If Taylor Lautner could go back in time and fix something he did in the past, he would redo the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards.
Fans of Taylor Swift know that day all too well — it was when Kanye West interrupted her acceptance speech for Best Female Video and declared Beyoncé should have won.
Over a decade after the infamous incident, Taylor Lautner is wishing he had done things differently after he presented the award to a then-19-year-old Swift. The two were dating at the time.
He told The Squeeze podcast, which is hosted by Lautner’s wife, Taylor Dome, “I … was unaware that the Kanye thing was not a skit.”
The Twilight star recalls taking “five steps back” after he presented the Moonman to Swift and standing 5 feet behind her during the Kanye fiasco.
“I can barely hear [what they’re saying]. I can’t see them. I’m just assuming that this whole thing was a practiced and rehearsed skit. Because why else would Kanye West be jumping up onstage interrupting Taylor Swift? It just didn’t make sense,” Lautner said.
The actor noted how the cameras caught him “laughing and giggling” in the background and explained, “I’m like, ‘I can’t hear them but this is probably really funny right now.'”
Lautner learned it wasn’t a joke after Swift finished her speech and turned around to face him. “I saw her face for the first time. I was like, ‘Oh … That wasn’t good,'” he said.
Fans widely believe Swift’s song “Back to December” is about Lautner and have pointed out lyrics that seemingly reference him comforting her after the September VMAs fiasco. The pair went their separate ways in December 2009.
Looking for that perfect Valentine’s Day card for your love? Well, if they are a Def Leppard fan, the band has got you covered.
Just in time for the romantic holiday, the rockers are selling Valentine’s Day cards featuring five different poses, with lyrics from the band’s hits placed in a heart. Professions of love include “pour some sugar on me,” “let the love begin” and “love and affection.”
“Send some Leppard love with these classic Def Leppard valentine cards!” the band suggests. “Vibrant, fun, and smoking hot, these valentines are the perfect way to show your affection.”
The cards are available for purchase at leppardvault.com and can be purchased individually, or in five- or 10-card packs.
While virtually everyone has seen Will Smith‘s Oscar night slap of Chris Rock, Serena Williams had a different perspective than most. She and her sister, Venus, were on hand that night to celebrate King Richard, a film about their early lives.
Following the incident with Rock, Will was awarded the Best Actor award for portraying the Williams sisters’ dad, Richard.
On Wednesday, in a chat with Gayle King on CBS Mornings, Serena addressed the controversial moment. “I thought it was such an incredible film, and I feel that there was an incredible film after that with Questlove that kind of was overshadowed,” the tennis legend said, referring to Quest’s coming to the stage moments later to accept his Best Documentary trophy for Summer of Soul.
However, Serena continued, “I also feel that I’ve been in a position where I’ve been under a lot of pressure and made a tremendous amount of mistakes. I’m the kind of person that’s like, ‘I’ve been there, I’ve made a mistake, it’s not the end of the world.’ We’re all imperfect and we’re all human, and let’s just be kind to each other. And I think that’s often forgotten a lot.”
Smith has repeatedly apologized for the outburst, but was banned from Academy events for 10 years.
Ne-Yo‘s divorce from Crystal Renay has been finalized, Page Six reports.
TMZ adds that the singer will pay Crystal $1.6 million to balance out their real estate holdings, $20,000 for moving expenses and $150,000 for her to buy a new car. He will also dish out $12,000 monthly for child support and cover education-related expenses for their three children; they will share joint custody.
Ne-Yo will get to hold on to his 2022 Bentley Bentayga, while Crystal will keep one of their four homes in Georgia. She’ll receive $5,000 per month in alimony for the next three years.
Ne-Yo and Crystal tied the knot in February 2016, divorced two years later and remarried in April 2022. Crystal then filed for divorce in August, claiming the singer cheated on her and welcomed a child with another woman.
The now-divorced couple share kids Shaffer Jr., Roman and Isabella. Ne-Yo also has two kids, Masonand Madilyn, with ex-girlfriend Monyetta Shaw.
Chris Stapleton‘s adding nearly 20 dates to the 2023 edition of the All American Road Show.
The new concerts kick off April 26 in El Paso, Texas, and continue through August, though Chris does have a handful of already-scheduled shows in Texas and Oklahoma in March.
Presales start next Tuesday, February 7, before tickets become available to the general public on Friday, February 10.
Next up, Stapleton’s scheduled to sing the national anthem at Super Bowl LVII Sunday, February 12, on FOX.
Carole King’s famed 1973 Central Park concert is the subject of a new documentary that will be streamed for the first time ever later this month, and now fans are getting their first taste of what to expect.
King has released a clip of her performance of the Tapestry track “Home Again” at the homecoming show, which took place May 26, 1973, at the Great Lawn in NYC’s Central Park. It was the first concert ever held on the Great Lawn.
Home Again: Carole King Live In Central Park is set to start streaming exclusively on The Coda Collection, via Amazon Prime, on February 9, which is also Carole’s 81st birthday. The following day the live album, Home Again, will be released digitally.
(MEMPHIS, Tenn.) — There is up to 20 hours of additional video footage in the Tyre Nichols case that has yet to be released, Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy’s office confirmed to ABC News on Thursday.
It is not yet clear what that footage may show.
The timing of that release is up to the city of Memphis with the city issuing a statement earlier this week saying any additional video would be released in the “next few weeks.”
Nichols, 29, died three days after he was beaten by police during an encounter following a traffic stop on Jan. 7. Memphis police released hours of footage from body cameras last Friday.
A funeral was held for Nichols on Wednesday, which was attended by Vice President Kamala Harris and the Rev. Al Sharpton, who delivered the eulogy. Ben Crump, a lawyer for the Nichols family, also spoke.
Three videos from body worn cameras were shared by the city of Memphis on Jan. 27 with the warning: “Footage contains graphic content and language. Some may find offense. Viewer discretion is advised.” A fourth video — soundless surveillance footage from a city pole camera — was also released, amounting to about 67 minutes total.
The videos prompted immediate outrage and protests across the nation.
The family of Tyre Nichols had been shown the video at the beginning of the week and supported to release of footage to draw attention to police brutality.
Five Memphis police officers were fired from the department and later charged with second-degree murder, among other felonies. They have yet to enter pleas, though two of the officers’ lawyers said they would plead not guilty.
In the videos released last week, Nichols is shown being pulled out of his car and wrestled to the ground, Nichols can be heard saying, “I didn’t do anything,” and tells officers at least twice that he is “just trying to go home.” During the altercation an officer warns Nichols, “I’m going to beat your a–.”
Nichols breaks free and runs away, with officers chasing him. A 30-minute clip from nearby surveillance footage at a second scene shows the officers catching up to Nichols and kicking, punching and striking him with a baton while being held down.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
A reality show about his family that Sylvester Stallone recently said was in the works now has a home on Paramount+.
The streaming service that is home to his crime drama, Tulsa King, has announcedThe Family Stallone will be an eight-part docuseries debuting this spring.
Paramount+ teases, “After playing some of the most legendary characters in cinematic history, three-time Academy Award nominee Sylvester Stallone is ready to give cameras access to what he would consider the greatest role of his lifetime: dad.”
The forthcoming series stars Sly and his three adult daughters, Sophia, Sistine and Scarlet, and wife Jennifer Flavin Stallone, and promises “a seat at the table of one of Hollywood’s most famous families.”
The show is teased in an upcoming Super Bowl spot for the streaming service, in which Stallone spoofs his role in Cliffhanger, to painful effect.
Rep. Ilhan Omar speaks on the House floor before the vote to remove her from the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Feb. 2, 2023, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. – Pool via ABC News
(WASHINGTON) — House Republicans on Thursday voted to kick Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar off the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
They said it was because of antisemitic comments and statements on Israel she later apologized for in 2019.
The vote on the resolution was 218-211 — with one Republican — Rep. David Joyce of Ohio — voting “present.”
Omar defended herself in an impassioned floor speech Thursday immediately ahead of the vote and displayed a photo of her younger self on a poster board beside her.
“I am Muslim. I am an immigrant. And interestingly, from Africa. Is anyone surprised that I am being targeted?” she said.
“I am an American — an American who was sent here by her constituents to represent them in Congress, a refugee who survived the horrors of a civil war. Someone who spent her childhood in a refugee camp, someone who knows what it means to have a shot at a better life here in the United States, and someone who believes in the American dream,” she said.
“There is an idea out there that I am not, that I do not have, objective decision making because of who I am, where I come from and my perspective — but I would check that we say there is nothing objective about policy. We all inject our perspectives, our points of view, our lived experiences, and the voices of our constituents,” she continued. “That’s what democracy is about.”
“I will continue to speak up because representation matters. I will continue to speak up for little kids who wonder who’s speaking up for them. I will continue to speak up for families around the world towards seeking justice, whether they are displaced in refugee camps, or they are hiding under their beds — somewhere like I was — waiting for the bullets to stop — because this child survivor of war would have wanted, that the nine-year-old me, would be disappointed if I didn’t talk about the victims of conflict those that are experiencing unjust wars, atrocities, ethnic cleansing occupation or displacement like I did,” Omar said.
The Minnesota congresswoman concluded by saying she would not let the vote silence her.
“I came to Congress to be their voice, and my leadership and voice will not be diminished,” she said. “If I am not on this committee for one term, my voice will get louder and stronger, and my leadership will be celebrated around the world as it has been.”
Earlier Thursday, Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said the vote was “all about political revenge” and called the resolution written to remove Omar “phony, fake and fraudulent.”
“This type of poisonous toxic double standard is going to complicate the relationship moving forward between House Democrats and help Republicans,” Jeffries told ABC News Senior Congressional Correspondent Rachel Scott at his weekly press conference.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy had repeatedly vowed to remove Omar and two other Democrats, California Reps. Eric Swalwell and Adam Schiff, once Republicans regained power.
The House Rules Committee voted along party lines on Tuesday night, 9-4, to advance a resolution to effectively block Omar from the panel — by removing her once she is seated.
On Wednesday, the chamber voted to move forward with a vote on the resolution, which was introduced by Republican Rep. Max Miller of Ohio. It cites some of Omar’s previous controversial statements to argue she doesn’t have an “objective mindset.”
Miller said it wasn’t about a “tit-for-tat,” given that Democrats and some Republicans had removed two GOP lawmakers — Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Paul Gosar — from committees in the last Congress.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
