In what someday may be seen as significant as Al Jolson becoming the first actor to speak on film back in 1927’s The Jazz Singer, Bruce Willis has become the first star to sign his likeness over to a deepfake company.
The actor, who retired while revealing an aphasia diagnosis earlier this year, could soon be back on the big screen thanks to the tech from Deepcake, which uses machine learning to create realistic digital doppelgängers of famous faces.
The technology in the hands of other companies has been used to digitally de-age actors for movies and TV, shedding nearly four decades from Mark Hamill‘s face for Luke Skywalker’s recent appearance in The Book of Boba Fett.
However, this is the first time a famous actor has inked a deal with a company to give it permission to use his likeness in future projects.
Willis first worked with the U.S.-based company for a mobile phone commercial that ran overseas: His likeness was seamlessly transplanted onto a Russian actor, and Willis was apparently so impressed, he signed over his likeness.
“I liked the precision with which my character turned out,” Willis said of the advertisement. “It’s a mini-movie in my usual action-comedy genre. For me, it is a great opportunity to go back in time.”
He added, “With the advent of modern technology, even when I was on another continent, I was able to communicate, work and participate in the filming…”
For Willis, whose degenerative condition has effectively ended his career, the tech could keep him beating up bad guys for decades to come — all while looking like he did in his prime.
Don’t be surprised if other celebs make similar deals in an industry where age isn’t just a number.
(WASHINGTON) — Ketanji Brown Jackson descended the Supreme Court’s marble steps for the first time as justice on Friday morning, flanked by Chief Justice John Roberts and with a smile on her face, appearing to soak up her momentous, history-making installation as the 116th member of the court.
Jackson has already been sworn in and begun participating in cases, but on Friday she was feted with the investiture celebration in the historic courtroom, alongside her peer justices and a gallery full of friends, family and supporters, including President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
Jackson sat in the same chair used by Chief Justice John Marshall in the 19th century as she was formally introduced to the court.
For the first time in the Supreme Court’s 233-year history, a majority of the justices are not white men and it’s the first time four women are serving together on the court. Jackson is the first Black woman to serve as a justice on the court.
Nearly every seat in the courtroom on Friday was filled, with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and past Supreme Court justices, including Stephen Breyer and Anthony Kennedy, also in attendance, as well as Jackson’s husband, Dr. Patrick Jackson, and two daughters, Leila and Talia.
After the ceremony, Jackson and Roberts were photographed together on the marble steps of the court. Four months after the same courthouse plaza was wrapped in steel security fencing and buffeted with angry protestors, Jackson and Roberts stood together quietly looking out at the horizon and a new day for this embattled court.
Jackson was tapped by Biden to fill the seat vacated by Breyer. After nearly 24 hours of questioning from senators in, at times contentious and emotional, Senate hearings, she was confirmed by the chamber in a 53-47 vote in early April.
Speaking at the White House the day after her confirmation, Jackson highlighted the historic nature of her appointment, noting the thousands of notes she received from people after her nomination.
“It has taken 232 years and 115 prior appointments for a Black woman to be selected to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States,” she said. “But we’ve made it. We’ve made it, all of us. All of us.”
Jackson was officially sworn in on June 30. Her husband held two Bibles as she repeated constitutional and judicial oaths in a brief ceremony at the Supreme Court.
“With a full heart, I accept the solemn responsibility of supporting and defending the Constitution of the United States and administering justice without fear or favor, so help me God,” Jackson said in a written statement at the time of her swearing-in. “I am truly grateful to be part of the promise of our great Nation.”
The entire court will sit for new pooled official photos on Oct 7.
The court begins hearing cases in the new term on Monday, Oct. 3. This term, for the first since the coronavirus pandemic, the court will welcome the public back to its courtroom as it hears arguments.
(NEW YORK) — When 16-year-old Haley Meche stepped out onto the flag football field, she didn’t know it would nearly kill her.
“My brain hurt so bad,” Meche told ABC News’ Good Morning America. “And then, like, everything went black.”
Meche almost died from sudden cardiac arrest. She survived because she had known she had a heart condition and already had a defibrillator. Her doctors said that Meche’s heart screening test detected her risk early — and saved her life.
Studies have also shown that sudden cardiac arrest is the leading medical cause of death in athletes.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 2,000 young people die from sudden cardiac arrest each year — many without previously known heart issues.
“1 in 300 young persons has a condition at risk for sudden cardiac arrest,” said Dr. Jonathan Drezner, the head of the UW Medical Center for Sports Cardiology in Washington, to GMA.
The risk is nearly four times higher in student athletes, according to Drezner. A risk that most athletes don’t even know about, he said.
“Research shows that up to 80% of kids who suffer sudden cardiac arrest have no symptoms prior,” said Drezner.
In Florida, non-profit “Who We Play For” is raising awareness around detecting risk earlier. They offer low-cost Electrocardiograms, or ECGs.
“It’s never okay for a kid to die out of nowhere because they never know that they have a heart condition,” said Meche.
Meche’s school was one out of more than 150 schools in Florida that require student athletes to get an ECG before they play. Her doctors told her that early detection saved her life.
Similarly, Josh Tetteh was also able to detect a heart condition last year that, if gone unnoticed, could have led to sudden cardiac arrest.
He said he didn’t have any symptoms so he wouldn’t have known if it weren’t for his preventative heart screening.
“My whole life was perfect,” said Tetteh to GMA. “We had this screening, they found something within my heart that is one of the reasons why athletes die.”
A majority of high schools across the country require student athletes to pass a thorough questionnaire endorsed by the American Heart Association (AHA) and a physical exam before playing sports. If a child is found at higher risk, guidelines call for additional testing and ECG.
Drezner said it’s not enough.
“There is robust evidence that using that model for screening leaves the majority of kids at risk undetected,” said Drezner.
The AHA told Good Morning America that it supports ECG testing for children at the highest risk, but stood by the current guidelines, which considers the latest research findings and patient safety.
The association also expressed concern that universal ECG screening may miss cases by de-emphasizing the importance of proper exams. Also, it would cost an estimated $2 billion that they said could be spent on other potentially life-saving interventions.
Dr. Eli Friedman, the medical director of sports cardiology at Miami Cardiac and Vascular Institute, agreed with the AHA guidelines and he advocated for other interventions.
“It’s not a tool for everybody. The infrastructure is definitely a concern that I have because there’s disparities in our healthcare system,” said Friedman to GMA. “I advocate more than anything for emergency action planning, CPR and AED training.”
The AHA said that it is an important area of study that needs more rigorous research and that there is concern that not all doctors are following screening guidelines.
As the debate continues, Bernadette Littles, Tetteh’s mother, said she was grateful an ECG screening led to her son’s diagnosis. She said she now volunteers to help other kids who may be in the same situation.
“After what happened to Josh, I volunteer. That’s my way of saying thank you,” she said to GMA. “Can’t wait to go to Mayville State and watch him on the field.”
(NEW YORK) — Hurricane Ian flooded major cities and devastated homes after it made landfall in Florida — but the damage isn’t done.
After temporarily becoming a tropical storm, Hurricane Ian accelerated to Category 1 strength on Thursday night as it barreled toward South Carolina, with landfall expected on Friday.
In all, the economic damage wrought by the hurricane could reach up to $65 billion, according to a projection released on Thursday by data firm Enki Research, which studies the financial impact of storms.
The estimate put the best-case scenario for storm damage at $55 billion, Enki Research said.
The historic storm demolished homes and businesses, damaged infrastructure like roads and bridges and appears to have harmed citrus fruit trees that make up a key industry in the state.
Florida accounts for 70% of citrus fruits — such as oranges, grapefruits and tangerines — produced in the U.S.
Fixtures of the state’s tourism industry, like Disney World and Universal Orlando, temporarily closed as the storm approached earlier this week. On Friday, the parks announced that they would begin to reopen in phases.
President Joe Biden on Thursday approved a major disaster declaration for Florida, allowing additional federal aid to flow to the state.
Speaking on Thursday, Biden vowed support for state and local officials as they assess the damage caused by the storm, saying the federal government will cover the full cost of clearing debris and of rebuilding public buildings like schools and state fire stations.
The government will also be providing support to people with destroyed or damaged homes.
More than 8,700 people have registered for aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA.
On Wednesday, the then-Category 4 hurricane sustained wind speeds of 150 mph as it made landfall on Florida’s west coast.
The storm struck the coastal city of Fort Myers, and affected nearby cities of Tampa Baby and Sarasota, before traveling east across the peninsula toward Orlando.
“It’s definitely going to be one of the stronger storms and more damaging storms,” Chuck Watson, Enki Research founder and director of research and development, told Bloomberg on Tuesday.
Hurricane Charley, a major storm that struck Florida in 2004, caused damage that today would amount to between $20 billion and $25 billion, Watson said.
The projected costs for Hurricane Ian would amount to less than half of the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina, which totaled $161 billion.
While it caused major damage, Hurricane Ian avoided a large disruption of the U.S. oil and gas industry, which would have come about if the storm had traveled toward Texas and Louisiana, industry analysts previously told ABC News.
The state doesn’t host any oil refineries and accounts for about 6,000 barrels of oil production each day, said Andy Lipow, a longtime oil analyst and president of Lipow Oil Associates.
That output makes up a tiny fraction of overall U.S. oil production, which amounts to 11.8 million barrels per day, the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported this month.
The outing, which features 76 dates, is slated to run from a February 5-6 engagement in Bloomington, Indiana through a June 23-24 stand in South Bend, Indiana. The tour will also make multiple night stops in a variety of other major cities, including New York City, Chicago, Vancouver, Nashville, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Milwaukee, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Cleveland and more.
Tickets for the shows will go on sale to the general public starting Friday, October 7 at 10 a.m. local time. Citi card members will be able to purchase presale tickets for all U.S. shows starting this Tuesday, October 4 at 10 a.m. local time via the Citi Entertainment program; visit CitiEntertainment.com for more details.
Those who register for Mellencamp’s mailing list at Mellencamp.com will be able to access a presale that begins Wednesday, October 5 at 10 a.m. local time. A presale for Turner Classic Movies newsletter subscribers will start Thursday, October 6 at 10 a.m. local time.
Limited VIP packages offering premium seats and a collection of Mellencamp merch will go on sale this Tuesday.
The singer/songwriter revealed his tour plans Thursday at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland during an event that celebrated the opening of a permanent exhibit dubbed “Legends of Rock: John Mellencamp.”
Mellencamp, who’s a 2008 Rock Hall inductee, gave a special performance and took part in a Q&A during the event.
As previously reported, the “Legends of Rock: John Mellencamp” exhibit features such memorabilia as the 1976 Fender Telecaster guitar he played onstage extensively starting in 1981, a guitar that David Bowie gifted him and a new original oil painting.
Late Stone Temple Pilots frontman Scott Weiland‘s 2011 holiday album The Most Wonderful Time of the Year is getting the reissue treatment.
A deluxe version of the compilation will be released digitally and on limited edition red and green vinyl on November 4.
The reissue features new artwork and four previously unreleased bonus tracks, including a rendition of the John Lennon and Yoko Ono classic “Happy Xmas (War Is Over),” which you can listen to now via digital outlets. The recording is also accompanied by a lyric video, streaming now on YouTube, that features Weiland’s family holiday photos.
Notably, the reissue marks the first official posthumous solo release from the Weiland vault since his death in 2015 at age 48.
In related STP news, the band’s bassist Robert De Leo has announced his debut solo album. The record, titled Lessons Learned, will arrive October 21.
“The past few years of life have revealed many changes,” De Leo says. “This collection of songs represents what has transpired. The journey and gift of songwriting has played such an important role for me. It’s been a close companion throughout my life.”
You can listen to the first Lessons Learned single, “Love Is Not Made of Gold,” now via digital outlets.
Meanwhile, STP’s 1992 debut album, Core, celebrated its 30th anniversary this week. The band marked the occasion with a deluxe vinyl reissue.
Looks like Dua Lipa has a new man in her life — late night host Trevor Noah.
Page Six reports the Grammy winner was seen palling around New York City with Noah on Wednesday night, and the two were even caught sharing a kiss. It is unknown when Dua, 27, began seeing Noah, 38.
Despite the unknown origins of their rumored love story, spies who caught them moseying around the Big Apple say they seem to be very happy to be in the other’s company. The rumored couple also grabbed a dinner at Miss Lily’s, a Jamaican restaurant.
“They were quietly sat away from everyone else at restaurant,” one source told the outlet. “It was clear they were into each other and sat close together throughout the meal.”
Once they finished eating, they “left together and walked,” says the source, who added that the two took a moment “for long embraces” and “kissed.”
Reps for the Daily Show host and Dua have not responded to the outlet’s request for comment at this time.
Dua parted ways with her boyfriend of two years, Anwar Hadid, earlier this year.
(NEW YORK) — With just a little over a month before the Nov. 8 elections, Dr. Mehmet Oz tells ABC News that he is gearing up for a tight campaign schedule as he tries to convince Pennsylvania voters that he’s the best choice for their U.S. Senator.
Oz laid out more specifics of his agenda and responded to criticism by his opponent, Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, in a wide-ranging interview and run with ABC News’ Linsey Davis.
Oz, a former heart surgeon turned TV talk show host, said he decided to run for office because of the legacy he has as a first-generation American. The GOP candidate said that his father, who immigrated to the U.S. from Turkey, instilled in him pride in his adopted land and encouraged him to work hard.
“My life is a living testimony to the American dream,” he told Davis. “I want everyone to have that, and I don’t want that getting squandered away.”
Oz’s residency has come into question from Fetterman and other opponents who have noted that Oz moved to Pennsylvania in 2020 after residing in New Jersey. Fetterman has frequently brought up this point in social media posts.
Oz pushed back against the criticism, calling the residency complaints a “preposterous issue.”
“I had two kids in Pennsylvania, married my wife 37 years ago in the house we live in now, which was the best decision I made in my life, and we moved back couple of years ago,” he said.
“It’s a deeper reality that, in Pennsylvania, we don’t care where you’re from. We care what you stand for,” Oz added.
Oz added that he was a Philadelphia Eagles fan.
The Republican candidate said his first priority as a senator would be health care. Oz said every American should have access to health care but added, “we’ve got to deal with the cost issues as well.”
When asked if he supported U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham’s bill to ban abortion nationwide, Oz, who has supported banning abortions with exceptions for lifesaving instances, didn’t directly answer but reiterated his stance that the issue should be left up to the states.
“I don’t think the federal government should play a role in telling states how to make decisions around some of these issues, especially sensitive ones like those involving the pro-life movement,” he said.
Health has come up in the campaign after Fetterman suffered a stroke in May.
Last month, Oz distanced himself from a comment made by one of his campaign staffers who was quoted saying that if Fetterman “had ever eaten a vegetable in his life, then maybe he wouldn’t have had a major stroke and wouldn’t be in the position of having to lie about it constantly.”
Oz reiterated that he has empathy for Fetterman and his recovery.
“It’s an area that I specialize in medicine, recovering from a stroke,” he said. “All of these issues are challenges, especially if you’re in the political arena, which is physically demanding, and you’ve got to articulate your thoughts on this campaign.”
Oz, however, criticized his opponent for not having more facetime during the campaign. Fetterman has kept most of his campaigning online and with few public appearances since the stroke.
There is only one debate scheduled between the candidates on Oct. 25.
“Focus on the voters,” Oz said. “They have a right to hear my opponent articulate and defend his policies.”
Oz said he is focused on winning over all voters — Republicans, Democrats and Independents. However, he has faced criticism for his ties to the far-right, but also from the far-right for not being conservative enough.
Oz was endorsed by Former President Donald Trump, but he has contended he wants to be a leader for all.
“I think I’m a moderate leader, but not passive. I feel very strongly about the positions I have,” he said.
“Politics is a game of addition and multiplication, not division. I have lots of people endorsing me. Some of those people don’t like President Trump. Many do. But I want everybody endorsing me,” he added.
Kesha is on the mend after suffering a vocal hemorrhage during the Taylor Hawkins tribute concert earlier this week. The star-studded concert was the music industry’s way of bidding farewell to the late Foo Fighters drummer.
Kesha was part of the lineup and performed “Heroes” by David Bowie alongside Hawkins’ side project Chevy Metal. In addition to injuring her voice, the “TikTok” singer also dealt with an unexpected wardrobe malfunction, which she joked about on Instagram.
Kesha had been wearing a glittery silver bikini top, which appeared to have gotten loose during her knockout performance. She didn’t sweat it, but apparently, that is what caused the vocal injury.
“So. in the middle of my wardrobe malfunction I decided to distract everyone from my [breasts] falling out by singing [really]. Loud. And today I found out I hemorrhaged one of my vocal chords,” she remarked. “Soooo. I’m posting all the pics from the f***ing moment bc. This was quite a moment.”
Fans are wishing Kesha a speedy recovery.
Among the other artists participating in the tribute were Miley Cyrus, Pink, Alanis Morissette and Blink-182‘s Travis Barker. The concert raised funds for MusiCares and Music Support.
Kodak Black returns this New Music Friday with a brand new single, “I’m So Awesome.”
The Metro Boomin-produced song will land on Kodak’s forthcoming album, Kutthroat Bill: Vol 1, which is expected Friday, October, 7.
The 19-track collection will include features from fellow Florida rapper Lil Crix, VVSNCE, NFL Tuewop and Prince Swanny.
Prior to the release of “I’m So Awesome,” Kodak dropped the single and official video for “Walk” along with “Spin,” which is accompanied by a video directed by the Florida rapper himself.
The success of his 2021 hit single “Super Gremlin” earned an RIAA Platinum certification and recently garnered Kodak a 2022 BET Hip Hop Awards nomination for Song of the Year.
Here’s the full Kutthroat Bill: Vol 1 track list:
“Kodak The Boss”
“300 Blackout”
“Slay Like Santa”
“If You Ever”
“I Can’t Sleep”
“Demand My Respec”
“Play Ft. Lil Crix”
“Starter Kit Ft. VVSNCE”
“I’m So Awesome”
“Game From Pluto”
“Walk”
“Spin”
“Ammunition Ft. NFL Tuewop”
“Hop Out Shoot”
“Kutthroat Barbie”
“At The Cross”
“Freezing My Pinky”
“Bad Man Ft. Prince Swanny”
“Silencer”
