Bob Marley’s grandson Joseph “Jo Mersa” Marley passed away Tuesday at the age of 31. A rep confirmed his death to Rolling Stone, although no official cause of death was given.
Earlier reports by journalist Abka Fitz-Henley claimed that Joe Mersa was found unresponsive in his vehicle, with TMZ reporting his death was asthma-related.
Joe Mersa was the son Stephen Marley, one of Bob’s 11 children, and leaves behind a wife and a daughter. He was a singer in his own right, releasing the EP Comfortable in 2014 and another EP, Eternal, in 2021. He also appeared on his father’s 2016 song “Revelation Party,” which appeared on the album Revelation Part 2: The Fruit of Life.
(NOTE LANGUAGE) When it comes to celebrity scandals of 2022, there’s arguably nothing bigger than what was dubbed the “Slap Heard ‘Round the World.” The sight of one of the biggest stars of the world, Will Smith, slapping and then cursing out one of the most famous comics on Earth, Chris Rock, would have been news had it happened at a pub, let alone at the Academy Awards.
That said, there were other stars making headlines for all the wrong reasons this year, so let’s do what their publicists wish we wouldn’t and take a look back.
Ezra Miller’s banner year:
The Justice League star kicked off 2022 with a bizarre video on Instagram, in which the actor, who uses they/them pronouns, referred to themselves as “the Bengal Ghouls [and] Mad Goose Wizard,” and sent a message “for the Beulaville chapter of the North Carolina Ku Klux Klan,” in which he invited them to “kill yourself with your own guns … Otherwise, keep doing what you’re doing … and we’ll do it for you.” The video was later deleted.
In March, then again in April, Miller was arrested for allegedly causing trouble in Hawaii. In March, the actor pleaded no contest to disorderly conduct, and was ordered to pay a $500 fine and stay away from Margarita Village in Hilo, Hawaii, after a scrum there; in April, Miller was arrested for second-degree assault for allegedly hurling a chair at a woman at a get-together.
In May, Miller allegedly broke into a Vermont home and stole booze; the actor was officially charged with felony burglary in August.
In June, attorney and activist Chase Iron Eyes and his wife, Sara Jumping Eagle, filed court documents in Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Court alleging that Miller has been “physically and emotionally abusing,” as well as “psychologically manipulating, physically intimidating, and endangering the safety and welfare” of their daughter, Tokata Iron Eyes. The parents accused the actor of grooming her beginning when she was 13.
In August, Vermont State Police showed up to Miller’s home in search of a mother and three young children who were reportedly staying there against the wishes of the children’s father. The trio was nowhere to be found.
Later in the month, the actor said they were seeking treatment for “complex mental health issues” after exhibiting alarming behavior that led to a series of arrests and accusations. Industry insiders sniped it was a play to save his forthcoming Flash movie.
Will Smith slaps Chris Rock
While the action reverberated throughout the year, the notorious Oscars slap happened back on March 27, in front of a stunned, star-studded audience at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre. A joke Rock made as a presenter at the expense of Jada Pinkett Smith‘s bald head initially drew a laugh from Will, which made his striding to the stage to confront the comic seem like it was the beginning of a bit. However, the powerful slap, which Rock later said left him without hearing for a spell, was nothing to joke about. Neither was Will screaming, “Keep my wife’s name out your f****ing mouth!” twice. Smith went on to ignore the incident when picking up his Best Actor trophy for King Richard, but in a subsequent apology, he accepted a 10-year ban from Academy events.
The Johnny Depp/Amber Heard defamation case:
May and June were all about the U.S. headline-grabbing defamation case between Johnny Depp and his ex-wife Amber Heard. The former Pirates of the Caribbean series star sued his ex over a 2018 Washington Post op-ed in which the Aquaman actress wrote about experiencing physical and sexual abuse.
As the trial played out, the public saw their tumultuous marriage writ large, and saw Depp testify how it was Heard who abused him both physically and psychologically. Then there was the testimony that gave the world #AmberTurd for the actress’s alleged spite-befouling of a bed.
The jury sided with Depp in June, ruling Heard defamed him to hurt his career and boost her own. Depp was awarded $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages, but the latter was capped to $350,000 due to Virginia law. Heard was awarded $2 million in compensatory damages for statements made by Depp’s former attorney, but was awarded no punitive damages. Months later, she filed an appeal of the verdict.
In December, Heard reportedly settled with Depp for $1 million, and noted she was dropping her plans to appeal. The actress noted she had “lost faith in the American legal system,” and said of the payment, “…This is not an act of concession. There are no restrictions or gags with respect to my voice moving forward.” Depp’s team vowed to give the money to charity.
Kanye’s meltdown:
Like a train wreck in slow-motion, Ye‘s flame-out took time to get going, but in the end, the destruction was arguably absolute.
The first months of the year saw Kanye lamenting on social media and elsewhere about the state of his split with Kim Kardashian and the custody arrangements with the mother of his four children.
In February, Ye’s music career was still in full swing: His 21-track Donda 2 album was released on his own branded Stem Player. He claims to have sold more than $2 million worth of the devices.
Later in the year, Ye made headlines for taking social media shots at “Skete” — or Pete Davidson, whom Kim began seeing romantically. One of these posts, and a video of an animated version of Kanye murdering Davidson, got Ye temporarily suspended from Instagram in March for violating the platform’s harassment policy. Apparently Davidson thought the diss track was hilarious.
After countless disses of the celebrity couple online, Kim and Pete called it quits in August, which Kanye celebrated online.
In September, following the death of Queen Elizabeth, Ye promised he was ending all his grudges, but later announced his YEEZY company was terminating its partnership with Gap.
Also in September, West gave an interview with ABC News, in which he talked about his relationship with God; his school, the Donda Academy; and fatherhood. At this point, despite his social media behavior, he was being hailed in some circles as something of a maverick mogul.
By October, however, things took a turn; Ye invited controversy by wearing a “White Lives Matter” shirt during Paris Fashion Week. He was escorted out of Skechers offices in LA after an “unauthorized” visit. And he said he was going “Death Con 3” on Jewish people who had wronged him. While he quickly apologized for the comment, as the fall wore on, he made a series of other antisemitic comments, culminating with him claiming to controversial media figure Alex Jones that he admired Hitler.
After claiming he couldn’t be canceled, he was: his agency CAA cut ties with him, as did Adidas, losing him his billionaire status, and making him the target of late-night comedians’ jokes and of the Anti-Defamation League.
Jason Aldean traded in his cowboy hat for a long white Santa beard this holiday season. He and his wife, Brittany, stopped by their local gas station to pump some free gas for unsuspecting drivers.
Dressed as Santa and Mrs. Claus, Jason and Brittany hung out by the pumps looking to spread a little holiday cheer. They had just one request before filling up people’s gas tanks: “Shake that a** for free gas,” read a sign the county star couple held up.
Brittany shared video of the holiday giveaway on her social media, including clips of the responses they got from the folks who walked away from the pumps with a free tank.
“I just got back from college so this definitely helps,” one person told the couple. “I just started working again so I haven’t gotten a paycheck yet.”
“Giving gas, that’s awesome stuff,” another said.
After one driver’s gas tank only needed a top-off, Brittany presented him with a $100 bill to go towards his next trip to the pump. “I drive from here to Nashville almost every day for work,” he explained, stressing how much the holiday cash would help him cover his travel expenses.
For their own holiday celebrations, Jason and Brittany took their two young kids, Memphis and Navy, on a ski vacation earlier this month. Brittany documented the occasion on her social media.
(WASHINGTON) — New York Rep.-elect George Santos is facing mounting criticism from his future Democratic colleagues for fabricating parts of his biography — criticism that is coming from some of Santos’ fellow Republicans as well, though many in his party have not commented on the controversy, and some have defended him.
“GOP Congressman-elect George Santos, who has now admitted his whopping lies, should resign,” Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., tweeted on Monday, pushing House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy to call a vote to expel Santos if he does not step down.
Texas Democratic Rep. Joaquin Castro also tweeted that Santos should resign or Congress should expel him, which would require a two-thirds vote, and that his actions should be investigated by authorities.
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the incoming House minority leader, spoke sharply of Santos last week.
“He appears to be a complete and utter fraud. His whole life story made up, and he’s going to have to answer that question: Did you perpetrate a fraud on the voters?” Jeffries, D-N.Y., told reporters.
“It’s an open question to me as to whether this is the type of individual that the incoming majority should welcome to Congress. That’s a question from Kevin McCarthy at this point in time,” Jeffries said.
ABC News has reached out to Republican House leaders Kevin McCarthy, Elise Stefanik and Steve Scalise for comment multiple times and they have not responded.
Last week, New York Attorney General Letitia James’ office said she was looking into a number of issues raised about Santos.
In a series of interviews, Santos — who initially pushed back on scrutiny of his biography — admitted to lying about or exaggerating parts of his background, including where he went to school and worked and past claims about his Jewish ancestry.
Santos apologized and sought to play down the discrepancies as “embellishing.”
“I am not a criminal,” he told The New York Post on Monday. “This [controversy] will not deter me from having good legislative success. I will be effective. I will be good.”
Republican lawmakers have largely remained silent on Santos. However, fellow New York Rep.-elect Nick LaLota released a statement asking the ethics committee to investigate.
“House Republicans like me are eager to be sworn in and focus on our commitment to America and our respective districts. Yet over the last few weeks, I have heard from countless Long Islanders how deeply troubled they are by the headlines surrounding George Santos,” LaLota said.
“As a Navy man who campaigned on restoring accountability and integrity to our government, I believe a full investigation by the House Ethics Committee and, if necessary, law enforcement, is required,” he said.
Another incoming Republican New York representative, Anthony D’Esposito, also released a statement condemning Santos’ actions but did not echo a call for an ethics investigation.
Nassau County Republican Committee Chairman Joseph G. Cairo Jr., in Santos’ district, said in a statement to ABC News on Tuesday that Santos “has a lot of work to do to regain the trust of voters and everyone who he represents in Congress.”
“I am deeply disappointed in Mr. Santos, and I expected more than just a blanket apology,” Cairo said.
He said that Santos’ contrition could be earned through a conservative legislative record.
“He must do the public’s will in Washington. Residents want him to deliver tax relief and pass laws that will make our neighborhoods and our nation safer,” Cairo said. “What’s more, George Santos will have to continually prove that he has learned his lesson.”
Another set of musicians were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this year, but before it actually happened there was at least one unexpected issue.
After the initial list of nominees was announced, Dolly Parton, who was included on the list, threw things for a loop when in February she requested her name be removed from the ballot. But the Hall refused, noting her music “impacted a generation of young fans and influenced countless artists that followed.” She eventually agreed to stay on the ballot, and it’s a good thing she did.
When this year’s class was finally announced, not only did Dolly make it, but so did Lionel Richie, Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo, Duran Duran, Eurythmics, Carly Simon, Judas Priest and Eminem. In addition, duo Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis were chosen to receive the Musical Excellence Award, while Harry Belafonte receivedthe Early Influence Award. The late R&B singer Sylvia Robinson was chosen for the Ahmet Ertegun Award.
The induction ceremony was held in November in Los Angeles. Here are some of the evening’s many highlights:
–Duran Duran performed “Hungry Like the Wolf,” “Girls on Film” and “Ordinary World.” Fans were hoping to see the band reunite with original guitarist Andy Taylor, but instead singer Simon Le Bon read a letter Taylor wrote explaining he couldn’t be there because he’s been battling stage 4 metastatic prostate cancer.
—Sheryl Crow paid tribute to Benatar and Giraldo, who then treated the crowd to “All Fired Up,” “Love Is a Battlefield” and “Heartbreaker.”
–Eurythmics reunited at the ceremony for their first performance since 2019, performing “Would I Lie to You,” “Sweet Dreams” and “Missionary Man.”
—Carly Simon missed the ceremony, as she was grieving the loss of her two sisters. She was celebrated by Sara Bareilles, who performed “Nobody Does it Better,” and Olivia Rodrigo, who performed “You’re So Vain.” Alanis Morissette was supposed to take part in the Carly tribute but dropped out at the last minute, hinting it had to do with “anti-woman sentiment.”
—Judas Priest reunited with former bandmates K.K. Downing and Les Binks for a performance that included “Breaking the Law” and “Living After Midnight.” During speeches they were joined by guitarist Glenn Tipton, who retired from touring full time in 2018 due to Parkinson’s disease.
—Eminem, who was inducted by Dr. Dre, performed a medley of hits, including “My Name Is,” “Sing for the Moment” with Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler and “Stan,” with Ed Sheeran singing the chorus and playing guitar.
–Richie treated the crowd to “Hello” and brought out a special guest, Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl,for “Easy,” ending his set with his classic “All Night Long.”
—Pink helped induct Dolly, then joined Dolly and Crow for a performance of “Jolene,” which also included this year’s fellow inductees Benatar, Annie Lennox, Le Bon and Judas Priest’s Rob Halford.
–Finally, the night ended with a classic HOF jam, with Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp paying tribute to the late Jerry Lee Lewis with a medley of his hits.
Jennifer Lopez is sharing details about her first Christmas with her husband, Ben Affleck.
In her newsletter, On the JLo, the singer and actress, 53, shared how the holiday went with hers and Affleck’s blended family and this year’s Christmas theme.
“I’ve been hunkering down at home (and loving it) since I wrapped my last movie,” Lopez began. “I like to create a theme for every holiday. I wrote a song called ‘Hummingbird’ for my new album, This is Me… Now.”
She went on, “To me, hummingbirds are messengers of love. They’re very agile — can fly forward, backward, and up and down. They’re also the fastest bird but they always have time to stop, eat something sweet and smell the roses. I identify with them, but more than anything, whenever I see one, I feel like it’s a sign from God that everything is going to be OK.”
“So, I decided this year, that the hummingbird would be a perfect theme,” Lopez added. “We have blended families, doubled the people, doubled the fun, doubled the love, doubled the presents and tripled the chaos!! I wanted to have a tree in the house that was a hummingbird tree, reminding us that everything done in love and with love will always be OK.”
Lopez noted this was the first time in a while that she was able to get together with family and friends she hadn’t seen in so long.
Following their engagement and breakup in the early 2000s, Lopez and Affleck tied the knot in April in Las Vegas after rekindling their relationship following Lopez’s breakup with then-fiancé Alex Rodriguez.
(ROME) — The health of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI has worsened in the last few hours, a Vatican official said on Wednesday.
“The situation at the moment remains under control and is constantly followed by doctors,” Holy See Press Office Director Matteo Bruni told reporters, adding that he could “confirm that in the last few hours there has been an worsening of his condition due to advancing age.”
The comments came after Pope Francis asked for prayers in his morning audience for Benedict, who is 95.
“I ask to all of you a special prayer for the Pope Emeritus Benedict, who, in silence, is sustaining the church,” the pope said.
Francis visited his predecessor, who resigned in 2013, in the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery later in the day, Bruni said.
“We join him in praying for the Pope Emeritus,” Bruni said.
(ATLANTA) — Just over two weeks after acquiring him in a three-way trade, the Atlanta Braves have signed catcher Sean Murphy to a six-year, $73 million deal.
The team announced the contract on Tuesday night, which runs through the 2028 season and “includes a $15 million club option with no buyout for 2029 that would give Murphy a seven-year deal worth $88 million,” the Braves said in a press release.
Murphy, 28, was traded to Atlanta earlier this month by the Oakland Athletics as part of a three-team trade that also included the Milwaukee Brewers. He began his MLB career with the Athletics in 2019.
Last season in Oakland, Murphy played in 148 games, batting .250 with 18 home runs and 66 RBIs.
(NEW YORK) — The Danish concept of “hygge,” or “coziness,” can help fend off the seasonal blues.
Spending time with loved ones and creating a cozy ambience with scents, lighting and sounds can improve mood and reduce stress during the wintertime.
“Hygge is a mindset — an attitude and approach to living that prioritizes togetherness, affection, slow living, gratitude and contentment,” said Natalie Dattilo, a clinical health psychologist at Harvard Medical School.
Hygge (pronounced “hoo-ga”) is relevant year-round.
It can, however, be especially helpful during this time of year, when shorter daylight hours and stressful holiday events may contribute to seasonal drops in mood.
Nordic countries, like Denmark, have some of the shortest daylight hours and harshest winters but often rank highest in the annual World Happiness report.
“It would be very easy to be isolated and depressed. Hygge is a coping mechanism that helps them get through the long, dark winters,” said Jaime Kurtz, a clinical psychologist at James Madison University.
One way to practice hygge is through social connection.
“Social connectedness and gratitude are probably the most important factors that have been proven to be correlated with happiness,” said clinical psychologist Pauline Wallin.
Sharing and enjoying meals together can increase social bonding, feelings of well-being and contentment.
That doesn’t mean you have to overextend yourself socially.
“Holiday parties can seem overwhelming. It’s OK to be selective and choose the social events that will truly bring you joy,” said Howard Liu, a child and adult psychiatrist at the University of Nebraska.
But if you can’t physically be with loved ones, the right environment can evoke similar feelings.
“Eating, drinking and taking in comforting aromas can evoke memories of family and friends at various times of one’s life,” said Wallin. “Smell is strongly connected with memory and emotion. So is music.”
Good smells and music also help create a cozy ambiance, another important component of hygge. Opt for nostalgic scents when possible.
“Fill your environment with smells that you love and bring comfort. Think sugar cookies, spices, or chicken noodle soup,” said Dattilo.
Or try a sound or smell known to boost mood.
“Research has shown that the smell of lavender and vanilla is particularly relaxing to the population at large,” said Sally Augustin, a fellow at the American Psychological Association.
The right lighting in a room can also improve the ambience. People tend to perceive warmer lights as more relaxing, research shows.
“Using candles or a fireplace has advantages in that the visual of the flames themselves are naturally relaxing,” said Augustin.
If that’s not an option, swapping bright fluorescents for warm lightbulbs in lamps can work too.
For one last element of comfort, consider texture.
“Soft textures make sense because they are relaxing for us to feel,” said Augustin.
Think cozy pajamas, soft blankets, or fuzzy socks.
So as the long nights drag on and the cold creeps in, try turning to hygge, Kurtz said.
“Embrace the weather! Light a fire, put on soft clothing, make a warm beverage and snuggle a pet or a loved one,” she said.
