Latest news with #Masai
France 24
a day ago
- Business
- France 24
NBA Raptors drop Ujiri as president after 13 seasons
The 54-year-old English-born executive has British, Nigerian, Kenyan and Canadian citizenship. He was named the NBA's Executive of the Year in 2013 while with Denver, the only non-US winner of the award. "During his 13 seasons with the Raptors, Masai has helped transform the organization on the court and has been an inspirational leader off it," MLSE President and chief executive officer Keith Pelley said. "He brought an NBA championship to Toronto and urged us to believe in this city and ourselves. We are grateful for all he has done and wish him and his family the very best." The Raptors, however, went 30-52 this past season, missing the NBA playoffs for the third year in a row and fourth time in five seasons. They haven't won a playoff series since getting past Brooklyn in the 2020 opening round. "As we plan for the franchise's future, and its return to the NBA playoffs, a search for the successor as president of the Raptors, led by CAA Executive Search, will begin immediately." The move came a day after the NBA Draft and just ahead of next week's start of NBA free agency. The Raptors announced they would keep key front office personnel, including general manager Bobby Webster, who received a contract extension, the terms of which were not revealed. "We are confident that the Raptors organization, under the guidance of Bobby and his team, is in a great place," Pelley said. "They have a plan in place for next season and beyond as the team continues its rebuild, and we have confidence in their ability to execute and ultimately, to excel. "We feel the team is in a strong, stable place, and we believe the addition of a new president will continue to move the Raptors forward, towards our next NBA championship." Ujiri played his entire on-court career in Europe, including a stint with England's Derby Rams, before joining the Orlando Magic and Denver Nuggets as a scout. He was hired by the Raptors as global scouting director and in 2008 became Toronto's assistant general manager. He returned to Denver in 2010 as executive vice president and general manager, the first African general manager in major American sports. The Nuggets won a club-record 57 games in 2012-13, with Ujiri being named the league's top executive, and Ujiri signed with the Raptors as executive vice president and general manager in May 2013.
News18
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- News18
She Left Her Husband, Kids For Masai Tribesman After Holiday Fling. 30 Years On, She Regrets It
Last Updated: Daniel's habits began to irritate Cheryl. He would jump around the garden doing Masai dances, saying he wanted to leap as high as an elephant, which she found increasingly odd A holiday romance that once seemed like a fairytale has turned into a lifelong regret for a British woman. Decades ago, during a trip to Kenya, she fell in love with a tribal man and, in a moment of passion, left her husband and children to marry him. Now, nearly 30 years later, the relationship has ended—and she's speaking out about the decision she calls the biggest mistake of her life. According to a report by The Mirror, in 1994, when Cheryl Thomasgood was 34, she travelled to Kenya for a holiday. There, she fell in love with Daniel Lekimencho, a young man from the Masai tribe—but what began as a holiday romance soon turned into bitter regret. Now a mother of four, Cheryl has come forward to share her story, urging other women to think twice before falling in love on holiday. At the time, she was living a comfortable life on the Isle of Wight, England, but was also grappling with unresolved childhood trauma and a broken marriage. On a friend's suggestion from church, she visited the Bamburi Beach Hotel in Mombasa, Kenya, where she first met Daniel, a performer in a traditional dance troupe. Cheryl was drawn to Daniel's simplicity and detachment from material things. So strong was the impression that, after returning to the UK from her three-week holiday, she made the drastic decision to leave her husband, Mike Mason, and their children. She went back to Kenya and began living with Daniel in his tribal village—sleeping on goat skin, cooking on an open fire, and eating traditional foods like cabbage and cow blood. In 1995, the two returned to England and married on Valentine's Day in traditional Masai attire. Daniel then moved to the Isle of Wight to live with Cheryl's children, and the couple welcomed a daughter, Misty, who is now 27. While everything seemed exciting at first, Cheryl soon realised that Daniel's priorities had shifted—from spiritual values to material desires. He began demanding a big house, expensive clothes, and money to send back to his family. Daniel's habits gradually began to irritate Cheryl. He would jump around the garden performing traditional Masai dances and say he wanted to jump as high as an elephant. While this may have been entertaining for the children, it started to feel strange to Cheryl. In 1999, their relationship ended and the couple divorced. Cheryl believes she stayed in the relationship only because she wanted to prove society wrong. 'The biggest regret is that my children could not accept Daniel as a stable father — they lost a lot," she said. Now, after three marriages, Cheryl shared that she will never marry again. She currently lives a peaceful life with her four children — Steve (43), Tommy (41), Chloe (34), and Misty (27). Daniel still lives on the Isle of Wight and works in a supermarket. First Published:
Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
'My mum abandoned us to live in Kenyan hut with toyboy Masai warrior'
Just weeks after meeting on a package holiday in Kenya, British mum Cheryl Thomasgood tied the knot with Masai warrior Daniel Lekimencho. At 34, Cheryl had left behind her quiet life on the Isle of Wight with her two children and second husband for her new lover—but she later lived to regret it. And her son, Stevie Liddington, says the abrupt decision tore his life apart and ruined his childhood. The couple met in the early 1990s whilst staying at the Bamburi Beach Hotel in Mombasa and hairdresser Cheryl soon traded in her suburban, comfortable home life to relocate with the Kenyan warrior, 10 years her junior. Earlier this month, Cheryl spoke out about the romance, saying she eventually felt used as a "meal ticket". But expressing her anguish hasn't made up for the torment felt by Stevie, who was just 11 when she left the family home. Speaking to MailOnline, he says he is "ashamed" and "deeply disgusted" by his mother's actions. "She was never the kind of mother who cared about her children's emotional well-being, and even now, decades later, she continues to show who she truly is by dragging this all up again without a thought for the people it hurts," he said. Stevie, who relocated to Seoul, South Korea, with his wife and children, says he hasn't spoken to his mum in 10 years. Meanwhile, his brother, who lives in Canada, also has little contact with their mum, according to the brother. Even before she abandoned them, Stevie's childhood had already been traumatic. His father, Robert Liddington, left when he was four-years-old, resulting in Cheryl experiencing a mental breakdown, MailOnline reports. The brothers were placed into foster care before Cheryl's second husband, Mike Mason, provided stability for the family and looked after them as if they were his own. But his life then shattered into pieces when he received a phone call from his mum saying she was never returning home. Matters were made worse, he says, after she spoke with the press. Children at his school would bring in newspapers and make fun of him after she shared tales of her unconventional romance. She swapped her home comforts to live in a mud hut in rural Kenya, where she lived off cabbage and cow's blood. The couple eventually left Kenya behind in 1995 so she could return to the Isle of Wight, and three years later, they had a daughter, Mitsi. They tied the knot on Valentine's Day, both wearing traditional Masai clothing. But when she reportedly would go missing for days, it was Stevie who was left to look after his half-sister. He remembers praying that she was still alive as he walked around the local neighbourhood for hours trying to search for her. Stevie claims that his mum's relationship with Daniel was "violent" and that he cannot forgive Cheryl for what she did, having firmly closed the door shut at any opportunity for a reconciliation, adding that she should "never have been a mother". Four years after marrying, Cheryl and Daniel split in 1999, with the mum citing that the spiritual warrior "turned into a miserable sod". She claimed her third husband changed whilst living in the UK, and became "obsessed" with wealth. And now three decades later, the mum-of-three, now 65, has opened up about her regretful past. "I made a huge mistake, it was very wrong of me, and I have a lot of regrets, especially about how it damaged my children," she told the Mail. She added: "Daniel was trying his best, but he could never understand the Western ways and couldn't be the dad that they needed." She maintains that there is "one good thing" to come of their difficult romance, which is their daughter Mitsi. Following their relationship breakdown, Daniel remained on the island, where he now works in a supermarket.
The Irish Sun
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
My mum abandoned us for toyboy Masai warrior on holiday in Kenya – it destroyed my life & even teachers laughed at me
A SON whose mum left her family to marry a Masai warrior she met on holiday revealed it destroyed his childhood. 6 Cheryl Thomasgood, then 34, left her second husband and three children behind to marry Daniel Lekimencho Credit: Solent News 6 The pair married in 1995 before moving to the Isle of Wight Credit: Youtube 6 Chery's son Stevie has broken his silence on his traumatic childhood Credit: Colin Shephard The couple first lay eyes on each other at the Bamburi Beach Hotel in Mombasa. Cheryl quickly traded in her suburban life on the Her son Stevie Liddington, now 43, has broken his silence on the ordeal in light of his mother's comments earlier this month. She explained how she felt Read More But Stevie, who was 11 when Cheryl left, told "My mother did not just abandon her family in the 1990s – she ruined our childhoods," he said. "She left behind three children, including me, and never looked back in any meaningful or supportive way. "She was never the kind of mother who cared about her children's emotional well-being, and even now, decades later, she continues to show who she truly is by dragging this all up again without a thought for the people it hurts." Most read in The Sun Stevie has relocated with his wife and children to Seoul, in South Korea, and hasn't spoken to Cheryl in 10 years. He told how his brother moved to Canada, and similarly has little contact with their mum. In harrowing tales, Stevie revealed his childhood had been traumatic before Daniel arrived on the scene. His father, Robert Liddington, had left the home when he was five-years-old, which saw Cheryl spiral into a mental breakdown. Stevie and his younger brother were temporarily placed in foster care after they "saw things no child should ever witness" - including Cheryl holding a knife to her own neck, Stevie claimed. He recalled Cheryl's second husband, Mike Mason, stepping up and giving the family stability. 6 Cheryl and Daniel welcomed a daughter together in 1998 Credit: Solent News 6 The couple went through a messy divorce in 1999 Credit: Youtube 6 Stevie claimed the turbulent relationship led to physical fights Credit: Youtube But their happiness was shattered beyond repair with "one phone call" from Kenya - when Cheryl said she was never coming home. Stevie's trauma only deepened after the case sparked a media frenzy, which he claimed his mother loved to fuel. He said: "At school, classmates brought in newspapers to laugh at me. Teachers stood by or laughed along. I was publicly humiliated. "And where was Cheryl? Chasing cameras. Giving interviews. Writing a book. She didn't ask how we were. She didn't check in. Our family crumbled." He refuted her expressions of regret and said she'd never taken accountability properly. The web designer claimed her comments were filled with lies, including the impression Daniel was loved by the kids. He dubbed Cheryl's relationship with the warrior as "violent" and "chaotic". Cheryl and Daniel welcomed a daughter together, Misti, in 1998. But Stevie said he was often left to look after his half-sister, when Cheryl would go missing for days. He recalled praying his mother was still alive, while walking around the local area for hours searching for her. Stevie revealed Misti and Cheryl are still in contact with each other and there is no bad blood. His brother, who relocated to Canada, also has an on-and-off relationship with Cheryl. But Stevie is insistent he must keep the door closed with "narcissistic" Cheryl - who he slammed should "never have been a mother". CHERYL'S REGRET Cheryl and her new partner made headlines across the globe with people left gobsmacked at her decision to abandon the comfortable middle-class life for a new home and partner in rural Kenya. She traded it in to help the warrior cook, clean and hunt, sleeping on goatskin and surviving on a diet of cow's blood and cabbage in a But the bizarre couple eventually to leave Kenya behind returned to the Isle of Wight in 1995. They tied the knot on Valentine's Day, both wearing But more than three decades later, Cheryl has broken her silence after the marriage fell apart - when she claimed Daniel became She described feeling used as a "meal ticket" in an emotional interview with the "I made a huge mistake, it was very wrong of me, and I have a lot of regrets, especially about how it damaged my children," she said. Cheryl split with Daniel in 1999 just four years after they were married and one year after their daughter was born. Now, 65-year-old Cheryl lives alone in a seaside town in Somerset where she is well known among the local community. She has kept her controversial past hidden from the community with none of her friends aware of the bizarre relationship she once had with the Masai warrior. MARRIAGE BREAKDOWN Cheryl has now told how shortly after arriving in the UK Daniel became obsessed with material things and money. She detailed how Daniel quickly became moody and miserable over the couples lot in life, wanting more money and more possessions, changed by life in the UK. Cheryl recalled the only time Daniel being happy was when the She added: "He would say that he was getting ready for battle and wanted to jump as high as an Trying to pinpoint what went wrong in the peculiar relationship Cheryl blamed a slew of drastic cultural differences between her and her husband. She reportedly felt that adjusting to Cheryl admitted that she suffered sexual abuse as a young girl and spoke about the harrowing difficulties she faced growing up in a dysfunctional London household with alcoholic parents, she was reportedly contemplating suicide at the time she met Daniel. She revealed how she was urged to go on her Kenyan holiday by a friend who was in the same church choir as her, the pair went on the holiday that would change her life forever together. When Cheryl went to Kenya she was at a low point in her life she said, suffering with childhood trauma and stuck in an unhappy marriage to her second husband Mike. She had seen Daniel was an answer to her problems, believing he could help her heal and find peace through Cheryl now admits that her love affair with the Masai warrior was just an escape from her problems and not an answer to them. MOVING ON Asked about what she regrets the most about her time with her warrior toy boy, Cheryl said: "The impact all this had on my children. Having a Masai warrior as a father was not easy for them. Daniel was trying his best, but he could never understand the Western ways and couldn't be the dad that they needed." Cheryl said that her children had missed out on having a proper father figure in their lives because of her relationship with Daniel and the break down of her first two marriages. Despite having no contact with Daniel, Cheryl maintained she still has Following the pair's split, Masai warrior Daniel remained on the Isle of Wight where he now works in a supermarket.
Scottish Sun
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
My mum abandoned us for toyboy Masai warrior on holiday in Kenya – it destroyed my life & even teachers laughed at me
Stevie revealed his childhood had been traumatic before Daniel arrived on the scene FAMILY TORN APART My mum abandoned us for toyboy Masai warrior on holiday in Kenya – it destroyed my life & even teachers laughed at me Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A SON whose mum left her family to marry a Masai warrior she met on holiday revealed it destroyed his childhood. Cheryl Thomasgood, then 34, jetted away from her second husband and three children to marry Daniel Lekimencho weeks after meeting him in Kenya. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 6 Cheryl Thomasgood, then 34, left her second husband and three children behind to marry Daniel Lekimencho Credit: Solent News 6 The pair married in 1995 before moving to the Isle of Wight Credit: Youtube 6 Chery's son Stevie has broken his silence on his traumatic childhood Credit: Colin Shephard The couple first lay eyes on each other at the Bamburi Beach Hotel in Mombasa. Cheryl quickly traded in her suburban life on the Isle of Wight and relocated with the 6ft 2-inch-tall Kenyan warrior - who was ten years her junior. Her son Stevie Liddington, now 43, has broken his silence on the ordeal in light of his mother's comments earlier this month. She explained how she felt used as a "meal ticket" by the Masai warrior and expressed her regret. But Stevie, who was 11 when Cheryl left, told the Mail he is "ashamed to call her my mother" and "deeply disgusted". "My mother did not just abandon her family in the 1990s – she ruined our childhoods," he said. "She left behind three children, including me, and never looked back in any meaningful or supportive way. "She was never the kind of mother who cared about her children's emotional well-being, and even now, decades later, she continues to show who she truly is by dragging this all up again without a thought for the people it hurts." Stevie has relocated with his wife and children to Seoul, in South Korea, and hasn't spoken to Cheryl in 10 years. He told how his brother moved to Canada, and similarly has little contact with their mum. In harrowing tales, Stevie revealed his childhood had been traumatic before Daniel arrived on the scene. His father, Robert Liddington, had left the home when he was five-years-old, which saw Cheryl spiral into a mental breakdown. Stevie and his younger brother were temporarily placed in foster care after they "saw things no child should ever witness" - including Cheryl holding a knife to her own neck, Stevie claimed. He recalled Cheryl's second husband, Mike Mason, stepping up and giving the family stability. 6 Cheryl and Daniel welcomed a daughter together in 1998 Credit: Solent News 6 The couple went through a messy divorce in 1999 Credit: Youtube 6 Stevie claimed the turbulent relationship led to physical fights Credit: Youtube But their happiness was shattered beyond repair with "one phone call" from Kenya - when Cheryl said she was never coming home. Stevie's trauma only deepened after the case sparked a media frenzy, which he claimed his mother loved to fuel. He said: "At school, classmates brought in newspapers to laugh at me. Teachers stood by or laughed along. I was publicly humiliated. "And where was Cheryl? Chasing cameras. Giving interviews. Writing a book. She didn't ask how we were. She didn't check in. Our family crumbled." He refuted her expressions of regret and said she'd never taken accountability properly. The web designer claimed her comments were filled with lies, including the impression Daniel was loved by the kids. He dubbed Cheryl's relationship with the warrior as "violent" and "chaotic". Cheryl and Daniel welcomed a daughter together, Misti, in 1998. But Stevie said he was often left to look after his half-sister, when Cheryl would go missing for days. He recalled praying his mother was still alive, while walking around the local area for hours searching for her. Stevie revealed Misti and Cheryl are still in contact with each other and there is no bad blood. His brother, who relocated to Canada, also has an on-and-off relationship with Cheryl. But Stevie is insistent he must keep the door closed with "narcissistic" Cheryl - who he slammed should "never have been a mother". CHERYL'S REGRET Cheryl and her new partner made headlines across the globe with people left gobsmacked at her decision to abandon the comfortable middle-class life for a new home and partner in rural Kenya. She traded it in to help the warrior cook, clean and hunt, sleeping on goatskin and surviving on a diet of cow's blood and cabbage in a mud hut. But the bizarre couple eventually to leave Kenya behind returned to the Isle of Wight in 1995. They tied the knot on Valentine's Day, both wearing traditional Masai clothing. But more than three decades later, Cheryl has broken her silence after the marriage fell apart - when she claimed Daniel became obsessed with wealth. She described feeling used as a "meal ticket" in an emotional interview with the MailOnline. "I made a huge mistake, it was very wrong of me, and I have a lot of regrets, especially about how it damaged my children," she said. Cheryl split with Daniel in 1999 just four years after they were married and one year after their daughter was born. Now, 65-year-old Cheryl lives alone in a seaside town in Somerset where she is well known among the local community. She has kept her controversial past hidden from the community with none of her friends aware of the bizarre relationship she once had with the Masai warrior. MARRIAGE BREAKDOWN Cheryl has now told how shortly after arriving in the UK Daniel became obsessed with material things and money. She detailed how Daniel quickly became moody and miserable over the couples lot in life, wanting more money and more possessions, changed by life in the UK. Cheryl recalled the only time Daniel being happy was when the Kenyan warrior was jumping around in the garden doing his traditional Masai dance. She added: "He would say that he was getting ready for battle and wanted to jump as high as an elephant. The kids loved it, but it got on my nerves after a while." Trying to pinpoint what went wrong in the peculiar relationship Cheryl blamed a slew of drastic cultural differences between her and her husband. She reportedly felt that adjusting to life in the UK was too tough for Daniel and his struggles assimilating, combined with the pressure on the pair to make their relationship work, led to the eventual end of their marriage. Cheryl admitted that she suffered sexual abuse as a young girl and spoke about the harrowing difficulties she faced growing up in a dysfunctional London household with alcoholic parents, she was reportedly contemplating suicide at the time she met Daniel. She revealed how she was urged to go on her Kenyan holiday by a friend who was in the same church choir as her, the pair went on the holiday that would change her life forever together. When Cheryl went to Kenya she was at a low point in her life she said, suffering with childhood trauma and stuck in an unhappy marriage to her second husband Mike. She had seen Daniel was an answer to her problems, believing he could help her heal and find peace through spirituality. Cheryl now admits that her love affair with the Masai warrior was just an escape from her problems and not an answer to them. MOVING ON Asked about what she regrets the most about her time with her warrior toy boy, Cheryl said: "The impact all this had on my children. Having a Masai warrior as a father was not easy for them. Daniel was trying his best, but he could never understand the Western ways and couldn't be the dad that they needed." Cheryl said that her children had missed out on having a proper father figure in their lives because of her relationship with Daniel and the break down of her first two marriages. Despite having no contact with Daniel, Cheryl maintained she still has good relationships with all of her children, referring to her daughter Mitsi as "the one good thing" to come out of her and Daniel's strange and difficult marriage. Following the pair's split, Masai warrior Daniel remained on the Isle of Wight where he now works in a supermarket.
