Audrina Patridge, who featured in all six seasons of the MTV reality series The Hills, shared devastating news. Her niece, 15-year-old Sadie Loza, passed away suddenly on Valentine’s Day. The cause of death has not yet been revealed.
Sadie was the daughter of Audrina’s sister Casey Loza. Casey had Sadie from her previous relationship with Aaron Hershman, who was shot dead on the streets Chino, California, in February 2012 at age 29, shortly after the birth of their daughter.
Audrina posted a selection of photos and videos of Sadie at different ages of her life and wrote, “My heart hurts to even write this. My beautiful niece is now in heaven.”
The reality star continued her tribute by writing, “I know it’s not goodbye forever, but it is the hardest to say goodbye for now. We will miss you and cherish every single moment we had with you.
“Rest in peace Say Say!! We love you forever & ever!”
Under the post she shared, Audrina received messages of support by many of her friends and fans.
Brody Jenner, who co-starred with Audrina on The Hills, wrote: “So so sorry for your loss Audrina. This is heartbreaking. Sending love to you and the family.”
“Audrina! I’m so so sorry! Sending all the love and light to you and your family,” Rachel Bilson replied, while Twilight actor Ashley Greene added: “Sending you and your family lots of love.”
Other celebrities who sent their love and support were Paris Hilton, Kaitlyn Bristowe, Nicky Hilton, Selma Blair, Christa Allen, Kandee Johnson, and Becca Tilley.
Sadie’s mother also posted tribute to her late daughter. “Sadie Raine Loza has left this Earth for the heavens,” she started her post, adding that it was the hardest thing she ever had to do.
“Sadie liked to remind me that the first law of thermodynamics aka (Law of Conservation of Energy) works in all spheres of life.
“Energy cannot be created or destroyed, it can only be changed from one form to another.”
She continued: “Transformation is a better word than death. Her story will save countless lives, her memory will never be forgotten. Rest In Peace you brilliant starseed. You’re with your creator. We will miss you dearly. I love you.”
Our thoughts and prayers are with the devastated family during these hours of grief. Sadie turned 15 just a week before her tragic passing.
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John Travolta, one of the most famous names in the world of film, has suffered a number of tragedies in his life.
Following the passing of his wife of 28 years, Kelly Preston, who lost her life in 2020 after battling breast cancer for two years, Travolta, who is adored by many not only for his iconic roles, like that of greaser Danny Zuko among the rest, but also because of his nature and devotion to his family, has been a single father.
Despite the tragedies that affected him deeply, including the tragic loss of his son Jett who suffered a seizure and passed away while the family was vacationing in the Bahamas, Travolta needs to stay positive because of his two children, daughter Ella and son Benjamin.
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That the 69-year-old actor is a devoted father is common knowledge. Over the years, he has never missed a chance to share his love for his children publicly by reminding them how important they are for him. The beautiful thing is that Ella and Benjamin do the same.
Ella, who followed into her famous parents’ footsteps and is an actress herself, describes her dad as the most important person in her life and her role model.
On his birthday this year, she posted a picture of her cheek-to-cheek with her father with the caption, “Yesterday marked the birthday of my hero. The most incredible father, friend, and role model anyone could ask for. I love you, Daddy❤️❤️❤️’”
Travolta, as expected, commented on the touching post writing, “I love you too my dearest Ella. More than you know.”
Many fans got emotional over the outpouring of love between the father and daughter and couldn’t help by comment. One person wrote, “You are so blessed to have him as your hero and have such an awesome relationship. So very few girls have this with their fathers! Cherish it as it we’re fine treasure because it is!” Another added, “I admire you Ella You Are your fathers keeper much like many of us! Please keep watching over him. He’s an amazing person with an amazing heart and so much love to give.”
Ella also paid tribute to her dad on Father’s day. “You make parenting look so easy, though it not always is,” Ella wrote in the caption. “Every day better than the one before” she added, describing her dad as her “best friend.” She concluded by saying, “I hope to be even half as good of a parent as you someday” before wishing him a Happy Father’s Day.
Ella is known for the movies Old Dogs (2009) and The Poison Rose (2019). “Since I was very little, I’ve loved performing, singing, dancing and putting on shows at home for my family and friends,” she told People.
We wish the Travolta family only the best life brings.
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Ever since then 4-year-old Madeleine McCann went missing from an apartment in Praia da Luz, in Portugal, while her parents were out having dinner, her case became “the most heavily reported missing-person case in modern history.”
Sadly, 15 years later, no one knows where Madeleine could be or whether she’s still alive, although her parents and her family never lost hope of ever seeing her again.
On May 12, 2022, what would have been her 18th birthday, her devastated parents shared a heart-wrenching message. “We love you and we’re waiting for you and we’re never going to give up.”
The investigation around her disappearance continues up until this day and her mom and dad, who were considered suspects at one point, say they never lost hope of finding their daughter.
Back in 2020, detectives who are working on Madeleine’s case said how they believe the girl had been murdered. German prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters allegedly said that he believes the suspect in the case, Christian Brueckner, didn’t move the girl from Praia da Luz to Germany as many believe, but executed her in Portugal, as reported by the Evening Standard Newspaper. “I am optimistic we will solve this case,” Wolters added.
The prime suspect in the case, German pedophile Christian Brueckner, 44, is currently serving a seven-year sentence for raping a 72-year-old American in Praia da Luz in 2005. At the same time, he’s awaiting a trial for a separate case in which he’s charged for raping an Irish tour rep in 2004.
The case has seen a dramatic revival in the last few days as everyone has been taken aback by a 21-year-old Polish woman named Julia Wendell who has gone viral after sensationally claiming that she is Madeleine McCann. Julia gathered over a million followers on Instagram where she shares ‘evidence’ of her claims.
On her Instagram account named “Help me, I need to talk with Kate and Gerry McCann” with the username “iammadeleinemccan,” Julia shares evidence of her claims such as certain physical similarities with the missing Madeleine, like the famous rare eye defect and other facial features. As of her childhood, Julia says she remembers little to nothing.
In statements made to the Daily Star, Julia said:“I have lived a very hard life and suffered a lot of trauma, my abuser was a German paedophile who was a suspect in the Madeleine McCann investigation.
“I had not heard of this case until I started asking my parents questions about my childhood as I have little to no memory of it. The memories are all very blurry and when I have had conversations with my parents, things don’t seem to add up and they always try to change the subject.”
Further, Julia said, “I don’t remember being taken away. I mean, I don’t remember almost my entire childhood… I have asked for pictures of when my mum was pregnant with me, other medical records and any pictures from my childhood and she never shows them, she just always tells me I’m crazy.
“My school teacher when I was very young said that I wasn’t there from the start but my parents insist I was. After all this confusion I began to do my own research I discovered what had happened to Madeleine McCann and started to piece together the similarities we shared. It has been so stressful trying to get people to listen to me.”
Allegedly, as reported by media outlets, Julia’s story reached Madeleine’s parents, Kate and Gerry, who are willing to follow up on the lead. They could also go ahead with Julia’s offer to do a DNA test.
This information has been confirmed by Julia herself. “Thank you for support! Kate and Gerry McCann agreed for DNA test!” she wrote on Instagram.
As of the parents Julia lives with, she says they are not happy with what she does. They say she is “horrible” for giving false hope to the McCanns.
We truly hope the case of Madeleine McCann will eventually be solve and her parents will finally get some peace.
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The ’70s band that consisted of the siblings of the Osmond family, known as the Osmonds, quickly rose to fame after reaching the top charts and they all became teen idols that stole the hearts of millions of Americans. The screaming crowds who were anticipating each of the Osmonds’ new single, album, and performance, created a frenzy known as the Osmondmania.
When the only sister of the Osmond family started her music career herself, she and brother Donny became a duo and reached for the stars together. Their fame grew bigger and bigger and fans never had it enough of the celebrity brother and sister, so soon after, Marie and Donny Osmond had their own show, “Donny & Marie,” which was a huge success.
However, Marie’s success in front of the camera came with a price. She felt the constant pressure to look flawless at all times as producers knew many young girls and women were looking up to her.
“I had producers take me out into the parking lot when I was 103 pounds and tell me that I was obese, disgusting and a disgrace to my family,” Marie told Closer magazine in 2015, adding, “[They said] that I needed to keep food out of my fat face.”
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Although things were tough for her, she didn’t quit the show because she knew it would mean a lot of people would lose their job as well. She pretended to be strong, but those harsh words always stayed with her and affected her self-confidence. “Food was becoming my enemy, and it should not be that way,” she told Closer during a 2017 interview.
Donny felt the pressure too. During the same interview with the Closer Magazine, he said how the show’s director was a “perfectionist,” and added, “There were so many wonderful outtakes that weren’t used because he wanted it to be perfect. What I’ve learned over the years is that imperfection is perfection. You can’t make it too perfect to a point where it’s not real.”
The producers of the show called it quits in 1978 despite it never lost the interest among the fans. Allegedly, the reason was that Donny started dating his future wife Debra Glenn, with whom he now has 5 sons and 10 grandchildren, and “lost” the title of most eligible bachelor.
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The siblings moved on with their music careers. They first started singing and performing when they were very young, somewhere around 4 and 5, and are still very active on the music scene.
Marie confessed that being the only girl among eight brothers wasn’t easy. They have always been very supportive of her and her career, but she somehow felt the pressure which came from all sides.
“It hadn’t been easy growing up in the music industry in the ’70s – and for two reasons. Not only was I a girl, but I was [also] the only female Osmond. I felt a huge pressure on all sides,” she told the Daily Mail.
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In 2008, the siblings announced their new joint residency at the Flamingo Hotel & Casino in the Las Vegas. Their show ran for 11 years, featuring a total of 1,730 and even more performances. In 2019, however, the brother and sister decided it was time to move on.
During their final performance, they sang May Tomorrow Be a Perfect Day, and barely kept their tears from rolling down their faces.
“During this time I literally got my life back on track,” Marie continued.
“I was a single mom with 8 kids and a lot of baggage – along with their broken hearts to heal. Performing with Donny provided stability for my children by not traveling and for the first time I felt peace. I could be a mom and still do what I loved with someone I trusted, my brother Donny – I love you Donny!”
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Rumors were that the siblings ended their show because of a family dispute, but they both denied being involved in any sort of argument.
“We announced this and the next day they were like, ‘Oh they’re fighting,’” Marie said. “And I’m like, ‘Oh come on, we get angry at each other every day. Come on,’” she added.
In November 2022, as Donny performed in Vegas, he announced a special guest, and it was no other than his loving sister. The two performed their hit song I’m A Little Bit Country, I’m A Little Bit Rock’ N’ Roll.
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Later, Donny shared a photo of him and Marie with the caption, “Words cannot express how great it was to see my sweet sister at my show on Saturday night at Harrah’s Las Vegas.
“During the Request Segment of my show, someone yelled out, ‘Sing I’m A Little Bit Country, I’m A Little Bit Rock & Roll.’ I went out to the booth where Marie was sitting and we sang our theme song once again together.”
Donny concluded: “The crowd went wild. I wish everyone could have seen it. I’ll remember that moment for the rest of my life. Thank you, Sis. I love you.”
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Gwen Stefani has always been fan-favorite and her style has been dubbed by many as pretty-meets-punk.
One of the designers Stefani has always admired is late Vivienne Westwood who was largely responsible for bringing modern punk and new wave fashions into the mainstream. The famous British designer rose to prominence by outfitting the Sex Pistols as punk took off in the 1970s. Her designs were independent and represented a statement of her own values.
Westwood passed away December 29, 2022, aged 81. She left behind her husband Andreas Kronthaler and two sons Derek Westwood and Joseph Corré, the latter of whom has followed in his mother’s footsteps and is the founder of lingerie brand Agent Provocateur.
Among those who paid their tributes to the late designer was, of course, the No Doubt singer Stefani, who considered Westwood her fashion idol. In her song Rich Girl, Stefani sings, “Think what that money could bring, I’d buy everything, Clean out Vivienne Westwood, In my Galliano gown.”
Following Westwood’s passing, Stefani took to Instagram to share her sadness. Along with a photo of herself and the late fashion designer, she wrote, “My heart hurts to hear of the passing of legendary @viviennewestwood who always made an impact in not just fashion but pop culture.
“I’ll never forget wearing my first piece of designer clothing and it being a piece from Vivienne Westwood. Vivienne, u were one of a kind, u will always be one of my favorite fashion designers.”
Westwood’s designs prompted discussions about politics and social issues that people worldwide could relate to. She was someone who pushed limits and broke traditions, thus inspired millions to express themselves creatively.
Speaking of the time she met Vivienne Westwood in person, Gwen Stefani said that it felt like meeting the Queen.
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Al Roker, the longtime Today show anchor, has been experiencing health issues for some time now.
Back in November, 2022, Roker was admitted to hospital because of blood clots. Following concerns raised by his fans, Roker decided to share with them the reasons behind his absence from the show.
“So many of you have been thoughtfully asking where I’ve been,” he began his post. “Last week I was admitted to the hospital with a blood clot in my leg which sent some clots into my lungs.” He then added that he was in a process of recovery, but some time later, his condition worsened and he was forced to return to the hospital once again. For the first in years, he was forced to miss the Thanksgiving Parade.
Earlier this year, he came back to the show and spoke candidly of his health condition, admitting something his fans weren’t aware of up until that moment.
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“I had two complicating things. I had blood clots that they think came up after I had COVID in September and I had this internal bleeding going on,” Roker shared. He then added: “I lost almost half my blood.”
Talking to his Today co-hosts, Roker revealed he suffered internal bleeding and required surgery.
“I went into for one operation, I got four free.”
The team of doctors at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center discovered two bleeding ulcers. As a result, Roker was forced to undergo a seven-hour surgery during which doctors re-sectioned his colon, took out his gallbladder, and redid a part of his small intestine.
“(We) were extraordinarily concerned about Al,” Dr. Felice H. Schnoll-Sussman, Al’s gastroenterologist, told Today. “Extraordinarily concerned. He had a life-threatening experience. I mean, there’s just no doubt about that.”
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Roker’s wife, Deborah Roberts, who is an ABC News Senior National Affairs Correspondent, said of her husband’s health scare, “He was a medical mystery for a couple of weeks. It was the most tumultuous, frightening journey we have ever been on.
“He is a living, breathing miracle,” she said. “He really is, and I have to say — I’m not overstating it, I don’t think — Al was a very, very, very sick man. And I think most people did not know that.”
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And now that everyone believed the worst was over, Roberts made an announcement that came as a surprise to many.
In a video she shared on her Instagram account, Roberts said that she needed a break.
“Sometimes your body says ‘Enough. It’s time to take a break, recharge, renew’ and I think my body is screaming that right now,” she said.
“So I am going to do just that. I’m going to take a little breather, take a couple of days and try to refresh and recharge.
“Going to sign off social media and just do a little focus on me…I’ll see ya when I see ya.”
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She, however, assured her fans that they would see her on ABC again next week.
Well, everyone needs a break sometimes and it is great when we see people prioritizing their health over everything else.
We wish Roker and Roberts health.
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His role in the iconic American Gigolo placed him on the list of sexiest actors of Hollywood, and today, at the age of 73, actor Richard Gere hasn’t lost any of his charm that helped him make a name for himself as a heartthrob.
What’s most, he feels young and enjoys his life to the fullest. The A-list actor who is best knows for his roles in Pretty Woman and An Officer and a Gentleman has been married three times.
He and his current wife, Alejandra Silva, have two children together. Silva is 33 years his junior.
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She has always been open about their marriage, and this time, she has been candid of the tragic event that struck the family during their vacation in Mexico.
Namely, prior to the vacation, Gere was suffering from a cough. However, his health reportedly deteriorated and he was forced to seek medical attention. As initially reported by TMZ, Gere was diagnosed with pneumonia. The actor stayed in the hospital overnight in order to be monitored but was released the following day after being prescribed antibiotics.
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Following the overwhelming messages of love and support, Silva decided to put an end to the speculations and concerns so she took to the social media to post an update of her husband’s health.
“I woke up this morning and I saw the news and all your kind and [worried] messages,” she captioned the post. “He is recovering he is feeling much better today!”
Silva further added, “The worst has already [passed]! Thank you all for [your] sweet messages we really appreciate them! ♥️♥️ #thankyou.”
Even before the actor was hospitalized, Silva, who was celebrating her 40th birthday during the family trip, revealed that the family was going through some kind of sickness by sharing a photo of herself walking with her two children towards the sea. She captioned the photo, “Thank you all for the birthday wishes… after almost 3 weeks of everyone being sick in our family, today finally I feel much better! Thank you for all the love ❤️ I give it all back to you! ��� #happybirthday #happy40.”
We are so happy that the family is doing well now. Please join us in wishing them good health.
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Hollywood is the place where dreams come true, but it is at the same time a place where many dreams are crashed.
Over the years, a huge number of actors and actresses experienced the Hollywood glam, but not many were destined to stay there for long. Those who did, however, left a mark and even changed the industry forever.
One actor who made an impact and then somehow faded out of the spotlight is Val Kilmer.
Born on December 31, 1959 in Los Angeles, to parents who were not in any way related to the acting business, Val showed immense talent for acting from very early age. He attended Chatsworth High School together with Kevin Spacey and Mare Winningham and then the Hollywood Professional School. Val became the youngest ever person at the time to be accepted into the Juilliard School’s Drama Division in New York.
After Juilliard, young Val found himself conquering the New York City theater scene. What followed were some roles in blockbusters, and eventually, he ended up being part of some of the most iconic movies such as Top Gun, where he starred opposite Tom Cruise. This movie helped Val make a name for himself almost overnight. All of a sudden, everyone was obsessed with this young actor’s charming looks and undeniable talent.
During the 80s, Val starred opposite Michelle Pfeiffer in the ABC afterschool Special One Too Many. Rumors were that the two were a thing, but neither ever denied or confirmed that. Val, however, wrote a song about her titled “The Pfeiffer Howls at the Moon,” which only made the magazines speculate about their alleged relationship even further back in the day.
On the set of Willow, in 1988, Val met his future wife, actress Joanne Whalley. They had two children together before they decided to put a stop on their marriage eight years later.
“You just don’t understand humility until you have children and get divorced,” Val told Elle magazine about the divorce.
“I was very hurt and very angry and so was she. But when kids are involved, you either become friends with respect or you become mortal enemies.”
In 1991, Val played the iconic role of Jim Morrison in The Doors. He provided the vocals for the movie’s soundtrack, showing the world just another talent of his.
Others movies that followed and marked Val’s career, among the rest, are Tombstone,True Romance, and Batman.
In 2015, Val underwent a surgery due to throat cancer and lost his natural voice. When asked what he truly misses about his old voice, he said, “That I had one! That I didn’t laugh like a pirate.”
Sadly, he’s still suffering consequences from the cancer treatments.
Val was supposed to appear in Disney+’s relaunch of Willow, in which he would have reprised his 1988 portrayal but his health prevented him from doing so.
“As COVID took over the world, it became insurmountable,” showrunner Jonathan Kasdan explained. “We were preparing in the spring when it peaked. Val also resisted the urge to speak up.”
“We had to figure out a way to keep the story we wanted to tell him about how his journey was unfolding,” he added.
“I remember seeing Val shortly after this thing started and telling her, ‘Listen, we’re doing this, and the entire world wants Madmartigan back,’” Kasdan continued. “Not nearly as much as I do.”
“As I walked away, he hugged me. ‘I’m still very strong,’ he said as he lifted me. And I thought to myself, ‘Wonderful.’ We began planning his appearance in the first season. To be honest, we couldn’t get him until late in the procedure.”
When he learned of his cancer diagnosis back in 2015, Val refused to receive treatments because he believed his Christian Science faith would cure the tumors.
He also didn’t share the news of the devastating diagnosis with the public until 2017.
“I’ve been cancer-free for more than four years now, with no recurrence,” he claimed in I’m Your Huckleberry. “I am deeply grateful.”
He also spoke of the devastation over losing his voice, adding that painting helped him cope with the situation. “My creative juices were boiling over and pouring out of me, but I had no voice to express them. I rediscovered my creative side and began writing and drawing again. Art provided me with a healing experience.”
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Gorgeous Raquel Welch, who was considered the sex symbol of the 60s and 70s died at 82 fter a brief, undisclosed illness.
From the moment she landed her role in Fantastic Voyage and later in One Million Years B.C in 1966, Welch attracted the attention of millions of people worldwide. No one really cared that her character only had three lines of dialogue in the film because it was her stunning appearance in her undergarments that stunned the audience.
“I had no other credentials as an actress outside of that one laughable line of dialogue: ‘Me Loana… You Tumak.’ It felt like I’d stumbled into a booby trap – pun intended. I’m a living proof that a picture speaks a thousand words,” Welch said.
Soon after, images of her in the doe-skin bikini became best-selling posters that turned her into an international sex symbol. Playboy Magazine gave her the title of “the most desirable lady of the decade” in the year 1970 and she truly was one.
By the time she became a world-renowned star, Welch was already a mother of two, daughter Latanne Rene “Tahnee” Welch and son Damon Welch.
She had her children with her first husband, James Welch, who was her high-school sweetheart and whom she married shortly after graduating from high school.
Though James and the actress divorced in 1964, she stepped out with her children on various occasions over the years.
One of the times when Damon made a public appearance with his famous mother was at the 46th Academy Awards in April 1974, which Welch hosted. He also accompanied her to different premieres, including the 39th Annual Emmy Awards in September 1987 and the Hollywood premiere of Crocodile Dundee II in 1988. He was by his mother’s side when she received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Damon has tried to keep his life as private as possible and not much is known about him, except that he used to be married to Rebecca Trueman, the daughter of an English cricket player.
On their wedding day, Welch appeared in a little black dress that showed her cleavage and rumors were that her son and her daughter-in-law were feuding with her over her choice of outfit.
Years later, however, Rebecca spoke of Welch and her dress and told Daily Mail, “Everyone gets upset about the fact [Welch] wore a black dress that showed her cleavage, but the fact is that she wore a beautiful embroidered jacket over the dress to come in the church.
“She was trying to respect English tradition and tried to wear an English dress and jacket ensemble. I actually thought she looked very stylish and beautiful on the day,” Welch’s former daughter-in-law added. “But of course everyone just picked up on her most famous asset – her chest – which was revealed when she removed the jacket for the reception.”
When it comes to Tahnee, she followed into her mom’s footsteps. Among the rest, she starred in Ron Howard’s Cocoon and its sequel, Cocoon: The Return and appeared in various magazines such as Vogue, Italian Vogue and British GQ.
Speaking of her relationship with her children, Welch told Oprah that her career took a toll on her family because she couldn’t spend as much time with her children as she wished.
“When I’m running around the world and being Miss Sex Symbol and having this big career in film and everything and I’m running from place to place, I couldn’t always be with my children when I wanted to be,” she said. “Eventually, I could see that this was taking its toll on my kids, and it used to just break my heart.”
Realizing what she was missing and how her career affected her children, she did all she could to repair the relationship with them.
“Little by little, the disappointment or the lack of confidence they had in me melted away.”
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A man named Dave Summers is one of those people who help restore our faith in humanity. So what makes him so special?
One day, Dave noticed a woman sleeping on a patch of ground outside his Los Angeles home. Instead of getting mad and asking her to move, he decided to build her a tiny cottage that she could call home.
When the woman, Irene “Smokie” McGee, learned what Dave wanted to do for, her she couldn’t believe her ears.
Using his carpentry skills and being fascinated with the growing trend of people turning to tiny homes, Dave went to the local hardware store and bought $500 worth of supplies before he could invest all his time and energy in building a small-scale residence for Irene.
With the tiny cottage, Irene got a place where she could sleep, spend her time, and keep her few belongings. The place is also secure and easily transportable.
Realizing just how much it meant to Irene to have her own home, Dave decided to share the video of his hard work on YouTube in order to raise awareness of the issue of homelessness in the country which affects more people than we can ever imagine.
What’s more, Dave made it his mission to help even more people who are in the same situation as Irene. The mission now grew big and led to the ‘Small Home Big Purpose’ fundraising initiative.
Over time, Dave also turned to helping those who are less fortunate by providing school possibilities or career options.
When the local church learned of Dave’s noble mission, they generously gave room in their parking lot for these ‘Little Houses’ to stay safe overnight. Further, the church also provides food, bathing, and clothing as part of its humanitarian goal to help homeless people turn a new leaf and get a fresh start.
For more, go to the video below.
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This is the story of Gito, a tiny orangutan who has suffered the loss of his mother because of poachers and was left inside a cardboard box to die. When he was found, Gito’s rescuers believed he wasn’t alive because he resembled a mummy. He didn’t have any hair on his body and his skin was sore.
Allegedly, someone bought him for $30 before leaving him under the sun all by himself.
“We thought he was dead, at first,” International Animal Rescue wrote on their website. “Gito’s arms were folded corpse-like across his tiny body and he looked almost mummified in his cardboard coffin. Gito had barely any hair on his body and his skin was grey and flaking from sarcoptic mange. The constant itching and pain must have been excruciating.”
Gito was taken to the nearest vet clinic, which was around nine hours away, and the veterinarians had a hard time understanding how he was still alive. This sweet orangutan proved to be a fighter and they were willing to do all in their power to help him stay alive.
Gito received treatment for the severe skin infection he suffered from. He was also provided with plenty of love, hugs, and kisses, something he had never felt before because he didn’t have his mommy by his side.
Over time, Gito became stronger and stronger. He got his orange hair back and got comfortable around people.
Following his rescue, sweet Gito got involved in the International Animal Rescue rehabilitation program where he would spend the first seven years of his life before he gets released into the wild. He’s staying around other animals of his kind and gets to have a fun time learning new things each and every day.
Gito is taught how to look for food and how to climb trees, among the rest. “Animals are suffering and dying because of the systematic destruction of the rainforest, primarily for palm oil production,” Lis Key, communications manager for the rescue center, told The Dodo.
We are so thankful there are organizations out there such as the International Animal Rescue who give vulnerable creatures like Gito a new chance for a better life.
For more on this story go to the video below.
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What started as a YouTube channel featuring videos of cleaning water from debris, ended up with solving cases of missing people.
Oregon-based scuba-diver Jared Leisek embarked on a mission to help clean the local rivers and post videos of his underwater adventures on his YouTube channel. His buddies, Sam Ginn and Doug Bishop, who shared his dream for a clean environment, joined him in his mission.
At the beginning, they would pull out all sort of garbage, old phones, scrap metal and a lot more, but as time passed by they bought the latest equipment for pulling out old vehicles in order to prevent their fluids pollute the waters.
As their videos started attracting the attention of more and more viewers, families of missing people reached out to Jared and asked for help in locating their loved ones. “Families [of missing people] saw what it is that we were capable of,” Jared explained. “We can go out. We can search. We can find. We can float, and we can recover these vehicles. ‘We have a lost loved one. Jared, do you think that you and your organization can come help us out?’”
Most recently, these guys made a shocking discovery when they pulled out a vehicle which belonged to a woman named Samantha Jean Hopper who was reported missing on September 11th, 1998.
According to the Pope County Sheriff’s Office, on the day she went missing, Samantha was en route to Little Rock to drop off her daughter Courtney Holt before attending a show, but as she didn’t appear the police got involved, but sadly, they were unable to locate Samantha, her child, or her blue Ford Tempo.
The vehicle was discovered eight feet under water. Inside the car, there were human remains which will be transported to the Arkansas State Crime Lab in Little Rock for DNA testing.
After 23 long years, thanks to Adventures With Purpose, Samantha’s case has finally been solved.
Samantha’s daughter, Dezarea Hopper, claimed on a memorial page that her mother was nine months pregnant at the time of her disappearance. Dezarea’s sister, Courtney, was about 2 years old at the time. Discovering their bodies, in Dezarea’s words, was “relieving.”
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Stella Stevens, a Golden Globe-winning actress and ’60s Hollywood bombshell whose prolific career included roles in hit films The Nutty Professor and The Poseidon Adventure passed away at the age of 84.
According to the statement released by her son Andrew Stevens, the actress, who co-starred with Elvis Presley in Girls! Girls! Girls! was living in hospice care and battled Alzheimer’s for some time.
American actress Stella Stevens, circa 1960. (Photo by Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images)
Stevens’ manager and friend, Maria Calabrese, confirmed the actress’ death to People saying, “It was an honor and a privilege to have worked with Stella, who was one of the most wonderful and gifted people I have ever worked with.
“She was an amazing animal lover, horse wrangler, rock-and-roller, so ahead of her time and so much more than a sex symbol — which her adoring fans admired, respected and understood,” Calabrese added. “What a tremendous body of work and loss. The O.G. of badass women.”
Our thoughts are with the family and friends of actress, director and activist Stella Stevens. More than just a blonde bombshell, the effervescent star held her own in a variety of roles on the big and small screen.@Variety remembers her here: https://t.co/TOpMS4rlf3pic.twitter.com/41T7HLE315
Among those honoring late Stevens was Rock guitarist Bruce Kulick, brother of her late partner, Bob Kulick.
“Legendary actress Stella Stevens, my brother’s longtime partner, passed away this morning from a long illness. She is finally reunited with Bob today,” Kulick wrote on Twitter. “She starred in many movies I love. It was very special for my family and I to know her personally. RIP Stella, 1938-2023.”
Stella Stevens, who starred with Elvis Presley in GIRLS! GIRLS! GIRLS! (1962) and with Jerry Lewis in THE NUTTY PROFESSOR (1963)—and worked with Vincente Minnelli and Sam Peckinpah—has died at 84.@DEADLINE — https://t.co/Eo72P7om5Qpic.twitter.com/opUDMFyEqE
Stevens, who was born as Estelle Eggleston on October 1, 1938, in Yazoo City, showed interest in acting from early age. In 1959, she had her acting debut in the film Say One for Me, starring alongside Bing Crosby and Debbie Reynolds. This film earned her the Golden Globe for New Star of the Year award.
Besides landing roles in a number of films, including the before mentioned The Nutty Professor, Girls! Girls! Girls!, and The Courtship of Eddie’s Father among the rest, Stevens garnered even more attention that year starring as Playboy’s January Playmate of the Month and was later voted No. 27 of the 100 Sexiest Stars of the 20th Century by the outlet.
In The Poseidon Adventure, which turned out to be one of the most successful blockbusters of the decade, Stevens played Linda, the ex-prostitute wife of Ernest Borgnine’s character, one of the group of survivors trying to escape an upside-down cruise liner.
Later on, Stevens appeared in a number of TV shows, including Bonanza, The Love Boat, Newhart, Fantasy Island, Murder, She Wrote, and Magnum, P.I.
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Steven’s website notes that director Henry Hathaway once said that she “was born to be in movies… and to drive men crazy!”
Beautiful Stella Stevens’ decades long career was truly an impressive one, may she rest in peace.
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Jimmy Carter served as the 39th President of the United States between 1977 and 1981 and was considered a breath of fresh air after the Nixon and Ford years.
What people love about him is that he is a family man who never took any advantage of post-presidential popularity. President Carter has been reported saying: “I don’t see anything wrong with it; I don’t blame other people for doing it. It just never had been my ambition to be rich.”
The Carters lead a very normal and modest life, and it has always been like that. What’s most, The Rolling Stone revealed back in 2011 that the former president shops at the local Dollar General.
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Both he and his wife have been part of the Habitat for Humanity for many years and helped renovate around 4,300 houses in 14 different countries.
Unfortunately, his foundation, The Carter Center, released a statement that left many devastated. After a few hospital visits, former President Carter has been admitted to hospice.
“After a series of short hospital stays, former US President Jimmy Carter today decided to spend his remaining time at home with his family and receive hospice care instead of additional medical intervention. He has the full supportof his family and his medical team.”
Over the years, he has dealt with several serious health issues, including brain cancer. In 2019, he underwent brain surgery to remove mounting pressure.
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According to CNN, as of 2018, Carter is the oldest living president following the passing of George H.W. Bush who passed away at 94.
Besides being a former President, Jimmy Carter is also a former farmer, a US Navy Lieutenant, and a Sunday School teacher.
From the moment they left The White House back in 1981 and handed over the presidency to Ronald Reagan, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter have been living in their family home in Plains, Georgia. The house, which is valued according to Zillow at $209,996, was built in 1961, when the Carters welcomed their fourth child in their lives and needed a bigger place.
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After serving as a president, Carter returned to his roots once again because he didn’t want to “capitalize financially on being in the White House,” according to Washington Post.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Jimmy Carter and his family as they remain by his side during this particularly difficult time.
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Actress Debra Paget, born Dabralee Griffin on August 19, 1933, in Denver, Colorado, was so enchantingly beautiful when young that legendary director Cecil B DeMille spoke of her as ”touched by the hand of God.”
Her parents were part of the showbiz and both Debra and her two sisters, Tala Loring and Lisa Gaye, pursued careers in the world of film.
Speaking of herself as of a ”post-depression” baby who was welcomed into the world during a devastating and prolonged economic recession, Debra still held her parents in high regard.
“When I looked back, we had so much love in our home,” Debra said in an interview.
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At a very young age, Debra starred in a production of Shakespeare’s The Merry Wives of Windsor. She then proceeded to be part of a number of films, and her ‘exotic’ looks helped her get the title “The most beautiful legs in the world” when the National Association of Hosiery Manufactures polled 15,000 people in the industry.
She signed a contract with 20th Century Fox when she was just 14, but it wasn’t until Paramount Pictures borrowed her for The Ten Commandments that Debra made her most successful movie.
Although she has been blue eyed, she needed to wear brown contact lenses for the sake of the filming. “If it hadn’t been for the lenses, I wouldn’t have gotten the part. They were awful to work in because the klieg lights heated them up,” she said.
Speaking of the film, which was extremely successful and won seven Academy Awards, Debra said, ”It was probably the highlight of my career.”
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Then, when she turned 22, another life changing movie followed, Elvis Presley’s first movie Love Me Tender.
Speaking of the moment she first met the famous singer who took America by storm, Debra said, “Although I usually don’t form an opinion of a person until I have met him.
“Frankly I looked forward to my first meeting with Elvis Presley with mixed emotions. I’d heard and read a lot about this new young singing sensation from Tennessee—and most of it was not complimentary.”
When Milton Berle introduced them months prior to the filming of the movie when the two were part of his show, Elvis grabbed Debra’s hand firmly and said, “I’m glad to meet you, Miss Paget.” He then excused himself and returned with a chair for Debra’s mother.
“We were together for only a couple of hours but sometimes you can learn more about a person in a short span of time than in weeks of seeing one another constantly. I felt I did. From the very beginning, Elvis impressed me as a pleasant, sincere, obliging young man,” Debra recalled.
Rock and roll singer Elvis Presley kisses Debra Paget in a still from ‘Love Me Tender’ in Los Angeles in 1956. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
Elvis, as everyone in America, got infatuated with Debra and her beauty and even asked her to marry him, but her parents objected, and being a good Christian, she wouldn’t possibly do anything against her mom and dad’s will.
Debra and Elvis’s relationship was sort of family-oriented. “From the time he first came to the house, my folks have considered Elvis a member of the Paget clan—a feeling which, I believe, he reciprocated,” Debra explained. “I was very shy, very quiet and very immature for my age. I was in my very early 20’s but I was emotionally more like a 16-year-old. Elvis and I just sort of came together like a couple of children really.”
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Elvis was enchanted, and soon, many learned of his admiration for Debra. It was believed that it was so strong that many young women altered their appearance to resemble Debra, including the makeup and the hairstyle. Among them was Priscilla Presley, whom Elvis later married.
When Debra turned Elvis down, she met and later married Howard Hughes, a famous film producer and billionaire.
Today, Debra is 89 but not much is known about her personal life.
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The Full House star Candace Cameron never misses a chance to share with the world how much she loves her husband of 26 years, the NHL hockey star Valeri Bure. She says that their marriage, as any other out there, had gone through thick and thin, but what made them stay strong is their deep faith and love for God.
“There have been several tough years, in a row, ups and downs, bad attitudes and bad decisions, but we’ve persevered. We rode them out. We loved each other through them. We kept the focus; God’s glory. We are both better for it. I’m so grateful and thankful for the man I married. Neither of us are perfect, far from it, and will continue to make mistakes because we are human. But God’s Word and His grace see us through – striving to be the best of ourselves in Him. To God be the glory.”
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Candice and Valeri dated for two years before they tied the knot. They have three children together, Natasha, Lev, and Maksim. They always tried raising them in the the way of the Lord.
Well, being considered someone who is a huge believer in God, a recent photo of the couple caused a stir and made Candice a subject of criticism.
Namely, Valeri shared the photo in question which shows him having his arm around his wife’s shoulder and his hand on her chest. Her fans warned her that the photo was inappropriate for a ‘Christian star’ of her stature, but she still re-shared it and even sent a message through a video in which she could be seen laughing and saying, “Sorry if it offended you… I’m actually not sorry.” Further, the actress said, “I’m glad that we have fun together after so many years.”
According to her, the ‘controversial’ photo only demonstrated the results of a “good and healthy marriage” after that many years together.
Like it or not, the truth is that Harry and Meghan make one of the most power couples there are. From the moment the world learned they were dating, all eyes have been on them. The attention they received from the media has been so extensive that many believe Meghan being under scrutiny by the press had a lot to do with the couple’s decision to step down from their royal duties and settle in the States.
Before meeting Harry, Meghan Markle, who was born in Los Angeles, California, on August 4, 1981, has had quite a career in the world of film. At the time she stared dating the prince, who was one of the most loved and most popular members of the royal family, Meghan was playing the role of paralegal Zane on Suits.
In fact, being the daughter of Thomas Markle, a lighting director and director of photography, she spent a great deal of her childhood on the set of a number of movies, accompanying Thomas, with whom she used to be very close.
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Although she was familiar with how the industry worked, Meghan reportedly never wanted her story to be a cliché and she refused to be known as the L.A. girl who dreamed of becoming an actress, so she attended the Northwestern University where she studied communication. Later on, she moved to Illinois to double-major in both theater and international relations at the prestigious Evanston school.
She first caught the public’s eye as a briefcase girl on the game show Deal or No Deal.
“I was the ill-fated number 26, which for some reason no one would ever choose,” she told Esquire. “I would end up standing up there forever in these terribly uncomfortable and inexpensive five-inch heels just waiting for someone to pick my number so I could go and sit down.”
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At the beginning of her successful acting career, Meghan met her first husband, Trevor Engelson.
According to IMDB, he was born on October 23, 1976, in Great Neck, Long Island, New York, and attended the University of Southern California’s School of Communications.
He entered the world of film working as a production assistant and then worked his way to become a film producer. Over the years, he’s worked on a number of projects such as the 2006 film Remember Me, starring Robert Pattinson. He has also been involved in productions such as License to Wed and All About Steve.
After dating for seven years, Meghan and Trevor tied the knot at a ceremony which took place at the Jamaica Inn in Ocho Rios in Jamaica. The celebration lasted for three days during which around 100 guests attended parties, drinking games at the beach, brunches, and even a wheelbarrow race.
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Meghan being a divorcee when she met Harry was something Buckingham Palace would rather not speak about or highlight.
Fast forward to this day, Meghan and Harry are happily married and have two children together.
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In the recent Netflix documentary featuring their life as a couple, as well as their lives before meeting each other, never-before seen photos of Meghan have been shown to the public.
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On one of the photos, Meghan poses with her mom Doria Ragland, and on another one, she could be seen playing. A a third, when she was about nine or ten, shows Meghan with a touch of makeup.
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A school photo of Meghan wearing a white polo-neck t-shirt, showing off her smile, was also seen in the trailer.
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Most of you may have not heard of Rita Pavone, but this Italian’s singer life story is truly a fascinating one.
Possessing inner talent for singing and an enchanting voice, she seemed to be destined to reach stardom and become a famous name in the music industry.
For Pavone, it all started when she began singing at different student parties and then at various bars in her hometown of Turin. Her mother believed that music wasn’t the way forward for Rita. “It was the last resort. I had almost decided to drop everything. I had been singing since the age of nine, but I was unable to emerge and go beyond local notoriety. My mother advised me to put my dreams of glory on the back burner,” Pavone said.
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Her father, however, was very supportive of Pavone’s wish to make a name for herself one day and encouraged her to take part at one of the greatest competitions of the time, the “Rally of the Unknown.” He even wrote a letter to the organizer of the talent show, Teddy Reno, and asked him to give his daughter a spot. The number of people who took part was 20,000, but eventually, Pavone won the competition and she became a star almost overnight, with her first album being recorded mere weeks after winning the competition.
“To this day, I still wonder [what the secret to my success was], and I can’t explain it. Wherever I went, from Brazil to England, from France to Germany, I was able to enter the international hit parades with songs translated into foreign languages or made specifically for that market,” Rita explained.
“I myself was the first to marvel at all this interest in me. Perhaps I possessed a particular type of vocality, a bit high-pitched, cutting, but deeply personal.”
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She added: “I think this strong personality was my trump card. Having personality means not going unnoticed. Today, however, there is a rampant tendency to copy others, and this has inevitably led to many “photocopied products.” In my case I also had a face halfway between a girl and a boy, red hair freckled face.”
After selling hundreds of thousands of albums in Italy, Pavone was asked to the United States to audition for RCA Records. A t the time, many predicted she would be the next great thing, but in the midst of the Beatlemania and people’s affection for Elvis, who was one of Pavone’s greatest idols, that didn’t seem to be an easy task.
While at the States, Pavone performed with the likes of Diana Ross and The Supremes, Ella Fitzgerald, and Tom Jones. Moreover, she appeared several times on Ed Sullivan Show and in performances at the legendary Carnegie Hall in New York.
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During an occasion, she met Elvis Presley in person and he gave her a signed painting.
One day, while recording with her producer, Chet Atkins, in the “Music City,” Pavone, who didn’t understand English at the time, overheard her “muse,” Brenda Lee, talking about Elvis. She didn’t understand why at first, but she soon learned that the King of Rock&Roll would visit the recording studio. There was a huge crowd gathered in front of it, waiting to meet Presley.
“Suddenly, there was a chill because I wanted to meet him. So I went to Chet Atkins, asking him the big favor of letting me know him when at one point,” Pavone recalled.
“I saw a crowd of people arming themselves, they seemed to be preparing the landing in Normandy, he absolutely didn’t want to be disturbed, they said. So I started whining like children do, it wasn’t possible to waste such an opportunity, I convinced them, but they made me a lot of recommendations.”
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She then added, “I waited until midnight in the RCA studios, until they entered: first, his lawyer, his secretary, his sound engineer, all his staff. And then him. He had yellow Ray-Bans that I had never seen before, the sideburns it was beautiful. He came in and greeted us and he came towards me. I asked him if I could have a photo of him and he was very helpful, he told me I could have even more. So he called his secretary who gave me a canvas where he wrote: Best wishes to Rita, then he gave me a kiss and left.
“His manager, the famous Colonel Parker, didn’t want me to meet him. But when he came out of the studio, he saw me and said, ‘But I know you! You went to the Ed Sullivan show.’ It was Elvis who recognized me. I asked him for a photo, but he even gave me one of his paintings.”
Meeting Elvis Presley is something Pavone will remember until the rest of her life.
“I have it at home! My son, who is very realistic and pragmatic, said that when I die, he will sell it! A man of that stature and popularity who was so down to earth blew me away,” she stated.
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After spending some years in America, Pavone decided to return to Italy where she was adored by millions.
She married Teddy Reno, the organizer of the talent show that turned her into a star. However, Teddy being 20 years her senior wasn’t accepted well by her family and the public. Her father was even mad when he heard the two were dating, but some time after they tied the knot, he visited them in Switzerland, where they still live today, and told her he was sorry he didn’t respect her choice.
Many of her songs entered the charts of UK, Germany, and even Brazil and other countries.
Pavone announced her retirement from the stage in the mid-2000s, but she returned in 2016 and competed in the Italian version of Dancing with the Stars. She also performed at the legendary Sanremo Festival in 2020, and again the year after, in a Christmas special.
One thing is certain, Rita Pavone has had an impressive career.
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The dust still hasn’t settled following the allegations and the secrets revealed in Prince Harry’s all-tell memoir Spare.
Described as “Vulnerable and heartfelt, brave and intimate,” Spare shook the royal family, despite them not commenting on anything related to the book that caused a stir not only in Britain but all over the world.
Among the rest, Harry spoke of his niece and nephews, saying that he wasn’t invited to William and Kate’s home as much as he wished to upon Prince George’s birth. Harry also spoke of Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis and said that he fears they could “end up” just like him.
But he also opened up about his relationship with wife Meghan Markle.
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When the two started dating, Harry was very pleased.
“Guys, I met a girl,” a friend who appeared in the couple’s documentary recalled Harry saying. “We just met, but I think she’s the one.”
Meghan felt the same. She was aware the two were getting involved in a long-distance relationship, but that didn’t stop neither of them to continue seeing each other without anyone knowing about that.
“Everything was text and FaceTime, we’d talk for hours. It felt exciting but not in the way people would assume it would be,” Meghan said. “It was just relaxed and easy.”
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When Britain learned their favorite Prince was dating the American actress, all eyes were on them. Unfortunately, Meghan was treated poorly by the British media. Harry, however, knew that something like that was on the way because both his late mother and his ex-girlfriends were judged down to the finest detail. In the Netflix documentary, Harry explained that he wasn’t certain if he would ever be able to find a love interest “capable” and “willing” to go through with it to live a royal life.
“Every relationship I had within a matter of weeks or months was splattered all over the newspapers, and that person’s family harassed, and their lives turned upside down,” Harry said.
“After one or two girlfriends, the third or fourth girlfriend would say, ‘Hand on a second. I don’t know if I want this.”
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Harry and Meghan, however, were able to overcome the obstacles. They married in 2018, and some two years later, they made the shocking decision to step down from their royal duties and leave Britain, probably for good. Ever since, they have been through thick and thin.
The two are much in love with each other and their lives seem picture-perfect. But in 2016, as revealed by Harry himself, he snapped at his then-girlfriend Meghan.
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“Maybe the wine went to my head. Maybe the weeks of battling the press had worn me down. For some reason, when the conversation took an unexpected turn, I became touchy,” Harry wrote.
“Then angry. Disproportionately, sloppily angry.”
Harry explained that Meghan took a comment he had made “the wrong way” because of the “cultural difference” between them. He then spoke to her “harshly” and “cruelly.”
“I was also just over-sensitive that night, I thought: ‘Why’s she having a go at me?’ I snapped at her, spoke to her harshly [and] cruelly,” he continued.
“As the words left my mouth, I could feel everything in the room come to a stop. The gravy stopped bubbling, the molecules of air stopped orbiting. Even Nina Simone seemed to pause.”
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Meghan seemed to be deeply hurt and left the room.
“She was calm, but said in a quiet, level tone that she would never stand for being spoken to like that. I nodded. She wanted to know where it came from,” Harry explained in his memoir. He then recalled Meghan saying, “‘Where did you ever hear a man speak like that to a woman? Did you overhear adults speak that way when you were growing up?’ I cleared my throat, looked away [and responded], ‘Yes.’”
She said she wouldn’t tolerate her partner speak to her in that manner, but at the same time, she knew that those words weren’t a result of their conversation, but of something else.
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“It came from somewhere deep inside, somewhere that needed to be excavated, and it was obvious that I could use some help with the job,” Harry explained.
“‘I’ve tried therapy,’ I told her. ‘Willy told me to go. Never found the right person.’ [It] didn’t work. ‘No,’ she said softly. ‘Try again.’”
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Everyone who has ever seen Top Gun, the 1986 legendary movie starring Tom Cruise, Tim Robbins, and Kelly McGillis among the rest, probably agrees that the cast was so iconic that it is hard to imagine other actors filing those roles. Sadly, the Top Gun: Maverick movie, which was released last year, showed that some could be completely excluded.
When the news of the sequel spread around, everyone assumed that actress Kelly McGillis would be part of it. Having been away from the spotlight for many years, many were looking forward to see her on the big screen one more time, but that’s not what happened.
Kelly McGillis, circ.1987 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Getty Images/Bob Riha, Jr.)
While Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer reunited in a very emotional scene, McGillis wasn’t asked to join the cast.
When asked by Entertainment Tonight back in 2019 if she was offered a role in the sequel, she said, “Oh my god no. They did not, nor do I think they would ever.”
The actress added: “I mean, I’m old and I’m fat, and I look age-appropriate for what my age is, and that is not what that whole scene is about.”
However, McGillis isn’t concerned she wasn’t part of the smash blockbuster movie. “I’d much rather feel absolutely secure in my skin and who and what I am at my age, as opposed to placing a value on all that other stuff,” she said.
Kelly McGillis sits at a desk in a scene from the film ‘Top Gun’, 1986. (Photo by Paramount/Getty Images)
When she landed the role of Charlie Blackwood, an astrophysicist and training school instructor, she made a lasting impression as Maverick’s, played by Tom Cruise, love interest. Her impeccable looks, long legs, and blonde hair made many fall for her.
“I don’t think anything prepared me for what I guess was becoming a household name kind of thing,” McGillis said told LA Times.
“It was really intimidating to me. I don’t aspire to be famous. I just aspire to be an actress, and that movie kind of startled my reality in a big way. I got very insecure. I didn’t know who I could trust to be my friend anymore.”
Landing this iconic role was a pure serendipity.
McGillis was scheduled to do another movie, but it fell through so Paramount called her and asked if she could do Top Gun instead. She liked the script and drove to San Diego for the production.
”I felt it was a Western in the sky. I had no clue how visually impeccable it would be. I think Tony Scott brought so much to that movie visually,” she said.
McGillis was compared to Grace Kelly, Ingrid Bergman and Lauren Bacall, but she never took those comparisons seriously.
”I have never thought of myself as a great beauty. In my teen-age and prepubescent years when one forms one’s ideas of oneself, I think primarily I was very over-weight and had a very low self-esteem,” she told Intelligencer Journal in 1986.
McGillis eventually left Hollywood in order to raise her two daughter which she has with now-former husband Fred Tillman. After tying the knot with him, the couple opened a restaurant in Key West, Florida, Kelly’s Caribbean Bar & Grill.
Speaking of her decision to turn her back to the place where dreams come true, Hollywood, McGillis once said, “I was never really unhappy. It is just that I wanted to reclaim my anonymity, to live my own life. I think that if you have children, it is you who should look after them. I didn’t want my kids to think of me as a movie star, I wanted them to know me as Mommy.”
Following her divorce from Tillman, McGillis came out as a lesbian. She said it wasn’t something that she decided to do overnight and revealed that she struggled with her sexuality since she was 12.
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“Life is a freaking journey, and it’s about growing and changing, and coming to terms with who and what you are, and loving who and what you are,” she once said.
In 2010, McGillis tied the knot with Melanie Leis. Their relationship seemed to be a destructive one, as they both turned to substances and went into rehab.
Tillman, McGillis’ ex-husband, attended the civil ceremony. “He was my greatest, bestest friend, and he still is,” McGillis told Daily News, adding: ”I was gay before I had kids. I had a really tough time coming to accept myself.”
Her relationship with her wife broke just a year later.
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Speaking of her appearance and the weight she has gained over the years, the actress said, “You hear women of my age talk about this all the time. I think this industry is not particularly kind to women who are over 50. I am not into the coloring of my hair, doing the Botox and getting a face lift, and I want to grow up to be a character actress.”
According to the Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski, McGillis being left out had nothing to do with her appearance, he simply wanted to add new characters and take the film to a different direction.
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Raquel Welch, the iconic 1960s sex symbol, died Wednesday aged 82 after a brief, undisclosed illness. The news of her passing has been confirmed by the family.
Gorgeous Welch attracted the attention of millions of people worldwide from the moment she landed her role in Fantastic Voyage and later in One Million Years B.C in 1966. No one really cared that her character only had three lines of dialogue in the film because it was her stunning appearance in her undergarments that stunned the audience.
“I had no other credentials as an actress outside of that one laughable line of dialogue: ‘Me Loana… You Tumak.’ It felt like I’d stumbled into a booby trap – pun intended. I’m a living proof that a picture speaks a thousand words,” Welch said.
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Soon after, images of her in the doe-skin bikini became best-selling posters that turned her into an international sex symbol. Playboy Magazine gave her the title of “the most desirable lady of the decade” in the year 1970 and she truly was one.
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Her roles, through which she portrayed strong female characters, helped break the mold of the traditional sex symbol and end Hollywood’s vigorous promotion of the blonde bombshell.
Throughout the years, Welch took part in many films and she even got her own television program called Raquel! Her healthy lifestyle and her passion for yoga resulted in her publishing a book with exercises.
Men’s Health named her second hottest woman of all time in their 2014 issue.
She also appeared on “The Cher Show” in 1975 and performed “I’m a Woman” with the singer.
Throughout her life, Welch was married four times. She married James Welch when she was just 18 but the two untied the knot in 1961 after which she moved to Texas with their two children. The brunette bombshell later married Patrick Curtis from 1967 to 1972; André Weinfeld from 1980 to 1990, and Richard Palmer from 1999 till their separation in 2003.
Welch is survived by her children, Damon, 63, and Tahnee, 61.
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Raquel Welch, you will always be remembered as one of the most stunning Hollywood beauties. Rest in peace.
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Charlize Theron is one of the most stunning Hollywood actresses there are. Talented, gorgeous, and versatile, it doesn’t come as a surprise that she is one of the most loved celebrities in the world of film.
What many people don’t know about Charlize is that she has done her own stunts in a number of movies.
Before the release of the movie The Old Guard, the actress appeared on Howard Stern’s radio show and was asked how she prepares for the action scenes she films. Charlize said that she watches old fighting videos and added that she often stumbles upon those of actor Steven Seagal, who has a black belt in karate and practices martial arts.
Speaking of him, Charlize wasn’t afraid to speak her mind and said, “At night, I’ll go online to watch fighters or watch people fight, and you always come across that odd Seagal video of him ‘fighting’ in Japan, but he really isn’t.”
She then continued, “He’s just incredibly overweight and pushing people. He’s overweight and can barely fight … look it up; it’s ridiculous. He’s shoving people by the face. It’s a whole setup.”
This came as a surprise to the host, but the Max Mad: Furry Road star justified her opinion noting, “I have no problem talking s— about him because he’s not very nice to women so f— you!”
In the past, Steven Seagal was accused of sexual harassment by a number of women. Most recently, actress Rachel Grant claimed he pulled down her top and exposed himself to her during an audition.
Other women who came forward and spoke of Seagal’s treatment of them are Julianna Margulies, Regina Simons, Jenny McCarthy and Portia de Rossi.
Portia De Rossi took to Twitter to speak of one particularly disturbing casting experience she had with the actor.
“My final audition for a Steven Segal movie took place in his office. He told me how important it was to have chemistry off-screen as he sat me down and unzipped his leather pants. I ran out and called my agent. Unfazed, she replied, ‘Well, I didn’t know if he was your type’,” she wrote.
Seagal denied the accusations. He hasn’t been charged of any misconduct.
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Almost a year and a half after losing her nephew River, who died of “total organ failure” at 11 months old, actress Sharon Stone experienced more heartbreak. Unfortunately, her brother Patrick, 57, died of heart attack in the early hours of Sunday morning in Pennsylvania.
Stone took to Instagram on Monday to confirm the news reports of her brother’s passing, posting photos of herself and Patrick as a sweet tribute.
“RIP my brother Patrick Joseph Stone,” the Basic Instinct star captioned her post.
Patrick’s wife, Tasha, also took to Instagram to share her devastation over her husband’s sudden death.
“My heart feels like it’s been ripped out of my chest. Patrick went to be with our sweet River around 3:30 this morning.“
She continued: “He gave me 3 beautiful children that he loved and adored.
“He made sure to make it a point to let me know how much he loved me and how much I meant to him… I knew the very first day that I saw him that I was going to marry him. I felt an immediate connection to him and for 20 years we drove each other absolutely crazy but we also loved each other so deeply. I feel lost without my best friend.”
Tasha added that her only comfort was that Patrick’s last days were filled with joy.
“What if I am meant to carry the memory of our near perfect day so that I can smile and feel love when I think of him and he was able to take the memories with him knowing without a shadow of a doubt that he was immensely loved.
“I don’t want to accept that though even if that is the purpose of his passing. I wanted a lifetime with him and even though 20 years is a long time it wasn’t enough time. He was my soul mate. We just got each other even at our ugliest.”
Back in 2011, when River left this world a month prior to his first birthday, Stone revealed that the thing that helped them most during the times of grief was the fact that River’s organs helped save three lives.
“The fact that my godson was able to save three lives, two infants and a 45-year-old man was sanctuary for our family,” she told People at the time.
“I can only say that you never, never know when a tragedy will happen in your life or in your family, but this opportunity be an organ donor, it saved us, saved our family.
“Many people have many different thoughts about this, but in the end, it gave us some peace.”
Rest in peace, Patrick. You are now reunited with your sweet son.
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The much-anticipated game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles was a delight to watch. According to Fox, this year’s Super Bowl made it the most-watched in six years with 113 million people tuning in.
The honor to open the game with a rendition of the ‘Star Spangled Banner’ was given to country music star Chris Stapleton. The moving performance brought both fans and players to tears inside Glendale, Arizona’s State Farm Stadium. The reaction by those watching the Super Bowl on TV was as strong and as emotional with many saying that it was so good that it gave them goosebumps.
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Stapleton’s version of the anthem drew comparison to Whitney Houston’s moving performance in 1991 which is considered one of the best in the history of the game.
“Grown-a** men crying to Chris Stapleton singing the national anthem,” one person wrote. “Wow, this one is right up there with Whitney Houston’s performance. Just amazing.”
Another fan added, “Best star spangled banner ever. God Chris Stapleton you are amazing.” Others commented, “Chris Stapleton just won the Super Bowl,” and “OK SING IT CHRIS STAPLETON! This is an excellent version of the national anthem.”
In addition to the impeccable performance of the National Anthem, R&B star Babyface sang “America the Beautiful” and veteran actress Sheryl Lee Ralph sang “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”
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Before pursuing a career as a singer, Stapleton was a songwriter. Today, he is one of the most famous names in the world of country music with an incredible number of awards under his belt. Among the rest, he is a recipient of about 16 CMAs, eight Grammy Awards, and 10 Academy of Country Music Awards.
It was in 2015 that he began to make waves as a singer. At that year’s Country Music Awards, he and Justin Timberlake mashed up their respective songs “Tennessee Whiskey” and Timberlake’s “Drink You Away.”
Speaking of his singing, Stapleton said in a 2022 interview, “I don’t probably sing like a traditional country singer you know, but, ultimately, I’m me. I’m just trying to be the best version of that that I can be.”
He then added: “And whether that’s playing a song that leans into blues or a song that leans into R&B or a song that leans into really distinctly outlaw country. I love all that music. And I don’t feel limited to playing one type of song.”
Other singers who have performed the national anthem in the past, among the rest, are Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, and Mickey Guyton.
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