“STAY IN THE FIGHT”: Brett Eldredge opens up about battle with anxiety

“STAY IN THE FIGHT”: Brett Eldredge opens up about battle with anxiety
“STAY IN THE FIGHT”: Brett Eldredge opens up about battle with anxiety
Edgar Evan Moore

Brett Eldredge is opening up about a recent bout of anxiety he’s been struggling with.

The country star took to Instagram to share a photo of himself working out, alongside a lengthy caption detailing how he’s been battling anxiety as of late.

Brett, who has been open about living with anxiety in the past, reveals that it recently reemerged for several days, “out of nowhere,” with symptoms that included shortness of breath and feeling overwhelmed.

“Instead of hiding (like I once did), I stuck to the process, knowing I survived all the other times, and setbacks are common,” he explains. “I kept showing up to life and leaning into the things that give me strength and stability.” In the photo, he’s shown lifting weights.

“It passed and I feel even stronger than before. I took this photo in the middle of the setback to remind myself that even in the tough times, we can be strong as hell, and the storm will always pass if we face it,” he declares. He added the phrase “STAY IN THE FIGHT,” and concluded, “If you’re goin’ through it, hang in there, you will be surprised what you’re capable of.” 

Brett recently announced that he’s releasing a new holiday album, Mr. Christmas, on October 22. 

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Rihanna drops trailer for Saturday’s all-star ‘Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 3’ fashion event

Rihanna drops trailer for Saturday’s all-star ‘Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 3’ fashion event
Rihanna drops trailer for Saturday’s all-star ‘Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 3’ fashion event
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 3 Presented by Amazon Prime Video

Rihanna continues to build the excitement for her Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 3 fashion event, which promotes her Savage X Fenty line of lingerie.

RiRi dropped a trailer on Tuesday for Friday’s show, which will features performances by Nas, Daddy Yankee, BIA, Jazmine Sullivan, Ricky Martin, Normani, and Jade Novah. Normani also took part in last year’s show, which was held at the Los Angeles Convention Center, which featured appearances by Roddy Ricch, Miguel, Ella Mai and Mustard.

Over the weekend, the “Umbrella” singer posted on Instagram, “Waiting for Vol. 3 to drop knowing y’all ain’t ready.”

Erykah Badu will also appear on the show, along with renowned models Adriana Lima, Gigi Hadid, Irina Shayk and many more.

Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 3 will stream on Amazon Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide beginning Friday, September 24.

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Everbody (Still) Hurts: 10 years ago today, R.E.M. called it a day

Everbody (Still) Hurts: 10 years ago today, R.E.M. called it a day
Everbody (Still) Hurts: 10 years ago today, R.E.M. called it a day
Warner Bros.

Ten years ago today, it felt like the end of the world for R.E.M. fans, as the college radio favorites-turned-rock icons broke up for good.

On September 21, 2011, the group — down to a trio of Michael Stipe, Mike Mills and Peter Buck following the 1997 departure of Bill Berry — posted a message on their website, reading, “To our Fans and Friends: As R.E.M., and as lifelong friends and co-conspirators, we have decided to call it a day as a band.”

“We walk away with a great sense of gratitude, of finality, and of astonishment at all we have accomplished,” they added. “To anyone who ever felt touched by our music, our deepest thanks for listening.”

Mills wrote, “We’ve made this decision together, amicably and with each other’s best interests at heart. The time just feels right.” 

Stipe added, “A wise man once said, ‘The skill in attending a party is knowing when it’s time to leave.’ We built something extraordinary together. We did this thing. And now we’re going to walk away from it.”

And Buck wrote, “Being a part of your lives has been an unbelievable gift. Thank you.”

To mark the anniversary, R.E.M has posted a playlist of songs called “Ten Years Onward,” described as “songs still as resonant today as they were on September 21, 2011.”  It’s a collection of singles, deep cuts, demos, live tracks and rarities from across R.E.M.’s entire catalog.

On his Facebook page, the band’s manager, Bertis Downs, wrote, “Disbandment Day — a bittersweet day in memory. But a good decision by the guys. And thankfully the music and the people live on.”

Over their 31-year career, R.E.M. won three Grammys, sold 85 million albums worldwide and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

 

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Slipknot announces inaugural Knotfest Finland

Slipknot announces inaugural Knotfest Finland
Slipknot announces inaugural Knotfest Finland
Credit: Alexandria Crahan-Conway

Slipknot has announced the inaugural Knotfest Finland.

The festival will take place August 12-13, 2022, in the Nordic country’s city of Turku. So far, the lineup includes Nightwish, Bring Me the Horizon and Arch Enemy, along with the Knot themselves.

For ticket info, visit Knotfest.com/Finland.

Slipknot will be bringing Knotfest all around the world in 2022, including to Japan, Chile and Brazil. They’re also holding two U.S. Knotfests this year, taking place in their home state of Iowa September 25 and Los Angeles November 5.

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Netflix teases new Britney doc, ‘Britney vs Spears’

Netflix teases new Britney doc, ‘Britney vs Spears’
Netflix teases new Britney doc, ‘Britney vs Spears’

There’s another Britney Spears documentary in the works.

On Tuesday, Netflix teased Britney vs Spears ahead of a promised full trailer premiere on Wednesday.

The 18-second clip begins with text that reads, “The following audio is a voicemail from Britney Spears to a lawyer on January 21st, 2009 at 12:29 a.m.”

We then hear Britney’s voice saying, “Hi, my name is Britney Spears, I called you earlier. I’m calling again because I wanted to make sure that during the process of eliminating the conservatorship.”

The Netflix doc comes after Hulu/FX’s documentary The New York Times Presents: Framing Britney Spears reignited the #FreeBritney movement back in February.

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Watch Mick Jagger get “all emotional” speaking about Charlie Watts onstage

Watch Mick Jagger get “all emotional” speaking about Charlie Watts onstage
Watch Mick Jagger get “all emotional” speaking about Charlie Watts onstage
The Rolling Stones No Filter 2021 photo, taken prior to Watts’ death/Credit: J. Rose

As previously reported, The Rolling Stones on Monday night played a private event at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, MA hosted by New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, which was the group’s first gig without their late drummer, Charlie Watts, who died on August 24.  Now, Mick Jagger has posted on Instagram a video of the emotional dedication he made to Watts from the stage at the event.

Jagger can be seen telling the crowd, “It’s a bit of a poignant night for us, ’cause this is our first tour in 59 years that we’ve done without our lovely Charlie Watts.”

As the crowd cheers, Mick continues. “And we all miss Charlie so much, we miss him as a band and we miss him as friends on and off the stage, and we got so many memories of Charlie and I’m sure some of you that seen us before have got memories of Charlie as well.”

“I hope you will remember him like we do, so we’d like to dedicate this show to Charlie,” Jagger adds to cheers. “So we’re gonna do it for Charlie!”  Jagger then picks up a glass and raises it in a toast, handing the microphone to Ronnie Wood, who adds, “Charlie, we’re praying for you, man, and playing for you!”

“What will we do now?” Mick muses. “Now I’m all emotional.” 

The band went on to play a 15-song set with veteran drummer Steve Jordan behind the kit. The Stones’ No Filter 2021 tour officially kicks off this weekend.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Mick Jagger (@mickjagger)

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Watch Tessa Thompson, Ruth Negga in ‘Passing’ trailer; Ashton Sanders to play Bobby Brown in Whitney Houston biopic

Watch Tessa Thompson, Ruth Negga in ‘Passing’ trailer; Ashton Sanders to play Bobby Brown in Whitney Houston biopic
Watch Tessa Thompson, Ruth Negga in ‘Passing’ trailer; Ashton Sanders to play Bobby Brown in Whitney Houston biopic
Courtesy of Netflix

Netflix has released the first trailer for Passing, Rebecca Hall‘s directorial debut, starring Tessa Thompson and Ruth Negga.

As previously noted, the film is based on Nella Larsen‘s 1929 novella of the same name. It follows two mixed-race women, played by Thompson and Negga, who reunite in their adulthood and discover that one of them is now passing for a white woman. André Holland, Bill Camp, Gbenga Akinnagbe, Antoinette Crowe-Legacy and Alexander Skarsgard also star. Passing hits select theaters on October 27, before becoming available to stream on Netflix November 10.

In other news, Ashton Sanders has been tapped to play yet another music icon, Deadline as learned. Sanders, who currently plays RZA in Hulu’s Wu-Tang: An American Saga, has joined the cast of the Whitney Houston biopic I Wanna Dance With Somebody. He will take on the role of New Edition singer — and Houston’s ex-husband — Bobby Brown. As previously reported, Naomi Ackie will play the legendary singer in the new feature, which producer Clive Davis says will “present the full story of Whitney Houston impeccably and [ensure] that it will be realistic in every respect.” Kasi Lemmons serves as director, while Academy Award nominee Anthony McCarten will write the script. A release date for I Wanna Dance With Somebody has not yet been announced.

Finally, Ashanti is taking her talents back to the screen. According to Deadline, the singer will produce and star in the upcoming rom-com The Plus One. She will play Lizzie, a soon-to-be bride who asks her “Male of Honor,” Marshall, not to bring “his hated ex, Marie, to her destination wedding.” Unfortunately for Lizzie, Marshall invites Marie as his “plus one.” Additional casting has yet to be announced.

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Ellen Pompeo hints ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ finale is “not far off”

Ellen Pompeo hints ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ finale is “not far off”
Ellen Pompeo hints ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ finale is “not far off”
ABC/Mike Rosenthal

Ellen Pompeo provided an update about the fate of her long-running medical drama Grey’s Anatomy, and teased that the show may be ready to hang up the scrubs after 18 successful seasons.

“They’re not far off,” Pompeo, 51, told Entertainment Tonight when discussing fans’ theories that the five-time Emmy winning show will come to an end soon.

The actress, who stars as Doctor Meredith Grey, continued, “I mean, I’ve been trying to get away for years. I have been trying. It’s not because I haven’t been trying. I have strong relationships at the network and they have been very, very good to me, and have incentivized me to stay.”

Pompeo insisted that “creatively, as long as there’s something to do” she will continue starring on the ABC medical drama. “Miraculously, we keep coming up with ways to have a reason to stay and if there’s a reason, that warrants it,” she teased.

Season 17, she says, was the definition of creativity because it was filmed during a global pandemic. “We had to work around COVID obviously and so we had to be creative and think of ways to keep the show going and still be safe,” she said.

When asked about the possibility of a groundbreaking 19th season, the actress joked, “Oh please! Oh my goodness, can we pray together?”

However, Pompeo insisted her hands are tied when it comes to confirming if Grey’s is about to enter its final season, telling ET, “I’m not really supposed to say anything about it… I don’t want to be disrespectful to people I’ve promised things to.”

Grey‘s 18th season premieres September 30 on ABC.

 

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Enrique Iglesias explains why he’s “sticking to” his decision to stop making albums

Enrique Iglesias explains why he’s “sticking to” his decision to stop making albums
Enrique Iglesias explains why he’s “sticking to” his decision to stop making albums
Courtesy of Apple Music

With the release of Final (Vol. 1) on Friday, Enrique Iglesias is winding down the album-making part of his career.

In a new interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, he says he’s “sticking to” his decision to stop making albums.

“Back in 2015-16, I was shooting a video and it just crossed my mind, my next album should be my final album,” Enrique says. “Granted, there’s volume one and volume two, because I have a record contract, to be honest…But I feel I’m in this chapter of my life and making an album, it’s a grueling process for me.”

The 46-year-old says he’s still going to write songs, but they just won’t be released in the format of an album. 

Enrique is set to kick off his joint tour with Ricky Martin on September 25 in Las Vegas. He tells Zane you probably won’t see him do a Vegas residency any time soon, though.

“Because I don’t like performing in the same city every single night, at least right now,” he explains. “And I’ve been asked to do Vegas for the past five, six, seven, eight years, and I’ve always said no.”

“I like to travel,” Enrique adds. “…No matter how many times I’ve been to that same city, there’s always something different. I love that. There’s always something different with the fans, and I like meeting different fans.”

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FBI more than doubles domestic terrorism investigations: Christopher Wray

FBI more than doubles domestic terrorism investigations: Christopher Wray
FBI more than doubles domestic terrorism investigations: Christopher Wray
Nes/iStock

(WASHINGTON) — FBI Director Christopher Wray told a U.S. Senate panel Tuesday morning that the bureau has been forced to surge resources toward its domestic terrorism investigations in the past 18 months — increasing personnel by 260% to help handle a caseload that has more than doubled from roughly 1,000 ongoing investigations to 2,700.

“Terrorism moves at the speed of social media,” Wray told the Senate Homeland Security Committee. “You have the ability of lone actors, disgruntled in one part of the country to spin up similar like-minded individuals in other parts of the country and urge them into action.”

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, who appeared alongside Wray, agreed with him that social media is a “terrain that can so easily propagate misinformation, false information and allow communications to occur among loosely affiliated individuals.”

Wray offered more detail during questioning with Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah.

“The first bucket, the homegrown violent extremists, has been humming along fairly consistently at about 1,000 investigations — sometimes a little more sometimes a little less — over the last few years,” Wray explained. “The domestic violent extremists bucket, had been going up quite significantly over the last few years, which is why we’re now at 2,700 domestic terrorism investigations when if you went back two and a half years ago we’re probably more about 1,000 So it’s been a really significant jump there.”

Wray added that officials are “concerned that with developments in Afghanistan, among other things… I think we anticipate, unfortunately, growth in both categories as we look ahead, over the next couple years.”

Those numbers appear to be impacted significantly by the FBI’s hundreds of ongoing investigations into the attack on the U.S. Capitol.

“Overall, the FBI assesses that the January 6th siege of the Capitol Complex demonstrates a willingness by some to use violence against the government in furtherance of their political and social goals,” Wray said in written testimony provided to the Senate Homeland Security Committee. “This ideologically motivated violence — domestic terrorism — underscores the symbolic nature of the National Capital Region and the willingness of some Domestic Violent Extremists to travel to events in this area and violently engage law enforcement and their perceived adversaries.”

Wray said that even with the surge of resources to tackle domestic terrorism cases, the FBI has not been forced to divert attention away from investigations into threats posed by foreign terrorist organizations like al-Qaida and ISIS, and added the bureau is “certainly watching the evolving situation in Afghanistan.”

In the past several years, Wray said the FBI has thwarted potential terrorist attacks in at least seven cities, including Las Vegas, Tampa, New York, Cleveland, Kansas City, Miami and Pittsburgh.

Wray also flagged what he described as “a sharp and deeply disturbing uptick in violence against the law enforcement community.” He said thatin just the past eight months, 52 law enforcement officers have been killed feloniously in the line of duty, already lapsing the total number killed in all of 2020.

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