Elliot Page is being honored for his loyal advocacy to the LGBTQIA+ community.
At the upcoming Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQIA+ Film Festival,Elliot will be bestowed with the Outfest Annual Achievement Award, the highest honor at the festival that works to elevate empathy for the queer community, careers in entertainment, and spotlights LGBTQIA+ stories and voices.
Elliot came out as transgender last year and later shared that he identifies as queer and nonbinary. As an actor, he’s appeared in critically acclaimed films including Juno, Inception and the X-Men series. He’s been nominated for two Academy Awards, a Golden Globe Award and a SAG Award, among many others.
“It gives me great honor to be the recipient of this year’s Outfest Annual Achievement Award and represent the LGBTQ+ community. Now more than ever, it is so important for our voices to be amplified and represented in film and media, and for people to hear our stories,” Elliot shares in a statement.
The Umbrella Academy star will will be presented with the award by Kieran Medina, lead programmer of Outfest LA’s Annual Trans & Nonbinary Summit, at the Closing Night Gala on August 22 at the Orpheum Theatre.
(NEW YORK) — An Ohio mom had an unexpected cameo in the middle of a Major League Soccer game when her 2-year-old son ran onto the field.
Morgan Tucker, of Moscow, Ohio, took her son Zaydek to his first soccer game Saturday night to watch FC Cincinnati face off against Orlando City FC.
About 70 minutes into the game, Tucker said she turned her head for one second, during which time Zaydek slid under a fence and ran onto the field. The mother and son were guests of Tucker’s employer and were sitting in club seats on the sidelines, according to Tucker.
“I literally looked away for one second and saw he was under the fence and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh,'” she told “Good Morning America.” “I had to jump over the gate and then sprinted after him.”
Tucker was captured on camera sprinting onto the field and then sliding in order to tackle Zaydek and take him off the field, where play was continuing.
“When I slid and tackled him, I did not feel any pain but the next day I was sore for sure,” said Tucker, who described her actions in the moment as “pure adrenaline.” “I was so scared he was going to get hit in the head with a soccer ball.”
Both Tucker and Zaydek made it off the field without injury and without interrupting the game.
“When I got him back over the fence I said, ‘What were you doing?,’ and he said, ‘Mom, soccer ball,'” Tucker said. “He was really into the game and when the [players] would go to the other side of the field, he was not happy, so he wanted them to be there with him.”
“He was just running after them,” she added of Zaydek. “He was just laughing and had no idea what he did.”
Tucker said she received cheers from the crowd as she ran off the field with Zaydek, adding, “Everyone was screaming and cheering and I knew they were not cheering for the game. My face was as red as a tomato.”
She described Zaydek as a “very active kid” who started walking at seven months and now loves playing soccer, something she hopes he’ll get to do again, just not in the middle of a pro soccer game.
“I want him to meet the FC team now and kick a ball with them,” she said. “That would be so cool.”
(NEW YORK) — A leader within Time’s Up, the organization founded in the wake of the #MeToo movement to fight gender-based discrimination in the workplace, has resigned after it emerged that she aided New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo after multiple women accused him of harassment.
Roberta “Robbie” Kaplan was the chair of the board of directors at Time’s Up before resigning Monday. She was also a co-founder of the Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund and a prominent voice in the #MeToo movement that toppled Hollywood executives and others accused of harassing and assaulting women.
“Unfortunately, recent events have made it clear that even our apparent allies in the fight to advance women can turn out to be abusers,” Kaplan said in her resignation letter obtained by ABC News.
Kaplan, also an attorney in her own private practice, stated in the letter that she has found working as a lawyer does not allow her to talk openly or have the degree of transparency now being demanded, “since that would be contrary to my responsibilities as a lawyer.”
“I therefore have reluctantly come to the conclusion that an active litigation practice is no longer compatible with serving on the Board at Times Up at this time and I hereby resign,” she stated.
“It has been difficult for me to reach this decision in light of the challenges facing women today,” she added. “Now more than ever, and especially in light of the consequences of the ongoing pandemic, we know that ‘time’ is still very much ‘up’ and that much more change needs to happen.”
Kaplan said she looks forward to “continuing the fight for change and to advancing the mission we all share.”
New York Attorney General Letitia James announced the results of her office’s monthslong probe into the allegations against Cuomo late last week, saying he was found to have sexually harassed multiple women. In at least one instance, the governor is also accused of seeking to retaliate against a woman who leveled accusations against him, according to James’ investigation.
The more than 160-page attorney general’s office report on Cuomo names Kaplan as allegedly being involved in an effort to discredit one of Cuomo’s accusers.
Time’s Up said in a statement to ABC News that Kaplan stepped down from the board after the organization and she agreed “that is the right and appropriate thing to do.”
“We’ve worked to hold power accountable in board rooms, in the halls of government, and in organizations big and small, and we have felt uniquely capable of doing so because many of us have worked in those very institutions,” the statement said. “We have never felt co-opted by that experience, only informed by it to try new strategies. And we are proud of that work and the change we have achieved. Yet, we recognize that this work has sometimes resulted in a lack of trust from the broader survivor community we serve and to which we also belong. We are looking within.”
The organization pledged to “hold ourselves accountable.” Time’s Up said it would evaluate processes, be more transparent about its vision, and work to provide a more inclusive process to engage the “broader survivor community.”
In the wake of the attorney general’s report being released, a chorus of lawmakers — including President Joe Biden — have called for Cuomo to resign.
Cuomo has denied all allegations of sexual harassment or misconduct. When accusations emerged earlier this year, the embattled governor said he would not resign. Melissa DeRosa, one of Cuomo’s top aides, resigned on Sunday after state investigators alleged she was part of the “retaliation” against one of his accusers.
On Monday, New York State’s Assembly Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Lavine called the findings of the report “deeply disturbing” as he ushered the committee into an executive session to discuss next steps in the impeachment investigation.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will request approval for the COVID-19 vaccine to become mandatory for all U.S. military service members by mid-September, according to a memo he sent to all Defense Department employees.
“I want you to know that I will seek the President’s approval to make the vaccines mandatory no later than mid-September, or immediately upon the U.S. Food and Drug Agency (FDA) licensure, whichever comes first,” Austin wrote in the memo.
A U.S. official initially confirmed Austin’s decision to ABC News before it was later made public in a written message to all U.S. military service members.
“By way of expectation, public reporting suggests the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine could achieve full FDA licensure early next month. The intervening few weeks will be spent preparing for this transition,” Austin wrote.
Given the rising coronavirus case numbers amid the increasing spread of the highly transmissible delta variant, Austin noted that “I will not hesitate to act sooner or recommend a different course to the President if l feel the need to do so.”
In a statement released shortly after Austin’s memo was sent out, the president said, “I strongly support Secretary Austin’s message to the Force today on the Department of Defense’s plan to add the COVID-19 vaccine to the list of required vaccinations for our service members not later than mid-September. Secretary Austin and I share an unshakable commitment to making sure our troops have every tool they need to do their jobs as safely as possible. These vaccines will save lives. Period. They are safe. They are effective.”
“We cannot let up in the fight against COVID-19, especially with the Delta variant spreading rapidly through unvaccinated populations. We are still on a wartime footing, and every American who is eligible should take immediate steps to get vaccinated right away,” Biden’s statement continued.
Because the COVID-19 vaccines are currently only being used under an emergency use authorization from the FDA, Biden will have to grant a waiver to enable the Pentagon to make vaccinations mandatory.
According to the Pentagon’s latest statistics more than 70% of all active-duty service members have received at least one dose.
Until Austin’s recommendation for a mandate, the U.S. military could only recommend to service members that they should take the vaccination. However, Pentagon officials had said that once the FDA approved a COVID vaccine that they would begin a review of whether it should be made mandatory for U.S. military personnel, just like the 17 other vaccines that are mandatory for U.S. military personnel.
Austin’s decision follows Biden’s announcement two weeks ago that federal employees would be required to provide proof of vaccination or face regular testing. Biden also ordered the Pentagon to explore “how and when” it could require service members to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.
In addition to the recommendation to make the vaccine mandatory Austin wrote that “we will comply with the President’s direction regarding additional restrictions and requirements for unvaccinated Federal personnel.”
“I strongly encourage all DoD military and civilian personnel — as well as contractor personnel — to get vaccinated now and for military Service members to not wait for the mandate,” he wrote.
“All FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccines are safe and highly effective,” said Austin. “They will protect you and your family. They will protect your unit, your ship, and your co-workers. And they will ensure we remain the most lethal and ready force in the world. Get the shot. Stay healthy. Stay ready.”
Elton John was super-happy about this year’s just-concluded Olympics — and it’s not just because he likes to watch sports.
Among the Rocket Man’s business interests is a sports management firm he co-founded called Rocket Sports Management. Turns out several of the firm’s clients did quite well in Tokyo, scooping up medals left and right.
Among them: Charlotte Worthington, the first-ever Olympic BMX Freestyle champion; cyclist Laura Kenny, the first British woman to win gold at three consecutive Olympic Games; and Kenny’s husband, cyclist Jason Kenny, who is now Great Britain’s most decorated Olympian of all time.
As if that weren’t enough, a song Elton recorded with the U.K. singer/songwriter Rina Sawayama, “Chosen Family,” was used at the closing ceremony.
“What a remarkable Olympics and I couldn’t be prouder!” Elton wrote on Instagram. “Not only have the athletes @rocketsportsmanagement won medals, broken British records and made Olympic history but it means so much for mine and @rinasonline’s song, Chosen Family, to be played at the closing ceremony. Congratulations to all the athletes and to Tokyo.”
Jennifer Lopez has joined the lineup for Global Citizen Live, set to take place on Central Park’s Great Lawn in New York City on September 25.
As previously announced, the 24-hour live broadcast will also feature performances from Ed Sheeran, Shawn Mendes, Camila Cabello, The Weeknd, BTS, Billie Eilish, Adam Lambert, Coldplay and more.
The broadcast will be filmed across six continents, with a goal of uniting the world in order to defeat poverty and defend the planet. It’ll air on ABC, ABC News Live, FX, Hulu, YouTube, Twitter and more. The musical performances will take place at “iconic locations” in New York, Paris, London, Seoul, LA, Lagos, Sydney and Rio de Janeiro.
The rest of the artist lineup for New York City will be announced Tuesday, as will the lineups for Lagos and Paris.
J.Lo previously participated in Global Citizen’s Vax Live campaign.
System of a Down has announced a trio of West Coast tour dates with Faith No More.
The outing will stop in Las Vegas on October 15, Fresno, California, on October 16, and Oakland October 18. Tickets go on sale this Friday, August 13, at 10 a.m. local time.
As previously reported, System of a Down will be playing a pair of concerts with Faith No More and Korn in Los Angeles on October 22 and 23. Those dates were originally scheduled for 2020 before being postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A New Jersey woman has gone viral after sharing her story of how Modern Family star Julie Bowen and her sister, Annie Luetkemeyer, came to her aid after she fell while hiking in Utah.
In a three–partFacebook post, Minnie John shares that she and her family were hiking to see the Delicate Arch in Arches National Park in Moab when she felt light-headed and faint, leaving her husband and son to finish the journey while she waited on the trail.
Julie and Annie came to her rescue when their tour guide noticed Minnie had fallen face-first, hitting her head on a rock that left her with cuts and bruises around her nose.
“All I remember is sitting there with my head in my hands secure on the rock. Next thing I hear someone with a familiar voice kept asking me questions. I wondered if I might be watching TV,” Minnie recalls. “My eyes were closed and they said I will be fine and they were cleaning my face and bandaging me up. I heard that familiar voice saying I am going to be ok, a doctor is cleaning me up.”
“As my eyes started to focus more, she smiled and took her hair tie off and shook her hair for me to figure out. Her sister the doctor asked me to guess and I told her I just hit my head, I can’t remember. She said smiling ‘Modern Family‘ and I said of course!” Minnie continues.
In addition to bandaging her wounds and gave her electrolytes, Julie and Annie posed for photos with Minnie. She later went to the hospital and was diagnosed with a fractured nose and is now recovering at home.
Shawn Mendes turned 23 on Sunday and got some birthday love from his girlfriend Camila Cabello.
Camila posted a sweet photo of herself planting a kiss on his cheek and captioned it, “Feliz cumpleaños mi amor. Thankful for your existence everyday.”
On his own Instagram page, Shawn posted a video from his birthday festivities in New York City, writing, “Some real bday Love !!! Thank you so much. feeling extremely grateful for all of the people in my life today!”
He also teased his new track, “Summer of Love,” with Tainy, writing, “also SUMMER OF LOVE NEXT WEEEEEK.”
