The “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo” star is 15 and looks as adorable as always

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Monica Pop
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If the name Alana Thomson doesn’t ring the bell, Honey Boo Boo certainly does.

Alana, a chubby little girl, first won the hearts of many when she was just five years old and her mom June Shannon forced her into beauty pageants. The two were part of the reality show Toddlers and Tiaras and gained huge popularity which led to their own show which aired on TLC in 2012, Here Comes Honey Boo Boo.

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The show was one of the highest-rated shows, and although many enjoyed watching the Georgia family’s adventures, it was also slammed by many, including Tim Goodman who wrote in The Hollywood Reporter, “You know this show is exploitation. TLC knows it. Maybe even Mama and HBB know it, deep down in their rotund bodies. Here Comes Honey Boo Boo is a car crash, and everybody rubber-necks at a car crash, right? It’s human nature.” 

“Yes, except that if you play that card, you also have to realize that human nature comes with the capacity to draw a line, to hold fast against the dehumanization and incremental tearing down of the social fabric, even if this never-ending onslaught of reality television suggests that’s a losing effort. You can say no to visual exploitation. You can say no to TLC. And you can say no to Honey Boo Boo Child.”

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Besides Alana and Mama June, the show also featured the three sisters, Lauryn “Pumpkin” Shannon, Jessica “Chubbs” Shannon, and Anna “Chickadee” Shannon as well as the father Mike “Sugar Bear” Thompson.

The show was canceled in 2014, after four seasons. It was reported how some episodes of season five were already made, but they never saw the light of the day. The reason Here Comes Honey Boo Boo came to an end was Mama June’s alleged relationship with a sex offender who used to molest one of her daughters.

When Mama June moved on and left her husband, he was no longer part of the life of Honey Boo Boo who spoke of him last year and told OK Magazine, “The only time I ever see him is if we’re filming with him, which is very rarely. I tell myself all the time, I’m not going to put effort into something where there’s no effort being put in by the other person, or the other person doesn’t even care. So I’m not going to care about something that the other person don’t care about. He knows that I think we should have a better relationship, that we should see each other, like, once a month.”

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Mama June was a real star herself and gained popularity and a number of fans.

She has been obese her whole life, but once the show was over, she decided to change her life drastically and dropped from 460 pounds to size 4. This led to her own show in 2017 titled Mama June: From Not to Hot. Alana was part of the show as well.

The sweet girl who is now 15 was part of Dancing with the Stars Junior in 2018 and she and dance partner Tristan Ianiero ended eighth.

Youtube/WE tv

Last year, Mama June and boyfriend Eugene “Geno” Doak were arrested and charged for possession of narcotics.

Her daughters spoke of their mom’s problem with addiction and even staged an intervention during which Alana said, “Mama, I would love to come home and stay with you — tell you about my day, but I can’t do that because I’m scared.”

After the arrest, Alana moved in with her sister Lauren. She felt the urge to speak of the things that happened to her and encourage others who were experiencing the same. “Can we just be real for a second? Let me tell y’all how proud I am of myself! I have honestly been thought hell and back this year! And I’m still standing! I have been doing so good in school and just being more happy! I get so much hate but then I think about who all loves me and I know them haters mean nothing. Let me just be the one to tell y’all if you are going through anything right now trust me it gets better you are worth it , I’m so proud of you, I can see you trying, I love you!” Honey Boo Boo wrote.

Instagram/HoneyBooBoo

For Alana’s 15th birthday in August 2020, her mom surprised her with hitting the 6 months milestone of being sober. The teen also got a very special gift from the music group Sorellé who sang Happy Birthday a cappella in a personalized video for her.

“Hey guys, real quick I just wanted to jump on here. I know my birthday isn’t until Monday, but I want to share this six-month blinged out chip that my manager sent me for my birthday,” June told People.

“It’s probably the most thing I’m proud of because now me and Geno are over six months clean. This is amazing, y’all. I’m so proud of this.”

Alana has been in front of the camera almost her whole life and she grew up right in front our eyes. We hope she will make the most out of her teenage years because she deserves only the best.

Billy Joel shows off brand new look at New York concert

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Monica Pop
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We have artist Billy Joel to thank to for some of the best hits ever recorded, including New York State of Mind, Just the Way You Are, and Uptown Girl. His career, which spans many years, is one of the most successful there are. This incredible man who accomplished incredible things in the world of music remains one of the best of the best. Having won numerous awards, including Grammys for Record of the Year and Song of the Year, he is still very active and performing.

Joel has been married three times and has three daughters. His eldest daughter, Alexa Ray Joel, started a career as a singer in her own right and is following into her famous dad’s footsteps. She released her first independently distributed EP in 2007 and performed at huge festivals like Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival and the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.

Source: Shutterstock/Featureflash Photo Agency

Speaking of all the women in his life, Joel told Rolling Stone Magazine in 2019, “All my life’s been women. I was raised by women — my dad wasn’t around. I’ve been married numerous times, and I’ve got three daughters. So, a lot of estrogen in my life.” The musician added, “I think I had a very fortunate upbringing. My mom encouraged me to be a musician. I know a lot of guys who were my age whose fathers intimidated them into not being musicians. So I had a very gentle upbringing. It was very loving, very warm, and I appreciate that about women. I see that in my daughters too. I’m gonna bring up these kids who one day will be mothers themselves, and I hope they’re like my mom.”

Currently, he’s married to Alexis Roderick.

Source: Youtube/BillyJoel

In 2013, Joel made New Yorkers smile when he announced he was going to become “a resident” of Madison Square Garden. His show had grossed over $45 million in October 2015, and his successful “love story” with the city that never sleeps seems to be a never-ending one.

Over the years, Joel experienced certain health issues which troubled his performances, such as when he was forced to pull out of the joint tour with superstar Elton John in 1998 due to severe asthma.

“In the old days I could scream and punch my way through it, but now it wouldn’t be fair to my fans,” Joel said at the time. 

Elton John added: “It was a little odd not seeing Billy there because we’re so used to doing this thing, and not seeing the piano and him across from me was very strange.”

Source: Shutterstock/Debby Wong

In 2010, Joel underwent a double-hip replacement surgery. It appeared that his acrobatic on-stage performances took their toll.

“Over the years, jumping off the piano, landing on a hard stage certainly didn’t help,” Joel told the New York Times, as quoted by the New York Post.

“Way back in the early ’70s, I used to do somersaults, flips off the piano. I would climb up the cables and hang upside down, anything to get attention. But over the years it got excruciating. I couldn’t walk at one point; I had one of those little scooter chairs, banging into furniture.”

Source: Gilbert Carrasquillo/FilmMagic/GEtty

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Joel, as every other musician out there, was forced to put his performances on hold. The good thing, however, is that he recently returned to Madison Square Garden for another incredible show.

Well, it wasn’t just his singing that enchanted his fans, but his looks too. It looks like the 72-year-old singer has lost around 50 pounds, but it wasn’t intentional.

“I had back surgery early this year and the pain afterward was so bad I lost my appetite,” he told Howard Stern.

“I embraced that, I said, ‘OK, I won’t eat as much and I ate less and less and less and less and then there was just life aggravation and that tends to, you know, impact your appetite too.

“I had gotten kind of chunky, I was happy to lose the weight.”

Source: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

We hope Billy Joel would entertain us for many more years.

9-year-old stuns millions by performing “the most difficult” song known worldwide

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Monica Pop
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The name Amira Willighagen became a household name in her native country of Holland almost overnight. Chances are that her angelic voice will open her the doors to many other countries, including America.

The moment she took the stage of Holland’s Got Talent, 9-year-old Amira charmed everyone who heard her singing. A true prodigy with out-of-the-world talent, Amira’s every performance was awaited by the public with eagerness and admiration.

For the finals of the music show, Amira chose a difficult piece, the song from the opera Turandot written by great Italian composer Giacomo Puccini. It is a love story about the Unknown Prince, Calaf, the Prince of Persia, who fell for the cruel Chinese Princess Turandot and was willing to sacrifice his life for her.

Source: Amira Willighagen | Official

It is truly impressive that a girl this young could emit the raw emotion brought by this opera piece.

This wasn’t the first time for her to perform Puccini’s piece. In fact, it was another opera of his that made her a sensation in her country.

Wearing a simple outfit complemented with  golden accessories and bangles, Amira resembled a real diva. A choir singing in darkness accompanied her performance and what Amira showed stunned everyone. Not surprisingly, she ended up winning the grand prize after the audience voted her into first place.

Source: Amira Willighagen | Official

What is even more special about this girl is that she’s using her popularity for a much greater good than just enjoying the applause and the attention she’s getting from her fans.

Using her winnings, Amira set up a non-profit organization whose goal is opening parks for children at underprivileged areas. These parks are called “Amira’s parks” and are built for children who might otherwise never have the hope for a local park in their neighborhood.

You can take a look at Amira’s 13-million-views-worth performance in the video below.

Crew member files law suit against Alec Baldwin over fatal shooting on movie set

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Monica Pop
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The fatal shooting on the set of the movie Rust which was taking place in Santa Fe, Mexico, claimed the life of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and left another injured. It was actor Alec Baldwin who accidentally killed Hutchins, a wife and a mother of one.

He was supposed to shoot towards the camera using prop gun when the tragedy took place. Devastating Baldwin started a movement asking police officers to be present on set when firearms is used and many support this request, including Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

Reports were that crew members left the set even before the scene in question took place, apparently because they were not satisfied with the working conditions and their safety. Now, one of them, Serge Svetnoy, filed a law suit against Baldwin and the rest of the Rust producers.

Reuters reported that Svetnoy has “accused the producers and other crew of failing to implement safety standards. He has filed a negligence suit against Baldwin and the movie’s producers.”

Among the rest, the lawsuit included that “[Svetnoy] would be haunted forever by holding cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in his arms as she bled from the chest.”

During a press conference, Svetnoy said, “What a tragedy and injustice when a person loses her life on film set while making art.”

Among the defendants whose names were put in the lawsuit is that of armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed who provided Baldwin with the gun. Her lawyer Jason Bowles said in a statement, “We are convinced this was sabotage and Hannah is being framed. We believe that the scene was tampered with as well before the police arrived.

“We are asking for a full and complete investigation of all of the facts, including the live rounds themselves, how they ended up in the ‘dummies’ box, and who put them in there.”

Last month, Alec Baldwin commented on the tragic incident saying, “We were a very, very well-oiled crew shooting a film together and then this horrible event happened.”

Cover photo credit: (Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

Steve Harvey is moved to tears on his show by his son’s words about how much he means to him

By
Monica Pop
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How many times have you wished to be in the place of a celebrity person whose life seems flawless? Many people do that and even ask themselves why they aren’t the ones who get to experience all the glam and glory this kind of life comes with. However, what they don’t know is that not everyone who is famous got their wealth and fame on a plate. Most of these people that we admire had to work really hard in order to get where they are today. Steve Harvey, one of our favorite comedians and TV presenters, is just one of them.

Today, Harvey seems to have it all, but it wasn’t always like that. His dad was a coal miner and couldn’t afford to give his son a lot of things while he grew up. As for Harvey himself, he worked different jobs throughout the years, including mailman, carpet cleaner and even a boxer.

Eventually, he started booking stand-up comedy gigs but would send all that money to his ex-wife for the kids, and having no money made Harvey a homeless person. “One or two gigs fell through, and suddenly I was homeless…I had nowhere to go…It was so disheartening… A week is really the maximum you can do. This was three years!” the comedian once told PEOPLE.

Life wasn’t easy for Harvey who spent three years living in his car. He would take showers at gas stations or swimming pool facilities. However, things turned for the best for Harvey after he took part in the show “Johnnie Walker National Comedy Search” in 1990 and made it to the finals.

Soon enough, Harvey was the host of of late-night series “Showtime at the Apollo.”

Harvey got married three times. He has four kids from his two marriages, and after marrying his wife Marjorie Bridges, he adopted her children and became a father of seven. His children describe him as their role model and the best dad they could ever ask for, and recently, they got the chance to tell him just how he means to them on his show.

Jason said, “You took my mother but you gained a whole lot more with that. You gave me your last name, and that’s the unthinkable. My father, you know, he did what he could, but he wasn’t there. And you stepped in and you gave me that. If only you knew the true amount of love that I have for you… I need for you to know that now. It don’t get no better than you, Dad. You it.”

Jason’s touching words made Harvey cry. He couldn’t contain his emotions after he listened to what his kids think of him and how much they love him. The audience couldn’t contain their tears either. It was a very special moment for everyone who witnessed it.

After his children shared their feelings, Harvey’s wife paid tribute to him. She said, “I appreciate the man that you are, the example that you are for our children … I appreciate how you love me, how you loved my children as though they were yours, how you treat my parents as though they were your parents. Just everything.”

Harvey was overwhelmed and could barely speak. He thanked his family and said, “I got 4 full-time jobs for them. So that when I am done, I want you all to just have remembered that somebody cared more about you than himself. I will defend your honor until the day I die, I love you all, this is what it is for me. This is the greatest moment I’ve ever had. I’m very proud to be your father.”

Watch the heartwarming tribute in the video below.

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Peace and Love

Couple hid their pregnancy for months, now they visit their family and friends with a baby in their hands

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Monica Pop
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What does it take for a video to go viral and gather the attention of millions? Well, apparently a new baby and a big secret.

Ben Hinders and his wife hadn’t met their friends and family for ten long months, and as everyone assumed nothing exciting or worth mentioning and sharing was going on in this couple’s life, they decided to keep it a secret from everyone that they had a baby.

Baby Ivy was welcomed into the world without anyone, except for her parents, of course, knowing about it.

As she turned one month, the couple decided to introduce their little bundle of joy to their family and friends. As they go from place to place, they leave their loved ones in disbelief. While some are completely shocked by the great news, others can’t contain their tears of joy. We totally understand the reactions. Just imagine your son or daughter appearing at your door out of the blue with a baby in their hands telling you that you became a grandparent.

This video is so worth watching it will put a huge smile on your face, that’s for sure. You can take a look at it below. Make sure to tell us whose reaction you liked the most.

Simon Cowell has used so much Botox over the years that he’s now left with “permanently sad” face, experts say

By
Monica Pop
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The music industry would have never been what it is today had it not been for Simon Cowell. It is him that we should thank for some of the most popular names among musicians, including Leona Lewis and the boy band One Direction, just to name a few.

He started his career as a music producer, consultant, and scout during the 80’s, but came to public prominence in 2001 as a judge on Pop Idol. The show was a huge success, so Simon went a step further and created The X Factor and Got Talent franchises which are extremely popular in a huge number of countries throughout the world.

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In 2004 and 2010, Time named Cowell one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

He’s been married to wife Lauren Silverman since 2013 and the two have one son together.

During the past period, Simon suffered two accidents. First, he fell off the stairs, and recently, he fell off the electric bike. Sadly, he injured his back severely and had to undergo a six-hour surgery. He, however, is feeling fine right now.

In attempt to express his gratitude to the well-wishers, Simon posted on Twitter giving them advise to be extra cautious with their electric bikes and read the manual thoroughly.

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However, it is Simon Cowell’s face, which changed drastically over the years, that has people talking. It is not a secret that the music producer and businessman used Botox in the past, but his fans believe that he exaggerated and is now left with a permanently sad facial expression.

He first opened up about the non-surgical “sewing bioplastic-infused thread” facelift he had when speaking to Hello! back in 2018.

“There’s lots of things you can do now. You don’t just have to stuff your face with filler and Botox,” Cowell said. “It hurts like hell but it gets rid of sun damage and unplugs all the crap. For me now, it’s all about having clean skin. If you have clean skin, you look better. But you have to be very careful with some of this stuff.”

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Although he’s satisfied with the way he looks, Simon does confess that he probably went a bit far. “Hopefully I look better now — I probably did have a little too much Botox a couple of years ago, because everyone on TV has it,” he said.

“Now I have facials, but nothing too extravagant at the moment. I have a girl who comes here and does a great face massage — it’s very relaxing. I also had a sheep placenta facial once, which was quite out there.”

Speaking to the Mirror and recalling the past years, Cowell said: “All of us are like, ‘Christ, we had a lot that year. Not so much that year… maybe a bit too much that year.’”

“You know, the old clips of us are hysterical. Amanda’s [co-star AmandaHolden on Britain’s Got Talents] always like, ‘What was I thinking?’ I said, ‘Well, I don’t look a lot better.’ I look all right now, but certain years it was like, ‘Wow,’ I don’t know what was going on.”

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Some doctors and experts called out Cowell for using too much Botox. Plastic surgeon Dr. Anthony Youn said in 2019, “I think he’s had some bad Botox. If Botox is injected too far out on the side of the forehead, it can cause the forehead and eyebrows to droop.” Many agree that the way his face looks today is so much different than it did before.

Aesthetic injector Kristina Kitsos also commented on Cowell’s looks and told Radar Online: “Simon Cowell has had too much botox in the lateral forehead, causing the sides of his eyebrows to droop down like that. I strongly advise my clients to do a little and add to it if necessary, therefore they look rested and natural. This is definitely a case where less would have been more.”

We think Simon Cowell looks great and if he’s satisfied with his new face, who are we to judge?

Recently, TV host and presenter Maya Jama shared a photo with Cowell in which he’s seen with a huge smile on his face.

“From watching talent shows made by this man growing up to hosting one myself on big bloody ITV is honestly a dream I don’t wanna get all deep on here but the journey has been a mad one & I am so so grateful for the opportunity and excited for this next chapter,” a part of the caption read.

Apparently, Maya Jama will be working with Simon Cowell on his new ITV show Walk The Line.

Teacher changes her hairstyle to support bullied girl

By
Monica Pop
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Being a teacher means being there for your students every step of the way. It truly takes a special heart to help shape little minds.

Here are five extraordinary teachers who went above and beyond for the well-being of their students. They are such an inspiration.

1. A little girl at teacher Ana Bárbara Ferreira’s classroom was made fun of because of her usual hairstyle; two cute hair buns. The sweet girl was devastated and told her teacher how her classmates didn’t like her hair, so Ferreira decided to do the same hairstyle the following day. When the girl noticed her teacher’s hair, she was over the moon. She approached Ferreita and told her, “Today, I’m as beautiful as you are.”

Source: Ana Bárbara Ferreira

2. Teacher ShaRee Castlebury from Lawton, Oklahoma, was about to say goodbye to her students as the end of the school year was approaching. She felt emotional, so she decided to give her students a very unique project to work on.

Namely, she brought one of her dresses to school and asked the pupils to get creative and paint on it. The young students drew a bunch of beautiful things, including messages for their teacher.

On the last day of school, Castebury wore the dress and left everyone in awe.

Source: ShaRee Castlebury/Facebook

3. The father-daughter dance nights are a big deal for many little girls. Most of them can’t wait to attend those meaningful events together with their daddies. For one girl named Kaylee Nance from Trautwein Elementary School in St. Louis, Missouri, the father-daughter dance brought heartbreak because her father is no longer around.

Not wanting her to feel sad, one of her teachers, Tim Bianco, offered to be her date. They wore matching outfits and had the time of their life.

Kaylee was so happy she didn’t miss out the dance. Her favorite teacher stepping in filled her heart with joy.

“I just want her to feel loved and cared about,” teacher Bianco said.

Source: Facebook/Trautwein Elementary School

4. Teacher Bri Dredge from Australia competed in a show and ended up winning $20,000. With that much money, she could buy anything she wanted for herself and her family, and she did, but before that, she bought each and every student from her class brand new leather shoes to help them get through the winter.

Needless to say, the students were very thankful.

Source: Blundstone Australia/Facebook

5. Virginia Davis, a 17 year old student from Whitesboro, New York, was born with just one thumb and another partial finger on one of her hands. She felt different and had a hard time performing some things using that hand.

Luckily, her technology teacher decided to do something very beautiful for her. He managed to design an artificial hand for Davis.

The design only cost $30 to make, which is far less than what those things cost. Some companies sell them for $30,000 so Davis is lucky she has such a caring and smart teacher in her life.

Source: N. Scott Trimble | Syracuse.com

What do you think of these special teachers? Aren’t they the best?

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