Kim Kardashian is breaking her silence on Balenciaga’s recent ad scandal.
“I have been quiet for the past few days, not because I haven’t been disgusted and outraged by the recent Balenciaga campaigns, but because I wanted an opportunity to speak to their team to understand for myself how this could have happened,” she wrote on social media Sunday, November 27.
Kim, who is mom to North, 9, Saint, 6, Chicago, 4, Psalm, 3, continued, “As a mother of four, I have been shaken by the disturbing images. The safety of children must be held with the highest regard, and any attempts to normalize child abuse of any kind should have no place in our society — period.”
“I appreciate Balenciaga’s removal of the campaigns and apology. In speaking with them, I believe they understand the seriousness of the issue and will take the necessary measures for this to never happen again,” she concluded.
Shortly after, the SKIMS founder added that she’s “currently re-evaluating my relationship with the brand.”
The posts come about a week after Balenciaga came under fire for their advertisements featuring children posing with the company’s plush bear bags, which wear BDSM-inspired harnesses.
One photo featured a child standing on a bed with one of the plush bear bags, surrounded by other purses and accessories that include what appears to be a chain leash as well as a Balenciaga branded dog collar choker.
The Spanish luxury brand issued an apology on their Instagram on November 22, writing, “We sincerely apologize for any offense our holiday campaign may have caused. Our plush bear bags should not have been featured with children in this campaign. We have immediately removed the campaign from all platforms.”
(LONDON) — The Prince and Princess of Wales are coming to America.
Prince William and Kate will travel to Boston this week, marking their first visit to the United States since 2014, when they visited New York City and famously shook hands with Beyoncé and Jay-Z at a New York Knicks game.
This will be their first overseas trip since the death of William’s grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, in September.
The royals will arrive in Boston on Wednesday, two days ahead of the second annual awards ceremony for the Earthshot Prize, an initiative William launched in 2019 to create solutions for environmental problems.
Their itinerary in the city includes everything from meeting Caroline Kennedy to visiting Harvard University.
“The Prince and Princess are looking forward to spending time in Boston, and to learning more about the issues that are affecting local people, as well as to celebrating the incredible climate solutions that will be spotlighted through The Earthshot Prize,” Kensington Palace said in a statement.
Here is what to watch on each day of William and Kate’s three-day visit.
Wednesday: Welcome celebration in Boston
William and Kate will be welcomed to Boston on Nov. 30 in a ceremony at City Hall attended by Kennedy and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, who made history last year as the first woman and first person of color to be elected mayor.
In honor of the Earthshot Prize’s focus on the environment, landmarks across the city, including City Hall, will be lit up in the color green.
Thursday: Visiting with high-risk youth
The royal couple will start their second day in Boston with a visit to Greentown Labs, a climate technology start-up incubator, in nearby Somerville, Massachusetts.
According to Kensington Palace, William and Kate will learn during the visit about “climate innovations” being incubated in Boston.
From there, the couple will travel just a few miles to Chelsea, where they will visit Roca, nonprofit organization that focuses on helping high-risk young people between the ages of 16 and 24, according to the palace.
William and Kate will meet with leaders of the organization and with participants in the young mothers’ and young men’s programs.
Friday: Earthshot Awards at MGM Music Hall
Friday’s main event will be the 2022 Earthshot Prize Awards Ceremony, which will be held Friday night at MGM Music Hall at Fenway, located close to Fenway Park.
The ceremony, which will air around the world on Dec. 4, will see five winners awarded $1 million grants each to scale their solutions to help repair planet Earth.
The ceremony will also include live performances by Billie Eilish, Annie Lennox, Ellie Goulding and Chloe.x.Halle, and will feature actors including Rami Malek, Catherine O’Hara, Shailene Woodley and Daniel Dae Kim as hosts and presenters.
Earlier in the day Friday, Kate and William will each attend separate events.
Kate, who has made early childhood education a focus of her royal work, will meet with researchers at The Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University.
William plans to tour the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum along with Caroline Kennedy.
William has said that President John F. Kennedy’s “moonshot” challenge in 1962 to land a man on the moon within 10 years was the inspiration behind his Earthshot Prize, which has a goal to find solutions to repair the planet within the next 10 years.
The John F. Kennedy Foundation partnered with Earthshot Prize to bring this year’s awards ceremony to Boston, according to the organization.
(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden is poised to sign a memorandum boosting the U.S. government’s opposition to conflict-related sexual violence in an effort to further combat rape as a weapon of war.
Biden is expected to sign the memo, which will clarify that an act of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) may constitute a serious human rights abuse, on Monday, according to the White House.
The memo is intended to give CRSV an “equal consideration alongside other serious human rights abuses in developing designations under existing sanctions authorities,” the White House said.
It also directs the State and Treasury departments, as well as other federal agencies, to use additional tools to hold CRSV offenders accountable.
Biden is releasing the presidential memorandum in conjunction with the United Kingdom’s international ministerial conference on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict, “at a time when CRSV persists with impunity around the world, including in Russian-occupied Ukraine and Ethiopia,” the White House said
A report released by the United Nations in October said that Russian troops have committed war crimes, including rape and sexual violence, against Ukrainian civilians.
“You only need to see a snapshot from what is happening in Ukraine to know how important this presidential memorandum can be in focusing on accountability for conflict related sexual violence,” a senior Biden administration official said on a call with reporters Sunday. “It will provide guidance and direction to facilitate targeting the perpetrators of these horrendous acts and bringing them to justice.”
The United Nations estimates that 10 to 20 CRSV cases go undocumented for each one reported in connection with a conflict.
A 2021 report by the U.N. Secretary-General found 3,293 U.N.-verified CRSV cases across 18 countries — 97% of which were targeted toward women and girls.
That number was about 800 more than what was verified by the U.N. in 2020.
The memorandum pledges an additional $400,000, on top of the $1.75 million annual contribution, toward the Office of the U.N. Special Representative to the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, as well as an additional $5.5 million over the next two years to help the State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor investigate and document acts of CRSV.
The memo also aims to deliver services and support for survivors of gender-based violence in emergency and conflict settings, as well as increase access to justice, protection, and services to survivors of gender-based violence, according to the White House.
“Together with today’s Presidential Memorandum on Promoting Accountability for Conflict-Related Sexual Violence, these initiatives signal President Biden’s ongoing commitment to confront gender-based violence — in all of its forms — around the world,” the White House said.
ABC News’ Justin Gomez contributed to this report.
(WASHINGTON) — First lady Jill Biden will unveil this year’s White House holiday theme and seasonal decor on Monday morning.
She will be joined by members and leadership of the National Guard along with their families, as part of her Joining Forces initiative to support and promote the sacrifices and needs of military families, according to the office of the first lady.
After previewing the holiday decorations, the first lady — who holds a doctorate in education — will join National Guard families and state adjutants generals for a roundtable discussion on education for military-connected children at 11:30 a.m. ET.
“As a fellow National Guard mother, Dr. Biden wanted to show appreciation for, and honor, the special role the National Guard plays in serving our country,” the office of the first lady said in a statement.
The first lady will then deliver remarks at 12:30 p.m. ET “to offer a holiday message of unity and hope and thank the volunteers from across the country who helped decorate the White House for the 2022 season,” according to her office.
Last year’s holiday theme was “Gifts from the Heart,” intended to honor those who have persevered through hardships brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 100 volunteers decorated the White House with approximately 25 wreaths, 41 Christmas trees, 300 candles, 6,000 feet of ribbon, 10,000 ornaments and nearly 80,000 holiday lights, according to the office of the first lady.
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Sunday’s sports events:
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Brooklyn 111, Portland 97
Golden State 137, Minnesota 114
LA Clippers 114, Indiana 100
Miami 106, Atlanta 98
Boston 130, Washington 121
Philadelphia 133, Orlando 103
Cleveland 102, Detroit 94
Memphis 127, New York 123
Milwaukee 124, Dallas 115
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Minnesota 4, Arizona 3
Winnipeg 7, Chicago 2
Vancouver 4 San Jose 3 (OT)
Seattle 5, Anaheim 4
Ottawa 3, Los Angeles 2 (OT)
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Carolina 23, Denver 10
Cincinnati 20, Tennessee 16
Cleveland 23, Tampa Bay 17 (OT)
Jacksonville 28, Baltimore 27
Miami 30, Houston 15
NY Jets 31, Chicago 10
Washington 19, Atlanta 13
Final L.A Chargers 25, Arizona 24
Las Vegas 40, Seattle 34 (OT)
Kansas City 26, LA Rams 10
San Francisco 13, New Orleans 0
Philadelphia 40, Green Bay 33
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Alabama 103, North Carolina 101
Gonzaga 88, Xavier 84
Purdue 75, Duke 56
Michigan St. 78, Portland 77
Auburn 65, Saint Louis 60
UCLA 81, Bellarmine 60
UConn 71, Iowa St. 53
(MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md.) — Two people have been rescued from a small private plane after it struck and got lodged in a high-tension power line tower in Montgomery County, Maryland.
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service Chief Scott Goldstein confirmed both the pilot and passenger were transported to local area trauma centers with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
“There’s some hypothermia issues,” Goldstein said. “They’ve been out there very anxious, but very happy to be down. They were communicating with us the entire time.”
The plane struck the tower at about 5:30 Sunday evening, Goldstein said.
However, rescue work was being delayed until the plane could be secured to the tower and the tower was confirmed to be grounded, according to Goldstein.
The plane, which was stuck about 100 feet off the ground, is “not going to be stable until it’s chained and strapped in place,” said Goldstein, adding that heavy fog in the area could make the task difficult.
About 85,000 Montgomery County customers were without power as a result of the crash, officials with the local power company said on Twitter.
Goldstein said that most of the power in the county has been restored by Pepco.
FAA officials said the plane had departed from Westchester County Airport in White Plains, New York. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board said they will investigate the incident.
Montgomery County Public Schools announced earlier that MCPS schools and offices will be closed Monday, Nov. 28 “due to a widespread power outage and its impact on safety and school operations.” There has been no update since most of the power has been restored.
Fresh off his recent number one with Ingrid Andress, “Wishful Drinking,” and with “Water Under the Bridge” now in the top-25, Sam Hunt‘s unleashing new music.
“It’s called ‘Start Nowhere,’” he says of his latest track. “It’s a song about going home.”
“I’ve just spent the last several days putting together a music video for it,” he adds, “and it’s all these clips — all these VHS clips — of my family and I growing up. So that was fun.”
It’s a tune the Georgia native believes is perfect for the kickoff of the holiday season.
“That’s why I wanted to go ahead and get it out,” he explains. “It’s nostalgic and it seems like culturally, we’re longing for a simpler time right now, as crazy as the world has been.”
“And this sort of feels like the simple time[s] past,” he continues, “just real family-oriented and just the VHS thing, and it’s just pretty cool.”
While Sam’s not quite ready to put out a full-fledged follow-up to 2020’s Southside, he says he does have quite a few songs he finished over the pandemic he’s hoping to record and put out in the not-so-distant future.
The Black Panther sequel Wakanda Forever gobbled up the most money over the long Thanksgiving weekend, delivering an estimated $64 million in North America and $45.9 million between Friday and Monday, while spending a third weekend at number one. Wakanda Forever currently stands as the sixth-highest grossing movie of the year worldwide with $676 million.
Overall it was one of the slowest Thanksgiving weekends in decades, with the weekend’s new entries proving to be turkeys.
They include the weekend’s runner up film, the Disney animated adventure Strange World, which only managed an estimated $11.9 million for the three-day and $18.6 million for the five-day. The movie, featuring the voices of Jake Gyllenhaal, Dennis Quaid, Jaboukie Young-White, Gabrielle Union and Lucy Liu, had one of the worst animated openings in modern day Disney history.
The Knives Out sequel Glass Onion finished in third place, ahead of its move from theaters to Netflix next week. The film, featuring Daniel Craig reprising his role as detective Benoit Blanc, delivered an estimated $9.4 million from 696 theaters between Friday and Sunday and $13.4 million since Thursday.
The Korean War film Devotion, starring Jonathan Majors and Glen Powell, failed to thrill, opening in fourth place with an estimated $5.96 million for the three-day weekend and $9 million for the five-day.
Rounding out the top five was The Menu, earning an estimated $5.2 million from Friday through Sunday and $7.3 million over the long weekend. The Anya Taylor-Joy, Nicholas Hoult and Ralph Fiennes-led dark comedy has collected $18.7 million domestically and $33.5 million globally.
2022 brought us some interesting moments in fashion, but which artists established themselves as this year’s trendsetters? According to British GQ, the honor goes to Harry Styles, Dua Lipa and Justin Bieber.
The three appeared in this year’s Most Stylish People list, with the magazine singling out their most iconic looks and explaining why they deserved a space on this year’s roundup.
Harry was a shoo-in on the list because, as the magazine states, he “has that rare and enviable ability to make even the most outlandish outfit look cool.” British GQ pointed to the chunky pearls, satin jumpsuits and other head-turning outfits he wore this year as solidifying him as a bona fide fashion icon.
Dua appeared on this year’s list because “she has all the star power of a proper stadium filler, but with a girl-next-door attitude, all while dripping in Versace and vintage Dior.” The mag also noted the singer serves as a muse for fashion designer Jacquemus.
When reviewing Justin’s fashion qualifications, the magazine detailed his bold haircuts, tattoos and love of his wife as making him an admirable finalist. “His inscrutable gaze and love for a massive suit lends itself perfectly to the Demna-led fashion revolution,” the publication adds.
Other movers and shakers to make this year’s list were Harry’s Don’t Worry Darling costars Florence Pugh and Chris Pine, as well as “Truth Hurts” singer Lizzo and “Industry Baby” rapper Lil Nas X.
As for the person who claims the title as 2022’s “Most Stylish Person on the Planet” — the honor goes to model Bella Hadid.
The BET Soul Train Awards 2022 celebrated the best in soul, R&B and hip-hop music over the weekend. Hosted by award-winning comedian and actor Deon Cole the annual music awards show was one for the books.
Here’s the complete list of winners.
Album of the Year Renaissance, Beyoncé
Song of the Year
“Break My Soul,” Beyoncé
Video of the Year
“Smokin Out the Window,” Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars & Anderson .Paak)
Best New Artist
Tems
Best R&B/Soul Female Artist
Jazmine Sullivan
Best R&B/Soul Male Artist
Chris Brown
Best Collaboration
“Make Me Say It Again, Girl,” Ronald Isley & The Isley Brothers feat. Beyoncé
Certified Soul Award
Mary J. Blige
The Ashford and Simpson Songwriter’s Award
“Hrs & Hrs,” Muni Long
Best Dance Performance
“About Damn Time,” Lizzo
Best Gospel/Inspirational Award
Maverick City Music X Kirk Franklin
