Cynthia Erivo for Heroine Magazine #15!
Nice!
#RHOA #TWIRL, Did you guys know that Bravo tried to stop Kenya from performing on DWTS?
Kenya Moore's decision to join "Dancing With the Stars" pissed off her bosses at the network where she got famous -- so much so, they tried to force her into a very tough decision.
Sources connected to 'Housewives' production tell TMZ ... when 'DWTS' approached Kenya months ago about being on its new season, she immediately ran it up the flag pole at True Entertainment, the production company behind "Real Housewives of Atlanta," and there was no issue.
However, the problems started when Kenya was officially signed on for the 30th season of 'DWTS.that's when Bravo came to Kenya and told her to choose one show or the other.
What's bizarre about that is ... lots of other Housewives have done 'DWTS' before without Bravo raising a stink. Erika Jayne, Kim Zolciak-Biermann, Nene Leakes and Lisa Vanderpump were all on the ABC show and Lisa even filmed for 'RHOBH' during the dance competition.
Ultimately, Bravo blinked in the standoff with Kenya, and relented she could do both shows, but with one condition -- there won't be any crossover, a la Vanderpump.
Also Bravo won't feature Kenya's time in L.A. shooting for 'Dancing' when the new season of 'RHOA' begins.
Kenya's been killing it with her dance partner, Brandon Armstrong, but once her ballroom time is up ... our sources say she'll be back in Atlanta to shoot for the 14th season of 'RHOA.'
Isn’t that shady of Bravo?
#MusicNews: Mary J. Blige Confirms New Album Will Arrive in November!
(via Rated R&B) Mary J. Blige has announced her 14th studio album will release in November. The Queen of Hip-Hop Soul shared the news on Instagram Live with D-Nice on Tuesday night.
“It’s about to go crazy over here,” she told D-Nice, while she was at a studio. Blige also revealed that the first single is set to drop in October.
The album was originally scheduled to release in late 2020. She explained to the Los Angeles Times, “It’s about life, love, struggle, but mostly triumph. Because I’m learning how to rejoice in the valleys and the droughts.”
Blige’s upcoming album will follow 2017’s Strength of a Woman, which included the Jazmine Sullivan-penned single “Thick of It.”
Not much is known about the impending project. However, Blige has been spotted in the studio with DJ Camper (Brandy, Tamar Braxton), Blush Writes (K. Michelle, Chris Brown), Prince Charlez (Rihanna, Beyoncé), and Murda Beatz(Migos, Drake).
#HipHopNews: Kanye West Removes Chris Brown 'New Again' Feature Completely In Latest 'Donda' Release!
Yet another version of Kanye West’s Donda album has surfaced. As pointed out by Complex, the new iteration of the constantly evolving project began popping up on Spotify and Apple Music on Monday (September 27). It also appears on DSPs as an entirely separate album. Fans noticed among the changes to the album is the removal of Chris Brown’s feature on “New Again,” who likely will have something to say about it.
As Kanye fans may recall, Brown called Ye a “whole hoe” for allegedly not including all of his contributions to the track. He followed up with another Instagram Story that read, “Nah he tweakin,” creating meme gold in the process. Brown appeared to be bothered his verse on “New Again” had been cut from the final version of the album, while his background vocals on the song could still be heard.
Kanye West has tweaked Donda multiple times — and very publicly. Prior to its August 29 arrival, the eccentric rapper held three public listening parties, including two at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium and another at Soldier Field in Chicago. After each one, he’d go back and revise the project again, much to the chagrin of anxious fans.
Each revision inevitably delayed the album’s release, and people grew increasingly tired of waiting for it. Speaking to Apple Music, producer Mike Dean explained why the listening parties were crucial to finishing Donda.
“It was interesting,” he said of the album process. “It was grueling, lots of hours, lots of changes. Came out great though. For this album, it was… I mean, Kanye had three listening parties. So each listening party was like a test kind of. And after each one, I think he wanted … I can’t talk too much about his process.
“He took all the information he got from everyone, including online reviews, personal friends’ reviews, and he just kind of digest it all and adjust the album the way he wants. I definitely looked at how the crowd moved to different songs … because I was up in the top of the stadium, deejaying the whole thing. I was up in a little circle. No, I was just up on a house, maybe four layers up, next to the top layer, running the songs off my computer.”
It turned out well for Kanye, though. Donda debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 after a five-day period of tracking, with over 309,000 total album-equivalent units consisting of 272,000 streaming-equivalent album units, 37,000 pure album sales and less than 1,000 track-equivalent units. It marked Ye’s ninth consecutive chart-topping debut.
LeBron James confirms he has received COVID-19 vaccine, But also says ‘It’s a personal Choice’!
Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James confirmed for the first time that he has received a COVID-19 vaccination during his team's media day availability on Tuesday, putting to rest any lingering questions.
James said he was "very skeptical" about the vaccines when they were first released, conducted his own research and decided it was "the right thing to do" for himself and the health of his family. Asked if he felt compelled to be a public advocate for vaccination against coronavirus, James said, "That's not my job."
“I think everyone has their own choice to do what they feel is right for themselves and their family," he said.
James evaded the direct question in May about whether he was vaccinated and how it might impact his availability for the playoffs last season, merely offering, "That's all family talk," and, "It's not a big deal."
The questions came on the heels of James violating the NBA's healthy and safety protocols by attending a promotional event for a tequila brand, alongside entertainers Drake and Michael B. Jordan, on May 21. The league ultimately determined James' violation did not rise to the level of a suspension or even a quarantine.
"To clarify any remaining misconception, LeBron James briefly attended an outdoor event last week where participants were required to be vaccinated or return a negative test result," NBA spokesman Mike Bass said in a statement on May 24. "Under these circumstances and in consultation with medical experts, it was determined that his attendance did not create risks related to the spread of COVID-19 and therefore no quarantine was necessary. Over the course of this season, there have been numerous similar violations of the league's health and safety protocols, which were addressed with the player's team in similar fashion.
"Under current NBA rules, vaccinated players are permitted to engage in outside activities including their individual commercial arrangements, such as sponsor appearances or ad shoots."
That language led many to believe James was among the 10-15% of players who are not vaccinated. Former Lakers guard Dennis Schroder told a German-language publication three weeks earlier he and James were the only Lakers yet to be vaccinated. When Schroder returned from a two-week bout with COVID on May 15, he told reporters, "I'm the only guy who didn't get vaccinated," adding to the confusion.
However, Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka told reporters on Thursday that he anticipates his team will be fully vaccinated before the regular-season opener against the Golden State Warriors on Oct. 19.
Asked how important it was for the team to be fully vaccinated, James told reporters on Tuesday, "At the end of the day, you’re always trying to figure out ways to always be available and protect one another."
Speaking shortly after James, Lakers coach Frank Vogel echoed that statement.
"It's huge," said Vogel, citing several "costly" COVID-related absences for the Lakers during last season's disappointing encore to their 2020 NBA championship run. "Not every team in the league this year has that luxury, but we do. There were a lot of conversations along the way, and I'm super proud of our guys."
In Saturday's bombshell report on an anti-vaccination contingent in the NBA players' union, Rolling Stone reported "the league continues to have difficulty convincing current superstars to advocate for vaccines," although "league officials could still ask LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo to appear in a PSA.
The players' union has rejected the NBA's proposal for a vaccine mandate.
"We're talking about individuals' bodies," said James. "We're not talking about something that's political or racism or police brutality or things of that nature. We're talking about people's bodies and well-being, so I don't think that I should get involved in what other people should do for their bodies and their livelihoods.
"I know what I did for me and my family," he added. "I know what some of my friends did for their families, but as far as speaking for everybody and their individuality and things they want to do, that's not my job."
Retired Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar took the opposing view in his email to Rolling Stone.
"They are failing to live up to the responsibilities that come with celebrity. Athletes are under no obligation to be spokespersons for the government, but this is a matter of public health," said Abdul-Jabbar, who took part in the NBA's first vaccination PSA in January. "By not encouraging their people to get the vaccine, they’re contributing to these deaths. I’m also concerned about how this perpetuates the stereotype of dumb jocks who are unable to look at verified scientific evidence and reach a rational conclusion.”
Cesar Millan Denies That His Pit Bull Killed Queen Latifah's Dog!
Cesar Millan is denying allegations that his dog bit a gymnast and killed Queen Latifah’s dog several years ago.
via People:
In a lawsuit earlier this month, a gymnast named Lidia Matiss alleged in 2017 that she went to visit her mom, who worked for Millan, at his training facility. She claims at the facility she was attacked by the Dog Whisperer star’s late pet Junior, according to TMZ, who obtained a copy of the legal documents.
Junior, the tv star’s pit bull, died this year at 15 years of age.
“This incident occurred over 4 years ago. Two weeks ago, Ms. Mattiss’ counsel sent a letter demanding that Mr. Millan pay her $850,000 – or she would be going ‘to the press.’ Mr. Millan refused to respond to this threat, and this interview is the result,” a rep for Millan wrote in a statement obtained by PEOPLE on Tuesday.
The statement continued, “As everyone knows, Cesar Millan is one of the world’s most prominent dog training experts. Over his extraordinary career, Mr. Millan has fostered, and helped – literally – thousands of behaviorally troubled animals dogs – often with dogs at risk of being ‘put down.’ ”
The rep added that Matiss was “well aware of this” while visiting Millan’s training facility and “repeatedly returned to his property and ranch after the incident.”
In her lawsuit, Matiss also claimed that Junior had previously bitten other people and attacked other dogs as well, including one dog owned by Queen Latifah. There, Matiss alleges that Junior “mauled one of [QL’s] dogs to death” and said that Millan covered up the incident by telling his staff that they were to tell the actress that her dog was hit and killed by a car.
On Tuesday, Millan’s rep called that accusation “a blatant lie.”
Attorneys for Matiss did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
According to legal documents, Matiss said that the dog was “unsupervised and unleashed” when he began to attack her, biting her numerous times on the legs. When she arrived at an emergency room after the incident, TMZ said her “injures were severe.” The athlete claims the occurrence also stopped her from later competing in her sport due to pain.
In the lawsuit, Matiss alleges that Millan was aware of his dog’s violent tendencies but still allowed him to go without a leash.
In the lawsuit, which is ongoing, Matiss said that the bites she obtained have left her injured and she has suffered both physically and emotionally since the occurrence. TMZ reported that she is suing for unspecified damages.
Cardi B Matches Makes Her First Appearance Since Welcoming Her Second Child in Paris!
Cardi B is making a major fashion statement! The 29-year-old rapper, who just welcomed her second baby with Offset, stepped out for the Thierry Mugler: Couturissime fashion event during 2021 Paris Fashion Week on Tuesday night (September 28) in Paris, France.
“MUGLER MAMI,” Cardi captioned on her Instagram with a set of images in the same dress, which featured a bold feathered collar and dazzling sequin bodice and skirt.
Cardi even matched the dress with her red glittered eyebrows for the event.
After her fashionable arrival, Cardi switched up her look for a black corset and sheer skirt from the fashion house for the event inside the Musee Des Arts Decoratifs.
“Thank you @manfredthierrymugler for including me in such a historical night, the opening of your exhibit in Paris!” she shared on Instagram. “Truly one of my favorite creative minds in the WORLD! I’m mind blown looking at your collections from over the years. A true Genius!”
Ashanti to re-record her debut album!
Ashanti is planning to re-record her Grammy-winning debut album as an independent artist.
During an interview on the “Tamron Hall Show,” the “Rain On Me” singer reflected on owning her masters and revealed her plans to re-do her self-titled project. “It’s so surreal,” she said. “I have an amazing legal team, and I got my first record deal when I was 14 years old, so understanding and seeing how things have changed so much from then to now and conceptually understanding what you’re signing, is so imperative and so important nowadays. The fact that I’ll be able to re-record my first album, and put everything together.”
Ashanti breaks silence about relationship with Nelly following Verzuz hug
When Hall asked Ashanti how it felt to be able to have the freedom to recreate her music, she called the experience “humbling.”
“It’s such a blessing, you know, the fact that we are still here, we’re living through a pandemic, and these blessings are still coming in, it just makes me so happy again, so humbled and such a believer,” she added. “There’s a higher power, and I think that just being as a person and praying and putting your heart into things you get that energy back, and I think that’s so important. So, I’m just really, really happy.”
Ashanti was originally released in 2002. The project, which hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and spent a total of 55 weeks on the chart, featured several hit singles, including “Happy,” “Baby” and the No. 1 track “Foolish.”
Ashanti celebrates becoming a 2022 Hollywood Walk of Fame honoree
That same year, the triple-platinum LP won a Grammy award for Best Contemporary R&B Album at the 45th Grammy Awards.
Ashanti released a total of five albums under the Murder Inc. label. In addition to her self-titled project, Chapter II and Concrete Rose also went platinum. In 2014, Ashanti released Braveheart, her most recent project, under the independent label eOne
Bill Cosby feels R. Kelly ‘got railroaded’ at sex-trafficking trial!
Bill Cosby feels R. Kelly “got railroaded” in his sex-trafficking trial that ended Monday with guilty convictions on all nine counts against him, according to the newly freed comedian’s rep.
Cosby believes the pervy singer “was screwed” and that “he wasn’t going to catch a break,” during the month-long trial, according to his spokesman, Andrew Wyatt.
Wyatt shared Cosby’s thoughts in a Tuesday night interview with The Post, where the rep said R. Kelly never stood a chance and railed against the 90s R&B superstar’s defense team.
“The deck was stacked against Robert,” said Wyatt. “His constitutional rights were grossly abused. I don’t know anywhere but in this country in the United States that a documentary can bring criminal charges against someone.”
“No one fought hard for him,” and his attorneys didn’t “humanize him,” Wyatt said.
According to spokesman, Billy Cosby believes R. Kelly "was screwed" at his sex-trafficking trial were he was found guilty of all counts.
According to his spokesman, Bill Cosby believes R. Kelly “was screwed” at his sex-trafficking trial.
Stephen Yang
“He also didn’t have the resources and means, he should have asked for support from the court. He would have gotten better representation,” added Wyatt.
“This is a guy who made the song ‘I believe I can fly’ when there were rumors about young girls. The song played at every wedding and in every church. He was doing music with Lady Gaga!” said Wyatt.
Kelly, 54, was convicted of sexually abusing women and children for decades on counts including racketeering and violations of the Mann Act, which prohibits the transport of people across state lines for an immoral purpose.
He faces 10 years to life in prison at his sentencing next May.
Cosby, meanwhile, had been convicted of sexually assaulting Andrea Constand in April 2018. But the 84-year-old served just 2.5 years behind bars before his conviction was unexpectedly overturned in July and he was set free.
Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court found the district attorney back in 2005 had made a secret agreement with Cosby that he wouldn’t be criminally charged if he copped to what he had done.
The court ruled in July that the new DA was bound by that verbal agreement.
Wendy Williams confirms return to talk show amid severe health complications!
The daytime talk show host will return to TV next Monday, October 4
Wendy Williams confirms she will be returning back to her talk show, after getting hospitalised a few weeks ago due to underlying health issues.
The daytime talk show host will return to TV next Monday, October 4, her show’s social media account announced.
“THE WAIT IS OVER! Season 13 starts MONDAY,” the caption to a promo reel read. “You don’t wanna miss it!”
Earlier, Williams' team confirmed she got diagnosed with a breakthrough case of COVID-19.
Following her hospitalization and divorce from ex-husband Kevin Hunter, an insider said Williams has become lonely.
“It has been a very difficult time for Wendy. She’s a single woman with very few friends. She lost her marriage, her mom, and is living alone,” said the source.
Big Daddy Kane to pay tribute to Biz Markie at 2021 BET Hip Hop Awards!
The 2021 BET Hip Hop Awards will be paying homage to the late Biz Markie amid their annual ceremony, and they have tapped one of his friends to help with the tribute. According to press release, Big Daddy Kane will honor the “Just a Friend” emcee, who he’s previously credited for his career as a rapper.
“Thank you for believing in me,” Kane penned on Instagram in the wake of Biz’s death. “Thank you for giving me a career. Thank you for the beats to ‘Ain’t No Half Steppin,’ ‘Warm It Up Kane’ and convincing @thereal45king to give me the beat to ‘Set It Off.’ Most importantly, thanks for being a true, genuine, loving FRIEND!!!! LOVE YOU FOREVER EMAZA!!!”
The 16th annual BET Hip Hop Awards is slated to go down on Tuesday, Oct. 5 in New York City’s Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. DC Young Fly, Karlous Miller and Chico Bean will host the show, which will feature performances from Young Thug, Gunna, Bia, Lil Jon, Baby Keem, and Isaiah Rashad. Trina, Remy Ma, Jermaine Dupri and Tank are among the night’s presenters, and Nelly is slated to receive the I AM Hip Hop Award.
“I am honored to receive this award and humbled to be in such great company of past artists who have received this award,” Nelly said in a statement. “I have been blessed to work with some incredible people in my career, making 22 years go by in the blink of an eye.”
Long Island street to be named after Biz Markie
“This award isn’t just about Nelly; it is about my fans, BET, and the people that continue to support me and allow me to do what I love to do,” he concluded.
“We’re excited to once again celebrate all of the many talented artists who have made an undeniable impact on music this past year,” said Connie Orlando, EVP Specials, Music Programming & Music Strategy at BET.
Idina Menzel Thinks She Should Have Been Lea Michele's Sister on Glee — Not Her Mom!
Two things that Idina Menzel asks of you: pronounce her name correctly (ahem, John Travolta) and realize that she was much too young to play Lea Michelle's mom on Glee. The Broadway veteran spilled some tea during her InStyle Badass Questionnaire, where she opened up about her successful career, red carpet fashion, and her time on the hit show.
"The scene that was the most memorable [on Glee] was probably singing 'I Dreamed a Dream' with Lea Michelle," Menzel recalled. But the 50-year-old actress and singer revealed that she was a little salty about the fact that she was cast as Michelle's mother. "She was 26, and I probably should've been her older sister. But I don't have a chip on my shoulder about that," she added sarcastically.
She also revealed her funniest moment on Broadway, which took place in Rent during her ex-husband Taye Diggs' final performance, when she had a funny — er, message for her co-star and boyfriend at the time. "Taye and I had just started dating at that time, and I used to have to take down my pants and moon his character, so I wrote 'Eat Me' on my ass cheeks when I pulled my jeans down," she remembered with a laugh.
The Frozen actress (who says the cold, in fact, does bother her) also recalled that time she won the Tony award for her portrayal of Elphaba in Wicked, and how she had to get full red-carpet ready twice for the awards ceremony. "As soon as I off the red carpet, I had to go upstairs, wash it all off, put on green makeup, get into costume, and wait around to perform 'Defying Gravity,'" she remembered of the 2004 Tony Awards, where she had to perform her big number and be back in her seat quickly after to hear her category announced (spoiler: she took home the big award.)
She added, "I had a half hour after I got off stage to get in the shower, get [the green makeup] all off, and then get back into glam makeup again, sit down in my chair, and find out if I was going to win this award. So that was a crazy night."
Jesse Palmer named new host of ‘The Bachelor’!
Jesse Palmer has been named the new host of “The Bachelor.”
The former NFL player, 42 — who led “The Bachelor” Season 5 in 2004 — announced on Tuesday that he will be the one to replace longtime host Chris Harrison.
“For more than 20 years, ‘The Bachelor’ has brought the world dozens of unforgettable love stories, including at one time, my own,” Palmer said in a statement.
“Falling in love is one of life’s greatest gifts, and I am humbled by the opportunity to return to the show as host this season to offer the newest Bachelor advice gained from firsthand experience, and I am grateful to play a small part in his journey.”
Though Palmer’s romance with his final rose recipient Jessica Bowlin didn’t last, his run as the “Bachelor” led to a thriving career as a television broadcaster.
In addition to his job as an ESPN sports analyst, he currently hosts ABC’s summer series “The Ultimate Surfer.” He previously hosted the network’s dating competition series “The Proposal” in 2018, also helmed by “The Bachelor” creator Mike Fleiss.
Palmer was chosen to replace Harrison, 50, months after the latter TV personality was ousted from the franchise following backlash for his defense of “The Bachelor” Season 25 contestant Rachael Kirkconnell and her past racist behavior.
Harrison’s insensitive comments were made in February during a now-infamous “Extra” interview with Rachel Lindsay, who became the first black woman to lead “The Bachelorette” in 2017.
Harrison later apologized for causing “harm by wrongly speaking in a manner that perpetuates racism.” When announcing a subsequent hiatus, he added, “I invoked the term ‘woke police,’ which is unacceptable. I am ashamed over how uninformed I was. I was so wrong.”
After Harrison’s departure, a series of famous faces have played the role of host for the franchise.
“Uncomfortable Conversations With a Black Man” author Emmanuel Acho presided over the “After the Final Rose” special for Matt James’ season, while former “Bachelorettes” Tayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe co-hosted Katie Thurston’s Season 17 of “The Bachelorette” and are set to do the same for Michelle Young’s forthcoming Season 18.
Meanwhile, the current season of “Bachelor in Paradise” has seen a rotating lineup of celebrity co-hosts — including David Spade, Lance Bass, Tituss Burgess and Lil Jon — make their way to the beach.
Palmer’s return to the Bachelor Mansion will involve helping Season 26 “Bachelor” Clayton Echard navigate his search for love after fans get to know him on Young’s “Bachelorette” season.
Palmer — who has never been married — is engaged to model Emely Fardo, with whom he has been in a relationship since 2017.
The premiere date for “The Bachelor” Season 26 has yet to be announced. “The Bachelorette” Season 18 premieres Tuesday, Oct. 19 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
Dave Chappelle Opening Comedy Club, Restaurant in Ohio!
*Comedian Dave Chappelle is opening a comedy club in his hometown of Yellow Springs, Ohio.
According to reports, Chappelle submitted plans to the Yellow Springs Planning Commission to open a restaurant, Firehouse Eatery, and a comedy club, Live from YS. As reported by Black Enterprise, both will sell food and alcohol and have indoor and outdoor seating. There will be separate seating for live performances.
Chappelle’s company, Iron Table Holdings LLC, bought the former Miami Twp. Fire Station in December 2020, the Dayton Daily News reports. The site will be home to the comedy club and restaurant.
The restaurant will be open seven days a week, and the comedy club will operate four days a week between 6 p.m. and 2 a.m., per the report.
The architect overseeing the project is Max Crome of Crome Architecture.
“I’m not just trying to make a club, I’m trying to make a way,” Chappelle said during the planning commission meeting. “I’m trying to make a venue for our talents to be showcased, as well as my friends’ talents, so we can shine and be all the great things we can be in the world.”
Crome says the new club will have a maximum capacity of 140 people.
“If we build this thing, I will tell you, all the greats will come. They’re very excited about it,” Chappelle assured the planning commission.
At ‘No Time to Die’ World Premiere, Stars and Producers Get Emotional at Long-Delayed Big-Screen Debut!
Jaes Bond is back. And better still, he’s back as producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson always intended: on the big screen.
At the world premiere of “No Time to Die” at London’s Royal Albert Hall on Tuesday, the uncertainty of where the franchise is headed after 15 years led by Daniel Craig, or even the crucial details of how Amazon’s $8.45 billion acquisition of Bond studio MGM is going to play out, didn’t seem to matter very much at all.
Fifteen months after its original April 2020 release date, surrounded by all the Union Jacks, brass bands and Royal Armed Forces soldiers one might expect at a Bond movie world premiere in Britain, Wilson said it best on the red carpet: “The waiting has been terrible, but we finally got here.”
Indeed, even through a pandemic that brought the exhibition sector to its knees, the custodians of Bond did not break, instead digging their heels in and committing to a theatrical release. On stage, Wilson gave a heartfelt thanks to studio partners MGM and Universal “for ensuring this film had a cinema release.”
“We’re thrilled to be sharing the 25th Bond film the way it was intended to be shown, and shot — on the big screen,” echoed director Cary Joji Fukunaga, before introducing 11 members of the cast, including Craig, Lea Seydoux, Lashana Lynch and Rami Malek.
Craig, in a dazzling velvet pink blazer, kept his final valediction as Bond’s caretaker — the man who helped to humanize the hard-edged spy — succinct: “Look at where we are. Look at this, look at us!” he remarked, later thanking Wilson and Broccoli and dedicating the film to the U.K.’s frontline health workers.
Inside the 150-year-old auditorium, 4,000 people — a portion of them key workers — gathered amid members of the royal family. Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, were seated in the royal box alongside his father and stepmother: Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla Parker-Bowles. (Judging by the perpetual grin on Prince William’s face as he joked with Craig and other stars at a royal presentation line before the premiere, it’s evidently one of the major perks of the job.)
While the seating inside the theater felt, occasionally, uncomfortably snug for a movie with a 163-minute runtime, strict COVID protocols were in place for everyone in attendance, and entry had been permitted only with proof of a negative lateral flow test or PCR test taken within 48 hours.
In a note to attendees sent earlier in the week, Eon Productions, MGM and Universal had said, “We recognized that for some of you, this will be the first public event that you may have attended for more than a year, but please be assured that we have worked closely with the Royal Albert Hall and our suppliers, and together have taken a number of measures to ensure a safe and enjoyable evening.”
With such assurances in mind, few people bothered to wear masks throughout the screening and dug heartily into the “James Bond Dry Martini” popcorn placed atop every seat.
The long-anticipated feature — from its dizzying opening sequence through to one delicious, action-packed set piece after another — will no doubt polarize fans, with a bombastic ending that will ensure the conversation around James Bond’s future stampedes straight through into 2022, when Broccoli has said the Eon team will begin to discuss Craig’s successor.
And, indeed, as a cheeky title card that quickly flashed post credits promised: “James Bond Will Return.” Certainly, not as a woman, as Broccoli made perfectly clear this week, but in a new world where the brand’s studio home is owned by a Silicon Valley company and where the identity of its next warden will be more closely scrutinized than ever before in Bond’s 58-year history.
Atlanta Spa Shooter Robert Long Pleads Not Guilty to Fulton County Murder Charges!
The 22-year-old man accused of killing eight people in the Atlanta-area spa shootings pleaded not guilty to four counts of murder. If found guilty, he could potentially face the death penalty.
Robert Long appeared in Fulton County Superior on Tuesday, where he pleaded not guilty to a multitude of charges. In addition to the four murder counts, he is facing charges of aggravated assault and domestic terrorism.
Long’s attorney waived arraignment during the appearance. His next court appearance is set for November 23.
He was indicted for the deaths of Suncha Kim, 69, Soon Chung Park, 74, Hyun Jung Grant, 51, and Yong Ae Yue, 63, at the Gold and Aromatherapy spas.
Long previously pleaded guilty to four counts of murder in July related to the shooting deaths at a spa in Cherokee County. For that case, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus an additional 35 years.
Xiaojie “Emily” Tan, 49, Daoyou Feng, 44, Delaina Yaun, 33, and Paul Michels, 54, were killed during Long’s shooting rampage at Young’s Asian Massage in Cherokee County.
During the Cherokee County hearing, Long told the court that he planned to kill himself over his sex addiction. Instead, he blamed the sex workers and killed them instead.
Teen who ran over 6 cyclists outside Houston walks free!
Authorities are tight-lipped about whether or not the teenager would face any charges after the fact.
Immediately after harassing and running over six cyclists near Houston this past weekend, the teenager behind the wheel of the black truck had one thing on his mind, according to a witness: "Do you think I'm going to jail?"
The answer, as it turned out, was no. The 16-year-old driver appeared to have been trying to "roll coal" on a group of eight cyclists training for the Ironman Triathlon, according to fellow cyclist Chase Ferrell. Ferrell was a few paces behind the group when the driver blew thick, black smoke on him as he pedaled along Old Highway 290 on Saturday morning. Moments later, the driver caught up to the larger group up ahead and tried doing the same thing.
Only, the second time was different. The driver, instead of blowing smoke on the group, accelerated and slammed into six of the eight cyclists, Ferrell and police say. He stopped, got out and surveyed the wreckage before Ferrell caught up to the scene.
"Yeah, you did something really freaking stupid," Ferrell recalled telling the teen. "You should go to jail."
It is not clear why the teenager was not immediately arrested. Representatives at the Waller County District Attorney's Office did not answer questions about the case but instead referred to a Facebook post saying it is still under investigation by police.
In all, four of the six cyclists who were hit were hospitalized. Two of those had to be airlifted because of the severity of their injuries. Photos shared by Ferrell show a scene from a movie: Heavy damage to the front end of the pickup from its impact with the cyclists. Mangled bicycles strewn about the grassy right of way adjacent to the road. A helicopter ambulance readying for departure.
Within minutes, Ferrell said, the teen's parents showed up. When the police arrived, he was questioned but ultimately released from the scene without charges. That sparked a onslaught of criticism from the biking community and beyond:
Authorities are tight-lipped about whether or not the teenager would face any charges after the fact.
"That this driver has yet to face any consequences certainly has many wondering if it's open season on cyclists in Waller County," Joe Cutrufo, BikeHouston's executive director, said.Waller County and the Houston region is no stranger to drivers hitting cyclists, sometimes with nefarious intent. In 2017, two cyclists were killed in Waller County when Army veteran Victor Tome intentionally drove into a small group. Tome was eventually convicted of capital murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole. Those deaths contributed to a total of four deadly collisions that have happened since 2011 in Waller County alone, according to Dug Begley at the Houston Chronicle.
"The irony here is this prevailing attitude in Waller County that bicyclists from Houston are a menace," Cutrufo said. "That's a tough position to defend when you see a 16-year-old running them down with a truck."
The teenager's identity has not been released and will likely remain confidential since he's a minor.
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
I HAD TO CHECK THE IMAGE TWICE
Walmart Zoom in to see.
HAVE A GREAT DAY ALL!!!
EFREM
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