Jon Bon Jovi celebrated his 60th birthday on Wednesday, and the New Jersey rocker had a message of thanks to share with all of his fans who wished him well on his big day.
In a video posted on his Twitter, Jon says, “Thank you with all my heart for all of the birthday wishes, all of the love that’s out there. I’m a very lucky man, and I want you to know that there’s not a day of this I’ve taken for granted. So on this occasion of my 60th birthday, it fits. I feel good about it.”
With Bon Jovi, the band, preparing to launch a U.S. tour next month, Jon notes, “I’m looking forward to making music with the guys again. We’re in rehearsal. It’s going great. I look forward to seeing your smiling faces again, getting all this COVID behind us.”
The singer concludes by saying, “I wish you all the same kind of love that I got today on my special day. Until I see you again, thank you, thank you, thank you for all of my life.”
In honor of Jon’s milestone, the Bon Jovi Twitter posted a note that reads, “The happiest of birthdays and lots of love to the one and only, @jonbonjovi,” and asked fans to leave their own birthday messages for him in the comments section, which you can read here.
Bon Jovi’s 2022 U.S. trek kicks off April 1 in Omaha, Nebraska.
(NOTE CONTENT)The entertainment community has shown its support for the people of Ukraine in the wake of Russia’s invasion of the country. Now South Park — never a show to shy away from poking fun at current events — has joined the fray.
In Wednesday night’s episode of the Comedy Central show, “Back to the Cold War,” Stan, Cartman, and the other kids don’t mention the Ukraine invasion, but poke fun at 70-year-old Russian President Vladimir Putin, partially putting the blame on his current state of mind on, well, a sexual condition many older men face.
In one scene, two of Putin’s generals lament in Russian that the former KGB spy seems “sadly nostalgic lately,” and open the door to his office only to find him shirtless, and suggestively dancing to 1984’s anti-nuke song “Two Tribes” from Frankie Goes To Hollywood.
The episode was also replete with Cold War-era action movie references. One segment shows school counselor Mr. Mackey hacking NORAD, a la 1984’s War Games. Meanwhile, he’s alsoseenpreparing his school with nuclear bomb drills, and by ordering 20 VHS copies of 1984’s Red Dawn, the film about a group of high schoolers who band together to repel a Russkie invasion in the American heartland.
Now in its 25th season on Comedy Central, South Park‘s six-day turnaround time allows it to be both cutting and cutting edge when it comes to headlines. By comparison, it takes up to nine months for a Simpsons episode to go from script to screen.
(KYIV, Ukraine) — While more than 1 million people have fled Ukraine since the invasion of Russian forces, some of the country’s most vulnerable children have stayed behind.
At Ohmadyt Children’s Hospital in Kyiv, pediatric patients are being cared for in the basement of the hospital.
Among the patients is a young boy named Yarik, who is hospitalized due to fluid in his brain.
And still they smile …Meet Yarik. He has water on his brain and is now hiding in the basement of the children’s hospital. Coming up on @GMApic.twitter.com/IPzD6rIXJI
Another patient, a young girl named Illiya, who is being treated for heart problems, is held by her father, who told ABC News he is caring for her while his wife and their six other children are hiding near the front lines.
The girl’s father, Valentine, told ABC News’ Ian Pannell the situation is hard, adding, “We do not give up. We fight. We stick to the last, because we cannot do otherwise.”
Illiya was born with heart problems. Now, she and her dad Valentin shelter in the basement of the Kyiv Children’s Hospital from Russian bombs. pic.twitter.com/Gq1nj195Pe
One 2-year-old boy, named David, remains in the hospital because he needs dialysis treatment, while another boy, Vova, 13, was brought to the hospital after being badly injured when his family’s car came under attack, the boys’ families told ABC News.
Vova’s father and cousin were killed in the attack, and now he is fighting for his life in intensive care, according to his mother.
Caring for the young patients are doctors and nurses who are risking their lives, too.
Dr. Oleg Gordyk told ABC News his family is staying with him in the underground clinic.
“This week was very, very terrible for me because my family is staying in our clinic,” he said. “My daughter, 17-years-old, now she works as [a] nurse.”
@IanPannell reports from Ukraine’s largest children’s hospital in Kyiv as staff risk their lives to care for sick children. pic.twitter.com/mjAkLvydC4
Ukraine has been under attack since Feb. 24, when Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a “special military operation.”
Russian forces don’t appear to have advanced closer to Kyiv since coming within about 20 miles, although smaller advanced groups have been fighting gun battles with Ukrainian forces inside the capital since at least Friday.
Gordyk told ABC News that even amid the horrors of war, he sees a sliver of hope.
“I believe in victory,” he said. “I believe in maybe, in the future — tomorrow, maybe next week or next month, I see sun in our clinic.”
(NEW YORK) — Banana Republic is known for its modern luxury-style adult clothing, but now, the brand is expanding to also include great picks for babies.
The Gap Inc.-owned company announced BR Baby as a new category available now and shared that an athletics collection will also be coming later this month.
Launching with 40 pieces, Banana Republic’s new baby line has a wide variety of matching sets, knit tops, bodysuits, accessories and more that take a nod from many of the brand’s iconic adult picks.
Additionally, the latest baby line includes a limited number of adorable “mini-me” pieces — matching looks for babies and adults. The featured apparel is currently available in sizes 0-24 and prices start at $20.
“BR Baby and BR Athletics mix the mainstream with the unexpected and deliver elevated, thoroughly modern, lifestyle collections,” said Sandra Stangl, president and CEO of Banana Republic, in a statement.
She continued, “We approached both by deconstructing what made Banana Republic successful in the first place — taking things that people already know, have nostalgia for, and framing them in new ways that feel fresh.”
(LOUISVILLE, Ky.) — A jury in Louisville, Kentucky, has found Brett Hankison, the former police officer charged with recklessly shooting into a neighboring apartment during the course of the raid that ended with the death of Breonna Taylor, not guilty on all three counts.
The jury deliberated for just three hours before returning its verdict.
Hankison fired 10 shots into Taylor’s apartment, several of which entered a neighboring apartment where a man, child and pregnant woman were living, according to prosecutors.
Bullets and casings from Hankison’s gun were found on the scene and retrieved from a common wall of Taylor and her neighbors.
In an interview with Louisville Metro Police Department’s Public Integrity Unit in the weeks following the shooting, Hankison alleged that he saw muzzle flashes and was “certain” at the time he heard an AR-15 rifle firing out of the apartment.
After he heard gunshots, Hankison said he thought Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly had been shot. He said he assumed other officers were hit as well.
“I thought they were just being executed,” he said.
No AR-15 rifle or corresponding bullets or casings were found on the scene.
The prosecution delivered its closing arguments Thursday.
“This is not a case to decide who is at fault for the tragic death of Breonna Taylor,” prosecutor Barbara Whaley told the court. “This is not a case about civil rights violations under federal law or the United States Constitution. And this is not a case about Kenneth Walker. Whether what he did that night was right or wrong, this is not your decision.”
Hankison, and fellow officers Myles Cosgrove and Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly, fired 32 shots into Taylor’s apartment while serving a “no-knock” warrant. Taylor, who was in her bedroom in the apartment, was killed.
The plainclothes officers were serving the warrant searching for Taylor’s ex-boyfriend, who they allege was dealing drugs. He was not at the residence, but her current boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, thought someone was breaking into the home and fired one shot from a 9mm pistol at the officers. Mattingly was struck in the leg and officers opened fire, killing the 26-year-old Taylor.
The death sparked outrage nationwide and protests calling for the officers to be held accountable for the killing. To this day, no one has been charged with Taylor’s death.
Hankison and Cosgrove were both fired from the police department.
“Today, the jury rendered its decision. We appreciate the hard work of our prosecutors and respect the decision of the jury,” Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron said in a statement after the verdict was read on Thursday.
This is a developing story. Check back for details.
ESSENCE has revealed the lineup for its 27th Essence Festival of Culture this year, and with stars like Janet Jackson, Nicki Minaj, Jazmine Sullivan performing, the event will surely be one not to miss.
“This is Not a Drill ESSENCE FEST has returned to NOLA with an All-Star lineup that literally can’t be touched!,” ESSENCE wrote in an Instagram announcement.
ESSENCE called upon some of the culture’s biggest, most influential names to help celebrate this year’s theme, “It’s the Black Joy for Me.” Kevin Hart, Summer Walker, New Edition, The Isley Brothers and The Roots and Friends are among the long list of celebs who will be in attendance at the annual concert series.
After hosting the event virtually the last two years, the highly anticipated ESSENCE Festival kicks off live and in person this year from June 30-July 3 in New Orleans.
Over the course of four days, festival-goers will have the opportunity to enjoy good food and free daytime experiences, take advantage of career advancement workshops and of course, witness Black joy live, by way of the many musical performances.
“As the nation’s largest festival by per day attendance, the ESSENCE Festival of Culture is a staple that celebrates community and empowers equity. We are excited to welcome the family back live to New Orleans and thrilled to connect with more of our diasporic family through new digital experiences,” said ESSENCE CEO Caroline Wanga.
Additional talent and experiences will be announced soon. Tickets for the festival are on sale now at EssenceFestival.com
Kane Brown’s got a new song coming out, and he gave fans a little preview from the driver’s seat of his car on Thursday.
“Leave You Alone,” a steamy love ballad that falls on the more traditional country end of Kane’s diverse catalog, will be out tonight at midnight, the singer explained on social media. To whet fans’ appetites, he shared a clip of himself singing along to the song as he blasts it in his car, rolling the windows down and driving along the highway.
Kane’s been holding on to this new song for a while now. He shared a snippet of the demo for “Leave You Alone” on his socials last summer.
Meanwhile, Kane’s still riding the high of his latest success at country radio, the number-one hit “One Mississippi.”
Certified girl dad Thomas Rhett recently made a very special visit to Walt Disney World.
The singer and his wife, Lauren, took their two oldest daughters — six-year-old Willa Gray and four-year-old Ada James — for a special Disney vacation to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Walt Disney World resort. The best part?
“I think princesses probably tops the list,” Lauren tells People. “I think seeing their princesses is their favorite thing.”
Thomas agrees that the Disney princesses were a highlight, though he adds that a trip to Space Mountain was another favorite part of the experience, because “that’s my lifelong favorite ride.”
Meanwhile, back home, the rest of their girl gang is waiting until they’re a little older to experience the magic of Disney. Thomas and Lauren are parents to two more girls: Two-year-old Lennon Love and three-month-old Lillie Carolina.
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Intimate Britney Spears
Britney Spears has to take it easy for a couple of days after she overdid it at the gym. Although she admits she is “embarrassed as hell” by how she managed to hurt herself, the “Toxic” singer says there is a silver lining.
Sharing a video of her enjoying the tropical view from her balcony, Britney — affecting a faux British accent — explained, “My fiancé [SamAsghari] is extremely strong [bicep emoji] at the gym … I was an idiot who pushed it and hurt myself and couldn’t move yesterday morning. Literally embarrassed as hell but extremely painful !!!”
Despite the bruised ego, the Grammy winner revealed the bright side of her injury — she was able to take charge of how she wanted her injury treated, especially when it came to selecting medication.
“I’ve never experienced Excedrin PM but it’s wonderful for pain !!! You have to understand I was only able to have Tylenol 4 months ago, so independently owning things I haven’t been able to for 13 years is actually a big deal for me,” she told her fans. She also assured she is on the mend, adding, “I woke up this morning and I’m better !!!”
She also joked about using the British accent when filming her update, saying it “makes things a bit more sophisticated.”
Britney later shared a video of her posing in a tight yellow dress and showing off her vast shoe collection. She admitted she has “a lot of shoes” before quipping, “So stop telling me to buy new shoes.”
(NEW YORK) — After a chaotic week, Russian soprano Anna Netrebko has withdrawn from performances at New York City’s Metropolitan Opera House.
“It is a great artistic loss for the Met and for opera,” Met Opera general manager Peter Gelb said in a statement Thursday. “Anna is one of the greatest singers in Met history, but with Putin killing innocent victims in Ukraine, there was no way forward.”
On Sunday, in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Gelb posted a message to the Met’s social media saying, “We can no longer engage with artists or institutions that support Putin or are supported by him — not until the invasion and killing has been stopped, order has been restored and restitutions have been made.”
The statement was met with confusion from some specifically because Netrebko — who has previously voiced support for Putin and in 2014 supported the arts in the separatist region of Ukraine — has become a widely recognized face of the Met over the last two decades, including opening the season several years in a row. She was set to perform in the Met’s “Turandot” later in the spring and was scheduled to perform in the 2022-23 season, which the Met announced Feb. 23.
The Met’s message now that she has been withdrawn from performances after “not complying with the Met’s condition that she repudiate her public support for Vladimir Putin while he wages war on Ukraine,” is sending loud reverberations through the industry.
In a series of Instagram posts over the weekend, Netrebko called for peace and voiced her opposition to the war, but did not mention Putin.
“Forcing artists, or any public figure, to voice their political opinions in public and to denounce their homeland is not right. This should be a free choice. Like many of my colleagues, I am not a political person. I am not an expert in politics. I am an artist and my purpose is to unite people across political divides,” she wrote on an Instagram post Saturday.
She went on to say in an Instagram story, “It’s especially despicable from people from the West, seated comfortable in their home, not fearing for their lives, to pretend to be brave and pretending to ‘fight’ by putting in trouble artists who asked nothing.”
Netrebko’s Instagram, where she has over 750,000 followers, was later set to private.
Netrebko’s withdrawal from the Met, which includes the “Turandot” this spring as well as a “Don Carlo” in the next season, comes as Russian conductor Valery Gergiev faces similar career impacts from the invasion. He was replaced in a series of Vienna Philharmonic concerts at New York City’s Carnegie Hall last week and fired as chief conductor of the Munich Philharmonic after also refusing to denounce Putin.
The two — who are among the most globally famous classical artists currently performing — have faced, and stand to face, further repercussions as the opera and classical industry take stands against the Russian invasion.
Polish tenor Piotr Beczała, Latvian mezzo Elīna Garanča and Georgian mezzo Anita Rachvelishvili all announced they would not be performing in Russia, with Rachvelishvili calling Putin a “dictator” who “is killing our people.”
“I am not a politician and I have no influence on political decisions. But I am an artist and I can use my voice to express my opposition to the war that takes place just across the border of my beloved motherland,” Beczała wrote.
Russian American conductor Lidiya Yankovskaya, music director of the Chicago Opera Theater, wrote on Twitter that she was “terrified for all my family and friends in Ukraine, where I spent so many happy summers as a child.”
Finnish soprano Karita Mattila also took to Twitter with a memory: “I refused to perform with (Maestro) Gergiev in 2014 at Carnegie Hall concert because he publicly supported Russian invasion of Crimea. I wanted to show solidarity towards my Ukrainian colleagues. My action had long lasting consequences: I received threats.”
Netrebko has brushed controversy before, both with her 2014 actions and with her opinions on skin-darkening makeup. Gelb told The New York Times it’s “hard to imagine a scenario in which (Netrebko) will return to the Met,” a stunning remark given her staying power at the house that made her an international star.
The Met on Monday opened its first opera after a scheduled monthlong break with a performance of the Ukrainian national anthem.
For the springtime “Turandot,” Netrebko will be replaced by Liudmyla Monastyrska — a Ukrainian soprano.
