Lars Niki/Getty Images for New York Women in Film & Television
Following rumors that she will not return this year to her talk show, Wendy Williams provided an update on her health in a five-minute Instagram video posted Wednesday, shot by her son, Kevin, as she walked along a Florida beach.
“I am going back stronger,” Wendy declared. “At 56 years old, there are things that happen to people,” she said, although she turned 57 in July. After some people suggested it was an old video, the clip was deleted.
Wendy has recovered from COVID-19, but she continues to suffer from Graves’ disease. There are unconfirmed reports that Sherri Shepherd will be named the permanent host of her show if Wendy isn’t ready to return to work in September.
In other news, after having eight children with multiple women, Nick Cannon admits he does want a monogamous relationship. Even so, he’s got his doubts. “We choose to be monogamous because we value this so much, we don’t want anyone to be a part of this energy we have, and I don’t feel like that’s healthy,” The Masked Singer host said Wednesday on The Language of Love podcast with Dr. Laura Berman. “I don’t think monogamy is healthy. I feel like that gets into the space of selfishness and ownership.”
Finally, TMZ reports that former Scandal star Columbus Short is facing facing one charge of domestic violence and one charge of child endangerment after being arrested on February 2. The incident involved his wife, Aida Abramyan, at their California home. Short was released on bond on Thursday and is due to appear at Los Angeles Superior Court on June 6. The actor has been arrested numerous times, including for domestic violence in 2018, and served 34 days in jail after pleading no contest in court.
(NEW YORK) — Former athletes reacted online to the results of the women’s figure skating individual event with sympathy for Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva and frustration with the sporting officials that allowed her to skate.
In an unexpected turn of events, 15-year-old Valieva placed fourth in the event which ended on Thursday after falling several times. Valieva was seen crying after her performance.
The event has been overshadowed by controversy after Valieva tested positive for a banned drug in December, ahead of the Russian Figure Skating Championships.
After ROC skater Anna Shcherbakova finished her program, Team USA members sitting in the arena got up and walked out, before Kamila Valieva took the ice as the last skater in the event, according to ABC’s Alexandra Faul.
Shcherbakova won the gold medal, ROC skater Aleksandra Trusova won the silver medal and Japanese skater Kaori Sakamoto won the bronze medal.
Former figure skater and Olympic bronze medalist Ashley Wagner weighed in on Twitter, criticizing the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s decision to allow Valieva to skate in the event.
“This is a moment where you genuinely have to say- that poor kid. She should not have ever been put in this position. She shouldn’t have been out on that ice, she shouldn’t have been put in a position where she became the face of a problem bigger than her,” Wagner said in a tweet.
Wagner also expressed frustration with Valieva becoming the center of attention of the entire event, overshadowing the other skaters.
Valieva, who was expected to win gold, became the first woman to land a quadruple jump at the winter Olympics during this year’s team event. Medals for the team event have not yet been awarded, pending the results of an investigation that could lead to Valieva’s disqualification from the Olympics.
U.S. Olympian Polina Edmunds also expressed sympathy for Valieva.
“Very traumatizing Olympic experience for Kamila Valieva. She should not have been allowed to compete, it’s devastating that she was put in this situation, on all levels,” Edmunds said on twitter.
Edmunds also criticized the judging system and coaches for their “abuse” of athletes.
“If you’re going to mad at someone, be mad at the judging system. They are the ones that have caused all this. Be mad at coaching team’s that prioritize medals over health, not entire countries. There are many clean athletes who have also suffered from the monopoly of this team,” Edmunds said in another tweet.
In a video he posted on twitter, two-time Olympian figure skater and NBC Olympic Analyst Johnny Weir called the event heartbreaking.
“That was the most bizarre and heartbreaking event I have seen in my entire life and I hope that it is never repeated,” said Weir.
Former American figure skater Adam Rippon weighed in as well, tweeting “What a s*&$ show omg.”
(MINNEAPOLIS) — The Rev. Al Sharpton delivered a powerful and emotional eulogy at Thursday’s funeral for Amir Locke, a 22-year-old who was shot and killed by Minneapolis police officers executing a “no-knock” search warrant.
Locke, who was fatally shot on Feb. 2, was not named in the “no-knock” warrant.
Body camera video showed officers executing the warrant and finding Locke, who didn’t live at the home, sleeping under a blanket on the couch. Locke was seen holding a gun as he sat up; he was shot less than 10 seconds after officers entered the room, still covered in the blanket.
Locke’s mother, Karen Wells, at the funeral said her son was “executed.”
“How dare you?” she said. “You’re not above the law.”
Locke’s parents vowed to fight for a law in their son’s name banning “no-knock” warrants and Sharpton promised to support Locke’s family, saying, “Amir was not guilty of anything but being young and Black in America.”
Sharpton drew a connection between the “no-knock” warrant and how many Black Americans have the last name that once belonged to their enslaved relatives’ masters.
“That’s why it didn’t matter that Amir’s name wasn’t on the warrant — ’cause we don’t have a right to a name in the eyes of some in this country. We are nameless suspects,” Sharpton said.
“We are no longer gonna be your nameless suspects,” Sharpton said. “Amir has a name. His name wasn’t on your warrant — but his name’s gonna be in your law book.”
Speaking to the officers, Locke’s aunt, Linda Tyler, said at the service, “You did have time to subdue him.”
“You had time to assess the situation … but you didn’t. So you don’t need further training — you need to be fired,” she said. “You ambushed my nephew, you took his life. And while he didn’t matter to you … he mattered to this whole family. He mattered to this community.”
Locke’s funeral was held at Shiloh Temple International Ministries in Minneapolis, the same church where a funeral was held last year for 20-year-old Daunte Wright. Wright was shot dead at a traffic stop by a Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, police officer who claimed she mistook her gun for a Taser. The officer was found guilty of both first- and second-degree manslaughter and is set to be sentenced on Friday.
Locke’s shooting remains under investigation.
Relatives of George Floyd and Botham Jean, who were also killed at the hands of police, attended Locke’s funeral.
ABC News’ Adia Robinson and Kendall Ross contributed to this report.
When an 11-year-old Brantley Gilbert fan named Alirix shared her story on social media of going through illness and a heart transplant, the country star knew he had to do something special for her.
It all started with a TikTok, where Alirix explained her heart transplant journey and said that her biggest wish was to meet her favorite musical artist.
“My dream has always been to meet you,” the young girl told Brantley on TikTok. “You helped me through my heart transplant, and I listened to you all the way through, and I hope I can meet you.”
The video went viral, racking up more than 139k views in less than a day — and among the many people to hear Alirix’s wish was the country star himself. He soon replied to his young fan, saying, “I got to say that I’m so humbled that you want to meet me. My wife makes the exact opposite wish a lot.”
He then added that he planned to let her pick a show to attend “anywhere, anytime,” but that he hoped to do something special for her on top of that.
Once they worked out the logistics, Brantley posted a video of himself and the young girl meeting for the first time, chatting and hanging out with Alirix and her parents backstage at a show.
“The hard days make ones like this that much sweeter,” Brantley wrote. “So glad I got to meet sweet Alirix and her family the other day at rehearsals.”
Many unseen photos of the late Joe Strummer — plus some well-known pictures, like the cover of his 1989 album, Earthquake Weather — have been compiled in a new book called Joe Strummer: Print the Myth.
The book is the work of photographer and creative director Josh Cheuse, who first met Strummer in 1981, when he called Electric Ladyland Studios from a payphone at his high school and asked The Clash if he could photograph them. Their creative partnership and friendship lasted until Strummer’s death in 2002.
In addition to photos of Strummer, the book includes sketches, handwritten notes and collages, as well as Cheuse’s personal stories about Strummer. Among the images included are a photo of The Clash performing in 1981 at Bond’s International Casino in New York, as well as a photo taken outside Buckingham Palace in 1988. You can see those images at RollingStone.com.
You can now sign up at JoeStrummerBook.com to get a discount when pre-order begins, and get the chance to have your name in the book.
The trailer has arrived for ELVIS, Baz Lurhann‘s movie about the King of Rock ‘n Roll and his manager, Colonel Tom Parker.
The trailer begins with a voiceover by Tom Hanks, who plays Parker, intoning, “There are some who’d make me out to be the villain of this here story.” He then muses, “Are you born with destiny, or does it just come knocking at your door?”
Footage follows of Elvis as a kid being exposed to gospel music, and then a pre-stardom Elvis, played by Austin Butler, taking the stage at the Louisiana Hayride in 1954. We hear Parker say, “At that moment, I saw that skinny boy transform into a superhero.”
What follows shows that the movie appears to cover Elvis’ entire life — his early success, the Army, Priscilla, the Comeback Special, the Vegas years and more — with Parker there to guide him.
At the end of the trailer, Parker says to Elvis, “We are the same, you and I! Two odd, lonely children, reaching for eternity.”
After starring in the Super Bowl halftime show with Dr. Dre, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, and 50 Cent, Mary J. Blige will perform at the 53rd NAACP Image Awards. Hosted by Anthony Anderson, the show will air live Saturday, February 26 at 8:00 PM ET/PT on BET.
It was also announced Thursday that Issa Rae, Kerry Washington, LL Cool J, Michael Strahan, Morgan Freeman, Paula Patton, Questlove, Tiffany Haddish and Zendaya will be among the presenters.
As previously reported, Samuel L. Jackson will receive the Chairman’s Award. The honor recognizes individuals who “demonstrate exemplary public service” and use their “distinct platforms to create agents of change.” Past honorees include the late U.S. Congressman John Lewis, Danny Glover, Tyler Perry and Barack Obama.
Jennifer Hudson, Lil Nas X, Megan Thee Stallion, Regina King and Tiffany Haddish are the nominees for Entertainer of the Year. The Harder They Fall, starring King, has received 12 nominations, including Outstanding Motion Picture. In the television category, Insecure was the top nominee with 12 nods.
In music, H.E.R. snagged the most nominations with six; Drake, Chlöe and Jazmine Sullivan also scored multiple nods.
The family drama Promised Land on ABC is very near and dear to creator Matt Lopez’s heart. It’s a story of first and second generation Latino immigrants fighting for their piece of the American dream, with many parallels to Lopez’s family. And he tells ABC Audio that’s why he’s surprised that in the few weeks it’s been on the air, people from all walks of life have told them how much they like it.
“Obviously it’s a show with a predominantly Latino cast. The characters come from that background…So you would sort of expect or at least not be surprised if it resonated with that audience,” he explains. “But the extent to which it’s resonated with a broader audience is really kind of cool and gratifying.”
An example of others who have resonated with the show is the stunt coordinator, who is Vietnamese-American, “walked up to [Lopez] and said, I just want to say thank you because this is my parent’s story. And I haven’t seen it like on a network drama before.”
Even though the show resonates with many, Lopez admits that there’s pressure to doing a show like this, because there aren’t a lot of them.
Remembering what one of his directors, Felix Alcala, told him he says, “Each one of these scripts has to be a gem…because if you fall on your face, it’s going to make it that much harder for the next one.”
Promised Land draws “huge inspiration” from East of Eden and themes of the American dream.
“The beauty of the American dream. The cost of the American dream. And what it costs you sometimes to chase it and get it. That’s that kind of universal thing I think all audiences respond to,” Lopez shares.
Ryan Reynolds is promoting his new Netflix movie The Adam Project, but he took some time to address a Marvel-related rumor: He insists his alter ego Deadpool won’t appear in Doctor Strange: In The Multiverse of Madness.
“Tell me everything about your appearance in the Doctor Strange movie,” Variety‘s Marc Malkin nonchalantly asked the star, cracking him up. “That’s the least covert trap I’ve ever seen in my life,” Ryan laughed. He then insisted with a smirk, “I guess I’m really not supposed to say anything about that, but I’m really not in the movie.”
When Malkin countered that it wasn’t exactly the most convincing denial ever, Ryan replied, “I may be an ‘unreliable narrator,’ but I promise you I’m not in the movie.”
Marvel fans are right to be skeptical, considering how many times Andrew Garfield, and Charlie Cox continuously denied their roles as “Peter Parker 3” and Matt Murdock/Daredevil in Spider-Man: No Way Home.
But even without Deadpool, there are plenty of Doctor Strange rumors to go around ever since some reportedly cameo-heavy reshoots were announced.
(NEW YORK) — Boosters helped reduce the risk of contracting the omicron variant after it spread at a convention in New York City, according to a new study published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Thursday.
In the report, the authors describe “a large indoor convention in New York … with approximately 53,000 attendees from 52 U.S. jurisdictions and 30 foreign countries during Nov. 19 – 21, 2021.”
Although the convention is never named, the description matches the Anime NYC convention that was held at the Javits Center in Manhattan over those dates.
Overall, the report found that convention attendees who were boosted were less likely to contract COVID-19 and that a small percentage of household contacts later tested positive.
According to convention rules, attendees were required to have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose and wear masks indoors.
The first case was reported to the CDC by the Minnesota Department of Health on Dec. 2 in a man — called Patient A — who had flown to New York City for the convention, the report said.
For the report, the CDC teamed up with the MDH and state and local departments across the country interviewing Patient A, and 23 of his 29 close contacts from 13 states who also attended the convention.
Patient A had traveled to New York City on November 18. He was fully vaccinated and received a booster shot earlier in November, according to the authors.
However, he developed symptoms on Nov. 22 and subsequently tested positive for COVID-19, after which he notified all his close contacts, the report said.
Of the 23 attendees contacted, 16 tested positive for the virus, equating to an attack rate of 70%.
All the contacts were fully vaccinated, but only 11 had received a booster dose before going to the convention, according to the report. The authors indicate that having a booster dose lowered the odds of testing positive for COVID-19.
Ten of the 12 people, or 83%, who didn’t receive a booster tested positive for the virus while six of the 11 people, 55%, who tested positive were boosted, meaning there were 1.5 times fewer infections in boosted individuals.
“Data from this investigation reinforce the importance of COVID-19 booster doses and early notification in combination with other multicomponent prevention measures to limit transmission and prevent severe illness from omicron and other SARS-CoV-2 variants,” the authors wrote.
Additionally, 15 of the 20 contacts who said they always wore a mask during the convention tested positive anyway, according to the report.
Recently, the CDC has stated that N95 masks are more effective at preventing infection with the omicron variant than surgical masks and cloth masks.
All of attendees who reported COVID-19 infections said they experienced at least one symptom, with median duration lasting 11 days. The most commonly reported symptoms included nasal congestion, fatigue, cough and sore throat, the report said.
After returning home from the convention, 16 of the attendees exposed 20 household contacts who did not attend the convention, the report said.
In total, 99% of the household contacts were fully vaccinated and 50% had received a booster dose, the authors noted.
Of the 18 household contacts who were subsequently tested, six, or 33%, received positive results, including four who had received boosters.
The authors noted that people testing positive for COVID despite being fully vaccinated demonstrates omicron’s ability to — at least partially — evade the protection offered by vaccines.
“However, illness was relatively mild among this cohort, consistent with evidence that vaccinated persons with infections are less likely to experience serious illness,” they wrote.
Two of the positive household contacts were parents of the convention attendees, two were grandparents and two were siblings, according to the report.
Four of the six household contacts said they had fewer than five symptoms with the most common being nasal congestion, fatigue, cough, runny nose and change in taste.
No hospitalizations or deaths were reported among anyone who received a positive test either in the attendee group in the household contact group, the report said.
Overall, five of the attendees’ samples and three from the household contacts underwent genomic sequencing and were confirmed to be linked to the omicron variant, according to the authors.
The authors said there are limitations to the report including that some people who attended the convention used at-home antigen tests rather than laboratory PCR tests to confirm a negative result.
Because rapid tests are more likely to report false negatives than lab tests, some COVID cases may have been missed.
Additionally, because seven of Patient A’s close contacts could not be reached for interviews, results may be skewed.
However, the researchers say the report shows the importance of getting fully vaccinated and boosted, as well as masking indoors, to prevent infection from the omicron variant as well as severe disease and death.
