Simone Biles named Time's Athlete of the Year
Simone Biles is Time's 2021 Athlete of the Year, the magazine announced Thursday.
Biles, the most decorated athlete in gymnastics history, received the honor for propelling the conversation on mental health to the forefront of the cultural zeitgeist. In withdrawing from events at the Tokyo Olympics she "made clear the importance of prioritizing oneself and refusing to succumb to external expectations," Alice Park and Sean Gregory wrote for Time Magazine.
After Naomi Osaka withdrew from the French Open for her well-being and mental health, Biles "raised the volume" on the conversation given her status and platform, Time wrote.
"I do believe everything happens for a reason, and there was a purpose,” she said, via Time. “Not only did I get to use my voice, but it was validated as well.”
Biles was expected to add five gold medals to her Olympic haul and perform yet another skill named after her on the international stage. She came into the delayed Games as the face of U.S. athletics, but during the team competition she experienced the "twisties" and lost herself in the air. She withdrew, cheering her teammates on from the stands, and did not return until the final competition, the balance beam.
She left Tokyo with a silver in the team event and bronze on the beam, a record-tying seven medals for most by a U.S. gymnast. And she returned home a role model for every child or adult to put themselves and their mental health first, as the Time writers detail in their year-end profile of the 24-year-old.
Biles is the only survivor of former team doctor Larry Nassar's sexual abuse who is still competing and said it still weighed on her. In the lead-up to the Games she said she kept competing to put pressure on USA Gymnastics to initiate an investigation and change. And after the Olympics, she said the pressure should have led her to quit years ago when Nassar was constantly in the news.
Instead, she kept competing and told Time she thought she was OK heading into the Tokyo Games. But, unlike the two Olympics before, she was unable to bring family and couldn't hang out with teammates because of COVID-19 protocols. It left her largely alone with her thoughts and focus on gymnastics.
“We couldn’t hang out because of COVID-19 protocols,” she told Time, “so things you normally don’t think about because you don’t have time, now you have hours on end to think about—those doubts, those worries and those problems.”
In Biles' absence from competition, MyKayla Skinner won a surprising silver on vault and Sunisa Lee won gold in the all-around.
“What Simone did changed the way we view our well-being, 100%," Lee told Time. "It showed us that we are more than the sport, that we are human beings who also can have days that are hard. It really humanized us.”
Colin Kaepernick, Kevin Love, Allyson Felix all spoke positively about Biles' impact this summer in the profile. And professionals working in the mental health field praised her actions for helping Black girls and women take agency over their lives, bodies and mental health.
Time named LeBron James its Athlete of the Year in 2020 and the U.S. women's national soccer team to it in 2019. It included Biles in its list of the 100 most influential people released in September.
The Athlete of the Year honor follows Sports Illustrated naming Tom Brady its Sportsperson of the Year earlier this week.
#RHOA #TWIRL: Kenya Moore Shows Off Her First Homemade Charcuterie Board
There's no doubt about it: Bravolebrities love their meats and cheeses. (Who doesn't, by the way?) When they're hosting a gathering, Real Housewives like Teresa Giudice and Gina Kirschenheiter tap caterers specializing in elaborate grazing platters to serve their guests. Other Bravo stars, such as Garcelle Beauvais and Caroline Manzo's daughter Lauren Manzo Scalia, have perfected the art of plating their own selections of cured meats and cheeses. Most recently, Kenya Moore put her charcuterie board-making skills to the test and shared with her followers exactly how it went.
In December, The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip cast member took to her Instagram Strories to show off a mouthwatering platter she made herself. "I did my first charcuterie board," The Real Housewives of Atlanta mom shared while panning over her delectable spread. "Let me know what you think!"
Kenya's selection included four wooden boards. In the center, a round board housed two cheese, multiple kinds of crackers, and a smorgasbord of dried fruits and nuts. Fresh fruit was also on hand, with blueberries, raspberries, green grapes, and mango slices arranged around a bowl of dip. Of course, Kenya had all the necessary cheese knives at the ready. She finished off the meal with a dollop of peanut butter and spoons for serving.
If it tasted as good as it looked, we'd say Kenya nailed her first charcuterie attempt!
All episodes of The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip are streaming now exclusively on Peacock.
#MusicNews: Jodeci Have Reunited and Signed Management Deal With P Music Group
Legendary R&B group Jodeci have just announced that they’ve reunited as a group and signed with P Music Group. The iconic group join the roster of legendary artists put together by label head Michael Paran including Charlie Wilson and Johnny Gill.
The quartet of K-Ci Hailey, JoJo Hailey, DeVante Swing and Mr. Dalvin had been each pursuing solo interests in recent years. They had only made sporadic appearances together since releasing their return album “The Past, The Present, The Future” back in 2015.
Paran adds about signing the group to his label:
“The P Music Group family is thrilled to be working with Jodeci. Their music is a part of the soundtrack to our lives. As a fan myself, I know and share that feeling you get when you hear Jodeci and that special place it takes you to. Their fans have been anxiously awaiting their return and we are ready to show music lovers across the generations why they reign supreme as one of the most iconic R&B groups of all time.”
Group member K-Ci Hailey goes on to add:
“I’m excited for Jodeci to join P Music Group with Michael managing us. We’ve come a long way and it’s a blessing to be back together and give our fans what they’ve been asking for.”
Finally, Mr. Dalvin states:
“Michael Paran is a man with a plan, a vision and a mission! We’re looking forward to a great partnership.”
The group became one of the standout R&B acts in the early 90’s with hits such as “Forever My Lady,” “Freek’n You,” “Feenin’,” “Cry For You,” “Love U 4 Life,” and “Come & Talk to Me.” They have released four albums to date including “Forever My Lady”, “Diary of a Mad Band”, “The Show, the After Party, the Hotel” and the previously mentioned “The Past, The Present, The Future”.
The press release did not provide any further details on what’s to come from the group, but fans have been waiting for many years for new music, a tour, or even the long hinted biopic. We’ll just have to wait and see!
#HipHopNews: Kanye West And Drake Reunite At Historic L.A. Concert
Kanye West and Drake officially put their beef to rest and reunited on stage.
Two of music’s biggest stars came together before a sold-out crowd of 70,000 during a monumental concert to benefit imprisoned gang leader Larry Hoover at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Thursday night (Dec. 9), which was streamed live on Amazon Prime Video and Twitch as well as in select IMAX theaters.
The epic two-hour event, which cost a reported $10 million, kicked off with the Sunday Service Choir before Ye and Drake emerged together like gladiators on the steps of the Coliseum and walked down to the giant concrete stage in the middle of the stadium. Ye was decked out in Balenciaga-designed “Free Hoover” merch, while Drake sported a powder blue “Free the Man Dem” hoodie and gloves.
After opening with “Off the Grid,” the “Old Kanye” took fans back as he ran through his catalog of classics including “Jesus Walks,” “Gold Digger,” “Stronger,” “All of the Lights,” and “Good Life.”
He even performed a cover of Drake’s “Find Your Love,” which he co-produced, while Drake excitedly looked on.
At the end of “Runaway,” he switched up the lyrics, pleading for his estranged wife Kim Kardashian to come back to him.
“Run right back to me!” said Ye. “More specifically, Kimberly.”
Drake then joined his idol on stage as Ye performed “Can’t Tell Me Nothing” before Drake delivered his own solo set, starting with a cover of Ye’s DONDA song “24.”
He served up cuts off his latest album Certified Lover Boy, including “Wants and Needs,” “Girls Want Girls,” “Way 2 Sexy,” “IMY2,” and “Knife Talk,” as well as “Laugh Now Cry Later” and “What’s Next.”
During “Life Is Good,” he paid tribute to the late Virgil Abloh by replaying the line, “Virgil got a Patek.”
He paused to acknowledge the historic moment. “It’s something I always wanted to do, be on stage with one of my idols while he’s running through one of the best catalogs in music, period,” said Drake.
“This probably in my career, like one of the most incredible things I’ve ever seen in my life, just to see all of these beautiful people back in this lovely building.”
But it wasn’t over. Ye reemerged for “Hurricane” and continued with “Ni**as in Paris,” “Bound 2,” and “Come to Life.”
“It’s like a hundred million hits between the both of us,” he said.
The rap titans closed out the celebratory evening in solidarity, performing their sole collaboration “Forever” before embracing and walking off stage together.
The benefit concert raised awareness for prison and sentencing reform, while supporting legal reform and community advocates including Ex-Cons for Community and Social Change, Hustle 2.0, and Uptown People’s Law Center.
See Nick Cannon's Tattoo Tribute To His Late Son
Nick Cannon is showing off the new tattoo he got in honor of his late 5-month-old son, Zen.
The 41-year-old TV personality shared an image of the tattoo Friday during the "Pic of the Day" segment on "The Nick Cannon Show."
"This is a week where I've seen so much love, y'all, more love than I've probably ever experienced. So even in the midst of a loss, I've got to say thank you to y'all," Cannon told viewers.
"Are y'all ready for the Pic of the Day?" he asked before holding up a framed photo of his new tattoo. The tattoo depicts Zen as an angel complete with wings and a halo.
"That's actually my rib right there," explained Cannon, who said he got the tattoo the night before.
The tattoo process, which took more than five hours, caused Cannon "a lot of pain." "But it was so well worth it," said the host.
Cannon ended the segment by sharing an emotional clip showing him getting the tattoo on Thursday night. At one point while getting tattooed, Cannon looks to be holding back tears.
The former "America's Got Talent" host shared a clip of the segment Friday on Instagram, writing, "I’ve seen so much love this week. I can’t say THANK YOU enough. I will always have this angel with me."
Cannon revealed Tuesday on his talk show that Zen, whose mother is model Alyssa Scott, died of a malignant brain tumor over the weekend.
"It’s tough. And I have my therapist here, who’s been helping us through it," he told his audience.
Cannon recalled how Zen had a cough that wouldn’t go away, and he seemed to have trouble with his sinuses. He also noted that the baby's head appeared large. He and Scott soon learned their baby was suffering from hydrocephalus, a complication of a brain tumor that Cannon said was malignant.
Zen underwent surgery to drain fluid buildup in his head. But last month, he took a turn for the worse. "The tumor began to grow a lot faster," said Cannon, who cried as he described holding his baby son for the last time near the ocean.
"I’m here to show that I can fight through this," he said.
Cannon also praised Scott for her strength. “Alyssa was the strongest woman I’ve ever seen ... She was always the best mom and continues to be the best mom possible,” he said.
During a pre-show warm-up on Wednesday, the entertainer led his audience in a moving prayer honoring Zen.
Cannon is also the father of six other children. In June, he welcomed twin boys, Zion and Zillion with DJ Abby De La Rosa. He also shares a 4-year-old son, Golden, and an 11-month-old daughter, Powerful Queen, with Brittany Bell, and 10-year-old twins, Monroe and Moroccan, 10, with ex-wife Mariah Carey.
Megan Thee Stallion Was All Smiles After Graduating From Texas Southern University
Megan Thee Stallion is a savage and a scholar.Today was an important day for Megan Thee Stallion as she graduated from Texas Southern University. She left the HBCU with a Bachelor’s degree in Health Administration and was one of the school’s 843 graduates who received their degrees on Saturday. Megan even invited her fans to tune in to the school’s livestream of the commencement ceremony to watch her cross the stage. Her infectious energy was on full display as she was all smiles while interacting with TSU’s faculty and fellow graduates. TSU even shared an image of Megan with the school’s 13th President Dr. Lesia Crumpton-Young to their Instagram account.
With her graduation from TSU becoming official today, Megan fulfills a promise she made to the women in her life, including her late mother, to finish school. “I want to get my degree because I really want my mom to be proud,” she said during an interview with People last year. “I want my big mama to be proud. She saw me going to school before she passed. My grandmother that’s still alive used to be a teacher, so she’s on my butt about finishing school.” She added, “I’m doing it for me, but I’m also doing it for the women in my family who made me who I am today.”
As for what’s next, Megan may get started on the health facility she wants to build in her hometown of Houston, which she spoke about during a 2018 Billboard interview. “That’s still the plan,” she said. “And you know how it’s so hard to get a job after college? So I thought it would be super easy for my classmates if I just opened up something that they could go get a job at.”
Congrats Meg!
Michael Strahan takes flight to space on Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin rocket
Michael Strahan, the Pro Football Hall of Famer turned “Good Morning America” host, became the latest celebrity to venture into outer space on Saturday (Dec. 11).
The former New York Giants defensive end was granted a ticket to take a ride on Jeff Bezos’ latest Blue Origin space mission. He took the trip to the edge of space alongside five others, including Laura Shepard Churchley, the oldest daughter of Alan Shepard — one of the first American astronauts to fly to space.
Ahead of his flight, Bezos presented Strahan with a football to take with him into space. “We can not send you, of all people, up into space without a football,” Bezos said during Fox’s broadcast of Thursday night football. “This football, when you bring it back down to earth, is going straight to the pro football Hall of Fame.” Strahan also took his Super Bowl ring and his retired New York Giants No. 92 jersey, the Associated Press reports.
According to Blue Origin, Strahan’s trip on their New Shepard rocket blasted off from West Texas at 9:00 a.m. CST. The crew spent a total of 10 minutes and 13 seconds in the air, reaching 347,580 feet above ground level. Saturday’s flight was the 20th consecutive successful crew capsule landing for the aerospace manufacturing company owned by Bezos.
“TOUCHDOWN has a new meaning now!!!” Strahan tweeted after landing. He seemed visibly giddy in the coinciding video he tweeted, saying that the flight was “surreal” and “unbelievable.”
“It’s going to take a little bit to process, but it couldn’t have gone better,” he said. “I can fly. I did today…Wow! That’s all I can say. Wow! Michael astronaut Strahan out.”
During ABC News’ live coverage, anchor T.J. Holmes reflected on the significance of Strahan and Churchley hugging each other. “This is how far we have come in our journey in space exploration, travel, innovation, that she and Strahan can end up on the same ship, same capsule, going into space now, coming from these two different backgrounds, two different journeys, that now it is making it possible for someone like Strahan and others to go through a week of training and still be able to explore, still be able to explore, to still be able to go to space,” he said.
As reported, Bezos took the trip to space himself in July. His Blue Origin company hopes to send interested travelers 66 miles above Earth routinely in the near future. Tickets will reportedly be sold for at least $200,000 per seat.
Jussie Smollett’s Attorney Says Will Appeal Guilty Verdict
CHICAGO (AP) – Jussie Smollett’s defense attorney said Thursday he would appeal the former “Empire” actor’s conviction for lying to police about being the victim of a racist, anti-gay attack.
A jury found Smollett guilty of five of the six charges of disorderly conduct against him following a nearly two-week trial.
After the verdict was read, Uche told reporters Smollett was disappointed and that he is “100% innocent.” He said Smollett’s team is confident “he’s going to be cleared of all, all accusations on all charges.”
Former “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett was convicted Thursday on charges he staged an anti-gay, racist attack on himself nearly three years ago and then lied to Chicago police about it.
In the courtroom as the verdict was read, Smollett stood and faced the jury, showing no visible reaction.
The jury found the 39-year-old guilty on five counts of disorderly conduct – for each separate time he was charged with lying to police in the days immediately after the alleged attack. He was acquitted on a sixth count, of lying to a detective in mid-February, weeks after Smollett said he was attacked.
Outside court, special prosecutor Dan Webb called the verdict “a resounding message by the jury that Mr. Smollett did exactly what we said he did.”
Smollett “wreaked havoc here in the city for weeks on end for no reason whatsoever,” then compounded the problem by lying under oath to the jury, Webb said.
Judge James Linn set a post-trial hearing for Jan. 27, and said he would schedule Smollett’s sentencing at a later date.
James Bond Actress Naomie Harris Says a 'Huge Star' Groped Her During Audition
Naomie Harris is opening up about a bad situation. The 45-year-old No Time to Die star revealed that a “huge, huge star” groped her during an audition in an interview with Mail on Sunday.
The James Bond star, who plays Eve Moneypenny in the franchise, said the actor put his hand up her skirt during a read-through. She declined to name the man.
“What was so shocking about it was the casting director was there and the director, and of course no one said anything because he was – he is – such a huge star,” she said.
“That was my only #MeToo incident, so I felt very lucky given how rife that behaviour was…now things have definitely changed: I was on a project where there was a #MeToo incident and there was no hesitation, [the perpetrator] was immediately removed,” she continued.
She also declined to name the actor who was removed from the more recent project.
Naomie Harris also revealed her choice for the next James Bond.
'Interview with the Vampire' author Anne Rice dies at age 80
Anne Rice, author of the best-selling Vampire Chronicles novel series, died Saturday, her son announced on social media. She was 80 years old.
She passed away due to complications resulting from a stroke, Christopher Rice said.
Rice's biggest success was her first novel, "Interview with the Vampire," which was published in 1976 and introduced the character of the vampire Lestat, who would be the central character in the 13-book Chronicles series, the most recent of which was published in 2018.
"I had an idea of Lestat as the man of action, the man who could do things that I couldn't do," Rice said in a talk at Southern Illinois University in 2010.
"Interview with the Vampire" was made into a successful feature film in 1994, helping to reignite interest in the vampire genre which continued with the TV series "The Vampire Diaries" and the "Twilight" film series.
Although she lived most of her life in California, Rice was a native of New Orleans and set many of her stories there, according to her website biography.
Rice's son, Christopher Rice, said he was at his mother's bedside when she died.
Anne Rice will be buried in a private ceremony in New Orleans, with a public memorial planned next year, he said.
Master P’s Son Hercy Miller Is Leaving Tennessee State Basketball Team After Lack Of Medical Resources
Master P’s son Hercy Miller is preparing to leave Tennessee State University’s basketball team.
Hercy’s decision to exit the team comes after he believes he did not receive the proper medical attention. Hercy suffered from a hip injury following TSU’s first game against Alabama A&M. Hercy says he received an “improper diagnosis” that could have affected his athletic career.
After four days, Hercy was cleared to hit the court again and play in other games. However, Hercy got a second opinion and learned his situation was worse than he thought.
“The specialist said if we would have waited any longer, he probably wouldn’t have been able to play basketball anymore because next his ACL was going to go out and all other kinds of injuries,” Master P says.
Master P believes the misdiagnosis happened because of the lack of medical resources and how underfunded HBCU’s are.
“That’s when I said I have to bring awareness to what’s going on at all these HBCUs: underfunding with no resources….We don’t have enough medical people to take care of what needs to be taken care of. We don’t have the technology that the Dukes and all these major universities have. An injury like this could have been prevented,” the rapper adds.
Nevertheless, Master P says Hercy could return to the team “if they got the right funding and resources and doctors and nutrition like all the rest of the state-funded schools.
Adele Shows Support for Boyfriend Rich Paul's Next Career Move
Adele is showing love to Rich Paul! The 33-year-old “Easy on Me” singer shared a snap in support of her 39-year-old NBA sports agent boyfriend on Instagram on Friday (December 10).
Rich recently collaborated with New Balance to debut white 550 sneakers, which she called “Amazing!” in her Instagram Story, adding: “Congratulations @richpaul.”
She also posted photos of herself wearing the white shoes, which feature her boyfriend’s name on the tongue.
The couple keep it low-key publicly, but they were spotted together on a date night to a basketball game in October.
Their first public appearance together was at game five of the 2021 NBA Finals back in July.
Kim Kardashian Files To Become Legally Single
Kim Kardashian filed documents to become legally single one day after her estranged husband Kanye West awkwardly begged for her to “run back” to him.
TMZ reports that the 41-year-old mother of four filed the paperwork Friday afternoon, which if signed by a judge, will separate issues of child custody and property from marital status.
Kim — who filed for divorce in February — is also looking to restore her maiden name and officially drop the “West” surname she currently shares with Kanye and their children, North, 8, Saint, 6, Chicago, 3, and Psalm, 2.
Kardashian made the move shortly after her soon-to-be ex-husband publicly professed his love for her on Thursday night’s Free Larry Hoover Benefit Concert, co-headlined by former foe, Drake.
“I need you to run right back to me, more specifically Kimberly,” the artist, now known as “Ye” ad libbed during a performance of his song “Runaway.”
The “Skims” founder, however, doesn’t appear to want to reconcile, as Page Six exclusively revealed in November that she’s dating “Saturday Night Live” cast member, Pete Davidson.
The couple were first spotted holding hands on a ride at Knott’s Scary Farm in Southern California on Oct. 29, shortly after her “SNL” hosting gig — where the pair shared a kiss during a sketch.
“She’s acting like a teenager,” a source told Page Six at the time. “She’s constantly giggling. Pete has made her feel like the clock has moved 20 years back. She seems happy.”
Page Six also exclusively revealed that West has been dating model Vinetria, attending their first public event together last month. It’s unclear whether the two are still together given West’s most recent attempt to reconcile.
This isn’t the first time ‘Ye has attempted to win back the mother of his children, as he admitted to making marital mistakes during a pre-Thanksgiving rant on skid row.
On Thanksgiving Day, he shared a lengthy public prayer where he said, “All I think about every day is how I get my family back together and how I heal the pain that I’ve caused. I take accountability for my actions.”
He also shared a photo of the couple kissing during happier times.
Reps for Kardashian and West have not immediately returned our request for comment.
Stevie J Caught Getting Kicked Off Flight For Allegedly Boarding With Liquor Amid Divorce From Faith Evans
If Stevie J doesn’t do anything else, he’s going to stay in some drama.A man who looks and sounds identical to the producer-turned-reality star got hemmed up at the airport recently and his exchange with an airline worker as he was getting kicked off the flight was caught on camera.
Music author/photographer Julia Beverly was making her way to the airline gate when she noticed several police officers standing around, so she snapped a pic:
Chronicling the drama, she then shared a video of the airline workers speaking with a man that you couldn’t see in the video at first. She captioned it, “2 guys were just pulled off the plane, 1 has a cup of liquor.”
After getting a better view of the person being kicked off the plane, we see a man with a mask that looks like former “Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta” star Stevie J
”I’m just trying to figure out if this is Stevie J accusing this guy of racial profiling,” Julia wrote in another caption of the video footage.
You can hear the man telling the airline workers, “You are going to be on so many Instagrams. Look how everybody got they phones up.”
It def sounds like Stevie J and when she zoomed in, that was even more proof that it’s the producer-turned-reality star.
The man then threatened the airline worker with a massive lawsuit for “wasting his time.”
According to Julia’s caption of the video, it appears they were boarding a Delta flight:
”Stevie J or his doppelgänger is about to either land on the Delta no-fly list or (as he says) bankrupt this airline employee with a massive lawsuit,” Julia captioned. “I didn’t see what happened, overheard it said that him & his friend boarded the plane with liquor in hand despite being told not to, & a bunch of police showed up to remove them. I’m just trying to get home.”
The airline drama comes just a few days after reports were released that Stevie J is requesting spousal support from his estranged (?) wife Faith Evans amid their ongoing divorce.
Travis Scott Reportedly Removed From Coachella Lineup
Travis Scott will reportedly no longer be performing at Coachella, as the fallout continues in the aftermath of the tragedy of the Astroworld festival.
KESQ reports that an online petition calling for Scott’s removal from the festival was created last month. The petition has garnered nearly 60,000 signatures. The outlet cited the city of Indio and Community Services Manager Jim Curtis as sources of the report.
However, the Desert Sun was unable to substantiate the report with the city of Indio. They were told by Director of Communications and Marketing Brooke Beare that “any confirmation about the festival lineup would come from Goldenvoice.” The outlet reached out to Goldenvoice, the organizers behind Coachella, and has not received a response.
Hundreds of people were injured, and ten were killed during a crowd surge at the Astroland festival last month in Houston. Scott and other festival organizers have been the subject of numerous lawsuits following the deadly event.
Scott sat down with Charlamagne Tha God for his first interview since the incident on Thursday. He said he was unaware of the crowd surge or any deaths that had occurred until moments before the press conference that was held hours after the event.
Fox News Anchor Chris Wallace To Leave Network For CNN After 18 Years
After nearly two decades, Fox News anchor Chris Wallace announced Sunday that he is leaving the news network and heading to CNN.
The veteran news anchor, who joined Fox News Channel in 2003, announced his immediate departure from the program “Fox News Sunday” at its conclusion on Sunday, saying he wants “to try something new.”
“Eighteen years ago, the bosses here at Fox promised me they would never interfere with a guest I booked or a question I asked. And they kept that promise. I have been free to report to the best of my ability, to cover the stories I think are important, to hold our country’s leaders to account. It’s been a great ride,” he told viewers.
Wallace is headed to CNN’s upcoming streaming service, CNN+, the network confirmed in a statement. CNN recently had its own anchor shake-up with its firing of prime-time host Chris Cuomo earlier this month.
Russia's President Vladimir Putin gives an interview to Fox News Channel anchor Chris Wallace in 2018. Wallace moderated two general-election presidential debates and interviewed several U.S. presidents and world leaders while with Fox News.
Wallace, 74, said in a statement that he is “thrilled” about the move and particularly “excited to explore the world of streaming.”
“I look forward to the new freedom and flexibility streaming affords in interviewing major figures across the news landscape — and finding new ways to tell stories,” he said.
Wallace’s time with Fox News has included moderating two general-election presidential debates and interviewing several U.S. presidents and world leaders. Before joining Fox News, he was a senior correspondent with ABC News and prior to that a White House correspondent with NBC News.
“I want to try something new, to go beyond politics to all the things I’m interested in,” Wallace said Sunday. “I’m ready for a new adventure. And I hope you’ll check it out. And so ― for the last time, dear friends ― that’s it for today. Have a great week. And I hope you’ll keep watching ‘Fox News Sunday.’”
A permanent replacement for the anchor has not been found, a spokesperson for Fox News Media said in a statement to HuffPost that praised the work of Wallace’s team over the years.
“We are extremely proud of our journalism and the stellar team that Chris Wallace was a part of for 18 years. The legacy of FOX News Sunday will continue with our star journalists, many of whom will rotate in the position until a permanent host is named,” the statement read.
Wallace ― whose father was Mike Wallace, one of the original correspondents for CBS’s “60 Minutes” and a moderator for NBC’s “Meet the Press” ― had inked a deal in 2017 that would keep him with Fox News past the 2020 election. His contract was reportedly set to expire this year and Wallace did not want to renew it, CNN reported, citing a person with knowledge of the matter.
Reflecting on Wallace’s departure, the president of Media Matters for America, a nonprofit media watchdog that regularly targets Fox News’ coverage, said the anchor gave the network “a thin veneer of respectability; and now, the veneer is gone.”
“Fox executives routinely pointed to Chris Wallace in defending themselves from criticism that the network is a dangerous propaganda channel,” Angelo Carusone said in a statement to HuffPost.
Carusone pointed out that the most praise Wallace gave the network in his farewell speech on Sunday was that it did not interfere with his work, which he said should have been “the norm for any news program at a news network.”
“That Wallace felt like this was the best he could say illuminates the way things are done over there,” he said.
Media Matters similarly called Fox News’ surprise 2019 on-air resignation of chief news anchor Shepard Smith “a disaster” for the network. Smith, like Wallace, had been widely praised as having news credibility amid a network of outspoken conservative news pundits.
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
COMFORTABLE
I want one of those too.
HAVE A GREAT WEEK AHEAD ALL!!!
EFREM
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