#MAGFAB: Actress Jenna Ortega Covers ELLE’s April 2023 Issue
Jenna Ortega covers ELLE’s April 2023 issue. The star of WEDNESDAY and SCREAM VI built her career on intense observation and obvious talent. “I’m definitely the actress who’s like, ‘More blood,’” Ortega deadpans. “If I’m going to speak up about anything, or put my two cents in about anything,” she says, it would be that: Let a scene be as crimson as possible. Gore has always fascinated Ortega; she wanted to start acting, at all of six years old, because she watched a movie that scared her. It’s fitting, then, that Ortega is Gen Z’s reigning scream queen: The star of SCREAM VI commits to the bit.
On how she has shaken off the nerves of joining such an iconic film series like Scream: “I have so much respect for the franchise that I didn’t want to do it wrong,” she says. “I wanted to do it justice, but I also didn’t want to be ripping anybody off.”
On how she knows exactly how to perform on camera, but the networking side of acting—the red carpets, promos, and appearances—she seems less certain about: “If I want to make films so badly and I want to play characters or I want to direct and write film scores, I could do that all in my backyard. I don’t have to be doing it on a grand scale like this,” she says. What pushes her forward is the chance to work with the best. “But ultimately, all the other side stuff that comes with my job, sometimes it makes it feel like it’s almost not worth it. I don’t want to feel like a walking billboard, which is a really, really scary feeling because then you feel less and less in control of your life. I feel like I’ve seen a lot of people or know people who have succumbed to that pressure. I don’t want to belong to anyone or anything.”
On how she wanted to be an actor after watching Man on Fire, the Denzel Washington kidnapping thriller marked by Dakota Fanning’s standout performance: “I was happy sitting and dissecting that movie over and over again. I couldn’t fathom how someone so young could do something that would scare me so aggressively. But I also loved the way that it made me feel,” she says. “I decided that’s what I was passionate about.”
On getting her start acting and the impact it had on her family: “To do that four to five days a week and still raise your other children was absurd,” she says. “My family made a lot of sacrifices.” The prospect of building her career was exciting—and daunting. “It was the guilt of, Okay, well if this doesn’t work out, I’m screwed, I guess,” she says. “I just put my entire family through this because that’s a lot of money and time that we did not have.”
On producing and starring in her first romantic comedy, Winter Spring Summer or Fall, and how she doesn’t like romantic comedies herself: “I hate being goo- goo gaga over a boy,” Ortega says. “I think it’s secretly a pride thing. It’s a problem with a lot of female characters, that a lot of them are guy-oriented or what they’re expressing or emoting is based on a guy’s position and a guy’s story.” The same is not true for Ortega, who says she isn’t dating. “Maybe I am too obsessed with my work, but the idea of relationships stresses me out,” she explains. “And also being that vulnerable with someone and having to get to know someone that well and having someone see you for all that you are….” She trails off. “My brain knows that I don’t need to think about that right now.”
On her typical early-twenties anxieties and how nice feedback from the public encourages her: “I am so fearful of disappointing the people in my life, or even people in public,” she says. “I want to live up to people’s expectations, which is something that I need to get over, but I’m also scared that, I don’t know, maybe someone will get to know me too well and realize that I’m not all that.” Which is why when people compliment her, she sometimes feels disbelief: “The kind words that I hear that they say about me through other people are unbelievable to me. I feel like just the people in my life see me in a way that I don’t really see myself.” The compliments are also encouraging as she’s figuring out her own voice.
#RHOA: Porsha Williams’ Version Of A Top-Tier ‘RHOA’ Cast Includes The Show’s Beloved — And Shadiest — ‘Core’
Former Real Housewives of Atlanta star Porsha Williams has strong opinions on who should shake up the hit Bravo series’ cast.
The Pursuit of Porsha author emphasized bringing back “the core” and supplementing the cast with fresh faces. Her picks of RHOA alums and current cast members who should be on the show are Phaedra Parks, Kandi Burruss, NeNe Leakes, Kenya Moore, Kim Zolciak and Drew Sidora.
“And then I would bring in some fresh blood. I think they need a shake up,” Porsha said while guest hosting on The Breakfast Club.
Noting that the newbies should be “younger people,” Porsha said, “I just feel like [the cast needs] fresh blood and bringing back some of the older people.”
The Go Naked Hair founder provided commentary on each of the women she’d like to see on RHOA in the future. She highlighted that Kandi is a “staple,” NeNe is “legendary” and that Kenya adds to the show’s “magic.” Porsha also mentioned that she’s unsure how Phaedra’s return would work since the latter was recently cast on Bravo’s Married to Medicine.
Porsha starred on RHOA for nine seasons, from 2012 to 2021. After her departure, the reality TV star and radio personality had a spin-off series on Bravo called Porsha’s Family Matters. The latter series depicted the mother of one as she tried to blend her family with that of her now husband, Simon Guobadia, and that of her child’s father, Dennis McKinley.
“After ten life-changing, gratifying, incredible years, it is finally time to begin my next chapter,” Porsha said in a statement announcing her RHOA exit. “Next season, I will not be returning to the Real Housewives of Atlanta franchise. This was a difficult decision to not only make, but also come to terms with. It’s one I have put a lot of thought into and because of that, I know it’s the right one.”
Porsha stars in the third season of The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip, which premieres on Peacock March 23.
#NewMusic from K. Michelle Joins Justin Champagne On His Single “Country Love Song”
K. Michelle has been known to dabble in country music over the years. She now joins country rapper Justin Champagne on his new single “Country Love Song”.
On the new track, K. Michelle makes her country music debut adding her own home-grown brand of “Kountry” soul to “Country Love Song”. She adds:
“I just love, love, love Justin Champagne. When I first heard “Country Love Song” it made me so happy. And when I was asked to be a part of the song it was an instant YES!”
Champagne also adds:
“K didn’t just bless “Country Love Song” with her amazing voice, but she effortlessly added an element that took it from a great record to a country music classic that can be embraced by multiple genres. We made the perfect musical gumbo with this record!”
LISTEN HERE
In the coming months, K. Michelle will also be releasing her final R&B album “I’m The Problem”.
#HipHopNews: Rae Sremmurd Announces 'Sremm4Life' Release Date
After much anticipation, Rae Sremmurd has announced that Sremm4Life, the long-awaited fourth installment in their SremmLife series, will arrive April 7. In addition to revealing a release date, they unveiled the cover art.
Tonight, Slim Jxmmi and Swae Lee will release their latest single “Tanisha (Pump That),” produced by Pharrell and Mike WiLL Made-It, who previewed the summer-ready vibe on Instagram.
“This mf a smash fr no lie… breath of fresh air,” tweeted Mike WiLL3
Leading up to the album’s release, the duo dropped a series of tracks including “Sucka Or Sum,” “Torpedo,” “Denial,” and “Community D**k” with Flo Milli.
This marks the fourth chapter in the SremmLife series, which began in 2015. It was followed by 2016’s SremmLife 2 and 2018’s triple album SR3MM.
You can catch Rae Sremmurd performing their new music live at Coachella in April.
Ne-Yo's Former Side Chick Welcomes Second Child With The Singer
Ne-Yo has added a new little one to his offspring. The 43-year-old singer/songwriter has welcomed his second child together, a baby boy, with his secret baby mama and former side chick, Sade.
It's Sade herself who broke the news of her son's arrival via her social media page on Sunday, March 12. Making use of Instagram, she introduced her baby son, who is named Brixton.
"Hey Brixton, I loooooove you pooh… welcome home my beautiful baby," she wrote alongside a series of pictures of the infant. In one of the snaps, she held her baby in her arm while flaunting her post-baby body in a white crop top and gray shorts.
Ne-Yo has not spoken publicly on his son's arrival. He got Sade pregnant with their second child together while he was still married to Crystal Renay. In February, Sade opened up about making the hard decision to carry his baby during his marriage to another woman.
"Angel of mine -- [a heart emoji] Coming to terms with the delicate circumstances, when I felt like I just couldn't take on another load, especially at the expense of another persons happiness.. sometimes even my own.. wasn't the easiest decision," she wrote on Instagram. "However, I have to choose me."
She continued, "Therefore, I have to choose you. The JOY Braiden gives me every day strengthened me & let me know I can do this gracefully.. with love, compassion, and penitence . Patiently awaiting you. Ready for this journey. Ready 4 the lessons & the blessings. I can't wait to meet you my buttercup!! xoxo MOMMY."
Ne-Yo showed his support by liking the post by the influencer.
In August 2022, Crystal filed for divorce from Ne-Yo amid allegations that he was unfaithful throughout their marriage. She accused him of fathering a child with Sade during their marriage and in September, it was reported that he got her pregnant again. Their divorce was finalized on January 26.
The former spouses share three children Shaffer Jr., six, Roman, four, and Isabella, 20 months. He is also a father to Madilyn, 12, and Mason, 11, from his relationship with ex-girlfriend Monyetta Shaw.
#BoxOfficeNews: 'Scream VI' Scares Away Competition At Box Office
There's a new face in town and it easily became a new champion at the domestic box office. "Scream VI" has topped this weekend's chart with an estimated $44.5 million from ticket sales in North America.
It marks the best domestic debut in the "Scream" franchise, surpassing the previous series high of $32 million that "Scream 2" opened with in 1997. It also exceeds expectations that it would open in the range of $35-40 million from 3,670 theaters in its opening weekend.
Internationally, the sixth installment in the slasher film series is also killing it. The new movie, which is set in New York City instead of the fictional town of Woodsboro, rakes in $22.5 million from 53 overseas market for a current worldwide total of $67.1 million. It's made on a reported modest budget of around $33-35 million.
"Scream VI" easily scares off last week's champion "Creed III" from the first spot, knocking it down to No. 2. The boxing drama movie added an estimated $27.2 million in its second weekend, sprinting past $100 million domestically in just 10 days.
Internationally, the third "Creed" movie beat "Scream VI" with $24 million from 75 markets for a total foreign cume of $78 million. It has so far grossed $179.4 million worldwide against its reported budget of $75 million.
Elsewhere on the domestic chart, another newcomer, "65", arrives at No. 3 with approximately $12.3 million. Directed by "A Quiet Place" writers Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, the sci-fi pic stars Adam Driver as a space explorer stranded on prehistoric Earth, which is infested with dinosaurs and other dangerous prehistoric beasts.
"Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" is down two places to No. 4 with an estimated $7 million as it continues to suffer a sizable decline (45.4% from last week). It has raked in $197.97 million domestically for a current worldwide total of $249.6 million.
"Cocaine Bear" also continues to lose its steam, dropping from No. 3 to No. 5 with approximately $6.2 million (44.3%). The movie has grossed $51.7 million domestically and $65.7 million globally in its third week.
Top 10 of North America Box Office (Mar. 10-12, 2023):
"Scream VI" - $44.5 million
"Creed III" - $27.2 million
"65" - $12.3 million
"Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" - $7 million
"Cocaine Bear" - $6.2 million
"Jesus Revolution" - $5.17 million
"Champions" - $5.15 million
"Avatar: The Way of Water" - $2.7 million
"Puss in Boots: The Last Wish" - $1.6 million
"Operation Fortune: Ruse de guerre" - $1.3 million
Halle Bailey Makes a Big Splash as Ariel in New 'The Little Mermaid' Trailer
Halle Bailey’s cinematic debut as Ariel in Disney’s upcoming live-action ‘The Little Mermaid’ is almost upon us.
During Sunday night’s Oscars, Melissa McCarthy (who plays Ursula in the film) and Halle premiered the first full trailer for ‘The Little Mermaid’ where we got a nice glimpse of what to expect.
Watch the video below for your first look at Sebastian, Flounder, Ursula, and all of your favorite characters below.
WATCH
Directed by Rob Marshall (Into the Woods), with new music by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Alan Menken, The Little Mermaid hits theaters on May 26.
Ruth E. Carter makes history as the first Black woman to win two Oscars
Accomplished Hollywood costume designer Ruth E. Carter has become the first Black woman in history to win two Academy Awards. She took home the victory tonight (March 12) for her work on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, where she brought the vision of the fantastical Marvel worlds of Wakanda and Talokan to life on screen. She won her first Oscar back in 2019 for leading costuming in the first Black Panther movie.
In her acceptance speech, the sartorial visionary thanked director Ryan Coogler and paid tribute to her mother, who died recently at 101, by invoking the name of late Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman.
“Nice to see you again,” Carter told the applauding crowd as she took the stage with her gold statuette. “Thank you to the Academy for recognizing the superhero that is a Black woman. She endures, she loves, she overcomes, she is every woman in this film. She is my mother. This past week, Mable Carter became an ancestor. This film prepared me for this moment.”
“Chadwick, please take care of mom,” she continued. “Ryan Coogler, Nate Moore, thank you both for your vision. Together, we are reshaping how culture is represented… I share this with many dedicated artists whose hands and hearts helped manifest the costumes of Wakanda and Talokan. This is for my mother.”
Carter’s win makes her the third Black person with two Oscars to their name. Denzel Washington made history in 2002 when he won his second Oscar for Training Day. Mahershala Ali earned trophies for 2016’s Moonlight and 2018’s Green Book. And while recently christened EGOT winner Viola Davis has had four Oscar nominations over the years, she’s only won once for 2016’s Fences.
Getting to make the looks of Wakanda was one of the biggest challenges of Carter’s career. “We put it underwater, and everything just went up. I had to remake things that were tested. I had to weigh them down, and sometimes they were too light, and other times they were too heavy,” she told Variety of the process.
The two-time honoree has gotten four Oscar nods in total over the years, including for 1992’s Malcolm X and 1997’s Amistad. She’s also worked on films such as Selma and the iconic Tina Turner biopic What’s Love Got to Do With It, where she recreated the “Proud Mary” singer’s most recognizable looks from the ’70s and ’80s for film star Angela Bassett.
March Madness 2023: Men's 68-Team NCAA Tournament Field Revealed on Selection Sunday
Let the games begin. The NCAA selection committee announced the full 68-team field for the men's college basketball tournament on Sunday.
Below, we'll take a look at the bracket and a few of the contenders to watch as one of the iconic sporting events gets underway this week.
South Region
Midwest Region
West Region
East Region
At this point, there are probably five favorites in the field (though this is the NCAA tournament we are talking about, so you never know who might emerge from the chaos).
Top overall seed Alabama, Kansas, Houston, Purdue and UCLA have separated themselves from the pack this season, and those are the five teams many will focus on.
Alabama is a dangerous team, led by a dynamic primary scorer in Brandon Miller. Much of how the Crimson Tide fare will come down to their perimeter shot-making. When the threes have been falling, they have been a force to be reckoned with this season; when they aren't, they become far more vulnerable.
In losses to Tennessee and Texas A&M late in the regular season, Alabama shot 16-of-60 (26.7 percent) from beyond the arc. It's something worth monitoring.
Kansas has accumulated quality win after quality win this season, and it has a bona fide star in Jalen Wilson. How deep the Jayhawks advance will come down to who steps up consistently on offense behind him. If Gradey Dick or Dajuan Harris Jr. show out, this team will be tough to beat.
Houston has consistently been awesome this season, though not playing in a bigger conference—and a head-to-head loss against Alabama—has impacted the respect it has gotten.
Add Marcus Sasser to the list of potent scorers among the top contenders. He provides the firepower that accompanies the Cougars' stingy defense.
Finally, Purdue's 2-4 February cast its title hopes into doubt, but it has steered the ship back to calmer waters.
Zach Edey is a two-way star, and Brandon Newman's strong play to close the regular season after being inserted into the starting lineup helped end the Boilermakers' tough stretch. At its best, Purdue is a scary proposition for opponents. Last month called into question how consistently it will offer that level of play, but a Big-Ten Tournament title helped ease those concerns.
One of the knocks against UCLA this season was its lack of statement wins outside of defeating Kentucky, but a late-season victory over Arizona ended that narrative. The loss of Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year Jaylen Clark is brutal though—the Bruins are a tougher team to trust without him.
Hugh Grant Faces Backlash for Unpleasant Oscars Interview with Ashley Graham, Who Fans Are Giving Lots of Praise
Before surprising the audience with an awkward joke on stage at the Oscars, Hugh Grant gave a really awkward interview on the red carpet.
The 62-year-old actor was at the show as a presenter at the 2023 Academy Awards on Sunday (March 12) at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.
While walking the carpet, Hugh was interviewed by model Ashley Graham for the ABC pre-show and he made it an excruciatingly awkward minute and a half.
When asked who he wanted to win at the show, Hugh said, “No one in particular.” When asked what he was wearing, he said, “Just my suit.” Asked for details on the designer, he said, “My tailor.”
Ashley tried to get info on Hugh‘s time on the set of Glass Onion and he replied, “Well, I’m barely in it. I’m in for about three seconds.”
People are slamming Hugh for his behavior in the interview and they’re praising Ashley for trying her best to make the interview work.
Watch the whole video HERE.
HSBC pays £1 Pound to rescue UK arm of Silicon Valley Bank after all-night talks
LONDON — HSBC on Monday announced a deal to buy the U.K. subsidiary of collapsed U.S. tech startup lender Silicon Valley Bank, following all-night talks.
HSBC confirmed that its U.K. ring-fenced subsidiary, HSBC UK Bank, had agreed to acquire SVB U.K. for £1 ($1.21). The assets and liabilities of SVB U.K.'s parent company are excluded from the transaction.
The acquisition "strengthens our commercial banking franchise and enhances our ability to serve innovative and fast-growing firms, including in the technology and life-science sectors, in the U.K. and internationally," said HSBC Group CEO Noel Quinn.
"SVB U.K. customers can continue to bank as usual, safe in the knowledge that their deposits are backed by the strength, safety and security of HSBC."
As of Friday, SVB U.K. had loans of around £5.5 billion and deposits of around £6.7 billion, with £88 million of full-year profit before tax in 2022, HSBC highlighted in the Monday statement. The bank expects SVB U.K.'s tangible equity to be around £1.4 billion, but added that "final calculation of the gain arising from the acquisition will be provided in due course."
The sale, facilitated by the Bank of England in consultation with the U.K. Treasury, will protect the deposits of SVB U.K. clients, the Treasury said in a statement.
Shares of HSBC were down 3.4% around 9:30 a.m. London time, following the announcement of the transaction.
British Finance Minister Jeremy Hunt stressed that the deal "ensures customer deposits are protected and can bank as normal, with no taxpayer support."
"The U.K.'s tech sector is genuinely world-leading and of huge importance to the British economy, supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs," he added.
Hunt had on Sunday said that the U.K. administration and the Bank of England were working to "avoid or minimize" potential damage resulting from the U.K. branch of SVB.
In parallel, U.S. regulators on Sunday approved plans to backstop depositors and financial institutions linked with U.S. parent company SVB.
The U.S. Treasury Department designated both SVB and New York-based Signature Bank, which was shuttered Sunday over similar contagion fears, as systemic risks, enabling it to unwind both institutions in a way that protects depositors.
'Big sigh of relief' for UK tech startups
Toby Mather, CEO and co-founder of startup children's education platform Lingumi, has been a customer of SVB for the last seven years, depositing 85% of the company's cash with the stricken lender.
He told CNBC on Monday that the HSBC acquisition caused a "big sigh of relief" for British startups.
"I think I speak on behalf of UK startups when we say this is a huge relief and we can look our teams in the eye at 9 o'clock in our all-hands calls, which were going to be pretty nerve-racking this morning and say, not only will we be able to make the next payroll, but we can continue business as usual, continue innovating, doing our research and development and building the future of U.K. technology growth," he said.
"HSBC is a great outcome … for the bank to go to a really large household name that has hundreds of years of history, I think is one of the best outcomes we could have had to feel like we can now stay with the new SVB, which has been such an important partner to the startup ecosystem, here and in the U.S. for decades now, so we feel confident."
Bids in
A host of potential buyers had submitted proposals to purchase SVB U.K. since the Friday failure of its U.S. parent company, amid widespread concern over the immediate futures of many British tech and life sciences startups.
The Bank of London said that a consortium of private equity firms that it led had also submitted a formal proposal to the U.K. Treasury and the Prudential Regulation Authority at the Bank of England.
Bank of London CEO Anthony Watson said SVB "cannot be allowed to fail given the vital community it serves."
"This is a unique opportunity to ensure the U.K. has a more diversified banking sector, whilst allowing continuity of service to SVB's U.K. client base. It would be deeply disappointing for this moment to lead to further consolidation of power among big banks."
The Bank of England confirmed that no other U.K. banks are "directly materially affected by these actions, or by the resolution of SVBUK's U.S. parent bank," adding that the wider British banking system remains "safe, sound and well capitalised."
T.J. Holmes' Wife 'Upset' His Relationship With Amy Robach Is 'Not Just A Fling'
T.J. Holmes might have a chance to save his marriage, but only if he dumps Amy Robach. Rumor has it that his estranged wife Marilee Fiebig has hope that she and T.J. could be getting back together, but that's now made impossible as his relationship with Amy remains strong.
A source reveals in a new issue of Us Weekly about Marilee, "She did not know he was having an affair." Her anger reportedly hasn't subsided as she "continues to be disappointed by his lack of discretion and respect for her and their marriage."
While the Atlanta-area attorney is still distraught over the affair, she's also "upset it's not just a fling." The source also claims that Marilee is devastated that she and T.J. won't be getting back together.
"It's a relationship that is going strong," the insider adds about T.J. and Amy's bond. "[Marilee] knows he's definitely not coming back. She feels disrespected because they are all over each other in photos and she's hurt because she sees it's the real deal and knows now he's not going to reconcile with her."
After T.J. and Amy's romance was exposed in late 2022, it was revealed that he and Marilee had separated in August. The now-estranged couple shares a 10-year-old daughter, Sabine.
Meanwhile, Amy was also still legally married to actor Andrew Shue when she began her relationship with T.J. It was then reported that she and the "Melrose Place" alum had separated in August.
Following their affair scandal, T.J. and Amy were let go by ABC News, where they used to be co-hosts of "Good Morning America 3". The pair have since gone on several vacations together amid their unemployment.
On Sunday, March 5, the two even stepped out to attend the first event together as a couple. They attended the late PR guru Howard Bragman's memorial service at a private park in North Hollywood, California.
"They looked like... they weren't inappropriate, but she was in this wrap dress that was very short, and they just looked like this hot couple. There was no shame in their game," an eyewitness said of the lovebirds.
"There were a lot of people whispering. There was something electric," the source added. "They seemed like a couple, who're obviously in love. They were definitely attentive and aware of each other."
Nicki Minaj’s Husband, Kenneth Petty, Reportedly Too Sick To Appear For Mediation With Rape Accuser,
Nicki Minaj’s husband, Kenneth Petty, reportedly unable to appear for mediation with his sexual assault accuser.
According to AllHipHop, Petty won’t be participating in mediation in the near future. The court mandated mediation for all parties on March 6th, but Petty became sick and wasn’t able to attend. After being rescheduled to March 9th and then canceled, Petty and Minaj’s lawyer, Steven D. Isser, are now requesting a new date of March 24th from Judge James R. Cho.
“We respectfully request that the Court extend the mediation deadline to March 24, 2023, which will hopefully be sufficient time for Mr. Petty to recover and the for parties and the Mediator to schedule a mutually available date for the mediation,” Isser worte. “Thank you for your attention to this matter.”
In 1995, Petty was convicted of first-degree attempted rape of Jennifer Hough. Petty served over four years in prison for the crime and was later released. However, Hough sued the Pettys in 2021 for allegedly intimidating, harassing and threatening her with hopes that she recants her allegations. In addition, she also sued Minaj, claiming she participated is the harassment. However, Hough dropped her claims against Minaj earlier this year but Petty remained as a defendant in the case.
That same year, Petty pleaded guilty for not registering as a sex offender. As a result, in July, a judge sentenced him to one year of home confinement and three years of probation. Petty later initiated legal proceedings against the State of New York and the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services regarding his classification as a sex offender.
Morgan Freeman Set To Produce A Peacock Television Series Based On The Life Of Boxing Icon, Muhammad Ali
Peacock is collaborating with Regé-Jean Page, Morgan Freeman, and Kevin Willmott to produce a television series about Muhammad Ali.
According to Variety, “Excellence: 8 Fights” is an eight-episode scripted drama depicting the life of the boxing legend and is adapted from Jonathan Eig’s celebrated biography “Ali: A Life.”
The drama series will be focused on portraying Ali’s “defining moments.”
“[Excellence: 8 Fights will] chronicle eight distinct and defining moments in the iconic life of Muhammad Ali,” the show’s synopsis reads. “Each episode will be framed by one fight from Ali’s life. But the essence of the episode, what it’s really about, is the internal fight. The drama outside the ring. Where we will explore the struggle going on in the heart and mind of one of the most consequential and controversial figures of the 20th century.”
The upcoming project has enlisted Page, Freeman, and Willmott as executive producers. Emily Brown and Lori McCreary representing Revelations Entertainment will also be apart of the production. Furthermore, Eig will be involved as the project’s producer in collaboration with CBS Studios and UCP.
On another note, a musical production about Ali’s life is also in the works.
The show’s composer, Teddy Abrams, received approval from Lonnie Ali, Muhammad’s widow, to create a musical production. The deputy artistic director of London’s National Theatre, Clint Dyer, and producer Richard Willis are also involved in the theater project.
Gay Instagrammer says Tennessee lawmaker shouldn't be embarrassed for liking racy photos
Tennessee’s lieutenant governor apologized for commenting on dozens of racy Instagram photos posted by a young gay man over the last three years. But the 20-year-old aspiring performer said the conservative lawmaker has nothing to be embarrassed about.
Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, 79, faced criticism Thursday after the Tennessee Holler, a local progressive news outlet, first reported that he had commented on partially nude Instagram photos posted by Franklyn McClure as the state passed bills targeting the LGBTQ community.
In an interview Thursday with NewsChannel 5, a CBS affiliate in Nashville, McNally said it was not his intent to embarrass or hurt his friends and family or colleagues in the Legislature, where he also serves as speaker of the Republican-led Senate.
“I’m really, really sorry if I’ve embarrassed my family, embarrassed my friends, embarrassed any of the members of the legislature with the posts,” he told NewsChannel 5.
Among the photos McNally commented on was a close-up photo of McClure’s backside, where he’s only wearing what appear to be briefs. McNally wrote two comments on the post: “Finn, you can turn a rainy day into rainbows and sunshine!” and another with hearts and fire emojis, to which McClure responded, “You are literally always so nice King,” with a heart emoji. Finn is the nickname of McClure, who is known as Franklyn Superstar on social media.
When NewsChannel 5 asked McNally about his response to that particular photo, he said he tries “to encourage people with posts and try to, you know, help them if I can.”
He told NewsChannel 5 that he first befriended McClure, who is from the Knoxville area and now lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Facebook and then later on Instagram, but that the two have never had a personal relationship or met in person.
In an interview, McClure confirmed that the two had never met, but he said McNally had sent him private messages, the first dating back to June 2020. He said they were mostly “one-sided on his side.”
When asked about the content of those private messages, McClure said: “The messages, I would say, show that he definitely supported me, and if he can support me, he can definitely make room in his heart to support many, many more people like me.”
McNally did not immediately respond to NBC News’ request for comment on whether he had ever privately messaged McClure.
McNally posted more than 80 comments on McClure’s Instagram account from early June 2020 to as recently as Feb. 26, with his initial comments more like pep talks in response to McClure’s posts about his life and mental health.
More recently, McNally liked a photo McClure posted in December 2022 in which McClure describes himself as a “hoe” and says he performs sex acts for free marijuana.
When News Channel 5 asked if it was appropriate to like the photo, McNally said, “Probably not, probably not.”
Some LGBTQ people and advocates questioned whether the comments and likes were appropriate given the age difference between McNally and McClure, who said he was 17 when McNally began commenting on his photos. They have also accused the lieutenant governor of hypocrisy, noting that he recently voted in favor of a bill that criminalizes some drag performances. Gov. Bill Lee, also a Republican, signed the bill last month, and it will take effect April 1.
The lieutenant governor told NewsChannel 5 that he engaged with McClure and other LGBTQ people on Instagram because he’s trying to be more supportive of their identities.
He noted that in 2020, he did not support a bill that allows religious adoption agencies to refuse to place children with couples if doing so would “violate the agency’s written religious or moral convictions or policies.” At the time, advocates said the bill would allow agencies to discriminate against same-sex couples. It ultimately passed and Lee signed it into law.
McClure said he only found out two days ago that McNally has supported bills targeting the LGBTQ community, including one that restricts where and in front of whom drag performances can take place. “That was sad to hear,” he said.
When asked about the drag bill specifically, McClure speculated that McNally is “being influenced by whoever’s around him” and succumbing to “peer pressure.”
“He obviously can appreciate me in some sort of way, and if he can appreciate me, you know, I’m pretty out there. I don’t think the drag queens are, for the most part, you know, doing shows where they just got their butt in everyone’s face,” he said. “I have my butt in people’s faces, and he’s supported some of those, so I don’t know why he’s supporting a bill to hurt people’s money, expression, happiness.”
McClure said he agrees with those who have called McNally “hypocritical.”
Following the Tennessee Holler story on Thursday and the subsequent coverage by other news outlets, including NBC News, McClure said he’s received an outpouring of support on social media and has felt “extra special” since the news first broke.
He also said McNally was among those who have reached out to him since the Tennessee Holler story was published on Thursday. He described the communication as “just a message to me saying thank you for being kind to everyone.”
When asked about McNally’s televised apology, McClure said “it’s sad” that McNally felt the need to apologize.
“He did appreciate my posts, for whatever reason that was, and I don’t think you should be embarrassed. I think it’s telling of Tennessee, it’s telling of Republicans and homophobic,” he said. “I just think it’s sad that we live in a society that we can’t just all be friends, right? We can’t just all love each other and appreciate each other for who we are, instead of thinking that we need to change each other.”
Tennessee Republicans have proposed more than two dozen bills so far this year that target LGBTQ rights, according to the American Civil Liberties Union, which is tracking the legislation. When asked if he’d like to send a message to McNally and other lawmakers in his home state who are supporting such measures, McClure said, “No one is hurting anyone by wearing a wig,” referring specifically to the drag bill.
He then added, referring to another bill signed by the governor that bans transition-related care for minors, including puberty blockers, hormone therapy and surgery, “Just because you believe someone, a child or whoever, shouldn’t be able to transition doesn’t mean, you should be able to force that on someone else.”
When NewsChannel 5 asked McNally whether he thinks the controversy affects his ability to lead, he said, “I hope not.” Regarding whether he has thought of resigning, McNally said, “I think that that’s really up to the members of the Senate. I would serve at their pleasure, and they are my boss.”
As for McClure, he’s currently raising money to move to Los Angeles, where he hopes to become a successful performing artist and a “male version” of rapper Doja Cat, whom he called his inspiration.
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
A Miracle Ohh,
So they can stand.
HAVE A GREAT DAY ALL!!!
EFREM
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