Emma Heming Willis asks paparazzi to give husband Bruce Willis “space” after dementia diagnosis

Emma Heming Willis asks paparazzi to give husband Bruce Willis “space” after dementia diagnosis
Emma Heming Willis asks paparazzi to give husband Bruce Willis “space” after dementia diagnosis
VCG/VCG via Getty Images

Emma Heming Willis has a request for paparazzi regarding how they deal with her husband, beloved actor Bruce Willis, following his recent dementia diagnosis: “Keep your space.”

Heming Willis, 44, shared a video to Instagram over the weekend, reacting to a recent incident in which Willis, who turns 68 this month, was photographed and recorded while out for coffee with friends.

“If you are someone that is looking after someone with dementia, you know how difficult and stressful it can be to get someone out into the world and just to navigate them safely — even just to get a cup of coffee,” she said.

“It’s clear that there’s still a lot of education that needs to be put forth,” Heming Willis continued. “So this one is going out to the photographers and video people that are trying to get those exclusives of my husband out and about. Just keep your space.”

Heming Willis said she understands the paparazzi are just doing their jobs, but asked that they tone down how they interact with the actor in public.

“Please don’t be yelling at my husband, asking how he’s doing, whatever. The woo-hooing and the ‘yippee ki-yays’ — just don’t do it, OK? Give him his space,” she said, referencing Willis’ famous line from Die Hard. “Allow for our family or whoever’s with him that day to be able to get him from point A to point B safely. That’s my PSA.”

Heming Willis’ post comes a few weeks after Willis’ family announced he had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia, known as FTD.

Heming Willis and Willis have been married since 2009 and share two children, daughters Mabel and Evelyn. Willis also has three adult daughters, Rumer Willis, Scout Willis and Tallulah Willis, whom he shares with ex-wife Demi Moore.

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“Permanent teenager” Seth Rogen presents teaser to ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem’

“Permanent teenager” Seth Rogen presents teaser to ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem’
“Permanent teenager” Seth Rogen presents teaser to ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem’
Paramount Pictures

Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies have released the teaser to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, a computer-animated adventure starring the titular heroes that was co-produced, the teaser says, by “permanent teenager” Seth Rogen.

The studios tease, “After years of being sheltered from the human world, the Turtle brothers set out to win the hearts of New Yorkers and be accepted as normal teenagers through heroic acts. Their new friend April O’Neil helps them take on a mysterious crime syndicate, but they soon get in over their heads when an army of mutants is unleashed upon them.”

The movie will be the first time the “heroes in a half shell” will be seen in theaters since 2016’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, and Rogen and Nick have pulled out all the stops with the voice cast for the new adventure.

Mutant Mayhem will feature the voices of Rogen as the warthog Bepop and John Cena as his rhino partner in crime, Rocksteady; The Bear‘s Ayo Edebiri voices O’Neil; Jackie Chan plays Master Splinter, and Paul Rudd voices the skateboarding lizard Mondo Gecko. The cast also includes Ice Cube, Rose Byrne and Giancarlo Esposito.

The movie hits theaters August 4, 2023.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Hayden Panettiere talks return to acting with ‘Scream VI’

Hayden Panettiere talks return to acting with ‘Scream VI’
Hayden Panettiere talks return to acting with ‘Scream VI’
Good Morning America

Hayden Panettiere is opening up about how she manifested her return to acting in Scream VI.

The Heroes alum, who hasn’t acted since she played Juliette Barnes on the ABC series Nashville, which ended in 2018, told Good Morning America on Monday that she purposefully set out to once again play her fan-favorite Scream character, Kirby Reed, who first appeared in 2011’s Scream 4.

“I did have to take those four years off, and thank God I did,” the 33-year-old said. “I had to work on myself — my mental health, my physical health, my spiritual health.”

She continued, “And then when [Scream] popped up and came back around, I was like, ‘I want to be a part of that again’ because I hoped that Kirby was still alive. I willed her back into existence and I called them,” she said of Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, the directors for 2022’s Scream.

Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett got Scream fans hyped for Kirby’s potential return when, in last year’s film, they included an on-screen Easter egg that showed an image of the character with the headline “Interview with Woodsboro Survivor Kirby Reed!”

With Scream VI, which hits theaters March 10, fans see the survivors from the previous film — Melissa Barrera‘s Sam, Jenna Ortega‘s Tara, Jasmin Savoy Brown‘s Mindy and Mason Gooding‘s Chad — head to New York City only to face Ghostface again.

At the end of Panettiere’s segment, GMA co-anchor Michael Strahan expressed condolences to Panettiere and her family on the recent death of her brother, Jansen.

Jansen died suddenly last month at the age of 28 from an enlarged heart.

Panettiere patted her chest, adding that her brother was “right here with me.”

Scream VI arrives in theaters March 10.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

‘Handmaid’s Tale’ author imagines Prince Harry wouldn’t have survived ‘Game of Thrones’

‘Handmaid’s Tale’ author imagines Prince Harry wouldn’t have survived ‘Game of Thrones’
‘Handmaid’s Tale’ author imagines Prince Harry wouldn’t have survived ‘Game of Thrones’
Jeremy Chan/Getty Images

While it’s not great Prince Harry and Meghan were evicted from Frogmore Cottage by his dad, King Charles, Handmaid’s Tale author Margaret Atwood reportedly thinks the so-called runaway royal is “lucky” to be living in this day and age — or at least not in Game of Thrones.

In an interview with The Times of London, Atwood is described as “an admirer of Game of Thrones” and speculated a Westeros-worthy scenario for the self-described “spare” heir. She suggested that had he been living at a time when the monarchy still held absolute power, he “probably would have been murdered by somebody lower down in the food chain to get him out the way.'”

It was an off-handed comment, to be sure — and one not without historical precedent — but of course Harry fans weren’t having it on the internet.

“It’s so disheartening to discover some female authors that I revered after reading their books or using them to teach Literature are actually very nasty people,” read one comment found by The Mirror.

It has been reported that the explosive accusations against the royal family in Harry’s memoir, Spare, led to his eviction from the residence left to him in his grandma Queen Elizabeth II‘s will. “The King felt without a doubt it crossed a line – it was the ultimate act of disrespect,” The Mirror has reported, quoting an anonymous source.

Incidentally, disgraced royal Prince Andrew, who became one of the only people implicated in the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking scandal, is apparently moving into the spacious residence.

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Road to the Oscars: Angela Bassett shares her tip for staying positive

Road to the Oscars: Angela Bassett shares her tip for staying positive
Road to the Oscars: Angela Bassett shares her tip for staying positive
Marvel Studios

Angela Bassett is on the Road to the Oscars.

With the March 12 show now less than a week away, the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever star is up for Best Supporting Actress. She shared with ABC Audio what the biggest obstacle was getting to this moment. Turns out it’s all self-imposed and mental.

“What comes to mind is always staying positive,” the award-winning actress said. “Staying positive, staying grateful, humble. And yeah, that’s it.”

“Because we know it’s an uphill,” she added. “We don’t know what the future holds. We know what our dreams may be, our hopes and our dreams. And sometimes those things match up and sometimes they don’t. Or sometimes it just takes a moment.”

Like most things, staying positive is easier said than done. So what’s Bassett’s advice for staying in a positive state of mind?

“Surround yourself with people who encourage you and support you and love you,” she said. “Also, first and foremost, love and support yourself.”

Although the Oscars are quickly approaching, Bassett admitted that she’s trying not to think about it. Instead she’s trying to take it one day at a time.

“I just think about being present in the moment, staying grounded and humble, not getting too far ahead of myself, you know, not thinking about that day today, but thinking about this day and how I can just stay chill,” the Marvel star expressed. “[Do] what I can do to deposit something in my, in my spirit and in my life that will just add and not subtract.” 

Marvel Studios is owned by Disney, parent company of ABC News.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Hoda Kotb returns, revealing daughter’s hospital stay was behind ‘Today’ absence

Hoda Kotb returns, revealing daughter’s hospital stay was behind ‘Today’ absence
Hoda Kotb returns, revealing daughter’s hospital stay was behind ‘Today’ absence
NBC/Nathan Congleton

On Monday, Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie were back in their anchor chairs at Today, with the former describing a hospital stay for her 3-year-old daughter, Hope, was the reason she had been MIA for weeks.

“My youngest, Hope, was in the ICU for a few days and in the hospital for more than a week,” Kotb revealed at the show’s open, adding, I’m so grateful she’s home. I was waiting for that day to come…And we are watching her closely. I am just so happy.”

Getting emotional, Kotb also said, “You know what I realized: When your child is ill, the amount of gratitude you can have for people who helped you out.”

“I’m grateful for the doctors and the nurses,” she explained, adding to Guthrie, “I’m grateful to my family and to friends like you who were there every single day.”

Guthrie also had been absent recently after testing positive for COVID-19.

Last week, it was revealed that a “family health matter” had kept Kotb away from the anchor desk.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

In Brief: ‘Everything Everywhere’ dominates another awards show, and more

In Brief: ‘Everything Everywhere’ dominates another awards show, and more
In Brief: ‘Everything Everywhere’ dominates another awards show, and more

Everything Everywhere All at Once dominated at this year’s Independent Spirit Awards, grabbing seven of the eight awards for which it was nominated, including Best Feature; Best Screenplay: John Patton Ford; Best Director: Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert; Best Lead Performance: Michelle Yeoh; Best Supporting Performance: Ke Huy Quan; and Best Breakthrough Performance: Stephanie Hsu. Todd Field’s Tár also won for Best Cinematography. On the TV side, The Bear won for Best Scripted Series, and Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series honors went to Ayo Edebiri. Abbott Elementary‘s Quinta Brunson won Best Lead Performance in a New Scripted Series honors. The full list of winners can be found at FilmIndependent.org

Rachael Ray is ending her daytime talk show after 17 seasons. A former Food Network star and frequent guest on Oprah Winfrey‘s talk show, Ray launched her own syndicated chat show in 2006, earning high ratings for 15 years, while winning the Daytime Emmy for best talk show in 2008, 2009 and 2019. Production on Rachael Ray is expected to end by early May. Episodes will remain on the air through the end of the summer. In May, Ray will be inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame…

Ted Donaldson, who starred as Bud Anderson on the original radio version of Father Knows Best opposite Robert Young and as Neely Nolan in Elia Kazan‘s directorial debut — the beloved family drama A Tree Grows in Brooklyn — died Wednesday of complications from a fall in his Echo Park apartment in January, his friend Thomas Bruno tells The Hollywood Reporter. He was 89. Donaldson was offered the Bud Anderson role on CBS’ TV adaptation of Father Knows Best, but turned it down. Billy Gray played Bud for six seasons on the TV show…

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‘Creed III’ knocks out box office with franchise record $58.7 million debut

‘Creed III’ knocks out box office with franchise record .7 million debut
‘Creed III’ knocks out box office with franchise record .7 million debut
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures

Creed III topped the domestic box office with an estimated $58.7 million opening weekend — well above its projected $40 million take and $23 million more than Creed II‘s 2018 opening gross. Overseas, the movie — starring Michael B. Jordan in his feature directorial debut, along with Tessa Thompson, and Jonathan Majors — grabbed an additional $41.8 million internationally, for a total of $100.4 million worldwide.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania — the #1 film in North America for two weeks running, slipped to second place in its third week of release, delivering an estimated $12 million. So far, the film has collected $186 million domestically, outpacing the original Ant-Man, which ended its theatrical run with $180 million domestically, and closing in on the 2018 sequel Ant-Man and the Wasp, which ended up with $216 million. Globally, the film has grossed $420 million to date.

Cocaine Bear grabbed third place with an estimated $11 million, bringing its two-week domestic tally to $41 million. The comedy-horror film has collected $10 million overseas, for a worldwide total of $52 million.

The first of this week’s new major releases, the Japanese anime film Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba: To the Swordsmith Village, opened with an estimated $10.1 million for a fourth-place finish.

Jesus Revolution, the faith-based drama starring Kelsey Grammer, rounded out the top five, debuting with an estimated $8.3 million. Its two-week North American total stands at $30.5 million

The second of this week’s two major releases, the Guy Ritchie action flick Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre, fell short of expectations, opening with an estimated $3.1 million, good for a seventh-place finish.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

The wait is finally over — ‘History of the World Pt. 2’ launches Monday

The wait is finally over — ‘History of the World Pt. 2’ launches Monday
The wait is finally over — ‘History of the World Pt. 2’ launches Monday
Courtesy of Hulu

Mel Brooks fans have been waiting over 40 years for this — the sequel to History of the World Part 1. Part 2 starts streaming Monday on Hulu.

It’s a series this time around, with Wanda SykesIke Barinholtz, and Nick Kroll as executive producers, with some help from Brooks himself, Barinholtz tells ABC Audio.

“He’s a national treasure who’s 96, and we want to make sure that we’re not making him too exhausted. But he would always be there to jump on a zoom and hear a pitch or do a table read. And he’s in the show,” he explains. “…And every time you see him, to quote Wanda, his face pop up on your screen you’re just like, you look around like, is anyone else watching this? Like, this is crazy.”

Barinholtz says Brooks was one of the biggest influences on his young comedy brain, crediting the comedy legend for introducing him to the R-rated comedies he’s grown to love.

“It was because of Mel in the ’70s that I watched movies in the ’80s that weren’t not just Mel’s, but also Trading Places and Vacation and Coming to America and then in the ’90s with the Farrelly brothers and then in the 2000s with… movies like Bridesmaids and Anchorman and stuff,” he recalls. “…And Mel started that s***.”

Sykes agrees, noting, “Blazing Saddles was like my favorite movie, watched it so many times.”

“I think what, Mel teaches us is that you can be hella silly and you can also be crass, but you can also say something,” she continues. “You know, I love how he went after whoever was in charge. He was always bringing down the big guy.”

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

‘Heat,’ ‘Saving Private Ryan’ co-star Tom Sizemore, dead at 61

‘Heat,’ ‘Saving Private Ryan’ co-star Tom Sizemore, dead at 61
‘Heat,’ ‘Saving Private Ryan’ co-star Tom Sizemore, dead at 61
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

Actor Tom Sizemore, who appeared in classic films including Heat, Saving Private Ryan, and Black Hawk Down, has died, after suffering a brain aneurysm at his Los Angeles home on February 18. 

The actor was rushed to St. Joseph’s Hospital Burbank and listed in critical condition, but according to his manager Charles Lago on February 27, the actor remained in critical condition and in a coma ever since he arrived. Lago’s update explained, “doctors informed his family that there is no further hope and have recommended end of life decision. The family is now deciding end of life matters.”

Sizemore passed peacefully in his sleep at St. Joseph’s with his twin sons and his brother Paul by his side. There will be a private cremation service for the family, with a larger celebration of life event planned in a few weeks, according to Lago.

The versatile character actor was arguably as famous for his off-screen problems as he was for the major films in which he starred. Sizemore battled addiction since he was 15, and over the years ended up running afoul of the law multiple times because of it. 

Sizemore also made headlines for his tumultuous relationship with “Hollywood Madam” Heidi Fleiss, with whom he appeared on Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew in 2010, and who accused him of assault in 2003.

In February of 2017, he pleaded no contest to assaulting his girlfriend at the time, but his rap sheet also included arrests of suspected battery of another woman in 2009 and 2011, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

In 2019, he was arrested in Burbank, California for misdemeanor drug possession, and in 2020, a Utah judge dismissed a civil lawsuit filed against him by a woman who claim he groped her on the set of a film in 2003, when she was 11. The actor had denied the accusations, and no charges were ever filed at the time.

In 2013, Sizemore published a memoir detailing his career and battle with addiction, titled By Some Miracle I Made It Out of There.

The Detroit, Michigan native appeared in scores of movies including True Romance, Pearl Harbor, and Natural Born Killers, in addition to many straight-to-streaming titles in more recent years. 

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.