Katie Thurston concluded her turbulent journey on Monday night’s The Bachelorette season 17 finale where she, Kaitlyn Bristowe and Tayshia Adams were joined by a studio audience, who watched the final moments unravel with an engagement to Blake Moynes, the 30-year-old a wildlife manager from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Monday’s episode picked up with Katie, heartbroken and defeated after Greg‘s sudden departure, insisting that she’d had enough.
“So, what do you want to happen?” asked mentor Kaitlyn Bristowe, to which Katie answered, “I want someone to book my flight home.”
The following morning, Kaitlyn and Tayshia delivered the news to Blake and Justin that Katie decided to see her journey through to the end and that each of the guys would have the chance to spend an overnight date with Katie in the fantasy suite.
Her first overnight date was with Blake. After bringing him up to speed on what had happened between her and Greg, as well as her thoughts about leaving, the revelation left Blake questioning how strong his relationship with Katie really was.
“I don’t play games with love,” said Blake, adding that he absolutely loved Katie. She reciprocated by telling him that she was in love with him as well. The date ended with the two disappearing into the fantasy suite, before reemerging the following morning, enjoying breakfast in bed.
“Best date of my life,” Katie would tell Kaitlyn the next morning, adding unabashedly, “I was plenty happy — many times!”
She then declared, “My heart officially belongs to Blake.”
So where did that leave Justin? The Baltimore investment sales consultant, anxiously looking forward to his date, was instead greeted with Katie’s announcement that she had told Blake she loved him, and could only be in love with one person.
Later at the “After the Final Rose” portion of the show, Justin would tell Kaitlyn and Tayshia that he was “blindsided” by the breakup and watching it played back hurt “just as much now as it did then.” He believed Katie didn’t give him a fair shot.
Next, it was time for Blake to meet Katie’s family, who held nothing back — especially her aunt, who relentlessly grilled Blake in an effort to find out if he was ready for the ups and downs of marriage.
Katie’s mom was a little more forgiving, but still left Blake doubting if he was ready for that big leap with Katie.
Katie’s journey ended with Blake proposing to her — but not before making Bachelor Nation hold their collective breaths for a few seconds.
“I can’t give you what you came here for,” he teased, before taking a long pause, followed by “because you deserve so much more,” after which he dropped to one knee.
There was also a tense showdown between Katie and Greg during the After the Final Rose segment. When responding to rumors she heard about Greg attending acting school, she claimed his “shy guy” persona was all an act, and that he was actually a “confident, cocky boy” from New Jersey.
Defending his behavior following their hometown date, Greg said, “I’m sorry, honestly if you feel like I was talking down to you…”
“Gaslighting is probably, I think, a better word,” she interrupted.
Katie also revealed on “After the Final Rose” that her family only found out they were engaged on Monday — along with the rest of us.
The Bachelorette season 18, featuring Michelle Young is set to premiere October 19, following Bachelor in Paradise, kicking off Monday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
If you want to lose weight – how much daily exercise do you need?
A new study from the University of Kentucky, Lexington found people who worked out vigorously for an HOUR EVERY DAY ended up losing weight, compared to those who only exercised a few times a week.
It’s down to something we’ve talked about before: The “licensing effect.” That’s when you pat yourself on the back for doing something virtuous – like exercising – and give yourself license, or permission, to indulge in another way – like eating more.
That’s why people who exercise tend to eat more to make up for it. So those who only worked out a couple times a week canceled out any calories they burned… But only up to a point.
Those who exercised DAILY ended up burning more calories than they consumed – even though they were eating more.
And it matters whether the exercise is intense, too. Because intense workouts raise levels of the appetite-suppressing hormoneleptin, which doesn’t happen with light exercise.
The research found that weight-loss sweet spot is an hour of moderate to intense exercise a day… and aim to burn3,000 calories through exercise every week.
First, give someone a compliment. The National Institute for Psychological Sciences found that giving a compliment has as big of a positive impact on a person as receiving one. It activates the same area of the brain as giving a gift – or giving to charity. And you don’t even need to give that compliment in person. Sending a text praising someone makes you feel just as good. It works by making us feel more connected to others – and feeling connected is linked to long-term happiness.
Another way to feel good fast: Take a minute to appreciate nature, even right outside your back door. Admiring a sunset, watching birds go by, or seeing the leaves of a tree rustle in the breeze erases negative thoughts and replaces them with positive emotions. Stanford University scientists call it “green therapy” – and it can even improve your memory! Because our brain is hardwired to pay more attention when we’re focused on the beauty around us. So try a little green therapy to bust out of a bad mood!
(NEW YORK) — Quentin Tarantino said he has made good on a vow he made as a child never to give money to his mother.
In an interview with “Billions” co-creator Brian Koppelman for “The Moment” podcast, Tarantino said that because his mother was not supportive of his writing career when he was young, he’s never felt obligated to share his riches with her.
Tarantino said that as a child, he struggled academically and that his mother was frustrated that he’d write screenplays instead of doing his schoolwork.
“in the middle of her little tirade, she said, ‘Oh, and by the way, this little writing career — with the finger quotes — this little writing career that you’re doing, that s— is f—— over,'” he recalled. “When she said that to me in that sarcastic way, I was in my head and I go, ‘OK lady, when I become a successful writer, you will never see penny one from my success. There will be no house for you. There’s no vacation for you, no Elvis Cadillac for mommy. You get nothing because you said that.'”
The “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” director added that despite his success, he’s never purchased a car or a house for his mother, who is still living. However, he added, “I helped her out of a jam with the IRS.”
Throughout his career, Tarantino, 58, has won two Academy Awards for screenwriting; one for “Pulp Fiction” and the other for “Django Unchained.” When Koppelman tried to persuade him to buy his mother something extravagant, Tarantino remained resolute.
“There are consequences for your words,” he said with a laugh. “As you deal with your children, remember there are consequences for your sarcastic tone [about what’s] meaningful to them.”
Nicki Minaj is getting closer to her dream of hosting the upcoming Real Housewives of Potomac reunion show.
After the rapper joked on Instagram that she’s taking over the hosting duties for RHOP‘s upcoming season six reunion, it now appears Bravo’s Real Housewives executive producer Andy Cohen is looking to take Nicki up on her offer.
“I would love to figure out a way to work her into the reunion and I would love to be able to bring her out and see what she has to say and wants to ask the women,” Cohen told Entertainment Tonight. “It could be a fun little new segment. The answer is I’m totally receptive to figuring out how to work her into what we’re doing.”
Although nothing has been confirmed, Nicki expressed her excitement over the potential gig. In an Instagram Story, captured by ET, the rapper shared an exchange between her and her publicist, Joe, which showed she was seriously ready to take on the hosting duties.
“YESSSSSSSS. I WANT TO DO IT!!!!!!!!!!” she wrote.
Isaach de Bankolé is headed back to Wakanda. BlackFilmandTV.com has learned that Bankolé will reprise his role as Wakandan council member and an elder from the River Tribe in Black Panther: WakandaForever.
The actor will join returning cast members Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, Angela Bassett and newcomers Tenoch Huerta and Michaela Coel. Black Panther: WakandaForever hits theaters on July 8, 2022.
In other news, Discovery+ and OWN ordered a new documentary series Justice, USA that will take an “in-depth and unflinching look at the U.S. Criminal Justice System.” Executive-produced by Common, Tamara Brown, Marshall Goldberg and Mike Tollin, Common says he is “proud of this series because it takes an honest look at the criminal justice system and highlights its need for reform.” A release date for Justice, USA has yet to be announced.
Meanwhile, Emmy-nominated Nailed It host Nicole Byer has landed her first hour-long stand-up comedy special, Variety has learned. The as-yet untitled project, which will premiere on Netflix, will be filmed at the Gramercy Theatre in New York on September 5. A release date for the special has yet to be announced.
Finally, Netflix has announced their largest reality casting call ever. The streamer says they’re looking for new talent to join their shows and series. Some of the shows include Love Is Blind, Nailed It, Indian Matchmaking, Roaring Twenties, Too Hot to Handle and Queer Eye. Instructions on how to submit an application are now available on NetflixReality.com.
(WASHINGTON) — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will request approval for the COVID-19 vaccine to become mandatory for all U.S. military service members by mid-September, according to a memo he sent to all Defense Department employees.
“I want you to know that I will seek the President’s approval to make the vaccines mandatory no later than mid-September, or immediately upon the U.S. Food and Drug Agency (FDA) licensure, whichever comes first,” Austin wrote in the memo.
A U.S. official initially confirmed Austin’s decision to ABC News before it was later made public in a written message to all U.S. military service members.
“By way of expectation, public reporting suggests the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine could achieve full FDA licensure early next month. The intervening few weeks will be spent preparing for this transition,” Austin wrote.
Given the rising coronavirus case numbers amid the increasing spread of the highly transmissible delta variant, Austin noted that “I will not hesitate to act sooner or recommend a different course to the President if l feel the need to do so.”
In a statement released shortly after Austin’s memo was sent out, the president said, “I strongly support Secretary Austin’s message to the Force today on the Department of Defense’s plan to add the COVID-19 vaccine to the list of required vaccinations for our service members not later than mid-September. Secretary Austin and I share an unshakable commitment to making sure our troops have every tool they need to do their jobs as safely as possible. These vaccines will save lives. Period. They are safe. They are effective.”
“We cannot let up in the fight against COVID-19, especially with the Delta variant spreading rapidly through unvaccinated populations. We are still on a wartime footing, and every American who is eligible should take immediate steps to get vaccinated right away,” Biden’s statement continued.
Because the COVID-19 vaccines are currently only being used under an emergency use authorization from the FDA, Biden will have to grant a waiver to enable the Pentagon to make vaccinations mandatory.
According to the Pentagon’s latest statistics more than 70% of all active-duty service members have received at least one dose.
Until Austin’s recommendation for a mandate, the U.S. military could only recommend to service members that they should take the vaccination. However, Pentagon officials had said that once the FDA approved a COVID vaccine that they would begin a review of whether it should be made mandatory for U.S. military personnel, just like the 17 other vaccines that are mandatory for U.S. military personnel.
Austin’s decision follows Biden’s announcement two weeks ago that federal employees would be required to provide proof of vaccination or face regular testing. Biden also ordered the Pentagon to explore “how and when” it could require service members to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.
In addition to the recommendation to make the vaccine mandatory Austin wrote that “we will comply with the President’s direction regarding additional restrictions and requirements for unvaccinated Federal personnel.”
“I strongly encourage all DoD military and civilian personnel — as well as contractor personnel — to get vaccinated now and for military Service members to not wait for the mandate,” he wrote.
“All FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccines are safe and highly effective,” said Austin. “They will protect you and your family. They will protect your unit, your ship, and your co-workers. And they will ensure we remain the most lethal and ready force in the world. Get the shot. Stay healthy. Stay ready.”
(NEW YORK) — An alleged victim of deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein filed a lawsuit against Prince Andrew of Britain on Monday, accusing the embattled 61-year-old royal of sexually abusing her at Epstein’s Manhattan mansion and elsewhere when she was under the age of 18, according to court records.
The lawsuit, filed by Virginia Roberts Giuffre in federal court in New York, comes almost two years to the day that Epstein died in a New York jail while he was awaiting trial on conspiracy and child sex trafficking charges. The legal action also comes just days before the expiration date of a New York state law that permits alleged victims of childhood sexual abuse to file civil claims that might otherwise be barred by statutes of limitations.
“If she doesn’t do it now, she would be allowing him to escape any accountability for his actions,” Giuffre’s attorney, David Boies, chairman of Boies, Schiller Flexner, told ABC News. “And Virginia is committed to trying to avoid situations where rich and powerful people escape any accountability for their actions.”
The lawsuit seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages and accuses Andrew of sexual assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
“Twenty years ago, Prince Andrew’s wealth, power, position, and connections enabled him to abuse a frightened, vulnerable child with no one there to protect her. It is long past the time for him to be held to account,” the lawsuit states.
Reached late Monday, a U.K.-based spokesperson for Prince Andrew said there would be no comment on the suit.
“I am holding Prince Andrew accountable for what he did to me. The powerful and the rich are not exempt from being held responsible for their actions. I hope that other victims will see that it is possible not to live in silence and fear, but one can reclaim her life by speaking out and demanding justice,” Giuffre said, via her lawyers, in a statement to ABC News.
“I did not come to this decision lightly. As a mother and a wife, my family comes first. I know that this action will subject me to further attacks by Prince Andrew and his surrogates. But I knew that if I did not pursue this action, I would be letting them and victims everywhere down,” the statement said.
Giuffre, now a 38-year-old mother living in Australia, first accused the prince of sexual abuse in public court filings in December of 2014, in a case brought by alleged Epstein victims against the U.S. Department of Justice. That lawsuit challenged Epstein’s lenient deal with federal prosecutors in Florida in 2008.
Giuffre alleged in those court submissions that she was directed by Epstein and his longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell to have sex with Andrew on three occasions in 2001, in London, New York and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Her claims were met then with vehement denials from Maxwell and from Buckingham Palace on behalf of the prince, the second son of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II.
“It is emphatically denied that [Prince Andrew] had any form of sexual contact or relationship with [Giuffre]. The allegations made are false and without any foundation,” the Palace statement said.
Since that time, Giuffre’s lawyers contend they have made multiple attempts to engage with Andrew or his advisers in discussions about her allegations in an effort to avoid litigation. But those efforts, Boies said, have been ignored.
“Since 2015, we’ve been trying to have a dialog with Prince Andrew or his lawyers,” Boies said. “We have given him every opportunity to provide any explanation or context that he might have. We’ve tried to reach a resolution without the necessity of litigation. Prince Andrew and his lawyers have been totally non-responsive.”
The most recent letter to the prince’s presumed legal team was sent last month and warned that a lawsuit would soon be filed unless the prince agreed to enter into discussions for an alternative resolution, according to the court filing Monday.
“If she had simply failed to sue now, it would have validated the stonewalling tactics that Andrew and his advisers have employed,” Boies said.
For nearly a decade, the prince has been under scrutiny for his association with Epstein, a multi-millionaire financier and the subject of state and federal investigations since the mid-2000s for allegedly recruiting underage girls for illicit massages and sex.
Epstein initially avoided federal charges involving allegations of abuse of nearly three dozen girls by agreeing to plead guilty to two comparatively minor charges in Florida state court in 2008. He served just 13 months of an 18-month term in a county jail.
Prince Andrew, who said he’d first met Epstein in 1999, became embroiled in the controversy in late 2010 when he was photographed walking with the convicted sex offender through New York’s Central Park shortly after Epstein’s sentence ended in Florida.
Epstein was charged again, in July 2019, in a two-count federal indictment for child sex trafficking and conspiracy for alleged crimes in New York and Florida between 2002 and 2005. He died in prison on Aug. 10 from an apparent suicide.
Following those new charges against Epstein, the prince again found himself under scrutiny from the press and prosecutors for his association with Epstein both before and after the wealthy financier was designated as a sex offender.
In a rare television interview with the BBC in November 2019, Andrew categorically denied Giuffre’s allegations that he had sexual contact with her. He claimed to have no memory of ever meeting her and suggested that a widely-circulated photograph of him with his arm around the waist of then 17-year-old Giuffre, allegedly taken by Epstein in the London home of Maxwell in 2001, might have been doctored.
“I don’t believe that photograph was taken in the way that has been suggested,” he said. “I think it’s, from the investigations that we’ve done, you can’t prove whether or not that photograph is faked or not, because it is a photograph of a photograph of a photograph. So it’s very difficult to be able to prove it, but I don’t remember that photograph ever being taken.”
The prince also contended that he had an alibi for the date of the alleged encounter, claiming he was home with his daughter, Beatrice.
“I was at home,” the prince said. “I was with the children, and I’d taken Beatrice to a Pizza Express in Woking for a party at, I suppose, sort of 4 or 5 in the afternoon. And then, because the Duchess was away, we have a simple rule in the family that when one is away the other one is there. I was on terminal leave at the time from the Royal Navy, so therefore I was at home.”
The prince’s interview was harshly criticized in the British press and, within days, he released a new statement conceding that his “former association” with Epstein had become a major distraction for the royal family, and he stepped back from official duties.
He vowed in that statement that he would be willing “to help any appropriate law enforcement agency with their investigations.”
But Geoffrey Berman, then the U.S. Attorney in Manhattan, publicly called out the prince a few months later for failing to live up to his stated promise. At a press conference in front of Epstein’s New York mansion early last year, Berman said Prince Andrew has provided “zero cooperation.”
Giuffre’s court filing Monday contains a copy of the photograph of her standing beside Andrew, along with references to flight records from Epstein’s private planes that indicate Giuffre was a frequent passenger to destinations in the United States and abroad while she was under 18.
Giuffre contends in her lawsuit that the prince engaged in the alleged sexual acts with her “knowing that she was a sex-trafficking victim being forced to engage in sexual acts with him” and that he was aware of her age. She contends she did not consent to engaging in sexual acts with the prince.
“[Giuffre] was compelled by express or implied threats by Epstein, Maxwell, and/or Prince Andrew to engage in sexual acts with Prince Andrew, and feared death or physical injury to herself or another and other repercussions for disobeying Epstein, Maxwell, and Prince Andrew due to their powerful connections, wealth, and authority,” the suit alleges.
Giuffre has previously settled two federal lawsuits she filed in connection with her allegations that she was recruited by Maxwell and Epstein into a life of sexual servitude to Epstein and other powerful men. She settled with Epstein in 2009 and reached an out-of-court settlement in her defamation claim against Maxwell in 2017. There were no admissions of wrongdoing in either case, and the financial terms of the settlements were not disclosed.
Maxwell, in deposition testimony in the defamation case, denied Giuffre’s allegations and described her accuser as an “absolute liar.”
“She has lied repeatedly, often, and is just an awful fantasist,” Maxwell said during a 2016 deposition.
Maxwell, who is currently awaiting trial on charges she aided Epstein’s alleged abuse of four underage girls, denied recruiting Giuffre for sexual activities with Epstein and denied instructing Giuffre to have sex with the prince or other men.
“I never saw any inappropriate underage activities with Jeffrey ever,” Maxwell said.
Maxwell has pleaded not guilty to all the charges against her. She has not been charged in connection with Giuffre’s allegations of sexual abuse, though she is facing two perjury charges for alleged false statements in the 2016 depositions.
Boies told ABC News on Monday that it is his hope that the lawsuit finally leads to Prince Andrew agreeing to answer questions under oath.
“It’s one thing to ignore me. It’s another thing to ignore the judicial process of the state of New York and the United States,” Boies said. “If Prince Andrew does not take seriously the rule of law in this country, he is being very ill-advised. This is a serious lawsuit, and the court will take it seriously. We take it seriously. If he doesn’t take it seriously, it is at his peril.”
Today would have been Whitney Houston’s 58th birthday, and a new special focusing on the late icon’s life and career will air on ABC Wednesday night.
The special, Superstar: Whitney Houston, features new interviews with those who knew her well — including Brandy, Chaka Khan, Babyface and BeBe Winans — as well as archival interviews of Bobby Brown and Houston; among them, her infamous 2002’s sit-down with Diane Sawyer. It will detail her many accomplishments, as well as her struggles with fame and her tragic death in 2012.
In the trailer, Whitney can be heard in a voiceover saying, “I can tell you that I am not self-destructive. I am not a person who wants to die. I’m a person who has life, who wants to live. I’m not the strongest every day but I’m not the weakest, either. And I won’t break.”
Superstar: Whitney Houston airs Wednesday night at 10 p.m. ET on ABC, and can be viewed the next day on demand and on Hulu. It’s the first installment of a series examining the “mavericks who shaped American culture.” Other episodes will feature Robin Williams and Kobe Bryant.
