Faith, socialism, Millennials. Takeaways on Mamdani's NYC inauguration

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's Jan. 1 inauguration and block party reflected a diverse city looking to make good on the34-year-old democratic socialist's promises to address affordability.

On a freezing New Year's Day, theDemocratic mayor took his ceremonial oath of officeon the steps of City Hall, with thousands of people lining several Manhattan blocks and a slate of celebrities championing him with Millennial cultural touchstones. Mamdani acknowledged people, includingthose outside the five boroughs, want to see how a leftist will manage a municipal government.

The former state assemblyman from Queens vowed to govern the in same as manner as he was elected: as anunapologetic democratic socialist.

Here are five takeaways on his inauguration.

Zohran Mamdani sworn in as mayor of New York City

Mamdani's faith on full display

Mamdani's Muslim faith was front and center during his inauguration.

He took the oath of office at midnight byswearing in on a pair of Qurans, Islam's holiest book, and then again during his public inauguration ceremony.

Imam Khalid Latif, joined by representatives of multiple faiths, offered an invocation focused on how Mamdani's coalition speaks for ordinary New Yorkers, not the wealthy or the powerful.

Mamdani is the first Muslim mayorof the nation's largest city. He is an outspoken proponent of Palestinian rights and critic of Israel. His election sparked concern among many conservatives and Israel supporters. Some political adversaries have sought to link him to Islamist terrorists. Mamdani has previously said he had been told to downplay his faith when seeking elected office.

Latif is the executive director and co-founder of the Islamic Center of New York City, and was appointed a New York City Police Department chaplain in 2007.

"Never let him forget that this office exists to serve the people, not to rise above them," Latif said in his prayer. "We lift up all those who came together to make what many said could never happen, happen."

He continued: "Let no one have to choose between rent and dignity, between medicine and meals, between staying and surviving," Latif said. "Let policy be shaped by compassion and budgets reflective of our values."

Democratic socialists take power

Nearly a decade ago, democratic socialism was an obscure term, unknown to most Americans.

A few lawmakers have since brought it to the forefront, including Mamdani.

Before administering Mamdani's oath of office,U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, a fellow democratic socialist and a Brooklyn native, said Mamdani's agenda on addressing affordability is not radical.

But Sanders said supporters needed to keep pushing for his policies such as free buses, universal childcare and even city-run grocery stores. Sanders' trademark message, to have wealthy and large corporations pay more in taxes, was met by chants of "tax the rich."

"The billionaire class in this city and country have got to understand that in America they cannot have it all," Sanders said. "That America, our great country, must belong to all of us, not just a few. And that lesson begins today in New York City."

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York, another democratic socialist, opened the inauguration with an introduction. Ocasio-Cortez and Mamdani look to Sanders as a source of inspiration for progressive politics.

Ocasio-Cortez highlighted Mamdani's campaign platform focused on addressing affordability through free universal childcare, affordable rent and "clean and dignified" public transit for New Yorkers.

"We have chosen that over the distractions of bigotry and the barbarism of extreme income inequality," Ocasio-Cortez said. "We have chosen this path because we know that it's the right thing to do, it's the smart thing to do. And that, if we can make it here, we can make it anywhere."

In his speech, Mamdani said he was elected as a democratic socialist and will govern as a democratic socialist. On stage, Gov. Kathy Hochul and former Mayor Eric Adams, two moderate Democrats, sat by listening.

Time to govern, acknowledging the world is watching

Mamdani acknowledged the world was watching what ademocratic socialist can do in office. National Republicans including President Donald Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson have usedMamdani as a boogeyman, but his inauguration address didn't reference them or Congress. Instead, he focused on New Yorkers and their city.

His campaign promised to ease the cost of living, a message that has expanded far beyond New York and has transformed Democratic politics. But now, he said his administration has to implement his platform.

"They want to know if the left can govern," Mamdani said. "They want to know if the struggles that afflict them can be solved. They want to know if it is right to hope again."

Mamdani said New York City will make an example for the world. "The work, my friends, has only just begun," he said.

Mamdani is thoroughly Millennial

Mamdani, like a not-insignificant number of Millennial men, had a past rap career, under themonikers Mr. Cardamom and Young Cardamom, complete with a SoundCloud.

His inauguration music, from a wide array of genres, highlighted his generation.

Broadway actor Javier Muñoz, who starred in Lin-Manuel Miranda's "In The Heights" and "Hamilton," delivered the national anthem. New York-based disc jockey DJ mOma served as master of musical ceremony playing welcome music ahead of the inauguration and during a seven block-long street party.

His set included an international selection includingJennifer Lopez's2001 song "Play" to "Thari Mummy Ne Chawe Pawno Delhi Walo" by Bharatraj Masinia, a singer from India's Rajasthan region. Mamdani, whose parents were born in India, is the first New York mayor of South Asian descent.

Jay-Z and Stevie Wonder got multiple plays in the set. Jay-Z tracks included "Beware of the Boys" a remix of the 1998 song from the British-Indian recording artist Panjabi MC, itself a remix of an original song is performed by Indian bhangra singer Labh Janjua, and, of course, "Empire State of Mind," his duet with Alicia Keys. Also in the playlist: "As" and "Another Star," from Wonder's 1976 album "Songs in the Key of Life."

Popular hits fromBad Bunny("NUEVAYoL") mixed with the seventies pop track "Dancing Queen" from ABBA. Walkup music continued during the swearing-in with snippets heard of "Everyday People" by Sly & the Family Stone and "This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)" from Talking Heads.

Now a national political figure, Mamdani also represents a change in Democratic politics that have skewed heavily old and gray.

Mamdani inspires supporters in freezing cold

Temperatures in Manhattan, even with sun peering between buildings,hovered in the 20s. But that didn't stop thousands of Mamdani supporters from standing in city streets, or celebrities honoring the new mayor.

The celebration at times felt more like a concert than a political celebration.

Mandy Patinkin, the Emmy- and Tony-winning actor whocelebrated Hanukkah with Mamdani, had a musical performance with public school students. Grammy-award winning singerLucy Dacusperformed a political song often associated with the labor movement at Mamdani's inauguration ceremony.

Dacus, a solo artist and a member of supergroup Boygenius, performed "Bread and Roses," a song from the early 20th century that was derived from a poem and political slogan during the women's suffrage movement and labor protests that called for fair wages and better working conditions.

The "Night Shift" singer, 30, who is originally from Richmond, Virginia, has been outspoken about abortion rights, LGBTQ+ issues, including denouncing anti-drag legislation in Tennessee, and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Assembling in front of City Hall, celebrants bopped to music from Jay-Z, Daddy Yankee andBollywood performers, along with the classic "New York, New York" song popularized by Frank Sinatra. The songs blasting from the stairs of City Hall were a love letter to the city itself, signifying New York's diversity and multiculturalism as well as Mamdani's South Asian background.

But even amid the dancing and singing along, the audience was moved to tears by several speakers, each describing their vision of a new New York.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani's inauguration takeaways

byDaniel Coleman

in

January 01, 2026

Faith, socialism, Millennials. Takeaways on Mamdani's NYC inauguration

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's Jan. 1 inauguration and block party reflected a diverse city looking to make goo...

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Maduro open to US talks on drug trafficking, but silent on CIA strike

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuela is open to negotiating an agreement with the United States tocombat drug trafficking, the South American country's President Nicolás Maduro said in a pretaped interview aired Thursday on state television, but he declined to comment on a CIA-led strike last week at a Venezuelan docking area that the Trump administration believed was used by cartels.

Maduro, in an interview with Spanish journalist Ignacio Ramonet, reiterated that the U.S. wants to force a government change in Venezuela and gain access to its vast oil reserves through the monthslong pressure campaign that began witha massive military deployment to the Caribbean Seain August.

"What are they seeking? It is clear that they seek to impose themselves through threats, intimidation and force," Maduro said, later adding thatit is time for both nations to "start talking seriously, with data in hand."

"The U.S. government knows, because we've told many of their spokespeople, that if they want to seriously discuss an agreement to combat drug trafficking, we're ready," he said. "If they want oil, Venezuela is ready for U.S. investment, like with Chevron, whenever they want it, wherever they want it and however they want it."

Chevron Corp. is the only major oil company exporting Venezuelan crude to the U.S. Venezuela has the world's largest proven oil reserves.

The interview was taped onNew Year's Eve, the same day the U.S. military announced strikes against five alleged drug-smuggling boats. The latest attacks bring the total number of known boat strikes to 35 and the number of people killed to at least 115, according to numbers announced by the Trump administration. Venezuelans are among the victims.

President Donald Trump hasjustified the attacksas a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States and asserted that the U.S. is engaged in an"armed conflict" with drug cartels. The strikes began off Venezuela's Caribbean coast and later expanded to the eastern Pacific Ocean.

Meanwhile, the CIA was behinda drone strike last weekat a docking area believed to have been used by Venezuelan drug cartels, according to two people familiar with details of the operation who requested anonymity to discuss the classified matter. It was the first known direct operation on Venezuelan soil since the boat strikes began, a significant escalation in the administration'spressure campaignon Maduro, who has been charged with narco-terrorism in the U.S.

Asked about the operation on Venezuelan soil, Maduro said he could "talk about it in a few days."

Associated Press writer Aamer Madhani contributed to this report from Washington.

byDaniel Coleman

in

January 01, 2026

Maduro open to US talks on drug trafficking, but silent on CIA strike

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuela is open to negotiating an agreement with the United States tocombat drug trafficking,...

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Este Haim gets married in New Year’s Eve celebrity wedding, sisters lend 'something blue'

New York Knicks player Karl-Anthony Towns and "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" star Jordyn Woods confirmed they got engaged in aChristmas Instagram post.The two first went public with their relationship on social media in September 2020.

New York Knicks player Karl-Anthony Towns and "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" star Jordyn Woods confirmed they got engaged in a Christmas Instagram post.

The two first went public with their relationship on social media in September 2020.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Kim Cattrall is a married woman.

The "Sex and the City" actress tied the knot with audio engineer Russell Thomas in London on Dec. 4, according to People magazine. The pair's intimate ceremony took place at the Chelsea Old Town Hall, per the outlet, and was attended by just 12 guests.

Cattrall, best known for playing the wild and witty Samantha Jones on "Sex and the City," met Thomas in 2016 during an appearance on the BBC. She told Glamour in 2018 that their connection quickly grew after he slid into her DMs on X.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Actors Shane Harper and Samantha Boscarino, who costarred on the Disney Channel series "Good Luck Charlie," have tied the knot, People reported on Nov. 29.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "Riverdale" star Camila Mendes announced her engagement to Rudy Mancuso on Oct. 25.

"Engaged to my best friend 🥹💍," she captioned a gallery of photos showing Mancuso getting down on one knee.

The couple confirmed their relationship in 2023 and met while working together on the Prime Video film "Música," which Mancuso directed and starred in.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "Call Me Maybe" singer Carly Rae Jepsen confirmed on Oct. 24 that she and record producer Cole M.G.N. tied the knot on Oct. 4.

"Husband. That feels good to say," she captioned a post sharing photos from the ceremony. "Favourite day of my life," she added.

Jepsen and Cole M.G.N., whose real name is Cole Marsden Greif-Neill, confirmed their relationship in 2022 and announced their engagement in 2024. The couple worked together on Jepsen's 2023 album "The Loveliest Time."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Ruston Kelly's love life has been country christened.

In September, the alternative country singer-songwriter, left, proposed to girlfriend Tia Cubelic backstage at the famed Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee, where Kelly was performing a show, the singer revealed in an Oct. 15 Instagram post.

"Right under a picture of Johnny Cash, I popped the question," said Kelly onstage after the proposal.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Former "Good Morning America" cohosts Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes confirmed they are engaged on an Oct. 14 episode of their joint podcast.

Their announcement comes nearly three years after their romance became a public scandal when they were photographed holding hands and cozying up while both married to other people in 2022.

"We've learned that lesson in the past, about our relationship, that we want to be the first to talk about it," Holmes said.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Comedian Tom Green and partner Amanda Nelson tied the knot on Oct. 11, he confirmed on Instagram. "It was an incredible day filled with love, laughter, and celebration," Green wrote. "Thank you to all of our family and friends who were there to share in this special moment with us. We will never forget it."

Green was previously married to Drew Barrymore for about a year. The former couple wed in July 2001 before finalizing their divorce in October 2002. In 2020, they reunited on Barrymore's talk show after not speaking for 15 years, with the actress calling Green a "wonderful, wonderful man." Green previously confirmed his engagement to Nelson in December 2024 and called himself the "luckiest guy in the world."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Darius Rucker announced his engagement to influencer Emily Deahl on Oct. 8.

"Thank you for showing me a level of happiness I have never known," he wrote in an Instagram post, sharing a photo showing him down on one knee. "The day I met you I knew I didn't want to go another one without you. Now I don't have to."

The Hootie & the Blowfish singer, 59, was previously married to Beth Leonard from 2000 to 2020. He went Instagram official with Deahl in September with a post describing the content creator as "my love."

In an Oct. 8 Instagram story, Deahl indicated that she had previously been trying to keep her relationship with Rucker under wraps.

"I never intended on keeping this part of my life from you guys for so long, but somewhere along the way of loving him I discovered how sacred love is to me," she wrote. "And all I wanted to do was protect it. But damn I'm glad I don't have to spend the time photoshopping him out of every photo now."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Sara Bareilles and Joe Tippett confirmed they have tied the knot in an Oct. 7 Instagram post, which included a carousel of photos from their wedding ceremony.

"We did a big thing," Bareilles wrote. "I will just say I love this man and I love the community who came to hold us up. I am feeling so lucky and so grateful."

Bareilles and Tippett previously announced their engagement on New Year's Day 2023. In an Instagram post at the time Bareilles wrote that the "Mare of Easttown" actor is "exactly who I want," adding, "You have introduced me to parts of myself I was afraid to love."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "Star" actress Ryan Destiny and "Straight Outta Compton" actor Keith Powers found their way back to each other — and now they're saying "I do."

The couple, who reportedly ended their four-year relationship in 2022 and publicly reconciled in February 2025, revealed their engagement on Oct. 5. "Engaged to the love of my life," Powers captioned shots from their engagement photo shoot.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Kamie Crawford announced her engagement in a Sept. 28 Instagram post. She shared a carousel of photos with her fiancé, including one showing him down on one knee. "Hard Launch: The Wizard & I… Forever 🥹💍🥂🤍 9.27.25," she captioned the post.

On her Instagram stories, Crawford also wrote, "My man my man my FIANCÉ," and she shared a photo of the couple together accompanied by the song "The Wizard and I" from "Wicked."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Zoey Deutch revealed her engagement to actor Jimmy Tatro in an Instagram post on Sept. 28.

"Three months engaged to the love of my life," she captioned a romantic gallery of photos, the first of which featured Deutch showing off the engagement ring. The "Set It Up" actress and the "American Vandal" actor confirmed their relationship in 2021. In a birthday post for Deutch in 2022, Tatro described her as "my favorite person."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Finneas O'Connell and his longtime partner Claudia Sulewski confirmed their engagement on Sept. 24.

"Forever and ever," they wrote in a joint Instagram post. Sulewski also shared a romantic video of O'Connell getting down on one knee and then carrying her toward the camera so she can show off her ring.

O'Connell, who is best known for his collaborations with his sister Billie Eilish, has been dating Sulewski since 2018 after meeting her on a dating app.

Eilish celebrated her brother's engagement news on her Instagram story, resharing the couple's joint point and writing, "😭❤️❤️."

The "What Was I Made For?" singer also shared a screenshot of herself looking elated on a video call with Sulewski.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> On his 54th birthday, "Modern Family" star Eric Stonestreet took to Instagram to reveal he has married his longtime partner Lindsay Schweitzer.

"It's my birthday and guess what I got," he captioned a carousel of photos, the second of which showed him and Schweitzer walking down the aisle. He wrote, "I got married!"

Stonestreet and Schweitzer, a pediatric nurse, had been engaged since August 2021.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "The X-Files" and "Californication" star David Duchovny has let fans in on a secret: He's once again a married man. Appearing on "Today with Jenna & Friends" on Sept. 3, the actor accepted Savannah Guthrie's congratulations on his recent nuptials and added, "I did (get married), in February. Thank you."

Though he kept the rest of the details close to his chest, he has been connected to florist Monique Pendleberry in recent years; the two have gone out on a few public outings where they were photographed. USA TODAY has reached out to Duchovny's rep for more information.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Hannah Brown's search for Mr. Right is finally over. "The Bachelorette" alum married Adam Woolard during a July 26 ceremony at Domaine du Mont Leuze in Villefranche-sur-Mer, France, the couple confirmed on Instagram. "Introducing Mr. and Mrs. Woolard 🤍," Brown and Woolard captioned a black-and-white portrait of themselves in their wedding attire.

For her bridal look, Brown opted for earthy glamour in a leaf-embroidered, Mira Zwillinger gown from Mark Ingram Atelier, which she paired with Jimmy Choo pumps and a veil by Zwillinger. "I always knew I wanted to take up space on my wedding day because there's so many times in life, especially as women, that we feel like we need to be smaller," Brown told People magazine. "I didn't want to feel that at all. I feel like a princess, and I feel like that's exactly how you should feel on your wedding day."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Lo Bosworth, who starred in both "Laguna Beach" and its spinoff "The Hills," on MTV, married investor Dom Natale on July 20, the reality star told People in an exclusive interview. The pair is also expecting their first child together.

Bosworth also celebrated the news on Instagram, writing in a July 28 post: "We said yes with joy. And life, with its most tender timing, said yes right back. 🤍💍🍼"

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "You" and "The Haunting of Hill House" star Victoria Pedretti confirmed her engagement to Ethan DeLorenzo, a photographer, on July 21.

"It's no secret we are deeply in love and that we are engaged," read a joint Instagram post from the couple, who have kept their relationship largely private.

"Here's to forever," DeLorenzo also wrote in an Instagram story.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Charli XCX confirmed her marriage to George Daniel, drummer for The 1975, in a TikTok video on July 19. The clip showed the "Brat" singer walking into a room wearing a white, off-the-shoulder wedding dress and veil.

"When George isn't crying when he sees me walking down the aisle," the text over the video read, but she added in the caption, "luckily he did xx."

The 32-year-old singer previously confirmed her engagement to Daniel in November 2023.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "Yellowstone" star Josh Lucas and ABC7 meteorologist Brianna Ruffalo have tied the knot in a "dream" wedding in Vatican City, according to Instagram posts shared July 18.

 

"Mr. and Mrs.," she captioned a gallery of photos from the ceremony. In a comment on one of her posts, her new husband called it "easily one of the greatest days of my life." 

 

The couple had been engaged since June 2024. In confirming the news at the time, the actor wrote: "I am absolutely aware I got crazy lucky."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Téa Leoni has wed her longterm partner and onscreen husband, Tim Daly.

The "Madam Secretary" costars tied the knot in a small, intimate ceremony surrounded by family on July 12, in New York, a rep for Leoni confirmed to People and the "Today" show. The pair met on set of the CBS political drama in 2014, which lasted six seasons, and have kept a low profile since.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> No context was needed when Coco Jones revealed she's heading down the aisle with NBA star Donovan Mitchell. On July 11, she simply posted a photo of herself and Mitchell sharing a smooch while backlit by the sun, their faces cast in partial shadow. The Grammy-winning singer wore a sizable ring on her left hand.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Kid Cudi and Lola Abecassis Sartore tied the knot on June 28 at the luxury Cap Estel hotel in the South of France, the menswear designer confirmed to Vogue magazine July 11.

"It was bliss," Sartore told the outlet. "A moment out of time where the world stopped, and it was just the two of us. We forgot everything around us. It was just us and our love, and it was the purest moment."

The couple first met in 2018 at a Louis Vuitton show and confirmed their engagement in April 2024.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Singer Hayley Kiyoko and "Bachelor" alumna Becca Tilley have "said yes to forever."

Kiyoko got down on bended knee seaside and proposed to her girlfriend of seven years while they were on vacation, according to their July 10 joint Instagram post. Photos showed the happy couple celebrating and admiring the massive new ring adorning Tilley's left hand.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Paulina Porizkova confirmed her engagement to television writer Jeff Greenstein in a romantic Instagram post on July 9.

In a video, Porizkova and Greenstein were seen holding hands and smiling in a car, with Greenstein showing off her ring. "He asked," she captioned the clip. Porizkova and Greenstein, a writer who has worked on shows like "Will & Grace" and "Friends," have been together since 2023.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Kelly Osbourne and Sid Wilson are truly a rock 'n' roll love story.

Osbourne, daughter of heavy metal icon Ozzy Osbourne, and the Slipknot musician got engaged while attending Ozzy Osbourne's farewell show with Black Sabbath in Birmingham, England, on July 5, Kelly revealed in a July 6 social media post, which included a video of Wilson's proposal. "Oh and this happened yesterday!" Osbourne captioned the video.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Jussie Smollett confirmed his engagement to actor Jabari Redd in an Instagram post on June 20. The former "Empire" star shared a gallery of photos showing him getting down on one knee.

"I'll be spending my birthday with my Fiancé… He said YES. 💍," wrote Smollett, who shared the news one day before his 43rd birthday. Smollett's sister Jurnee Smollett commented on his Instagram post that she was "screaming with tears of joy," adding, "My whole heart loves both of you."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Dua Lipa is levitating after confirming she is engaged to "Masters of the Air" actor Callum Turner.

The "Training Season" singer, 29, told British Vogue in an interview published June 12 that Turner proposed with a ring that he had made for her.

Lipa, who said she doesn't yet have any wedding plans, added that she "never really understood the weight of" getting engaged until now. "This decision to grow old together, to see a life and just, I don't know, be best friends forever – it's a really special feeling," she said.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Season 18 "Bachelorette" lead Michelle Young proved that what happens at "After the Final Rose" isn't the end of the story. On June 7, 2025, three years after she split from her "Bachelorette" final choice, Young married non-Bachelor Nation member Jack Leius in her home state of Minnesota.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Robin Thicke and April Love Geary tied the knot in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, on Friday, May 30, more than six years after getting engaged.

The singer's friend Usher served as a groomsman at the wedding, where guests included Tobey Maguire.

Thicke and Geary, who have three children, originally got engaged in 2018. In May, Geary revealed on Instagram that Thicke surprised her by "proposing to me again with a new ring" during a trip to Cannes.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Demi Lovato's "4 ever" with Jordan Lutes has officially begun.

The pop star and their musician boyfriend Jordan "Jutes" Lutes tied the knot on May 25 during a ceremony in California, Lovato confirmed to Vogue magazine. The couple met during the making of Lovato's rock-influenced 2022 album "Holy Fv--," with Lutes co-writing three of the 16 tracks.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "Vampire Diaries" star Candice King announced in a May 14 Instagram post that she and "Yellowjackets" actor Steven Kreuger were engaged.

"The privilege of getting older is much sweeter knowing I get to share it with you Steven," she wrote alongside a photo of the pair. "Thank you for asking me to dance through life with you."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Simu Liu and Allison Hsu are in it for the long haul. The "Last Breath" star, left, revealed his engagement to the digital marketing manager in a May 11 Instagram post. The couple went public with their relationship in 2022.

Liu shared photos from the Parisian proposal, including a nighttime shot of Liu and Hsu posing in front of a glowing Eiffel Tower. "Us forever 💍💍💍🤍🤍🤍," Liu wrote.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Ioan Gruffudd is sharing some fantastic news. The "Fantastic Four" star has tied the knot with Bianca Wallace, the pair revealed in a joint Instagram post on April 25. The couple shared a video showing them exchanging vows, kissing and drinking champagne near the ocean.

"Marriage now, wedding later 💐," the caption said.

Gruffudd and his first wife, Alice Evans, previously separated in 2021.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Kristen Stewart is embarking on a new saga as a married woman. The "Twilight" star and her partner Dylan Meyer have tied the knot, Meyer confirmed in an April 24 Instagram post.

"I do. I really really really really really do," Meyer captioned a pair of photos of the couple embracing at the ceremony.

Stewart has been linked to Meyer, a screenwriter, since 2019.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Despite her health struggles, Katie Thurston isn't giving up on true love. The TV personality and "Bachelorette" alum, who announced her breast cancer diagnosis in February, revealed she was tying the knot with comedian Jeff Arcuri on March 22 in an interview with Us Weekly.

Thurston wore a long-sleeved white dress for the impromptu ceremony, while Arcuri donned a beige suit, as seen in a photo shared on Thurston's Instagram Story March 23. "Obviously, we were wanting to plan a wedding and there's a lot of emotions that come in with chemo and the impact and the health and we don't know what the next year looks like," Thurston told Us Weekly ahead of the nuptials. "And one night he said, 'I want to show you that I still love you and that I'm here to stay. I'll get married to you tomorrow.' We flew our parents in from Michigan and Washington State. We got our marriage license and a friend is just gonna marry us."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Jonathan Majors and Meagan Good have tied the knot. Majors confirmed the news in an interview with Sherri Shepherd that aired March 19. Majors told Shepherd that his mother, a pastor, married the couple in Los Angeles.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Can you hear those wedding bells ringing? 2025 is already a year of star-studded love as these celebrities announced wedding proposals and headed down the aisle to say "I do."

Justin Theroux and Nicole Brydon Bloom married near the beach in Mexico on March 15, the couple confirmed to Vogue. "All I'll say is, it was wonderful," Theroux told the outlet. "Ceremonies with vows are about the words contained within them. And they are better left un-described here. That being said, the officiant said some wonderful things, and my wife was just ... well, incredibly touching. I was very moved."

The actors met in 2022 through a mutual friend and got engaged in 2024. Guests at the wedding included Jimmy Kimmel, Howard Stern and Ben Stiller.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Normani has found her "Motivation" for forever. The 28-year-old singer and Pittsburgh Steelers player DeKaylin "DK" Metcalf are engaged, the NFL star announced to reporters at a press conference March 13. He confirmed he proposed the day prior, and pointed out the former Fifth Harmony member was in attendance. "Hold that ring up, baby!" he said.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "Pawn Stars" personality Rick Harrison is headed down the aisle again. On March 6, he and newly minted fiancée Angie Polushkin, left, took to social media to reveal they'd gotten engaged while visiting a Chilean winery. The two started dating at the beginning of 2024. Harrison has six children, including three stepdaughters, from his four previous marriages. A little more than a year ago, his 39-year-old son Adam died from an accidental drug overdose.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Amber Desiree "AD" Smith, who starred on Season 6 of "Love is Blind," announced an engagement to Ollie Sutherland, who appeared on the U.K. version of the show, on March 9 during a Season 8 reunion episode. The pair met while filming "Perfect Match," another Netflix dating show.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "Bachelor" franchise and "The Traitors" star Gabby Windey (right) secretly tied the knot with comedian Robby Hoffman in a 20-minute Las Vegas ceremony on Jan. 11, while they were evacuated as Los Angeles' wildfires threatened their home. Windey revealed the news in a March 5 Instagram post, which was complemented by a feature in Cosmopolitan.

"We had just evacuated from the fires. Literally cue Rihanna, 'We found love in a hopeless place,'" Windey told the magazine. "What better time to get married than right now? Because if the world is ending, we want to be with each other." Hoffman said: "We felt like even through the process of maybe losing everything, we had each other. So it felt braggadocious when she said we should get married. I hate when people are suffering and then we're having a celebration, and it wasn't that. It was like, No, we actually want to be married."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> It's a bit of a star-crossed love story for "Cobra Kai" co-stars Tanner Buchanan and Mary Mouser. The actors, who play the children of "The Karate Kid" frenemies Johnny Lawrence and Daniel LaRusso, revealed matching rings on the red carpet for the series finale Feb. 12, before confirming the engagement the following day. "This is such a special moment in our lives, the closing of one chapter and celebrating the continuation of another," they wrote on Instagram.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Lainey Wilson and Devlin "Duck" Hodges are looking forward to walking down the aisle after the Wilson announced their engagement on Feb. 12. In a nod to her "Whirlwind" single, she wrote on Instagram, "4x4xU forever." The caption accompanied a set of photos of the couple outside of a home, seemingly post-proposal. In one photo, framed photos of the couple can be seen, surrounded by white candles and red roses. And in a video, the country star playfully swaggers down a set of stairs, lugging the rock on her hand before excitedly showing off the ring with a "boom" and giggling off.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Zendaya and Tom Holland are engaged, according to reports from People and TMZ. Fans first got wind of the engagement when Zendaya wore a large diamond ring on her left hand at the Golden Globe Awards on Jan. 5.

The notoriously private pair publicly confirmed they were dating in 2021 after years of speculation. They met on the set of the "Spider-Man" movies in which Holland played the super-hero and Zendaya played his love interest MJ.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "Young Sheldon" star Montana Jordan announced his engagement to girlfriend Jenna Weeks on Jan. 5 via Instagram. "I can't wait to see what the future brings for us and our family," Jordan wrote. He and Weeks share one child.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

Taylor Swift, Zendaya and more celeb engagements, marriages in 2025

Este Haim's having a banner start to 2026.

The musician, 39, married tech entrepreneur Jonathan Levin at a ceremony in California on Dec. 31, 2025.

The eldest Haim sistertold Vogueshe had "met the right person" and was looking forward to an evening of partying with friends and family. Fellow musicians and collaborators Stevie Nicks andTaylor Swift joinedin to celebrate the couple, according to photos published in People.

The star-studded guest list comes just months after the bandteased an upcoming songwith Nicks. The band is also fresh off their"I Quit" North America tour, which wrapped in their home state of California in October.

Haim sisters wear 'something blue' for Este's wedding

Haim wore a Louis Vuitton dress designed by Nicolas Ghesquière, the brand's women's creative director, according to Vogue. Her bridesmaids – also her bandmates and sisters – wore pale blue dresses. Este joked Alana and Danielle wereboth her something blue and borrowed,because she wanted to wear one herself one day.

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byDaniel Coleman

in

January 01, 2026

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