Daniel Kaluuya for Entertainment Weekly - Jan 2021!
In Judas and the Black Messiah (in theaters and HBO Max on Feb. 12) plays Fred Hampton, the charismatic activist and chairman of the Black Panther Party who was shot and killed by police in 1969 at the age of 21.
“I found out how much Fred meant to me and how much I believe in his ideas, his concepts — concepts that are still here within America,” the Oscar nominee says. Marvel’s Black Panther has been churning in the culture for long enough; you could almost forget there was a time in the not-too-distant past when the phrase was anything but comic. In 1969, J. Edgar Hoover famously labeled the real-life Black Panther Party and its estimated 5,000 national members “the greatest threat to the internal security of the country” — a moment reprised in Judas with Martin Sheen playing the infamous FBI director. (That’s right. President Bartlet’s gone rogue.)
It hardly mattered that the Black Panther Party was largely made up of poor and working-class young people of various races who were pooling their time and resources to give away breakfast to children, build free clinics, and police their own neighborhoods. Hampton, the charismatic Chicagoan in charge of the party’s largest chapter, was simply too charismatic. Too organized. Too much like Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. He had to go.
In our COVID-stricken, racially charged zeitgeist, Judas feels like a story from five minutes ago, not 50 years. It’s easy to get depressed about how seemingly little progress has been made, until you consider how many of Hampton’s ideas — not least, giving needy kids free hot meals — have become institutionalized. It just goes to show, as the man himself once said, that you can kill the revolutionary but not the revolution. This film, distributed by Warner Bros. (and, as part of the studio’s 2021 release plan, bowing simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max Feb. 12), sets the record straight. The accepted pro-cop slant propagated in the American media had stopped the Hampton family from blessing any project, to the point where they figured the only movie that could ever get it right was one they made themselves. So they tried, about eight years ago. “I have footage of Mos Def set to play the chairman, [and the] Lady of Rage was Deb,” says chairman Fred Hampton Jr., 51.
Get more at EW!
#RHOA: Cynthia Bailey Is Defending Her Lawsuit Against Her Ex-Husband Peter Thomas!
Cynthia Bailey is speaking out about her lawsuit against her ex-husband, Peter Thomas.While on The Wendy Williams Show recently she explained:
“Peter and I had an agreement. It was a three-year agreement, a contract over a piece of property here in Atlanta. He pretty much made the terms himself, and I was like ‘Okay, so in three years I’ll sell this back to you, you pay me off, or whatever. That didn’t happen. So therefore, as soon as that date hit, then my lawyers went into ‘Okay, he’s in breach. We’re going to do everything we need to do to make sure you have the property again.’ It was as simple as that… It was a three-year arrangement, which I thought was more than enough time for us to settle what we needed to settle.I have to be honest…I was a little surprsied when Peter even brought this up publicly. I don’t talk about my ex. I don’t like to talk about our fianances, our problems that we had in the past. I’ve moved on.”
She also said she spoke to Peter Thomas after his father tragically died last month.
Peter Thomas spoke on the lawsuit as well, telling Straight From The A:
“When I found out that Cynthia is suing me for $170,00, I’m like ‘Cynthia got my phone number, my number [has] never changed. We don’t have no dispute that I know of for her not to even pick up the phone and call me. I was hurt when she did that.”
The two divroced in 2017 after tying the knot in 2010. He said as a part of their divorce proceedings, he could’ve gotten the money made from The Real Housewives of Atlanta, but never asked for anything from her. He added that when it comes to Bar One Atlanta, he said he’d purchase the property back from her at full cost, but on the condition he would pay her 36 months after the deed was transferred to his name. He said that deadline hadn’t passed yet, as it is allegedly this February. He added “I don’t have beef with Cynthia, I think we have one of the most amicable divorces in the history of reality TV.”
As previously reported, The Real Housewives of Atlanta star is suing him for $170,000 after a defaulted agreement over his Bar One venue in Atlanta. While Bar One in Atlanta has undergone foreclosure, Peter Thomas has seemingly continued to thrive with other business ventures, including another Bar One location in Miami’s South Beach.
What are your thoughts on Cynthia Bailey’s lawsuit?
#MusicNews: SZA Says She’s Been Inspired To Finish Her Album!
SZA’s new album may finally see the light of day. The singer has been inspired to finish her long-awaited sophomore album following the success of her single “Good Days,” which recently reached No. 1 on Apple Music and Spotify’s charts.
“I think an album would be worth it now,” a fan told SZA, who responded, “Honestly this gave me the energy I needed to put a bow on the album .. so thank you.”
She went on to thank her fans for streaming the song. “I JUS WANNA THANK YALL FOR FUCKING W A RECORD SO HARD ITS BATTLING POP,” tweeted SZA. “This means more than you THINK ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE !!! i love you BEYONNNDDD.”
It’s been over three years since SZA released her critically-acclaimed debut Ctrl, which has gained 20 million streams since the start of the year. SZA admits that her anxiety has prolonged its delay.
“I just really want to put out more music and more-this body of work that I’ve been working on…everything sounds different,” she told Apple Music in September. “If you really leave it up to me, ain’t no telling when sh*t’s gonna come out because I have anxiety.”
“Good Days,” which follows “Hit Different” with Ty Dolla $ign, was released on Christmas Day and debuted at No. 38 on the Billboard Hot 100. SZA is now shooting a video for the song and has asked her fans for help.
#HipHopNews: Lil Baby's 'My Turn' Named Best Selling U.S. Album For 2020 Over Taylor Swift!
Lil Baby’s My Turn album helped fuel the Atlanta native’s rise into the upper echelon of rap’s next generation of superstars and played a major role in Baby putting forth a banner 2020 campaign. On January 7, Neilsen Music/MRC Data revealed My Turn was 2020’s most popular album throughout all genres in the United States.
My Turn earned 2.63 million total album-equivalent units for the project to take the top spot over Taylor Swift’s Folklore at No. 2 (2.204 million). Baby’s sophomore album was also the most-streamed effort of the year with the collection of tracks, banking 3.93 billion streams during 2020. However, the LP only sold about 40,000 copies in traditional album sales.
Rap was well represented across the Top 10. Behind Baby and T-Swift saw Pop Smoke’s posthumous debut Shoot For The Stars, Aim For the Moon (No. 3/2.198 million), Juice WRLD’s Legends Never Die (No. 5/1.990 million), Post Malone’s Hollywood’s Bleeding (No. 6/1.895 million), Lil Uzi Vert’s Eternal Atake (No. 7/1.860 million) and Roddy Ricch’s Please Excuse Me For Being Antisocial (No. 8/1.792 million) round out the list.
The Quality Control rapper unleashed My Turn on February 28 last year. The album debuted atop the Billboard 200 with roughly 197,000 total album-equivalent units and held the No. 1 spot for five nonconsecutive weeks. My Turn reportedly raked in over $19 million during the year and became the first 2020 project to go multi-platinum.
According to Billboard, Hip-Hop/R&B was responsible for over 30 percent of all on-demand song streams in 2020, which is the largest of any genre in music.
LeToya Luckett Announces Divorce From Husband Tommicus Walker!
Letoya Luckett and Tommicus Walker have announced their decision to go their separate ways.
The couple, who first met through a mutual friend, wed in a lavish Austin, Texas ceremony back in 2017. In a statement posted on social media, Luckett shared the unfortunate news that after much thought, she and Walker have decided to divorce.
“After very prayerful consideration, Tommicus and I have decided to get a divorce,” read her statement, which was accompanied by a photo of the couple with their two kids, Gianna and Tyson. “It is my deepest desire for us to be loving co-parents and keep a peaceful environment out of respect for our children. Please understand our need for privacy. Thank you in advance for your prayers, support & space to heal as we tread through this challenging time.”
Walker also took to Instagram with the divorce news, calling the decision to part ways with his wife “difficult” and promising that “we happily remain committed as caring friends with great love and respect for one another.”
Walker also took to Instagram stories to claim that despite any rumors that may have surfaced, he was not unfaithful to his wife. He also blamed “outside forces” for creating confusion in his marriage.
Back in August 2017, the former Destiny’s Child singer told ESSENCE exclusively that she and Walker were introduced through her friend Nikki Chu, who was dating Walker’s brother at the time. “I asked her not to tell him my full name or anything about me,” said Luckett. After allowing Chu to pass her number to Walker, they spoke on the phone. Luckett said their connection was instant. “We started talking and laughing,” she continued. “He’s from Texas just like me. Talking to him felt like being home again. We talked for a few weeks and he still didn’t know what I looked like or my full name or anything like that.”
Walker proposed to Luckett with a stunt she didn’t see coming. While Luckett was under the impression that Chu was helping her plan a surprise birthday party for Walker, he was actually secretly working with Chu to turn the moment into a live engagement party.
The couple share two children together: a two-year-old daughter named Gianna and a four-month-old son named Tyson. Walker also has a nine-year-old daughter named Madison from a previous relationship.
Kevin Hart Signs Megadeal With Netflix to Star in and Produce at Least 4 Films!
Kevin Hart and his HartBeat Productions have signed a first-look film deal with Netflix, in which he will produce and star in four separate films for the streaming giant.
The film deal for Hart is akin to the partnership Adam Sandler has with Netflix, and under the multi-year agreement, Hart will also have a first-look film deal for other films under the HartBeat Productions banner.
It’s a big get for Netflix, as Hart has been one of the few consistently bankable box office stars, with his movies grossing over $4 billion worldwide. Last year, Hart had Netflix’s top comedy special, “Zero F—s Given,” which was viewed by 21 million accounts in its first four weeks. Next up for Hart, he’ll make his dramatic series debut, starring in and executive producing the Netflix limited series “True Story,” which is produced by HartBeat and Eric Newman.
“Partnering with Netflix is an amazing opportunity for HartBeat and myself,” Hart said in a statement. “I am excited to act in and produce cutting edge films with Netflix. I am extremely grateful to Ted Sarandos and Scott Stuber — we share the same creative vision and always put the audience first. This business is about growth and my HartBeat team continues to exceed my expectations with their ability to develop stories and relationships. Our goal is to make the HartBeat name synonymous with first class entertainment and narratives.”
“Netflix has enjoyed a long relationship with Kevin and we’ve been lucky enough to partner with him many times. He’s a hands-on producer and it’s been great to watch him build an incredible company with HartBeat,” Scott Stuber said in a statement. “There are very few artists who can attract audiences of all ages and succeed in making comedies, dramas and family films. We’re excited to partner with Kevin, and his great team at Hartbeat, to entertain our audience for years to come.”
“I am beyond thrilled about this exciting new chapter in our company’s history,” Bryan Smiley said in a statement. “Kevin and I are committed to making ‘best in class’ films with our new partners at Netflix. This groundbreaking deal guarantees HartBeat productions will be viewed by millions of people globally, for many years to come.”
Hart is represented by 3 Arts, UTA, Viewpoint and Schreck Rose Dapello Adams Berlin & Dunham.
THR first reported the news.
Sex And The City Stars Set To Make $1 Million Per Episode With HBO Max Reboot!
Sex and the City stars are set to make big bucks with the show’s revival.
Variety reports that Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon, and Kristin Davis are all set to make over $1.3 million per episode for the 10-episode series produced by HBO Max.
The trio will serve as executive producers as well as starring in the new series.
It’s unclear what Parker’s salary was at the start of the series back in 1998, but according to Celebrity Net Worth, she made $4.1 million per episode for the last three seasons after she was made executive producer.
The other stars were paid nowhere near what Parker was.
Kim Cattrall, Davis and Nixon allegedly made $450,000 per episode toward the show’s end, as Celebrity Net Worth claims.
Parker made $19 million for the first movie in 2008 and $25 million for the second movie in 2012.
Cattrall was paid $9 million for the first SATC movie and $12 million for the second.
Davis, 55, earned $3.8 million for the first Sex and the City movie and $5 million for the second film.
Nixon, 54 also made $3.8 million for the first film, and while it’s unclear what she made for the second movie, but it’s likely that her salary was the same as Davis: $5 million.
In fact, it was their salary differences that contributed to the fallout between Parker and Cattrall.
The Telegraph reported at the time that Parker was given the title of executive producer in the second season, bumping her salary up. This urged Cattrall to negotiate a higher salary, which didn’t sit well with the other girls. They “wouldn’t even sit with [Cattrall] at mealtimes.”
The revival, titled And Just Like That... will follow Carrie Bradshaw (Parker), Charlotte York (Davis) and Miranda Hobbes (Nixon) as they navigate their friendship in their 50s through 30-minute episodes.
Fans have been voicing their disappointment with Cattrall’s absence from the show all over Parker’s social media, with the actress taking the time to respond.
“Happy to see you back but will miss Kim/Samantha,” one commenter wrote on 55-year-old Parker’s Instagram, to which she replied, “We will too. We loved her so. X.”
Responding to another comment, SJP said: “I don’t dislike her (Cattrall). I’ve never said that. Never would. Samantha isn’t part of this story. But she will always be part of us. No matter where we are or what we do. X.”
Cattrall, 64, made it clear over the past couple of years that she would not return to any future Sex and the City projects.
Her feud with Parker entered the public domain after Cattrall said she had no interest in starring in a third Sex and the City movie and added that she and her castmates “were never friends,” simply colleagues.
The original show – which is available to stream on Binge – first aired in 1998 and is one of the most celebrated series’ of all time, having cemented its place into pop culture history.
Azealia Banks Posts a Distyurbing Video of Digging Up A Dead Cat & Cooking It On Social Media!
Azealia Banks is never one to shy away from controversial moments, and this time she has many of her fans concerned and disturbed.
A graphic video of Azealia Banks cooking her dead cat made its rounds on social media Tuesday, Jan. 12th.
In the clip, Azealia Banks is seen digging up her cat before stirring a boiling pot, showing the dead animal’s skull. She captioned it:
“Lucifer 2009-2020. My Dear Kitty. Thank you for everything. A legend. An icon. Forever a serval serve.” If you care you can watch it HERE warning very graphic!
Her name trended on Twitter as dozens of fans reacted.
What are your thought on Azealia’s actions?
Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem In Talks To Play Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz In Aaron Sorkin-Directed Movie!
Washington [US], January 12 (ANI): Australian actor Nicole Kidman and Spanish star Javier Bardem are in talks to secure roles in the upcoming Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz flick, 'Being the Ricardos,' according to reports.
According to Fox News, the 53-year-old star Kidman will portray Ball while Bardem will tackle Arnaz.
The film will follow the relationship between the famed 'I Love Lucy' co-stars and will be directed by Aaron Sorkin ('Molly's Game,' 'The Trial of the Chicago 7'), Deadline and Variety reported.
The prolific filmmaker has also written the script, which will reportedly be produced for Amazon Studios and Escape Artists.
The film, according to both outlets, will take place within one week of production on the iconic 'I Love Lucy' sitcom, beginning with a table read and carrying the audience through to a live taping.
As per the outlets, the two will face crises that could put an end to their careers and their marriage.
Sorkin, who is known mostly for his writing, was originally set only to pen the script, but his time directing 'Chicago 7' led him to direct as well.
Sorkin won an Academy Award in 2011 for writing 'The Social Network' and picked up a slew of awards for writing 'The West Wing.'
It's currently unknown when production will begin due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, but the film has gained steam after 'Chicago 7' debuted on Netflix.
Cate Blanchett had previously eyed the role but ultimately passed, lining up the Oscar-winning Kidman to play the legendary actor, Deadline reported.
Kidman's known for the movie musical 'Moulin Rouge!' as well as recent forays into television like 'The Undoing' and 'Big Little Lies.' The star was last seen in Netflix's 'The Prom.'
As per Fox News, Bardem, who won an Oscar in 2008 for 'No Country for Old Men,' is known for pictures like 'Skyfall' and 'The Sea Inside.'
He will also be seen in Warner Bros.' upcoming 'Dune' and Disney's live-action remake of 'The Little Mermaid.'
'I Love Lucy' starred the married couple and aired on CBS from 1951 to 1957. The show followed Ball's Lucy as she tried to break into showbiz alongside her husband, Ricky Ricardo. The program was noted for its progressive depiction of an ethnically diverse couple.
Ball and Arnaz divorced in 1960.
Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal and Steve Tisch of Escape Artists will produce while the company's Jenna Block David Bloomfield will executive produce alongside Stuart Besser, Lucie Arnaz, Desi Arnaz, Jr. -- the two children of the famous couple -- and Lauren Lohman. (ANI)
Cole Carrigan, Who Has More Than 340,000 TikTok Followers, Apologizes For Alluding To Affair With Kanye West!
Jeffree Star isn't the only YouTuber who is rumored to be hooking up with Kanye West. On Sunday, January 10, beauty guru Cole Carrigan posted a video in which he issued an apology to the rapper and his wife Kim Kardashian after receiving a cease-and-desist letter for claiming to have an affair with Kanye.
Cole, who previously shared that the hip-hop star's onetime bodyguard, Steve Stanulis, arranged a meeting for him and Ye at a W Hotel in November, claimed in the video that while the story wasn't a made-up, he decided to expose the "Gold Digger" spitter because he "voted for [Donald Trump]."
"In order to for me to stay out of court and not get sued, I have to issue an apology to Mr. West and Kim Kardashian West," the TikToker said. "So hi, Kim, if you're watching this, I am so sorry, I honestly did this for the simple fact that your husband voted for Trump, and we simply can't have that clownery in America, so you're welcome."
Seemingly trolling, the 22-year-old self-taught makeup artist continued, "Second of all, I hope this doesn't ruin the chances of me getting on the KKW p.r. list, because I've been dying for those contour sticks."
Cole, who has more than 340,000 TikTok followers, made the bombshell revelations in a series of videos on the video-sharing platform last Thursday. One of the clips featured screenshots of his alleged direct message exchange with Kanye's former bodyguard, and he said, "I obviously can't say much… I don't want a lawsuit from Kim Kardashian West, but these are literally the DMs from the security guard - well, ex-security guard - that reached out to me before we started texting, so that's all I'm going to say on that."
He also claimed that he met Kanye for the firt time at a Bel Air, California, party in May. Of the said text from Steve, Cole detailed, "He asked if I remembered him from the party and he said that Ye wanted to meet me tonight."
Steve quickly denied the allegations. In a legal letter, his lawyer Dmitriy Shakhnevich stated, "As you know, these images are not authentic, and the statements you made are completely and entirely false. In fact, our client hereby denies ever meeting you, speaking with you or, more broadly, even knowing of your identity prior to January 7, 2021. As such, our client denies, in the strongest terms, all of these false and defamatory statements involving his name and likeness.
Luke Evans Confirms Split from Rafael Olarra!
Luke Evans and Rafael Olarra have officially called it quits.
Evans, 41, confirmed the rumored split in an interview with The Times' Saturday Review about his new series The Pembrokeshire Murders.
"It is what it is," Evans told The Times. Olarra did not immediately respond to request for comment.
Fans have speculated about the breakup since October, when Evans, 41, unfollowed the art director on Instagram and deleted all photos of Olarra from his account.
At the time, Olarra still had a photo of Evans on his Instagram account from September showing the actor smiling up at the camera.
"Missing this devilish smile," Olarra captioned the post, which has since been deleted.
Evans and Olarra first made their romance Instagram official in February 2019, when Evans posted a video of the two laughing together during a trip to Hawaii.
"He loves my welsh humour….no, honestly!! he does!!" Evans captioned the clip, adding the hashtags "Hawaii memories" and "happiness."
Despite his new single status, Evans told The Times that he still hopes to become a father someday.
"I thought about it many times and as I get older I'm thinking maybe I should get on and do it. I don't want to be an old dad … but I would like to be a dad," he said. "There's a lot of satisfaction to passing on your experiences and rearing a strong, open-minded, kind, respectful human being who can go out in the world and do something good."
Although Evans is private about his personal life, he has spoken openly about his sexuality in the past, telling the The Advocate in 2002, "In my life in London, I never tried to hide."
"It's not a big issue, and it's never going to be a big issue for me," he added.
Andra Day Raises Her Voice in The United States vs. Billie Holiday Trailer!
If there’s one thing Billie Holiday’s gonna do, it’s sing whatever she pleases. The new trailer for The United States vs. Billie Holiday — the new film from Precious director Lee Daniels written by Pulitzer Prize winner Suzan-Lori Parks — shows the persecution the singer went through at the hands of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics. Grammy nominee Andra Day plays the complicated, larger-than-life jazz singer as she risks her freedom to sing “Strange Fruit” and raise awareness of racist murders in the South. “You think I’m gonna stop singing that song?” she asks. “Your grandkids will be singing ‘Strange Fruit.’
WATCH HERE
The generations will be humming along to The United States vs. Billie Holiday when it arrives on Hulu next month. The film was originally set for a release under Paramount but has since been acquired by the Disney-owned streamer. Trevante Rhodes and Natasha Lyonne co-star, along with Garrett Hedlund, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Miss Lawrence, Rob Morgan, Evan Ross, Tyler James Williams, Tone Bell, and Erik LaRay Harvey. The United States vs. Billie Holiday will be seeing you on February 26 on Hulu.
Medics Called Onto 'Bachelor' Set After Contestant Nearly Collapses During Rose Ceremony!
It was a dramatic second episode of The Bachelor Monday night as house fights began and this season's villain, “Queen” Victoria Larson, emerged. In fact, the drama continued all the way to the end, effectively stopping the rose ceremony, when contestant Sarah Trott almost collapsed.
Bri Springs, who helped walk Sarah off the set and into the next room, told producers, “She's going to pass out.” While Sarah told Matt James, “I'm, like, seeing stars.”
The 24-year-old broadcast journalist from San Diego was one of two lucky women who got a rose during their one-on-one date with Matt, after opening up about the fact that her father was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease.
An early favorite, Bachelor Nation took to social media saying that Sarah needed to be protected at all costs following the contestant's collapse.
Fortunately, the teaser for next week's episode shows Sarah seemingly okay despite being in tears. But, unfortunately, we have to wait until next week to figure out what the heck happened as The Bachelor teased viewers by leaving the moment on a “To Be Continued,” which had Twitter up in arms over the cliffhanger.
The Bachelor airs Mondays at 8 p.m. on ABC.
Marvel Boss Reveals How 'Black Panther 2' Will Honor Chadwick Boseman!
Even though he won’t be recast or depicted via CGI, the spirit of Chadwick Boseman will be felt in Black Panther 2.
In a new interview with Deadline, Marvel head Kevin Feige spoke about Boseman's death, which took place in August, and how the upcoming sequel will proceed without T’Challa, King of Wakanda. "So much of the comics and that first movie is the world of Wakanda. Wakanda is a place to further explore with characters and different subcultures. This was always and initially the primary focus of the next story," Feige said during the discussion.
"We’re not going to have a CG Chadwick and we’re not recasting T’Challa," he said. "Ryan Coogler is working very hard right now on the script with all the respect and love and genius that he has, which gives us great solace, so it was always about furthering the mythology and the inspiration of Wakanda. There's also the task of honoring and respecting the ongoing learnings and teachings from Chad as well."
The film, which will open July 8, 2022, will explore "explore the world of Wakanda & the rich characters introduced in the first film."
Previously, Marvel, as well as Disney, honored Boseman on his would-be 44th birthday with a newly-updated introduction to the hit 2018 him on Netflix featuring Marvel’s page-turning edit with photos and footage of Boseman in and out of character as T'Challar in scenes from Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.
Bill Belichick Declines Presidential Medal Of Freedom From Donald Trump!
New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said Monday that he rejects the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Donald Trump.
Belichick, who is friends with Trump, explained his decision in a statement, citing the riots at the Capitol building on Wednesday.
“Recently, I was offered the opportunity to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which I was flattered by out of respect for what the honor represents and admiration for prior recipients,” Belichick said. “Subsequently, the tragic events of last week occurred, and the decision has been made not to move forward with the award.”
“Above all, I am an American citizen with great reverence for our nation’s values, freedom, and democracy. I know I also represent my family and the New England Patriots team,” the statement continued. “One of the most rewarding things in my professional career took place in 2020 when, through the great leadership within our team, conversations about social justice, equality, and human rights moved to the forefront and became actions.”
“Continuing those efforts while remaining true to the people, team, and country I love outweigh the benefits of any individual award.”
According to ESPN, Trump recently selected several athletes to receive the civilian’s highest honor. Annika Sorenstam and Gary Player, both hall of fame golfers, along with the late Olympian Babe Didrikson Zaharias, received the medal on Thursday.
Belichick just finished his 46th season in the NFL and 21st as Patriots coach. He has led the Patriots to six Super Bowl championships. Belichick’s 311 victories, regular season and playoff wins combined, place him third all-time.
Sheldon Adelson, Conservative Megadonor And Casino Mogul, Dies At 87!
Sheldon Adelson, a rags-to-riches casino mogul who built one of the largest fortunes in the United States and spent it aggressively to bolster conservative politicians and causes, has died at the age of 87, his wife Dr. Miriam Adelson said on Tuesday.
Since 2019, Adelson had received treatment for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, which limited his travel and hours at the office, but he continued to helm his casino empire, Las Vegas Sands Inc. (LVS). He had struggled to walk since 2001, when he was diagnosed with a neuromuscular disorder.
His wife, Miriam, said on Tuesday that he had died after complications from a long illness.
“Sheldon was the love of my life. He was my partner in romance, philanthropy, political activism and enterprise. He was my soulmate,” she wrote in a press release announcing his death.
Over the past decade, Adelson and Miriam cemented themselves as two of the largest donors to conservative politicians and causes in the U.S. In the 2012 election cycle, Adelson and Miriam reportedly spent about $150 million on Republican candidates and the conservative organizations seeking to elect them.
Four years later, they gave a total of $25 million to President Donald Trump alone, earning Adelson the designation of “Trump’s Patron-in-Chief” from news outlet ProPublica. The couple made an even larger donation near the end of Trump’s re-election bid, contributing a staggering $75 million to a Super PAC affiliated with his candidacy.
Spotting profit to be made in corporate conferences, Adelson launched a lucrative computer industry trade show in Las Vegas in the late 1970s. He parlayed that success into the acquisition a decade later of the Las Vegas Sands casino, which he expanded into a multi-billion dollar hospitality and gambling conglomerate that spans two continents and includes the Venetian, one of the most iconic hotels in the world.
Adelson was born in 1933 to a modest Jewish family in Dorchester, a hardscrabble Boston neighborhood. His father, Arthur Adelson, was a taxi driver; and his mother, Sarah Adelson, ran a small knitting shop. Growing up, Sheldon Adelson supported the Democratic Party, which was “typical of the Jews of Boston in the 1930s and '40s,” Adelson later wrote.
Showing a propensity for entrepreneurship before he even attended high school, Adelson bought the right to sell newspapers on a well-trafficked street corner. Later, at age 16, he ran a candy vending machine business. All the while, he endured anti-semitic bullying from Irish kids in his neighborhood.
He enrolled at City College of New York, in Upper Manhattan, but soon dropped out. After attending trade school to become a court reporter, Adelson served as a court stenographer in the U.S. Army. When he left the service, he worked a series of jobs as an ad salesperson and real estate broker, among others.
Adelson made his first major splash in 1979, when he and some business partners launched Computer Dealers Exposition, or COMDEX, an industry trade show in Las Vegas that drew large crowds and generated hundreds of millions in revenue. Sixteen years later, Adelson sold COMDEX and some other trade shows to SoftBank for $862 million.
Equipped with Las Vegas business experience and growing resources, Adelson and his partners purchased the Sands hotel and casino in 1989 for $128 million, setting up Las Vegas Sands Inc., the holding company that would later comprise his casino empire.
Less than a decade later, in 1996, Adelson tore down the Sands and began construction on The Venetian, a themed hotel modeled after its namesake Italian city, offering gondola rides through replica canals. Soon after it opened in 1999, the Venetian became a popular symbol of Las Vegas glamour, featured in movies such as “Rat Race” (2001) and “Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous (2005).”
When Adelson took Las Vegas Sands Inc. public, in 2004, he became a multi-billionaire overnight. In the years that followed, Adelson expanded the company into the hotel empire that catapulted him into the upper echelons of American wealth. Central to his success: Two hotels in Macau, a semi-autonomous region on the Southern Chinese coast, where newly reduced travel restrictions for Chinese citizens as well as the country’s surging middle class resulted in a boon for Adelson.
He followed his foray into Asia with the Marina Bay Sands, opened in 2010 in Singapore, which cost $8 billion in land and construction costs — the most expensive casino ever built.
Over the 1990s and early 2000s, Adelson underwent a rightward political shift, moving from his roots as a liberal Democrat in the blue state of Massachusetts to Republican activism in purple Nevada. The change of heart coincided with his fight against the Culinary Workers Union, the biggest union in the state, both in court and at his properties. Though unions made some inroads at his hotels, the Venetian remains the only major hotel in Las Vegas that is non-union.
After the turn of the century, as he amassed a net worth in the tens of billions, Adelson spent generously in support of rightwing political causes in the United States and Israel, becoming a close ally of likeminded political leaders such as President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Bejamin Netanyahu, both of whom received praise in editorials on the pages of newspapers Adelson owned in their respective countries.
Known as a passionate Zionist, Adelson spent hundreds of millions on Jewish organizations that promote the centrality and protection of Israel. For instance, he has donated nearly half a billion dollars to Taglit-Birthright Israel, which provides free 10-day trips to Israel for thousands of young diaspora Jews each year.
“He was the proudest of Jews, who saw in the State of Israel not only the realization of an historical promise to a unique and deserving people, but also a gift from the Almighty to all of humanity,” his wife noted in the press release announcing his death.
Alongside his direct political spending, Adelson purchased newspapers in the U.S. and Israel that praised his favored politicians on their opinion pages. In 2007, he launched a free newspaper in Israel called Israel Hayom known for flattering coverage of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu; in 2015, he spent $140 million to acquire the Las Vegas Review-Journal, one of the few major U.S. newspapers that endorsed Donald Trump in the presidential election the following year.
“Our nation lost a remarkable American with the passing of my friend Sheldon Adelson," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said on Tuesday. "He climbed from sleeping on tenement floors during the Great Depression as a young boy to literally towering over Las Vegas and beyond."
President Donald Trump on Tuesday also expressed praise for Adelson: “Sheldon was true to his family, his country, and all those that knew him. The world has lost a great man.”
In 1988, Adelson divorced his first wife Sandra, whose three children he adopted and helped raise. The next year, he went on a blind date with Miriam Ochshorn, an Israeli doctor. They married in 1991 and raised two children of their own, Adam and Matan.
Adelson retained relationships with his adopted children—Mitchell, Shelley, and Gary—even after a 2001 court ruling found in Adelson’s favor in a lawsuit brought by Mitchell and Gary alleging that he pressured them to sell stock below market value.
His two sons struggled with drug addiction; Mitchell, the younger one, died of a drug overdose in 2005. Five years earlier, Miriam and Sheldon Adelson had co-founded the Dr. Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson Clinic for Drug Abuse Treatment & Research.
It still serves patients in the Las Vegas area.
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
‘IN STITCHES’
Hey! It’s Lilo & Stitch, not Stitch & Stitch. Get it right!
HAVE A GREAT DAY ALL!!!
EFREM
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