Earhart

Amelia Earhart was born in 1897 in Kansas. She would go on to be one of the most famous figures in aviation history, particularly since she was a female pilot, a rarity in the 1920s.

Even her own family would discourage her from pursuing an aviation career, but daredevil Amelia would shrug off their concerns and save up $500 for 12 hours of flying lessons. In 1920, $500 was no measly sum, either.

She took to flying easily, basking in the exhilaration and excitement of soaring through the air.

By the 1930s, Amelia was dubbed the “Queen of the Air” and had achieved a small celebrity status for her flying abilities. As the years passed, she would become the first female pilot to complete a solo trip across the Atlantic Ocean successfully.

However, in 1937, she vanished without a trace.

Amelia and her navigator, Fred Noonan, took off from California. The pair made it 22,000 miles to New Guinea, after which they were due to arrive at Howland Island, a tiny island in the Pacific Ocean, to refuel the twin-engine Lockheed Electra plane. It seems the pair would never get there.

Poor weather, problems with the radio transmitter, and lack of fuel may have all contributed to the pair never getting to Howland.

It quickly became apparent that Amelia and Fred needed help, and efforts were made to find their plane. A thorough search of areas near Howland Island proved unsuccessful.

The Navy was soon called to join the search, but they could also not find any remnants of the plane, let alone any promising clues that would lead them to Amelia and Fred.

Amelia reportedly sent emergency transmissions in the days after her disappearance, though these were later discovered to have been hoaxes.

Sadly, due to a lack of evidence to the contrary, Amelia Earhart was declared legally dead on January 5, 1939.

Theories about what happened to Amelia and Fred have swirled over the years. Some theorists suggest their plane ran out of fuel and crashed. Others have proposed that Amelia was a secret agent who was taken prisoner by the Japanese.

A conspiracy also suggests that Amelia and Fred reached an uninhabited island where they remained undiscovered.

While there is no chance that Amelia is alive today, the question still remains: did she die on that fateful day in 1937?

Maura Murray

On the evening of February 9, 2004, police were called about a car accident on Route 112 in Woodsville, New Hampshire. A black car with a woman at the wheel was stuck in a ditch.

Shortly after the first call to 911, the police received a second call from a bus driver. The caller reported the crash and noted that the driver, a young woman, appeared to be shaken over the incident.

The helpful bus driver went to see the panicked young woman and offered to call someone to tow her vehicle. However, she claimed she’d already called roadside assistance.

When police arrived at the scene minutes later, the driver, who was quickly discovered to be Maura Murray, was gone.

A search of the area yielded nothing. A deeper dive into the nursing student’s life found she had left campus that day after stating a sudden family death meant she needed to go home. Nobody in her family had actually died, though it seemed Maura may have needed a break from her studies and lied to get some breathing space.

Prior to her crash, Maura had been making inquiries about condos and renting rooms in Bartlett, New Hampshire. She also looked into booking a room in Vermont. She didn’t book a room in either place, but she did look up directions to Burlington, Vermont.

Investigators had to retrace Maura’s steps. They found she’d used the campus ATM at around 3 p.m. that day, taking out $280.

She used $40 of that to buy alcohol, including boxed wine and liqueurs. Around 4:30 p.m., she called her own voicemail. This would be the last time she used her cell phone.

She crashed between 7 p.m. and 7:25 p.m. that night, though nobody knows what she’d been doing in the hours in between. By 7:45 p.m., she’d disappeared from the crash site.

Officers who’d arrived on the scene noticed a soda bottle “that contained a red liquid with a strong alcoholic odor.” They also noticed the big box of wine in the back of the car and printed directions to Vermont.

No foul play was detected at this point, but officers scoured the nearby area. There was no sign of Maura.

After a few days with no leads, the police began to question if Maura had been suicidal. Her family scoffed at this notion, telling the press she was in good spirits.

That may be true, but it didn’t take away from the fact she’d been dealing with some struggles: she’d been facing legal problems for credit card fraud, had crashed her father’s car just hours before crashing her own, and was worried about her alcohol-dependent sister’s wellbeing.

Still, some evidence suggests Maura took off from the scene willingly. Her phone and backpack were taken with her when she left, though she would never use her phone again, likewise for her credit cards.

Theories began to surface in the months after Maura’s vanishing. Some suggest she fled the scene to avoid getting in trouble.

After all, she had an open bottle with alcohol in it, plus more stashed in the back of the car. She was already in trouble for fraud, and adding drink driving onto that was something Maura would likely want to avoid.

Others suggest she took herself off to the nearby woods to resume drinking, only to be taken by the extreme temperatures.

Another theory suggests she tried to reach her destination on foot, but the freezing temperatures killed her.

A macabre conspiracy is that Maura was taken from the scene against her will. Her father thinks a “local dirtbag” took his daughter.

Some theorists going down the kidnapped route have suggested the bus driver who called the police may have something to do with it and question why he didn’t stay with Maura after finding her in a state of panic.

Over the years, multiple efforts have been made to find Maura’s remains near where she crashed. In September 2021, human remains were found 25 miles from the area where Maura was last seen. However, these were proven not to be her.

Her case remains open to this day.

Michael Rockefeller

Michael Rockefeller’s final photograph is one of the most unnerving images taken of someone before their unexplained disappearance. In it, he’s standing among a cannibal tribe as they ominously smile at him.

He was never heard from again shortly after this 1961 picture was taken.

That year, 23-year-old Michael Rockefeller and Dutch anthropologist René Wassing headed to Asmat in New Guinea to study the Dani tribe. The trip went as planned until seven months into it, when the canoe Michael and René were on capsized, throwing the men into the water.

René clung onto the overturned boat as Michael swam to shore. He was never seen again.

Several theories have come about as to what happened to Michael. The main one is that he made it to shore only to be killed and eaten by the known cannibalistic Asmat tribe.

However, other less well-known theories have also been bandied about over the years, some of them offering compelling evidence that Michael didn’t actually die in the canoeing accident.

Ten years after his disappearance, National Geographic completed a project on the same tribe Michael had studied a decade before. In one of the images their photographer had taken, there’s a snap of a man who looks much like Michael Rockefeller. Notably, he’s the only white man among the tribe rowing a boat.

This has helped peddle the theory that Michael made it to shore and decided to live among the tribe instead of returning to his homeland.

Still, many people point to the fact that the tribe was cannibalistic, and Michael simply being welcomed into their tribe was unlikely. To some, the more realistic turn of events is that the men slaughtered and ate him.

Then, there’s the revenge theory: a number of the village leaders in the area (where Michael would have swam to shore) had been killed by patrolmen three years prior. Still reeling from the murders, the tribe may have taken revenge on Michael due to the color of his skin.

Sadly, we’ll unlikely ever know what truly happened to Michael Rockefeller, though none of the possibilities are promising.

Each of these cases remains unsolved to this day. Only time will tell if we ever find out what truly happened to these missing individuals, though for the sake of their loved ones, it’s important that hope isn’t lost and their stories aren’t forgotten.

As time passes, advances in DNA testing and forensic science may yield important breakthroughs. Then, there’s always the hope that witnesses may come forward with vital clues that lead to the case being cracked.

In certain cases, it’s still possible—however small that probability—that the missing individual is alive and well somewhere in the world.

Under the warm studio lights of 60 Minutes Australia, Tom Jones sat not as the chart-topping icon in a tailored suit, but as a man willing to strip back decades of myth. In this rare and deeply personal conversation, he spoke of relationships that shaped him, moments of heartbreak that tested him, and the resilience it took to keep moving forward when the spotlight dimmed.

Fans watched, riveted, as Tom’s voice softened when he recalled the innocence of first love, the euphoria of great passion, and the pain of letting go. “You learn,” he said quietly, “that love is never the same twice. And that’s a good thing — it means you’ve grown.” Each anecdote felt less like a celebrity confession and more like an old friend sharing wisdom hard-earned over a lifetime.

Behind the cameras, production sources whispered about moments so raw that even seasoned crew members were caught holding their breath. It wasn’t the celebrity they were seeing—it was the man who had weathered storms both public and private, still carrying a certain fire in his eyes.

The impact was immediate. Within minutes of the broadcast, social media became a tapestry of reactions: long-time fans sharing their own stories of love and loss, younger viewers struck by the vulnerability of a legend they’d only known through music. Hashtags like #TomJonesUnfiltered began trending, as snippets of his most poignant lines circulated alongside images of his early career.

But it was one remark—slipped in with the ease of a passing thought—that set the internet ablaze. Insiders won’t repeat it verbatim, but those who heard it say it could alter the way fans view his entire personal journey.

Critics praised the segment as a masterclass in emotional truth-telling, proof that even in an industry built on image, authenticity still resonates. And for Tom, it was more than an interview—it was a reckoning, a reminder that beneath the hits, the tours, and the showbiz polish beats the heart of a man who has loved deeply, lost greatly, and still believes in the power of connection.

Rock royalty is heading back to the spotlight. Queen legends Brian May and Roger Taylor are reuniting once again with powerhouse vocalist Adam Lambert for their long-awaited return to North American stages—their first tour across the continent in four years.

Announced as The Rhapsody Tour, the 14-date run begins in Baltimore this October and will crescendo in Los Angeles by mid-November. Fans can expect a full-throttle 150-minute set packed with Queen’s timeless anthems—from “We Will Rock You” and “Don’t Stop Me Now” to “Somebody to Love” and “Radio Ga Ga”—alongside deeper cuts that loyalists have long cherished.

For the band, the magic isn’t just in the music—it’s in the shared connection with fans. “Every night, those two and a half hours belong to the people in front of us,” said May, 75. “We give them everything we’ve got. It’s a rush—and if it ever stops being fun, that’s when we’d stop doing it.”

Lambert, 41, echoed the sentiment, calling the live experience electric. “The audience is the fuel. Seeing thousands of people singing their hearts out—there’s nothing like it. It charges you. It keeps you going,” he said. “It’s kind of addictive.”

While their energy on stage remains legendary, Taylor, 73, joked that he’s content preparing in his own classic style—no intense vocal warm-ups for him, just a splash of Irish whiskey and a Diet Coke before showtime. “Adam’s vocal rituals are impressive,” he said with a grin. “I’m happy to cheer him on from the side.”

Though Queen + Adam Lambert toured Europe and the UK last year, this marks their official North American return after a pandemic-forced hiatus. Since their last outing, all three musicians have kept creatively busy: May reissued solo projects, Taylor released his first solo album in nearly a decade, and Lambert unveiled High Drama, a genre-hopping collection of cover songs.

But for May and Taylor, this collaboration with Lambert remains more than just a touring act—it’s the revival of something they once thought was gone forever.

“After Freddie passed, we assumed Queen was finished,” May shared, reflecting on the band’s loss of Freddie Mercury in 1991. “We didn’t look for a new singer—we didn’t think it would ever happen again. Then Adam appeared, almost out of nowhere.”

Their first meeting came in 2009, when Lambert, then a contestant on American Idol, stunned audiences with his soaring range and theatrical flair. “His voice is something else. There’s really nothing like it,” said May. “And the look—the glam, the sparkle—he was born to wear diamonds.”

But what makes Lambert a true fit for Queen, the band says, is his reverence for Mercury’s legacy without trying to imitate him.

“He doesn’t try to be Freddie. That’s so important,” May noted. “He honors him, as we all do, but he brings his own interpretation to every song. That’s the magic—he makes the music new again.”

Lambert agrees, calling their creative partnership a “team effort.” “Freddie laid the foundation for all of this. He was one of a kind. I don’t try to replace him—I just try to exist in the space he created, and have fun with it. From what I’ve heard, he loved a bit of mischief too.”

The camaraderie between the trio is evident on and off the stage. “Adam’s kept us young,” joked May. Lambert fired back with a laugh: “I’ve introduced them to eyeliner and high heels.”

Taylor, meanwhile, offered a more serious note on Lambert’s contributions. “Having a voice like Adam’s at the front of the band—it gives us confidence. We can trust him to carry these songs and make them soar.”

As for any talks of retirement? Don’t count on it.

“No way,” May said definitively. “To be able to do this at the level we’re doing it, and still love it—it’s a blessing. Why would we stop? I’ll probably keep doing this until I drop.”

Queen + Adam Lambert – The Rhapsody Tour (North America 2025)

Oct 04 – Baltimore, MD – CFG Bank Arena

Oct 08 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena

Oct 10 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena

Oct 12 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden

Oct 15 – Boston, MA – TD Garden

Oct 18 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center

Oct 23 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena

Oct 25 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena

Oct 27 – St. Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center

Oct 30 – Chicago, IL – United Center

Nov 02 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center

Nov 05 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena

Nov 08 – San Francisco, CA – Chase Center

Nov 11 – Los Angeles, CA – BMO Stadium

This is the moment Adam Lambert sang ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ on American Idol and the judges were torn on whether to send him through to the next round.

When a deadpan Simon Cowell says you’ve chosen his “favourite song” just moments before your first audition, you know that in the world of TV talent shows, the stakes don’t get much higher.

And that was exactly the case with Adam Lambert’s first appearance on American Idol in 2009, when in a nail-biting moment the future Queen frontman singing ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, nearly didn’t get put through by the show’s four judges.

Adam, who would go on to perform at sold-out stadiums across the world as the lead singer of Queen, one of history’s most successful bands, waited nervously in front of the judges as they held his fate in their hands.

After singing a flawless acapella version of Freddie Mercury’s famous ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ the judges were quick to evaluate the 27-year-old Adam Lambert’s performance.

Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul, and Kara DioGuardi proceeded to argue over the young performers vocals, with Simon calling his performance “too theatrical”, before eventually – and after much debate – agreeing to put him through.

What the judges didn’t know was they had confirmed the exact doubts Adam had had before the audition: that his musical theatre past would hinder his chances and it nearly stopped him applying for the show altogether.

“I didn’t think I was the right kind of performer to … I didn’t think I would work on the show,” the former Wicked star told Entertainment Weekly in 2016, “I thought ‘Oh, I’m not the type that they look for.’”

Not only was Adam nervous of not getting through,the performer also had to quit his job in a professional theatre production as American Idol rules stated that contestants couldn’t be under any sort of entertainment contract.

“That was my income; that’s how I was getting my health insurance, all that stuff. I had to quit the job that I had in order to move forward, so it was a big risk for me,” he said.

“When it came time to go in front of Simon, Paula, Randy and Kara, it was like in the back of my head, it was like “If this doesn’t work out, you’re screwed.”

“I got up there and it just all kind of worked. I was nervous but I felt a good connection with the judges. I was looking at them and I was chatting with them and I felt it was a good repertoire and they were paying attention.

“The first song that I performed for them was a Michael Jackson song — “Rock With You” — and it didn’t quite connect like I wanted it to, and they were kind of looking at me sideways.”

“[The judges] said, “What else do you have?” That’s when I performed ‘Bohemian Rhapsody.’ That seemed to click for them and that’s what they ended up using on television,” he recalled.

Adam Lambert proceeded to the live rounds of the show and alongside being embraced by the public, was spotted by none other than Queen themselves.

Roger Taylor later confirmed the exact video the band saw of Adam Lambert that convinced them the singer could pay tribute to their legendary frontman, Freddie Mercury.

Speaking on Good Morning America, Roger Taylor said of the 2009 incident: “A friend of mine called me up and said, ‘I’ve just seen the most amazing singer on American Idol.’

“I checked it out and [Lambert] was singing ‘Whole Lotta Love’ by Led Zeppelin and just blowing it away. Fantastic.”

Queen flew to L.A. to perform with Adam Lambert for the finale of Idol and it proved such a success that not long after, in November 2011, Adam Lambert was officially the new lead singer of Queen.

The rest, as they say, is musical history.

Princess Charlotte could one day inherit Princess Diana’s tiara worth £400k (Image: Getty)

Princess Diana shocked the nation when she chose to wear her own family’s tiara, the Spencer Tiara — on her wedding day to the now, King Charles back in 1981. Rather than selecting a piece from the royal vault, she opted for the dazzling diamond headpiece passed down through the Spencer family, now estimated to be worth £400,000.

Since Diana’s passing in 1997, the tiara has rarely been seen in public and has remained under lock and key. Notably, neither Princess Kate nor Meghan Markle has ever worn the piece in public, despite often paying tribute to Diana through their ensembles.

But the next generation of royal women may one day bring the iconic piece back into the spotlight. Princess Charlotte, daughter of the Prince and Princess of Wales, and Princess Lilibet, daughter of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle — are both in line to potentially inherit or borrow the sentimental heirloom.

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Princess Diana wore the Spencer tiara on repeat during her lifetime (Image: Getty)

Jewellery expert at Steven Stone Jewellers, Maxwell Stone, told the Daily Express: “The chances of Princess Charlotte or Princess Lilibet wearing the Spencer Tiara one day are certainly possible.”

Although there are “several key factors”. He further explained that the tiara is “not part of the Crown Jewels or royal collection”, and is considered privately owned.

It most likely resides under the possession of Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer, Princess Diana’s brother.

As the 28th anniversary of Princess Diana’s death nears, William and Harry remain estranged but continue to honor their mother through their public work

On July 16, as the 28^th anniversary of his mother Princess Diana’s death loomed, Prince Harry took a poignant walk through a minefield in Angola, retracing the brave steps Diana took nearly three decades ago to shine a light on the hidden horrors of war. Just weeks earlier, on what would have been their mother’s 64th birthday, July 1, Prince William honored her legacy in Sheffield, England, celebrating the second anniversary of Homewards — his mission to end homelessness, an issue Diana championed and introduced her sons to.

But what was once a shared mission to honor their mother now unfolds on separate paths, with no communication between them

“We all remember the days when Harry and William were joshing with one another, and it all seemed set for their relationship and the future — that Harry, as Diana always used to say, would be William’s wingman,” Diana’s biographer Andrew Morton tells PEOPLE in this week’s cover story. “It’s a great loss for the monarchy.”

The brothers grew up sharing a royal life and experience only they can understand, weathering their parents’ scandalous divorce and enduring the unbearable pain of losing Diana after a car crash in Paris on Aug. 31, 1997, when her sons were 15 and 12. But now they’re worlds apart.

That separation extends to the next generation. In Windsor, William, 43, and Kate Middleton, 43, are raising Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7. Across the Atlantic in Montecito, Calif., Harry, 40, and Meghan Markle, 44, are raising Prince Archie, 6, and Princess Lilibet, 4. The cousins have not been seen in public together since 2019, before Lilibet was born.

Their feud exploded into public view in 2020, when the Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped back from their royal duties.

“Things were said that sparked the initial rift, and it’s never healed,” Morton says.

In his memoir Spare, Harry describes a tense 2019 confrontation where William criticized Meghan and, according to Harry, physically grabbed him by the collar, knocking him to the floor. The divide only deepened after the couple’s explosive 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, followed by their Netflix docuseries and Harry’s bestselling book — each delivering sharp criticism of William, King Charles, 76, Kate, 43, Queen Camilla, 78, and the institution they serve. “Some members of my family will never forgive me,” Harry admitted in May.

While Harry has spoken openly about his hope for reconciliation with his family, insiders say his calls and messages to William have gone unanswered.

Says Robert Lacey, author of Battle of Brothers: “The rift is very profound and very long-lasting. It will not be changed, in my opinion, until Harry makes a move and apologizes.”

Adds historian Amanda Foreman: “Everyone wants it to happen on their terms, but that’s what makes it impossible.”

Despite the gulf between them, the royal brothers remain united in one shared vow: to honor their mother’s memory.  Their inspiration comes from Diana, who redefined royal life — not with pomp, but with genuine compassion. She didn’t just infuse their lives with normalcy through visits to amusement parks and burger joints; she also took them to shelters for the unhoused. One was London’s The Passage, whose CEO Mick Clarke says William’s “visits with his mom left a deep and lasting impression.”

The prince, he adds, has spoken about how Diana “made it very pointed that he was exposed to life beyond palace walls. That is something that he and the princess are doing with their own children.” That grounding in service has shaped William’s public life. During the COVID pandemic he made unannounced trips to shelters, helping prepare meals and even delivering food — always without cameras.

Harry, meanwhile, found his calling in supporting young people affected by the AIDS epidemic in Lesotho, Southern Africa, where he was deeply moved by the challenges facing vulnerable youth. In 2006 he cofounded Sentebale — meaning “forget-me-not,” Diana’s favorite flower, in the local language —with his friend Prince Seeiso as a tribute to their late mothers.

Over the next 19 years, the two poured “blood, sweat and tears and their own money into building this charity up to what it was — a multimillion-pound charity that delivered nothing but good for the beneficiary community,” a friend tells PEOPLE.

After a deep dispute over management at Sentebale, devastatingly for Harry, and Seeiso, they have parted ways from the charity, and are seeking new ways to help the disadvantaged of Lesotho and Botswana.

Moreover, Tessy Ojo, CEO of the Diana Award — the only charity to bear their mother’s name, and one they now support separately — has witnessed the princes’ dedication firsthand.

“I’ve seen how they watch young people who never met their mother articulate the impact she’s had on them,” she says. “There is a sense of immense pride: ‘Wow, my mother did that!’”

Despite the emotional and physical distance between them, William and Harry have each created home lives grounded in a shared commitment to providing their children with a genuinely authentic upbringing — “and that is pure Diana,” says Foreman.

Both brothers have also honored their mother by giving their daughters her name as a middle name. They often speak of her to their children, and her photograph is displayed throughout their homes.

“The values they are instilling and discussing as families may be their best success,” Foreman adds. “They are both very good role models as parents.”

There are glimmers of hope for change within the royal family. On July 9, Harry’s representatives met with King Charles’s head of communications, raising hopes of a first step toward rapprochement — at least with his father.

A face-to-face meeting could happen as soon as September, when Harry is expected back in the U.K. to support WellChild, a charity helping children with life-limiting conditions. Whether that reunion will materialize, however, remains uncertain. If it does, it would be the first meeting between father and son since February 2024, shortly after Charles announced he was diagnosed with cancer.

William’s team, notably, was not involved in these discussions. For the Prince of Wales, priorities lie elsewhere: supporting his wife, who is recovering from cancer treatment, and guiding their young family through pivotal years — with attention to 12-year-old George, his heir.

With his focus clear, sources say, William’s anger has calcified into indifference about the situation, a friend told The Sunday Times in June.

Royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith sees this as William accepting limits: “He can control what he does in his life, but he has no control over what Harry does,” she tells PEOPLE.

Adds historian Robert Lacey: “They both deeply believe that they’re fighting for profound points of principle.”

Though silence now divides them, Diana’s influence remains a strong bond that still shapes their every step.

“This is the sadness of it — they aren’t supporting each other like they should be,” says a source close to the royal household. “That’s what any mother would want — that they are there for each other.”

Adds Morton, whose latest book Winston and the Windsors, is out in October: “Diana always used to say she had two boys for a reason — the younger would be there to support the older in the lonely task as future King. There is no doubt Diana would have tried to act as a peacemaker between them. If she had been around, they would have worked things out in a different way.”

Two weeks after the death of rock legend Ozzy Osbourne, his son Jack Osbourne has spoken publicly for the first time, delivering a powerful and deeply personal tribute that peels back the myth of the “Prince of Darkness” to reveal the devoted father behind the fame.

A Heartfelt Video Tribute

In an emotional Instagram post, Jack, 39, shared a moving video montage of his favorite memories with his father. Set to the hauntingly beautiful sound of Ozzy’s 1983 ballad “So Tired,” the compilation features clips from family moments spanning decades.

The tribute opens with a nostalgic 1997 clip of young Jack joining his father during a radio interview, followed by a mix of candid photographs, behind-the-scenes footage, and rare home videos showing Ozzy as a doting dad, rather than the heavy metal icon the world knew.

Jack revealed that he hesitated to post anything after his father’s passing, admitting:

“My heart has hurt too much.”

Alongside the video, he wrote:

“He was so many things to so many people, but I was lucky and blessed to be part of a very small group who got to call him ‘Dad.’ My heart is heavy with sadness and sorrow, but also full of love and gratitude. I got 14,501 days with that man, and I know what a blessing that is.”

The Passing of a Rock Legend

Ozzy Osbourne, the legendary frontman of Black Sabbath and one of the most influential figures in rock history, died on July 22, 2025, at the age of 76. His family confirmed the heartbreaking news in a statement:

“It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning [July 22]. He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time.”

A Farewell Worthy of a Legend

Fans around the world mourned Ozzy’s passing, but nowhere was the grief felt more deeply than in his hometown of Birmingham, England. On July 30, 2025, thousands lined the streets as his funeral procession passed through the city.

The following day, Ozzy was laid to rest in a private service attended by close family and friends. He is survived by his wife Sharon, and his children Kelly, Aimee, Jack, Jessica, Louis, and Elliott.

Remembering the Man Behind the Music

While millions knew Ozzy Osbourne as the “Prince of Darkness,” Jack’s tribute reveals the man behind the legend — a father who, despite his fame and chaotic lifestyle, was deeply committed to his children.

“He wasn’t perfect,” Jack admitted in his tribute, “but he was everything.”

It’s a reminder that beyond the music, controversies, and larger-than-life persona, Ozzy’s most meaningful role was the one he played at home: being a dad.

Adam Lambert delivered a captivating performance on the CBS special A Home for the Holidays with Idina Menzel. The 21st annual event celebrated adoption stories from foster care, showcasing inspiring tales of love, family, and resilience.

Tony Award-winning actress and singer Idina Menzel hosted the heartfelt evening, performing songs from her festive album Christmas: A Season of Love.

As part of the star-studded lineup, Adam Lambert, the season 8 standout from American Idol, took the stage to perform the emotional ballad “Closer to You.” The song, a highlight from his critically acclaimed EP Velvet: Side A, was a perfect fit for the night’s uplifting and heartfelt theme.

Lambert’s powerful vocals and heartfelt delivery brought an extra layer of emotion to the special, making it a standout moment in an evening dedicated to the transformative power of love and family.

The entertainment world is no stranger to surprises, but nothing could have prepared fans for the emotional rollercoaster delivered by Adam Lambert and Oliver Gliese. After a whirlwind romance, a public breakup, and a quiet reconciliation that kept fans on edge, the couple dropped a bombshell that set the internet ablaze: they’re expecting a baby! But it wasn’t the news alone that left the world speechless—it was the breathtaking, soul-stirring way they shared it. In a raw, deeply personal video, Lambert and Gliese bared their hearts, proving that their love, forged through trials, is stronger than ever.

The announcement wasn’t a polished press release or a casual Instagram post. Instead, it was a cinematic masterpiece of vulnerability and love, shared across Lambert’s social media. The video opens with a montage of their life together—snapshots of laughter, tender embraces, and quiet moments of intimacy that trace their journey from romance to reconciliation. Set to a haunting ballad composed by Lambert for Gliese, the visuals pull viewers into their world, a tapestry of joy and resilience. Just as the music swells, the screen fades to black, leaving fans holding their breath.

Then, a handwritten note appears, penned by Gliese to Lambert. “My love,” it reads, “I want to be with you for every moment we have left. I want to build a life with you, a life filled with laughter, love, and a beautiful, chaotic symphony of noise.” The words, raw and poetic, hit like a thunderbolt, a prelude to the revelation that follows. The scene shifts to a hospital room, where Lambert, his face radiating love and awe, holds a sonogram. The tiny, flickering image of their future child is a moment of pure magic, a testament to their shared dream.

For years, fans speculated about whether Lambert, the Grammy-nominated American Idol alum, and Gliese, the Danish fashion insider, would start a family. Their relationship, which began in 2020 and went Instagram official in 2021, has been a beacon of love and defiance against adversity. Despite a reported split in July 2025, their reconciliation sparked hope, but no one anticipated this seismic announcement. The sonogram, cradled in Lambert’s hands, symbolized not just a new life but a new chapter for a couple whose love has weathered storms of public scrutiny and personal challenges.

Social media erupted in a frenzy of joy and disbelief. Clips of the video, shared by fans and friends, flooded platforms, racking up millions of views within hours. Hashtags like #AdamAndOliverBaby and #LoveWins trended globally as fans poured out their emotions. “I’m crying, this is so beautiful,” one X user wrote. “Adam and Oliver showing the world what love looks like—this is everything.” Another posted, “That note from Oliver? I’m wrecked. They’re going to be the best dads.” The video’s raw authenticity struck a chord, transcending the glitz of celebrity to reveal a profoundly human moment.

The choice to announce their baby in such an intimate way reflects Lambert and Gliese’s unique approach to their public lives. Lambert, known for his powerhouse vocals and fearless advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights, has never shied away from vulnerability. Gliese, with his bold fashion choices and drag persona Valkyrie, has stood by Lambert, weathering homophobic criticism with grace. Their love story, marked by highs and lows, resonates with fans because it’s real—forged in moments of joy, pain, and perseverance. The sonogram video is a culmination of that journey, a declaration that their love is not just surviving but thriving.

The announcement also carries a deeper significance in the context of their past. Lambert’s 2023 defense of Gliese against online hate, where he called his partner “beautiful and brave,” showcased their unbreakable bond. Their reconciliation after a brief split proved that their commitment runs deeper than fleeting challenges. Now, as they prepare to welcome a child, they’re redefining what family means in the public eye, offering a powerful narrative of love and resilience for the LGBTQ+ community and beyond.

The video’s impact lies in its simplicity and sincerity. There are no flashy effects or over-the-top theatrics—just two people sharing their hearts with the world. The ballad, reportedly written by Lambert during their reconciliation, adds a layer of intimacy, its lyrics echoing the couple’s journey through love and loss. The handwritten note from Gliese, with its promise of a “chaotic symphony,” captures the messy, beautiful reality of building a family. And the sonogram, a fragile yet hopeful image, seals the moment as one of profound connection.

As the world celebrates, questions swirl about what’s next for Lambert and Gliese. Will they share more of their journey to parenthood? How will fatherhood shape Lambert’s music, already known for its emotional depth? For now, fans are content to revel in this milestone, with many calling it one of the most moving celebrity announcements in recent memory. “This isn’t just about a baby,” one fan tweeted. “It’s about love winning against all odds. Adam and Oliver are unstoppable.”

In a world often cynical about celebrity, Lambert and Gliese’s announcement is a reminder of the power of authenticity. Their love, tested by time and trials, shines through in every frame of the video. It’s a story of two people who chose each other, chose hope, and chose to build a future together. As they prepare to welcome their child, the world watches, not just for the spectacle, but for the profound, beautiful truth that love—raw, real, and relentless—always finds a way.