Actor Zac Efron appears to be fine after his weekend spell at a Spanish hospital.
In Ibiza, worried workers at a villa found him in a pool and called an ambulance. Efron was taken to the hospital but released soon after.
Now he’s posted a photo of himself in tip top shape, pumping iron.
What happened in the pool? Did he fall asleep? Was he doing the backstroke wrong? Had he watched some of his movies?
Well it’s good to know he’s bearing up in Ibiza. It’s not exactly Canarsie.
The Kennedys gave us great statesman like John and Robert senior.
They also gave us Chappaquiddick and William Kennedy Smith.
In between there have been successes and failures and scandals. But none of them is worse than Robert Kennedy Jr. He’s a totally deplorable human being.
Knowing The New Yorker was coming with this story, Kennedy reveals the truth of a decade old tale to, weirdly, right wing crackpot and former comedian Roseanne Barr.
Watching this video is jaw dropping, Kennedy recalls a hunting trip in which he loaded a dead bear in his car, had dinner at a steak house, and then intended to go to the airport. Realizing he couldn’t leave the bear in the car, he then surreptitiously dumped it in Central Park. He made it seem like a cyclist had killed it.
This really happened. The mystery bear was reported widely in the news. Now we know who did it. This is not funny or amusing. This is sick. This is a man who cheated on first and second wives, kept a sex diary that was published by the NY Post, and saw his second wife hang herself in the barn.
More recently Kennedy has conceded that other women may have unsavory stories about him. He’s a conspiracy theorist who rails against vaccines. He’s surrounded himself with people like Barr who have revolted his uncle, President John Kennedy, and his father, Robert F. Kennedy.
Is this the end? Let’s hope so. We’re finally on a path with Kamala Harris to normalcy again. Kennedy must be rejected on all levels. His own siblings and cousins have denounced him. Now it’s our turn.
PS No kidding. The bear’s family should start a civil suit.
Kennedy’s video, which he’s posted to get ahead of the New Yorker story, is below, followed by the report on Channel 4 WNBC in 2014. The youthful prank happened when RFK Jr. was 60 years old — an age his father and uncle didn’t get to live to. He’s completely dishonored them.
So he put a dead baby bear in his car after it was hit by a car in New York City (not his car, according to him) so he could skin it and eat it later, left the dead cub in his car for almost an entire day, then took it out and left it on a bike rack in Central Park.
This is… https://t.co/l5zXOEJNUu
— Ally Sammarco (@Ally_Sammarco) August 4, 2024
BOX OFFICE UPDATING
“Deadpool and Wolverine” is still number 1. The Ryan Reynolds-Hugh Jackman Marvel send up will hit $400 million domestic on Monday, tomorrow. It’s up around $850 mil worldwide. The end is not in sight.
M. Night Shayamalan’s “Trap” is crap, basically. “The Sixth Sense” director has been making movies for 25 years. This is the second worst wide open he’s ever had. The worst was his last one. The only scary thing is that he can’t get a screenwriter to give him a good premise.
As I said yesterday, “Harold and the Purple Crayon” is DOA with just $3 million worldwide. It take a lot to screw up a 69 year old classic book with a live action movie. But these people have done it. Not a good entry on Zachary Levi’s already messy resume.
No one knows what happened to “The Instigators.” I will try and watch it today. Poor reviews. No numbers from Apple for the theatrical release. If you saw it, say something: showbiz411@gmail.com
I don’t mind saying that Nancy Pelosi is one of the greatest people I’ve ever been lucky enough to know and talk to. She’s brilliant, the definition of intelligence and savvy. She’s also incredibly warm.
With Lesley Stahl this morning on CBS she discussed her new book, “The Art of Power,” which is a subtle rebuke of Donald Trump’s “The Art of the Deal.” Pelosi has now dedicated herself to making sure Trump won’t be back in the White House. She gives good advice to Kamala Harris about Trump, too: “Just ignore him.”
Pelosi also says, very tactfully, that she made no calls to oust Joe Biden from the presidential race. She tells Stahl Biden should be on Mt. Rushmore.
Watch the whole thing here:
It’s hard to imagine how this could happen, but you know…
The Tony Awards already had a tough time with this year’s show. They didn’t need any more trouble.
And yet, two months after the awards were handed out, Tonys have made a ridiculous error. They sent out the engraved statues to the winners. In the case of playwright David Adjmi, they misspelled his name.
Adjmi wrote “Stereophonic,” the hit show inspired by the making of Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumours” album. The show is terrific, and a big hit.
You’d think that the Tonys could at least get his name right, but they left out the ‘d’ in Adjmi.
You see, you can’t get respect anywhere these days. Adjmi posted a photo of his award to Instagram. I guess it’s a collector’s item. The awards people had better learn that name. Adjmi will definitely be back.
Kanye West is back.
You thought he was gone, right? But no, here’s a surprise drop overnight of “Vultures 2” with Ty Dolla $ign.
West is an avowed self proclaimed antisemite who admires Hitler. He burned his whole career down to the ground sticking to those proclamatons. He lost all his business deals including the most profitable one, at Adidas.
So it’s only appropriate that he ends the album with these words: Fuck Adidas.
Otherwise, “Vultures 2” is a pretty timid album. It’s mostly about sex — one song is “Slide” (Slide in, would you ride?) and money, and West’s relationships. There’s a lot of material mixed in from his gospel adventures a few years ago. Two of his kids with Kim Kardashian are one innocuous track.
Gone, as far as I can tell, is his old producer, Mike Dean. West has a new group of consorts. A lot of the album is left over from the Vultures 1 project. Todd Rundgren’s vocal, recorded in 2021, is buried in the song, “My Soul.”
West — I will not call him Ye — even gets philosophical on the song “Husband”: “The only thing you really need is a husband
The only thought you ever need is “I trust him” (“I trust him”)
All your dreams, all your goals
It’s promised with this ring I have in my hands (My hands)”
This is not the abrasive Kanye we’ve known in the past:
“Got a plan for us, got a plan to grow
Got a plan for homes, got a plan for bad times
Got a plan for good times, got a plan for hood times
Got a plan for hood crimes, got a plan for trust
Got a plan for lust, got a plan for Beverly Hills (Hills)”
The production value is high. The sampling is low. The rhetoric, aside from the Adidas mention, is kept in control.
Does this change everything that’s gone on for the last several years? No. But West’s fans will be buying this thing up quickly. It’s already number 1 on iTunes.
The whole is here on YouTube, as provided by Kanye:
Nancy Pelosi’s Advice to Kamala Harris: “Ignore Him” — Watch Her Brilliant Interview Here
So much for “Harold and the Purple Crayon.”
The live action version of the beloved children’s book is a total write off, apparently.
The crayon broke in half with a $2.425 mil opening that includes $750,000 in previews. Despite the book’s long history — it was published in 1955 — a live version wasn’t really needed. Also, star Zachary Levi has lost a lot of his luster. But: “Deadpool and Wolverine” is now up to $326 million. It’s slowing down a bit, but not much. Look for another $58 million today and Sunday. M. Night Shayamalan’s “Trap” grabbed a $6.7 mil opening including $2.2 million in previews. Maybe they’ll scratch up another $9 million today and tomorrow. But at that point, with middling reviews, “Trap” should shut.
Donald Trump continually attacks Fox News on his social media.
But he doesn’t dislike it that much. Trump says he will only debate Kamala Harris on Fox News, on September 4th, with a raucous audience.
A proper debate was already set for September 10th on ABC News with President Biden. Trump doesn’t want to do that with Harris. He’s terrified of Harris, and figures he needs the comfort of Fox to allow a bullying situation.
The first debate, in June, with Biden, was not in front of an audience. This time, Trump wants his people in a large crowd, so they can boo and chuckle, and make inappropriate comments. He wants a circus.
The Harris campaign is unlikely to give in. They said in a statement: “Donald Trump is running scared and trying to back out of the debate he already agreed to and running straight to Fox News to bail him out. He needs to stop playing games and show up to the debate he already committed to on Sept. 10th. We’re happy to discuss further debates after the one both campaigns have already agreed to. Mr. Anytime, anywhere, anyplace should have no problem with that unless he’s too scared to show up on the 10th.”
Trump is so nervous about Harris that his posts on Truth Social reek of fear. The litigation with ABC News and George Stephanopolous, by the way, long predates Harris becoming the Democratic candidate.
He wrote:
“I have agreed with FoxNews to debate Kamala Harris on Wednesday, September 4th. The Debate was previously scheduled against Sleepy Joe Biden on ABC, but has been terminated in that Biden will no longer be a participant, and I am in litigation against ABC Network and George Slopadopoulos, thereby creating a conflict of interest. The FoxNews Debate will be held in the Great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, at a site in an area to be determined. The Moderators of the Debate will be Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum, and the Rules will be similar to the Rules of my Debate with Sleepy Joe, who has been treated horribly by his Party – BUT WITH A FULL ARENA AUDIENCE!….”
Aerosmith is calling it a day after 54 years.
No more touring or live performances because leader Steven Tyler’s voice has given out.
The group has had a remarkable career, full of hits and live performance triumphs. But Tyler has literally sung his guts out around the world hundreds of times. He can take solace in being one of the greatest rock stars in history fronting one of the best bands of all time.
Can they try and make a final record? Bon Jovi, in a similar situation, just did exactly that — although they may make another. It’s hard to release albums if you can’t tour behind them.
Tyler and Joe Perry could still write songs, and produce records for new bands. Perry would be in much demand as a star featured player, like Slash. Let’s just hope Tyler stays in the spotlight no matter what he does. We need him!
Here’s the band’s message on social media:
It was 1970 when a spark of inspiration became Aerosmith. Thanks to you, our Blue Army, that spark caught flame and has been burning for over five decades. Some of you have been with us since the beginning and all of you are the reason we made rock ‘n’ roll history.
It has been the honor of our lives to have our music become part of yours. In every club, on every massive tour and at moments grand and private you have given us a place in the soundtrack of your lives.
We’ve always wanted to blow your mind when performing. As you know, Steven’s voice is an instrument like no other. He has spent months tirelessly working on getting his voice to where it was before his injury. We’ve seen him struggling despite having the best medical team by his side. Sadly, it is clear, that a full recovery from his vocal injury is not possible. We have made a heartbreaking and difficult, but necessary, decision – as a band of brothers – to retire from the touring stage.
We are grateful beyond words for everyone who was pumped to get on the road with us one last time. Grateful to our expert crew, our incredible team and the thousands of talented people who’ve made our historic runs possible. A final thank you to you – the best fans on planet Earth. Play our music loud, now and always. Dream On. You’ve made our dreams come true.
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The music business should be thriving during the summer. Kids are out of school. Beaches are very busy.
But no: we are in the dog days. And that’s insulting dogs.
With no new major releases, the album chart has fallen apart. Sales are frozen and melting. The number 1 album this week is back to being Taylor Swift’s “Tortured Poets.” The album sold just 72,751 copies to be number 1.
This is sad.
Eminem’s “Death of Slim Shady” dropped to number 7. Last week’s number one album, by Stray Kids, fell 78% to number 8. The other big K Pop album, by Jimin, fell 68%. The KPop releases always do this. Their sales are contrived, and have no legs.
Ice Spice, who’s supposed to be popular, debuted at number 34 with less than 20,000 copies sold. After all the PR she’s received, there was no response from the general public.
A raft of new releases from people like Kacey Musgraves and Khalid might liven things up for next Friday. But I won’t bet on it. The new release number 1 on iTunes is by Jack White, of the White Stripes. We’ll see how long that lasts.
Sony, meantime, got a $700 million investment this week from Apollo Management. The company has 1 album on the top 50, at number 32, by a country artist no one’s heard of.
And the beat goes on.