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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

Published by OK Magazine mega Setting the record straight! Michael Phelps‘ transgender ex-girlfriend, Taylor Lianne Chandler, is calling out the former Olympian for his “hypocritical” views on trans athletes. Phelps, 36, recently went on the record in an interview with CNN and called transgender swimmer Lia Thomas‘ participation in organized sports “complicated”. He later added that “sports should all be played on an even playing field,” in reference to the continued discussion of which gendered teams trans athletes should be allowed to play on in school and college sports. “He doesn’t fully understand the science, advantages or disadvantages,” Chandler exclusively told Radar, noting her ex was “a hypocrite for saying it should be a level playing field.” JAZZ JENNINGS CLAPS BACK AT HATERS CLAIMING REALITY STAR DIDN’T DESERVE TO BE READMITTED TO HARVARD UNIVERSITY: ‘PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO DENY MY ACCOMPLISHMENTS “He is genetically superior with his 6’7 wingspan, double-jointed ankles and huge feet,” she argued of the decorated swimmer. “His chemical composition allows him to breathe in and fill his lungs and hold his breath longer [than his competitors].” Chandler noted that despite understanding Phelps was likely put on the spot and uncomfortable with answering the hard-hitting questions, the whole interview was still deeply hurtful for her to watch, given their history. mega “In that moment of watching and hearing him say those things, it felt like a literal slap in the face,” she candidly told the outlet. “I felt like I was good enough to love, lay with and be with, but not be respected or allowed in the women’s sport of swimming – like I was not a woman, but rather an alien or God-knows-what. It can’t be a woman’s sport if it doesn’t include all women, period!” MICHAEL PHELPS DETAILS HIS STRUGGLES WITH DEPRESSION & ANXIETY — ‘I’VE NEVER OPENLY TALKED ABOUT IT’ “People against women in trans sports have like five examples to choose from,” Chandler further explained. “It’s not like trans women are dominating any sport overall. It is a pocket here and there around the country that the press jumps on to make it seem like it is a world pandemic.” As for her own beliefs surrounding the highly debated subject of trans athletes, Chandler believes there should be standards, but it should be determined on a “case by case” basis according to both the individual as well as the sport involved. “There should be standards, but I don’t believe they are fair enough at the moment, especially for someone who started the physical and medical transition a year ago,” she said, referring to Thomas, who only began their transition in 2019 and competed on the university swim team a year later. “One year on blockers and estrogen isn’t enough to undue the advantage of masculinization during puberty that at 18 you would still be undergoing.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Jessica Chastain felt guilty for judging Tammy Faye Bakker before playing her on screen. The 44-year-old actress portrays the late televangelist in the new movie ‘The Eyes of Tammy Faye’ and believes it the way to atone for her “harsh” views of her alter ego when she was younger. Jessica said of Tammy Faye: “I didn’t watch religious television, but I knew she was silly and easy to make fun of. “She was on the cover of tabloid magazines, so I thought she must be a terrible person.” The ‘Molly’s Game’ actress explained that her opinion on Tammy Faye changed after she had watched a documentary about her life – which serves as inspiration for the film. Jessica told the Daily Mail newspaper’s Baz Bamigboye column: “I felt guilty I’d judged her so harshly.” Tammy Faye’s marriage to her husband Jim Bakker (played by Andrew Garfield in the flick) fell apart after he was convicted of fraud but Jessica feels that her character was harshly treated for Jim’s mistakes due to her looks. She explained: “Her husband made some mistakes – and Tammy was vilified for it. “But really, it was because of her appearance. Women have been commodified in society. So much is about physical appearance and that’s how women have been judged.” The ‘355’ star continued: “She was shamed, and Tammy’s the physical embodiment of that shame. “People would look at her and go: ‘She’s the kid from a broken family.’ That’s how it was. “She knew what it was like to be unloved and unwelcome. Her thought was to connect and reach out to strangers, because she believes in God’s good grace.” View the full article

Published by DPA 1,850 euros for a digital snippet of a famous artwork: An Austrian museum is selling off 10,000 NFTs of Gustav Klimt's "The Kiss". Ouriel Morgensztern/Belvedere/dpa One of the world’s most famous romantic artworks is the latest to be sold as unique digital versions, as Vienna’s Belvedere museum prepares to sell NFTs of Gustav Klimt’s legendary Art Nouveau painting “The Kiss”. Ahead of Valentine’s Day, the museum has announced that it will begin selling digital romance in the form of 10,000 NFTs of Klimt’s “The Kiss”, each costing around 1,850 euros (2,060 dollars). Hyped by some and dismissed as a money-making scheme by others after NFT artworks fetched millions at auction, these so-called non-fungible tokens are digital certificates of authenticity meant to prove this is the original, even if countless other digital copies of Klimt’s artwork still exist. With this project, Belverede is tapping into a new source of income, a spokeswoman said of the campaign, which could bring in a total of up to 18.5 million euros. The museum says buyers can register for a chance to pay and “own a fraction of the digitalized image” and use these registrations as “a digital declaration of love” on Valentine’s Day (February 14). The Belvedere’s project is only the latest in a string of high-profile NFT sales following a boom in this new technology. Proponents say that even though there can be any number of identical copies of a work of art or object, only one NFT can be considered the original. The authenticity of the files in most current NFTs is secured with the tamper-proof blockchain data chain of the cryptocurrency Ethereum. “The conversion of digital reproductions into virtual originals opens up new forms of participation that, in financial terms, should be taken seriously, yet can also be viewed playfully,” said Belvedere Director General Stella Rollig. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Jeff Mason WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Biden family finally has a cat. First lady Jill Biden’s office has announced America’s first family is excited to welcome a two-year-old, gray-and-white-striped feline named Willow to the White House. Biden, a community college professor, named the cat after her hometown of Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, the first lady’s spokesperson Michael LaRosa said. “A farm cat from Pennsylvania, Willow made quite an impression on Dr. Biden in 2020 when she jumped up on the stage and interrupted her remarks during a campaign stop,” LaRosa said. “Seeing their immediate bond, the owner of the farm knew that Willow belonged with Dr. Biden.” Dr. Biden had said in April that the family had a female cat “waiting in the wings.” The green-eyed, short-haired tabby cat was settling in well at the White House with “her favorite toys, treats, and plenty of room to smell and explore,” LaRosa said. In December the Bidens welcomed a new dog family, a German Shepherd named Commander, who was four months old at the time. Their dog Champ died earlier in 2021. Major, a rescue the family adopted before coming to the White House, is living offsite with family friends after reported biting incidents at the White House. (Reporting by Jeff Mason; Editing by Heather Timmons and Karishma Singh) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Jamie Dornan has been “in a perpetual state of drag” his entire life. The 39-year-old actor – who has daughters Dulcie, eight, Elva, five, and Alberta, two, with wife Amelia Warner – admitted growing up in largely female households led to him having to dress up to get involved with the games of his sisters and then later his children. He said: “I’ve two sisters, so I’ve gone from my sisters dressing me up in wigs and lipstick to my kids doing the same thing. I’ve basically been in a perpetual state of drag for 39 years.” The ‘Belfast’ star joked he and his wife are only “capable of making” girls and he’s doubtful he’ll ever have a son. Speaking on ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show’, he quipped: “That’s all we’re capable of making. “No, I’ll keep trying maybe but I don’t think we’re going to have another boy.” But having another child may be unlikely because Jamie admitted he and Amelia have their hands full with their three girls, particularly because the youngest is such a “hurricane” of energy. He said: “She’s going to be three in February, we call her the hurricane. She’s a lot. She’s amazing, but she has a lot of energy… “Two is a crazy age, there’s a lot of energy there but it’s compounded by the fact we’ve got two other girls, so there’s Tazmanian Devil energy around us all the time.” Jamie has been nominated for a string of awards for his role in Sir Kenneth Branagh’s semi-autobiographical drama ‘Belfast’ and he believes his late father – who died of COVID-19 before the film was released – has had a hand in “the love” the movie has received. He said of his dad not being able to see the film: “It’s brutal but I take some comfort in the fact he knew I was doing it, we filmed it before he passed and I think in some way he’s having some control over the love we’re getting. “He was just happy that I was working with, like, Judi Dench, the legend, Dame Judi Dench plays my mother in this and I think he was just happy I was working with someone he knew. “I ‘ve worked with some cool people and he was just like, ‘Nope, I don’t know who that is’. On this I was like, ‘I’m working with Dame Judi Dench’ and he was like, ‘Whaaaat?’ “[And] I grew up with a picture of Kenneth Branagh and my dad together on the bookshelf in our living room. My dad was a doctor and Kenneth had come to cut the ribbon and open a new maternity ward at the hospital where my dad worked. Little did I know that I’d end up working with Ken, crazy.” View the full article

Published by AFP Dog-lovers Jill and Joe Biden have fulfilled a key White House pledge by getting a cat — a short-haired tabby named Willow Washington (AFP) – The dog-loving Bidens have finally fulfilled a key White House pledge — they got a cat. The political pussycat is a short-haired tabby named Willow, a spokesman for Jill Biden said Friday. Pictures posted by the first lady on Twitter showed the gray-and-white-striped pet prowling in the red-carpeted splendor of the presidential residence. It was the kind of soft, even cuddly Friday news the White House might need in these days of tension with Russia, soaring inflation and a stubborn, if receding, Covid-19 pandemic. “We’re waiting for a bad news day,” Press Secretary Jen Psaki joked back in June about going through with the long-expected cat plan. “If you see a tail wagging coming out of the briefing room, you’ll know something bad is about to happen.” Willow brings serious political chops: she’s a farm cat from Pennsylvania — ground zero in tight presidential elections — and was first encountered in 2020 when she jumped onto a stage where the future first lady was campaigning. “Willow made quite an impression on Dr Biden,” Michael LaRosa, the first lady’s press secretary, said. “Seeing their immediate bond, the owner of the farm knew that Willow belonged with Dr Biden.” LaRosa said, “Willow is settling into the White House with her favorite toys, treats, and plenty of room to smell and explore.” There was no answer to questions on Willow’s ability to bridge the bipartisan divide with dogs, but Washington probably won’t have to wait long to find out: the Bidens got a new German Shepherd puppy, Commander, just before Christmas. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Sean Penn thinks men have become “quite feminised”. The ‘Flag Day’ actor-and-director has hit out at “cowardly genes” and suggested males have changed themselves to please females, but insisted the “strong women” he knows don’t view “masculinity” as a way of “oppressing” them. He said: “I think that men have, in my view, become quite feminised. I have these very strong women in my life who do not take masculinity as a sign of oppression toward them. There are a lot of, I think, cowardly genes that lead to people surrendering their jeans and putting on a skirt.” Sean’s daughter, Dylan Penn, was also present for the interview and went “quiet” and “stared into space” following her father’s comments. Elsewhere during the interview, the 61-year-old star criticised the “failed citizens” who live in “privileged countries” such as the US and have declined to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Sean – who has “enormous faith” in the vaccination programme – told Independent.co.uk: “Sometimes people take their privilege and freedom as a right to be anti-citizen, to be failed citizens – those who will search out the kind of bogus science that would give them legitimacy [when it comes to] not being vaccinated.” The ‘Milk’ actor’s non-profit organisation, CORE (Community Organised Relief Effort), was founded in response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake but has recently focused efforts on testing and vaccination in the wake of the pandemic, and he’s hopeful they can make a difference. He said: We plug along. We continually try to educate and to incentivise more people to accept the vaccine. And we advocate for the distribution of vaccines in places where people are hungry for it.” And while Sean wants people to see ‘Flag Day’ in cinemas, he thinks it’s important theatregoers are vaccinated. He said: “I mean, what value are we to ask people into a theatre to have a growing experience – or we hope it can be – if their body is being affected in a degraded way? “So yeah, we all have to be thinking about that and in doing so, get through this so that going to the theatre is not a reluctant experience anymore.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Marie Osmond is turning into her mother. The 62-year-old star admitted she is finally embracing her mother’s positivity as she explained how Olive May – who sadly died in 2004 – always “chose to find the good” even during difficult times. She told America’s Closer magazine: “My mother was a very positive person. “Looking back, I realised she had a lot of tough things happen in her life, but she chose to find the good. “Now I find, I’m her. If your life is happier, it’s because you choose to see the happy in your life.” Marie’s comments come after she recently released solo album ‘Unexpected’, but her priority is on her home life with husband Steve Craig and their family. She said: “I want to play first and work second, which I have never done in my life. I really want to play. That’s my number one goal.” After a life in the spotlight, Marie – who released her first single at the age of 14 – is learning to say “no”. She added: I think sometimes we are afraid to move from something that may be good in a job but not good due to the environment or your physical happiness. “I am not afraid to close the door. I have learned not to be afraid to say, ‘No, this does not work for me.’ “ She’s striving to make up for lost time, and she described the last decade after remarrying first husband Steve in 2011 after 25 years part as the “best time” of her life. She explained: “I have friends that say, ‘Oh my gosh, the kids are gone. I don’t know what to do.’ I’m like, ‘Connect. Be with the love of your life. Fall back in love!’ “ And the loved-up couple are looking to travel across America in a new motorhome complete with a king-size bed, while she’s embracing being a grandmother to eight kids. She said: “You know, you get to do all the loving and none of the discipline. It’s really fun.” View the full article

Published by OK Magazine MEGA Kanye West has reportedly sunk to a new level of petty. Sources revealed to TMZ that the rapper, 44, has allegedly been going around falsely telling pals his ex-wife Kim Kardashian‘s new boyfriend, Pete Davidson, has AIDS. MEGA Insiders close to the Saturday Night Live star, 28, told the outlet that DJ Akademiks claimed earlier this week, “Kanye’s been telling everybody within earshot” that Davidson has AIDS. KHLOE KARDASHIAN JOINS KIM KARDASHIAN & PETE DAVIDSON FOR DINNER FOLLOWED BY AN ESCAPE ROOM WITH FRIENDS AMID TRISTAN THOMPSON DRAMA According to the outlet, the comedian and West’s mutual friends have been confused and disturbed by the outlandish and untrue claims made by the “Jesus Walks” musician. As OK! previously reported, this is not the first time West, who is currently dating actress Julia Fox, has taken a shot at Davidson, who has been linked to the Skims founder, 41, since October 2021. MEGA In his newly released track “Eazy,” the Grammy Award winner raps: “God saved me from the crash, just so I can beat Pete Davidson’s a**” — which friends were hardly shocked by. But, his latest threat towards The King of Staten Island star has raised new levels of concern. Meanwhile, a source close to West reportedly stated the allegations of him spreading the rumor are “nonsense.” KIM KARDASHIAN & KANYE WEST ‘ARE NOT ON GOOD TERMS RIGHT NOW’ FOLLOWING CHICAGO’S BIRTHDAY PARTY DRAMA AND NEW SONG, SOURCE SPILLS OK! exclusively learned it’s not only Davidson who Westhas been running his mouth about, as he’s also been making unwarranted comments about Kardashian’s appearance to his new crew. MEGA “He’s constantly making lewd jokes about her appearance and doing cruel impersonations of her whiny voice,” a source dished about Ye’s alleged trash talk. “He’s got Julia and his hangers-on rolling around in laughter, but the truth is he’s still angry at Kim for calling it quits on their marriage.” “Kanye wants to impress his new crew by taking these mean potshots at Kim, and it’s working,” the insider said. “They’re eating out of his hands, so the trash-talking is only bound to get worse!” View the full article

Published by AFP Art Spiegelman, author of the acclaimed graphic Holocaust novel Washington (AFP) – A school board in Tennessee has added to a surge in book bans by conservatives with an order to remove the award-winning 1986 graphic novel on the Holocaust, “Maus,” from local student libraries. Author Art Spiegelman told CNN Thursday — coincidentally International Holocaust Remembrance Day — that the ban of his book for crude language was “myopic” and represents a “bigger and stupider” problem than any with his specific work. The ban, decided by the McMinn County Board of Education in eastern Tennessee on January 10, sparked a national uproar among advocates of literary freedom after it became widely known in the past few days. It was the most recent controversy over conservatives seeking to purge school libraries of books they find objectionable, with the focus on works that offer alternatives to traditional views of US history and culture, particularly from the viewpoints of African Americans, LGBTQ youths, and other minorities. “Maus” was highly acclaimed when it was published as a compilation of Spiegelman’s serialized tale of the experiences of his father, a Polish Jew, with the Nazis and in a concentration camp during the Holocaust. The book, which depicted characters in the story as animals — Jews are mice and Germans are cats — won a Pulitzer Prize and other awards, and was accepted in many secondary schools as a powerful and accurate depiction of the Nazi murder of millions of Jews during World War II. The ban by the McMinn County school authority though focused on the use of eight crude words like “damn” and “bitch” and one scene of nudity, which some parents said were inappropriate for schoolchildren. “There is some rough, objectionable language in this book,” said school board director Lee Parkison, who proposed just redacting those parts of the book. But others argued that, while teaching teens about the Holocaust was necessary, a different book was needed. “It shows people hanging, it shows them killing kids; why does the educational system promote this kind of stuff, it is not wise or healthy,” asked board member Tony Allman. ‘Beyond comprehension’ Others defended the book. But they recognized the possible legal challenges over copyright and censorship that redacting could bring, and voted along with opponents to remove it from school libraries altogether. “They are totally focused on some bad words that are in the book…. I can’t believe that,” Spiegelman told CNN from his home in Switzerland. Jewish groups were deeply critical. “Given the pronounced lack of knowledge about the Holocaust in the US, especially among younger Americans, a Tennessee school board decision to ban Maus… is beyond comprehension,” said David Harris, chief executive of the American Jewish Committee. In a statement Thursday the McMinn school board defended its decision. “Maus” was banned “because of its unnecessary use of profanity and nudity and its depiction of violence and suicide,” they said. “Taken as a whole, the board felt this work was simply too adult-oriented for use in a schools.” They stressed they were seeking other works that will teach about the Holocaust “in a more age-appropriate fashion.” “We all have an obligation to ensure that younger generations learn of its horrors to ensure that such an event is never repeated,” they said. Culture wars The “Maus” ban added to the list of so-called culture war fights in which conservatives have forced local schools to proscribe books, particularly those written with the perspectives of ethnic and gender minorities. In October, a Texas school district temporarily withdrew copies of a book, “New Kid,” that explains the unintentional “micro-aggressions” an African-American child suffers because of the color of their skin. In Virginia, parents fought to have the widely lauded book “Beloved” by Black author Toni Morrison, a winner of the Nobel prize for literature, removed from reading lists. In York County, Pennsylvania in October, students battled to reverse a ban on several books, including works about South African icon Nelson Mandela and Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai, and many about minority children. While nearly all recent attacks on books for students has come from the right, in recent years the left has also acted to force schools to drop some longtime popular classics. Targets have included “Huckleberry Finn” and “To Kill a Mockingbird” because of their use of anti-Black epithets and negative characterizations of African Americans in relation to whites. View the full article

[This post contains video, click to play] Published by BANG Showbiz English Benji B says the “genius” of Virgil Abloh inspired the soundtrack to his last ever Louis Vuitton show. The BBC Radio 1 DJ and long-time collaborator of the late creative director – who passed away in November following a private cancer diagnosis, aged 41 – reflected on using Virgil’s memory and wishes to create the music for ‘Louis’ Dreamhouse’ at Paris Fashion Week. The 42-year-old music producer told i-D: “The genius of V is the fact that all of these thoughts that he empowered us to have just manifested into reality.” Benji – who worked with Tyler the Creator, Lupe Fiasco and others on the event – had a lot of notes from Virgil to work with. He said: “Virgil was like, ‘I want it to be theatrical, I want there to be elements of choreography and one of the references that was often talked about in many of the million WhatsApp groups that we’ve shared was ‘orchestra’, ‘orchestra pits’, ‘the magic of the orchestra’.” Benji doubted if bringing Virgil’s dream to life was something the team could pull off. He admitted: “I had no idea, honestly, if it was going to work or not.” He found it “heartbreaking” when they couldn’t tell Virgil about their achievements, such as securing the legendary Arthur Verocai, 76, to arrange the music. He said: “There’s many, many, obviously heartbreaking things about this week, but one of the things I really wish I could have done most is just send that WhatsApp message. You know, ‘We got Verocai, exploding head emoji,’” Benji admitted finding out that Virgil had also contacted the orchestra they booked to perform – the Chineke! Orchestra, the first majority Black and ethnic minority orchestra in Europe – was “a moment of beautiful synchronicity”. After the musical group’s founder Chi-Chi Nwanoku told him Virgil had spoken to him about potentially playing the show, Benji said: He never told me that. It was a moment of beautiful synchronicity.” Despite the loss of the Off-White creator – who is survived by his childhood sweetheart and wife, Shannon and their two daughters, Lowe and Grey – Benji believed that he was there in spirit. He said: “I think he was watching, and smiling, for sure.” View the full article