Money

The alleged abductor of 9-year-old Charlotte Sena held her for ransom to get his hands on a portion of a multimillion dollar settlement, according to a new report.

Craig Ross was aware Sena's late grandfather, Patrick, was awarded $2.2 million after he was severely injured in a sledding accident and sued the town of Greenfield, New York, in 1998, the Daily Mail reported. Patrick passed away in 2015, but his sizable payout lives on in his family and was common knowledge among locals like Ross.

Ross allegedly kidnapped Sena and demanded the $50,000 ransom in a note he left at her parent's house because he was "struggling financially," his ex-girlfriend, Amanda Preece, told The Mail.

Preece said the ransom money would have set up Ross for up to five years. She also called Ross a "mooch" because he never wanted to work for money and lived off his mother and girlfriends.

Preece went on to say she believes Ross is "evil" and had been stalking Charlotte and planning her kidnapping for a while.

Last Saturday, Ross allegedly snatched Sena as she rode her bike in Moreau Lake State Park, while the girl was on vacation with her parents in upstate New York.

Police say Ross drove to Sena's home and stuffed the ransom note into her mailbox as investigators were staking out the location.

Ariana Grande and Dalton Gomez have made quick work out of their divorce, settling up just weeks after they filed to end their marriage.

There weren't a whole lot of contentious issues ... there was a prenup, and, as we reported when we broke the story, Ariana cut Dalton a check ... and according to the settlement Dalton will receive $1,250,000, tax-free. Dalton is getting the money upfront, so there will be no spousal support.

Dalton will also receive 1/2 of the net proceeds from the sale of their L.A. home. And, Ariana will pay up to $25,000 of Dalton's attorney's fees.

A source close to the situation tells us, "There is still a strong mutual love and respect between Ariana and Dalton and they wanted to make sure everything was done right in lockstep with one another."

The settlement is standard operating procedure for Ariana's lawyer, disso queen Laura Wasser, who tries -- usually successfully -- to quickly settle even the most contentious divorces. You'll recall, she recently settled the bitter divorce between Kevin Costner and Christine Baumgartner.

The settlement has been filed with the court, and all that's left is for the judge to sign and they will be single again.

Ariana is in deep with her newest boo, "Wicked" co-star Ethan Slater, and we're told Dalton is dating as well.

The date of separation on the divorce docs is February 20, but they didn't file for divorce until last month.

Ariana Grande y Dalton Gomez han resuelto rápidamente su divorcio, llegando a un acuerdo apenas unas semanas después de que presentaran la demanda para poner fin a su matrimonio.

En este caso, no había un montón de cuestiones polémicas, sino un acuerdo prenupcial, tal como informamos cuando dimos la noticia. Ariana firmará un cheque, que según el acuerdo, correspondería a $1,250,000, libres de impuestos. Dalton está recibiendo el dinero por adelantado, por lo que no habría manutención conyugal.

También recibirá la mitad de los ingresos netos de la venta de su casa de Los Ángeles. Y Ariana pagará hasta $25.000 de los honorarios del abogado de Dalton.

Una fuente cercana a la situación nos dice: "Todavía hay un fuerte amor mutuo y respeto entre Ariana y Dalton y querían asegurarse de que todo se hiciera bien".

El acuerdo es el procedimiento operativo estándar para la abogada de Ariana, la experta Laura Wasser, que utiliza para resolver rápidamente incluso los divorcios más polémicos, por lo general con éxito. Como recordarán, recientemente resolvió el amargo divorcio de Kevin Costner y Christine Baumgartner.

El acuerdo ha sido presentado en el juzgado y solo falta que el juez lo firme para que vuelvan a estar solteros.

Ariana está muy enganchada con su nuevo amante, el coprotagonista de "Wicked", Ethan Slater, y nos dicen que Dalton también está saliendo con alguien.

La fecha de separación en los documentos es el 20 de febrero, pero no solicitaron el divorcio hasta el mes pasado.

Britney Spears needed some serious rest and relaxation after becoming the target of social media criticism for dancing with knives ... and decided the best place to escape was a private island.

Sources close to the pop star tell TMZ, she and a group of friends took off to the famous Brando hotel in French Polynesia this past weekend.

Britney shared a quick video of herself and some pals in a private plane as they flew over the crystal blue water near the resort.

Fans speculated one of the men onboard the plane, and sitting closest to Britney, could be a new love interest, but our sources say that's not the case ... they're simply acquaintances.

Of course, it's no surprise why Britney might have wanted to escape.

She took a ton of heat for posting multiple videos dancing with knives, a stunt that even prompted a police response for a welfare check. Britney has maintained the knives were fake, but some disagree.

If the Brando sounds familiar ... it's the same spot Beyoncé recently rented out for her birthday during a small break from her "Renaissance" tour. Kim Kardashian also took a group of her closest friends and family members there for her 40th birthday.

The resort features a bunch of private villas, offering anywhere from one to four-bedroom accommodations.

Beyoncé rented out the cream of the crop for her bday bash ... a villa with a private pool which usually goes for about $20,000 per night.

Ring, the company known for its doorbell and home security cameras, wants to see proof of alien life ... and is offering up a hefty cash prize for anyone who can capture footage.

The company launched its "Million Dollar Search for Extraterrestrials" this week, offering up a $1M grand prize for anyone who has "unaltered proof of Extraterrestrial life" -- specifically documented on one of its Ring cameras.

Ring says the footage can be of an unearthly being walking around your backyard, or even a UFO pullin' up to your driveway ... but all submitted materials will be looked at by an expert for approval.

Skeptics might see this as an easy challenge from Ring -- putting up big bucks for something that may not be legit ... but for those that buy the strange phenomenon, here's your shot.

In case ya forgot, we spoke with Neil deGrasse Tyson in August about the potential of alien life visiting our planet -- especially as the topic's being taken more seriously in the U.S.

According to Neil, the high-tech world we live in is a reason why he's not so sure UFOs are here ... mostly because the only alleged footage we've seen is grainy as hell! But, Ring's big challenge might put Neil's concerns to rest.

Ring, la compañía conocida por sus cámaras de seguridad para el hogar, quiere ver pruebas de vida extraterrestre y para ello está ofreciendo un premio en efectivo bastante considerable para quien pueda capturar esas imágenes.

La compañía lanzó la campaña "Million Dollar Search for Extraterrestrials" esta semana, en donde ofrece un premio de 1 millón de dólares para quien tenga una "prueba inalterada de vida extraterrestre", y tiene que estar documentada específicamente en una de sus cámaras.

Ring dice que las imágenes pueden ser de un ser sobrenatural caminando en tu patio trasero, o incluso de un OVNI acercándose hasta la entrada de tu casa, pero todos los materiales serán examinados por un experto para su aprobación.

Los escépticos podrían ver esto como un reto fácil para Ring, esto es, poner mucho dinero en algo que puede que no sea legítimo, pero para aquellos que compran estos extraños fenómenos, esta puede ser su oportunidad.

En caso de que lo hayan olvidado, hablamos con Neil deGrasse Tyson en agosto sobre la posibilidad de que los extraterrestres visiten nuestro planeta, sobre todo considerando que el tema se está tomando más en serio en Estados Unidos.

Según Neil, el mundo de alta tecnología en el que vivimos es una de las razones por las que no está tan seguro de que los ovnis estén aquí, ¡sobre todo porque las únicas supuestas imágenes que hemos visto son muy granuladas!

Pero el gran reto de Ring podría acabar con las preocupaciones de Neil.

Drake is making a habit of putting big smiles on the faces of his fans by giving away designer bags on tour ... and the latest one in Miami came with a very important disclaimer.

Champagne Papi was performing last week at the Kaseya Center when he spotted Nicolette Valenti singing along in the crowd, and eventually he had his security deliver her a brown Birkin.

Drake picked her out between songs, but let the audience know he wasn't blessing her with a bag because of her large breasts -- which has been a thing at previous tour stops -- instead, he said it was because of the way she was singing all night.

In video capturing the giveaway, Drake tells the audience he likes to make people's days and Nicolete needs a brown Birkin to go with her brown top, and then security swooped in for the handoff.

Nicolette tells us she immediately called her mother ... Drake noticed her making the call, and after she showed him her phone, he dedicated the next song to her mom.

Birkin bags can run well past 5 figures in retail, so Drake arranged for Nicolette to get a police escort out of the venue ... and she says Drizzy's stage manager made her text him to make sure he knew she made it home safely with the Birkin.

It was an unforgettable moment for Nicolette ... and she tells us she is never selling the bag.

Drake sigue adelante con su hábito de regalar bolsos de diseño a algúna afortunada del público.

Champagne Papi actuaba la semana pasada en el Kaseya Center cuando vio a Nicolette Valenti cantando entre el público e hizo que su seguridad le entregara un bolso Birkin marrón.

Drake la escogió entre canción y canción, bromeando que no la bendecía con un bolso por sus grandes pechos, sino por la forma en que estuvo cantando toda la noche.

En el video de la entrega, Drake le dice a la audiencia que le gusta hacer cosas lindas por la gente y Nicolete necesitaba un Birkin marrón que combinara con su top. Luego de eso la seguridad se acercó y le entregaron el regalo.

Nicolette nos dice que llamó a su madre justo después. Drake se dio cuenta de que estaba haciendo una llamada y ella le enseñó su teléfono y le dedicó la siguiente canción a su madre.

Los bolsos Birkin pueden superar las cinco cifras en el comercio minorista, por lo que Drake hizo arreglos para que Nicolette consiguiera una escolta policial fuera del lugar. Ella dice que el director de escena de Drizzy le hizo enviarle un mensaje de texto para asegurarse de que sabía que había llegado a casa a salvo con el Birkin.

Nicolette nos dice que va a conservar el bolso como el recuerdo de una noche inolvidable.

Tristan Thompson puede estar recibiendo elogios de la familia Kardashian por ser un buen padre, pero ciertamente no todos piensan lo mismo.

Tristan tiene un hijo de 6 años llamado Prince con Jordan Craig, y la hermana de Jordan, Kai, acaba de criticar a la ex estrella de la NBA, diciendo que es repugnante que Tristan no pueda aparecerse ni ser un "padre real" para Prince. Sin embargo, sí es capaz de hacer un montón de cosas buenas para los dos niños que tiene con Khloe Kardashian.

Kai continúa: "El hecho de que pueda llevar a otros niños a la escuela y a actividades en la misma ciudad, y que al mismo tiempo no vea ni hable con su propio hijo, a menos que sea para una fiesta o una oportunidad planeada, es atroz e inexcusable."

Luego se centra en Kim, quien en un episodio reciente de "The Kardashians" dijo que Tristan era "tan buen amigo y tan buen padre."

Kai le dice a Kim: "No quiero pensar que eres así de insensible al hecho de que literalmente ignora a sus hijos. Genial que haya sido buen amigo contigo, pero consideremos a nuestras hermanas antes de tomar plataformas globales para defender el carácter de este hombre".

Kai también afirma que Tristan no ha pagado la matrícula de Prince ni la manutención de los hijos en un "tiempo muy largo".

Tristan Thompson may be getting praise from the Kardashian family for being a good dad, but it's certainly not that way across the board ... as he's now getting slammed by the aunt of his first son.

Tristan has a 6-year-old son named Prince with Jordan Craig ... and Jordan's sister, Kai, just unleashed on the former NBA star. Kai says it's disgusting Tristan can't show up and be a "real parent" for Prince yet he can do a bunch of nice things for the two kids he has with Khloe Kardashian.

Kai continues, "The fact that he can take other children to school and activities in the same city, yet never sees or speaks to his own son, unless it's for a party or planned photo opportunity, is appalling and inexcusable."

She then turns her focus to Kim, who on a recent episode of "The Kardashians" said Tristan was, "such a good friend and such a good dad."

Kai says to Kim, "I don't want to believe that you are this insensitive to the fact that he literally ignores his children. That's nice if he's been a good friend to you, but let's consider our sisters before taking to global platforms to defend this man's character."

Kai also claims Tristan has not paid for Prince's tuition or child support in a "very long time."

The Weeknd le dio un impulso a la economía del país. Su último concierto no solo fue una buena inyección de dinero en términos de impuestos, además trajo un montón de puestos de trabajo con él.

El cantante actuó en Bogotá —la capital del país— el miércoles por la noche, trabajando con 35 empresas diferentes de la ciudad, lo que se tradujo en un altísimo número de personas capaces de trabajar para la gran noche. De hecho, nos dicen que 1.500 puestos de trabajo se crearon en total a través del espectáculo.

The Weeknd ha estado vendiendo estadios de todo el mundo como parte de su gira "After Hours Til Dawn", causando furor en Londres, París, y por supuesto, Bogotá  —y sus últimos espectáculos terminaron generando más de 800 millones de pesos.

Todo fue intensidad y ritmo en el Estadio Nemesio Camacho, más conocido como El Campín. Los fans estuvieron eufóricos durante toda la noche mientras cantaba sus éxitos.

Pat Fitzgerald is not going down without a fight -- the fired Northwestern football coach just filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against the school ... and he's seeking at least $130 million.

48-year-old Fitzgerald was suspended and later booted from his alma mater amid allegations of hazing within the program back in July ... after an investigation determined the longtime coach did not know of any wrongdoing, but could have made an effort to find out about what was happening.

Fast forward to Thursday ... PF's attorneys are ripping the school's decision to fire their client after 17 seasons.

"If there was ever a coach at Northwestern University who should have not been terminated, it's Coach Fitzgerald," Dan Webb said in a press conference announcing the "major" lawsuit.

Webb said N.U. wrongfully and illegally sacked Fitzgerald "without any legitimate or rational reason whatsoever."

Webb added the lawsuit includes claims of breach of contract on two occasions and defamation.

The attorney added the school should cough up the massive amount of money for the economic damages Fitzgerald suffered ... as well as an additional chunk of change for punitive damages, future loss of income and infliction of emotional distress.

Colombia has The Weeknd to thank for a huge boost to the country's economy ... his latest not only brought in a whole bunch of money, but a ton of jobs with it.

The singer performed in Bogotá -- the country's capital -- Wednesday night, working with 35 different companies in the city, which translated into a sky-high number of folks able to work for the big night. In fact, we're told 1,500 jobs in all were created through the show.

The Weeknd's been selling out stadiums across the globe as part of his "After Hours Til Dawn" tour, blowing the roof off in London, Paris, and, of course, Bogotá -- and his latest shows ended up generating over 800 million pesos.

He brought the house down at Nemesio Camacho El Campín Stadium, BTW ... with fans having a blast all night long as he sang his chart-topping hits.

Sounds like The Weeknd's Colombian fans aren't the only ones grateful that he came and put on a show ... the rest of the country's gotta be thanking him, too!

Corey Feldman dice que su chaqueta de cuero con tachuelas de "Dream a Little Dream" fue robada durante un concierto reciente (otra vez) y la ex estrella infantil está empeñada en recuperarla.

La estrella de "Los Goonies" (entre muchas otras), dice que estaba actuando el domingo en Nueva Jersey cuando alguien fue detrás del escenario y le robó la chaqueta delante de sus narices.

Corey dice que le enfurece mucho que alguien tenga la audacia de robar lo que él considera un "artefacto sagrado en su vida" y dice que se siente triste y herido, en parte porque le recuerda a su difunto amigo, el actor Corey Haim.

Es la segunda vez que este artículo desaparece, como informamos, fue robado en 2011 mientras Corey estaba pasando el rato en la Casa del Blues en Los Ángeles, solo para que resurgiera años más tarde en un mercado de las pulgas en Boston, y en última instancia, hacer su camino de regreso a Corey.

Esta vez, Corey dice que fue robado de Homestead Bar & Kitchen en Morristown, Nueva Jersey, y está ofreciendo una recompensa de $1,000 por cualquier información sobre el incidente o el paradero de la chaqueta.

Corey Feldman says his studded leather jacket from "Dream a Little Dream" was stolen during a recent gig ... again ... and the former child star is hellbent on getting it back.

The "Goonies" star says he was performing Sunday in New Jersey when someone went backstage and swiped the jacket right from under his nose.

Corey says he's furious someone would have the audacity to steal what he considers a "sacred artifact from his life" ... and he says he's feeling sad and hurt, in part because it reminds him of his late friend, actor Corey Haim.

It's the second time this wardrobe item's gone missing ... as we reported, it was stolen in 2011 while Corey was hanging out at the House of Blues in L.A., only for it to resurface years later at a Boston flea market, and ultimately make its way back to Corey.

This time, Corey says it was stolen from Homestead Bar & Kitchen in Morristown, NJ ... and he's offering a $1,000 reward for any info about the incident or the jacket's whereabouts.

Corey's worn it in movies like "Dream a Little Dream" and "The 'Burbs" ... as well as for a guest appearance on "Married With Children," and he says he's worn it onstage at every one of his performances ever since.

Taylor Swift está en todas partes por estos días, incluso ayudando a recaudar algo de dinero para el evento de caridad de su mejor amiga Selena Gomez.

Dos codiciadas entradas a uno de sus conciertos se tomaron la subasta de Hollywood el miércoles, con motivo de la inauguración de Rare Impact Fund Benefit. El evento es parte de la campaña de Selena por generar mayor conciencia sobre las personas que luchan con problemas de salud mental y auto aceptación.

Martin Short fue el maestro de ceremonias del evento, quien dio el pistoletazo de salida a la subasta de entradas en 5.000 dólares, pero la cifra fue aumentando hasta que finalmente alcanzó la suculenta suma de 15.000 dólares, la entrada más cara del evento. Por supuesto, Martin añadió mucho humor e hizo que el público se muriera de la risa.

Como era de esperar, una vez que Martin hizo oficial al ganador, todo el mundo se volvió loco y aplaudió.