by tyler | May 12, 2023 | CNN, entertainment
Jamie Foxx’s daughter announced in a new social media post that the actor has been “out of the hospital for weeks, recuperating.”
Foxx was first hospitalized in Atlanta, Georgia on April 11 after he experienced a “medical complication,” according to his daughter, Corinne Foxx. No further information about the incident was provided.
On Friday, Foxx’s daughter, with whom he co-hosts the game show “Beat Shazam,” shared an “update from the family” on her Instagram story after multiple media reports cited friends who were seeking prayers for the Oscar-winning actor’s ongoing recovery.
“Sad to see how the media runs wild,” Corinne Foxx wrote. “My dad has been out of the hospital for weeks, recuperating. In fact, he was playing pickleball yesterday! Thanks for everyone’s prayers and support! We have an exciting work announcement coming next week too!”
Last week, Jamie Foxx shared a brief message on Instagram to express his gratitude for the support he has received, writing “Appreciate all the love!!! Feeling blessed.”
by tyler | May 12, 2023 | CNN, entertainment
Adam Levine is set to reunite with Blake Shelton on “The Voice.”
Levine and Maroon 5 will perform on the second night of the two-part finale on May 23 to sing their new single, “Middle Ground.” A video for the song will also debut that day. The single is the band’s first new song in two years.
Levine and Shelton were original coaches on the show together, and Levine was on the NBC singing competition series for the first 16 seasons,
Last year, Shelton announced he would be leaving after 24 seasons on the show. This season, he has been up against returning coach Kelly Clarkson and newcomers Chance the Rapper and Niall Horan and their teams.
Levine’s wife Behati Prinsloo recently shared a photo on Instagram of their family on vacation with their three children.
“A blink of an eye,” she wrote.
“The Voice’s” two-part finale airs Monday, May 22, and Tuesday, May 23, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.
by tyler | May 12, 2023 | CNN, entertainment
An unpublished, as-yet-untitled book by an unnamed author shot up the US bestseller lists this week, thanks to preorders from Taylor Swift fans who believed it to be her memoir.
But sadly for Swifties, the book previously listed as “4C Untitled Flatiron Nonfiction Summer 2023” has now been named: “Beyond the Story: 10-Year Record of BTS,” written by the musical juggernaut themselves, K-pop superstars BTS, according to updated listings on some booksellers’ websites.
Grammy-nominated BTS is one of the most successful boy bands in music history, with number 1 singles in more than 100 countries. In 2020, they were named Time Magazine’s Entertainer of the Year.
The band – RM, Jin, V, J-Hope, Suga, Jimin and Jungkook – are currently taking a break to pursue solo careers, with some members enlisting or set to enlist for mandatory military service.
BTS have written the memoir with journalist Myeongseok Kang. Flatiron Books, an imprint of Macmillan, will publish it on July 9.
So what convinced Swift’s fans enough for them to fork out $45 on a mysterious 544-page hardback?
It all comes down to numerology. First, the number of pages. When the individual digits in the number 544 are added together (5 + 4 + 4), the total is 13. In an appearance on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, “the “Shake It Off” singer confided that 13 was her lucky number.
Earlier in the week, a document allegedly from Flatiron made its way across social media, indicating the book’s author would be revealed on June 13, which Swifties took to be a second clue.
Next, the July 9 publication date is just two days after the release of Swift’s new album, “Speak Now (Taylor’s version).”
In a recent Instagram post announcing the album, Swift highlighted the date, which keen-eyed fans interpreted as a reference to the book.
“It fills me with such pride and joy to announce that my version of Speak Now will be out July 7 (just in time for July 9th, iykyk 😆),” Swift wrote cryptically.
But both June 13 and July 9 are also of significance to the BTS community.
The septet debuted their first single, “No More Dream,” on June 12, 2013, and the book’s July 9 release date similarly marks a 10-year anniversary, “ARMY Day,” celebrating the founding of the BTS fan group, known as the ARMY (Adorable Representative MC for Youth).
Sorry, Swifties, but BTS and their loyal ARMY have won this one.
by tyler | May 12, 2023 | CNN, entertainment
Adele James is addressing a colorism controversy over a Netflix docuseries in which she stars as Cleopatra.
“Queen Cleopatra,” which is executive produced and narrated by Jada Pinkett Smith, portrays the ruler of Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt as a woman of color.
Egyptian government officials have criticized casting James, who is biracial, in the role. The actress addressed the backlash during a recent appearance on “The Wayne Ayers Podcast.”
“Blackwashing isn’t a thing, is it?” she said. “I find it sad that people are either so self-loathing or so threatened by Blackness that they feel the need to do that, to separate Egypt from the rest of the continent.”
The debate is not new.
Cleopatra has been played by a variety of women, including Elizabeth Taylor in the 1963 film.
In 2020, there were complaints of “whitewashing” (when white actors are cast to play people of color) with news that Israeli-born actress and “Wonder Woman” star Gal Gadot had been cast to play Cleopatra in a forthcoming film.
At the crux of the debate among historians has been whether Cleopatra, who hailed from a long line of Macedonian Greeks, would have darker skin because of her African ancestry.
Those who support the belief that she did also point to the fact that Egypt is part of the continent of Africa.
“Queen Cleopatra” is part of Pinkett Smith’s “African Queens” franchise. In an article posted last month on Netflix’s Tudum site, the series’ producers addressed the royal’s ethnicity.
“Her ethnicity is not the focus of Queen Cleopatra, but we did intentionally decide to depict her of mixed ethnicity to reflect theories about Cleopatra’s possible Egyptian ancestry and the multicultural nature of Ancient Egypt,” they said.
CNN has reached out to representatives for Netflix and Pinkett Smith for comment.
“Queen Cleopatra” is streaming now on Netflix.
by tyler | May 12, 2023 | CNN, entertainment
Elle Fanning is talking about the pressures around movie franchises and what they mean for her own career.
The actress, who played Aurora in Disney’s two “Maleficent” movies, has yet to appear in a Marvel, DC or “Star Wars” movie, but she’s ok with that. In an interview on the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast, she explained why.
“I don’t feel that [pressure]. I don’t,” Fanning said of appearing in a major movie franchise.
She added that while she did audition for at least one big franchise role, she wasn’t cast, in part, she said, because the studio wasn’t satisfied with her social media following.
“I did try out for…I’m not going to say what it was, but I didn’t get a part once for something big because, it might not have just been this reason, but this was the feedback that I heard, was because I didn’t have enough Instagram followers at the time,” she said. “So that was a little like…I firmly don’t believe in not getting a part [for that].
Fanning has more than six million followers on Instagram alone. She currently stars in Hulu’s “The Great,” opposite Nicholas Hoult.
by tyler | May 12, 2023 | CNN, entertainment
A request by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to address the Eurovision Song Contest final in the English city of Liverpool on Saturday has been denied by broadcasters.
In a statement posted on its website on Thursday, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which is an alliance of public service media organizations that oversees the event, stressed the importance of the “nonpolitical” nature of Eurovision, which is watched by millions around the world.
“This principle prohibits the possibility of making political or similar statements as part of the Contest,” the EBU added.
“The request by Mr Zelensky to address the audience at the Eurovision Song Contest, whilst made with laudable intentions, regrettably cannot be granted by the European Broadcasting Union management as it would be against the rules of the event,” the statement continued.
If he had been allowed to address the contest, the Ukrainian leader would probably have continued his pattern of using speeches at high-profile international events to draw attention to Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine – and Eurovision would have been a poignant stage on which to do so, given that this year’s contest is being staged in the United Kingdom because Ukraine, the winner of last year’s contest and the rightful host nation, is unable to host it due to the Russian invasion.
However, the EBU said it has taken great pains to ensure that Ukrainian music and culture feature prominently throughout the live final and semifinal events, which are being hosted by British broadcaster the BBC on behalf of Ukraine’s public broadcaster, UA:PBC.
The EBU listed the appearance of 11 Ukrainian musical acts, collaborations with a Ukrainian design agency on branding and a series of 37 short films as examples of the “best way” to “reflect and celebrate Ukraine’s Eurovision Song Contest win and show we are United By Music during these hard times.”
Organizers confirmed last year that a Russian act would not be allowed to compete in the contest, with a statement noting: “The decision reflects concern that, in light of the unprecedented crisis in Ukraine, the inclusion of a Russian entry in this year’s Contest would bring the competition into disrepute.”
