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Lakers’ Luka Doncic separates from fiancee after thwarted efforts to bring daughters to US

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Lakers superstar Luka Doncic says he has separated from his fiancee after his efforts to spend more time with their two young daughters were thwarted.

TMZ reported Tuesday that Anamaria Goltes filed a petition for child support and attorneys’ fees in California. Doncic then issued a statement to The Associated Press saying he he had recently ended his engagement to Goltes because he was unable to have his daughters with him in Los Angeles more often.

“I love my daughters more than anything and I’ve been doing everything I can for them to be with me in the U.S. during the season, but that hasn’t been possible, so I recently made the tough decision to end my engagement,” Doncic said in his statement. “Everything I do is for my daughters’ happiness, and I will always fight to be with them and give them the best life I can.”

The 27-year-old Doncic and Goltes had been dating for a decade after meeting as teenagers in Slovenia. They became engaged in July 2023.

Their oldest daughter, Gabriela, was born in November 2023. Their second daughter, Olivia, was born in December 2025, with Doncic missing two Lakers games while he traveled to Slovenia to be with Goltes.

“I don’t even know how to describe it. It was a lot,” Doncic said at the time. “I was there for the birth of my daughter, so that means everything to me. But it was definitely a roller coaster.”

Goltes deleted all of her Instagram photos of her and Doncic together last week, fueling increased speculation around Doncic’s relationship.

Doncic moved from the Dallas Mavericks to Los Angeles in a stunning trade for Anthony Davis in February 2025. He agreed to a three-year, $165 million contract extension with the Lakers last summer, cementing his near future in Los Angeles.

Any tumult in Doncic’s personal life hasn’t appeared to affect him on the court with the Lakers. He is the NBA’s leading scorer this season at 32.5 points per game, and he ranks third with 8.4 assists while grabbing 7.8 rebounds.

Doncic had 31 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists in his 89th career triple-double on Tuesday night while the surging Lakers beat Minnesota 120-106 to move into fourth place in the Western Conference standings.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA

NYPD says dozens rescued from human trafficking during World Cup

▶ Watch Video: Inside look at security preparations for World Cup Forty-three people, including seven minors, were rescued from human traffickers during the World Cup matches in the New York City area, according to the New York City Police Department's Special Victims Unit.The rescue operations were carried out between June 11 and July 19 by specialized NYPD detectives who arrested 89 individuals."The surprise was really the outpouring of support behind the mission and the collaboration with all our partners," said Inspector Gary Marcus, commanding officer of the Special Victims Unit.Those rescued, largely the victims of sex trafficking, are now being supported with an array of social services for the victims, including food, housing and counseling.The 87 operations carried out during the World Cup have generated new leads, officials said, and law enforcement agencies are building more cases based on the investigations already underway."We have ongoing investigations now as a result of these operations," an NYPD official told CBS News.Major sporting events are known to law enforcement as hotbeds of human trafficking.Years in advance, the NYPD devoted significant resources to preparing for the World Cup. Eight matches were played at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium, including the final on Sunday."When we talk about the outreach and the prep we do, a large part of that involved visiting the known sex offenders, particularly the known human traffickers, in our registry," Marcus said. "Whether they're on parole or probation for human trafficking, we visited them to make sure they're compliant with the terms of their release, and secondly, to let them know that the NYPD is watching."The matches were held in multiple cities around the U.S., Mexico and Canada. Preparations to secure those games and prepare for crimes like human trafficking were coordinated between local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.Police departments in many locations that hosted World Cup matches have made arrests and rescues connected to human trafficking, including in Georgia, New England and Missouri. Nationally, there were more than 673 arrests on human-trafficking charges made during the World Cup, and 61 adults and 13 minors rescued, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
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