Two senators have announced a hearing to look into the alleged monopoly critics say Ticketmaster has on the ticketing industry.
Senator Amy Klobuchar, a Minnesota Democrat, and Senator Mike Lee, a Utah Republican, have taken the first steps to investigate whether there is a lack of competition in the ticketing industry. Both sit on the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights.
The hearing was announced following the disastrous rollout of the presale tickets for Taylor Swift‘s Eras Tour, where fans complained of hours-long waits, site crashes and exorbitant prices.
Klobuchar, who chairs the subcommittee, said in a statement, “Last week, the competition problem in ticketing markets was made painfully obvious when Ticketmaster’s website failed hundreds of thousands of fans hoping to purchase concert tickets. The high fees, site disruptions and cancellations that customers experienced shows how Ticketmaster’s dominant market position means the company does not face any pressure to continually innovate and improve.”
“That’s why we will hold a hearing on how consolidation in the live entertainment and ticketing industry harms customers and artists alike. When there is no competition to incentivize better services and fair prices, we all suffer the consequences,” her statement continued.
Senator Lee, who is a ranking member of the subcommittee, said, “American consumers deserve the benefit of competition in every market, from grocery chains to concert venues. I look forward to exercising our Subcommittee’s oversight authority to ensure that anticompetitive mergers and exclusionary conduct are not crippling an entertainment industry already struggling to recover from pandemic lockdowns.”
At the moment, a date for the hearing and potential witnesses have not yet been announced.
As previously reported, Ticketmaster blamed the unprecedented demand and “staggering number of bot attacks” for creating havoc during the presale. They have since canceled general ticket sales.
The former talk show host, who completed another stint in rehab last month, appeared Monday night at a Q&A held at the annual “Circle of Sisters” event staged by her former radio station in New York City.
In a video posted by the station, Williams admits she’s very much on the market. “I’m looking for love,” she revealed. “It’s not enough that I’m sitting by myself at home at 58 years old.”
She added, to laughs from the crowd, “I love men. I never deny it, and the first thing I think when I see men is, ‘Are they wearing the finger?'” — meaning, not wearing a wedding ring — “’cause if they’re wearing the finger, then that’s an immediate ‘hello.'”
“But I can’t wait to fall in love,” she added. However, she noted, “I don’t want to get married.”
Williams said she hopes her special someone already has kids, and is either 10 years younger or 15 years older than she is, so they’d be free to do whatever they want to do on a whim.
“[T]hen we’ll be able to do things together,” she explained. “Like, if we want to all of a sudden want to fly from New York City, if we want to fly to France to be there for two days to have food or whatever, I want to be able, you know, I could be qualified with a man that [says], ‘Come on, baby. Let’s do it. Do we fly private or do we fly public?'”
Williams also recently appeared on Instagram, seated once again on her former show’s purple throne, promoting her forthcoming podcast, The Wendy Experience.
The TV personality has battled substance abuse and other health issues in the past, including the thyroid condition Graves Disease.
Emma McIntyre/Getty Imagesfor Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 4 presented by Prime Video
Rihanna may be the latest celebrity to have her very own documentary. Similar to Jennifer Lopez, this documentary will focus on her Super Bowl halftime show.
U.K. outletThe Sunclaims Apple TV+ is chronicling the events leading up to Rihanna’s grand return to the stage. It shouldn’t be all that surprising Apple nabbed rights to the film since the halftime show is a co-production between the NFL, Roc Nation and Apple Music.
An insider spilled to the outlet, “She will be recorded during rehearsals and meetings in the lead-up to the big night and give an insight into what her life is really like now she is returning to pop as a mom.”
“Rihanna is a massive force to be reckoned with when it comes to music and so Apple has paid millions,” the spy continued.
The insider teased Rih’s halftime show will “be huge” but says the singer is feeling “immense” pressure to put on a blowout performance. “She is keen for the world to remember why she is one of the greatest performers of all time,” the source claimed.
Super Bowl LVII is scheduled to take place February 12, 2023, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The halftime show will mark Rihanna’s first live public performance since the 2018 Grammys. The singer last released the album Anti and its supporting tour back in 2016.
(New York) — Former Elle columnist E. Jean Carroll will file a new lawsuit against former President Donald Trump on Thanksgiving, the first day of New York’s new Adult Survivors Act that allows adult victims of sexual assault to file civil lawsuits that would otherwise be barred due to the passage of too much time, her attorneys said during a court hearing Tuesday.
Carroll is already suing Trump for defamation in federal court after he denied her claim that he raped her in a department store dressing room in the mid-1990s, saying she was “not my type.” The new lawsuit, also being filed in federal court, will include a new allegation of defamation and an allegation of battery.
Attorneys for Carroll asked the federal judge presiding over the original case to delay a trial date to account for the new lawsuit, but the judge declined.
“The second action is technically not before me today,” Judge Lewis Kaplan said.
An attorney for Trump, Alina Habba, told the judge she didn’t know if she would be representing Trump in the new suit.
“The complaint has not been filed. I have not been retained,” Habba told the judge. “I don’t know whether I’ll be retained on that matter.”
“Your client has known this is coming for months and he would be well advised to know who is representing him in it,” Judge Kaplan replied.
Carroll’s attorney, Roberta Kaplan, said she asked Trump about the second alleged incident of defamation during a recent deposition.
Whether Carroll’s initial lawsuit can even proceed hinges on the outcome of a legal question before a different court.
Trump has argued the Justice Department should be substituted as the defendant in the case because as president, he was an employee of the federal government, which cannot be sued for defamation.
In September the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Trump was indeed a government employee under the terms of the Westfall Act, which shields federal employees from personal liability — but it left to the D.C. Court of Appeals to determine whether Trump’s denials fell within the scope of his employment.
The Court of Appeals, which retains jurisdiction over the conduct of federal government employees, has scheduled oral arguments for January to decide whether Trump was acting in his official capacity as president when he denied Carroll’s rape claim and allegedly defamed her.
If the court decides in Trump’s favor, any defamation suit would be void.
TV appearances and holiday tours keep some artists busy this time of the year, but others are able to take a moment to stop and count their blessings.
GAYLE‘s got plenty to be thankful for: She just landed a Grammy nomination, her song “abcdefu” is a global hit and she’s opening for Taylor Swift next year. But she gives full credit to the people who made all that possible.
“The fans,” she told ABC Audio at the AMAs when asked what she’s most thankful for. “For making the song what it is. I wouldn’t be here if people didn’t add the song to their playlist. I wouldn’t be here if they didn’t watch the music video … human beings got me to where I am today. I did not do this by myself.”
In 2022, Imagine Dragons released a new album, toured, scored a massive hit with “Enemy” and marked the 10th anniversary of their debut album. Bass player Ben McKee, singer Dan Reynolds, guitarist Wayne Sermon and drummer Daniel Platzman told ABC Audio they’re thankful for their kids, cats and being able to go back home to see family. Sermon says he’s most thankful for his “bros” in the band.
“A lot of things have changed over the years, but we’ve stayed close,” he notes. “Bros remain bros,” agrees Reynolds.
Some people, like ex-Fifth Harmony member Lauren Jauregui, have stopped celebrating Thanksgiving entirely, as it’s a reminder of the slaughter of Indigenous people and the theft of their land. But she still has fond memories of a childhood Thanksgiving dish.
“I don’t really celebrate Thanksgiving, to be honest — you know, colonizer holiday,” she told ABC Audio. “I do love stuffing. My mom used to get this mushroom stuffing from this corner market by our house … it was so good.”
Guitarist Wilko Johnson, best known for his work with the ’70s British band Dr. Feelgood, passed away Monday at the age of 75. No official cause of death was announced, but he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer nearly 10 years ago.
“This is the announcement we never wanted to make, and we do so with a very heavy heart: Wilko Johnson has died,” read a statement posted to social media. “Thank you for respecting the family’s privacy at this very sad time. RIP Wilko Johnson.”
As a member of Dr. Feelgood, Johnson appeared on the band’s first four albums, Down by the Jetty, Malpractice, Stupidity and Sneakin’ Suspicion. He left the group in 1977, went on to become a member of Ian Dury and The Blockheads,and also released music on his own. In 2014, he paired up with The Who’s Roger Daltrey to release the album Going Back Home.
“More than anything Wilko wanted to be a poet,” Daltrey shared in a statement paying tribute to Johnson. “I was lucky to have known him and have him as a friend. His music lives on but there’s no escaping the final curtain this time.”
In addition to music, Johnson dabbled in acting; he most recently appeared as mute executioner Ser Ilyn Payne on the first two seasons of HBO’s Game of Thrones.
(Los Angeles) — Two couples have a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving and they’re sharing their stories to encourage others to consider giving the gift of organ donation.
Christine “Chris” Morales and Debbie Thompson have been best friends since they were kids. The two grew up together in California and remained close even after they both married.
“We got married a year apart; we got engaged a year apart,” Chris Morales said. “We’ve just done everything together.”
But for years, Chris Morales was keeping a secret, even from her best friend.
In 2015, Morales couldn’t keep the secret anymore and finally decided to tell Thompson that she had a genetic disorder called polycystic kidney disease, which had been damaging her kidneys over time, and needed a new kidney.
When Thompson found out about her best friend’s health issues, she quickly knew what she wanted to do to help.
“I said, ‘Well, you can have mine!'” Thompson recalled. “I didn’t even know what the process was.”
Thompson underwent medical testing and learned she and Morales were a blood type match. After six months, Thompson was cleared to donate her kidney to her best friend. The surgery was a success and Thompson said if she had to do it all over again, she would.
“She calls the kidney little Deb!” Thompson said. “She always says little Deb is doin’ good.”
Then, two years ago, the unthinkable happened again. Morales’ husband, Ron Morales, who has Type 2 diabetes, learned he would also need a kidney transplant.
Even though Ron Morales kept his health struggles a secret initially, Debbie and her husband, Brad Thompson, would later find out and Brad Thompson didn’t hesitate when he gave Ron Morales a call.
“He called me up over the phone and said, ‘Hey, I hear you need some extra body parts,'” Ron Morales recalled.
The two then followed in their wives’ footsteps and went through their own successful surgeries together.
But there were at least a couple of things that weren’t exactly the same. Since the two men weren’t a blood type match, Ron Morales needed to get blood transfusions to prepare his immune system to not reject Brad Thompson’s kidney.
“I said, ‘You can’t call it little Brad, and you can’t bring me flowers on the anniversary like Chris does,'” Brad Thompson joked.
According to the nonprofit United Network for Organ Sharing, nearly 25,000 Americans — a new record — received kidney transplants in 2021 alone.
Ron Morales’ transplant surgeon, Dr. Tsuyoshi Todo, remains in awe of the match between Ron and Brad.
“In the seven or so years I have been doing this, I have never seen anything like this. I think it’s very unique,” he said. “I am glad they were able to find each other.”
(NEW YORK) — Ky Schevers is fighting back against the anti-trans movement she once took part in.
Schevers was assigned the sex of female at birth and later chose to start gender-affirming care by taking testosterone to transition from female to male in her mid-20s. She stopped taking testosterone, though, in the years that followed while she continued to explore and question her gender, later falling into an online anti-trans group of “detransitioners” – people who once did but no longer identify as transgender.
Now, Schevers says she has “retransitioned,” identifying as transmasculine and gender queer, which means she identifies with both genders. Schevers uses she and her pronouns, but heavily identifies with masculinity, as defined by the LGBTQIA+ Health Education Center states.
She says she considers herself to be a part of the transgender community.
When Schevers initially stopped taking testosterone, she sought out advice and companionship in online forums about detransitioning. In this virtual community is where she began to adopt anti-trans beliefs that misogyny and a patriarchal society caused her to initially transition from female to male. In blog posts, YouTube videos, interviews and workshops, she spread and promoted these beliefs. These posts became a popular tool for anti-trans activists looking to discredit the trans community in the name of feminism.
A 50-year study in the Archives of Sexual Behavior performed in Sweden estimated that less than 3% of people who medically transitioned experienced “transition regret.” Other studies have estimated similar results, some citing even lower figures.
Despite this low percentage, these individuals have become a focal point of anti-transgender legislation and activism.
More than 300 proposed bills across the country have targeted LGBTQ Americans in the last year, according to the Human Rights Campaign. Health care for trans youth in particular has become the target of such efforts.
Before the ages of 16-18, youth are treated with reversible treatments based on guidance from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Irreversible medical interventions, such as surgeries, are typically only done with consenting adults, or older teens who have worked through the decision with their families and physicians over a long period of time, physicians across the country have told ABC News.
Despite these common practices, officials in many states have launched efforts to crack down on gender-affirming care for minors. Some legislators have cited disputed research on this topic, stating that the majority of gender dysphoric youth will grow out of their dysphoria. The methodology in these studies has been highly critiqued.
Major medical associations support gender-affirming care for youth and adults. Transgender youth tend to have high rates of suicide, but those who transition often experience significantly reduced psychological distress.
A recent large study from Harvard found that gender-affirming surgery was associated with improved mental health outcomes in those who are transgender.
Another recent large study from Harvard found that even among those who do go on to detransition, it is often due to external pressures such as stigma and non-acceptance in their environments, rather than a sudden resolution of gender dysphoria.
But that’s where “detransitioners” come in. Detransitioned activists have often testified in public hearings on policies concerning the transgender community.
“I was 30 and at the end of my rope when I transitioned … If I made this mistake as an adult, a young girl could too,” said one detransitioned speaker at the Oct. 28 Florida medical board hearing concerning a ban on gender affirming health care for youth. “Not only did my surgery exacerbate my mental health issues, I now struggle with physical complications as well.”
Another speaker at the hearing, who said she started gender-affirming treatments at the age of 16 and regrets it, spoke about struggling with her mental health while transitioning. She urged the board to ban hormones for people under 18 and surgeries for people under 21. “In 2019, I had a life-changing encounter with Jesus and began to find deep healing within myself. After nearly 4 years of being on testosterone, I decided to detransition and accept my womanhood,” she said.
The Florida Medical Board later passed a ban on gender-affirming care for youth. The decision would prohibit providers from administering gender affirming care, including puberty blockers, hormones, cross-hormone therapy and gender-affirming surgery for people under the age of 18.
“I never liked people who call transitioning mutilation or call trans bodies mutilated…A lot of them called trans people delusional,” Schevers said. “Living as a trans person was something that people did to survive and actually, I didn’t think of it as crazy or irrational because I had lived that life.”
She continued, “I get why someone would do this. Like, it did help me. I did get satisfaction from transitioning and I had to rationalize that experience and make it fit with this anti-trans ideology.”
Schevers said cracks began to show in her beliefs as more of the detransitioners and other activists she worked with began to partner with far-right groups like the Proud Boys on an anti-trans platform.
“That was kind of a huge wake-up call,” said Schevers. “It didn’t make sense to ally with the people who were creating the oppressive conditions.”
Her use of the hormone testosterone helped her embrace her gender queer identity, she now says.
When Schevers sees or hears anti-transgender detransitioners speak about their experiences, she thinks of her past self. She says she feels guilty, like she set the stage for them.
Schevers says she wants people to turn their attention to the dangers of anti-trans outreach to youth as well as the ongoing legislative attacks on trans Americans.
In Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton also launched an effort to investigate gender-affirming youth care treatments as “child abuse” through the state department of child protective services. A state judge later issued a temporary injunction blocking the effort.
An Alabama law made it illegal to give any type of gender affirming care to anyone under the age of 18. This would criminalize parents and physicians.
Joseph Ladapo, Florida’s surgeon general, released a memo in June saying treatments like sex-reassignment surgery, and hormone and puberty blockers are not effective treatments for gender dysphoria.
These organizations say that research does show that the aforementioned gender-affirming treatments are safe and effective. Some, like the American Medical Association, even deem it “medically necessary.”
Gender exploration is an ongoing journey for Schevers, and she hopes the trans and gender queer youth in the U.S. continue to be able to access a journey of their own.
“I do feel more firmly rooted in who I am. It’s easier for me to accept myself as someone who has, like, multiple genders,” Schevers said.
(NOTE LANGUAGE) Another stop on his promotional tour for his new book Cinema Speculation, another jab at Marvel movies from writer-director Quentin Tarantino.
But this time, one of the studio’s stars has clapped back: Simu Liu.
Tarantino recently sat down with comedian Tom Segura on his Two Bears, One Cave podcast and shaded not only Marvel movies, but also the actors who lead them.
He prefaced his new comments by saying, “Look, I used to collect Marvel comics like crazy when I was a kid. There’s an aspect that if these movies were coming out when I was in my twenties, I would totally be f***ing happy and totally love them…But, you know, I’m almost 60, so…I’m not quite as excited about them.”
The Oscar-winning Pulp Fiction screenwriter went on to say, “Part of the Marvel-ization of Hollywood is…you have all these actors who have become famous playing these characters. But they’re not movie stars. Right? Captain America is the star. Or Thor is the star.”
One of those stars, Shang-Chi and the Legends of the Ten Rings’ Simu responded, also referencing Martin Scorsese‘s 2019 diss that Marvel movies were “not cinema.”
Simu tweeted Tuesday, “If the only gatekeepers to movie stardom came from Tarantino and Scorsese, I would never have had the opportunity to lead a $400 million plus movie. I am in awe of their filmmaking genius. They are transcendent auteurs. But they don’t get to point their nose at me or anyone.”
He added, “No movie studio is or ever will be perfect. But I’m proud to work with one that has made sustained efforts to improve diversity onscreen by creating heroes that empower and inspire people of all communities everywhere.”
Liu noted, “I loved the ‘Golden Age’ too.. but it was white as hell.”
Marvel Studios is owned by Disney, the parent company of ABC News.
Misfits will no longer be ringing in 2023 onstage.
The reunited horror punks — consisting of original members Glenn Danzig and Jerry Only, along with longtime guitarist Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein — have canceled their upcoming New Year’s Eve show in Las Vegas, citing an “unexpected personal matter.”
“We look forward to hopefully seeing you at a show in 2023,” the group says.
Those who purchased tickets will receive refunds at their point of purchase.
Danzig and Only reunited in 2016 — 33 years after the former left the Misfits in 1983 — and have played a number of one-off shows since. Their most recent performance took place last month in Dallas to celebrate Halloween weekend.
