#MAGFAB: Viola Davis for Gala Croisette #7 #violadavis
Nice
#RHOA: Kenya Moore Gives An Update On Her Friendship With Cynthia Bailey After Their Falling Out
Kenya Moore and Cynthia Bailey were two peaches in a pod for the longest time. But the Real Housewives of Atlanta stars (current for Kenya, former for Cynthia) had their friendship put to the test when they both appeared on Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip together.
It was painful to watch the two of them on completely different teams. They obviously had very different expectations going into the show. I think Cynthia thought she was going on RHUGT with Kenya as a united front. Which wasn’t really necessary, given how lighthearted the season was in general. But Kenya quickly made close connections with the other women while Cynthia struggled to join in. After a particularly tense game of housewives superlatives hosted by Cynthia, the two were anything but united.
So where do they stand now? Kenya gave an update on a recent episode of Watch What Happens Live. Host Andy Cohen asked, “Did you and Cynthia ever mend what was ailing you?” Kenya responded, “I don’t even know what was ailing us. But we’re talking.” Kenya added, “She invited me to something the other day so we’re in a better place.”
This sounds like progress from where the two were back in back in October of last year after filming. At the time, Cynthia revealed,” Kenya and I are friends. I will always have love for my friend. However, I think it’s very important—and I’m not always that great at this—setting healthy boundaries in your friendships, because sometimes I give people passes and passes and passes, and they don’t know when they do things to disappoint me or hurt my feelings, because I’m the passive girl. It’s like a volcano, and then finally there’s that one thing that sets you off, and it’s not even that one thing, it’s like over the time you’ve been friends with this person.”
Cynthia continued, “With all that said, she pissed me off. I was really hurt and I couldn’t let it go. I had to think about why I was feeling this way, because I love Kenya. I know she loves me. I had to think and pray about our relationship. It is what it is.” She did note that they spoke after RHUGT to try and work things out. Said Cynthia, “We had a real conversation, and we have talked since then, we have had some conversations and those conversations were good. The dynamic of the friendship has definitely changed since the trip, but there will always be love there. I take accountability for the fact that I’m not always as vocal as I should be in friendships when people do things that I don’t like.”
#NewMusic from Anthony Ramos ‘Good Time’
Multitalented singer, songwriter and actor Anthony Ramos is looking for a “Good Time” on his new single. The follow-up to his 2021 album Love And Lies, the Brooklyn native is ready to pop out post-pandemic and gets the party started on his latest.
“Good Time” starts on the mellow tip with the muffled sound of a faint keyboard and drumbeat, almost making us feel like we are outside the door of a party waiting to get in. Anthony’s inviting vocals begin as he calmly sings, “Know I been locked away, been in the cut / Was gonna stay in again till you hit me up / Wait / You with the crew, save me a cup / Don’t take too much / To get me / Feeling it.”
The song then switches gears, and you can almost see the dance floor in your favorite club full up with the quickness as the funky bassline kicks in and Anthony’s versatile voice levels up to a higher octave. A catchy rhythm guitar riff also joins the festivities, making it impossible to resist dancing right where you are.
LISTEN HERE
Anthony Ramos dropped “Good Time” bundled with a Spanish version “Yo Vine a Disfrutar” and both tracks are available on all streaming platforms. Expect to hear a lot more of “Good Time”/”Yo Vine a Disfrutar” in various ad spots for Target this summer.
#HipHopNews: Former Wu-Tang Clan Studio Worker to Receive $7 Million After Spending 23 Years in Prison for Murder He Didn’t Commit
A former Wu-Tang Clan studio worker and close friend of Ghostface Killah will reportedly receive $7 million from the state of New York after being fully exonerated for a murder he spent 23 years in jail for.
Grant Williams, was convicted of a 1996 murder in Staten Island, N.Y. He spent 23 years in prison for the crime, which he maintained he did not do. He was paroled in 2019 and successfully got his conviction overturned last summer. He proceeded to file a lawsuit against the city over his wrongful conviction. The murder case was officially dropped on May 19. On Monday (May 23), The Associated Press reported Comptroller Brad Lander has agreed to pay Williams $7 million.
"I'm glad it's over now," said Ghostface Killah, who was on hand for the recent announcement of the case officially being dropped. "It's like a ton of bricks being lifted."
“This will assist him in going forward and trying to get back on his feet,” Williams’ attorney, Irving Cohen said.
Williams was accused of shooting and killing Shdell Lewis in a Staten Island, N.Y. housing project. He was convicted on shaky eyewitness descriptions, one of which claimed the shooter was short and stocky. Williams is tall and thin. The prosecution also used a Wu-Tang Clan baseball hat left at the scene as evidence. However, the cap was never tested for DNA. Williams' new lawyers were able to appeal his conviction by proving that no DNA evidence existed that tied their client to the crime. They also brought forth additional witnesses who said Williams was not the shooter.
Williams also reportedly settled another claim with the state for $5 million and may file a civil lawsuit against the New York Police Department.
#RIP: 'Goodfellas' star Ray Liotta dies at 67
Actor Ray Liotta has died at 67. Liotta, who was known for his role as mobster-turned-FBI informant Henry Hill in the 1990 film Goodfellas, died in his sleep in the Dominican Republic, where he was filming thriller Dangerous Waters, his publicist confirmed to Variety. He is reportedly survived by an adult daughter, actress Karsen Liotta, and fiancée Jacy Nittolo.
A rep for Liotta did not immediately respond to our request for comment.
Liotta also had parts in movies as diverse on subject as Field of Dreams, in which he played "Shoeless" Joe Jackson; two Muppet movies; Marriage Story, alongside Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver; and last year's Sopranos prequel The Many Saints of Newark. On TV, he voiced characters on The Simpsons and appeared on shows such as ER, for which he won the Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actor in 2005, and portrayed himself on Just Shoot Me! and Modern Family. Overall, he had more than 100 credits to his name. On IMDb, he has six projects in the works, including Elizabeth Banks-directed thriller Cocaine Bear and TV crime drama Black Bird, in which he stars with Taron Egerton.
His many former co-stars and others quickly paid tribute to the prolific actor. Liotta leaves behind a daughter, Karsen. He was engaged to be married to Jacy Nittolo.
REST IN PEACE RAY!
‘Martin’ Reunion Gets A June Premiere Date
The “Martin” reunion special will be premiering next month on BET+! The special, which reunites the cast of the iconic 1990s sitcom, will debut on June 16 on the BET streaming service. According to BET+, the 90-minute reunion special brings back the original cast members: Martin Lawrence, Tisha Campbell, Tichina Arnold and Carl Anthony Payne II to reminisce about the series and the impact it had on the culture.
Sadly, Thomas Mikal Ford, who played Martin’s best friend Tommy in the series, died in 2016 from a ruptured abdominal aneurysm at the age of 52.
Reportedly, the reunion special takes place on the iconic “Martin” living room set and is hosted by comedian Affion Crockett. BET’s description of the reunion reads:
“The cast will look back on the show’s most hilarious moments, revisit the iconic characters Martin made famous and pay an emotional tribute to the late, great Tommy Ford. Complete with musical performances and drop-ins by celebrity super fans, ‘Martin: The Reunion’ brings back the wazzup wazzup wazzup passion fans have been waiting for.”
“Martin” aired on Fox from 1992 to 1997 and starred Martin Lawrence as Martin Payne, a Detroit DJ for WZUP radio (and later host of a TV show), along with his girlfriend Gina (Tisha Campbell) and their friends Pam (Tichina Arnold), Cole (Carl Anthony Payne), and Tommy (Thomas Mikal Ford). The series became one of the highest-rated and beloved sitcoms of the 90s with reruns still playing on cable networks today. All five seasons are now streaming on BET+ and HBO Max.
What are your thoughts? Will you be tuning in to the Martin Reunion?
TD Jakes’ eldest daughter Cora says she’s ending marriage to husband of 10 years, rapper SkiiVentura
Cora Jakes Coleman is the executive director of Destiny House Children’s Ministry of The Potter’s House in Dallas, Texas.
Just over a decade after wedding her husband, rapper Richard Brandon Coleman, who goes by the stage name SkiiVentura, Cora Jakes Coleman, the eldest daughter of megachurch Pastor T.D. Jakes, has announced that she is ending her marriage.
“It is with a heavy heart that I announce that my husband and I have decided to divorce,” she began in a statement on Instagram this week. “This is a very private and personal matter and I kindly ask for your prayers as I prioritize myself, and most importantly, my children’s well-being at this time. God bless.”
The couple, who got married on June 4, 2011, in a private ceremony at her parents' home, share two adopted children, Amauri, 13, and Jason, 7, as Jakes struggles with infertility.
Jakes, who is also a pastor, received her ministerial license from the Potter’s House School of Ministry, according to her ministry’s website. She also directs the children’s ministry at The Potter’s House of Dallas.
On her sixth wedding anniversary in 2017, Jakes revealed that before she met her husband, she struggled with unhealthy relationships.
"God help me to stop giving my body to men that only value my body, but not my mind or spirit. Help me to stop falling for my will and not submitting to yours. I just want to be loved, really loved," she wrote in a statement on social media. "I'm tired of being hurt over and over again. God, I want love unconditionally. God I'm tired of people betraying me and taking advantage of me."
She said she asked God in 2009 to send her a protector that would help her find peace and she ended up marrying Brandon Coleman in 2011.
"Please send me someone to protect me. Help me to submit to you God so that I can be found spirit first by the man who is called by you to love me," she said. "God cause my spirit to feel peace when I meet him, Amen."
She further added: "This was my prayer for my husband wherever he was October 2009, and after diligently seeking God and stepping away from my flesh to get connected to my spirit suddenly God brought me the most amazing man I have ever known. He was not perfect, but he was amazing."
Richard Coleman told the Dallas Observer in 2019 that he battled kidney failure in 2018 as he tried to bolster his music career.
“Because I am a believer, there are a lot of things that I experience on a daily basis and in my spirituality that I navigate, and I like to create from the most natural place," Coleman told the publication. "If I’m heavily inspired by my spirituality in the moment, then I own that. I take that on and create from that place. ... When you hear my music, you hear me navigating with God. … My music is literally my conversations with God.”
Well Look! Barbie Is Releasing an Official Laverne Cox Doll in Time For Pride
In celebration of trans icon and four-time Emmy nominee Laverne Cox’s 50th birthday, and just in time for Pride season, Mattel and Barbie are releasing a brand new Laverne Cox Barbie doll as a part of their Tribute Collection.
This doll is the first of its kind for Barbie, giving trans girls a doll who looks like and is like them. Not only that, but the doll celebrates trans rights and the people who fight for them. Barbie is also making a donation in Cox’s name to TransFamilySOS, a nonprofit whose mission is to create a more gender-affirming and accepting community.
By honoring Cox, Barbie is showing kids of all ages that trans women are women, that trans trailblazers deserve a place of honor, and that trans girls are welcome in the world of Barbie.
Mattel and Barbie worked closely with Cox while designing and sculpting the doll. Not only is the doll based off of some of her iconic red carpet looks, but Cox had input in the doll’s wardrobe, including picking her favorite color, oxblood red, for her gown. Cox also approved every part of the doll, including sketches, skin tone samples, and shoes.
“It’s been a dream for years to work with Barbie to create my own doll,” Laverne Cox said in a statement. “I can’t wait for fans to find my doll on shelves and have the opportunity to add a Barbie doll modeled after a transgender person to their collection. I hope that people can look at this Barbie and dream big like I have in my career. The space of dreaming and manifesting is such a powerful source and leads you to achieve more than what you originally thought was possible.”
I know this is one doll I can’t wait to add to my collection! So many trans girls grow up wishing we had dolls (and specifically, Barbies) to play with — now there’s one made especially for us.
“We couldn’t be more excited to celebrate award-winning actress, producer, writer and LGBTQ+ rights trailblazer Laverne Cox with a doll,” Lisa McKnight, Mattel's executive vice president and global head of Barbie and dolls, said in a statement. “We are proud to highlight the importance of inclusion and acceptance at every age and to recognize Laverne’s significant impact on culture with a Tribute Collection Barbie.”
The Tribute Collection also includes Barbies of Lucille Ball and Queen Elizabeth II, and now, it includes Laverne Cox as well.
Michael Jordan once rejected Idris Elba's bid to play him in a film
Idris Elba once took a shot at fulfilling the role of Michael Jordan in a film, but he missed.
The veteran actor says that during one of the NBA’s “wicked getaways to the Bahamas,” he told the basketball legend that he wanted to portray him in a film.
“In my head, playing Jordan wouldn’t be about playing the basketball player; it was about the businessman,” said Elba during an appearance on the “Sneaker Shopping” podcast.
Elba says that he flat out told the North Carolina native : “I want to play you,” but wasn’t met with the response that he had hoped for.
For him, it was more about portraying Jordan in his years beyond being a budding basketball star. Elba found himself intrigued with the retired NBA player’s life past his prime and wanted to focus more on his work as an entrepreneur and philanthropist.
“He is a very astute businessman, really smart. And his work as a philanthropist is, like, unspoken, but people don’t understand the work. He cares; he does a lot of work. So that’s where I was hinting at. I wanna play Jordan — I’m doing that,” the “No Good Deed” actor continued. “He was like, ‘Ah, I’m not ready for that story yet.’”
After 2020’s Emmy Award-winning ESPA documentary, “The Last Chance,” one may say that the time to share the career trajectory of Jordan is overdue.
As one of the greatest players in NBA history, Jordan has also been dubbed one of the best athletes in the nation. He played a total of 15 seasons for the Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards and won 5 MVP Awards, was selected to play in 14 All Star Games and joined the NBA Hall of Fame in 2009.
Off the court, his Air Jordan tennis shoes are responsible for the sneaker culture that the world knows and loves today.
Barack Obama Is "Angry" Following Uvalde School Shooting
Currently, much of the country is reeling from yesterday’s tragedy, when an 18-year-old named Salvador Ramos converged upon Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas and opened fire, leaving 21 people dead (including 19 children) and many more wounded. The shooting becomes the 27th to take place within a school this year alone — it’s also the worst of its kind since the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting back in 2012.
Some hours following the massacre, former U.S. President Barack Obama took to social media to give his thoughts on what took place, stating that he and former First Lady Michelle Obama were grieving with the families of those lost:
“Across the country, parents are putting their children to bed, reading stories, singing lullabies—and in the back of their minds, they’re worried about what might happen tomorrow after they drop their kids off at school, or take them to a grocery store or any other public space. Michelle and I grieve with the families in Uvalde, who are experiencing pain no one should have to bear.”
He also condemned gun lobbyists and the Republican Party for what he feels is inaction in the wake of countless mass shootings that have risen in this country since the turn of the century, both in schools and in public places as a whole:
“We’re also angry for them. Nearly ten years after Sandy Hook—and ten days after Buffalo—our country is paralyzed, not by fear, but by a gun lobby and a political party that have shown no willingness to act in any way that might help prevent these tragedies.”
Obama‘s message came shortly after President Joe Biden delivered an emotionally charged speech from the White House Roosevelt Room:
“As a nation we have to ask when in God’s name are we going to stand up to the gun lobby … I am sick and tired of it — we have to act.”
'19 Kids and Counting' Star Josh Duggar Has Been Sentenced to 12.5 Years in Prison Over Child Sexual Abuse Materials
Josh Duggar was sentenced to 12.5 years in prison on Wednesday for receiving child sexual abuse material, including a video that one investigator described as among the worst he had ever seen.
The former star of the TLC reality show 19 Kids and Counting, which followed Duggar’s parents as they raised him and his many siblings in an ultraconservative household, was convicted in December in a trial that lasted over a week in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Prosecutors had asked that he serve the maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, while Duggar’s defense team had asked for five.
“Duggar has a deep-seated, pervasive, and violent sexual interest in children,” Assistant US Attorney Dustin Roberts wrote in a sentencing memo.
Both Duggar’s wife, Anna, and father, Jim Bob, were in court in Fayetteville on Wednesday for the sentencing.
On Tuesday, District Judge Timothy Brooks issued a 29-page opinion rejecting Duggar’s plea for a new trial. “There is no merit to Mr. Duggar’s argument in favor of acquittal,” the judge wrote.
“There was significant evidence presented at trial to convince a reasonable jury that Mr. Duggar was physically present during the offense conduct and that he had the mens rea to commit these crimes,” Judge Brooks wrote, using the legal term for the intention or knowledge of wrongdoing that constitutes part of a crime.
After a lengthy hearing Wednesday in which he heard a number of objections from the defense, the judge sentenced Duggar to 151 months in prison.
Authorities described Duggar, 34, as a “very savvy computer user” who tried to cover his tracks as he downloaded “sadistic and masochistic abuse” material in 2019.
Among the more than 600 images and videos that prosecutors said he downloaded was footage of prepubescent girls being raped, whipped, threatened with knives, and held naked in a dog cage.
Another video showed the rape and torture of a toddler — footage so terrible that a Homeland Security Investigations agent said it was among the most horrific things he had been forced to watch in his career.
“Distressingly, the market for child pornography has continued to grow, and to become more depraved, in recent years,” Roberts wrote. “That depravity is evident here.”
As evidence of the threat he posed, prosecutors also pointed to Duggar’s past molestation of five young girls, including his four younger sisters,?? around 2002 when he was a teenager. Some of the abuse happened when the girls were sleeping.
“His past behavior provides an alarming window into the extent of his sexual interest in children,” Roberts said.
In his own memo, Duggar’s defense attorney, Justin K. Gelfand, asked the judge to “temper…justice with mercy” and sentence him to five years in prison.
“If ever there were a defendant standing before this Court who is as committed to never finding himself anywhere close to this situation again, it is Duggar,” Gelfand wrote. “As he moves forward into the next chapter of his life, Duggar continues to have so much good to offer the world.”
His attorney argued Duggar has had to navigate “unique challenges associated with being in the public spotlight since childhood” and was devoted to his faith, wife, and seven children.
Duggar’s wife and his mother, Michelle, both pleaded in letters to the judge to reunite him with his family again soon.
But prosecutors said that by downloading the child sexual abuse material, Duggar had helped perpetuate the abuse by driving production.
They also included a statement from the mother of one of the unidentified victims who appeared in the material Duggar downloaded.
“My daughter is a real person. She was horribly victimized to provide this source of ‘entertainment,’” the woman said. “She is exploited anew each and every time an image of her suffering is copied, traded, or sold.”
The woman also passed on a message from her daughter to Duggar: “Don’t you know no one should do that to a little girl! Don’t you know it hurts!”
Caitlyn Jenner Wasn’t Invited to Kourtney Kardashian’s Italian Wedding
Caitlyn Jenner did not skip stepdaughter Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker’s wedding. Jenner simply wasn’t invited.
Sources close to the couple told TMZ Wednesday that Kardashian’s former stepparent never received an invitation in the mail to the very intimate wedding weekend because they have a very limited relationship.
The outlet noted Kardashian and Jenner do not really see or speak to each other, so the Poosh founder did not feel it necessary to invite the former Olympian to her destination wedding Sunday.
Jenner, 72, did not sit at home bored while her family partied hard in Portofino, though. Instead, she made her way to Barcelona to watch her team, Jenner Racing, drive to victory.
The former “I Am Cait” star was not the only one who might have been experiencing FOMO, as the bride’s brother, Rob Kardashian, also sat out of the high-profile affair despite receiving an invitation.
“Rob prefers to stay out of the spotlight, so he would’ve been uncomfortable going to such a high-profile party even though it was for his sister,” an insider told Page Six.
A second source echoed that Rob, 35, is not big on public events or traveling but was looking forward to celebrating with the newlyweds when they arrived home in California. Currently, Kourtney, 43, and Barker, 46, are still vacationing in Italy, where they have been photographed packing on the PDA and jumping off of a super-yacht.
The pair reportedly are having yet another wedding once they return to LA, so it remains to be seen whether Jenner will be included in that event. It does not look like the newlyweds will be stressing too much about it, as they are busy enjoying their private European getaway now that their combined six kids have departed.
As for the newlyweds, they are planning an LA wedding celebration.
Quinta Brunson Addresses Why 'Abbott Elementary' Will Never Have a School Shooting Episode
Quinta Brunson has been asked a lot about her ABC series having an episode about a school shooting.
Following the tragic shooting this week in Uvalde, Texas that claimed the lives of 21 people, the 32-year-old actress, writer and creator of Abbott Elementary opened up about the subject appearing on the sitcom.
“Wild how many people have asked for a school shooting episode of the show I write,” Quinta started her series of tweets on the platform on Wednesday, May 25. “People are that deeply removed from demanding more from the politicians they’ve elected and are instead demanding ‘entertainment.’”
She then squashed any possibility of that happening: “I can’t ask ‘are yall ok’ anymore because the answer is ‘no.’”
Quinta continued, saying that fans should channel their energy into asking elected officials to “get on Beto time and nothing less,” referring to Beto O’Rourke.
“I’m begging you,” she added. “I don’t want to sound mean, but I want people to understand the flaw in asking for something like this. We’re not okay. This country is rotting our brains. I’m sad about it.”
Bobby Brown recalls out-of-control spending as teen millionaire, paying a stranger $50K on the spot for their car
Bobby Brown once spent $1 million in a day as a rising young star — just because he could.
In A&E's Biography: Bobby Brown, which premieres Monday, the singer details the windfall of cash he received after parting ways with New Edition and hitting big with his Don't Be Cruel solo album, featuring hits "My Prerogative" and "Every Little Step." Growing up with little, he was suddenly flush at 18 — and spent frivolously.
"Money was ginormous," Brown says in a clip shared exclusively with Yahoo Entertainment. "I was bringing in so much money at such a young age. My dad didn't have to work anymore. My mom didn't have to work anymore."
But beyond providing for loved ones, Brown — who became a millionaire at 18 — was just wildly throwing money around.
"I'd be driving down the street on the tour bus, see somebody in a car and like the car, pull the car over and buy the car," he recalled of his late '80s debauchery.
He would drive his new ride throughout whatever city he was in that day — and then "just leave the car" at his hotel or at the airport.
"Pay [over $50,000] for a car and just leave it," he said, adding, "Wish I had those cars now."
AJ Alexander, Brown's former bodyguard, told a story about being at a mall with the singer, who observed a Black woman going into a glass figurine shop and the shopkeeper treating her poorly.
"Bob ended up buying the store and giving it to the lady," Alexander said in the doc. "He went back the next day and told the guy he was fired. 'Yo, you fired. You work for her now.'"
Brown said growing up in the Orchard Park Projects in Boston's Roxbury neighborhood, he "never thought in my life I'd be able to not only make millions of dollars, but to spend a million dollars in one day." So that became a goal.
"I was like: What? I'm gonna do it,'" he recalled. "And I spent a million dollars in one day."
What did he buy that time? Three watches, a car and a house.
"And, uh, I wish I didn't," the now-53-year-old added, as he went on to have financial problems, which amplified after his divorce from Whitney Houston, but he's since straightened out.
leaving New Edition, meeting Houston, legal problems and his sexcapades — is a two-night event, kicking off Monday at 8 p.m. ET/PT on A&E with part two the next day at the same time. His new series, Bobby Brown: Every Little Step, premieres Tuesday at 10 p.m. — all will air Tuesdays at 9 p.m. starting June 7.
Aerosmith's Steven Tyler enters rehab, cancels Vegas shows after relapse: 'Truly sorry'
Aerosmith frontman and longtime recovering addict Steven Tyler has voluntarily checked into rehab after a relapse, according to a joint statement released Tuesday morning by his bandmates. As a result, Aerosmith have canceled the June and July dates of their residency at Las Vegas’s Park MGM — which would have been the band’s first shows since the COVID-19 pandemic — while the 74-year-old rock legend “focuses on his well-being.”
“As many of you know, our beloved brother Steven has worked on his sobriety for many years,” the Rock & Roll Hall Fame-inducted group’s Joe Perry, Tom Hamilton, Joey Kramer, and Brad Whitford announced on social media. “After foot surgery to prepare for the stage and the necessity of pain management during the process, he has recently relapsed and voluntarily entered a treatment program to concentrate on his health and recovery.”
Tyler, who along with Aerosmith guitarist Perry was once infamously known as one of the “Toxic Twins,” has long been open about his substance abuse struggles, which often thwarted Aerosmith professionally. According to Tyler’s 2011 autobiography, Does the Noise in My Head Bother You?, for years he indulged in marijuana, OxyContin, heroin, methamphetamine, methadone, LSD, and especially cocaine, and he spent an estimated $6 million on drugs during his lifetime. It took the singer several attempts to get sober — “There were no such things as rehabs; there were mental institutions. I went away in ’84 and ’86, and I didn’t really get it. The early ’80s were terrible, and drugs took us down,” he recalled in a 2019 Haute Living interview — but the mid-‘80s, he completed a successful rehab program after an intervention by spearheaded by Aerosmith’s manager, Tim Collins.
Collins promised that he could make Aerosmith the biggest band in the world by 1990 if they all entered rehab; their 1987 LP Permanent Vacation was the first album they recorded sober, according to Tyler’s autobiography, and the LP launched a massive comeback for the group. “It took me many years to get over the anger of [my bandmates] sending me to rehab while they went on vacation,” Tyler told Haute Living, recalling that intervention. “But today, because of that moment … I am grateful and owe a thanks to them for my sobriety.”
In 2006, after Tyler had been sober for 12 years, he became addicted to prescription medication while being treated for hepatitis C. In December 2009, after bingeing on cocaine and pills, he checked himself into the Betty Ford Clinic, according to a 2013 interview he conducted with Today. In 2020, Aerosmith were collectively honored as Person of the Year for their philanthropic efforts by MusiCares, the Recording Academy’s charity arm which gives musicians financial, medical, and personal assistance. (“Aerosmith has walked the walk when it comes to raising funds to impact music people in recovery,” stated Deborah Dugan, the Recording Academy’s President and CEO at the time.) According to IAmSober.com, Tyler had been clean for nine years as of December 2021.
In their statement, Tyler’s bandmates expressed that they were “devastated” and “truly sorry” for the change in Aerosmith’s Vegas plans, but they were optimistic that their September 2022 Park MGM concerts would go on as scheduled. They signed off with: “Thank you for your understanding and for your support for Steven during this time.”
Samuel L. Jackson Joins Chris Pratt in ‘Garfield’ Animated Feature
Samuel L. Jackson is set to join Chris Pratt in Alcon Entertainment’s upcoming animated theatrical motion picture based on the iconic comic strip Garfield.
Jackson will play a brand-new character, Garfield’s father, Vic. The veteran Hollywood actor is best known for movie hits like Jurassic Park, the Star Wars prequel trilogy, Goodfellas, Coming to America, Menace II Society and Pulp Fiction.
Pratt was earlier announced to voice the lasagna-loving, Monday-hating comic strip feline Garfield in the new animated movie based on a script written by David Reynolds and directed by Mark Dindal. Sony Pictures is distributing globally (excluding China).
Alcon acquired the rights from the creator of the Garfield comic series and brand, Jim Davis, who will executive produce with Bridget McMeel and Craig Sost. John Cohen and Steven P. Wegner will produce alongside Alcon principals Broderick Johnson and Andrew Kosove.
DNEG Animation will animate and produce the film with Alcon Entertainment. DNEG CEO Namit Malhotra and DNEG president Tom Jacomb both serve as producers.
Created by cartoonist Davis, the Garfield comic strip debuted in June 1978 and follows the cynical and lazy orange cat and his interactions with his owner, Jon Arbuckle, and fellow pet Odie, the lovable dog.
Student Caught With Firearms Outside Texas High School One Day After Deadly Shooting
Less than 24 hours after a mass shooting at Robb elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, where 19 students and two teachers were killed, police in the same state took a suspect into custody who was walking towards a Richardson, Texas, high school, with what appeared to be a rifle. According to Fox4news.
The Richardson Police Department received a call at 10:55 a.m. from a business that reported the juvenile male walking towards Berkner High School, they said in a press release. Within minutes of the call, several officers from various units of the bureau arrived at the high school and began a search and investigation, authorities said.
Officers were able to identify the suspect as a student of Berkner High School. He was arrested on a charge of unlawfully carrying weapons in a weapon-free school zone, which is a state jail felony.
“No further information is being released on the suspect due to his age,” police said.
“The Richardson Police Department would like to remind the public of the importance to report suspicious activity, as we recognize the vigilant awareness and actions of the person who initially called 911 to alert law enforcement.”
Richardson is reportedly less than 370 km away from Uvalde. An AR-15-style rifle was also used in the Uvalde shooting.
Cherelle Griner Talks Emotional Turmoil Dealing with Wife Brittney’s Russian Detention
In her first interview since her wife Brittney Griner was arrested in Russia in February, Cherelle Griner has spoken about how she “laid on this couch and cried my eyeballs out” after first hearing the news.
Earlier this month, a Russian court extended WNBA star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Griner’s pretrial detention until at least June following her arrest.
According to Russian authorities, Griner had cannabis oil in her luggage and has been accused of smuggling significant amounts of a narcotic substance — an offense punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
“I was numb. I couldn’t move and then I said: ‘You’ve got to get up now,'” Cherelle Griner said on ABC’s “Good Morning America” about the moment she learned of her wife’s arrest.
Griner added that she communicates with her wife “sporadically, here and there” through letters and “absolutely” wants to speak with US President Joe Biden about the situation.
“I just keep hearing that he has the power,” Griner said. “She’s a political pawn, so if they’re holding her because they want you [Biden] to do something, then I want you to do it.”
Three weeks ago, the State Department classified Griner as being wrongfully detained.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken previously said the State Department is working on the case day and night, and that Cherelle Griner should not to hesitate to reach out if there is anything she is not getting.
However, Griner said that she doesn’t know if her wife is a priority in the way Blinken has described.
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“I don’t know,” she said. “He said she is top priority, but I want to see it. I feel like to see it would be me seeing BG on US soil. At this point, I don’t even know who I’m getting back when she comes back.”
Pentagon Spokesman John Kirby Allegedly Tapped to ‘Oversee’ Black Press Secretary
*The Biden administration has tapped Pentagon spokesman John Kirby to fill a senior communications role but the specifics about the gig remain unclear. According to the New York Post, citing the Washington Post, “Kirby will be heavily involved in White House communications and work alongside the National Security Council,” the outlet writes.
Kirby is expected to make regular appearances in the White House briefing room, but will not share duties with the new press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
The Biden administration insisted Kirby is not replacing Jean-Pierre, but that how a lot of people are interpreting the move.
“John understands the complexities of U.S. foreign and defense policy, and he will ably represent the Administration on important national security issues,” Biden said in a statement, CNN reports.
Here’s more from Politico:
Several White House officials and insiders told West Wing Playbook that they felt the move put a damper on Jean-Pierre’s first week, and undercut her credibility at a moment when conservative media has targeted her.
“There are people in the White House who feel that the timing of Kirby’s hiring demonstrates that White House leadership believes that the first African American White House press secretary needs ‘adult supervision,’” one Democratic source familiar with dynamics in the White House and on Capitol Hill told West Wing Playbook, calling the move “demeaning,” and “insulting.”
The source added that some Democratic lawmakers also expressed frustration with the White House announcement of Jean-Pierre’s promotion because it included news that ANITA DUNN would be returning to the White House in a senior adviser role — an inclusion that, for them, left an impression that Jean-Pierre needed oversight.
A White House spokesperson said: “If that is the case, that’s news to the press team and we completely disagree.”
“Kirby is expected to be heavily involved in White House communications, including working closely with the National Security Council,” the Post wrote. “Kirby, who has served as the top spokesperson for the Defense Department since the start of the administration, has impressed White House officials with his briefings, particularly in recent months as Russia has invaded Ukraine.”
Britney Spears’ lawyer slams dad Jamie for ‘running and hiding’ from deposition
Britney Spears’ attorney, former federal prosecutor Mathew Rosengart, filed a motion compelling the pop icon’s estranged father to submit to a deposition, according to court docs obtained by Page Six.
In the 21-page filing, the high-powered attorney, 56, slams Jamie Spears for “running and hiding” from his deposition and for “stonewalling” the ongoing legal battle with Britney, 40.
“Despite his demonstrably false claims that he has ‘nothing to hide’ and would therefore ‘hide nothing,’ James P. Spears has been running and hiding from his deposition and accounting for his misconduct — under oath — as required by law,” Rosengart states in the docs, which were filed Wednesday.
“Indeed, while representing that he would ‘unconditionally cooperate’ and act with ‘complete transparency without conditions,’ Mr. Spears has engaged in stonewalling and obstruction — for over six months — dodging his deposition and repeatedly failing to respond to simple requests for basic information.”
The motion to compel Jamie’s deposition provides a laundry list of his alleged misconduct while acting as Britney’s conservator for more than a decade.
This list includes allegations that he bugged Britney’s bedroom with the help of Black Box Security to record his famous daughter’s private conversations.
Rosengart also points out in the docs that Jamie paid for these alleged services with money from the singer’s estate and allegedly concealed this from the Los Angeles Superior Court.
These allegations against Jamie are laid out in a larger “roadmap” of apparent evidence submitted by forensic investigator, ex-FBI Agent Sherine Abadi.
In the docs, Rosengart warns Jamie that he “can run but cannot hide” as he is willing to take the Louisiana resident’s deposition “in any city in the country.”
Furthermore, Rosengart is demanding that Jamie cooperate and waive his Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination.
The lawyer also accuses Jamie of purposefully “harassing and bullying” Britney.
“In sum, for self-serving (and, we submit, immoral) reasons, Mr. Spears appears intent on harassing and bullying his daughter, while stonewalling and obfuscating the facts. This must stop,” he asserts in the docs.
“After entering the case, we invited him to voluntarily resign his position as conservator. He refused and the Court suspended him. We now invite him to change the course he is on. We hope he accepts and does what is right, both legally and morally.”
Elsewhere, Rosengart describes Jamie as a “misguided” fiduciary and father.
“Since childhood and certainly over the past decade, Britney Spears has been forced to live under her father’s thumb, even as she gave him an identity and supported him financially; yet he has never been required to answer for his conduct, including his gross, self-interested misuse of his fiduciary position.
For Mr. Spears to contend that he will answer for his actions if (and only if) his daughter’s personal, private life is further exposed demonstrates just how misguided he is as a fiduciary and as a father,” he states. “Enough is enough. Britney Spears will tolerate it no longer, and with respect, neither should this Court.”
Rosengart concluded the motion by imploring Jamie and his counsel to “do what is right, voluntarily.”
“Be decent. Please, stop harassing and bullying your daughter,” he says. “Please, leave your daughter alone.”
Rosengart has also expressed interest in deposing Britney’s former business manager Lou Taylor and Taylor’s Tri Star Sports & Entertainment associate Robin Greenhill, who once acted as Britney’s personal assistant.
Britney herself has accused Taylor of playing a central role in the creation of the conservatorship — alongside estranged mom Lynne Spears — though Taylor has denied any involvement in its inception.
“You know exactly what you did … my dad is not smart enough to ever think of a conservatorship,” Britney wrote in a since-deleted Nov. 2 Instagram post.
The entertainer has described the lengthy legal arrangement — which was established by Jamie in 2008 to control her personal, medical and financial affairs — as “abusive.”
During an explosive address to the court in June 2021, Britney alleged that, under the watch of Jamie, she was forced into a mental health facility, forced to take lithium and forced to have an IUD contraceptive inserted, all against her will.
Britney’s conservatorship was finally dissolved in November 2021.
The Grammy winner has said in the past that she would like to “sue [her] family” for their roles in her conservatorship, not excluding older brother Bryan or younger sister Jamie Lynn Spears.
Britney — who is currently engaged to actor Sam Asghari, with whom she recently suffered a miscarriage — also stated during the June 2021 testimony that she wants her father charged with “conservatorship abuse” and sent to jail.
Jamie denied the claims of abuse at the time, saying in a statement via then-lawyer Vivian Thoreen, “Mr. Spears is sorry to see his daughter suffering and in so much pain. Mr. Spears loves his daughter and misses her very much.”
The Last Pay Phone in New York City Has Officially Been Removed
The last public payphone in New York City was removed on Monday, marking the end of an era.
The boxy cages were previously a familiar sight across the city. The development of cellphones, however, rendered the booths useless.
A news release from the city’s Office of Technology and Innovation stated that the move to replace public payphones around the city began in 2014 when the de Blasio administration sought suggestions to rethink the service.
CityBridge was chosen to design and run LinkNYC kiosks, which provide free phone calls, Wi-Fi, and device charging. In 2015, the city began removing street payphones in favor of LinkNYC kiosks.
According to a map provided by LinkNYC, the city has approximately 2,000 kiosks.
Commissioner Matthew Fraser had said, “just like we transitioned from the horse and buggy to the automobile and from the automobile to the airplane, the digital evolution has progressed from payphones to high-speed Wi-Fi kiosks to meet the demands of our rapidly changing daily communications needs.”
The last public payphone will be on display at the Museum of the City of New York as part of an exhibit about life before computers.
Conan O’Brien Signs $150 Million Podcast Deal With SiriusXM
Longtime talk show host Conan O’Brien has just signed off on a multimillion-dollar podcast deal with Spotify.
On Monday, SiriusXM Holdings, Inc. announced it acquired Team Coco, O’Brien’s podcast network and digital media company, in a $150 million deal, reports Tech Crunch.
As part of the five-year talent agreement, Spotify now owns O’Brien’s slate of podcast shows, like “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend,” “Inside Conan,” Why Won’t You Date Me?” With Nicole Byer, along with “Parks and Recollection.”
While continuing to lead his podcasts on the platform, he will also be brought on to create and executive produce a new Team Coco comedy channel under the SiriusXM umbrella.
In a statement, O’Brien expressed his goal to excel in radio.
“When I started in television, my ultimate goal was to work my way up to radio,” said O’Brien, Tech Crunch reports. “This new deal with SiriusXM builds on the great relationship that began several years ago with a team that is the standout in their field.”
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
The New Muppet?
Miss WIGGY
HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND ALL!!!
EFREM
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