Tag: celebrities

Role Models Worksheet (PDF)

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Who do you look up to in life? We are a product of our influences. Complete this “Role Models” worksheet to create an endless resource of people you can be motivated and inspired by.

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Steven Handel

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November 20, 2023
Lisa Hochstein Launches Divorce Company Amid Split | Entrepreneur

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Real Housewives of Miami star Lisa Hochstein is turning lemons into lemonade by launching her own divorce company, Splitwell.

Hochstein, whose prolonged and public divorce from plastic surgeon Lenny Hochstein has played out on the hit Bravo show, posted a photo of the new company to her Instagram stories accompanied by the caption, “Turning my pain into purpose.”

The star also added “founder of Splitwell.com” to her bio on the social media platform.

Related: How Bethenny Frankel’s RHONY Deal Changed TV Contracts

The company’s website doesn’t make it clear what it will do, but it has the tagline “breaking up without breaking the bank,” and notes it will be “powered by AI” and offers the opportunity to sign up for a waitlist. Entrepreneur signed up for the waitlist but did not receive any further information.

^{Lenny Hochstein and Lisa Hochstein attend as Universal Pictures Presents The Miami Special Screening Of Ambulance on April 05, 2022 (Getty Images)}

Hochstein’s launch comes amid a public split from her estranged husband, Lenny, who initially filed for divorce in May 2022. Most recently, a Miami judge told Lenny that he could not rescind his original settlement proposal and that it was a “binding contract.”

Related: 5 Business Confessions of a ‘Real Housewife’

According to Celebrity Net Worth, Hochstein’s current net worth is an estimated $90 million.

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Emily Rella

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November 17, 2023
Sean Combs Accused of Rape and Abuse by Cassie

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On Thursday afternoon, the New York Times reported that the singer Cassie has filed a suit in the Federal District Court in Manhattan which alleges that Sean Combs physically and sexually abused her for years during their relationship. Cassie, whose full name is Cassandra Ventura, filed the lawsuit under New York’s Adult Survivors Act, which allows accusers to file lawsuits after the statute of limitations lapses. The period during which these suits may be filed is set to end next week.

According to the court documents, the abuse began shortly after Combs and Ventura met in 2005 when she was 19 and he was 37. The two were romantically involved from 2007 until about 2018. The lawsuit cites “threats of violence, excessive use of drugs, physical and psychological abuse, and sexual slavery.” The suit refers to forced sexual encounters with male prostitutes which Combs would watch, film, and masturbate to. It goes on to state that in 2018, “near the end of their relationship, Mr. Combs forced his way into her home and raped her.” Combs has denied all allegations.

Combs, the founder of Bad Boy Records, has been known throughout his career as a recording artist as Puff Daddy, Puffy, Diddy, and Love. In September, the three-time Grammy winner was awarded the Global Icon Award at the MTV Video Music Awards. He is one the most prominent figures in hip-hop, credited with helping commercialize the genre and boosting the careers of artists like the Notorious B.I.G. and Mary J. Bilge. Outside of music, he had a lucrative partnership with the popular liquor brand, Ciroc.

Ventura is a successful recording artist with major hits including her breakout single “Me & U.” In 2006 she was signed to a label that later became an imprint of Diddy’s Bad Boy record label. The complaint says that her association with Bad Boy Records ended in 2019.

“After years in silence and darkness, I am finally ready to tell my story, and to speak up on behalf of myself and for the benefit of other women who face violence and abuse in their relationships,” Ventura said in a statement. “With the expiration of New York’s Adult Survivors Act fast approaching, it became clear that this was an opportunity to speak up about the trauma I have experienced and that I will be recovering from for the rest of my life.”

The lawsuit alleges that Combs “asserted complete control” over Ventura throughout their relationship. It alleges that in 2012, Combs was so angered by Ventura’s relationship with the rapper Kid Cudi that he told Ventura he was going to blow up Kid Cudi’s car. “Around that time, Kid Cudi’s car exploded in his driveway,” the suit says. A spokeswoman for Kid Cudi told the Times, “This is all true.”

“Mr. Combs vehemently denies these offensive and outrageous allegations,” Combs’ lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, said in a statement emailed to TIME. “Ms. Ventura’s demand of $30 million, under the threat of writing a damaging book about their relationship, was unequivocally rejected as blatant blackmail. Despite withdrawing her initial threat, Ms. Ventura has now resorted to filing a lawsuit riddled with baseless and outrageous lies, aiming to tarnish Mr. Combs’ reputation, and seeking a pay day.”

Ventura’s lawyers denied the blackmail claim in a statement, noting, “Mr. Combs offered Ms. Ventura eight figures to silence her and prevent the filing of this lawsuit. She rejected his efforts and decided to give a voice to all women who suffer in silence. Ms. Ventura should be applauded for her bravery.”

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Moises Mendez II and Simmone Shah

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November 16, 2023
Michael Bublé Discusses the Launch of Fraser & Thompson Whiskey | Entrepreneur

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Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Michael Bublé has achieved the upper echelon of success in the music world thanks to his smooth and distinctive voice. And now the singer is looking to mirror that success in the spirits world with the launch of his smooth and distinctive whiskey Fraser & Thompson. “It’s not uncommon for me to have a whiskey on the rocks after a show,” he told Entrepreneur. “There’s just something about the ritual of winding down and hanging with the band to reflect on the show. How exciting that now it will be my very own whiskey in my glass!” Here the Grammy-winning, multiplatinum artist shares his brand’s origin story and his future plans for what he calls his ultimate passion project.

Can you tell us about the inspiration for your whiskey brand’s name?

We honestly went through a lot of names. Nothing sounded right to me, everything felt a bit forced, but when I came up with Fraser & Thompson, I immediately had that feeling like – ‘this is it’ – this is the one. My grandfather grew up taking me fishing on the Fraser and Thompson Rivers in British Columbia. He said sometimes the greatest things can happen when two unexpected things meet, like the Fraser and Thompson Rivers. This whiskey is for my Grandpa, I miss him every day.

Photo credit: Fraser & Thompson

Describe the collaboration between you and Master Distiller and Blender Paul Cirka.

Paul Cirka is a longtime friend and award-winning master distiller. He is the reason I got involved with the project. It took over three years, but with his expertise and knowledge, we developed an incredible whiskey. Paul owns the Cirka Distilleries in Montreal, so he knows his whiskey. There’s no one else I would have wanted to work with on this project.

Related: How Country Superstar Eric Church and Entrepreneur Raj Alva Distilled Whiskey Success

When Fraser & Thompson becomes the biggest whiskey in the world, which I fully intend, it’ll be thanks to Paul and his blending expertise. For F&T, he created a blend of whiskeys from various grains, ages, and barrel types sourced from three different distilleries. The final product is a blend of Canadian Whiskey and Kentucky Bourbon, blended and bottled by Heaven Hill in Bardstown, KY under Paul’s guidance.

What sets it apart from other whiskeys in the market?

F&T is flavorful and really smooth. It’s not intimidating because it doesn’t take itself too seriously. There’s no burn or polarizing taste, it’s just truly delicious and will appeal to the whiskey lover and the whiskey novice alike. The flavor profile is sweet fig and blood orange on the nose with a subtle finish of caramel, vanilla and a hint of spice. You don’t need to be a spirits expert to enjoy Fraser & Thompson — it’s a whiskey for everyone.

If you could share a glass of whiskey with anyone dead or alive who would it be?

My grandfather. As I mentioned, he was a whiskey enthusiast in his own right. He was my biggest supporter and, despite his obvious bias towards his grandson, I know he would have genuinely loved Fraser & Thompson.

Related: How Success Happened for Emilia Fazzalari, Co-Founder and CEO of Cincoro Tequila

Talk to us about the challenges of marketing in such a crowded market like whiskey.

It doesn’t matter how good your marketing is — if the product isn’t good, it’s never going to work. Fraser & Thompson is a genuine passion project. We spent over three years developing the perfect liquid. It’s sophisticated and elegant while remaining approachable and accessible. I love that I’m able to be so involved in the marketing and thrilled at the chance to showcase a different side of me. I could talk about it for days, but I know success will come if I am able to convince people to try it because it’s really that good! While we continue to increase distribution Fraser & Thompson is available for delivery through ReserveBar now. It makes the perfect Christmas gift and an even better stocking stuffer. A bottle would fill their entire stocking– just think of all the money you’ll save! And if you’re lucky, they’ll pour you a glass.

Related: From Rock God to Master Rosé Winemaker: a Conversation With Jon Bon Jovi

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Kennadi MCcoy

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November 16, 2023
Brad Pitt Is “Doing Great With Ines”

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Brad Pitt has a girlfriend. Well, it seems he’s had a girlfriend, but now they’re attending public events together. Well, they’re not walking the red carpet together so much as, you know, being seen at the 12th annual LACMA Art+Film Gala at the same time. The important thing here is that Brad Pitt has a girlfriend.

This was not the first time they’ve been spotted together. Pitt and Ines de Ramon went to Cabo around last New Year’s, and, prior to that, she attended the premiere after-party of Pitt’s recent flick Babylon. The tabloids identified her as a “jewelry exec,” and have noted she was the first major person in his life since his separation from Angelina Jolie.

So, it’s by no means a new thing, but the anonymous sources have changed their tune. Nearly a year ago, certain unidentified voices, which I like to imagine as a Greek chorus, were singing softly to People, “They are dating and having fun. They have a good thing going on. There is no stress. Brad is enjoying it.” And now, the chorus is yodeling to the same publication, “[Pitt] introduces [Ramon] as his girlfriend,” and “is doing great with Ines.”

There you have it. Brad Pitt is doing great with Ines. They are attending industry parties together now, a sure mark of seriousness in a Tinseltown relationship, and the faceless chorus speaking on behalf of the actor is saying that he’s saying he has a “girlfriend”—a more tenuous, but still thrilling, development.

Maybe it’s a little silly to be worrying over whether or not a man about to enter his 60s is “official” with the woman he’s seeing, but it’s to be expected. There is something deep in this culture’s core, down there in the same place that has made Hallmark movies so successful, that can only feel settled when a bachelor is settled. Just ask Brad Pitt’s fellow Oceans Eleven actor George Clooney.

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Kenzie Bryant

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November 14, 2023
Taylor Swift responds to witchcraft taunts with extraordinary video

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Pop megastar Taylor Swift said she’s now “never beating the sorcery allegations,” while sharing an incredible video of an airplane darting across the sky while perfectly accompanying her lyrics during a concert in Argentina.

The 12-time Grammy Award winner has been fending off sorcery and witchcraft rumors for the past several weeks as she travels the world on her sixth concert tour. While critics have slammed the singer, accusing her of promoting witchcraft, fans have shared viral TikTok clips describing Swift as looking like she’s doing a spell with her coven during performances of the song “Willow.”

The superstar appeared to respond to the sorcery allegations in a post on X, formerly Twitter, where Swift shared a jaw-dropping video from her Saturday Eras Tour stop in Buenos Aires, Argentina. In the 25-second clip, Swift is seen singing “Labyrinth” off her 2022 album, Midnights.

In a serendipitous moment, as Swift sings the lyrics, “I thought the plane was going down/How’d you turn it right around,” the camera pans to the sky right as an airplane soars directly above the venue.

“Never beating the sorcery allegations,” Swift captioned the video in the post Monday evening.

Newsweek reached out via email and social media to Swift’s representatives for comment Monday night.

Pop icon Taylor Swift performs during “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Swift, in a social media post Monday, appeared to respond to witchcraft accusations against her.
Marcelo Endelli/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management

Swift, 33, recently came under fire over an October Instagram post, in which the singer thanked her fans for turning out in droves to see her Eras tour movie.

“I’ve been watching videos of you guys in the theaters dancing and prancing and recreating choreography, creating inside jokes, casting spells, getting engaged, and just generally creating the exact type of joyful chaos we’re known for,” Swift said in the post.

The “casting spells” highlight enraged some social media users, including a woman who called herself an ex-fan after taking issue with the caption.

Kandiss Taylor, a former Republican Georgia gubernatorial candidate, blasted Swift for the comment in a lengthy post on X, voicing her dissent.

“Did you really just praise your fans for making videos with your music and ‘casting spells’ @taylorswift13?” the ex-MAGA hopeful asked the singer on X. “What is wrong with you? I have heard from others that attended this last tour that you had some satanic nods in your show. I didn’t want to believe it.”

The Republican accused Swift of “celebrating witchcraft.”

“You’re influencing innocent minds to be enticed with the dark side of spirituality,” she said.

While it appears that Swift did not respond directly to Taylor’s criticisms or accusations of witchcraft on X, the Georgia mother’s post ignited a heated debated with thousands of responses.

Uncommon Knowledge

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

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November 13, 2023
I took my daughter to Daymond John’s Black Entrepreneurs Day. Here’s what we learned. | Entrepreneur

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Have you experienced “Take Your Child to Work Day” as a kid or parent? It wasn’t really a thing when I was a kid. But now, as a parent with a flexible schedule, I can often find opportunities to share a glimpse of what I do for work with my children.

Most recently, I brought my 7-year-old daughter to Black Entrepreneur’s Day, an event curated by Daymond John. A few weeks earlier I told Daymond how she was inspired to start her own business after reading his children’s book, Little Daymond Learns to Earn.

To my surprise, he made a personalized video to congratulate my daughter on her new business and invited her to attend Black Entrpreneur’s Day at the Apollo here in New York City.

Founded in 2020 by Daymond John, Black Entrepreneurs Day is the ultimate celebration of Black business and entrepreneurship.

This year’s event was highlighted by insightful conversations with Black business icons including Cedric the Entertainer, Whoopi Goldberg, SHAQ, Anthony Anderson, Cari Champion, Sloane Stephens, and many more.

Here are three lessons anyone – including my daughter – can learn from the experience.

Failure isn’t devastating, it’s just annoying

Growing up, my wife’s favorite movie was Sister Act. This might be due to the fact that she went to Catholic school. Anyway, my daughter and I were able to meet Whoopi Goldberg, the star of my wife’s favorite movie.

I asked Whoopi what advice she would give to anyone – entrepreneurs included – who suffered a setback. Her reply was short but powerful: “Failure isn’t devastating, it’s just annoying.”

As a stoic with a high level of resilience, this resonated with me. Sure, I do get annoyed when things go wrong. I’m not going to deny that emotion and pretend like nothing is wrong. In fact, avoiding that emotion makes things even harder on me.

Research from the National Library of Medicine supports this belief.

“Avoidance is typically considered a maladaptive behavioral response to excessive fear and anxiety, leading to the maintenance of anxiety disorders.”

In other words, if you avoid acknowledging a setback, things may continue to spiral out of control.

But while recognizing the impact of this failure is crucial, it’s also important to not get stuck.

Instead, make a decision to acknowledge, adapt, and then advance. Like Whoopi said, it’s not devastating – it’s just annoying.

Failure is data, so long as you learn from it

My daughter and I also met Cedric The Entertainer, a comedian and actor known for wearing unique, fashionable hats.

Like many entrepreneurs, he decided to turn his passion into a business. And although he has experienced some success, he admitted his line of hats haven’t achieved the success he hoped for. Reason being, it’s very expensive to produce the type hats he likes at scale.

Fortunately, he didn’t let that prevent him from taking on new challenges. And for his next venture he partnered up with Anthony Anderson, a fellow comedian and actor. Together they launched AC Barbeque, a line of premium barbeque and seasoning rubs. Their new business is growing at a steady pace as a result of their commitment to delivering a quality product that can be developed and delivered at an affordable price.

What can you learn from this? You might fail in some of your business ventures too, but failure is a great teacher, so long as you learn from it.

You only fail if you don’t try

We were also able to see Carli Champion, a journalist and television personality who currently hosts The Cari Champion Show on Amazon Prime Video Sports Talk. If you’re an ESPN fan you may also recognize her from her days as an anchor on the network.

In 2012 she joined ESPN as the new host of ESPN2’s live debate show First Take. As the show’s host, she moderated debates between sports pundits Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith. But she wanted to do more than just moderate, she wanted to be a journalist.

After proposing ideas for stories to ESPN, she made her journalistic debut for the network in 2014. But she didn’t stop there. Instead, she spent the next six months petitioning ESPN to become an anchor on SportsCenter, ESPN’s flagship program. In 2015 Champion was promoted to this prestigious position.

So how can you apply this to your own pursuits? Fiercely advocate for the recognition and rewards you deserve. If you ask, the answer will be yes or no. If you don’t ask, the answer will definitely be no.

So start making bolder asks, and remember the only way to truly fail is not to try.

Ready to learn more?

You can watch the full replay of Black Entrepreneur’s Day on demand. And while you’re at it, check out my interview with Daymond on how you can help your kids foster entrepreneurial skills.

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Terry Rice

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November 10, 2023
Robert De Niro’s Ex-Assistant Wins $1.2 Million in Gender Discrimination Lawsuit

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NEW YORK — A jury awarded more than $1.2 million to Robert De Niro’s former personal assistant Thursday, finding one of his companies responsible for subjecting her to a toxic work environment.

While the jury found De Niro was not personally liable for the abuse, it said his company, Canal Productions, engaged in gender discrimination and retaliation against former assistant Graham Chase Robinson and should make two payments of $632,142 to her.

De Niro, who spent three days at the two-week trial — including two on the witness stand — has been ensnared in dueling lawsuits with Robinson since she quit in April 2019. He was not in the courtroom when the verdict was read aloud Thursday afternoon.

Read More: Robert De Niro on the Set of Raging Bull

Robinson, 41, smiled as the verdict was being delivered. After the jury left the room, she hugged her lawyers.

Outside the courthouse, she smiled broadly and at other times seemed to be near tears. She did not comment.

Lawyers on both sides claimed victory.

“We’re thrilled with the verdict,” Robinson’s attorney, Brent Hannafan, said as he stood with his client outside the courthouse. “Couldn’t be happier.”

Meanwhile, De Niro attorney Richard Schoenstein called the verdict “a great victory for Mr. De Niro.”

“He is absolved. He is not liable for anything that was charged against him at all,” Schoenstein said. “There’s a modest award against the company. But, you know, they were looking for $12 million.”

The lawyer said De Niro’s lawyers could try to reduce the award with post-verdict motions to the judge, but he wasn’t sure there would be any. He said he didn’t know if there would be an appeal.

Robinson had testified that De Niro, 80, and his girlfriend, Tiffany Chen, teamed up against her to turn a job she once loved into a nightmare.

De Niro and Chen each testified that Robinson became the problem when her aspirations to move beyond Canal Productions, the De Niro company that employed her, led her to make escalating demands to remain on the job.

Emails in which Chen told De Niro that she thought Robinson was having “imaginary intimacy” with him and wished she was his wife were shown to jurors. Robinson testified that she never had romantic interest in De Niro.

In two days on the witness stand, the actor told jurors that he boosted Robinson’s salary from less than $100,000 annually to $300,000 and elevated her title to vice president of production and finance at her request, even though her responsibilities remained largely the same.

When she quit, De Niro said, Robinson stole about $85,000 in airline miles from him, betrayed his trust and violated his unwritten rules to use common sense and always do the right thing.

At times, De Niro acknowledged from the witness stand many of the claims Robinson made to support her $12 million gender discrimination and retaliation lawsuit, including that he may have told her that his personal trainer was paid more than her in part because he had a family to support.

He agreed he had asked her to scratch his back on at least two occasions, dismissing a question about it with: “Ok, twice? You got me!”

He admitted that he had berated her, though he disputed ever aiming a profanity her way, saying: “I was never abusive, ever.”

He also denied ever yelling at her, saying every little thing she was trying to catch him with was nonsense and that, at most, he had raised his voice in her presence but never with disrespect. Then, he looked at her sitting between her lawyers in the well of the courtroom and shouted: “Shame on you, Chase Robinson!”

De Niro said Robinson was wrong to take 5 million airline miles from his company’s accounts, but he acknowledged that he had told her she could take 2 million miles and that there were no strict rules.

Robinson testified that she quit her job during an “emotional and mental breakdown” that left her overwhelmed and feeling like she’d “hit rock bottom.”

She said she has suffered from anxiety and depression since quitting and hasn’t worked in four years despite applying for 638 jobs.

Read More: There’s a Mental Health Crisis At Work Because Life Is Changing Too Fast

“I don’t have a social life,” she said. “I’m so humiliated and embarrassed and feel so judged. I feel so damaged in a way. … I lost my life. Lost my career. Lost my financial independence. I lost everything.”

De Niro’s lawyers sued Robinson for breach of loyalty and fiduciary duty even before her lawsuit was filed against him in 2019. They sought $6 million in damages, including a return of the 5 million airline miles. The jury flatly rejected the claims.

De Niro has won two Oscars over the past five decades in films such as “Raging Bull” and “The Deer Hunter.” He’s in the Martin Scorsese film “Killers of the Flower Moon” that’s in theaters now.

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Larry Neumeister / AP

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November 9, 2023
Sophia Loren Fast Facts | CNN

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CNN
—

Here’s a look at the life of award-winning screen legend Sophia Loren.

Birth date: September 20, 1934

Birth place: Rome, Italy (grew up in Pozzuoli, outside of Naples)

Birth name: Sofia Villani Scicolone

Father: Riccardo Scicolone

Mother: Romilda Villani

Marriages: Carlo Ponti (April 9, 1966-January 10, 2007, his death; September 17, 1957-September 3, 1962, annulled)

Children: Edoardo, Carlo Jr.

At six, her chin was cut by shrapnel during a bombing in World War II.

Other screen names used before becoming Sophia Loren were Sofia Lazzaro and Sofia Scicolone.

Nominated for two Academy Awards and won one. She also received an honorary award.

Nominated for eight Golden Globes and won five. She also received the honorary Cecil B. DeMille Award.

Nominated for one Grammy Award and won.

An accomplished cook, she has written three cookbooks.

1949 – Enters the Queen of the Sea beauty contest and comes in second, winning a train ticket to Rome, where she begins modeling and acting in B-movies.

Early 1950s – Is the runner-up in a nightclub beauty contest for Miss Rome. Movie producer Carlo Ponti is one of the judges.

1951 – Makes her US film debut as an uncredited extra, with no lines, in the film “Quo Vadis?”

Early 1950s – Adopts the last name Loren.

October 23, 1953 – “Aida” opens; it’s her first major leading role.

1957 – Loren appears in her first English-speaking leading role, “The Pride and the Passion.” She learns her lines by using cue cards of English words written phonetically.

1962 – Wins the Best Actress Academy Award for “La ciociara (Two Women).”

September 3, 1962 – Her marriage of almost five years to Carlo Ponti is annulled. Neither the Vatican nor Italian law recognizes Ponti’s 1957 divorce by proxy from Giuliana Ponti. Loren and Ponti are forced to annul their marriage after warrants for their arrest are issued.

1964 – Stars in the movie, “Matrimonio all’italiana (Marriage Italian Style).” Nominated for an Academy Award.

1964-1965 – Moves to France with Carlo Ponti and becomes a French citizen.

1965 – Giuliana Ponti obtains a French divorce recognized by Italian law.

April 9, 1966 – Loren and Carlo Ponti marry for the second time.

July 24, 1968 – Loren and Ponti cleared of bigamy charges by Rome’s criminal court.

January 23, 1979 – Loren is tried (in absentia), and acquitted, of complicity with Ponti in income tax evasion, misuse of government subsidies, and illegal export of Italian funds and artwork. Carlo Ponti is convicted and sentenced to four years in prison (two years were pardoned) and fined 22 billion lire ($24 million). All charges against him were cleared in 1987.

1980 – Portrays both herself and her mother in the made-for-TV movie “Sophia Loren: Her Own Story,” based on her 1979 autobiography, “Sophia: Living and Loving, Her Own Story,” written with A. E. Hotchner.

May 20, 1982 – Loren begins her 30-day jail term for tax evasion, for unpaid supplementary taxes for 1963-1964.

June 5, 1982 – Serves 17 days of her 30-day jail term.

1991 – Receives Honorary Academy Award for Lifetime Achievement.

2003 – Winner, Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for Children (along with Bill Clinton and Mikhail Gorbachev) for reading Prokofiev’s “Peter and The Wolf.”

2009 – Appears in the movie “Nine,” her first role in five years.

November 2014 – Loren’s memoir, “Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow: My Life,” is published.

November 13, 2020 – “The Life Ahead” premieres on Netflix. The film stars Loren and is directed by her son, Edoardo Ponti.

April 2021 – Loren opens Sophia Loren Original Italian Food, a restaurant and pizzeria, in Florence, Italy.

September 24, 2023 – Is taken to hospital for surgery after falling in her home and suffering several fractures to her hip and thighbone.

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November 9, 2023
AMC swings to Q3 profit, reports positive net income for second consecutive quarter

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AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc. reported third-quarter results that beat top- and bottom-line expectations Wednesday, as the movie-theater chain and meme-stock darling swung to a profit.

The company swung to net income of $12.3 million, or 8 cents a share, compared with a loss of $226.9 million, or $2.20 a share, in the prior year’s quarter. Excluding nonrecurring items, AMC
AMC,
-1.27%
reported a loss of 9 cents a share. Analysts surveyed by FactSet were looking for a loss of 25 cents a share.

Related: AMC bonds see bullish activity while meme-stock darling rides the Taylor Swift wave

Revenue grew 45.2% to $1.406 billion, above the FactSet consensus of $1.260 billion. AMC’s adjusted Ebitda was $194 million.

“For both revenue and adjusted Ebitda, these were AMC’s most successful third-quarter results in our company’s entire 103-year history, by definition being greater than the third quarter of pre-pandemic 2019,” AMC Chief Executive Adam Aron said in a statement. “For the second consecutive quarter, AMC reported positive net income, and we ended the quarter with $730 million of cash. This all suggests that we are well underway on our growth path to recovery from the ravages of the COVID pandemic.”

Related: The ‘Barbenheimer’ buzz may be over, but consumer enthusiasm for movies is still strong, says Cinemark CEO

“What is perhaps most impressive of all is that our success in the third quarter came at a time when our attendance at the domestic box office in the quarter was still 16% below comparable 2019 levels,” Aron added. “That success is because our contribution per patron was up 30% versus 2019.”

Admissions revenue was $797.7 million, above the FactSet consensus of $739 million. Food and beverage revenue was $482.7 million, above the FactSet consensus of $449 million.

AMC’s stock fell 1.3% in extended trading Wednesday. The company’s shares are down 71.9% in 2023, compared with the S&P 500 index’s
SPX
gain of 14.2%.

Related: AMC’s debt-to-equity, late payments, could be ‘red flags,’ warns Creditsafe

Speaking during a conference call to discuss the results, Aron said that the short-term impact of the writers’ and actors’ strikes will cause challenges for AMC in 2024. “Without taking sides … we strongly encourage all the parties involved to come to the negotiating table with the intent of reaching an agreement immediately,” he said.

The AMC CEO also discussed the success of Taylor Swift’s record-breaking concert film, which opened Oct. 12. “Both as distributor and exhibitor, AMC benefited handsomely,” he said, adding that AMC Theatres Distribution is following this success with the release of “Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé,” which hits theaters globally Dec. 1.

“In working with two of the most admired pop stars on the planet, we already have touched lightning,” Aron added. “We are optimistic, though, that this will lead to much more ahead … we believe that we will have several more concert film products in 2024 and 2025. We intend to be working with some of the most known and most loved musical artists the world has ever known.”

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November 8, 2023
Chuck Schumer Fast Facts | CNN

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CNN
—

Here’s a look at the life of Chuck Schumer, the US Senate majority leader and Democratic senator from New York.

Birth date: November 23, 1950

Birth place: Brooklyn, New York

Birth name: Charles Ellis Schumer

Father: Abe Schumer, exterminator

Mother: Selma (Rosen) Schumer

Marriage: Iris Weinshall (1980-present)

Children: Jessica, Alison

Education: Harvard University, A.B., 1971; Harvard Law School, J.D., 1974

Religion: Jewish

He was valedictorian at James Madison High School in Brooklyn and received a perfect 1600 score on the SAT test. He edited his high school newspaper, and at one point considered pursuing a career in chemistry. His parents encouraged him to go to medical school, but he opted for law school instead.

He funded his Harvard education by selling class rings while in school.

For more than three decades, Schumer shared an aging row house in Washington with Congressional colleagues, including Dick Durbin and George Miller. He lived in the row house during the week and returned to his family home in Brooklyn on weekends.

Writer/actress Amy Schumer is his second cousin, once removed.

1975-1980 – New York state assemblyman.

1981-1999 – US representative from New York 9th District (formerly 10th District and 16th District).

1987-1988 – Sponsors the Fair Credit and Charge Card Disclosure Act, which requires credit card companies to list detailed information about fees and interest rates when soliciting new customers. The credit card disclosures are nicknamed “Schumer Boxes.”

1993-1994 – Sponsors the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act, which requires background checks and a five-day waiting period for handgun purchases. Sponsors the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, meant to prevent the government from interfering with an individual’s right to express his or her faith. Also, cosponsors the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, a measure that provides funding to expand police departments, increases prison capacity and allows judges to impose longer sentences for violent crimes. The crime bill includes an assault weapons ban, prohibiting the sale of certain types of military-style semi-automatic rifles for 10 years.

1998 – Wins election to US Senate.

2004 – Wins reelection to the US Senate.

2004 – Leads an unsuccessful push to renew the assault weapons ban.

2005-2008 – Chairs the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

2007-2008 – Introduces the Keeping the Internet Devoid of Sexual Predators Act, requiring registered sex offenders to give law enforcement their email addresses and social media accounts so their online activity can be tracked.

2007-2010 – Chairs and vice chairs the US Senate’s Joint Economic Committee.

2009 – Cosponsors the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Hate Crimes Prevention Act, broadening the definition of hate crimes to include acts of violence against individuals based on their actual or perceived gender, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity.

2009-present – Serves on the US Senate Committee on Rules and Administration.

2010 – Wins reelection to US Senate.

2011-present – Chairman of the US Senate’s Democratic Policy and Communications Committee.

2013 – Works on immigration reform as a member of the bipartisan “Gang of Eight.” The group’s bill, the Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013, passes the Senate. The House, however, declines to vote on the package, which creates a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.

August 3, 2015 – Holds a joint press conference with his cousin, actress and comedian Amy Schumer, to announce gun control legislation promoting stricter state background check laws. The press conference takes place 11 days after a deadly mass shooting at a screening of Schumer’s comedy, “Trainwreck,” in Louisiana. Schumer’s bill, the Fix Gun Checks Act of 2016, stalls in the Senate.

August 6, 2015 – Expresses his opposition to the nuclear deal with Iran in a statement. He says that he is concerned about a 24-day delay for inspectors to access facilities and other limitations on inspections.

November 8, 2016 – Wins reelection to the US Senate.

November 16, 2016 – Senate Democrats choose Schumer to succeed Harry Reid as leader in the chamber.

January 3, 2017 – On his first day as Senate minority leader, Schumer tells CNN that Senate Democrats plan to hold President-elect Donald Trump accountable but will also work with him if he supports legislation that is true to the Democratic Party’s principles.

March 2, 2017 – Schumer calls on Attorney General Jeff Sessions to resign in the wake of a report that Sessions met with the Russian ambassador to the US during the presidential campaign, contradicting his testimony during his Senate confirmation hearing. Sessions does not resign but recuses himself from involvement in the investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

September 6, 2017 – Schumer meets with Trump and other congressional leaders in the Oval Office. During the meeting, Trump agrees to endorse a plan to attach hurricane relief money to a three-month extension of the debt ceiling that was proposed by Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.

January 19, 2018 – Schumer meets with Trump at the White House to discuss a deal that could avert a looming government shutdown. Schumer offers to increase military spending and fully fund border security measures in exchange for a pledge to protect beneficiaries of the Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals program (DACA). Trump ultimately rejects the deal. The failed negotiations lead to a brief shutdown that White House officials label the “Schumer Shutdown.”

June 27, 2018 – Schumer introduces a bill, the Marijuana Freedom and Opportunity Act, that would decriminalize and regulate marijuana at the federal level.

November 11, 2018 – Schumer says that Democrats may combine a must-pass spending bill with a measure protecting the Robert Mueller special counsel investigation into Russian election meddling.

November 10, 2020 – Schumer is reelected as a Senate party leader.

January 20, 2021-present – Senate majority leader.

July 14, 2021 – Schumer and a group of other Senate Democrats introduce draft legislation that would decriminalize marijuana at the federal level by striking it from the federal controlled substances list.

November 8, 2022 – Wins reelection to the US Senate.

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November 8, 2023
Katy Perry Wins Fight With 1-800-Flowers Founder Over Estate | Entrepreneur

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A judge has ruled that Katy Perry’s purchase of a $15 million Montecito, Calif., mansion can go through, per Bloomberg. Perry had been battling the estate’s owner, the octogenarian founder of 1-800-Flowers, Carl Westcott, over the deal since 2020.

Westcott bought the 11-bedroom home in May 2020 for $11.25 million and signed a contract to sell it to Perry just a couple of months later for $15 million. However, after a few days, Westcott went back on his decision, claiming he had recently had surgery and was on painkillers and never intended to sell.

In the tentative judgment, Judge Joseph Lipner found “no credible evidence” that Westcott couldn’t make the deal.

“The contract that Westcott negotiated and signed yielded Westcott a $3.75 million gross profit,” Lipner said in Tuesday’s decision. “Moreover, Westcott entered into other contracts shortly before and shortly after the contract at issue here. Westcott has not attempted to rescind any of these other contracts for lack of capacity.”

Original story below:

Pop sensation Katy Perry is heading to court over a $15 million mansion her business manager Bernie Gudvi agreed to purchase on her behalf in July 2020.

The home’s seller is Carl Westcott, the 83-year-old founder of 1-800-Flowers, who claims he wasn’t of sound mind when he signed over the property; he sued Gudvi to void the agreement, Bloomberg reported. But Perry won’t budge on the deal. The singer’s also seeking $1.4 million to cover lost income she could have made renting the property.

Related: Katy Perry Sells Catalog for $225 Million Boosting Net Worth

The eight-bedroom, 11-bathroom estate sits on nearly nine green acres in the sunny Santa Ynez foothills in Montecito, California, an area known for wealthy celebrity residents including Oprah Winfrey, Brad Pitt and Ellen DeGeneres.

Westcott bought the property in May 2020 for $11.25 million and was trying to turn a quick profit by selling it just a few months later, per Bloomberg. But when the deal was complete, Westcott claimed he’d been on painkillers post-major surgery and wasn’t fit to enter the agreement.

According to his son Chart Westcott, who’s assumed power of attorney for his father and taken over the case, the founder’s health is in decline. Westcott entered a full-time medical facility in mid-2021, experiencing mental health issues, early signs of dementia and tremors associated with Huntington’s disease, per medical records submitted to the court.

This isn’t the first legal battle Perry and her team have fought over real estate.

In 2015, nuns who resided at a Medieval-Spanish-Gothic-Tudor estate in Los Angeles, which included 30,000 feet of living space, a pool, a tower and a connected prayer house, tried to block the property’s sale to Perry, NPR reported. Their efforts were unsuccessful, and the woman they’d tried to sell to was ordered to pay millions to Perry and the archdiocese. One of the nuns collapsed and died in court during a post-judgment hearing.

Related: Everything About Katy Perry’s Non-Alcoholic Beverage De Soi

Perry’s team maintains that Westcott had every intention of selling the house. “He was competent when he hired an experienced real estate broker, vetted the brokerage commission rate, arranged showings of the Property, entertained multiple offers, sought alternative houses, and ultimately negotiated a highly lucrative sale,” Gudvi’s lawyers said in a May 2022 court filing.

The trial began on Wednesday in Los Angeles, and Perry could take the stand as early as Friday, per Bloomberg.

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Amanda Breen

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November 8, 2023
Billie Jean King Fast Facts | CNN

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CNN
—

Here is a look at the life of tennis champion and LGBTQ activist Billie Jean King.

Birth date: November 22, 1943

Birth place: Long Beach, California

Birth name: Billie Jean Moffitt

Father: Willard J. Moffitt, engineer for a fire department

Mother: Betty Moffitt, Avon sales representative

Marriage: Ilana Kloss (October 18, 2018-present); Larry King (September 17, 1965-1987, divorced)

Education: Attended Los Angeles State College (now California State University, Los Angeles), 1961-1964

Has won 39 Grand Slam championships overall in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles, including 12 Grand Slam singles titles.

Is the founder and first president of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA).

Threatened to boycott the 1973 US Open if equal prize money was not awarded. The fight she started for equal pay in the Grand Slams took 34 years to reach fruition when Wimbledon became the last of the four to fall into line in 2007.

She remained friends with “Battle of the Sexes” opponent Bobby Riggs off the court until his death from prostate cancer in 1995.

READ MORE: What you should know about tennis champ Billie Jean King

1959 – Makes her tennis debut.

1961 – Wins her first Wimbledon title, in doubles with Karen Hautze.

1966 – Wins her first Wimbledon singles title.

1966-1968, 1972, 1973, 1975 – Wimbledon singles champion.

1967, 1971-1972, 1974 – US Open singles champion.

1968 – Australian Open singles champion.

1971 – Becomes the first female athlete to win $100,000 in a single year.

1972 – French Open singles champion.

1972 – Wins the US Open and threatens to bow out the following year if the prize money for the men and women is not equal.

1973 – The US Open becomes the first major tournament to award equal prize money to men and women.

June 30, 1973 – Establishes the WTA.

September 20, 1973 – At 29, wins the “Battle of the Sexes” match in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3, at the Houston Astrodome against 55-year-old Riggs. King earns the $100,000 winner-take-all prize.

1973-1975, 1980-1981 – President of WTA.

1974 – Is a founding partner, along with her husband Larry, of World Team Tennis, a competitive co-ed circuit league. She also helps establish the Women’s Sports Foundation.

May 2, 1981 – Acknowledges that she is a lesbian after Marilyn Barnett files a palimony lawsuit against her. She becomes one of the first professional athletes to publicly disclose her homosexuality.

1984 – Retires from professional tennis.

2006 – The United States Tennis Association (USTA) National Tennis Center in Flushing, New York, is rededicated as the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. The Center is the home of the US Open.

August 12, 2009 – Receives the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

December 17, 2013 – Is named to the US delegation for the opening ceremony at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Russia by President Barack Obama. She later withdraws due to her mother’s illness.

2014 – Establishes the non-profit, Billie Jean King Leadership Initiative.

February 15, 2014 – King is named as part of the presidential delegation to the closing ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Russia, after having to withdraw from the opening ceremonies.

September 22, 2017 – The film “Battle of the Sexes,” opens. The film is about King’s 1973 tennis match victory over Riggs.

January 12, 2018 – Calls for the Australian Open’s Margaret Court Arena to be renamed because of the Melbourne Park champion’s views on homosexuality. During a media conference King states, “I was fine until she said lately so many derogatory things about my community. I’m a gay woman … that really went deep in my heart and soul.”

September 21, 2019 – The city of Long Beach, California, opens the Billie Jean King Main Library. The building is located in the new $533 million Civic Center. The City Council voted unanimously to name the building after the famous native.

September 17, 2020 – The International Tennis Federation (ITF) announces that the Fed Cup, an international women’s tennis team competition, has been renamed the Billie Jean King Cup.

August 17, 2021 – King’s memoir, “All In: An Autobiography,” is published.

February 13, 2022 – King serves as the Honorary Coin Toss Captain for Super Bowl LVI and flips the ceremonial coin ahead of kickoff, helping the NFL mark the 50th anniversary of Title IX.

June 3, 2022 – French President Emmanuel Macron presents King with the Legion of Honor, France’s highest civilian award.

November 7, 2022 – In an interview with CNN, King reveals her “pet peeve” is Wimbledon’s “horrible” all white uniform policy. The next day in a statement to CNN, the All-England Tennis Club (AELTC) says: “Prioritising women’s health and supporting players based on their individual needs is very important to us, and we are in discussions with the WTA, with manufacturers and with the medical teams about the ways in which we can do that.”

October 18, 2023 – King is revealed to be a contestant on season 10 of the show “The Masked Singer.”

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November 8, 2023
Barbra Streisand Fast Facts | CNN

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CNN
—

Here is a look at the life of singer and actress Barbra Streisand.

Birth date: April 24, 1942

Birth place: Brooklyn, New York

Birth name: Barbara Joan Streisand

Father: Emanuel Streisand, a teacher

Mother: Diana (Rosen) Streisand Kind

Marriages: James Brolin (July 1, 1998-present); Elliott Gould (March 21, 1963-1971, divorced)

Children: with Elliott Gould: Jason Emanuel Gould

Changed her name from Barbara to Barbra.

Her father died when she was 15 months old.

Has suffered from severe stage fright.

Nominated for 46 Grammy Awards and has won eight.

Nominated for nine Primetime Emmy Awards and has won four.

Nominated for five Academy Awards and has won two.

Nominated for two Tony Awards, and has received a special Tony Award.

1962 – Makes her Broadway debut in “I Can Get It For You Wholesale.”

1962 – Signs a contract with Columbia Records.

1963 – Her debut album, “The Barbra Streisand Album,” is released and wins her two Grammy Awards.

1964 – The Broadway musical “Funny Girl,” in which Streisand plays Fanny Brice, debuts.

1965 – Her television special, “My Name Is Barbra,” airs. It earns Streisand an Emmy Award and a Grammy Award for the accompanying album.

April 14, 1969 – Wins the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in the film “Funny Girl.”

1970 – Receives a special Tony Award.

1973 – The film “The Way We Were” opens.

March 28, 1977 – Receives the Academy Award for Best Original Song, for the song “Evergreen (Love Theme From A Star Is Born)” from the movie “A Star Is Born.”

1983 – Streisand’s directorial debut, “Yentl,” opens.

1986 – The Streisand Foundation is established.

1991 – “The Prince of Tides” opens, a film in which Streisand produces, directs and acts.

1995 – Receives a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

2008 – Receives the Kennedy Center Honors.

September 2014 – Streisand’s new album, “Partners,” is released and goes to the top of the Billboard 200 album chart. This makes her the first artist to have a No. 1 album in each of the past six decades.

November 24, 2015 – Is awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama.

February 2018 – Variety magazine releases an interview in which Streisand reveals that two of her dogs are clones of her deceased dog Samantha, who passed away in 2017.

November 2, 2018 – Streisand’s album, “Walls,” is released. Streisand says the album embodies her feelings about Donald Trump and his presidency.

July 7, 2019 – Streisand reunites with her “A Star Is Born” co-star Kris Kristofferson on stage at London’s Hyde Park for a sold-out crowd of 65,000 – the biggest audience she’s performed for since a Central Park performance for 150,000 in 1968, according to Variety.

October 18, 2021 – Streisand funds The Barbra Streisand Institute at UCLA. The institute’s goal involves “solving societal challenges” and will focus on four areas the artist and activist is most passionate about.

November 4, 2022 – “Live at the Bon Soir,” a live album originally intended to be Streisand’s 1962 debut, is released for the first time.

November 7, 2023 – Streisand’s memoir, “My Name is Barbra,” is published.

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November 8, 2023
Travis Scott’s 1-of-1 Air Jordans and More of the Week’s Best Celebrity Sneakers

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Superstar pop producer and Bleachers frontman Jack Antonoff, in addition to being responsible for co-writing and producing some of the greatest pop albums of the past decade (that’s Melodrama, Reputation, and Norman Fucking Rockwell, for anyone wondering), also happens to have a deep knowledge of obscure sneakers, at least if his fit on the Tonight Show earlier this week is anything to go by. He wore a pair of high-top football Derby’s from Zeha Berlin, an excellent throwback shoe and a bona fide sneakerhead deep cut.

Victor Wembanyama in the Nike Air Force 1

Barry Gossage/Getty Images

For the second time in less than a week, rookie phenomenon Victor Wembanyama and his San Antonio Spurs faced off against Kevin Durant and Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns—and this time, in addition to securing yet another victory over the otherwise dominant Suns squad, Wemby dropped a career-high 38 points. But if you had been paying attention to his entrance, his forceful performance wouldn’t have come as a surprise: He signaled his intentions to kick ass and take names when he turned up in black Air Force Ones.

Bradley Cooper in the Travis Scott x Air Jordan 1 High

Gotham

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November 5, 2023
Robert De Niro Testifies Against Abusive Boss Allegations

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NEW YORK — Robert De Niro testified Monday in New York City at a trial resulting from a former personal assistant’s lawsuit accusing the actor of being an abusive boss. De Niro, who at times appeared grouchy, restrained himself from erupting at the dissection of his interactions with her before finally blurting out: “This is all nonsense!”

The two-time Oscar-winning actor known for his performances in blockbuster movies like “The Deer Hunter” and “Raging Bull” was the first witness in a trial resulting from lawsuits over the employment of Graham Chase Robinson. Robinson, who worked for De Niro between 2008 and 2019, was paid $300,000 annually before she quit as his vice president of production and finance.

Read More: The 100 Best Movies of the Past 10 Decades

The woman, tasked for years with everything from decorating De Niro’s Christmas tree to taking him to the hospital when he fell down stairs, has sued him for $12 million in damages for severe emotional distress and reputational harm. Robinson said he refused to give her a reference to find another job when she quit in 2019 after repeated clashes with his girlfriend.

De Niro, 80, testified through most of the afternoon, agreeing that he had listed Robinson as his emergency contact at one point and had relied on her to help with greeting cards for his children.

But when a lawyer for Robinson asked him if he considered her a conscientious employee, he scoffed.

“Not after everything I’m going through now,” he said.

Robert De Niro’s former personal assistant Graham Chase Robinson departs federal court in New York City on Oct. 30, 2023.David Dee Delgado—Getty Images

De Niro twice raised his voice almost to a shout during his testimony. Once, it occurred as he defended the interactions his girlfriend had with Robinson, saying, “We make decisions together.”

The second time occurred when Robinson’s lawyer tried to suggest that De Niro bothered his client early in the morning to take him to the hospital in 2017.

“That was one time when I cracked my back falling down the stairs!” De Niro angrily snapped. Even in that instance, he added, he delayed calling Robinson, making it to his bed after the accident at 1 a.m. or 2 a.m., but then later summoning her at 4 a.m. or 5 a.m.

Repeatedly, Judge Lewis J. Liman explained the rules of testimony to De Niro and that there were limits to what he could say.

“Can I ask a question?” De Niro asked in one exchange with Robinson’s lawyer. The request was denied.

Read More: Robert De Niro on the Set of Raging Bull

He insisted that he treated Robinson well even after he bought a five-bedroom Manhattan townhouse and let Robinson oversee some of the preparations so he could move there with his girlfriend, Tiffany Chen.

“It is not like I’m asking for her to go out there and scrape floors and mop the floor,” he said. “So this is all nonsense!”

Correspondence between De Niro and Chen that was shown to jurors demonstrated that Chen became increasingly suspicious of Robinson’s motives, saying she thought Robinson acted like she was De Niro’s wife and believed that she had “imaginary intimacy” with De Niro.

“She felt there was something there and she may have been right,” De Niro said in defense of his girlfriend’s suspicions.

In opening statements that preceded De Niro’s testimony, attorney Andrew Macurdy said Robinson has been unable to get a job and has been afraid to leave her home since leaving the job with De Niro.

He said De Niro would sometimes yell at her and call her nasty names in behavior consistent with sexist remarks he made about women generally.

Macurdy said the trouble between them arose when Chen became jealous that De Niro relied on Robinson for so many tasks and that they communicated so well.

He said his client never had a romantic interest in De Niro.

“None,” he said. “There was never anything romantic between the two of them.”

De Niro’s attorney, Richard Schoenstein, said Robinson was treated very well by De Niro “but always thought she deserved more.”

He described De Niro as “kind, reasonable, generous” and told jurors they would realize that when they hear the testimony of others employed by De Niro’s company, Canal Productions, which has countersued Robinson.

Schoenstein described Robinson as “condescending, demeaning, controlling, abusive” and said “she always played the victim.”

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Larry Neumeister / AP

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October 30, 2023
Matthew Perry Remembered for Helping Others Get Sober

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As fans around the world mourn the death of Matthew Perry, many are remembering the beloved Friends star for the ways he which he strove to help people recovering from addiction.

Fifty-four-year-old Perry was found dead at his Los Angeles home on Oct. 28, prompting an outpouring of love for the actor as well as recognition of his longtime commitment to helping others get sober. Perry himself, who spoke candidly about his own struggles with drug and alcohol addiction in his 2022 memoir Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, said during an interview last year with podcast host Tom Power that he would prefer to be remembered for helping people rather than for his work on Friends as the iconic Chandler Bing.

“The best thing about me, bar none, is that if somebody comes to me and says, ‘I can’t stop drinking, can you help me?’ I can say ‘yes’ and follow up and do it,” he said. “When I die, I don’t want Friends to be the first thing that’s mentioned. I want that to be the first thing that’s mentioned. And I’m gonna live the rest of my life proving that.”

Friends and costars of Perry’s, including Mira Sorvino and Hank Azaria (who appeared alongside Perry in a recurring role on Friends), have begun paying tribute to his legacy of service to those battling addiction.

“I want to leave Matthew Perry’s own words here as the way we remember him,” Sorvino wrote on X. “There will never be another like him- he lit up so many hearts in so many ways.”

In a video posted on Instagram, Azaria shared how Perry personally helped him get sober. “I’m a sober guy for 17 years,” he said. “I want to say that the night I went into AA, Matthew brought me in. The whole first year I was sober, we went to meetings together. As a sober person, he was so caring and giving and wise and he totally helped me get sober. I really wish he could have found it in himself to stay with the sober life more consistently.”

In addition to helping individuals like Azaria, Perry also turned his former Malibu home into a sober living facility called the Perry House, which ran until 2015.

“I would like to be remembered as somebody who lived well, loved well, was a seeker,” Perry said in the 2022 interview. “And his paramount thing is that he wants to help people. That’s what I want.”

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Megan McCluskey

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October 30, 2023
Three generations of women under one roof raised an outgoing, curious boy. They’ll never see him graduate from high school | CNN

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Editor’s Note: This story is part of a series profiling American youth killed this year by guns, a leading cause of death of children in the US. Read more about the project here.

CNN
—

“Hi Grandson, I started grief counseling today, I need to do this to help me with why you are not here, I yearn for you sooooooo much.”

“Hi Grandson, I know you said YaYa don’t cry, but I am crying Bryson because my heart hurts so much for you, I miss you like crazy, I am so sad that you are not here.”

“Hi Grandson, YaYa is fighting for you, because you did not deserve what has happened to you.”

Erica Colbert texts her grandson, Bryson Hudson, almost every day. She gives him updates about his mother, Katika Travis, and younger brother, Drake. She tells him how she talks about him to everybody. She tells him he is her “everything.”

The curious, rambunctious child was raised by his mother, his grandmother and great-grandmother, Colbert’s mother. When 19-year-old Travis learned she was pregnant with Bryson, her firstborn, the three generations of women were living under the same roof in Baltimore.

The moment she laid eyes on her grandson, Colbert said he changed her life.

She said they showered their outgoing boy with love and affection, instilled in him an infectious sense of humor, taught him and nurtured him from his birth to his senseless, violent death this year.

“He was very much the light of where he stepped,” Colbert said.

But now, Colbert spends her days trying to answer the “whys” surrounding her grandson’s killing, she said. She won’t see Bryson graduate from high school; she won’t see him have a girlfriend, wife, or children.

He will always be 16 years old, Colbert said.

On August 14, two months after his 16th birthday, Bryson was killed in the East Baltimore neighborhood where he grew up. He was two blocks from home when he was shot multiple times in broad daylight.

Bryson was pronounced dead roughly 11 minutes after arriving at the hospital, according to his grandmother.

His death came just two weeks before he would have started his junior year at Digital Harbor High School, a Baltimore City public college preparatory high school for students who desire to pursue a technology career. His mother had been planning to surprise him with driving lessons soon, Colbert said. Bryson had told his family he wanted to travel the country after graduation.

Christopher McLean, 28, was charged in September with first- and second-degree murder in Bryson’s killing and faces additional charges related to the shooting, including first-degree assault and attempted murder, state charging documents show. Robert D. Cole, an attorney for McLean, declined to comment on his client’s behalf when contacted by CNN.

A 28-year-old man was also wounded in the shooting, police said. It’s unclear whether Bryson was a bystander or targeted.

More about Bryson
Died August 14

Shot by a 28-year-old suspect on the 900 Block of North Broadway in northeast Baltimore, near his home, police said.

The suspect, Christopher McLean, is scheduled to be arraigned on November 2, according to the office of the state’s attorney for Baltimore City.

Bryson is among at least 1,400 children and teens killed by a gun so far in 2023, according to the Gun Violence Archive. Firearms became the No. 1 killer of children and teens in America in 2020, surpassing motor vehicle accidents, which had long been the leading cause of death among America’s youth.

Read other profiles of children who’ve died from gunfire

“He should be looking at my death certificate, not me looking at his death certificate that says he died from multiple gunshot wounds,” Colbert said through tears. “That should not be a reality.”

The grandmother winces every time she hears the phrase, “He was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“Where was he supposed to be? Are all of us in the wrong place at the wrong time? He wasn’t in the wrong place. He was in his neighborhood,” she said.

Bryson loved to make jokes, his grandmother said, often causing belly-laughs just by being himself. His outgoing spirit and warmth helped even shyer children open up around him.

He also loved to dance, Colbert said, and they danced together often.

But she misses his deep, full-bodied laughter the most.

“I just want to hear him laugh. He had such a unique laugh and we used to have such a good time,” his grandmother said.

Bryson was also interested in fashion and liked to dress in his own way. He was known for his hair, Colbert said, so much so that his friends would tell her, “You know, YaYa, everybody wants to get their hair just like Bryson’s.”

But most of all, Bryson had a “heart of gold.”

Colbert laughed when she recalled his 15th birthday, when he asked her for a Louis Vuitton belt as a gift. Though it was expensive, she bought it for him anyway.

Then, one day, she noticed Bryson’s friend wearing a very similar belt.

“‘Your friend got a belt like yours?’” Colbert recalled asking Bryson at the time. “He said, ‘Oh no, YaYa, I just let him use it. We borrow each other’s things.’”

“Anything he did – if he had $10, he was going to give a friend five,” she said.

Bryson’s friends are devastated by his loss, Colbert said. They grew up together and never missed the chance to celebrate each other’s milestones. As kids, they played football. As teens, they rapped and made music videos.

“He was definitely the light. His friends, everyone came around him,” Colbert added. “I could see my daughter’s house was the house that all the kids migrated to.”

But no one came between Bryson and his 12-year-old brother, Drake. Colbert described them as “two peas in a pod,” constantly playing, bickering and teasing each other.

Drake misses his brother, and it shows, she said.

At the start of the school year, his mother bought Drake a new pair of shoes. But he chose to wear Bryson’s sneakers to school instead, even though they were a size too big.

“Anything he can still wear of Bryson’s, he’s wearing it,” Colbert said.

Gun violence is an epidemic in the US. Here are 4 things you can do today

Along with his younger brother, Bryson was especially close to his great-grandmother. One of the hardest moments in his young life, Colbert recalled, was when his “Granny” died. Bryson was 13 at the time.

They had a special bond, communicating often and effortlessly, despite their wide age gap, Colbert said of her grandson and mother. When the family all came together, the pair were always laughing and whispering to each other, Colbert said.

“It would just be them wanting to get a reaction from you,” she said. “Because my mom was a jokester, she always wanted laughter. She always felt like something was funny to laugh at, so she definitely passed that on to him and he carried it well.”

In her texts now to her grandson, Colbert tells Bryson she often thinks about him reuniting with his Granny.

“I want you here, but I feel Granny has you in her arms, Bryson you are my heart and not having you here my heart is broken.”

“I miss you Grandson #1, wyd? Are you and Granny whispering?”