In a continuing interview with Today‘s Savannah Guthrie, Amber Heard insisted the controversial op-ed at the center of Johnny Depp‘s defamation lawsuit against her “wasn’t about him.”
Guthrie pressed Heard on several elements of her testimony, which ultimately led a jury to side with Depp, awarding him $10 million dollars in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages.
“Life had seemingly moved on and you decide to write an op-ed, why did you do that?” Guthrie asked the Aquaman actress.
Heard insisted the “op-ed wasn’t about my relationship with Johnny,” to which Guthrie wondered, “But it alluded to him. Is that mistakable?”
Heard said instead, the column, titled, “I spoke up against sexual violence — and faced our culture’s wrath. That has to change,” was “about was me lending my voice to a bigger cultural conversation that we were having at the time.”
Guthrie responded that the 2018 article was at the “height” of the Me Too movement. “Legions of powerful men being cancelled. Losing their jobs. Did you want that to happen to Johnny Depp?” she asked.
“Of course not. It wasn’t about him,” the actress replied.
Heard also denied tipping off TMZ that she’d filed a restraining order against Depp — something she seemingly accidentally admitted in testimony.
The interview, which will continue on NBC’s Dateline on Friday, June 17, will also see Heard address her failure to donate her divorce settlement as she had pledged and insisting of Depp, “I love him. I love him with all my heart.”
(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden on Wednesday sent a letter to seven major oil refiners blasting them for record profits amid the war in Ukraine as Americans pay record prices at the gas pump.
In the letter, he informs them he has ordered Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm to convene an emergency meeting with company executives to provide an explanation of any reduction in refining capacity since 2020.
While acknowledging that “Putin’s war of aggression” has dwindled the world supply of oil, Biden also pointed out that oil company profit margins are at the highest levels ever recorded.
“The last time the price of crude oil was about $120 per barrel, in March, the price of gas at the pump was $4.25 per gallon. Today, gas prices are 75 cents higher, and diesel prices are 90 cents higher. That difference — of more than 15% at the pump — is the result of the historically high profit margins for refining oil into gasoline, diesel and other refined products. Since the beginning of the year, refiners’ margins for refining gasoline and diesel have tripled, and are currently at their highest levels ever recorded,” Biden wrote.
Biden blames on the companies for “worsening” the pain the war has imposed on Americans.
“I understand that many factors contributed to the business decisions to reduce refinery capacity, which occurred before I took office. But at a time of war, refinery profit margins well above normal being passed directly onto American families are not acceptable. There is no question that Vladimir Putin is principally responsible for the intense financial pain the American people and their families are bearing. But amid a war that has raised gasoline prices more than $1.70 per gallon, historically high refinery profit margins are worsening that pain,” he wrote.
He hinted his administration is prepared to take action if the companies don’t boost production, although the consequences of not complying are not clear.
“I am prepared to use all tools at my disposal, as appropriate, to address barriers to providing Americans affordable, secure energy supply,” he wrote. “The crunch that families are facing deserves immediate action. Your companies need to work with my Administration to bring forward concrete, near-term solutions that address the crisis and respect the critical equities of energy workers and fence-line communities.”
Asked on CNN Wednesday morning what “tools” are at Biden’s disposal, Granholm did not answer directly, but said his use of the Defense Production Act in other contexts has been on the table and that Congress can also take a variety of actions to address the issue.
She said he first wants to hear from the companies why “we are seeing these massive profit-taking on the part of refiners.”
When pressed repeatedly if a proposal from Sen. Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat, to impose a 21% surtax on excess profits form the oil companies is something Biden would consider supporting, Granholm nervously said “no tool has been taken off the table” but did not directly say whether he’d back the idea.
“I’m saying no tool has been taken off the table and he wants to hear from the refineries, the companies who are doing refining to see what is the bottleneck and how we can increase supply. And he’s also asking, of course, for the oil and gas industry to increase supply as well, by drilling more.”
Biden’s letter was sent to the Marathon Petroleum Corp; Valero Energy Corp; ExxonMobil; Phillips 66; Chevron; BP and Shell.
An industry group, The American Petroleum Institute, responded by trying to shift blame back to the White House, saying the administration’s “misguided policy” in reducing domestic oil and gas production has added to energy costs.
“While we appreciate the opportunity to open increased dialogue with the White House, the administration’s misguided policy agenda shifting away from domestic oil and natural gas has compounded inflationary pressures and added headwinds to companies’ daily efforts to meet growing energy needs while reducing emissions,” API President Mike Sommers said in a statement.
It urged the president to “prioritize unlocking U.S. energy resources” to reduce costs instead of increasing reliance on countries like Saudi Arabia.
ABC News’ Stephanie Ebbs contributed to this report.
Justin Bieber was forced to postpone his tour after being diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt syndrome, which has paralyzed the right side of his face.
The Grammy winner has been updating fans about his recovery and said on Tuesday, “Each day has gotten better.” Justin also expressed he is “fully committed to performing again.”
His wife, Hailey Bieber,has acted as his rock as he works on recovery and, in a new interview with Good Morning America, she shared an update about how he’s faring.
Saying the “Ghost” singer is “doing really well,” she shared an optimistic outlook. “He’s getting better every single day. He’s feeling a lot better… He’s going to be totally OK, and I’m just grateful that he’s fine.”
It is unknown how long it will take the Grammy winner to return to full health. Justin has previously revealed he’s working with a team of specialists and is doing facial exercises and getting plenty of rest so he can recover.
Hailey added that Justin’s fans are also helping him heal. “Every single person has sent well wishes, advice, recommendations, and it’s actually been really amazing,” she explained.
Ramsay Hunt syndrome is caused by the chickenpox virus, which continues to lay dormant in a person after initial infection and can reactivate as a shingles rash, according to the Mayo Clinic. The syndrome is caused when a shingles rash, which can be painful, breaks out near one’s ear. It can trigger facial paralysis and hearing loss.
Justin revealed late last week he had to call off a slew of performances because he is “just physically not capable of doing them,” adding that his condition is “pretty serious.”
Garth Brooks announced his final 2022 North American Stadium Tour stop on Wednesday: He’ll conclude the run in Houston, Texas.
The show, which is set for August, will take place at the city’s NRG Stadium. It’s the first time Garth has ever played that venue, and the first time in seven years that he’s played in Houston.
Though it’s the last Stadium Tour show he’ll play in the U.S., it’s not the end of the tour by any means. Garth has already set five September dates for Dublin’s Croke Park, all of which have sold out. Before that happens, Garth has big plans for the summer: His Stadium Tour will take him to cities across the U.S., including a show in Buffalo, New York and back-to-back Charlotte dates in July.
Tickets for Garth’s Houston show go on sale July 24 at 10 a.m. CT, and though the stadium seats over 70,000, fans should still hurry to snap up their tickets. Since it launched, the Stadium Tour has been breaking sales records left and right.
As always with Garth’s Stadium Tour shows, the concerts will feature in-the-round seating, and ticket purchase assumes COVID-19 risk. The ticket price for Houston is $98.95 per seat.
Emily Curiel/The Kansas City Star/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
(KANSAS CITY, Mo.) — Multiple school districts in the Kansas City, Missouri, area closed their doors on Wednesday in the wake of a mass shooting threat.
The Blue Springs Police Department said someone called Tuesday morning to report a suspicious Snapchat post made by an individual “threatening ‘killing people — mass murdering.'”
No specific location was mentioned, police said, but the Blue Springs School District, the nearby Fort Osage School District and others decided to close as a precaution.
Blue Springs police said Wednesday morning that a suspect — a male former student — is in custody and charges are pending.
There’s no threat to the public, police said.
The FBI in Kansas City said it was notified of the threat but deferred further comment to Blue Springs police.
Lizzo may have a new man, but that’s not stopping her from holding a candle to her crush, Chris Evans.
The “Truth Hurts” singer appeared on the Spoutpodcast last month and revealed she slid into Evans’ DMs, asking if he would play piano on her new album. “He just said ‘Ha,'” Lizzo revealed, noting she asked after watching his Instagram stories of him playing the instrument. “It would have been so cool, but unfortunately, not this time,” she sighed.
Now, the Captain America star is responding and told Extra that he declined the opportunity because it was in Lizzo’s best interests.
“I’m not good enough to play piano on an album. I mean, I fooled around on a piano, but in no way would I be qualified enough to actually play on someone’s album. Let alone Lizzo’s,” he confessed. He is keeping the door open, adding that he will “need a few more years of lessons” before featuring on one of her albums.
Lizzo is about to drop her new album, Special, on July 11. She released the title track, the viral hit “About Damn Time” and the new single, “Grrrls,” to hype its arrival.
Ahead of her highly-anticipated performance as one of the headliners of the 2022 Essence Festival of Culture next month, legendary musician Janet Jackson lands the cover of the magazine’s June/July issue.
She’ll be rounding out the fest on Saturday, July 2nd — alongside fellow R&B artists Jazmine Sullivan and Summer Walker — but prior to the show, she talked with Essenceabout her revered music career, definition of success and more.
“I’ve never been that person to have my awards on display. There’s nothing wrong with it, that’s just not me,” she said. Jackson defines success by reflecting on how far she’s come in her music journey and realizing the woman she is today. “If you came to my home, you would never know — if you did not know who I was — that I am an entertainer. I don’t have one award on my wall,” she said.
Jackson’s regarded by many in the industry as one of the greatest musicians of all time, but she says her legendary status isn’t as important as one might think.
“It’s really the body of music touching people and how it impacts their lives that matters to me. It’s not the accolades. I honestly don’t think about that stuff.”
As it relates to new music, Jackson says fans should expect something soon. “Exactly when? I can’t say just yet.” And while she loves music “too much not do it,” she says her “number one job is being a mama.”
The Janet Jackson EssenceFestival of Culture issue hits newsstands June 28, followed by Essence Fest in New Orleans, Louisiana, June 30 – July 3.
The singers up for this year’s coveted Polaris Music Prize have been announced, and among the pack is The Weeknd.
Pitchforkreports the Canadian-born singer is in the running to pick up his country’s prestigious prize, which “honours and rewards artists who produce Canadian music albums of distinction.” The Weeknd scored a nod thanks to his new album, Dawn FM, which has produced the hits “Take My Breath,” “Sacrifice” “Gasoline” and others.
Each year, a jury consisting of 197 individuals determines who receives the ultra-competitive award. They are tasked to sift through all the qualifying albums — 223 albums were up for consideration this year — before determining the longlist.
In all, 40 artists have made it to the next round, but the list will be whittled down to just 10 albums when Polaris Music Prize 2022 submits the list of this year’s finalists on July 14.
The ceremony will be held on September 19 in Toronto. In addition to some incredible bragging rights, winners also go home with a $50,000 prize.
Having previously paid tribute to Nirvana, Post Malone is now tackling another titan of grunge: Pearl Jam.
The “Circles” artist performed a cover of the PJ tune “Better Man” during his appearance on The Howard SternShow this week. Speaking with host Howard Stern, Post recalled hearing “Better Man” when he visited his brother Jordan, a Marine who was stationed in Hawaii at the time.
The stripped-down rendition consisted of Post’s voice and an acoustic guitar played by frequent collaborator Andrew Watt, who produced Eddie Vedder‘s new solo album, Earthling, and toured in his Earthlings solo band.
You can watch the performance streaming now on YouTube.
Also during the Stern appearance, Post shared that he received approval from Kurt Cobain‘s daughter Frances Bean Cobain to play his Nirvana tribute set in 2020.
“I…never want to offend anybody by trying to show support, so I just wanted to make sure everything was OK,” Post explained. “And it was OK.”
Faith Hill was thrust back into the spotlight with her role on 1883, but there was a time when she almost swore off acting.
Faith and her husband, Tim McGraw, have earned critical acclaim for their portrayal of Margaret and James Dutton on the series that serves as the prequel to Yellowstone. Prior to that, Faith had a lead role in the 2004 remake of The Stepford Wives, starring alongside Nicole Kidman, Glenn Close and Matthew Broderick.
Though she praises the “amazing” cast, Faith tells Kelly Clarkson that it “wasn’t the best experience” — her main gripe being the long wait times in between takes. “I said, ‘I will never ever do another movie,” Faith recalls on The Kelly Clarkson Show. “It took so long. The waiting for me, I cannot. I have to be busy doing stuff.”
But the singer did find her way back in front of the camera with 1883. She says that she and her husband were so captured by thescript that they had to be a part of it.
“For the script to have been so incredibly well-written, I honestly had never read anything like it,” she raves. “So we just made the decision to do it.”
