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OMG, WATCH: Kristin Davis shares her thoughts on Che Diaz’s comedy on WWHLJason Momoa Is Reportedly Living In A $750,000 RVSara Gilbert Realized She Was Gay While Dating 'TBBT' Co-StarPro wrestler AC Mack becomes the first out gay man to win a world championshipUPenn considering lawsuit if trans swimmer Lia Thomas is barred from NCAA championships in MarchCatholic School Makes Two LGBT Teachers Resign After They Got Engaged, The Students Stage A Massive WalkoutQueer Lit Preview — LGBTQIA+ Books To Read in 2022 – The Turnaround BlogGay penguins in New York become dads – The IndependentReports that Iran has executed two men for gay sex – Lesbian and Gay NewsApple Takes Down Popular Gay Dating App Grindr In China View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Kristen Bell has apologised to a fan who watched her graphic sex scene with his mother. ‘The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window’ star responded to a viewer of the new Netflix dark comedy-thriller, who was left red-faced after he watched her character Anna’s fiery romp with Rex (Benjamin Levy Aguilar). The fan named Eric took to Twitter to air his complaint and wrote: “just watched Kristen bell get absolutely RAILED with my girlfriend and my mom in the room.” And the 41-year-old actress replied: “Hahahahaha sorry dude.” He quipped back: “You need to apologize to my mom right now. (sic)” Meanwhile, Kristen and her husband Dax Shepard have told their daughters that they are “in charge” when it comes to sex. The ‘Frozen II’ star and her husband have two daughters – Lincoln, eight, and Delta, seven – together, and although they’re still young, the couple have already begun discussing sex with them to get them comfortable with the topic. Dax, 47, recently said he’s made sure his daughters know that they will control any sexual situation they find themselves in when they get older. He said: “[I told them], ‘The woman takes the man’s penis and puts it in her vagina’. Right away it’s like, you’re in charge of this and you will decide to put this in your vagina. Not the man puts his penis in your vagina. “He’s got this ridiculous protrusion, so it would seem he was in the driver’s seat but you’re going to take that and put that in, you know. And I was like, ‘Oh, that’s a nice little adjustment we’re going to make.’ “ The ‘CHiPS’ star also insisted he doesn’t want his daughters to feel as though they need to have sex in order to “get approval” – but he won’t stop them from using it as a release if they choose to. He added during an episode of his ‘Armchair Expert’ podcast: “If my daughters are horny and want to have sex, that was my favourite activity! It remains my favourite activity. I’d be lying if I said I was in any way anti that activity. I am anti getting esteemed from that activity but that’s it for me.” Dax’s comments came after his wife Kristen revealed the couple often schedule sex into their calendar so that they make sure they have time to be intimate. She said: “There are some times when it’s in the calendar. You’re like, ‘I know you’re tired, but it’s been two weeks, so we really got to get to it.’” View the full article

=Joe Rogan apologizes…Neil Young and Joni Mitchell, Both Polio Survivors, Made Absolute Decisions to pull Music. Response, Apology all Squishy.Spotify policy changes in response to the huge loss of market cap, are a mess of contradictions and nonsense. –Editor Published by Reuters By Helen Coster (Reuters) – U.S. podcaster Joe Rogan has apologized and pledged more balance on his show amid a backlash against COVID-19 misinformation on the streaming service Spotify that wiped more than $2 billion off its market value last week. Spotify said it would add a content advisory to any episode with discussion of COVID to try to quell the controversy, a first step into the field of content moderation that other platforms such as Facebook have found challenging and costly. Spotify shares were up 2% in pre-market trading on Monday but still at their lowest since May 2020, after the controversy and a broader sell-off of tech stocks in January eroded more than a quarter of its value. Rogan’s show, The Joe Rogan Experience, has been the most listened-to podcast on Spotify and is central to its plan to expand beyond music and take on rivals such as Apple and Amazon for a share of the podcasting market. In a 10-minute Instagram video post https://www.instagram.com/tv/CZYQ_nDJi6G/?utm_medium=copy_link on Sunday evening, Rogan apologized to Spotify for the backlash but defended inviting contentious guests. “If I pissed you off, I’m sorry,” Rogan said. “I will do my best to try to balance out these more controversial viewpoints with other people’s perspectives so we can maybe find a better point of view.” Rogan is a prominent vaccine skeptic and his views on vaccines and government mandates to control the spread of the virus alienated prominent figures from singer-songwriter Neil Young to guitarist Nils Lofgren to best-selling U.S. professor and author Brené Brown. Singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell also asked for her music to be taken Spotify, citing a letter from hundreds of medical professionals urging the platform to prevent Rogan spreading falsehoods on the pandemic. Spotify, which reports its quarterly earnings on Wednesday, has spent billions to build its podcast business and currently has over 3 million titles on its platform. Although it has an exclusive license to distribute the podcast, Rogan himself owns the show. Spotify CEO Daniel Ek said late on Sunday that he might disagree with the views of some individuals on the platform but that it was “important to me that we don’t take on the position of being content censor.” Its new policies include adding an advisory to any pandemic-related podcast that will direct listeners to a COVID-19 hub containing information from medical and health experts, as well as links to authoritative sources. But the task of content moderation that it has now been dragged into is very different from removing songs with copyright violations, a job that Spotify is familiar with. The social media giant Facebook also had to give up its opposition to deciding what content people see, and has deployed thousands of content moderators as well as artificial intelligence to block hate speech and fake news on its platform. With Rogan apologizing, the current controversy might blow over, but it is unlikely to be the last that Spotify will face. (Reporting by Helen Coster in New York, Supantha Mukherjee in Stockholm, Akriti Sharma, Shubham Kalia and Shivani Tanna in Bengaluru; Editing by Kevin Liffey) Joe Rogan Apologizes Spotify on Towleroad Adam Shankman confirms Halloween release for Hocus Pocus sequel with Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy More Lawmakers urge U.S. Olympic officials to defend outspoken athletes at Beijing Games More Cara Delevingne: Growing up queer was isolating More Sean Penn Ripped To Shreds After Claiming Men Who Wear Skirts Have ‘Cowardly Genes’ More Hong Kong university covers up Tiananmen crackdown memorial slogan More Prince Andrew Allegedly Plans To Look For Help From Kevin Spacey, Believes The Actor ‘Could Be A Very Compelling Asset In Front Of A Jury’ More Britney Spears Accuses Sister Jamie Lynn Of ‘Lying Through’ Her Teeth In Best Selling Memoir: ‘You Are Scum’ More Queen Elizabeth launches own line of condiments More Ellen DeGeneres Spotted On Rare Outing During Shopping Trip In Montecito As She Fights For Her Legacy Following Toxic Workplace Scandal More Trump says he would pardon Jan. 6 rioters if he runs and wins More Adele ‘pulls out of Brit Awards’ live performance More Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake ‘are very good friends’ More Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan expressed their misinformation ‘concerns’ to Spotify More Load More View the full article

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Published by Reuters WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Lawmakers on Monday urged U.S. Olympic officials to prepare to defend American athletes from possible Chinese government retaliation should they choose to speak out about China’s rights abuses during next month’s Beijing Winter Olympics. A Chinese official told reporters in January that any behavior against the Olympic spirit, and “especially against Chinese laws and regulations” would be subject to punishment. Senator Jeff Merkley and Representative James McGovern, both Democrats, cited the remark in a public letter to the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC), writing that risks to freedom of expression and data privacy at the Games “demand an urgent effort” to address. “Chinese authorities have imposed exit bans on U.S. citizens, and even jailed foreign nationals, for political or specious reasons,” said the lawmakers, who lead the U.S. Congressional-Executive Commission on China. The USOPC should “redouble efforts” to engage with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), fellow national Olympic committees, and the U.S. State Department to ensure that plans and procedures are in place to protect athletes should they be punished for free expression, they said. “We further request that the USOPC communicate to the public that it is taking such steps,” they said, adding that the committee should be “prepared to defend any Olympians who speak out.” Rights groups have long criticized the IOC for awarding the Games to China, citing its treatment of Uyghurs and other Muslim minority groups, which the United States has deemed genocide. China denies allegations of human rights abuses. Some Western countries, worried about information security, have suggested their delegations not bring their own mobile phones to the Feb. 4-20 Olympics. Researchers have said the Beijing Organizing Committee’s MY2022 app, which all attendees must use for COVID-19 monitoring, has flaws that make it vulnerable to privacy breaches. Several countries, including the United States, Britain, and Australia, have announced diplomatic boycotts of the Games over concerns about human rights in China, though their athletes will still compete. (Reporting by Michael Martina and David Brunnstrom; editing by Grant McCool) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Cara Delevingne says growing up queer was “isolating and hard to navigate at times”. The 29-year-old actress-and-model – who identifies as pansexual and has previously dated St. Vincent and Ashely Benson – is thankful that her older siblings, Poppy and Chloe, 35 and 36, respectively, were supportive but she admits she needed to navigate her sexuality for herself to find her true identity. Speaking to The Sunday Times newspaper, she said: “Growing up as a queer child was isolating and hard to navigate at times. My sisters did their best to be there for me but it was something I had to go through myself to truly know who I was. I’m still on that journey and will continue to be for the rest of my life.” Cara signed with Storm Management straight out of school and admits she was naive when she first started out in the modelling industry, but she has since come to “cherish” the fashion world. She explained: “When I had my first modelling job at ten I wasn’t aware of what I was doing, or the fashion and artistry that I now understand and cherish. With any job or path there’s always a way to make some sort of change.” The ‘Carnival Row’ star also admitted she’s always had a rebellious side and wants to “question” everything. She added: “First and foremost I have always seen myself as a rebel, not as someone who wants to break rules but as someone who wants to question them. I love the word “naughty”, but only as an adult. To me naughty means someone who questions what they’re told. I think at this point I might be the naughtiest of the three of us.” The blonde beauty previously admitted she felt “suicidal” whilst struggling with her sexuality when she was a teenager. Cara spent her youth battling with internalised homophobia as she grew up thinking same-sex relationships were “disgusting”. She explained how her “old-fashioned” upbringing made her think there was something wrong with her when she developed feelings for other women, and explained she was so “ashamed” of who she was she contemplated taking her own life. She said: “I grew up in an old-fashioned household. I didn’t know anyone who was gay. I didn’t know that was a thing and actually, I think growing up I was quite not noticeably, I wasn’t knowledgeable of the fact I was homophobic. The idea of being same-sex [partners], I was disgusted by that, in myself. I was like, ‘Oh my God, I would never, that’s disgusting, ugh’. “I do correlate the massive depression and the suicidal moments of my life [to that] because I was so ashamed of ever being that. But actually, that was the part of me that I love so much and accept.” The ‘Life in a Year’ star even confessed there is “still a part” of her that “wishes” she was straight because of her “complicated” relationship with her sexuality. She added: “There is still a part of me where I’m like, ‘Oh, I wish I could just be straight.’ There is still that side to it. It is really complicated.” View the full article

Published by Radar Online Mega Sean Penn is getting put through the wringer on social media after he doubled down on his stance that men should not wear skirts. The 61-year-old actor — who is going through his third divorce — grabbed negative attention when he openly discussed how. he felt about the male gender dressing in what is considered to be traditional female clothing. “There are a lot of, I think, cowardly genes that lead to people surrendering their jeans and putting on a skirt,” he told The Independent. Mega Penn attempted, and failed miserably, to explain his controversial remarks, but ended up sticking his foot in his mouth even more. Sean Penn’s Estranged Wife Leila George Wants Divorce Wrapped Up Quickly, Hands Over Financial Docs According to i — a British morning newspaper — the Academy Award winner allegedly reemphasized his disdain, claiming he’s “frustrated in the world” he lives in. He also believes “there has been an absence of male behavior.” “I am in the club that believes that men in American culture have become wildly feminized. I don’t think that being a brute or having insensitivity or disrespect for women is anything to do with masculinity, or ever did. But, I don’t think that [in order] to be fair to women, we should become them,” he allegedly stated. Mega Well, the internet is not taking kindly to Penn’s comments and are ripping the actor a new one on Twitter. “Loooove when men talk about being feminine like it’s literally the worst thing you could do. Simply love it. You hear that, femmes? Totally relevant Sean Penn thinks he’s better than you because *checks notes* he wears JEANS. A thing that feminine people NEVER DO,” one person tweeted. “RuPaul could fully kick Sean Penn’s ass,” joked another. “I’m just here to tweet it’s f–k Sean Penn all day every day,” wrote someone else, adding, “no one wants his crusty dusty ass opinions.” FYI — some of the hottest males in the entertainment industry have graced the world wearing dresses and skirts. Examples include Harry Styles and Kid Cudi. Mega View the full article

Published by Reuters By Jessie Pang HONG KONG (Reuters) – A leading Hong Kong university on Saturday covered a painted slogan commemorating China’s Tiananmen Square crackdown, the latest instance of a public June 4 memorial being removed in China-ruled Hong Kong. A Reuters journalist saw about a dozen construction workers wearing yellow hard hats erect grey metal construction hoardings around a “martyrs slogan” painted across the length of the University of Hong Kong’s (HKU) Swire bridge. The slogan, painted in Chinese characters on the pavement, read: “The souls of the martyrs shall forever linger despite the cold-blooded massacre. The spark of democracy shall forever glow for the demise of evil.” Asked why the university, which took down a “Pillar of Shame” Tiananmen statue https://www.reuters.com/world/china/hong-kong-university-fences-off-tiananmen-statue-campus-2021-12-22 in December, covered the 20-character slogan, an HKU spokesperson said by email, “The University of Hong Kong regularly conducts maintenance works at various locations and facilities, with the above site being one such project.” For over three decades, it has been a tradition for students at HKU to repaint the slogan on the bridge before the anniversary of 1989 crackdown. The fencing-off of the 20-metre (65-foot) long slogan is the latest step in Hong Kong involving memorials, people or organisations affiliated with the sensitive date and events to mark it. Rights groups and witnesses say thousands may have been killed in the Beijing crackdown on students and democracy activists. Chinese officials have given a death toll of about 300. The former British colony had long been the only place on Chinese soil where June 4 could be publicly remembered, unlike mainland China where it is a taboo topic and censored. For the past two years, however, authorities have barred an annual candlelight vigil, citing COVID-19. In December, three local universities took down sculptures commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown in Beijing in which hundreds, perhaps thousands of people were killed after Chinese troops fired upon civilians. Authorities have been clamping down in Hong Kong under a national security law imposed by Beijing in 2020 that some foreign governments, including the United States, say is being used to suppress civil society, jail democracy campaigners and silence dissent. Authorities say the law has restored order and stability after massive street protests in 2019. Several workers and security guards at the bridge site declined to comment on the work. Parts of the slogan that could not be surrounded by the nearly 2-meter (6 1/2-foot) high hoarding were overlaid with metal plates on the road. (Reporting by Jessie Pang; Writing by James Pomfret; Editing by William Mallard) View the full article

Published by Radar Online MEGA Prince Andrew is allegedly looking to clear up his name from any ties that would connect him to the convicted sex offender Ghislaine Maxwell in the upcoming trial against Virginia Giuffre. The British royal reportedly plans to ask for help from actor Kevin Spacey who was pictured with Maxwell sitting on a throne at Buckingham Palace during a private tour organized by the prince. MEGA According to The Sun, the Duke Of York claimed in legal documents Maxwell was not his close associate despite having been pictured multiple times together. He hopes Spacey can help him explain to the jurors that Maxwell was invited by the actor during the infamous tour rather than himself directly. Spacey reportedly is “high on a hit list of names” Andrew’s defense team plans to reach out for the trial. “Andrew had invited Spacey for the tour of the Palace. She came with him — not as a guest of Andrew’s,” an insider spilled. “The snaps go right to the center of the claims against Andrew, and an image of Ghislaine Maxwell in the most private space within Buckingham Palace looks very damning.” The source continued, “But if Kevin can convince a jury he was the crucial link with Ghislaine, rather than Andrew, it distances the Prince from her somewhat — that’s crucial.” The informant also shared that the prince “believes such a gifted actor and public speaker could be a very compelling asset in front of a jury.” MEGA Andrew had strenuously denied the assault allegations brought by Giuffre, who claimed she was forced to have sex with him when she was only 17 years old. Earlier this month, he was ordered to face his accuser after a judge who presided over the case rejected his attempt to dismiss the lawsuit. The source also added, “It’s a ballsy move to think about using Spacey given his own problems. But his testimony would add to Andrew’s argument that Ghislaine was not a close friend.” However, despite the reports, a spokesman for the Duke claimed, “It is categorically untrue that any help has been offered or that we have accepted any.” MEGA As Radar previously reported, Spacey was also accused of sexually assaulting young men between 1995 and 2013. He was charged with an alleged indecent assault in the US in 2018 but was later dropped along with a civil lawsuit. As a result of the allegations, the actorlost his role in the Netflix hit show House of Cards, and production removed any scenes featuring him on Ridley Scott‘s All The Money In The World. View the full article

Published by OK Magazine mega Britney Spears will not be silenced! Following weeks of public jabs at each other, the Princess of Pop has yet again dubbed Jamie Lynn a liar and “scum” as her sister’s memoir Things I Should Have Said becomes a best seller. mega The Grammy winner shared a clip from The Real talk show — which showed the hosts collectively criticizing Jamie Lynn for profiting off of her big sister’s story — to her Instagram on Friday, January 28. BRITNEY SPEARS SPOTTED SHOPPING IN L.A. IN FIRST SIGHTING SINCE BLOWOUT SOCIAL MEDIA FEUD WITH SISTER JAMIE LYNN CAME TO A HEAD “National best seller ???? DUH …. the timing of your book was unbelievable Jamie Lynn …” Britney furiously captioned the post. “Especially knowing the whole world had no clue what was really done to me !!!!” mega “My whole family including you is saying YOU DIDN’T KNOW …. Bullsh—t !!! But what these women are saying here is pretty clear !!!!” The heated message continued. “I’m just kinda shocked that more people like these real soul sisters aren’t telling it like it is !!!” The “Toxic” singer has famously been feuding with her baby sister ever since the release of her highly anticipated book, which came only a few months after Britney saw a major court win and was freed from the legal chains of her oppressive 13-year conservatorship. SAM ASGHARI IS GETTING TIRED OF FIANCEE BRITNEY SPEARS’ ENDLESS DRAMA AS FAMILY WOES WORSEN, WORRIED IT’S ‘GOING TO DRAG ON AND ON’ “Congrats best seller … I’m not surprised at all,” Britney said, punctuating the thought with hand clapping and thumbs down emojis. “The nerve of you to sell a book now and talk sh—t but your [sic] f—king lying just like you lied about Alexa Nikolas !!!!” She added, referring to the former Zoey 101 star’s costar, who has also implied Jamie Lynn lied about her in the controversial memoir. mega The mother-of-two went on to say that she wished Jamie Lynn would agree to take a lie detector test regarding the content of the book, “so all these masses of people see you’re lying through your teeth about me !!!!” “I wish the almighty, Lord would could come down and show this whole world that you’re lying and making money off of me !!!! You are scum, Jamie Lynn,” she said, concluding the post. This passionate social media rant comes shortly after Jamie Lynn posted her own self-congratulatory announcement, “I can’t believe I’m officially a NATIONAL BEST SELLING AUTHOR!” to her Instagram earlier that day. “I have no words except how grateful I am that I was able share my story with y’all,” her message to friends and fans continued. “This has been one of the most challenging and vulnerable things I have ever done and I just honestly can’t thank y’all enough for the support and kindness.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Queen Elizabeth has launched her own line of condiments. The 95-year-old monarch is releasing her own tomato ketchup and brown sauce, made from ingredients grown on her Sandringham estate, with the ketchup described as “ideal for breakfast or any time of the day,” while the brown sauce is “packed with vinegar and spices.” They come in a 10 oz. glass bottle with a Royal Estate label. A note on the bottle states: “A real family favourite, packed full of tomato and lightly spiced, this ketchup is delightful. Vibrant and fruity, this ketchup can be enjoyed any time of the day, perfect to add flavour to a dish.” Queen Elizabeth is said to be a fan of fish and chips, with a source previously explaining: “She very occasionally treats herself to fish and chips when at Balmoral. A footman is dispatched to get it from the local town of Ballater.” And former royal chef Darren McGrady once revealed that kitchen staff would make their own versions of takeout food for the Queen and her family. He said: “It always tickled me at Balmoral, we would make our own burgers. They would shoot deer, and we would do venison burgers. There’d be gorgeous cranberry and everything stuffed into them, but we never set buns out. “The only thing you would pick up and eat with your fingers is afternoon tea.” View the full article

Published by Radar Online MEGA Ellen DeGeneres was seen running some errands on Friday afternoon in her neighborhood of Montecito, California, as the end of her long-running talk show looms. The comedian is fighting to keep her legacy alive as she wants to be remembered for her accolades rather than failures stemming from the recent toxic workplace accusations hedged against her. MEGA Paparazzi caught the 64-year-old chatting on her phone before she walked into the grocery store to pick up a few items. During the rare outing, she opted for a casual look in the fashion department, wearing a black hoodie and a pair of matching Nike joggers and trainers. DeGeneres accessorized her outfit with a baseball cap to cover her blonde hair and stylish sunglasses. The veteran TV host completed her sporty ensemble with a silver watch on her wrist. In one of the snaps, she carried a box and some items that appeared to be a couple of pairs of comfy pants atop it. Her sighting comes as her show is drawing to an end after being on air for more than a decade since 2003. The primetime program has been nominated and won multiple Daytime Emmy Awards over the years. She first announced her decision to retire from the talk show gig last May during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. MEGA However, prior to her announcement to conclude the show, DeGeneres was accused of creating a toxic work environment for her staffers — a story Buzzfeed News exposed in July 2020. The story had drawn both backlash and support from fans towards the comedian, but as a result, their ratings have plummeted despite DeGeneres’ attempt to apologize and fix the issue by firing some of her producers. As Radar previously reported, the comedian planned to end her longtime career in the talkshow worldon a good note by making sure the final season would be the most memorable one. “Ellen wants to remind everyone of all the good she has done. All the countless lives that her show has changed, including her own,” an insider told us. “Except the final season to continue with lots of trips down memory lane. This final season isn’t about ratings; it is about legacy.” MEGA DeGeneres also shared with her viewers that as much as she loves her show, it has not served her the way it used to. “When you’re a creative person, you constantly need to be challenged…and as great as this show is, and as fun, as it is, it’s just not a challenge anymore,” she said. While addressing the controversy concerning her less than ideal work environment, the Louisiana native explained the situation had affected her personally. “All I care about was spreading kindness and compassion, and everything I stand for was being attacked. So, it destroyed me, honestly,” she added. View the full article

Published by Reuters (Reuters) – U.S. former President Donald Trump said on Saturday if he were to run for president and win in 2024, he would pardon people charged with criminal offenses in connection with the deadly Jan. 6 assault by his supporters on the U.S. Capitol. Trump, who has not said whether he will run for president again after his defeat by Democrat Joe Biden in the 2020 election, was speaking at a rally in Conroe, Texas. “Another thing we’ll do, and so many people have been asking me about it, if I run and if I win, we will treat those people from Jan. 6 fairly,” Trump said to applause. “We will treat them fairly. And if it requires pardons we will give them pardons. Because they are being treated so unfairly.” Thousands of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, the worst assault on Congress since the War of 1812. Fueled by Trump’s false claims that his November 2020 election defeat was the result of fraud, the attackers sought to stop Congress from certifying Biden’s victory. One police officer who responded to the scene died the day after the attack, while four others who guarded the Capitol died later by suicide. About 140 police officers were injured during the hours-long attack. Four rioters also died. More than 700 people have been charged with joining in the assault. (Writing by Daniel Wallis; Editing by William Mallard) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Adele has reportedly pulled out of performing live at the Brit Awards. The ‘Easy On Me’ hitmaker – who indefinitely delayed her Las Vegas residency earlier this month – was planning to take to the stage for the event at London’s O2 Arena on 8 February but has left organisers with a “massive headache” after she told them she’ll no longer make the ceremony, though it is still possible she could sing for fans via a video link. A source told The Sun on Sunday newspaper: “Adele was confirmed to perform on the night, but has now pulled out — which has been a massive blow for the organisers. “They are talking to her team to see if she can appear by videolink. “It’s a massive headache but they want her involved in any way she will agree.” Adele is also nominated for four awards at the event – including the prestigious Artist of the Year accolade – and so now Brits bosses will need to find someone to accept any prizes she wins on her behalf. The insider added: “They also now have to find someone to accept her awards — should she win. “And several big names have already said no. “Names already mentioned include Sam Smith, and even Ed Sheeran and Dua Lipa — who are both up against Adele for awards — but they are all looking unlikely. They have also made an approach to Stormzy, in the hope that they can persuade him.” It is believed the 33-year-old star pulled out of the show because her team were concerned about a backlash following her decision to delay her US shows at the last minute. The source said: “It seems there were concerns of another backlash if she’d performed on the Brits so soon after calling off her Vegas shows last-minute. “That decision has understandably caused a great deal of disappointment and, in the wake of that, Adele and her team decided to call off her Brits performance.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake are “very good friends”. The ‘Cry Me A River’ hitmaker accidentally exposed the pop star’s breast during the Super Bowl halftime show in 2004 and the 55-year-old star insisted people need to “move on” from the controversial incident, which she feels was “blown way out of proportion”. In a message to fans recorded for her Lifetime and A&E documentary ‘Janet’, she said: “Honestly, this whole thing was blown way out of proportion. And, of course, it was an accident that should not have happened, but everyone is looking for someone to blame and that’s got to stop. “Justin and I are very good friends, and we will always be very good friends. We spoke just a few days ago. He and I have moved on, and it’s time for everyone else to do the same.” The scandal let to a backlash against Janet while the ‘SexyBack’ hitmaker’s career continued to skyrocket, and the ‘Together Again’ singer recalled how Justin asked her at the time if he should make a public statement but she advised him to stay out of the “drama”. She told her brother Randy Jackson in the documentary: “We talked once and [Justin] said, ‘I don’t know if I should come out and make a statement.’ And I said, ‘Listen, I don’t want any drama for you. They’re aiming all of this at me.’ So I said, ‘If I were you, I wouldn’t say anything.’ “ Last year, Justin issued a public apology for the incident, and in 2018 he confirmed he “absolutely” took time to make amends with Janey. He said: “I don’t know that a lot of people know that. I don’t think it’s my job to do that because you value the relationships that you do have with people. II stumbled through it, to be quite honest. I had my wires crossed and it’s just something that you have to look back on and go like, ‘Okay, well you know, you can’t change what’s happened but you can move forward and learn from it.'” Despite her comments now, in 2006, Janet said she felt “all the emphasis was put on me” following the incident, “as opposed to us.” And asked if she felt Justin had “left her hanging”, she replied: “To a certain degree, yeah.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex have expressed “their concerns” to Spotify over misinformation spreading on the platform. Musicians, including Neil Young and Joni Mitchell, asked for their music to be removed from the app amid calls for Joe Rogan’s controversial podcast to be removed for giving false information regarding the coronavirus vaccine. And now, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who set up Archewell Audio, signing an exclusive mega-money multi-year deal with the streaming giant to release a number of podcasts, have revealed they urged Spotify to help stop the “global misinformation crisis”. In a statement, an Archewell spokesperson said on behalf of the royal couple: “Since the inception of Archewell, we have worked to address the real-time global misinformation crisis. “Hundreds of millions of people are affected by the serious harms of mis- and disinformation every day. “Last April, our co-founders began expressing concerns to our partners at Spotify about the all too real consequences of Covid misinformation on its platform. “We have continued to express our concerns to Spotify to ensure changes to its platform are made to help address this public health crisis. “We look to Spotify to meet this moment and are committed to continuing our work together as it does.” Spotify insisted it bans “false or dangerous deceptive content about Covid-19, which may cause offline harm and/or pose a direct threat to public health.” ‘Heart of Gold’ hitmaker Neil had his music removed from Spotify earlier this week. In a request to the company, the 76-year-old singer said: “I want you to let Spotify know immediately TODAY that I want all my music off their platform. They can have [Joe] Rogan or Young. Not both. “I am doing this because Spotify is spreading fake information about vaccines – potentially causing death to those who believe the disinformation being spread by them. Please act on this immediately today and keep me informed of the time schedule.” The streaming service later responded: “We want all the world’s music and audio content to be available to Spotify users. With that comes great responsibility in balancing both safety for listeners and freedom for creators. We have detailed content policies in place and we’ve removed over 20,000 podcast episodes related to Covid since the start of the pandemic. We regret Neil’s decision to remove his music from Spotify, but hope to welcome him back soon.” In a note on her official website titled ‘I Stand With Neil Young!’, Joni, 78, added: “I’ve decided to remove all my music from Spotify. Irresponsible people are spreading lies that are costing people their lives. I stand in solidarity with Neil Young and the global scientific and medical communities on this issue.” View the full article

Timothy Leduc and Ashley Cain-GribbleLGBTQ Winter Olympians When the 2022 Winter Olympics kick off on Feb. 4, a record number of out LGBTQ athletes will be in Beijing in hopes of achieving their own gold medal moment. According to Outsports, the 2022 Games will feature at least 34 out Olympians representing 13 nations and populations across the LGBTQ spectrum, including the first nonbinary Winter Olympian ever, competing in nine different sports. Much like the 2020 Summer Olympics, the number of LGBTQ Olympians is a dramatic increase compared to any other Winter Games. Team LGBTQ’s 2022 roster more than doubles the number of out athletes from the previous Winter Olympics in 2018. It also includes the most out LGBTQ men, 11 currently, in Winter Olympics history, just four years after the Winter Games saw its first out male competitors. “It’s honestly a privilege to feel part of a community, and one that is pushing boundaries like no other,” British figure skater Lewis Gibson said. “Every four years the numbers skyrocket up and up … The Olympics are a legacy and being part of this group of people is that as well.” Leduc hopes to reach the same heights while providing another example for LGBTQ fans watching at home. “I’m hoping that moves the conversation forward in that more queer people can embrace authenticity,” Leduc told Iowa News Now. “Embrace what makes them unique and different and that they don’t have to change themselves in order to be a part of sports.” Out LGBTQ Coaches In addition to the landmark number of out athletes, there will also be an assortment of out LGBTQ coaches leading them toward Olympic glory. All four of the currently known out coaches heading to Beijing come from the figure skating world, including Adam Rippon and Jorik Hendrikx, who were part of the groundbreaking out LGBTQ male presence on the ice in 2018. “The experience of going to the [Winter Olympic] Games is a huge accomplishment. Everybody wants to have a medal, but awards and accolades, they fade away. What you remember as an athlete is your experience,” Rippon told E! News. “I hope that athletes remember that it’s a really, really intimate personal experience.” Brian Orser and Romain Haguenauer join Rippon and Hendrikx as the currently known out coaches geared up for Winter Olympic competition. Winter Olympics: Previously on Towleroad 2022 Winter Olympics Features More Than 30 Out LGBTQ Olympians, Including First Out Nonbinary Athlete Brian Bell January 30, 2022 Read More Trans Swimmers Lia Thomas And Iszac Henig Compete, Win At Ivy League Meet Brian Bell January 12, 2022 Read More Queen Honors Olympian Tom Daley for His Athletics and Advocacy; Diver, Knitting Entrepreneur Now ‘Officer of the Order of the British Empire’ Brian Bell January 4, 2022 Read More WNBA Champ Candace Parker, Former Teammate Come Out on Wedding Anniversary; Rapinoe’s New Nike Clothes Line; Top 200 LGBTQ Pro Wrestlers Brian Bell December 15, 2021 Read More Carl Nassib Designs Custom LGBTQ Cleats For NFL Charity Program; First Time Multiple Players Honor LGBTQ Orgs Brian Bell December 14, 2021 Read More Chicago Blackhawks Covered Up Player’s Report of Sexual Assault By Former Coach in 2010; NHL Fines $2 Million, Execs And Coach Resign Brian Bell October 29, 2021 Read More Photo courtesy of Luu/Creative Commons View the full article

Team Willow taking shape on RuPaul’s Drag Race. After three weeks of feel-good vibes, RuPaul’s Drag Race finally gave us a villain for season 14. It all starts innocently enough, as the gals gather following June Jambalaya’s elimination. Pathological overachiever Jasmine Kennedie cannot resist the opportunity to feel the Jantasy. (Jantasy, noun /ˈjan(t)əsē’/ 1. The belief that your undeniable talents are unrecognized by reality show judges.) What follows is a teary breakdown about not winning last week’s ball challenge. You can probably imagine how this is received. Luckily, this season’s union rep Kornbread is on the case. She immediately calls out Jasmine for steamrolling conversations and taking up too much space. The feedback is direct and actionable. Gauging by the reactions of the other queens, it needed to be said. In Jasmine’s defense, self-awareness is not a switch one can merely flip on. You can tell she genuinely is trying to do right the remainder of the episode, but, ho boy, it’s a rough ride. Team captains Willow and Maddy on RuPaul’s Drag Race. This week’s challenge splits the queens into two teams to complete a fictional “super tease” parody montage for the season. The voiceover is provided by Ru and consistent for both teams, so they get to choose how to bring things like “catfights” and “shocking revelations” to life. It’s one of those acting challenges where most of the humor comes from the edit. It’s a very narrow ask, and a lot of the ladies’ choices are left on the cutting room floor. Ru appoints last week’s winner, Willow, and last week’s lip sync survivor (winner feels like an overstatement), Maddy Morphosis, team captains. As the last queen picked, Jasmine chooses to walk her chatterbox over to team Willow, alongside the recently riled Kornbread. As the queens hash out their ideas, the tension between Kornbread and Jasmine on Team Willow is thicker than Roxxxy Andrews’ padding. It’s not that Kornbread is wrong, per se, but she relentlessly harps on every faux pas Jasmine makes. (And, to be fair, there are a lot!) Eventually it’s like watching someone rub a puppy’s face into their mess, and we the viewers are the carpet. Over on Team Maddy, we ask the age old question: Can heterosexual men be funny? The jury is still out, but Maddy does impress with some legit joke pitches that demonstrate a fluency in drag humor belied by Maddy’s chill, Buffalo Wild Wings vibe. Predictably, we get to see the pretty girls struggle to find their funny. Jorgeous and Kerri can’t let go of being sexy long enough to make fools of themselves. Puerto Rican pageant princess Alyssa Hunter doesn’t have a lot of funny ideas to contribute, and during filming she misses key set-ups for punchlines. It feels reductive to blame it all on language barrier. It feels much more like Alyssa, like so many pageant queens before her, just doesn’t excel at this brand of humor. Jennifer Lopez herself says really nothing at all to the queens in a pre-recorded message on RuPaul’s Drag Race. The finished products are pretty good! On Team Willow, the team captain totally slays with jokes even Marc Maron would appreciate. My favorite bit involves realizing she’s not competing for a shot at love with Jeffrey Boyer-Chapman on The Bitchelor. She secures a top spot with a great interpretation of this week’s “Night of 1,000 J.Los” runway, choosing to wear one of J.Lo’s most Romy and Michelle ensembles from her first Grammy Awards in 1998. It’s basically camp, and the judges eat it up. Some of her teammates are not as successful. Iconic guest judge [everybody say] Loni Love reads Kornbread for relying on fat jokes, which is a valid criticism. However, Kornbread’s Met Gala-inspired runway is stunning. It doesn’t feel like the performance is worth of a bottom-three finish. Kornbread was still funny, still went for it, and she looked great on the mainstage. Kerri also looks incredible in the actual green Versace dress J.Lo wore in 2019 as an homage to her legendary lewk from 20 years earlier. Not a recreation, not a copy, THE DRESS. Like, the fabric has graced both ladies’ skin. It’s an impressive sight, but is it an impressive achievement? It doesn’t really showcase Kerri’s personal taste, talent, ingenuity, point of view or anything other than her personal connections. Once the immediate shock reaction wears off, it’s actually a little disappointing. Her comedy is a lot disappointing. There’s just no “there” there. She’s relying on pretty. It’s bottom two for her. Team Maddy fares better overall with DeJa and eventual winner Angeria taking top spots. DeJa especially shines this week, giving us slapstick, character, one-liners and some actual acting. If her runway was better, she’d have my vote for this week’s win. Angeria looking stunning on RuPaul’s Drag Race. Instead, that goes to Angeria. As usual, she looks great on the mainstage dripping stones as J.Lo at the Met Gala 2019. Even more than Kerri’s genuine artifact, Angeria just knows how to make the judges (and audience) gag on her eleganza. She’s undeniably funny in the clip, but the humor is much more personality-driven than cleverly crafted. It’s no less valid (especially in this context), but depending on your personal tastes, your mileage may vary. That leaves Alyssa to lip sync against Kerri to “Play” by J.Lo. The sync leaves a lot to be desired. Kerri is clearly trying not to damage the dress, so her range of motion is “limited.” Alyssa attempts to incorporate one of those cash guns, but it jams in a big “womp, womp” moment. Alyssa is certainly doing more overall, but this isn’t a dance competition. Personally, I found Alyssa’s efforts to impress to be a bit frantic and disconnected from the energy of the song. Even though Kerri is decidedly sleepier, she punctuates some lines with facial expressions, and there was almost something charming about her ease. That’s why I don’t feel Alyssa’s elimination is the injustice some folks on Twitter seem to think it is. A successful pageant girl, she doesn’t need a lowly recapper like me to tell her she’s talented and gorgeous. However, this show looks for some very specific criteria, and I’m not sure Alyssa has the full arsenal Ru is looking for. (As an aside, I hate this chocolate bar gimmick. Unless it’s notable, I’m not going to bother with it week-to-week.) How are our ladies faring after the first comedy challenge? Let’s take stock with our rankings below. Angeria continues to ride a wave of momentum, racking up another win (her third, if you include the mini-challenge). Even when the judges fawn over her runways, I still feel like they’re underselling how beautiful the garments are. Plus, she’s got an irresistible personality AND can make Ru laugh? So far, no notes!There’s a good case to be made that Willow is the true top contender this season. After a … let’s call it “disarming” … entrance look, Willow unleashed an original vision that extends from performance to fashion. She was funnier than anything the writers for this show have ever come up with, and her J.Lo outfit was outside-the-box, hideous, beautiful and perfect all at once. I give the slight edge to Angeria, because there’s potential for Willow to easily go too cerebral and alienate the judges. Angeria is more aligned with what works on this show.Why aren’t we talking more about Bosco? She cracks me up in the confessionals, she regularly transforms her face with different makeup techniques, and, even when her runways are a little similar, there’s a lot of thought there. I like what she brought to the teaser, though she was a bit hampered working with the so-so Jorgeous.There was nothing wrong with Kornbread‘s work this week, but once the judges get one of these ideas in their heads, it tends to stick. While she initially seemed squarely in the right during the conflict with Jasmine, her doggedness quickly became off-putting. I didn’t find her performance any more obvious than Angeria’s, but I agree it was a bit one-note. Then again, like, this is a super cut? There’s not exactly room for character development. Plus, she had one of my favorite looks on the runway. She should’ve been safe.Jasmine hasn’t hit peak levels of insufferability for me as a viewer, even if she may have long past that point for her fellow cast members. We know she can sew. We know she can dance. We know she’s got some exquisite gowns. She even delivered decent enough comedy. Her competency is well established, but can she wow the judges with any particular mastery?It’s a shame for Jorgeous this was the J.Lo episode. I like the mirrorball nude-illusion bodysuit inspired by a similar outfit Jennifer wore to something called the “Super Bowl.” But, more than that, I loved her J.Lo dance moves, which were super specific and recognizable. Unfortunately, the comedy just wasn’t there.Meanwhile, DeJa comes charging back into the competition. She landed early in the bottom two, but this week absolutely slayed every scene she was in. Oddly enough for this established seamstress, her runway was my problem (and kept her from an even higher ranking). Ross correctly clocked the design for not being close enough to J.Lo’s original, but I could not disagree more with his assertion that DeJa’s was an improvement. It was more like a knockoff Halloween costume for “Dance Diva from the Bronx.”I guess Lady Camden was trying to sell a character that, underneath all the red, white and blue regalia, was secretly British. Um, ok? Since the edit didn’t provide that context, it just sort of read as bizarre. These other queens are here to play this season, and several have already made very strong impressions. The clock (Big Ben, in this case) is ticking.There wasn’t too much Daya to discuss in this episode, but she’s been proving worthy of the second chance, no matter how sloppily it was justified by Ru.I’m still a big Kerri Colby fan, but being told you’re too concerned with being pretty is a kiss of death. Of course the dress was incredible. Of course. It was incredible when J.Lo did it. Twice. I’m also being pretty generous about the lip sync. Hopefully in a less precious garment, she’s got more to give.Orion‘s J.Lo lewk was faithfully recreated by hand, and she held her own during the tease. A solid, safe week, but she’s got to give us something memorable to erase the bad taste from her first talent show performance.Eep! I don’t mean to harp on Maddy, but … her best work (coming out as straight) was cut from the final teaser and her runway looked very off-the-rack, J.Lo inauguration-by-way-of-ASOS.It’s not that I think Alyssa is the least talented queen here; it’s just I think she was the least successful at this competition after this week.How would you rank the queens? Catch up on our RuPaul’s Drag Race coverage. View the full article

[This post contains video, click to play] Published by uSports.org Jason Brown, 27, is an American figure skater. He became one of the youngest figure skaters to win a medal after Team USA won bronze in the team event in Sochi in 2014. After failing to qualify for the 2018 Olympics, Brown was burnt out. In the last four years, he has been through a personal journey, coming out as gay last June. He uses his platform to voice his support of love in all forms. During the last few years, he also re-fell in love with skating and the process that got him to Sochi. Now, he’s back and looking to add another medal to his collection in Beijing. When asked if he felt co… Read More View the full article

Published by New York Daily News Former zoo owner and reality TV superstar Joe Exotic has been resentenced to 21 years in prison for his role in a murder-for-hire plot, a federal judge said Friday. The resentencing — a shortening of just one year — came despite pleas from his lawyers after an appeals court ordered a new sentence. Supporters were hoping the zookeeper would be freed from prison. The star of the hit Netflix show “Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness,” whose real name is Joseph Maldonado-Passage, was sentenced to 22 years in January 2020 after he was convicted of hiring two men to kill animal rights activist Ca… Read More View the full article

Published by PsyPost New research shows having a greater number of older brothers increases the probability of a person entering a same-sex union at some point in their lives. This finding, detailed in our paper published this month in the Journal of Sex Research, offers a rare insight into the origins of sexual orientation. The origins of sexual orientationIn recent decades, many countries have achieved remarkable progress towards equal treatment of LGBTIQ+ people, including greater public support and more protective legislation. But despite these encouraging developments, sexual minorities still experience high … Read More View the full article