Caleb Flynn, the former American Idol contestant who was found guilty of murdering his wife, Ashley Flynn, has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The musical pastor received his sentence in court on Monday (Oct. 5), six days after an Ohio court determined he was guilty on all charges spanning aggravated murder and multiple counts of murder, felonious assault and tampering with evidence in connection with the death of Ashley, with whom he shares two young daughters. He was given the maximum possible sentence for his crime.
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Additionally, Caleb was sentenced to two mandatory three-year prison terms for gun specifications.
Caleb had pleaded not guilty leading up to the trial and, when given the chance on Monday to share remarks for the first time in the entirety of the court proceedings, reasserted his innocence in the death of Ashley. He did, however, apologize to his former in-laws for being unfaithful to his wife and for the “awful and hurtful” things he said about her in texts to Alleigha Botner, with whom he had an affair for 1.5 years and often talked to about wanting Ashley to die.
The church leader’s correspondence with Botner — who was 21 when she met Caleb and, now 24, delivered hours of testimony during the trial — was key in the prosecutors’ case against him in terms of establishing motive. “If I could literally kill her and not go to hell, I would do it in a heartbeat,” he texted Botner of Ashley in May 2025, according to CNN. “That’s how dark and hateful I feel.”
Texts used as evidence in the trial also showed that on Feb. 15, Caleb told Botner that he was planning to inform Ashley he was leaving her the following day. Instead, the next day marked Ashley’s last, as first responders arrived at the family’s Tipp County home and found her dead via gunshot. At the time, Caleb had called 911 and claimed that an intruder had broken in and killed Ashley.
Caleb visibly shook and shed heavy tears as he stood before the court Monday, dressed in an orange jumpsuit with his hands cuffed. In between his remarks and the judge’s reading of his sentence, Ashley’s friends and family read aloud victim impact statements, including two penned by the Flynns’ daughters, who were not present.
“Dear Daddy, I don’t even know where to start,” began the letter written by Caleb’s daughter Ava, as read to the court by Matt Keyt, who is now raising the girls alongside his wife, Ashley’s sister Kayla. “How could you do such a thing? I looked up to you. I loved you with all of my heart, and then you lied to everyone. Mommy was the perfect person — the absolute perfect person. What did she ever do to make you hate her so much?”
As read by Ashley’s mother, Jill, Alyssa Flynn wrote to her father: “By the way, I don’t plan on coming to see you.”
Caleb competed in the 12th season of American Idol in 2013, making it as far as the televised judges’ auditions but not advancing to the main competition. “I love to sing, so that’s why I auditioned — and my wife kind of nudged me a little bit too,” he said in his “Road to Hollywood” interview at the time. “I love my wife more than anything. She is very, very pretty.”
Watch Flynn’s full sentencing live-streamed by Court TV below.
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Lionel Messi takes to the soccer pitch Tuesday for the final time as captain of the Argentinian men’s national football team.
After a decorated international career spanning more than 20 years, Messi makes his final appearance for Argentina, as La Albiceleste take on Benin in an international friendly that also marks the soccer star’s retirement match.
How to Watch Messi Final Match, at a Glance:
- Date: Tuesday, Oct. 6
- Time: 8 p.m. local time (7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT)
- Network: ViX (U.S.), Premier Sports (UK), L’Équipe (France), ZEE5 (India)
- Online Streaming: ViX Premium (free trial), ExpressVPN
Billed as “The Last Tango,” the Argentina vs. Benin match takes place Oct. 6, live from Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires. Kickoff is at 8 p.m. local time (7 p.m. ET).
Messi’s final match isn’t being broadcast on traditional TV here in the U.S., but viewers can find an Argentina vs. Benin livestream on ViX Premium, the popular Spanish-language streaming service.
FREE LIVESTREAM
ViX Premium
ViX normally starts at $6.99/month, but you can get a 7-day free trial to the streamer right now through Amazon Prime Video. Use the free trial to watch Messi’s final soccer game live online for free without needing cable.
Your subscription renews at $6.99 after your week-long free trial is up, or you can cancel at anytime following the soccer game to avoid being charged. There is no promo code needed to claim the ViX free trial although you’ll need to be an Amazon Prime member to access the offer.
Not a Prime member? Get a 30-day free trial here, then use your login details to claim the ViX Premium free trial here. Note: ViX is livestreaming the Messi Argentina match in Spanish.
Prefer an English-language feed or an international feed? The Argentina vs. Benin soccer game is also streaming live online in the UK, France and India, among other countries, and you can access those live feeds with a virtual private network (VPN).
EDITOR’S CHOICE
ExpressVPN
I’ve personally been using ExpressVPN for years to watch out of market content. After downloading the VPN, you can set your location to whatever country you want to stream Messi’s final soccer match from (I.e. through Premier Sports in the UK). As long as your VPN is activated, you’ll be able to livestream the Argentina vs. Benin match from outside the U.S. in whatever language you want.
Messi is Argentina’s all-time leader in caps and goals scored, and he memorably led the team to the 2022 World Cup win in Qatar. Messi and co. just missed a repeat at this year’s World Cup, falling to Spain in the 2026 final.
Officials say all 85,000 seats at Monumental Stadium have been sold, with thousands of other fans expected to pack the surrounding streets for a chance to bid farewell to the sporting legend. Messi jerseys are also selling out online, as he makes his final appearance in the country’s blue and white stripes.
SELLING FAST
Lionel Messi Argentina National Team adidas 2026 Home Replica Jersey
You can still find Messi Argentina jerseys as of this writing through Fanatics, which has this official Adidas kit in sizes XS to L (larger sizes have sold out).
While the Benin matchup marks Messi’s last match with Argentina, the 39-year-old’s career will continue with the Major League Soccer club, Inter Miami.
As for La Albiceleste, Messi will be replaced by 28-year-old Cristian “Cuti” Romero as the new captain for the Argentinian squad.
Watch Messi’s final match as Argentina takes on Benin, streaming free online through ViX.
More than 32,000 songs have appeared on the Billboard Hot 100 in the chart’s history. Of those, 1,195 have reached No. 1 (through the chart dated Oct. 10, 2026) — less than 4%.
Rarer still is returning to the summit again and again. Only 13 artists have scored 10 or more Hot 100 No. 1s in their career — an elite group comprising 11 solo acts and two groups. The Beatles stand alone at the top, with 20 No. 1 hits. The band has led all acts since 1965, when it surpassed Elvis Presley for the record.
Presley, who’s notably absent from the 10-No. 1 club, scored seven No. 1s in the Hot 100 era. Because his breakthrough predated the chart’s Aug. 4, 1958, launch, several of his signature smashes — including “Don’t Be Cruel,” “Hound Dog” and “Jailhouse Rock” — arrived before the Hot 100 existed. In the Hot 100 era, however, he ruled with “A Big Hunk O’ Love,” “Stuck on You,” “It’s Now or Never,” “Are You Lonesome Tonight,” “Surrender,” “Good Luck Charm” and “Suspicious Minds.”
Just outside the double-digit tier: Bee Gees, Beyoncé, Elton John, Katy Perry, Paul McCartney (solo and with Wings) and Usher have all earned nine No. 1s, while Justin Bieber, George Michael (excluding two billed solely to Wham!) and The Rolling Stones have eight apiece.
Here are the 13 acts who have earned 10 or more No. 1 hits on the Hot 100:
Title, Weeks at No. 1, Peak Date
ADE, the world’s largest dance music industry gathering, is just weeks away from happening in Amsterdam.
With 2026 marking ADE’s 30-year anniversary, organizers have put together a massive program of panels, parties and other events for industry folks and fans alike. Billboard Pro subscribers looking to get in on the action can get 15% off the price of an ADE 2026 Pro Pass using the promo ADE26-BILLBOARD15 when checking out on the ADE ticketing site.
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The Pro Pass offers entry to a whirlwind of panels and discussions featuring industry leaders from labels, DSPs, festivals, party brands and management, with reps from companies including Spotify, AEG Rocky Mountains, Helix, Sony, Monstercat, Believe, Beatport, The Orchard and many more all on the program schedule.
Highlights of the 2026 program include a presentation on breaking independent talent by SoundCloud, Google DeepMind on the future of music in the AI era, Believe founder and CEO Denis Ladegaillerie on artist development, manager Troy Carter on next-generation artist management and execs from Warner Music on the future of music and publishing. There will also be an artist roundtable on AI featuring Boys Noize, BT, Dave Clarke, Mathame and Portrait XO, and a presentation on 30 years of ADE with key figures from the event’s history, including its current managing director Jan-Willem van de Ven.
See the complete ADE 2026 Pro Program here.
Along with these events, ADE will again feature a huge number of parties, festivals and sets, with artists including Eric Prydz, Jean-Michel Jarre, Âme, Mochakk, Miss Monique, Armin van Buuren and roughly 1,500 other DJs and producers all descending upon the Dutch capital for the event.
Topping the Billboard 200 albums chart or the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart marks a milestone achievement for any artist. Topping both tallies reflects that an act can boast mass appeal with a full collection of music along with the ability to translate that reach to hit singles.
Who has the most combined No. 1s on the Billboard 200 and Hot 100?
With the most No. 1s on each ranking (through charts dated July 18, 2026), The Beatles, thus, claim the most leaders on the lists combined: 39, via 20 No. 1s on the Hot 100 and 19 on the Billboard 200. The Fab Four first topped the charts in February 1964, thanks to “I Want To Hold Your Hand” and parent album Meet the Beatles, respectively. The band’s run of Billboard 200 No. 1s stretches through its retrospective 1 in 2000-01.
Holding the lead among soloists, Taylor Swift sports 31 No. 1s: 16 on the Hot 100 and 15 on the Billboard 200, her haul most recently augmented by The Life of a Showgirl and “Patient Zero” on the respective rankings. Swift is the only woman, and joined, at the time, The Beatles and Drake as the only acts overall with double-digit No. 1s on both rankings.
Drake follows with 29 combined Billboard 200 (15) and Hot 100 No. 1s (14), thanks most recently to his historic coronations for ICEMAN and “Janice STFU.”
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Mariah Carey has posted 25 No. 1s on the charts. She has 19 leaders, the most among soloists, on the Hot 100, and six on the Billboard 200.
Rounding out the top five, Madonna has earned 22 No. 1s on the Billboard 200 and Hot 100 combined, with 12 on the latter and 10 on the former, where Confessions II marks her latest leader, as well as the title that made her just the fourth artist with 10 or more No. 1s on each chart.
(Notably, Paul McCartney accounts for a whopping 56 combined Billboard 200 and Hot 100 No. 1s, with The Beatles’ 39 augmented by 17 more by McCartney solo, including his output with Wings.)
Below, browse the list of the superstars with the most combined No. 1s on the Billboard 200, which began with the survey dated March 24, 1956, and the Hot 100, which premiered with the edition dated Aug. 4, 1958.
Lola Young is ready for everything to begin again.
The Grammy-winning artist announced her 17-date Everything Begins North American Tour on Monday (Oct. 5), which will send her across the U.S. and Canada next spring for some of the biggest headline shows of her career. The tour kicks off April 6 at Nashville’s Pinnacle and includes some epic stops at New York’s Radio City Music Hall and Los Angeles’ Greek Theatre.
The Everything Begins title is a nod to Young’s “Everything Ends” tattoo, with the new name showcasing a fresh chapter for the British artist.
The trek will undoubtedly celebrate the flourishing career she’s had, especially since her breakout hit “Messy.” The track reached No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100, charting in December 2024 and remaining on the chart until February 2025.
Young’s momentum also carried into the 2026 year with the Grammy Awards, where she won best pop solo performance for “Messy” and received a nomination for best new artist. She later brought the song to the Grammy telecast, giving the track an even bigger stage.
The Everything Begins Tour arrives after Young’s second album, I’m Only F**king Myself, released in September 2025. The project features songs including “One Thing” and “Dealer,” and marked another step forward for the South London-born singer-songwriter’s emotionally candid, rock-inflected pop sound.
More recently, Young teamed up with James Blake for “From Down Here,” her first new music following the album. The collaboration arrived as Young continued bringing her live show to major festival stages, including Rock in Rio, Reading Festival, All Things Go in Washington, D.C. and Austin City Limits.
Soon, she’ll take that live energy into some of the largest rooms she’s headlined in North America. The Everything Begins Tour will visit Atlanta, Philadelphia, Chicago, Vancouver, San Francisco and more before wrapping later in the spring.
A presale begins Wednesday (Oct. 7), with tickets going on sale to the general public Friday (Oct. 9) at 10 a.m. local time via Young’s official website.
View the full list of tour dates below.
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T-Mobile is the best mobile data service because of its blazing fast network, compatibility with a very wide range of devices from Apple, Samsung, Google and other manufacturers and friendly and helpful customer service. However, the best just got better with the promise of a new phone for zero dollars today.
And right now, it’s easier to sign up and get a new smartphone. T-Mobile launched a new Freedom Explorer program that allows eligible customers a new and upgraded device at $0 out-of-pocket upon sign up for the carrier’s New Experience and Essentials 2.0 plans. This means you can get a new phone and pay nothing up front — just for switching to T-Mobile. It’s available for T-Mobile customers looking to upgrade too.
With the mobile service, you get access to a robust network of cell towers used to reach a wider audience, expanding its network so its signal goes farther and works better for you. The provider has a nationwide 5G mobile network that covers a whopping 98% of people in the U.S.
T-Mobile is a provider with an integrated land and satellite network, aptly filling in all the gaps in connections. The company has more than 650 satellites already in orbit, ready to offer you the best connection possible, no matter where you may be — even in “dead zones.”
Compared to other big names, T-Mobile generally offers more affordable plans and family plans with more perks included in some plans, such as streaming services access to Netflix and Apple TV, in-flight Wi-Fi and discounts on both hotels and rental cars when traveling for business or pleasure. If you’re not convinced by that glowing title, the internet service provider has a few key glitzy features that make it stand out from the competition. First and foremost, its performance is unmatched. T-Mobile’s got the fastest download speeds in the United States, according to Ookla’s Speedtest. Learn more about T-Mobile’s “Introducing NOTHING” program here.
El punk habrá nacido en Perú o, según Kim Gordon, con las chicas. Lo que sabemos es que llegó para quedarse. Bancando la osadía de contradecir a Crass, el punk nunca murió: siempre encontró la forma de reinventarse con cada vuelta de la vida y en cada rincón del planeta. Banca los trapos en canciones […]
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