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(NEW YORK) — After a chaotic week, Russian soprano Anna Netrebko has withdrawn from performances at New York City’s Metropolitan Opera House.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.
Ava Max is getting ready for her new music era and teased that an upcoming new song will set the stage for her next album.
Speaking with Billboard, the “Motto” hitmaker revealed, “I spent all year writing on this next album. I spent all last year writing and it was the hardest year of my life, last year, personally.”
When pressed for details, Ava added, “This music will say a lot. Especially this new song coming out later this month. I’ve never written anything so personal and it’s probably some of the best music I’ve ever written.”
The “Psycho” singer is “excited” to be coming out with a new body of work soon, and teased, “It’s still anthemic and pop and amazing, but I think it’s a little different. It’s more personal and I hope the fans [like it].” Although she’s eager to kickstart her next era, Ava added that she’s “terrified” because her new music is more vulnerable.
“I feel like a piece of my heart is coming out and I’m super nervous about it,” she admitted before revealing her next album is titled, Maybe You’re the Problem. She also hinted that she possibly included more collaborations on her upcoming work.
In addition, Ava gave a shout-out to her “Motto” collaborator Tiesto, saying he “inspired this whole new sound for me.”
Ava also revealed what inspired her dramatic makeover, where she went from her signature platinum blonde hair to a cherry-red chop cut.
“I was blonde for a long time, like four years, and I didn’t change it much. I just kept it blonde and I was like, ‘What’s the craziest thing I could do?’ and ‘What’s my favorite color?’ Red!” she explained. “Literally, I wear red lipstick all the time. Why not match my lipstick?”
Oscar winners Kevin Costner, Lady Gaga and Minari‘s Yuh-Jung Youn will be among the presenters at the 94th Annual Academy Awards, taking place March 27th.
Also added at the podium for this year’s festivities will be stand-up icon and Fargo vet Chris Rock and The Batman‘s Zoë Kravitz.
In the announcement, co-producer Will Packer said, “Movies inspire us, entertain us and unite us across the globe. That’s the precise goal of the show this year, and we’re thrilled to welcome the first of a stellar lineup joining the Oscars stage to help us celebrate the power of film and honor the year’s best in filmmaking.”
More presenters will be announced in the coming weeks.
Amy Schumer, Wanda Sykes and Regina Hall will host the 94th Annual Academy Awards, live from the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood starting at 8 p.m. Eastern on ABC.
(NEW YORK) — When the first coronavirus vaccines were shipped out across the country more than a year ago, millions of Americans waited eagerly for their turn to get a shot, hoping that it would lead to a return to normal.
In the spring of 2021, after every adult became eligible for the vaccine, over 2 million people a day were getting their first dose. However, in recent months, with most of those willing to get their shots now inoculated, vaccination rates have plummeted.
The number of Americans who are receiving their first COVID-19 vaccine now stands at a pandemic low, with fewer than 80,000 Americans initiating vaccination each day. Further, since December, the rate of people getting boosted has also fallen significantly, dropping from 1 million booster shots administered a day to less than 140,000.
“Dropping of local vaccine mandates and the end of the omicron surge are likely contributing to a stalling out in first time vaccines and boosters,” said John Brownstein, Ph.D., an epidemiologist at Boston Children’s Hospital and an ABC News contributor. “Unfortunately, at this point, there are not many tools left in the toolbox to encourage people to be up to date.”
Although there are certainly fewer unvaccinated than vaccinated people in the U.S., tens of millions of Americans remain unvaccinated and unboosted. Across the country, more than 58 million eligible Americans remain unvaccinated, while 87.6 million Americans — about half of those currently eligible to be boosted — have yet to receive their supplemental dose.
Amid the declining interest, some scientists and health officials say it is possible Americans could need an additional booster this fall, or seasonal boosters in the future, to address waning vaccine immunity or new coronavirus variants.
“The potential future requirement for an additional boost or a fourth shot for mRNA or a third shot for J&J is being very carefully monitored in real time, and recommendations, if needed, will be updated according to the data as it evolves,” White House chief medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci during a press briefing last month.
The experts interviewed by ABC News are concerned about how to convey that message while maintaining trust as well as how additional doses might further exacerbate inequities in access and care around the country.
Since the fall, immunocompromised Americans have already had the option to receive a fourth mRNA dose. However, for the general public, the benefit of additional doses still is not clear.
In an interview with Bloomberg TV last week, Fauci said that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is studying data on a “month-by-month basis,” and should durability rates continue to fall, officials will have to decide whether to begin offering a fourth dose, particularly to those at higher risk, such as the elderly.
However, even if data emerges indicating the need for a fourth dose, convincing Americans to get another shot may present a new set of challenges.
“I think we can expect to see less uptake of fourth doses than we saw of third doses,” Dr. Shira Doron, an infectious disease physician and hospital epidemiologist at Tufts Medical Center, told ABC News. “A change in the messaging around the goal of the vaccination program would help a lot.”
Some people point erroneously to the increase in breakthrough infections as a reason to not get vaccinated, she said.
Thus, experts say, it is important for public health experts to emphasize the benefit of vaccination, and how dramatically reducing the risk of developing severe illness or dying if infected.
In December, a period of omicron dominance, unvaccinated people were 14 times more likely to die of COVID-19 compared to people who received the one-shot Johnson & Johnson shot or two shots of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.
Health experts also caution that if a fourth dose is eventually needed, it will be important for health officials to outline what the purpose of an additional dose would be.
“Are we trying to prevent all infections, or are we trying to prevent severe disease?” Doron asked. “Public messaging that is honest about the waning effectiveness for infection and focuses on a need for additional doses only when effectiveness against severe disease has waned, and only for those populations in whom that has happened, might help restore trust and increase vaccine uptake.”
Evidence exhibiting protection against severe illness and death, will ultimately be paramount, Brownstein added.
“Clinical data, combined with real-word evidence, must show that additional shots provide critical protection against severe illness and death,” he said.
Experts are particularly concerned about the continued growing racial disparity in the current booster drive, and the impact such gaps in uptake could have on populations that are already at increased risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes.
Black and brown Americans are currently lagging in the booster effort, with only 39.5% of eligible Hispanic/Latino Americans boosted, and 43.8% of eligible Black Americans boosted. Asian Americans lead every race/ethnicity group, with 58.9% of the eligible population boosted.
“Vaccine rollouts have highlighted critical inequities in access and education, leading to concerning differences in vaccination rates across race and ethnicity,” Brownstein explained.
If additional shots are needed in the future, experts worry about deepening inequities.
“A fourth shot strategy is likely to only further inequities in protection unless accompanied with direct efforts to bring the entire population up to date,” Brownstein added.
As health officials plan for the months and years ahead, Doron suggested there are several potential ways to proceed, including switching to an annual vaccination should a seasonal pattern with COVID-19 emerge or waiting for continued signs of waning effectiveness and recommending a fourth dose then, particularly to those at high risk.
“Any determination that additional booster doses are needed will be based on data available to the agency,” a representative from the FDA told ABC News in a statement.
Regardless of how officials decide to move forward, experts say it will be essential to convince Americans of the importance and benefits of vaccines, and thus, that low COVID-19 vaccination rates could not only undermine recovery prospects, but potentially also lead to another surge of infections in the advent of a new variant.
“The case for a fourth shot needs to be incredibly compelling, if we expect the American public to get on board,” Brownstein said. “The focus should continue to be on primary care providers and frontline health care workers to continue to educate the public on the value of vaccines.”
Def Leppard will be playing stadiums this summer, but fans of the band will have the chance to see drummer Rick Allen performing in much smaller venues in three U.S. cities this month.
Allen will be accompanying his wife, singer/songwriter and healing artist Lauren Monroe, at intimate concerts taking place on March 21 in New York City, March 22 in Philadelphia and March 24 in Washington, D.C.
The shows will celebrate the arrival of Monroe’s new single, “Kiss Me Now,” which will be released on March 18. You can check out a preview clip of the song at Lauren’s SoundCloud page. Among the musicians who contributed to the track were longtime Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers drummer Steve Ferrone and acclaimed session bassist Bob Glaub.
At Monroe’s concerts, attendees will be able to view two pieces of art that Allen and Monroe created together, which will be auctioned online to benefit Raven Drum Foundation — the charity founded by the couple that seeks to support, educate and empower military veterans dealing with PTSD and combat trauma, as well as other at-risk populations.
The concerts and the single’s release coincide with National Complementary Therapy Week, which is observed March 20-27 in the U.S. and U.K. Through performance, storytelling and art, Allen and Monroe hope to present an intimate experience that will demonstrate how music can help people heal and grow.
For each performance, Raven Drum Foundation will be teaming up with local veterans organizations to nominate veterans who will get to attend the shows for free.
People also can visit e.givesmart.com, where they can purchase tickets that will be donated to veterans who would like to attend a Monroe concert.
Def Leppard’s The Stadium Tour with Motley Crue, Poison and Joan Jettkicks off June 16 in Atlanta.
(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. on Thursday announced new sanctions against members of the Russian elite, including Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman, and said it would block 19 oligarchs and 47 of their relatives and close associates from traveling to the United States.
The United States will sanction Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, as well as one of Russia’s richest men, Alisher Usmanov, according to the White House.
Germany had already seized Usmanov’s superyacht, and the White House said both the boat and Usmanov’s private jet — which it said was one of the largest privately-owned aircraft in Russia — would be blocked for use in the U.S. or by Americans.
“These are significant steps that will impact the people who are closely around President Putin,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters.”We want him to feel the squeeze. We want the people around him to feel the squeeze.”
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(NEW YORK) — A New York girl is on a mission to brighten the lives of cancer patients in her community.
Sophie Enderton of Newfane, New York, started her “Sophie’s chemo bags” initiative after seeing her late grandfather, Terry Enderton, undergo chemotherapy after he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last October.
“She saw him kind of struggling and losing his hair and getting tired and just having to sit at chemo,” Sophie’s mom, Jillian Enderton, explained to “Good Morning America.” “I think his chemo was two or three hours long and he was saying how many people were there just sitting around and she wanted to do something to help him and other chemo patients.”
So Sophie got to work and enlisted the help of her parents and maternal grandparents to help bring her vision to life.
She and her mom researched chemo-friendly care package ideas on Pinterest, while she and her grandparents went shopping for comforting items, like blankets, pillows, cozy socks, soup bowls, pre-made soups, mints, and ginger candies. Later, Sophie added games, such as playing cards and checkers sets.
Sophie’s great-grandmother even knitted several homemade blankets for the first set of “Sophie’s chemo bags” and as word spread, so did the donations.
“We received a lot of donations from people in the community, family and friends, so she’s able to put a little bit more in there and have more extra money to do it again in December. She wants to do it again at Christmas also,” Enderton said.
Sophie made a total of ten bags for her first set to patients at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo, New York. The first bag went to none other than her beloved grandpa Terry.
“He was super proud of her and the work she was doing and wanting to help others,” Enderton recalled. “Very proud grandpa.”
Sophie is making sure to carry on what she started, honoring her late grandfather in the process.
“He passed away in December after a short battle of pancreatic cancer,” Enderton continued. “His birthday’s at the end of March and we are scheduled to go up actually on his birthday and drop more bags off.”
For this second round of chemo bags, Sophie added 5 more bags for children as well.
“She wanted to do some for kids because she doesn’t think it’s fair that they have to go be sick so she wanted to brighten their day too,” Enderton said.
The 39-year-old mom said her daughter’s chemo bags project seems to be supporting her through the grieving process.
“She’s putting her energy into something else so that’s helping her, knowing that she is helping others who are going through the same thing. She’s actually flattered by all the attention. She’s like, ‘I just wanted to help people.’”
Enderton said her daughter and father-in-law had a special bond and Terry Enderton would pick her up to and from school in his red Corvette, as well as attend all her soccer and softball games. “She just loves the time they really spent together. She says he was one of her best friends and he was there for everything,” she said.
“We just want to keep it going and do grandpa proud.”
Jack Harlow is going from starring in music videos to starring in a feature film — one that’s a remake of a beloved ’90s comedy.
Deadline reports that the “Nail Tech” rapper will be featured in a remake of the 1992 Woody Harrelson/Wesley Snipes film White Men Can’t Jump. Black-ish creator Kenya Barris and Doug Hall are writing the script for the new movie, which will be directed by Charles Kidd III, aka Calmatic.
Jack will play the Woody Harrelson role of a street basketball hustler who teams up with his one-time rival, played by Snipes, to make even more money. The Snipes role is currently being cast, as is the role that Rosie Perez originated in the film: the Jeopardy-obsessed girlfriend of the character Jack is playing.
But can Jack jump in real life? Apparently so: He showed off his skills on the court during the recent NBA All-Star Weekend Celebrity Game. And according to Deadline, he can act, too: Even though it was his first-ever movie audition, he impressed everyone so much that he immediately landed the role.
The rapper will film the movie around his scheduled late-May headlining gig at the Forecastle Festival in his home state of Kentucky.
Chris Janson had exciting new details to share this week about his next album, All In.
Before making the full announcement, the singer dropped a couple of songs off the project, including the title track, “Cold Beer Truth” and the lead single, “Bye Mom.”
With the latest batch of details, though, Chris sets an April 29 release date for All In, and also clues fans into some special collaborators. Eric Church is a duet partner for one track, “You, Me & The River,” which is a song that Eric wrote solo. The track list also contains “Flag on the Wall,” a song that Chris and Eric co-wrote together.
But the Chief isn’t the only country legend that Chris tapped as a collaborator. The 16-song track list also includes “Things You Can’t Live Without,” a duet with ‘90s hitmaker Travis Tritt.
“There are all kinds of songs on this project, but they all flow together because they are genuine to me,” Chris reflects. “I went all in on every part of this process, from writing to singing to playing to producing. I feel like it’s my best, most true-to-myself album to date.”
Meanwhile, the singer is on the road for his Halfway to Crazy Tour, which runs through April 9.
