How many times has it happened that we tell someone how much we love them and how much they mean to us before its too late? People have experienced this and the regret is stronger than any other feeling.
The following story is a reminder that we don’t need to wait for any special occasions to express our love to those that mean the world to us.
After 21 years of marriage, my wife wanted me to take another woman out to dinner and a movie. She said, “I love you, but I know this other woman loves you and would love to spend some time with you.” The other woman that my wife wanted me to visit was my mother, who had been a widow for 19 years, but the demands of my work and my 3 children had made it possible to visit her only occasionally. That night I called to invite her to go out for dinner and a movie. “What’s wrong, are you well?” she asked. “I thought that it would be pleasant to spend some time with you,” I responded. “Just the two of us.” She thought about it for a moment, and then said, “I would like that very much.”
That Friday after work, as I drove over to pick her up I was a bit nervous. She had curled her hair and was wearing the dress that she had worn to celebrate her last wedding anniversary. She smiled from a face that was as radiant as an Angel’s. “I told my friends that I was going to go out with my son, and they were impressed,” she said, as she got into the car. “They can’t wait to hear about our meeting.”
We went to a restaurant that, although not elegant, was very nice and cozy. My mother took my arm as if she were the First Lady. After we sat down, I had to read the menu. Her eyes could only read large print. Half way through the entries, I lifted my eyes and saw Mom sitting there staring at me. A nostalgic smile was on her lips. “It was I who used to have to read the menu when you were small,” she said. “Then it’s time that you relax and let me return the favor,” I responded.
During the dinner, we had an agreeable conversation — nothing extraordinary but catching up on recent events of each other’s life. We talked so much that we missed the movie. As we arrived at her house later, she said, “I’ll go out with you again, but only if you let me invite you.” I agreed.
“How was your dinner date?” Asked my wife when I got home. “Very nice. Much more so than I could have imagined,” I answered. A few days later, my mother died of a massive heart attack. It happened so suddenly that I didn’t have a chance to do anything for her. Some time later, I received an envelope with a copy of a restaurant receipt from the same place where mother and I had dined. An attached note said: “I paid this bill in advance. I wasn’t sure that I could be there; but nevertheless I paid for two plates — one for you and the other for your wife. You will never know what that night meant for me.”
“I love you, son.” At that moment, I understood the importance of saying in time: “I love you,” and to give our loved ones the time that they deserve. Nothing in life is more important than your family.
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She won the award for the film Everything Everywhere All at Once, which received seven awards on a landmark night. In her speech, Jamie thanked her family and those who have supported her “genre movies” throughout the years.
However, besides being an A-Lister, a wife, and a mother, there is something else she’s most proud of, her sobriety.
Recently, Curtis opened up about her history with opioid addiction on the Morning Joe, and said that she is clean for 24 years now, and because of that, she feels “incredibly lucky.”
During the interview, the True Lies star said that some of the darkest moments of her life went unnoticed by others.
“My worst day was almost invisible to anyone else,” she admitted.
“I’m lucky. I didn’t make terrible decisions high or under the influence that then, for the rest of my life, I regret,” she revealed. “There are women in prison whose lives have been shattered by drugs and alcohol, not because they were violent felons, not because they were horrible people, but because they were addicts.”
She added: “I am incredibly lucky that that wasn’t my path.”
Being sober opened new perspectives for Curtis.
Speaking of her past, she recalled how she was an opiate addict who enjoyed the “opiate buzz.” What’s most, she added that “if fentanyl was available, as easily available as it is today on the street, I’d be dead.”
Curtis was addicted until the 1999 when she decided to turn her life over for the better. Before getting sober, she lived a double life of stealing and scheming without her family and friends being aware.
Today, she considers her journey to an opiate free life her greatest achievement, adding it was “the key to freedom, the freedom to be me, to not be looking in the mirror in the reflection and trying to see somebody else.”
Jamie Lee Curtis got candid about her previous opioid addiction and her journey to sobriety 24 years ago.Credit / Rodin Eckenroth / Getty.
“I look in the mirror. I see myself. I accept myself. And I move on because you know what? The world is filled with things we need to do. I’m breaking the cycle that has basically destroyed the lives of generations in my family,” she said.
Curtis’ father, famed actor Tony Curtis struggled with alcohol and drug addiction most of his life and her brother Nicholas died of heroin overdose at 21.
“Getting sober remains my single greatest accomplishment,” she admitted. “Bigger than my husband, bigger than both of my children and bigger than any work, success, failure. Anything.”
Way to go, Jamie Lee Curtis. You truly are one of a kind.
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Some people don’t mind changing houses, they even enjoy embarking on adventures of moving into new homes as years go by, but some won’t leave their home no matter what.
A family from Australia refused to sell their property over and over again. Developers came with plenty of offers from their home around which they built an entire suburb with identical houses, and now the family’s home, with all its greenery and glory, stands in the middle of the grand neighborhood.
The property features a 650-foot driveway and is surrounded by lush green gardens, having a panoramic view of the Blue Mountains.
And why won’t they sell it? Because they are even unable to put a price on their little paradise.
Credit / 7News YouTube
Most of the neighboring blocks on which the suburb resides were bought back in 2012. At that time, the Windsor Castle-style mansion in question was valued at $4.75 million.
Ten years later, however, its value went up and according to experts, it now costs over $50 million.
“The fact that most people sold out years and years ago, these guys have held on. All credit to them,” Taylor Bredin, a real estate agent with Ray White Quakers Hill, told 7News. “Depending on how far you push the development plan, you’d be able to push anywhere from 40 to 50 properties on something like this, and when subdivided, a 300 square metre block would get a million dollars.”
Credit / 7News YouTube
Today, the property is enclosed on all sides by neighboring homes and is surrounded with a large fence. Despite that, they have no intention to sell it, whatsoever.
Mom Diane Zammit, 50, told Daily Mail Australia that the neighborhood used to be “farmland dotted with little red brick homes and cottages.
“Every home was unique and there was so much space – but not any more. It’s just not the same,” she said.
What do you think of this beautiful home? Would you consider selling it for that much money had you been the proud owner of it?
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If you are a fan of the iconic series That ’70s Show, you are likely very familiar with the actor behind the character of Fez. And if not, you certainly recognize actor Wilmer Valderrama from NCIS, the show he’s been part of for many years.
Being born in Florida but his family moving to their homeland of Venezuela and than back to the U.S. when Valderrama was still a teenager, he had difficulties speaking English.
Speaking of that period of his life, the actor recalled it was a fun one besides all the challenges that stood on their way of pursuit of the American dream.
“My dad is a clown, my mom is a bigger clown, and I am an idiot. Growing up in that household was very fun, very funny, and in the face of tragedy, a sense of humor, it was a big one,” he recalled.
“My parents made sure no matter how traumatic anything was, that there was always… a different way of looking at it,” he added.
“They gave us a sense of humor to disarm the trauma that comes with going to a country, with being suppressed, being looked at as inferior because you have a strong accent.”
Shutterstock/Ovidiu Hrubaru
In order to learn the language faster and better, his parents enrolled him to a theater group and that’s when he found his passion for acting.
His dad wasn’t pleased with his son’s career choice and wanted Valderrama to pursue career in business, but that all changed one day when the family’s vehicle got stolen.
“Seeing my dad stressed, seeing my mom get emotional, and I looked at [them], and I say, ‘Mom, Dad, don’t worry because I’m going to be a famous actor,” Valderrama recalled.
“And my dad, with a smile at 2 in the morning, he just looked at me, really, really stressed — but able to manage a smile — he looks at me and goes, ‘Okay mijo, you can do that.’”
Shutterstock/Everett Collection
When the family moved to L.A., Valderrama attended the William Howard Taft Charter High School, and the English language wasn’t much of a problem any longer.
Before graduation, he landed the breakthrough role of Fez in the famous That ’70s Show.
“I remember when I got That ’70s Show, it was a big deal for my family and a big deal for me,” he told Yahoo. “But I really didn’t know what it represented.”
The role of Fez wasn’t only significant for Valderrama, bit for a number of people he represented in a way. He was someone who tied and succeeded to assimilate, and many identified with his character.
“I didn’t know that eventually [Fez] was going to be representing so many of us, coming to a country to learn a culture and to assimilate,” Valderrama explained. “I’ve had a lot of people come up to me and say ‘When I saw [Fez] on television, I felt like I existed.’”
Youtube/Creatx
Eventually, the show, also starring Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher, received the status of iconic. It helped many of the actors rise to prominence and have successful Hollywood careers. For it, Valderrama won three Teen Choice Awards for TV – Choice Actor: Comedy and Choice TV Sidekick, and five American Latino Media Arts Award nominations.
The cast will be reprising their roles and will be making guest appearances on the upcoming Netflix spin-off, That ’90s Show.
“I’m a little busy now, but I support them so much,” Valderrama told Deadline earlier this year. “I’m rooting for them. I wish them nothing but the best. If the timing is right, I’d never say no.”
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Following the show, Valderrama moved on to different projects, including Party Monster, Fast Food Nation, Quentin Tarantino’s first original series, From Dusk Til Dawn: The Series, and worked alongside Julia Roberts and Tom Hanks in the 2011 film Larry Crowne.
In 2016, he was cast as Special Agent Nick Torres in NCIS.
“I was really humbled, you know, I was really humbled and really flattered that they had given me a call to join the cast… I landed in Los Angeles and I finished this pilot called Four Stars for CBS Studios, the pilot didn’t move forward, but I was really flattered and really honored that they saw my performance on the pilot and they invited me to join the cast of the show to kind of maybe take an NCIS to a whole different dimension,” Valderrama recalled.
“So, I was excited by the opportunity. I was humbled that I could work with Mark Harmon because I just respect that guy so much. What that show has done for television has been really, really groundbreaking and it’s not slowing down, which to me is it was super exciting.
“I did have a conversation with the showrunner and I said, ‘Where we going to go next? What is the next chapter for NCIS? If I join, what are we gonna do because I want to try to light some shit on fire.’ That’s what I said. Trying to break some shit, you know?” he added. “And they said, ‘Listen, that’s what we want we want. To disrupt something. And we want to make some things different.’ So, to me, that was exciting. But I’m humble and excited and proud to be part of such a long-lasting family.”
Shutterstock/Kathy Hutchins
Besides being an actor, Valderrama is also heavily involved in several charities and is known as someone with a heart of gold. He is on the board of Voto Latino and is the spokesperson for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute. Valderrama is the founder of Ready 2 Lead program, whose goal is to educate and empower young Latinos. In 2013, the 43-year-old actor was honored with an ALMA Award for outstanding Social Activism.
“I just keep working. As long as I get up in the morning and go to work and if that brings inspiration to someone that’s fantastic. If I can inspire people to feel like they can also do it then I did my part,” Valderrama told HOMBRE.
Instagram/Wilmervalderrama
When it comes to his private life, Valderrama has been dating Lindsay Lohan, Mandy Moore, Minka Kelly, and Demi Lovato, amongst others. But it was in 2019 that he met the love of his life, scuba divemaster Amanda Pacheco. He asked her to marry him on New Year’s Day, 2020 when he proposed with a pear-shaped diamond ring set on a pave diamond band.
The couple welcomed their first child, daughter Nakano Oceana Valderrama, on February 15, 2021. She was named after the Japanese city where they first declared their love for one another.
“The name was exciting to figure out because, you know, everyone is gonna have an opinion,” Wilmer told People.
“When we said the name, it created an unbelievable debate in our family. Some people thought it was off the wall, and others thought that it was just serendipitous and so beautiful.”
The beautiful family of three resides in the San Fernando Valley area just outside of central Los Angeles. Allegedly, they bought the house from actor Chuck Norris.
“My forever home, the home where I would see my kids grow up,” he told Architectural Digest.
We wish Wilmer Valderrama and his family only the best life brings.
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The split between the Sussexes and the rest of the royals was a harsh one.
When they stepped down from their royal duties and made a shocking decision to leave Britain and settle in sunny California, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle believed it was for the best for their family and the privacy they allegedly longed for.
Following their separation from the Firm, many accused the couple of being hypocritical since they claimed they wanted to lead normal lives out of the spotlight but never stopped giving interviews in which they slammed the rest of the royals. They even released a Netflix documentary series and Harry published his best-selling all-tell memoir Spare.
Starting from their glamorous wedding which was broadcast and seen by more than 29.19 million viewers, to the birth of their son Archie Mountbatten-Windsor in 2019, the Sussex Royals’ every move has been closely followed by the media. That same media which “forced” them to leave the U.K. and move to the States.
Shutterstock/Lorna Roberts
Now when it comes to Megxit, royal experts believe both Harry and Meghan knew within days after wedding that the royal life wouldn’t work for them.
Their wedding was as glamorous as that of William and Kate, but yet, there were plenty of differences between the big days of the two couples.
One of the things that wasn’t the same was that Kate rode to her wedding with her father, while Meghan did it with her mother because her relationship with her father got extremely rocky prior to the wedding.
Another thing royal fans noticed was that Kate waved to the crowd in a more formal manner, while Meghan saluted the people in a more relaxed manner, with her fingers spaced out.
Danny Lawson – WPA Pool/Getty Images
When it came to the attendees, the Prince and Princess of Wales were obliged to invite world leaders, Prime Ministers, and ambassadors, while Harry and Meghan’s list of guests included celebrities of any kind, including Meghan’s co-stars of Suits. Among the guests were actor George Clooney and his wife, Amal, but reports suggest that they didn’t know Harry or Meghan at all.
“There’s a story doing the rounds that while Carolyn Bartholomew, Diana’s former flatmate, was waiting for the wedding service to start, she turned to the couple alongside her and asked how they knew Harry or Meghan,” Johnson wrote in the online publication AirMail. “‘We don’t,’ the Clooneys answered brightly.”
Royal expert Andrew Morton – the author of Diana: Her True Story – also questioned the celebrity guest list.
“(She) populated the wedding with A-list Hollywood celebrities who … have proved their worth to her by speaking out in public about the criticisms of her,” Morton said.
“I don’t think she (had) even met Oprah Winfrey (before the wedding). I don’t know whether Harry had. But she invited these people along, and now she has her own court.”
“She’s a new player and she’s been quick out (of) the starting box. Unlike Prince Harry’s friends who keep quiet, Megan’s A-list celebrity friends, the court of Meghan, is a very voluble court and they’re very powerful.”
Shutterstock – Lorna Roberts/Lorna Roberts
That something was off with Harry and Meghan and the rest of the royals was evident just days after the wedding, as per Jonny Dymond, royal correspondent for the BBC.
“I mean, within days, really …There were stories coming out about how Megan behaved towards staff,” he said in the BBC documentary The Prince and the Press.
Camilla Tominey – who first broke the story of Harry and Meghan’s relationship, added – “We were getting briefings that all was not well, with the relationship between William and Harry, Meghan, and Kate, and the relationship between Harry and Meghan and the royal household.”
Shutterstock/Shaun Jeffers
According to Meghan, before the split with the Firm, she and Harry allegedly asked for a permission to move to another country in the Commonwealth, perhaps South Africa or Canada. However, the answer was a resounding no.
“Anything to just … because just by existing, we were upsetting the dynamic of the hierarchy. So we go, ‘Okay, fine, let’s get out of here. Happy to,’” Meghan recalled during a recent interview with The Cut.
Saying that other Royal Family members had gotten the green light for the same arrangement, she added, “That, for whatever reason, is not something that we were allowed to do, even though several other members of the family do that exact thing.”
Youtube/Today
Royal experts, among which Tom Quinn, say how Meghan was told by a senior royal aide that she “would never be in first division.”
Apparently, the whole feud started when Meghan and Harry started living at Kensington Palace, which was William and Kate’s home. Soon after, they moved into Nottingham Cottage, not far from Kate and William. According to Quinn, Meghan wasn’t happy that The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were given a quite bigger home.
“It was being pointed out to them in no uncertain terms that they weren’t in the first division, because that place is held by William and Kate. Inevitably that led to friction,” Quinn claims. “In Meghan’s world, if you’re determined enough, you can get to the top. But Meghan can’t, she can’t get to the top whatever she does.”
Currently, Harry, Meghan, and their two children live in their $14 million Montecito home.
“We were looking in [Montecito], and this house kept popping up online in searches. We didn’t have jobs, so we just were not going to come and see this house. It wasn’t possible,” Meghan Markle said.
“It’s like when I was younger, and you’re window shopping — it’s like, ‘I don’t want to go and look at all the things that I can’t afford. That doesn’t feel good.’”
They eventually bought the place.
“One of the first things my husband saw when we walked around the house was those two palm trees,” Meghan explained.
“See how they’re connected at the bottom? He goes, ‘My love, it’s us.’ And now every day when Archie goes by us, he says, ‘Hi, Momma. Hi, Papa.’”
“‘We have to get this house,’” she recalled telling Harry. “We did everything we could to get this house.”
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Melanie Griffith is one of those actresses who has always enchanted audiences with her charm and exotic looks. Being the daughter of blonde bombshell actress Tippi Hedren it didn’t come as a surprise that Griffith was exposed to the public life from early age. Her mother found fame after director Alfred Hitchcock spotted her in a commercial. From that moment on, she became his muse and someone he was very fond of.
Griffith first appeared in a commercial when she wasn’t even a year old. However, her life hasn’t been a perfect one. In the past, she was involved in a car accident, battled drinking problems and went through three divorces. Her childhood, however, was extravagant in many ways. For one, she grew up around exotic animals. Her mother took a lion in their home in order to get familiar to be around such animals for the sake of a film project which later didn’t turn out well as young Griffith was injured during filming.
”I grew up with lions, tigers, and two elephants,” Griffith said.
The lion, Neil, lived with the family and photos of their everyday living was documented by Life Magazine. The lion shared a bed with Griffith and slept under blankets, with the actress resting her head on his back.
”It was stupid beyond belief,” Griffith later explained.
As young child, Griffith did some modeling work and starred in her first movie, Extra!, for which she was uncredited at the age of 12.
At 14, she went on to land a role in The Harrad Experiment. It was then that she met the first love of her life, director Don Johnson. Being a minor and Johnson being 22 at the time was quite controversial, but the two were much in love and her mother let her live with him when she turned 15. At the age of 18, Griffith got engaged to Johnson and the two married some time later.
”I thought he was the most beautiful person I’d ever seen,” Griffith said.
”They were two beautiful, wonderful people, and here, my daughter was showing signs that I had never seen before in her, with an older man, and there was just sheer panic,” her mother, Tippi Hedren, recalled.
Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images
The two tied the knot in Las Vegas but the marriage broke down just six months later.
In the 1970s, Griffith starred in Night Moves and Joyride among the rest, as well as in the film Roar in which she was injured by a lion. Being muled near the eye, she needed a plastic surgery while her mom needed skin grafts and contracted gangrene.
Griffith said at the time that the lioness ”didn’t mean to hurt me. Just, after seven years growing up with the lions, I forgot you have to be careful. You can never be sure you’re safe, and just a blow can pop your head like a ping pong ball,” as per The Guardian.
Later, Griffith took part in Body Double, Something Wild, and The Working Girl, earning an Academy Award nomination for The Working Girl in 1989.
In 1981, Griffith married her second husband, Steven Bauer, with whom she welcomed son Alexander. When their marriage ended, the actress married Don Johnson for the second time, welcoming daughter Dakota Johnson, the star of Fifty Shades of Grey.
”You have to understand that we have a tie, and I love him,” Melanie Griffith said and added: ”I will always love [Don Johnson]. But just because you love someone doesn’t necessarily mean that you can live with them.”
When Griffith married her third husband, actor Antonio Banderas, her children finally had a father figure they could rely on. Banderas became an essential part of their lives, and remained such even after he and their mother divorced in 2014.
However, despite the split, Griffith and Banderas remained very close.
“I was totally inexperienced. Suddenly I had a 6-year-old girl, a 10-year-old boy, and Stella came along almost immediately,” Banderas told AARP of Griffith’s children. “I was, ‘Oh, my God!’ But as soon as the kids knew that I was there to stay, they were fine. They needed solid ground in which they could grow. As soon as I realized that, I started establishing my relationship, giving them security, little by little doing the father thing.”
Kevin Winter/Getty Images for HFA
During an award ceremony in 2019, when Antonio Banderas received the Hollywood Actor Award, Dakota Johnson and Melanie Griffith presented him with the trophy.
”I come from a family of many a marriage, and I got very lucky,” Johnson said in her speech.
”I got a bonus dad who I realized that, over time, is actually one of the most influential people in my whole life. When I was six years old, my mother married a man who brought an unbelievably bright light, a whole new world of creativity and culture, and one remarkably magical little sister into our family.”
”He loved my mother, and my siblings and I so big, and so fiercely and so loud, that it would change all of our lives together,” Dakota added in her speech.
In 2010, she was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and eight years later, she revealed with her fans that she had cancer and she was forced to undergo a surgery with doctors removing a cancerous cell on her nose.
Speaking of the experience the actress said, “It’s a scary thing when you’re an actress and you depend on your face for work,” the actress told InStyle and continued: “But I realize I have to put a Band-Aid on it, and it’s fine. I just look like a dork.”
The good thing is that she’s now feeling great and is perfectly healthy. Following her cancer diagnosis, she became a loud advocate of cancer and also supports the efforts of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.
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The apple doesn’t fall away from the tree they say, and in the case of A-Lister Jennifer Garner and her daughter Violet, this saying can’t be more accurate.
The Dallas Buyers Club star is a mom of three. Her eldest daughter Violet is now 17 and everyone agrees that the teenager is a spitting image of her famous mom.
Some time ago, Violet made a public appearance when she accompanied her mom as her plus-one at the White House state dinner, a star-studded event many are looking forward to. The dinner was held to honor French President Emmanuel Macron and was hosted by the Bidens.
She and her mom were two of 400 VIPs who attended the event.
Garner shares Violet with her ex-husband, actor Ben Affleck.
For the occasion, Garner chose a floor-length, black Ralph Lauren gown with sequin accents on the sleeve which she paired with Stuart Weitzman shoes and a black clutch. Her daughter, who celebrated her 17th birthday on that day wore a thin-strapped Carolina Herrera dress with heart imprints, a black clutch and red, pointed-toe heels.
The duo walked into the event holding hands, gathering the attention of many.
However, what people were most stunned about was the uncanny resemblance between the mother and the daughter.
Fans were quick to comment. “Your date – my heart skipped a beat when I saw a photo,” one person wrote. “You and Violet looked stunning. What a night for you and her,” another added. “Violet looked stunning!” a third commented.
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This was a rare public outing of the two as Garner doesn’t really expose her children to the public. Besides having parents who are very famous in the world of films, both in their own right, Violet and her siblings, sister Seraphina Rose, and brother Samuel, don’t live under the limelight. They are, however, occasionally pictured out.
Recently, they were pictured with their dad and his new wife, singer and actress Jennifer Lopez, during their honeymoon in Paris where they were together with their step-mom’s twins Emme and Max, who she shares with ex-husband Marc Anthony.
Other famous people who attended the event at the White House were Batiste, Stephen Colbert, Ariana DeBose, John Legend, and Chrissy Teigen.
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Being a woman in a male-dominated profession was pretty hard back in the day. Nowadays, things are changed, but it took us quite some time to get where we are today.
Judy Sheindlin, or as most of you know her as “Judge Judy,” was never afraid to pursue a career as a lawyer. In fact, she always knew she would become one, although people believed she didn’t belong in the profession. When she graduated from the American University in Washington DC 1963, she was the only woman in her class of 126 students.
Judge Judy finished her law degree at the New York Law School in New York City, where she was born and raised.
She recalled that at the time, people couldn’t understand why she would pursue a career in law, and that included some of her professors. “Why are you taking up the seat of a man who is going to have to support a family,” one of her professors told her. But she was determined to make her dreams come true, and her parents, especially her father, played a huge role in what she became.
“I came home from college and my father was questioning some of my grades. I started giving him all kinds of excuses why I had not performed as expected. He looked me and said, ‘Darling, don’t pee on my leg and tell me it’s raining’,” she recalled.
In the years that followed, Judge Judy became a corporate lawyer. She married and had two children, but never quit her career. She then continued working in family court, serving as a prosecutor for 10 years.
Her fierceness and knowledge were noticed by then-New York Mayor Ed Koch, who appointed her a criminal court judge. A few years later, she was promoted to a supervising family court judge.
Youtube/Manufacturing Intellect
One day in 1966, she welcomed 60 Minutes inside her court room and that was the start of one of the best TV shows there are, “Judge Judy.” It was on air for over 25 years. The show was canceled in 2020.
The audience fell for Judge Judy’s no-nonsense, wisecracking approach from day one, and her show grew in popularity with each episode.
“The People’s Court, they’ve had several judges. The Tonight Show has had several hosts. But I Love Lucy only had one Lucille Ball,” she explained.
“So, almost 20 years ago, I told the company that I worked for this: ‘I want to be more of a partner. Don’t treat me as a paid employee. I could make this show without you — I created a deal where I could do that — but you can’t make it without me.
“I can take Judy Sheindlin anywhere else. And good luck with you if you can find somebody else. Otherwise, let’s share the gift that this program has brought to both of us.’ I don’t think that there’s anything unreasonable about that,” Judge Judy added.
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The show earned Judge Judy three Emmy Awards and a lot of money. According to New York Times, she earned $47 million from her salary alone in 2018. In total, Forbes has put her net worth at a staggering $445 million.
When the so-much-loved show came to an end, many were left saddened. But not the star of it. Speaking of the wrapping up of that period of her life, Judge Judy said, “I wasn’t teary. I felt gratified that I had completed that part of my journey and done it respectably. It was just the end of the day, the end of the job. I cleaned the bathroom, and the bathroom is sparkling.”
At the moment, she has other projects in mind, with her first one staring on November 1.
Judge Judy married her first husband, Ronald Lev, in 1964, but their marriage didn’t last long. She met her second husband, Jerry, who is the love of her life, during a court case. Later that day, they met again at a bar. Speaking to LA Times, Jerry recalled what happened when they came across one another again.
“There was a reporter from the New York Post there at the bar, and I was speaking to him about the case. Judy came walking in and put her finger in my face and said, ‘And who is this?’ I said, ‘Lady, get your finger out of my face.’ We’ve been together ever since.”
They both clicked right away and knew deep down that they were meant for each other. However, after Judy’s dad died, she filed for divorce. She simply couldn’t cope with the pain of losing the only man she could rely on.
“I was so sad when my father died, that an easier emotion for me to deal with was being angry at Jerry for not picking up the slack than dealing with the sadness of the loss,” she told Closer.
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They both planned on moving on, but their love for one another was so strong, it couldn’t be ignored. So, they tied the knot for the second time and are still together, loving each other more and more every day.
“I just had to come to terms with the fact that men of that generation expect to be taken care of and catered to,” she added.
“I missed Jerry, I like to have someone to fuss over, I like to be mated. It’s natural for me,” she added.
“I learned the hard way that sometimes what you think makes you happy won’t. I just had to come to terms with the fact that men of that generation expect to be taken care of and catered to.”
Shutterstock/Kathy Hutchins
In case you are wondering if this incredible woman is planning on slowing down, she’s not, despite being 78.
“I’m not tired. I don’t play golf or tennis, I have no desire to learn how to play mahjong, chess or checkers,” she told HollywoodReporter. “I know what I like to do. Why, at my stage in life, would I try to find something else when I already know what I like?
“And this isn’t a 9-to-5 job. I’ve still got the time to see the children I love, the grandchildren who are growing up very fast and the cute mate who I still get a kick out of.”
We can’t wait to see her on screen again.
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The actor behind Pee-wee Herman, Paul Rubens dead at 70.
Reubens had been battling cancer in silence, hiding the illness from the public. A posthumous message that he asked his family to post on his behalf was shared on his Instagram account.
“Please accept my apology for not going public with what I’ve been facing the last six years,” the message read. “I have always felt a huge amount of love and respect from my friends, fans and supporters. I have loved you all so much and enjoyed making art for you.”
NEW YORK – CIRCA 1984: Paul Reubens as Pee Wee Herman circa 1984 in New York. (Photo by Images/Getty Images)
Representatives of the late actor posted in the caption of his post, “Last night we said farewell to Paul Reubens, an iconic American actor, comedian, writer and producer whose beloved character Pee-wee Herman delighted generations of children and adults with his positivity, whimsy and belief in the importance of kindness.” The caption continued, “Paul bravely and privately fought cancer for years with his trademark tenacity and wit.
“A gifted and prolific talent, he will forever live in the comedy pantheon and in our hearts as a treasured friend and man of remarkable character and generosity of spirit.”
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Reubens, who was born on August 27, 1952, started his career as a comedian with The Groundlings in Los Angeles. He is best known for the character of Pee-wee Herman which he developed after he was rejected from Saturday Night Live. His character became a sensation loved by many. He then had a stage show in L.A. and later The Pee-wee Herman Show was recorded and aired on HBO with Reubens making plenty of appearances on TV as Pee-wee Herman.
His popularity grew so big that his character was eventually featured in the film Pee-wee’s Big Adventure directed by Tim Burton.
The creator and star of the lovably eccentric character which was featured in 1986 to 1990 TV series Pee-wee’s Playhouse revisited his Pee-wee Herman on occasion over the years, including Broadway’s The Pee-wee Herman Show in 2010 and the 2016 Netflix movie Pee-wee’s Big Holiday, his final film role before his death.
In 2002, Reubens was charged with one misdemeanor count of possessing images that were initially characterized as child pornography, a charge that was later dropped with the actor pleaded guilty to a charge of obscenity instead. Prior to this, he was arrested for indecent exposure in 1991 at a Florida porn house.
“I probably have become more infamous from two misdemeanors than probably anyone I could think of,” he told NBC in 2004.
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Reubens landed roles in Mystery Men and Blow and appeared on TV series like 30 Rock, Reno 911! and Everybody Loves Raymond. He received an Emmy nomination for his guest starring role in Murphy Brown.
Reubens made millions laugh over the years with his iconic character. May he rest in peace.
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Matthew McConaughey à Paris en aout 1996, France. (Photo by ARNAL/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)
Whether they like it or not, most celebrities are in the limelight because of the media exposure. However, while some enjoy all the attention, others tend to keep things private and opt for more normal lives, as much as that is even possible. One of the celebs who belong to the latter is Matthew McConaughey.
The actor is married to Camila Alves and they share three children together.
The family leads a quiet life in Texas, and speaking of it, Alves shared with Fox News Digital, “It’s been great. It really embodies our belief system, especially the ones I grew up with, like going to church every Sunday, saying ‘yes ma’am’ or ‘no, sir.’ I grew up saying those things coming from a family of farmers. For me, being from Brazil and then coming to Texas, I discovered a lot of similarities in terms of what families practice here, especially going to church on Sundays, and being very into the outdoors. It’s been a great transition.”
Recently, the couple’s eldest children, Levi and Vida, joined their mom in Paris and the trio attended the Stella McCartney Fall Winter 2023-2024 show for Fashion Week.
Instagram / camilamcconaughey
The McConaughey siblings caught the attention of many, Levi because he resembles his famous dad a lot, and Vida for wearing midi dress from her mother’s collaboration with artist Yoshitomo Nara.
It was the proud mom who shared photos of her children and herself on Instagram.
Instagram / camilamcconaughey
Matthew shared on many occasions that out of all the roles he has played, that of a father is what he is most proud of.
“And it’s remained the pinnacle for me. Being a dad was always my only dream. … I can’t think of anything being more important.”
Neither Matthew nor his wife share plenty of photos on the social media and that is why their rare posts gather the attention of many.
PARIS, FRANCE – MARCH 06: Camila Alves McConaughey (C) with son Levi Alves McConaughey (L) and daughter Vida Alves McConaughey (R) attend the Stella McCartney Womenswear Fall Winter 2023-2024 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on March 06, 2023 in Paris, France. (Photo by Jacopo Raule/Getty Images)
They make such a beautiful family.
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There are plenty of reasons why Ryan Reynolds is one of the most loved Hollywood actors, and his sense of humor is definitely one of them.
The Deadpool actor made many people’s day with his cheeky birthday message to his friend and former co-star Sandra Bullock.
Namely, the two co-starred in The Proposal in which Bullock played Margaret, a high-powered publishing executive whose glamorous New York life and highly-paid job are at risk because her visa hadn’t been renewed. In order to remain in the United States, she blackmails her assistant Andrew, played by Reynolds, into marrying her.
In one of the scenes, which is now considered iconic, Bullock’s character accidentally slips into Andrew’s arms while the two are both naked.
Well, Reynolds thought going down the memory lane and wishing Sandra a very happy birthday with a photo of this scene would be a good idea, and we can’t agree more.
He captured the post, “Happy Birthday to the inimitable and stunning Sandra Bullock! For your birthday this year, I got us both intimacy coordinators. And an HR department. And clothing?”
This was Bullock’s first ever nude scene and in fact she often reflected it saying she did it because she found the idea both “[humiliating] and funny.”
On the About Last Night Podcast with Adam Ray in 2021, Bullock stated: “Ryan and I have known each other since we were prepubescent. We go way, way, way back. We had to do the naked scene that day and Anne Fletcher, our director who’s just incredible, she’s great.”
She continued: “We had a closed set, which means no one’s allowed to be on there, just hair and makeup coming in to fluff and hide. Ryan and I have these flesh-colored things stuck to our privates, my hair is strategically over the nipples and Ryan’s little — not little, at all! It’s just whatever’s there, and I don’t know because I didn’t see it. I didn’t look!”
Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds starred in the hilarious 2009 rom com ‘The Proposal’. Credit / Mike Adaskaveg / MediaNews Group / Boston Herald / Getty.
Bullock even shared the funny moment when director Anne Fletcher informed Reynolds about an unplanned reveal.
“When they’d say cut, we couldn’t really move,” she explained. “He was on his back with his knees up, and I’m on the floor just sort of resting on his knees, just waiting, and you don’t wanna look, and we couldn’t really move.”
“Then, I hear Anne Fletcher from the darkness go, ‘Ryan, we can see your ballsack!’ I’m like, ‘Oh God!’ Because you wanna look down, but I’m like, ‘Don’t look down. Don’t look down.’ … Everyone in the darkness spun around to see if they could find a monitor,” Bullock recalled. “I was like, ‘Anne, there’s a way to present that information….’”
This year, the Oscar-winning actress turned 59 and one thing that is certain is that she defies age.
Happy birthday, Sandra Bullock.
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Charlie, an 11-year-old boy from Oklahoma, was having fun catching fish in the neighborhood pond behind their home. The boy was hoping to catch and then release the bass and catfish living there, but all of a sudden, he caught a strange looking fish and started calling his mom’s name from the top of his lungs.
Speaking of the incredible incident, Charlie’s mom, Janna Clinton, said, “He was screaming, ‘Oh my God, mom! Oh my God!’ I thought he was just being dramatic, to be honest.”
What caught their attention and left them puzzled was the fact that the fish had human-like teeth, something they had never seen before.
“Obviously being in a neighborhood pond, we’re used to just catching a few bass or catfish…I mean, nothing with human-like teeth,” she said, adding that the fish was quite feisty. “[Charlie] said it put up a heck of a fight. He was the only one down there fishing and he did a great job.”
The family decided to take some photos of the strange fish and post them online. As expected, many people were quick to comment. “THOSE ARE HUMAN TEETH,” one person wrote. “What in the world!?! That’s creepy!” another added.
“That is most definitely not a catch and release! Thank you for taking it seriously,” one resident commented under the post. “You may need to report that to somebody in wildlife or something…” another suggested.
The family only learned more about the fish after they reached out to wildlife and sent them photos. Unfortunately, they released the fish into the pond. “It’s a catch and release pond…so we unfortunately did release it back because we didn’t know any better at the time,” Janna said. “We made a mistake there.”
The fish turned out to be a pacu, a cousin to the piranha, that’s native to South America.
However, unlike piranhas and other relatives, pacu don’t have razor-sharp teeth because they are mostly vegetarian.
Dear, whoever released an entire Pacu (a South American fish closely related to Piranha) into a NEIGHBORHOOD pond;
— Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (@OKWildlifeDept) July 18, 2023
Wildlife officials have been left puzzled as to how that fish ended up in the pond. One of the logical explanations would be that it was released there by someone who owned it. Pacus enter freshwater ecosystems in the U.S. when people keep them as pets but irresponsibly release them into nearby ponds and rivers when they grow too big for their tanks, ODWC officials wrote.
“Dear, whoever released an entire Pacu (a South American fish closely related to Piranha) into a NEIGHBORHOOD pond; how dare you,” ODWC tweeted.
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There have been other cases of pacu being caught in Oklahoma. “There have been incidents in other countries such as Papau New Guinea, where some men have had their testicles bitten off,” said fish expert Henrik Carl, who added fisherman have reportedly bled to death after having their testicles bitten off. “They bite because they’re hungry, and testicles sit nicely in their mouth…” He added, “It normally eats nuts, fruit and small fish, but human testicles are just a natural target.”
As of Charlie, he continued fishing at the pond in hopes of catching the fish again. “If he catches it again, we’re going to get it mounted for him. I think that’s a heck of a prize and he deserves it…I told him we’d make it look like the fish was smiling so you could see its teeth.”
Releasing these fish into a new environment when owners can no longer care for them is dangerous for so many reasons.
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TOPEKA, KS - JULY 10: The Topeka police S.W.A.T. and Hostage Rescue teams respond to a home where a man barricaded himself in his home, threatening harm to himself on July 10, 2010 in Topeka, KS.
When a police officer at the Verdigris Police Department witnessed a Roman candle being shot through a broken window in a garage door at the house he was passing by, he knew something was off. Before he decided to investigate any further, he called backup, but none of the officers who arrived at the scene were ready for what was coming.
In a tragic turn of events, it was revealed that the firework was shot by a woman who took three children to a mother for a supervised visitation. The mother, however, was armed with a gun and held the woman at gunpoint after which she took the baby inside and locked the woman and her two other children in the garage.
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In order to save the children and minimize the risk of harm, several emergency teams, including the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service’s SWAT team, tried to negotiate with the mother of the children. Sadly, to no avail. She mercilessly killed her three kids and then ended her own life.
Once inside the house, police officers and members of the emergency teams found the lifeless bodies of 11-year-old Noe, six-year-old Bryce, and 9-month-old Billy.
The children’s heartbroken father, Billy Jacobson, explained that his ex and the mother to his children, Brandy McCaslin, attempted suicide in January after he refused to reconcile with her. She was so angry that she tried changing their baby’s name. “There’s something I want everyone to be clear about. When Brandy McCaslin tried to commit suicide in January. She tried to change my son’s name because she was mad at me because I wasn’t coming back to her.” The post continued, “I never stopped calling him anything but that and it was wrong of her to do so. Out of respect to me and my son, who had no choice in the loss of his life due to his mother. Please do not refer to my child as anything but Billy. He deserves that.”
Jacobson’s current partner, Camron Fennel, also shared her heartbreak over the deaths of the children.
“Our hearts are shattered into a million tiny pieces. I can’t believe our precious 9 month baby boy is really gone.” Fennel’s post continued, “How in the hell can a “mother” be so selfish and evil to take the lives of her 3 innocent babies. Burning in hell for an eternity is not enough punishment for her!!”
According to Jacobson, it was the system that failed him big time and let his children be put in a life-threatening situation in the first place. In a video he shared, Jacobson explained the importance of giving fathers more rights, especially in cases like him when the mother suffers from mental illness.
“Fathers’ rights are a dear subject to me, I’ve dealt with it for years now…” Describing the late McCaslin’s struggles with mental health, he continued, “their mother had an incident in January where she had attempted suicide and I took her to court. I got emergency custody and the system failed me. It basically helped her even though she didn’t have an attorney, had multiple issues with mental health and suicide, and put my kids right back in the care of somebody (the courts) knew would injure my kids and if it wasn’t for that, my son would be here in my arms right now.”
This grieving father made it his mission to use the tragedy in order to reform the laws.
“The wheels are spinning, everybody. I have somebody going to the capital…They’re going to go approach some of the senators and representatives to see who would be willing to back us on enacting a bill!” The July 24 post continues, “It can’t happen until February to May of next year because that’s when they meet again to enact laws but it looks very promising! Thank you everyone for your kind words and support. If we work together we can make this where it cannot happen again.”
A number of people offered their condolences and support. “Using your trauma to impact others for the good is absolutely admirable,” writes one while another said, “So freaking amazing ty for leading this fight forward, many lives will be saved.”
Just days prior to the tragedy, Jacobson posted a photo of his baby with the caption “high five me.”
“This is heartbreaking…This family’s seen a lot, you know. Mental health has…I feel like just really, really, really affected this family when it comes to that and substance abuse,” Lucretia Pitre, a family friend, said. “…I just can’t believe she took the kids. I don’t know. I just don’t understand it.”
Our thoughts and prayers are with Jacobson.
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The news of the passing of one of the most prominent Irish artists, Sinéad O’Connor, came a little over a year following her son’s passing. O’Connor’s 17-year-old son died of suicide and she was never able to get over the loss.
“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Sinéad,” her family said in a statement to The Irish Times. “Her family and friends are devastated and have requested privacy at this very difficult time.”
Born in Dublin on December 8, 1966, O’Connor’s upbringing wasn’t an easy one. With a mother who was physically abusive, the singer spent a lifetime being an advocate and raising her voice against children abuse, not wanting a singe child to experience an ordeal similar to what she was forced to endure.
Sinéad O’Connor in the 90s. Credit / Michel Linssen / Redferns / Getty.
Throughout her career, following her huge success which placed her on the pedestal in 1990 with Nothing Compares 2 U, O’Connor raised awareness and spoke openly about her religious journey, activism and mental health struggles.
The controversies surrounding her life started during the time there were rumors of the Catholic Church’s cover-up of sexual abuse cases followed by protests. During an appearance on Saturday Night Live, O’Connor expressed her thoughts over the entire situation in quite a controversial manner, by tearing a photo of Pope John Paul II while singing Bob Marley’s War, telling the audience to “fight the real enemy.”
Her action affected her career, but the singer said she had no regrets. “Everyone wants a pop star, see? But I am a protest singer. I just had stuff to get off my chest. I had no desire for fame,” she wrote in her 2021 memoir Rememberings.
In 2018, O’Connor converted to Islam after practicing Christianity her entire life and even being ordained as a priest in the Irish Orthodox Catholic and Apostolic Church. She then changed her name to Shuhada’ Davitt.
Shortly before her passing, O’Connor twitted about the heartbreak she experienced because of her son’s passing. Responding to a tweet by the Inspirational Quotes account asking: “Tell me how your life is going using emojis,” the late Irish musician shared 10 crying faces with the hashtag: “lostmy17yrOldSonToSuicidein2022.”
“Been living as undead night creature since,” she wrote in the emotional tweet on July 17. “He was the love of my life, the lamp of my soul. We were one soul in two halves. He was the only person who ever loved me unconditionally.”
She concluded: “I am lost in the bardo without him.”
Rest in peace, Sinéad O’Connor.
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Wimbledon isn’t just one of the greatest tennis tournaments there are that attracts the attention of the entire world, but it’s sort of part of the British tradition. Having said that, it’s not surprising that not only celebrities, but also the royals, never miss the chance to witness the best in the world of tennis compete.
During the final weekend of last year’s tournament, the Prince and Princess of Wales watched the competition,but they weren’t alone. In fact, their eldest so, Prince George accompanied their parents. It was the boy’s first time joining his parents for the great day and seeing his mom handing out the trophy to the winner in several of the classes. This year, Princess Charlotte was given the opportunity to attend Wimbledon, but not her younger brother, Prince Louis, which made him very angry.
Over the last few years, Prince Louis attended many meaningful occasions, including the Platinum Jubilee celebration which honored his now late great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth. During those royal outings, pictures of him doing all kinds of ‘controversial’ things, including pulling funny faces, have entertained the public well.
Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images
Although he’s much-adored member of the royal family, it’s very unlikely that Louis could ever be a king.
“Louis is quite a handful,” a source said. “William and Kate do their best to teach him how to behave but understand these events are tiresome for a youngster. They are like other parents with young children in this way. It does make them more relatable to the public.
“They gently admonish him when he gets out of hand because he’s got to learn,” the source said of George and Charlotte. “William and Kate know the day will come and making faces won’t be ‘cute.’ Hopefully Louis will grow out of it.”
Samir Hussein/WireImage
However, as much as Louis is loved by the public, Daniela Elser, a royal expert, believes this could harm the young Prince’s future.
As an example, she spoke of the image of Louis printed on a huge flag which was seen in the audience at Glastonbury, one of the biggest music festivals in the world with around 20,000 visitors.
“Put that kid in public, maybe in the vicinity of a military parade or out on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, and the five-year-old will guarantee Fleet Street’s photo editors a cheeky, charming shot,” Elser wrote. “Oh, it’s an adorable image, and you would have to be Cruella de Ville sans Dalmatians not to be thoroughly charmed and delighted by it.
Twitter/ArchRose90
“But I actually think, looking at that Glasto flag, that we have reached a tipping point – Louis has gone from royal kidlet to pop culture caricature, from child to entertaining character. Except he’s a boy, not a perpetual meme.”
Further, she said she believes that if Louis is continued seen as a funny character, he may easily end up as “another Prince Harry.”
“We owe it to Louis to not make a joke out of him, to not render him a punchline or a cartoonish figure,” Elser explained.
“And if we fail, 30 years from now, it will be him sitting on a couch and pouring out his hurt feelings to Oprah’s hologram.”
Chris Jackson/Getty Images
Now when it comes to this year’s Wimbledon, the youngest Prince was denied attending it. The reason why could be the long hours the matches are usually played or simply because Louis is quite restless.
Speaking to one of the officials before the final began, Kate said Louis had kept a close eye on the Wimbledon tournament and he even practiced being a ball boy.
“It’s Charlotte’s first time, George came last year. They’ve been eagerly watching. Charlotte you’ve been getting to grips with the scoring. Louis was very upset he wasn’t coming today,” Kate said.
In 2019, tennis legend, former Wimbledon winner, and fashion icon Stan Smith gave Louis signed Adidas trainers.
We are sure Prince Louis would be a regular at Wimbledon in the years to come and he, just like his mom and dad, would be aweosme at playing tennis.
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Olivia Knighton, the 11-year-old daughter of former MSL goalkeeper Brad Knighton, died in a boat accident near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina on July 19.
The South Carolina Department of Natural Resource issued a statement regarding the tragic accident which is still under investigation.
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“Initial information indicates that a 23-foot boat carrying 12 people was traveling on the Intracoastal Waterway in Little River.”
“The boat was rocked by a large wake caused by another boat, resulting in nine of the 12 occupants going overboard,” one of which was an 11-year-old girl who was “struck by a propeller and later died of her injuries.”
“Nobody else was injured in the incident,” the statement continued.
They are still trying to piece together what truly happened.
Our officers are investigating a fatal boating accident that happened Wednesday in Horry County. Initial information indicates that a 23-foot boat carrying 12 people was traveling on the Intracoastal Waterway in Little River. (1 of 3) pic.twitter.com/qxPhM2Cxaw
— S.C. Dept. of Natural Resources (@SCDNR) July 20, 2023
Brad Knighton posted a brief statement on social media, saying, “There are no words to express the depth of our profound grief and sorrow in this moment.”
“Our family is still in shock at the sudden and tragic loss of our beautiful and brilliant daughter, Olivia, to an unfortunate boating accident yesterday,” he continued. “We are all still in disbelief that her bright and pure light was taken away from us so suddenly.”
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Knighton retired in January 2023 after 16 seasons, 12 of which he spent playing for the New England Revolution.
“Olivia loved soccer and the Revolution with all of her heart,” he added. “Our family always felt your support behind us during my career. We will need you and your prayers with us now more than ever.”
New England Revolution also displayed a photo of Olivia Knighton on the jumbotron during their match to honor her life. “Olivia was a bright and shining light who was a beloved presence around the Revolution throughout her entire life, always bringing a warm smile and laugh to Gillette Stadium and our training facility when she would visit,” the team wrote.
Following his retirement, Knighton posted a heartfelt message thanking his family for their support throughout his very successful career during which he ranked high on the club’s all-time leaderboard for goals against average, save percentage, and winning percentage in 52 matches.
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“To my children Olivia, Owen, and Brooks, I’m so glad you have been able to be a part of this journey. Knowing you were standing there and cheering me on every day gave me the strength and belief to reach a potential I never knew was there,” he wrote.
Rest in peace, Olivia.
Our hearts go out to the grieving family.
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Her ‘bad girl’ image made her a fan favorite, but it seems like singer Miranda Lambert feels zero remorse for embarrassing her fans…yet again.
During a performance at Las Vegas, where she has a residency slot, Lambert called out a group of fans because they were taking a selfie as she started performing her song Tin Man. Apparently, she found that disrespectful so she stopped the song after a few tunes and addressed the girls, which caused mixed emotions at the rest of the audience. “I’m gonna stop right here for a second… These girls are worried about their selfie and not listening to the song. It’s p***ing me off a little bit,” she said as she pointed to the crowd.
Some of the people in attendance showed their support and saluted the singer while others didn’t like her comment and left the place as a sign of protest. As expected, the online community shared their opinions, which were divided.
Instagram
Days after this performance, Lambert stopped the next concert as well, this time because she spotted a fan wearing a T-shirt that read, “Shoot tequila, not selfies.” Apparently, Lambert liked what she saw so she commented, “Her shirt says, ‘Shoot tequila, not selfies.’ She did it, I didn’t!”
This comment made some of her fans even angrier than before as they believed she addressed the backlash she faced in a completely wrong manner.
“Wow! Can’t believe this is her response to her rudeness,” one person wrote.
Miranda Lambert stops show to call out two fans taking a selfie:
“These girls are worried about their selfie and not listening to the song, it’s pissing me off a little bit. Sorry, I don’t like it at all. We’re here to hear some country music tonight. I’m singing some country… pic.twitter.com/sERBzalpBI
“Way to embarrass and shame your loyal fans who adore you,” one Twitter users wrote. “She could’ve poked fun and posed in the selfie and then encouraged them to be in the moment after that. Not cool.”
“Going to a concert is about creating an experience and a memory. If someone wants to take a picture to document that memory, they should be able to,” another Twitter user added.
Instagram
The woman who was called out about taking a selfie shared the photo she took along with the caption, “It was 30 seconds at most,” referring to the time she and her friends spent on taking it and added that they “took the picture quickly and were going to sit back down.”
The woman, Adela Calin, said she was totally “appalled” when Lambert embarrassed them in front of everyone present.
“It felt like I was back at school with the teacher scolding me for doing something wrong and telling me to sit down back in my place,” she said. “… I feel like she was determined to make us look like we were young, immature and vain. But we were just grown women in our 30s to 60s trying to take a picture.”
What are your thoughts on this?
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Sinéad O’Connor, Irish singer and activist, has died at the age of 56. O’Connor rose to worldwide fame with her single Nothing Compares 2 U, released in 1990.
“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Sinéad,” her family said in a statement to The Irish Times. “Her family and friends are devastated and have requested privacy at this very difficult time.”
Born in Dublin on December 8, 1966, O’Connor’s upbringing wasn’t an easy one. With a mother who was physically abusive, the singer spent a lifetime being an advocate and raising her voice against children abuse, not wanting a singe child to experience an ordeal similar to what she was forced to endure.
NETHERLANDS – JANUARY 01: Photo of Sinead O’CONNOR (Photo by Michel Linssen/Redferns)
O’Connor realized that she had a gift for music at the age of 15, which was also the period of her life when she was placed in an asylum for shoplifting and truancy issues.
Five years later, at the age of 20, she recorded her first album, The Lion and the Cobra, which earned her a Grammy nomination.
The album was highly praised, placing O’Connor on the pedestal, where she remained most of her life which was filled with troubles and controversies. Slant Magazine and Pitchfork both listed it as one of the best albums of the 1980s. “One of the most electrifying debuts in rock history” Slant wrote. “Themes of patriotism, sexuality, Catholicism, and social oppression set the stage for a career marked by a resolute sense of independence,” Pitchfork’s critics said of the album.
Matteo Chinellato / Shutterstock.com
Having her head shaved, O’Connor sometimes experienced criticism simply because she didn’t fit the standards of what a woman should look like but it was an assertion against traditional views of women according to the singer herself.
O’Connor released her second album, I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got, in 1990. The album included her cover of Prince’s Nothing Compares 2 U, her most famous and highest-charting recording.
Wikimedia Commons
The controversies surrounding her life started during the time there were rumors of the Catholic Church’s cover-up of sexual abuse cases followed by protests. During an appearance on Saturday Night Live, O’Connor expressed her thoughts over the entire situation in quite a controversial manner, by tearing a photo of Pope John Paul II while singing Bob Marley’s War, telling the audience to “fight the real enemy.”
Her action affected her career, but the singer said she had no regrets. “Everyone wants a pop star, see? But I am a protest singer. I just had stuff to get off my chest. I had no desire for fame,” she wrote in her 2021 memoir Rememberings.
In 2018, O’Connor converted to Islam after practicing Christianity her entire life and even being ordained as a priest in the Irish Orthodox Catholic and Apostolic Church. She then changed her name to Shuhada’ Davitt.
Over the years, she struggled with mental health issues and even tried to take her own life when she was 33, as she told Oprah. O’Connor was diagnosed with complex post-traumatic stress disorder and borderline personality disorder.
18 months before her passing, O’Connor lost her son to suicide. Shane was 17 years old when he took his own life leaving his mother desperate and mourning his tragic loss.
“There will never be anything to sing about again,” she said following his passing, canceling her tour and postponing her new album.
Really sorry to hear of the passing of Sinéad O’Connor.
Her music was loved around the world and her talent was unmatched and beyond compare.
Condolences to her family, her friends and all who loved her music.
Taoiseach (Irish PM) Leo Varadkar said her music “was loved around the world and her talent was unmatched”.
Irish President Michael D Higgins praised O’Connor’s “authenticity” as well as her “beautiful, unique voice”.
“What Ireland has lost at such a relatively young age is one of our greatest and most gifted composers, songwriters and performers of recent decades, one who had a unique talent and extraordinary connection with her audience, all of whom held such love and warmth for her,” he said.
O’Connor expressed heartache over her son’s passing just days before she died.
The exact cause of death has not yet been revealed.
Rest in peace, Sinéad O’Connor.
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The oldest of the Golden Girls, Sophia Petrillo, was played by actress Estelle Getty who found fame in film later in life after establishing a successful Broadway career.
In 1982, Getty had her big break when she was cast in the Broadway show The Torch Song. In the years that followed, she portrayed the major role of Mrs. Beckhoff on and off Broadway.
When she auditioned for the role in Golden Girls, Getty was so determined to get it that she made sure she looked older than she really was. Rumors are that she even had the famous straw purse which made through the seven seasons with her. In fact, Sophia, Getty’s character, was a year younger than Beatrice Arthur, who played Sophia’s daughter, Dorothy.
With her white curls, huge glasses, floral house dresses, and cardigan sweaters, Sophia became a much loved character who made millions laugh. Even today, years after Getty’s passing, her character brings joy and laughter in many people’s lives through the series’ re-runs.
Golden Girls ran for seven seasons, Getty then reprised her role in Golden Palace, a one-season 1992 show, and later in Empty Nest.
Getty was the first one of the cast of the legendary series to pass away. Unfortunately, she was diagnosed with Lewy body dementia, a progressive brain condition that is commonly confused with Alzheimer’s. This caused her difficulties memorizing her lines.
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Her co-stars shared that Getty would ask for cue cards and would experience panic episodes.
“She had an awful time remembering lines because she would freeze, she panicked. She would start getting under a dark cloud the day before tape day. You could see a big difference in her on that day. By tape day, she was unreachable. She was just as uptight as a human being can get,” Rue McClanahan, who died of stroke in 2010, said back in the day. “Finally, she asked for cue cards, which appalled us all, and at first the producers refused to stoop to such an unprofessional thing. But eventually, she had to be given cue cards for those deliciously funny Sophia stories.”
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Getty died quietly in her sleep in 2008, at the age of 84.
According to her son, Carl Gettleman, Getty’s co-stars didn’t attend her funeral. Shortly after his mom’s passing, Carl told Inside Edition that he was disappointed Bea Arthur, Betty White and Rue McClanahan skipped the service.
“They would certainly have been welcome. I don’t know why they wouldn’t be attending mom’s funeral. Maybe it’s a painful thing,” he said. “If it was someone I’d been tight with like that and worked with all those years I’d have been there.”
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Bronny, the 18-year-old son of basketball legend LeBron James, suffered cardiac arrest during a basketball workout at the University of Southern California (USC) on Monday, TMZ reported.
According to a statement from Bronny’s family spokesperson, he’s out of the intensive care unit and in stable condition.
“Yesterday while practicing Bronny James suffered a cardiac arrest. Medical staff was able to treat Bronny and take him to the hospital. He is now in stable condition and no longer in ICU,” the statement said.
“We ask for respect and privacy for the James family and we will update media when there is more information.
“LeBron and Savannah wish to publicly send their deepest thanks and appreciation to the USC medical and athletic staff for their incredible work and dedication to the safety of their athletes.”
According to reports, the 911 call was made around 9:30 the morning of July 24 after which Bronny, who was unconscious, was rushed via ambulance to the nearest hospital.
Sports figures from all over the country, as well as the world, sent their messages of support and wished the young star a complete recovery.
Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, who suffered cardiac arrest during an NFL game last season and who has since been active in advocating for AED training and awareness which potentially saved his life, tweeted his support: “Prayers to Bronny & The James Family as well (prayer emoji) here for you guys just like you have been for me my entire process.”
New York, NY - January 30, 2018: Tony Bennett and Susan Benedetto attend Exploring the Arts 11th annual gala at Ziegfeld Ballroom
Tony Bennett, a music legend in his own right, spent the last couple of years of his life in his splendid Manhattan apartment. The New York-born star passed away at the age of 96 on July 21, 2023. During the final years of his life, he battled Alzheimer.
Bennett’s career, which spanned decades, started in the most unexpected way. He possessed incredible voice and a singing talent that he was able to show to the guests of an Italian restaurant located in his neighborhood where he worked as a waiter. Young Bennett would serve the customers while singing to them. “I loved that time of my life, and I honestly feel that, if I hadn’t made it professionally, I would be perfectly happy going back to being a singing waiter,” Bennett shared with The San Diego Union-Tribune.
After he learned that entertaining audiences was his calling, Bennett started studying singing at the American Theatre Wing just after his service in the war was over. His singing coach, Mimi Spencer, was probably the person who impacted his career a great deal. She would always say to him not to imitate other singers, but musicians instead.
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“That’s the same thing that Billie Holiday said in her book, that she imitated Louis Armstrong. I imitated (jazz pianist) Art Tatum. He held on to the basic melody like a rock, but his chords and sense of accompaniment were astounding.”
During his career of many years, Bennett released 60 studio albums, 11 live albums, and sold 50 million records worldwide. He has a huge number of hits which brought him numerous awards, but one song in particular, I Left My Heart in San Francisco, is what defined his singing career.
Bennett was diagnosed with Alzheimer in 2016 with his wife Susan Benedetto being his primary caregiver. Speaking of his diagnosis and how he accepted it, Susan once shared a conversation she had with her husband. “He would ask me, ‘What is Alzheimer’s?’ I would explain, but he wouldn’t get it. He’d tell me, ‘Susan, I feel fine.’ That’s all he could process, physically felt great.”
Bennett’s residence was located in a high-rise building overlooking Central Park, on the 15th floor. It consisted of three bedrooms, a large kitchen where Bennett spent time cooking featuring oak cabinets, stainless steel appliances, a massive dinner table and plenty of counter space. The place included a decked-out entertainment room, home office, bathrooms, and more.
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The giant windows of his apartment allowed him to enjoy the incredible skyline from the comfort of his home.
One of the bedrooms was converted into a studio where the Grammy-award singer kept his sketches adorned on the walls. Besides being a musician, Bennett was also a passionate painter in love with creative work.
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The living space, which felt inviting, featured soft yellow walls, hardwood floors and an Italy-inspired interior design along with a black grand piano which Bennett was known to play for hours on end.
Bennett and his third wife met when he was in his 60s and she was in her 20s, but the age difference of 40 years didn’t stop them from starting a relationship.
July 22 marked the 10th birthday of Prince George, the future king of Britain. However, although it may take many, many years before the young Prince is crowned, his parents make sure he, as well as his siblings, know just how important their roles will be in the days to come.
Although they are royalty, the lives of George, Charlotte, and Louis are as normal as they could be all thanks to William and Kate who teach them how to be hard-working, hang out with friends, and appreciate the fact that whether they love it or not they are privileged.
At the moment, the three siblings attend the prestigious Lambrook school where they learn how to take care of animals, get involved in a number of sports, and attend lessons.
According to royal expert Jennie Bond, “[Prince William and Princess Kate] want George, Charlotte, and Louis to be very aware of the privileged way in which they are growing up. Have a proper sense of empathy, charity, and responsibility,” as per OK! Magazine.
“It’s very much the Diana style of parenting. They want them to know how lucky they are and not take any of it for granted.”
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Now when it comes to George’s birthday, just like any royal birthday, his was a pretty much secretive.
“They’ve always been intensely secretive and private about his birthday,” royal commentator Duncan Larcombe told Fox. “They’ve never released anything… in terms of a birthday party, and what they do is shrouded in secrecy.”
“We are starting to see [George] a lot more in public these days, but they’re still very keen on keeping him private property rather than public property,” he added.
“His parents have been incredibly hands-on, and they’ve followed a very similar upbringing Kate would have had with two siblings, a close-knit family. They’re focusing very much on the value of the family. They’ve built quite a unique family unit.”
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Besides all the chefs who work at the Palace, it is Kate who always makes her children’s birthday cakes. “I love making the cake,” Kate revealed on A Berry Royal Christmas in 2019. “It’s become a bit of a tradition that I stay up ’til midnight with ridiculous amounts of cake mix and icing, and I make far too much. But I love it.”
As the tradition goes, a new photo of George was posted by the Palace. This time, however, the photo wasn’t taken by Kate as usual but by Millie Pilkington, who also took George’s photo on his fifth birthday.
The young Prince poses on the stairs at Windsor wearing a checked shirt and trousers. He has a huge smile on his face and looks as adorable as always.
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Among those who presented Prince George with a birthday gift is Julia Samuel, one of Princess Diana’s closest friends. She always tends to keep one of Diana’s traditions alive and that’s buying “impossible toys” which take days to assemble. “I do to George what [Diana] did to us, which is give impossible toys that are really noisy and take a lot of making,” Julia Samuel said. “William then has to spend days putting together. And then put all the machinery together, and it makes awful tooting noises and lights flashing and all of that.”
Samuel added that William struggled for days, which brought the rest of the family great pleasure, especially “cheeky” George.
“[It] makes [her] laugh, and it makes George laugh,” Julia added, saying that George is one “amazing” boy. Speaking of the young Prince, Samuel said “He’s funny and feisty and cheeky, and God [Diana] would have loved him so much.”
As expected, the number of cards and birthday wishes George received was huge.
“Happy Birthday to Prince George!” the post on the official Instagram of the Royal Family read.
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What many couldn’t help but notice is that Harry and Meghan didn’t wish George a happy birthday publicly, although it’s not certain whether they sent their congratulations privately on Saturday.
Fans of the royals argued that the Sussexes should have wished George a happy birthday through the social media, but at the same time, they agreed that no royal has posted any birthday messages to Harry and Meghan’s children, Archie and Lilibet, in the last few years.
In his all-tell memoir Spare, Harry wrote of the joy he felt when George was born. However, he wasn’t invited to spend as much time as he wanted and expected around him. “I took it for granted that I would be invited to their house at any moment. But the days went by, and it didn’t happen,” Harry wrote in Spare. “I understand, I thought. They’re busy! Building a family! Or maybe… three’s a crowd. Maybe if I get married things will change.”
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People weren’t happy with Harry involving his nephew in whatever issues he and William faced and according to the Daily Express’s royal expert Angela Epstein, Harry might have “overlooked the damage he could do” to George.
“So given the way tragedy arced his young life, surely Harry’s concern for his own nephew, George, would be a matter of auto-fill. As the doting and fun-loving uncle, Harry has always displayed affection for his brother’s three young children,” Epstein said.
“So the possibility that George, as second in line to the throne, could be harmed in any way by the Duke’s rage against the monarchy should surely be a concern to him.”
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When you think about it you realize that no matter what we do, we can never say enough “thank you” to the men and women in the military who sacrifice it all for our country. Not only they put their life on the line, but leave their family and friends behind.
Being away from home has to be hard both for those who are departed and those who stay home and wait for their loved ones to get back safe and sound.
Bridget Stevens knows all to well what it feels like to be a military wife.
Although this woman’s story takes place during a harsh Pennsylvanian winter, it will still warm your heart.
One day, Bridget found herself in trouble. It was very cold outside and the heating in the house stopped working. She didn’t have any extra money to spend, but she had to contact Betlyn’s Heating and Cooling to fix the problem, otherwise, her children could freeze.
They gave her some instruction on how to try and fix it herself, but once they realized the problem was more serious the owner, Paul told Bridget he was on his way to her place to trace and fix the problem.
Once he arrived, Bridget told him how her husband is the one doing the repairments around the house, but this time he wasn’t there to take care of the problem. He was deployed and Bridget was left to look after the house and their kids all by herself.
Paul did an excellent job of fixing the issue and handed Bridget the bill. She took it and was in anticipation to see how much this would cost her, when she read something that left her overwhelmed.
The bill read, “No heat evening call. Deployment discount $1.00.”
It was Paul’s way of thanking her husband for his service in the military.
Bridget was moved by the whole experience so she decided to share it on her Facebook page.
“This is a bit lengthy, but I just want to take a minute to acknowledge Betlyn Heating and Cooling. I came home with the boys to a cold house that was 50 degrees. When turning up the thermostat was not kicking the furnace on, I called Betlyn’s, thinking I’d get a machine and have to leave a message, then run to the store for space heaters.
Ultimately, Paul, the owner, answered and was very patient as he walked me through different things to do to try to get it back on. When none of that worked, he said he needed to come to the house to fix it.
As he was working on the furnace, we got to talking about Bobby and the deployment. I had mentioned in passing that I tried to figure it out with my husband, but since he’s deployed and couldn’t see it, he wouldn’t know what to do.
After he was finished, I was a little apprehensive about how much it was going to cost. He handed me the slip that is in this photo. When I tried to give him any money at all, he said that the $1 was a joke, and to thank my husband for his service.
So, thanks Paul Betlyn. My house is nice and warm thanks to you.”
We are thankful that Paul knew how to appreciate the sacrifice of a fellow citizen who was in the military. We should always do our best to help the families of our heroes and that way repay for what they do for all of us.
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From using a mobile phone while driving, to drunk driving, speeding, and disrespecting the rules, there are people out there whose careless driving puts others in danger. Sadly, these drivers are likely to cause accidents in which there are victims.
One family had it enough of reckless driving and speeding through their neighborhood after their family dog was killed that they decided to set up a huge sign in their lawn that had the entire neighborhood talking especially because many found it as a threat.
”We buried our dog last week because you won’t slow down,” the sign read. “If you hit 1 of my kids your family may be burying you.”
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The photo of the sign was first posted on Reddit but was soon shared on other social media sites such as Facebook.
In a matter of days, the post attracted the attention of many and sparked a debate about whether the late dog owners were right placing the controversial sign.
”I never understand why people speed through neighborhoods…or parking lots. Seriously…what’s the logic in that?” one user commented. ”Love the sign. People drive way too fast in neighborhoods. More than 20 is to fast. Kids on bikes. Kids playing in their own yard and a ball goes in the street, it happens. So why is there this problem. Well it’s because people are f**king idiots. Plain and simple,” another user added.
”Damn straight! One of my dogs got away from me and the woman who ran over him didn’t even slow down. Just ran over him. Same could happen to a child,” a third commented.
There were also those who condemned the people who posted the sign saying they should have taken better care of their dog. Since it was hit by a car, they assumed the owners let it roam freely instead of keeping it on a leash.
”I don’t feel sorry for them one bit. Have the same problem in my neighborhood. Everyone thinks it is free range country for dogs and cats. My dogs do not leave my property without my permission,” one reader wrote.
”Keep your dog on a leash! If you cared about your fur friend you would take better care of them,” said another.
”Speeding is bad, but your dog and kids are your responsibility to keep them out of the street,” yet another added.
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