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Published by Miami Herald MIAMI — New York Congressman George Santos spent lots of time in Florida in 2021 and 2022, including multiple trips to South Florida, according to his campaign finance reports. There were hotel stays in West Palm Beach, some aligning with events Santos attended at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort. There were meals at fancy restaurants like Miami’s Nusr-Et Steakhouse and stays at the high-end W South Beach around the time Santos held a fundraiser in Fort Lauderdale. All told, Santos reported more than $17,000 in campaign spending in the Sunshine State. It’s not clear if the reports are all accu… Read More View the full article

Published by Radar Online @CelebCandidly/ Snorlax / MEGA; MEGA Kanye West has forked over nearly $50k to former alt-right pal Milo Yiannopoulos for his consulting work after insiders claimed the Famous rapper was originally left blindsided by a $116k bill, RadarOnline.com has learned. FEC filings indicated that West paid $40k to Yiannopoulos to do “Campaign Wrap Up Services” for Kanye 2020, his seemingly still-active presidential committee. MEGA The cash went out last December, right around the time West and Yiannopoulos parted ways following their media blitz and several outings together. The filing showed Yiannopoulos received yet another payment of $9,955 in November for a “Domain Transfer.” It seems they must have worked out an agreement considering reports that a deal was never made in writing for the extremist to take on work as an advisor. An invoice, dated December 1, showed otherwise, charging West a whopping $116k. MEGA Ye’s friendship with Yiannopoulos stirred up chatter online when they were photographed spending time together in mid-November. Sources claimed Nick Fuentes was also working with the Yeezy fashion designer-turned-politician hopeful as a volunteer amid his oval office aspirations. The FEC docs showed that Fuentes was paid back by the campaign for some travel costs of around $14,720, according to TMZ. Ye was pushing the #Ye2024 hashtag in recent months but did not formally announce a campaign run. In December, Milo revealed to the Daily Beast that he and Ye had come to a “mutual conclusion” to go their separate ways. “Ye and I have come to the mutual conclusion that I should step away from his political team,” Yiannopoulos said. “I will continue to pray for Ye and all his endeavors.” Yiannopoulos also claimed he had “concerns about a potential new hire” but did not disclose who he was talking about. MEGA News of the massive bill came months after West put himself at the center of controversy with an antisemitic tweet. Ye lost his billionaire status in October after several high-end brands, including Adidas, dropped the Eazy hitmaker. As RadarOnline.com reported, West has other new expenses to consider. He finalized his divorce from ex Kim Kardashian, and as part of their settlement, Ye will be forking over $200k in child support on the first of every month to Kardashian for their four kids. View the full article

Published by Radar Online MEGA James Dean was claimed to be a mega-fan of fellow screen legend Marlon Brando before they allegedly engaged in an “S&M” relationship, so it may come as no surprise that other secret hookups in Hollywood may have been going on behind-the-scenes in the years to follow. Casting director Joel Thurm detailed his alleged sexual encounters with some of Tinseltown’s biggest names in a candid new memoir, RadarOnline.com has learned, pulling the veil back on his steamy meetups with Rock Hudson and Robert Reed. Thurm described one jam-packed industry party in the ’70s where he crossed paths with one of his childhood crushes — Hudson — as they gathered to watch porn flick Boys in the Sand. rock hudsonmega His bombshell claims come years after rumors ran rampant that Dean was in love with Brando and they allegedly had an illicit affair similar to a “cat-and-mouse game,” explored in a book authored by Darwin Porter and Danforth Prince. In his own memoir, Thurm wrote how Hudson allegedly gave him a signal to follow him into a bedroom, which he happily obliged. Because he was so star-struck, however, the casting director claimed he “couldn’t get it up” when the moment came to pass. Thurm, now 80, told Page Six about his embarrassment at the fact considering that was a “specialty of mine.” “I couldn’t do it because he was Rock Hudson! It intimidated me. Someone said, ‘Well, why didn’t you just b–w him?’ I said, ‘Because I was too …’ I couldn’t do anything,” Thurm added. Hudson was apparently unbothered as it had “happened to him before.” Thurm said his encounter with Reed, who notably portrayed Mike Brady on The Brady Bunch, went much smoother. He recalled being on-set while producing the 1976 movie The Boy in the Plastic Bubble, in which John Travolta was starring. rock hudson & rocky Marcianomega He wrote that Reed was annoyed at having to be in Travolta’s shadow for the project and because he had to have his hair kinked then unkinked twice in one day, so he went to the former’s dressing room to thank him for being so understanding. “I just started rubbing his back,” Thurm recalled. “I had no intention of anything more than that. But he seemed to respond.” According to Thurm, Reed later “went back to being the same p—k he was before.” robert reedcbs television entertainment Hudson died of AIDs in 1985 and Reed died from the same disease in 1992. Back in 2016, excerpts from the book James Dean: Tomorrow Never Comes were being splashed in the headlines, bringing forth wild claims about their own alleged sexscapades. james dean & marlon brandomega It was alleged the two Hollywood superstars would engage in master and servant style sex sessions where Dean asked to be burned with cigarettes and would wait outside Brando’s home with hopes of making it to the bedroom. It was claimed that Brando never loved Dean in the same way that he loved himself. In his memoir, Brando denied that such a relationship occurred. View the full article

Published by AFP Demonstrators protesting the police killing of Tyre Nichols in Memphis, Tennessee Washington (AFP) – Memphis police said Monday a seventh officer has been suspended over the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols, a young Black man whose death shocked the United States and has seen five officers fired and charged with murder. The city’s fire department also said it had terminated three firefighters who arrived at the scene but failed to provide adequate medical assistance to Nichols. “The Memphis Police Department began administrative investigations on officers involved in the death of Tyre Nichols on January 7, 2023. On January 8, seven officers including Officer Preston Hemphill were relieved of duty,” the Memphis Police Department said in a statement. Hemphill, who joined the force in 2018 and who is white, is suspended “pending the outcome of the ongoing investigation,” police spokeswoman Kim Elder said in a separate statement. The Memphis Fire Department issued a statement that three of its firefighters who had responded to the police call had also been dismissed after they “failed to conduct an adequate patient assessment” of Nichols at the scene of the assault. Memphis continues to probe the death of the 29-year-old Nichols, following a traffic stop near his home on January 7. Graphic video footage from the incident shows the five officers, who are all Black, repeatedly kicking and punching Nichols as he moans and calls out for his mother. Nichols died three days later in hospital. He is to be laid to rest on Wednesday in Memphis. Last week the five now former officers were charged with second-degree murder over the beating. According to a statement by Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci, attorneys for Nichols’ family, Hemphill used a Taser against Nichols at the beginning of the confrontation. But Hemphill’s attorney told The Washington Post that he did not join the others at the scene of the beating. A statement from Nichols’ family said it was “extremely disappointing” that Hemphill has not been fired and charged in the case. “It certainly begs the question why the white officer involved in this brutal attack was shielded and protected from the public eye, and to date, from sufficient discipline and accountability,” they said. “The Memphis Police Department owes us all answers.” On Saturday the Memphis police disbanded the special unit, called the Scorpions, which the officers belonged to. The Scorpions were established in 2021 as a strike team to focus on high-crime areas of the southern city. The Memphis Police Department said in a statement it was “in the best interest of all to permanently deactivate the SCORPION Unit.” View the full article

Published by OK Magazine MEGA Lisa Marie Presley is holding the Church of Scientology accountable even from beyond the grave. The late singer, who died at the age of 54 on Thursday, January 12, believed Scientology handlers forcibly pressured her into divorcing Michael Jackson in 1996, according to an unearthed 2015 interview with Tony Ortega. MEGA Lisa Marie “got in” with Scientology right after her father, Elvis Presley, died in 1977, and later tied the knot with the “Thriller” singer in 1994. After only two years together, the dynamic duo separated due to “irreconcilable differences” — or at least that’s what they publicly labeled the reason for their split. MEGA “DM facilitated my divorce with MJ,” Lisa Marie told the interviewer nearly eight years before her passing. The 62-year-old is the leader of the Church of Scientology — a religious movement some may refer to as a cult, while others label it a business entity. Lisa Marie claimed there was immense pressure coming from both David and Scientologist attorney John P. Coale to file for divorce from the King of Pop after Michael was “getting too much bad press” due to his infamous child molestation accusations in 1993. “I was calling Dave, asking, what do I do? He was a huge MJ fan. He was all over that,” the famed offspring explained in regards to the demise of her and Michael’s marriage. The late “You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet” singer vehemently shut down the serious allegations that the “Beat It” vocalist was accused of, doubling down on her stance in the 2015 interview with Ortega. MEGA “F**king around little boys? Dude, do you think I’d be with someone if I witnessed that?” Lisa Marie rhetorically questioned. “I was in love with Michael. I wanted to help him,” the mother-of-four explained at the time. “There was always someone here. Even when we did that ABC prime time interview, there was always a Scientology handler right there.” “I was in love with Michael, believe it or not. I didn’t want to leave him. He was in trouble and I wanted to help him. And they made sure that I left him,” Lisa Marie concluded of her second of four husbands she would have in her lifetime. Meanwhile, the Scientologist lawyer — who facilitated the legal aspect of her divorce from Michael — clapped back at Lisa Marie’s haunting claims after the interview was brought to light, telling Ortega, “first of all, I never told her to love or unlove Mr. Jackson. This is 30 years ago.” Ortega released his unearthed interview — named The Underground Bunker — with Lisa Marie on Monday, January 30. View the full article

Published by OK Magazine MEGA It looks like the “Material Girl” wanted a material ring. Vanilla Ice has spilled all of the dirty details behind his and Madonna‘s spicy eight-month romance in 1992, revealing the Queen of Pop was ready to say “I Do” despite the quick timeline. MEGA “She even proposed to me,” Vanilla Ice confessed to Jenny Hutt on the Tuesday, January 31, episode of the “Just Jenny” podcast. “I mean things were going so crazy and fast man.” “I was just like, ‘What? I thought the guy was supposed to do [that]… wait a minute this is too fast,'” the 55-year-old, whose real name is Robert Van Winkle, explained of his shocked reaction. “I was just getting started here and I’m way too young for this,” Vanilla Ice continued in regard to his feelings at the time. “It was crazy.” In addition to discussing his rejection of Madonna’s proposal, the father-of-three revealed what ultimately caused the demise of his and the “Like a Virgin” singer’s relationship. MEGA In 1992, the same year in which the former flames got down and “dirty,” Madonna’s coffee table book, Sex, was released to the public and included private details about the pop star’s bedroom experiences with Vanilla Ice. “That’s what ruined things between me and her, because she put me in that book without my consent, without my knowledge, without anything,” he spilled. “I was dating her during that time so I had no idea about a Sex book. I [was] doing my own thing,” he continued. “That book came out and it was so sl**ty. I didn’t want to be a part of it. I said, ‘How could you do that to me and why did you do that to me?'” Vanilla Ice claimed he asked Madonna, 64. MEGA “I could have sued her, [but] I didn’t want to,” the “Ice Ice Baby” rapper added. “I didn’t need that controversy so I just let it go and I said, ‘You go your way, I go mine.'” “She’d call me all the time,” the That’s My Boy actor spilled of Madonna attempting to fix her mistakes. “She was not happy with it and upset. I’d have to hang up on her a few times and that was it.” Despite the dynamic duo’s irreparable relationship, Vanilla Ice still sees the best in Madonna to this day. “She’s great, she’s a legend, she’s the queen,” he concluded of the legendary artist. View the full article

Published by AlterNet A Pennsylvania principal drew criticism last week after telling a Bucks County school librarian to take down posters with a famous quote by Elie Wiesel, the Nobel Peace Prize winning human rights activist, professor, and Holocaust survivor, just days before Holocaust Remembrance Day. The Central Bucks School District reportedly has ties to an organization that appears on the Southern Poverty Law Center’s list of anti-LGBTQ hate groups. Despite being under investigation by the U.S. Dept. of Education’s Office of Civil Rights after an ACLU complaint, the Central Bucks School District earlier thi… Read More View the full article

Published by Raw Story In a discussion about political violence, MSNBC host Nicolle Wallace brought up the Republicans who either spread lies or mocked Paul Pelosi when he was hit in the head with a hammer by a right-wing activist who allegedly sought to kill his wife. For months, the right generated conspiracy theories about Mr. Pelosi being in some kind of gay relationship with the attacker and other bizarre comments that were ultimately discounted by the San Francisco Police after Twitter CEO Elon Musk tweeted them. When the body camera videos were revealed, Republicans that previously mocked the incident were si… Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters By Brad Brooks (Reuters) – The legal director of a leading LGBTQ advocacy group on Monday said he is preparing a lawsuit to ask courts to block a new Utah law that prohibits nearly all gender-transition medical care for minors. “We’re working with the ACLU of Utah on putting a challenge together as soon as possible,” Shannon Minter, legal director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, told Reuters. Utah Governor Spencer Cox on Saturday signed into law a bill that prohibits surgical procedures on minors and indefinitely bans hormonal treatments for new minor patients. It takes effect immediately. “More and more experts, states and countries around the world are pausing these permanent and life-altering treatments for new patients until more and better research can help determine the long-term consequences,” Cox said in a written statement. Minter called the Utah bill one of the most extreme of a range of measures now before over two dozen state legislatures. Four other states – Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas and Tennessee – have also passed laws that restrict gender-transition medical care for minors. Judges have temporarily blocked the laws in Alabama and Arkansas. Texas Governor Greg Abbott last year said medical care for transitions constituted child abuse and ordered a state agency to investigate parents of transgender youth who received treatment. Dozens of restrictive bills are now before Texas legislators. Gender-affirming care covers letting children adopt a name and dress that aligns with their gender identity, as well as psychological treatment, prescribing hormone blockers and, in some cases, surgery. Numerous medical associations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, call such treatments potentially life saving. The number of gender clinics treating kids in the United States has gone from zero to more than 100 in the past 15 years, Reuters reporting has found, but strong evidence of the efficacy and possible long-term consequences of such treatment remains scant. Minter said the rash of Republican-backed anti-transition care bills now before state lawmakers amounted to “a kind of hysteria, a mob mentality.” “This involves a very small group of kids with a rare medical condition,” he said. “When kids get the treatment and support they need, they do really well.” (Reporting by Brad Brooks in Lubbock, Texas; Editing by Donna Bryson and Rosalba O’Brien) View the full article

Published by St. Louis Post-Dispatch It’s unclear whether the recent move by Mars Wrigley candy to sideline its iconic M&Ms “spokescandies” is a genuine reaction to the silliest right-wing controversy yet, or is just a setup for a commercial stunt in the upcoming Super Bowl. Either way, we were hesitant to bite on this non-issue — except that what it says about the right-wing outrage machine is worth chewing over. For decades, M&Ms have been sold on TV and elsewhere by animated versions of the candies, with faces, arms and feet. The trouble began with their feet, or more accurately, their shoes. Last January, the company began ma… Read More View the full article

Published by Raw Story Adult film star Stormy Daniels on Tuesday took a victory lap after former President Donald Trump uncorked a tirade about being investigated for paying her hush money to keep quiet about their past sexual encounter. In a post on his Truth Social account earlier in the day, Trump dismissed his interactions with Daniels as “VERY OLD and happened a long time ago.” Trump then proceeded to blame his decision to pay off Daniels on former “fixer” Michael Cohen, who went to jail after pleading guilty to helping facilitate an illegal campaign contribution in the form of payments to Daniels. “I placed fu… Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters By Tom Hals, Mike Spector and Dan Levine (Reuters) -A U.S. appeals court upended Johnson & Johnson’s attempt to offload into bankruptcy tens of thousands of lawsuits over its talc products, ruling the healthcare conglomerate improperly placed a subsidiary into Chapter 11 proceedings even though it did not face financial distress. The decision by the U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia on Monday dismissed a Chapter 11 petition filed by a recently created J&J subsidiary in October to address more than 38,000 lawsuits from plaintiffs alleging the company’s baby powder and other talc products caused cancer. Before the bankruptcy, J&J faced costs from $3.5 billion in verdicts and settlements, including one in which 22 women were eventually awarded a judgment of more than $2 billion, according to bankruptcy-court records. Several major companies, including J&J and 3M Co, have turned to bankruptcy court to manage their mass tort liabilities. Plaintiff attorneys have called the cases an improper manipulation of the bankruptcy system, while the companies say the Chapter 11 filings are aimed at compensating claimants fairly and equitably. J&J’s maneuver is known as a Texas two-step for a state law used to create a subsidiary that shoulders litigation and then declares bankruptcy. The Third Circuit’s opinion allows talc litigation to resume against the company. J&J said it would challenge the ruling and that its talc products are safe. Its shares fell more than 3% – the biggest one-day percentage decline in two years. The New Jersey-based company, valued at more than $400 billion, said its subsidiary’s bankruptcy was initiated in good faith and designed to equitably resolve talc claims for the benefit of all plaintiffs. J&J initially pledged $2 billion to the subsidiary to resolve talc claims and entered into an agreement to fund an eventual settlement approved by a bankruptcy judge. A three-judge panel on the appeals court rejected J&J’s argument, finding the company’s subsidiary, LTL Management, was created solely to access the bankruptcy system and not because it faced financial distress. “Good intentions – such as to protect the J&J brand or comprehensively resolve litigation – do not suffice alone,” the judges said in a 56-page opinion. The decision throws into doubt J&J’s long-planned strategy for disposing of talc litigation after it lost a bid to reverse a watershed verdict that eventually awarded more than $2 billion to 22 women who blamed their ovarian cancer on baby powder and other talc products. More than 1,500 talc lawsuits have been dismissed without J&J having to pay anything, and the majority of cases that have gone to trial have resulted in defense verdicts, mistrials or judgments for the company on appeal, according to the J&J subsidiary’s court filings. ‘PROJECT PLATO’ A December 2018 Reuters investigation revealed that the company knew for decades of tests showing its talc sometimes contained traces of carcinogenic asbestos but kept that information from regulators and the public. “As we have said from the beginning of this process, resolving this matter as quickly and efficiently as possible is in the best interests of claimants and all stakeholders,” J&J said in a statement. “We continue to stand behind the safety of Johnson’s Baby Powder, which is safe, does not contain asbestos and does not cause cancer.” Facing unrelenting litigation, J&J enlisted law firm Jones Day, which had helped other companies execute Texas two-step bankruptcies to address asbestos lawsuits. J&J’s effort, which Reuters detailed last year, was internally dubbed “Project Plato”, and employees working on it signed confidentiality agreements warning them to tell no one, including their spouses, about the plan. The Texas two-step strategy has garnered criticism from Democratic lawmakers, and inspired legislation that would severely restrict the practice. Jones Day did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Critics contend the strategy is an improper use of the bankruptcy system by solvent corporations wishing to escape jury trials in state courts. Bankruptcy filings typically pause litigation, forcing plaintiffs into often time consuming settlement negotiations while leaving them unable to pursue their cases in the courts where they originally sued. “Bankruptcy courts are for honest companies in financial distress, not billionaire mega-corporations like J&J,” said Jon Ruckdeschel, a lawyer representing talc plaintiffs. Plaintiffs and other legal experts urged U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Michael Kaplan last year to dismiss the J&J subsidiary’s bankruptcy, arguing it was filed in bad faith and risked becoming a blueprint for large corporations seeking to avoid undesirable litigation. Kaplan, though, denied the request, finding the J&J unit did face financial distress and that a bankruptcy court was a better forum for resolving the litigation then America’s tort system. (Reporting by Tom Hals in Wilmington, Delaware; Mike Spector in New York; and Dan Levine and San Francisco; Additional reporting by Dietrich Knauth and Chuck Mikolajczak in New York; Editing by Bill Berkrot) View the full article

Published by OK Magazine @jaafarjackson/instagram-jourdynn Jackson;mega Jaafar Jackson will represent his uncle’s honor in the upcoming biopic, Michael. The thrilling film — directed by Antoine Fuqua and produced by Oscar winner Graham Kingwill — will portray the life of Michael Jackson and credit his legendary contribution to the music industry. @jaafarjackson/instagram The King of Pop’s son Prince Jackson took to Instagram on Monday, January 30, to confirm his cousin’s role and extend his overwhelming support to Jaafar as he prepares to begin filming the highly anticipated motion picture. “My cousin @jaafarjackson is going to be playing my father in the upcoming biopic produced by @gkfilms and directed by @antoinefuqua! Truthfully I couldn’t be happier and prouder for him, he’s been working his ass off and I know he’s going to do an amazing job,” Prince, 25, admitted of Jaafar, 26. Prince Jacksonmega “Just being himself, he embodies so much of my dad and I’m confident we are all going to do our best to show the world a part of my father they’ve never seen and that they deserve to see,” the Daybreak producer expressed of his dad, who died in 2009 after he suffered cardiac arrest caused by a fatal combination of prescribed drugs. “To all of my family’s fans and supporters out there, thank you for your continued support and love. We all know my father and Jaafar’s uncle was such an incredible human being and everyone at @gkfilms is dedicated and excited to bring my father’s story to the big screen,” Prince, who is the eldest child of the “Beat It” singer, continued. The late artist additionally has a daughter, Paris Jackson, 24, and a younger son, Prince Michael Jackson II, 20. mega “This project means so much to me for many reasons, I’m really happy that my family and I can go on this journey together. @jaafarjackson i know you’re going to be great bro and again I couldn’t be prouder and happier for you cuz ,” the “Can’t Stop” singer concluded. Jaafar took to his own Instagram profile to reveal the heartwarming news. “I’m humbled and honored to bring my Uncle Michael’s story to life. To all the fans all over the world, I’ll see you soon,” the short and sweet message read. Michael does not have a release date at this time, as it is still in the pre-production stages of filming. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Brendan Pierson (Reuters) – A federal judge on Monday blocked New Jersey’s recently enacted bans on carrying guns at beaches or casinos, though she left in place other restrictions passed by the state in the wake of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling last year expanding gun rights nationwide. The order from U.S. District Judge Renee Marie Bumb in Camden, New Jersey, came in response to a lawsuit brought by seven people and the Association of New Jersey Rifle and Pistol Clubs challenging parts of a law signed by Democratic New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy in December. “This marks the beginning of the end for Governor Murphy’s blatantly unconstitutional new carry law, which is going down in flames,” said Scott Bach, executive director of the association, in a statement. “We look forward to being able to appeal the ruling and are confident that it will be reversed,” said Tyler Jones, a spokesperson for Murphy. Bumb three weeks ago blocked other parts of the law in a similar lawsuit brought by different plaintiffs. Those measures included bans on carrying guns in public libraries, museums, bars and restaurants and on private property without the owner’s explicit permission, as well as transporting loaded guns in vehicles. Other parts of the law, including measures tightening gun licensing requirements and handgun safety rules, remain in effect. The rulings in both cases are temporary restraining orders, which will prevent the bans from being enforced while the lawsuits go forward. They are not final judgments. Both lawsuits argue that the state’s new restrictions violate the right to bear arms guaranteed by the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The law was passed in response to the Supreme Court’s decision in June that the U.S. Constitution protects individuals’ right to carry a handgun in public for self-defense, striking down a New York law governing gun licenses. The high court’s decision left open the possibility for states to restrict guns in “sensitive places” but said any restrictions must be consistent with the nation’s historical tradition of gun regulation. Bumb found that the challenged restrictions in both cases did not fit in that tradition. (Reporting By Brendan Pierson in New York; Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi and Lisa Shumaker) View the full article

Published by Raw Story A Florida pastor vows to teach Black history at his church in defiance of the limits Gov. Ron DeSantis wants to place on classroom instruction. The Republican governor sparked backlash by rejecting an Advanced Placement course on African American studies as part of his high-profile campaign against teaching so-called “critical race theory” and forbidding teachers from discussing LGBTQ issues, and Pastor Andy Allen told CNN he would offer those courses at Allendale Methodist Church. “When I heard my governor say that this class was of little educational value, and that it was sending the messag… Read More View the full article

Published by Radar Online @neneleakes/instagram; @kingbrentt/instagram Real Housewives of Atlanta star NeNe Leakes addressed speculation about her son Brent‘s sexuality after he sent the rumor mill into overdrive by participating in a viral TikTok challenge. RadarOnline.com has learned the former Bravolebrity stopped by The Breakfast Club after Brent seemingly came out. @kingbrentt/instagram “If I miss, I’m gay,” Brent captioned the TikTok clip, showing himself throwing something at a basket and intentionally not making it inside. Leakes said she was out of town when she was flooded with messages asking if she had seen Brent’s TikTok and knew he was gay. “I was like, he is?” she said with a laugh while catching up with Charlamagne Tha God and DJ Envy. “Brent is not gay,” she told the co-hosts. “Not to my knowledge.” @kingbrentt/instagram Leakes said she would support him wholeheartedly either way and added that it’s 100 percent “ok” if he is, but they previously spoke on the phone and he told her, “I’m not gay, mom.” The Never Make the Same Mistake Twice author revealed several friends had reached out after seeing the TikTok as well. “What’s the big deal?” she questioned. Charlamagne suggested that she should have asked Brent, to which she explained why that was unnecessary. “What I like to say to people, your happiness is the most important thing, right?” Leakes said. “As far as my son is concerned, it doesn’t matter.” MEGA Brent’s TikTok came months after Madonna put her own spin on the trend. The Queen of Pop came out by attempting to throw a pair of neon pink panties into her trash can and purposely missing in the clip, similarly captioned, “If I miss, I’m gay.” As for Brent, the youngest son of Leakes, fans have been overjoyed to see his recovery in the months after he was hospitalized due to suffering from a stroke. The 23-year-old recently showed off his weight loss transformation in a carousel of photos he shared on January 15. “Focus on you until the focus is you. #100poundsdown,” it read. Meanwhile, Leakes has been going through her own troubles that she is working toward overcoming. MEGA RadarOnline.com exclusively learned earlier this month that she was accused of blowing off a photographer’s lawsuit over an alleged unpaid invoice. Leakes had claimed the photographer never worked for her or her lounge, which they disputed. The lawsuit drama came after she dismissed her lawsuit against Bravo and Andy Cohen. However, they are still battling privately in arbitration over alleged discrimination claims. View the full article

Published by Radar Online mega Rock Hudson‘s sexuality was thrust back into the spotlight after a male casting director insisted he had an intimate encounter with the late Hollywood icon — however, RadarOnline.com can reveal that long-standing rumors about Hudson being gay have been whispered around Tinsel Town for years, with sources even insisting his marriage to Phyllis Gates was arranged as a cover story for the brewing scandal. In his book, Rock Hudson: Public and Private, Mark Bego, a best-selling author who highlighted the life stories of superstars like Madonna and Michael Jackson, described Hudson’s double life and a 1955 incident that almost wrecked the actor’s career. Rock Hudson & Rocky Marcianomega Rock played a brief part as himself in the film Four Girls in Town. The movie was about four starstruck girls in Hollywood with the male lead given to George Nader. At the time of the filming, Rock became friendly with George. Confidential magazine was one of the most controversial publications of the Fifties and was famous for printing stories about who was sleeping with whom in Hollywood. In 1955, the magazine discovered Rock was gay. Henry Willson, Rock’s agent and manager, was livid when he found out that Confidential was planning to print the story. Universal-International executives were shaken about the prospect of blowing the fortune they had invested in Rock’s all-American image. According to an article that appeared after Rock’s death: “The studio cut a deal that traded information on Rock for information about a lesser-known actor who was gay.” The actor was later identified as Nader, and his career in movies tanked. Interestingly enough, when Hudson’s will was disclosed, the bulk of his estate went to Nader. Hudson had narrowly escaped a brush with career disaster, but he wasn’t in the clear. mega His manager decided Hudson had to get married — immediately. All they needed was a bride. Gates was Willson’s secretary and the perfect age. On November 9, 1955, Hudson suddenly eloped with Phyllis. The best man was Rock’s boyhood friend, James Matteoni. “Roy (Hudson’s real name) called up at two in the morning and said, ‘I’ve made arrangements for you to be on a 6 o’clock flight. Keep it a secret,” James recalled. For a while, Rock played the happy married man for the press, but he soon grew to regret the marriage. Rock hudson & Kim Novakmega Trying to make the best of her situation, Phyllis reportedly attempted to seduce Rock by dressing in skimpy nightgowns, but Hudson was clearly not interested in her or their marriage. His former leading lady, Arlene Dahl, later confirmed that Rock’s close Hollywood friends knew “Phyllis was not the love of his life. It was an arrangement.” Also, actress Mamie Van Doren admitted she had gone on studio-arranged dates with Rock. “We all knew Rock was gay,” she claimed. “Rock did what was expected of him. RadarOnline.com can reveal that Hudson’s gay scandal has once again been rocked after casting director Joel Thurm declared they were close to having a bedroom romp in the ’70s in his newly released memoir, Sex, Drugs & Pilot Season: Confessions of a Casting Director. mega According to Thurm, Rock invited him into a bedroom but the casting director couldn’t perform when it came time. “I was embarrassed and mortified … getting it up was a specialty of mine,” Thurm, now 80, explained. “I couldn’t do it because he was Rock Hudson! It so intimidated me. Someone said, ‘Well, why didn’t you just b–w him?’ I said, ‘Because I was too …’ I couldn’t do anything.” View the full article

Published by New York Daily News U.S. Rep. George Santos vowed Monday he would cooperate with a looming congressional ethics investigation into his lies about his background and major questions about his campaign finances. Emerging from a morning meeting with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, the newly minted New York Republican lawmaker claimed he would finally come clean about the unending string of fibs that have made him a walking political punch line. “I don’t have anything to hide,” Santos told reporters, who have staked him out on Capitol Hill since he was sworn in this month. McCarthy confirmed to reporters that he met wi… Read More View the full article

Published by Radar Online Lisa Marie Presleywas accused of being a manipulative ex-wife who emotionally destroyed Michael Jackson years before her shocking death, RadarOnline.com has learned. In the blockbuster courtroom statement connected to the late King of Pop’s wrongful death suit, Jackson’s longtime makeup artist revealed that Lisa Marie begged Michael to work on their failing marriage and then stunned the unsuspecting superstar by slapping him with divorce papers. Sources said Lisa Marie’s ugly betrayal broke Michael’s heart. Mega “Michael trusted Lisa Marie more than anyone else in his life,” a Jackson family insider stated. “When she betrayed him, he was consumed with sadness and used drugs as an emotional escape.” Lisa Marie married Michael in May 1994, but sources said the union quickly unraveled over his controlling nature, the controversial religion Scientology and accusations that Michael was a child molester. During her dramatic court appearance, Michael’s ex-makeup artist Karen Faye described how a deceitful Lisa Marie manipulated the Thriller singer into thinking their marriage could be saved, and then pulled the rug out from under him by filing for divorce in January 1996. Mega “Lisa Marie Presley was calling Michael, begging him not to divorce her,” Faye testified. “They weren’t getting along. She said, ‘Let’s try to work this out.’ Michael kept saying, ‘No, I don’t think it’s going to work.’ She begged and begged, ‘Please don’t file, please don’t file.’ So he promised her he wouldn’t file for divorce. The next morning it was all over the press — she filed for divorce. “He was devastated. He had decided to really try again with her. Then she turned around and did that.” The couple’s bitter split had lasting effects on Michael. “Lisa Marie’s decision to go behind Michael’s back and file for divorce was definitely a well-planned strategy that left him emotionally and physically wounded,” Ian Halperin, who interviewed Fay for his unauthorized biography, Unmasked: The Final Years of Michael Jackson. Mega “Michael was a fragile person who turned to prescription medication for emotional escape. That’s why Lisa Marie’s divorce betrayal was such a damaging turning point in his life.” Jackson passed away from a drug overdose at age 50 in June 2009. Lisa Marie’s family was always concerned about Michael’s agenda, especially her mom Priscilla Presley. The musician was a longtime fan of Elvis Presley and sources claimed that Jackson believed “there was no greater prize than marrying the King’s daughter.” Mega In an interview with Oprah Winfrey, Priscilla said she was always “concerned and suspicious” of Jackson’s intentions, adding that she felt he had an “agenda.” “There’s something very calculating and manipulative about how he does things,” Priscilla said at the time. “He wanted children. And he wanted her children.” As RadarOnline.com reported, Lisa Marie died on January 12 hours after suffering cardiac arrest at her home. Priscilla is now trying to gain control of her late daughter’s estate. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Jane Fonda is “worried” about the ‘Barbarella’ remake. The 85-year-old actress – who starred in the original 1968 adaptation of a French comic book series as an astronaut from the 41st century who had to stop an evil scientist named Duran Durand – admitted she has been trying “not to think” about the upcoming project, which will star Sydney Sweeney in the lead role. Asked what she thinks about the remake, which she has no involvement with, Jane told The Hollywood reporter: “I try not to. Because I worry about what it’s going to be. “I had an idea of how to do it that [original producer] Dino De Laurentiis, when he was still alive, wouldn’t listen to. “But it could have been a truly feminist movie.” The ’80 For Brady’ star admitted she has considered retiring from acting but has ultimately decided against it because she knows her high profile benefits her activism. She said: “One feeds the other. “I recently thought, ‘Maybe I do want to quit acting.’ I mean, I’m 85. But then I realised, my platform matters. It brings people in that might not come in normally.” Jane spent her 82nd birthday behind bars after getting arrested for a fifth time in a long-running climate change protest called Fire Drill Fridays. She said: “I was happy to turn 82 in jail. Because I knew it would get a lot of attention.” The ‘Grace and Frankie’ star isn’t “scared” of dying – but she’s worried she’ll have regrets at the end of her life. She said: “I’m not scared of dying. I think I’m telling the truth when I say that. “But I am really scared of getting to the end with a lot of regrets when it’s too late to do anything. And when you figure that out, it instructs the way you live between now and the end. “[My regrets] all have to do with children. I didn’t know how to be a parent. But it’s never too late. You can show up.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Claims a photo of Prince Andrew with his arm around Virginia Giuffre is a “fake” have been branded “ridiculous” by a photographer who handled the original image. Earlier this week, Ghislaine Maxwell- who is serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking and grooming underage girls for late billionaire sex offender Jeffrey Epstein – again cast doubt on the authenticity of the picture, while the Duke of York also previously insisted he didn’t remember the photo being taken and declared he was “not one to hug” or “display affection” in public. Virginia – who sued the royal for allegedly sexually assaulting her when she was 17 after being trafficked by Epstein before reaching an out-of-court settlement – insisted the photo was “authentic” and she had given the FBI the original in 2011. And now, Michael Thomas – who took 39 copies of the image before it was handed over to the FBI – has blasted conspiracy theories surrounding the photo. Virginia first showed the photo – which she claimed was taken the night she had sex with Andrew at the bidding of Maxwell and Epstein – to the photographer Mail on Sunday reporter Sharon Churcher in February 2011. As is standard practice when handling sensitive images, she allowed Michael to take photographs of the original print – the whereabouts of which is currently unknown – and he took dozens of the front and the back. He recalled to the Mail on Sunday: “She handed me the photograph and I put it on the table in the hotel room and I copied it. “I think I took more than 30 frames, which is overkill for copying one photo but I didn’t want to get it out of focus or get it wrong because I knew how important it was. “I was holding the original photo in my hand. It was a normal 6×4 inch print that you would have got from any developer at the time. “It looked like it was ten years old. It wasn’t crisp because it had been developed in 2001. She had held on to it for ten years by the time I saw it. For Ghislaine Maxwell to come out and say it was fake is ridiculous. I held the photo. It was a normal photograph. It was a physical print. It exists. I saw it and that’s what I photographed and that’s what you see now… “When they say it’s fake, they are saying that I’m involved. They are basically accusing someone of faking it and me being party to it. It’s not fake – and it never has been.” The back of the photo, which has never publicly been seen before, shows a stamp that reads “000 #15 13Mar01 Walgreens One Hour Photo.” The information means the picture was developed in a one-hour service on 13 March 2001 at a branch of Walgreens. Meanwhile, amid reports Andrew is planning to attempt to have his undisclosed settlement to Virginia overturned, Maxwell’s family have spoken out in support. While Virginia has alleged she and the disgraced duke had sex in the bath at Maxwell’s house in London, her relatives insisted that it was too small for them to have engaged in any sexual activity and even created a mock reconstruction – featuring two people approximately the size of the prince and his accuser – in the tub and shared its dimensions, 1,359mm by 380mm. Maxwell’s brother, Ian Maxwell, said: “If anything Andrew is a bit bigger, a bit broader than the man in the bath in the photo. You can see how small the bathroom is and how small the bath is. The idea that two people can get in there and she bats her eyes and takes her clothes off and has sex in the bath is impossible. “The only way you can start to change public perception around that is to provide incontrovertible visual evidence. People can now look at this photo in the bath and judge for themselves. I am putting it out, and if that helps Prince Andrew then so be it. If Prince Andrew wants to use it, we will make it available to him.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Steps’ Ian ‘H’ Watkins is close friends with his celebrity childhood crush. The ‘One For Sorrow’ hitmaker was obsessed with pop star and former ‘Neighbours’ star Jason Donovan, 54, when he was younger, so finds it “weird” to think the pair are good pals these days. He told Heat magazine: “Back in the day, I used to fancy Jason Donovan, which is a bit weird, because we’re now pretty good mates.” These days, the 46-year-old singer confessed he has the hots for Swedish actor Alexander Skarsgard. Meanwhile, H recently admitted he constantly feels guilty when he’s on tour without his sons. The singer – who has six-year-old twins Macsen and Cybi with former partner Craig Ryder – loves being on the road with the band but feels bad that he can’t take the kids with him any more because they need to be at school. He said: “Although my Instagram and social channels will often show me having a great time on tour (which I am!) I can’t help but struggle with the guilt that the boys aren’t there with me, now they’re both at school. Oh, the joys of parental guilt!” The ‘Better Best Forgotten’ hitmaker admitted having twins is “absolutely exhausting” and thinks only parents who had multiples can truly understand the struggles. He added: “Being a twin parent is like nothing else. And no, it is not the same as having children close together, thank you very much! This is a whole different ball game; it’s messy, it’s fun, it’s hilarious but WOW…. It’s absolutely exhausting.” View the full article