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Major spoilers for "The Penguin" follow.
"The Penguin" is an eight-episode character study of the titular Batman rogue. But this particular exploration of the legendary villain tries hard to get you to root for Oz Cobb (Colin Farrell), before ultimately rebuking us all for doing so. In his book, "The Gift of Fear: Survival Signs that Protect us from Violence," security specialist Gavin De Becker writes:
"Charm is another overrated ability. Note that I called it an ability, not an inherent feature of one's personality. Charm is almost always a directed instrument, which, like rapport building, has motive. To charm is to compel, to control by allure or attraction. Think of charm as a verb, not a trait."
This brief excerpt acts as a good guide for understanding "The Penguin," not only in the sense that it describes Oz Cobb's most significant characteristic,...
Major spoilers for "The Penguin" follow.
"The Penguin" is an eight-episode character study of the titular Batman rogue. But this particular exploration of the legendary villain tries hard to get you to root for Oz Cobb (Colin Farrell), before ultimately rebuking us all for doing so. In his book, "The Gift of Fear: Survival Signs that Protect us from Violence," security specialist Gavin De Becker writes:
"Charm is another overrated ability. Note that I called it an ability, not an inherent feature of one's personality. Charm is almost always a directed instrument, which, like rapport building, has motive. To charm is to compel, to control by allure or attraction. Think of charm as a verb, not a trait."
This brief excerpt acts as a good guide for understanding "The Penguin," not only in the sense that it describes Oz Cobb's most significant characteristic,...
- 11/11/2024
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will receive Secret Service protection after the attempted assassination of the former president.
On Saturday, the former president was shot in the ear during a rally in western Pennsylvania around 6:15 p.m. Est. Eyewitness video showed blood had been streaming from his ear while Secret Service agents rushed to surround him.
He was not seriously injured and was taken to a local hospital for examination.
One attendee was killed, and two were severely injured.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas announced that Kennedy received Secret Service protection on Monday.
“We are in a heightened and very dynamic threat,” Mayorkas stated during a White House briefing.
“In light of this weekend’s events, the President has directed me to work with the Secret Service to provide protection to Robert Kennedy Jr, both before and after the events of this past weekend,” the Homeland Security Secretary added.
On Saturday, the former president was shot in the ear during a rally in western Pennsylvania around 6:15 p.m. Est. Eyewitness video showed blood had been streaming from his ear while Secret Service agents rushed to surround him.
He was not seriously injured and was taken to a local hospital for examination.
One attendee was killed, and two were severely injured.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas announced that Kennedy received Secret Service protection on Monday.
“We are in a heightened and very dynamic threat,” Mayorkas stated during a White House briefing.
“In light of this weekend’s events, the President has directed me to work with the Secret Service to provide protection to Robert Kennedy Jr, both before and after the events of this past weekend,” the Homeland Security Secretary added.
- 7/16/2024
- by Alessio Atria
- Uinterview
Robert Kennedy Jr.’s independent presidential campaign is being boosted by deep-pocketed supporters of Donald Trump, venture capitalists, conservative Hollywood types, and other celebrities.
Democrats worry the Kennedy campaign could help tank President Joe Biden’s reelection bid and make Trump president again. He is also a danger to public health: Kennedy has spread false conspiracy theories about Covid-19 vaccines and claimed vaccines cause autism.
American Values 2024, a super Pac backing Kennedy, is the most important funding vehicle for his longshot bid for president. The group spent $7 million on a...
Democrats worry the Kennedy campaign could help tank President Joe Biden’s reelection bid and make Trump president again. He is also a danger to public health: Kennedy has spread false conspiracy theories about Covid-19 vaccines and claimed vaccines cause autism.
American Values 2024, a super Pac backing Kennedy, is the most important funding vehicle for his longshot bid for president. The group spent $7 million on a...
- 2/26/2024
- by Adam Rawnsley
- Rollingstone.com
Robert Kennedy Jr. apologized for an ad his super Pac ran during the Super Bowl on Sunday after his cousin, Bobby Shriver, bashed how the ad used the family’s faces to promote the anti-vax candidate’s “deadly health care views.”
“I’m so sorry if the Super Bowl advertisement caused anyone in my family pain,” Rfk Jr. wrote. “The ad was created and aired by the American Values Super Pac without any involvement or approval from my campaign. Fec rules prohibit Super PACs from consulting with me or my staff.
“I’m so sorry if the Super Bowl advertisement caused anyone in my family pain,” Rfk Jr. wrote. “The ad was created and aired by the American Values Super Pac without any involvement or approval from my campaign. Fec rules prohibit Super PACs from consulting with me or my staff.
- 2/12/2024
- by Andrew Perez and Ryan Bort
- Rollingstone.com
Update: Robert Kennedy Jr. apologized to family members for a Super Bowl spot that mimicked an ad run by his uncle John F. Kennedy during his 1960 presidential run.
“I’m so sorry if the Super Bowl advertisement caused anyone in my family pain,” Kennedy wrote on X/Twitter. “The ad was created and aired by the American Values Super Pac without any involvement or approval from my campaign. Fec rules prohibit Super PACs from consulting with me or my staff. I love you all. God bless you.”
Kennedy did pin the ad to his X/Twitter account, where it remains.
Bobby Shriver, Kennedy’s cousin, objected to the spot, writing that his mother Eunice “would be appalled by his deadly health care views.” Mark Shriver wrote that he agreed with that sentiment against the ad, and Maria Shriver retweeted her brother’s objections.
The spot was from the American Values...
“I’m so sorry if the Super Bowl advertisement caused anyone in my family pain,” Kennedy wrote on X/Twitter. “The ad was created and aired by the American Values Super Pac without any involvement or approval from my campaign. Fec rules prohibit Super PACs from consulting with me or my staff. I love you all. God bless you.”
Kennedy did pin the ad to his X/Twitter account, where it remains.
Bobby Shriver, Kennedy’s cousin, objected to the spot, writing that his mother Eunice “would be appalled by his deadly health care views.” Mark Shriver wrote that he agreed with that sentiment against the ad, and Maria Shriver retweeted her brother’s objections.
The spot was from the American Values...
- 2/12/2024
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
The independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. raised more than $7 million from October to December 2023.
This information was disclosed in a Federation Election Commission (Fec) filing.
According to this filing, the funds added to the approximately $6.1 million the campaign had in the bank when entering the year’s fourth quarter.
Additionally, the campaign spent almost $7.8 million during that time, which left Kennedy with $5.4 million in cash.
He had $6.1 million in cash at the end of September 2023.
Kennedy’s campaign also received backlash for its donor base, with many people who supported Republicans in previous elections donating to the independent candidate.
Critics argue that these donors are hoping to use his candidacy to weaken Joe Biden in the general election.
About $5 million that Kennedy had taken in were itemized donations of more than $200 and, of those, about $224,000 were from donors to Donald Trump‘s 2020 presidential campaign. Only $105,000 had come from donors to Biden’s 2020 campaign.
This information was disclosed in a Federation Election Commission (Fec) filing.
According to this filing, the funds added to the approximately $6.1 million the campaign had in the bank when entering the year’s fourth quarter.
Additionally, the campaign spent almost $7.8 million during that time, which left Kennedy with $5.4 million in cash.
He had $6.1 million in cash at the end of September 2023.
Kennedy’s campaign also received backlash for its donor base, with many people who supported Republicans in previous elections donating to the independent candidate.
Critics argue that these donors are hoping to use his candidacy to weaken Joe Biden in the general election.
About $5 million that Kennedy had taken in were itemized donations of more than $200 and, of those, about $224,000 were from donors to Donald Trump‘s 2020 presidential campaign. Only $105,000 had come from donors to Biden’s 2020 campaign.
- 2/9/2024
- by Alessio Atria
- Uinterview
Robert Kennedy Jr. and a super Pac backing his 2024 presidential campaign have raised $50 million, according to new federal election records released Wednesday. Half of that staggering cash haul has come from two people.
Timothy Mellon, a Republican megadonor who has also backed former President Donald Trump, has donated another $10 million to the pro-Kennedy super Pac, American Values 2024. Mellon, an heir to the Mellon banking fortune, gave a total of $15 million to the group in 2023. He separately donated $10 million to Make America Great Again Inc., a pro-Trump super Pac, in...
Timothy Mellon, a Republican megadonor who has also backed former President Donald Trump, has donated another $10 million to the pro-Kennedy super Pac, American Values 2024. Mellon, an heir to the Mellon banking fortune, gave a total of $15 million to the group in 2023. He separately donated $10 million to Make America Great Again Inc., a pro-Trump super Pac, in...
- 1/31/2024
- by Andrew Perez
- Rollingstone.com
On Oct. 28, TMZ was first to report Matthew Perry’s drowning death. The media outlet, which over the past two decades has become a byword for hard-edged celebrity coverage, cited law enforcement sources and ran a redacted audio clip it’d obtained of a dispatcher communicating with emergency personnel before running photos of the actor’s stricken parents arriving at his home.
The site has been renowned and reviled for such lightning scoops. Its casualties include Todd Fisher, who has uniquely experienced its force as a merciless reaper. TMZ broke the news of the death of his sister Carrie. Then, the next day, it was first to report that his mother, Debbie Reynolds, had been transported from his home, where she’d been discussing funeral plans for Carrie, to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center because of a possible stroke. (TMZ had audio of the dispatch call.) She soon died there. “They have...
The site has been renowned and reviled for such lightning scoops. Its casualties include Todd Fisher, who has uniquely experienced its force as a merciless reaper. TMZ broke the news of the death of his sister Carrie. Then, the next day, it was first to report that his mother, Debbie Reynolds, had been transported from his home, where she’d been discussing funeral plans for Carrie, to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center because of a possible stroke. (TMZ had audio of the dispatch call.) She soon died there. “They have...
- 11/16/2023
- by Gary Baum, Ryan Gajewski and Winston Cho
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Actress Brooke Shields will use her upcoming documentary to open up about her amazement over how she “survived” being sexualised from the age of 11. ‘The Blue Lagoon’ actress, 57, who recently revealed she was raped by a man after they had dinner to discuss her film project dreams, tears up as she tells in her two-part documentary ‘Pretty Baby’ how she was “catapulted into the world of adult sexuality” as a child, reports femalefirst.co.uk.
She said in a trailer for the film, due out April 3: “That always just seared me…. I was struggling to find my own voice, I wasn’t told it was important to have agency.”
Shields said the words as those interviewed for her documentary referred to her as “the most photographed woman in the world,” an “iconic American beauty,” “object of desire,” “sexualised child model” and “vulnerable”.
Named after one of her first films,...
She said in a trailer for the film, due out April 3: “That always just seared me…. I was struggling to find my own voice, I wasn’t told it was important to have agency.”
Shields said the words as those interviewed for her documentary referred to her as “the most photographed woman in the world,” an “iconic American beauty,” “object of desire,” “sexualised child model” and “vulnerable”.
Named after one of her first films,...
- 3/22/2023
- by News Bureau
- GlamSham
Brooke Shields is opening up about being sexually assaulted by a powerful Hollywood executive over 30 years ago.
The actress, now 57, recalled how she thought at the time, “No one is going to believe me,” as she spoke to People in a new interview.
Shields added, “People weren’t believing those stories back then. I thought I would never work again.”
Read More: ‘Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields’: An Actress Discovers Her Power In New Documentary Teaser
The model also discussed the assault in her upcoming two-part documentary, “Brooke Shields: Pretty Baby”, set to premiere April 3 on Hulu.
She told People of speaking out in the doc, “Doing the documentary, you see it all together, and it’s a miracle that I survived.
“It’s taken me a long time to process it,” Shields continued of the assault that happened when she was in her 20s.
“I’m more angry now...
The actress, now 57, recalled how she thought at the time, “No one is going to believe me,” as she spoke to People in a new interview.
Shields added, “People weren’t believing those stories back then. I thought I would never work again.”
Read More: ‘Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields’: An Actress Discovers Her Power In New Documentary Teaser
The model also discussed the assault in her upcoming two-part documentary, “Brooke Shields: Pretty Baby”, set to premiere April 3 on Hulu.
She told People of speaking out in the doc, “Doing the documentary, you see it all together, and it’s a miracle that I survived.
“It’s taken me a long time to process it,” Shields continued of the assault that happened when she was in her 20s.
“I’m more angry now...
- 3/15/2023
- by Becca Longmire
- ET Canada
“Pretty Baby,” a two-part documentary about the intense highs and lows of American icon Brooke Shields, brought the house down with its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on Friday.
The doc explores the appalling sexualization of Shields beginning at age 9, the top-tier modeling and acting career that followed, and the urgent conversations she inspires around what society expects of women.
Directed by Lana Wilson (Taylor Swift’s “Miss Americana”), “Pretty Baby” confronts milestones in Shields’ life that, in a post #MeToo world, shocked the audience at Park City’s Eccles Theater. Pre-pubescent nude photoshoots, male talk show hosts asking if 12-year-old Shields enjoys being a sex symbol, the horrors of an alcoholic mom and manager and Shields’ notable public battles with the likes of Tom Cruise are all on the table.
“I’ve always made it an important part of my journey to be as honest as I could.
The doc explores the appalling sexualization of Shields beginning at age 9, the top-tier modeling and acting career that followed, and the urgent conversations she inspires around what society expects of women.
Directed by Lana Wilson (Taylor Swift’s “Miss Americana”), “Pretty Baby” confronts milestones in Shields’ life that, in a post #MeToo world, shocked the audience at Park City’s Eccles Theater. Pre-pubescent nude photoshoots, male talk show hosts asking if 12-year-old Shields enjoys being a sex symbol, the horrors of an alcoholic mom and manager and Shields’ notable public battles with the likes of Tom Cruise are all on the table.
“I’ve always made it an important part of my journey to be as honest as I could.
- 1/21/2023
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
Not much is known about Barbarian beyond the fact that it stars exciting up-and-comers Georgina Campbell and Bill Skarsgård and that it’s set, largely, in an Airbnb, that’s (maybe) been double-booked. The trailers have been minimalist, the posters even more so. Even the title seems somewhat vague (who – or what – is the ‘barbarian’ exactly?). You won’t be surprised to hear that it’s all very much on purpose; the mystery is the selling point here, and while there’s certainly a lot to be said, and a lot that this writer wants to say, let’s keep this brief since going in as cold as possible is strongly recommended – Barbarian is the best horror film of 2022. If you’re a genre fan, you should definitely see this movie.
Written and directed by actor-turned-filmmaker Zach Cregger, Campbell stars as Tess, a young woman who arrives at her Airbnb...
Written and directed by actor-turned-filmmaker Zach Cregger, Campbell stars as Tess, a young woman who arrives at her Airbnb...
- 9/7/2022
- by Ben Robins
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Jeff Bezos is being sued by his girlfriend’s brother for defamation.
Michael Sanchez, a talent manager and the brother of Bezos’ girlfriend Lauren Sanchez, claims in a filed complaint obtained by People that the Amazon founder and his consultant, Gavin de Becker, falsely told news outlets he had leaked “graphic, nude photographs” of Bezos to The National Enquirer, which is owned by Ami Media Inc., in January 2019.
The outlet published a story including leaked text messages between Bezos and Lauren earlier last year, outing their relationship while they were both still married to other people.
In the lawsuit, Michael...
Michael Sanchez, a talent manager and the brother of Bezos’ girlfriend Lauren Sanchez, claims in a filed complaint obtained by People that the Amazon founder and his consultant, Gavin de Becker, falsely told news outlets he had leaked “graphic, nude photographs” of Bezos to The National Enquirer, which is owned by Ami Media Inc., in January 2019.
The outlet published a story including leaked text messages between Bezos and Lauren earlier last year, outing their relationship while they were both still married to other people.
In the lawsuit, Michael...
- 2/4/2020
- by Alexia Fernandez
- PEOPLE.com
Amazon founder-ceo Jeff Bezos just saw his company’s market cap hit $1 trillion. Now this?
Michael Sanchez, the brother of Bezos girlfriend Lauren Sanchez, has sued the tech mogul and his security consultant Gavin de Becker for defamation in Los Angeles state court in a case relating to a 2019 tabloid news story revealing Bezos’ affair.
Sanchez, a Hollywood talent manager, accused Bezos and de Becker of falsely telling journalists that Sanchez leaked the story, including sexually-charged texts from Bezos, to The National Enquirer.
Sanchez said his home was searched by the FBI
His suit also bizarrely claims that Bezos kept the affair secret on the advice of a psychic, according to The New York Times.
The National Enquirer story, on Jan. 9 of last year, included the text messages from Bezos to Lauren Sanchez. The tabloid also later claimed to have nude photos of Bezos but it never published them. Bezos...
Michael Sanchez, the brother of Bezos girlfriend Lauren Sanchez, has sued the tech mogul and his security consultant Gavin de Becker for defamation in Los Angeles state court in a case relating to a 2019 tabloid news story revealing Bezos’ affair.
Sanchez, a Hollywood talent manager, accused Bezos and de Becker of falsely telling journalists that Sanchez leaked the story, including sexually-charged texts from Bezos, to The National Enquirer.
Sanchez said his home was searched by the FBI
His suit also bizarrely claims that Bezos kept the affair secret on the advice of a psychic, according to The New York Times.
The National Enquirer story, on Jan. 9 of last year, included the text messages from Bezos to Lauren Sanchez. The tabloid also later claimed to have nude photos of Bezos but it never published them. Bezos...
- 2/3/2020
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
According to an investigator hired Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Saudis Arabia hacked into Bezos’s phone and threatened to expose his affair with Lauren Sanchez to the tabloids. An investigator accuses Saudi Arabia of accessing Jeff Bezos’ phone data before the National Enquirer exposed his extramarital affair https://t.co/l5KTMl4ItJ — Bloomberg (@business) April 1, 2019 Gavin de Becker, […]...
- 4/2/2019
- by Irvin Vita
- Uinterview
Jeff Bezos’ romantic texts messages to girlfriend Lauren Sanchez were leaked to the National Enquirer by her brother for $200,000, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday.
In an unusual deal, Michael Sanchez handed over the messages in return for the that which he received in full, upfront last year, according to WSJ. His contract with the Enquirer’s parent company, American Media Inc. (Ami), also gave him the right to shop the information elsewhere if the company didn’t run with the story after one month, the WSJ reported.
Reps for Ami declined to comment. Reps for Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In a statement to TheWrap, Michael Sanchez called the WSJ reporting “disappointing” and refused to “dignify” the allegations.
As with the WSJ, Sanchez did not explicitly deny sending incriminating content relating to the Amazon boss to the Enquirer.
Also Read: Meet Gavin de Becker,...
In an unusual deal, Michael Sanchez handed over the messages in return for the that which he received in full, upfront last year, according to WSJ. His contract with the Enquirer’s parent company, American Media Inc. (Ami), also gave him the right to shop the information elsewhere if the company didn’t run with the story after one month, the WSJ reported.
Reps for Ami declined to comment. Reps for Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In a statement to TheWrap, Michael Sanchez called the WSJ reporting “disappointing” and refused to “dignify” the allegations.
As with the WSJ, Sanchez did not explicitly deny sending incriminating content relating to the Amazon boss to the Enquirer.
Also Read: Meet Gavin de Becker,...
- 3/19/2019
- by Jon Levine
- The Wrap
Bill McGlashan, the founder and managing partner of Tpg Growth which is majority owner of CAA and helped launch Stx Entertainment among other Hollywood entities, has been put on administrative leave by parent company Tpg after he was among 46 people indicted Tuesday for their part in a nationwide college bribery scam.
McGlashan made Vanity Fair‘s 2017 list of the 100 most influential people in business, politics and technology as CEO of The Rise Fund, a $2 billion impact-investment platform co-founded with U2’s Bono, Richard Branson and Jeff Skoll among others. With Robert Simonds he also helped co-found Stx Entertainment.
In 2014, Tpg paid $225 million in equity for a majority stake in the Hollywood agency.
“As a result of the charges of personal misconduct against Bill McGlashan, we have placed Mr. McGlashan on indefinite administrative leave effective immediately,” a Tpg spokesman said this afternoon. “Jim Coulter, Co-ceo of Tpg, will be interim managing...
McGlashan made Vanity Fair‘s 2017 list of the 100 most influential people in business, politics and technology as CEO of The Rise Fund, a $2 billion impact-investment platform co-founded with U2’s Bono, Richard Branson and Jeff Skoll among others. With Robert Simonds he also helped co-found Stx Entertainment.
In 2014, Tpg paid $225 million in equity for a majority stake in the Hollywood agency.
“As a result of the charges of personal misconduct against Bill McGlashan, we have placed Mr. McGlashan on indefinite administrative leave effective immediately,” a Tpg spokesman said this afternoon. “Jim Coulter, Co-ceo of Tpg, will be interim managing...
- 3/12/2019
- by Patrick Hipes and Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
Lauren Sanchez‘s brother — one of the figures at the center of the ever-growing controversy over leaked intimate text messages between the news anchor and Jeff Bezos — claims his sister’s romance with the Amazon CEO is “legendary.”
While Lauren Sanchez and Bezos have not been seen together since they were spotted at Amazon’s Golden Globes after party, a separate source tells People the two are going strong.
Michael Sanchez, a talent manager and publicist, spoke about his sister’s relationship with Bezos, 55, in an interview with Vanity Fair published on Thursday. In it, he denies Bezos’ longtime security...
While Lauren Sanchez and Bezos have not been seen together since they were spotted at Amazon’s Golden Globes after party, a separate source tells People the two are going strong.
Michael Sanchez, a talent manager and publicist, spoke about his sister’s relationship with Bezos, 55, in an interview with Vanity Fair published on Thursday. In it, he denies Bezos’ longtime security...
- 2/15/2019
- by Alexia Fernandez
- PEOPLE.com
On Thursday night, Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, the world’s richest man, wrote a blog post accusing American Media Inc., of blackmail and extortion. Last month, the National Enquirer (owned by Ami) published a sprawling expose of Bezos’ affair with Lauren Sanchez, including salacious text messages, which ultimately led to the billionaire’s high-profile divorce. Bezos began to investigate how the Enquirer was able to obtain the text messages. The tabloid didn’t like this very much and, according to Bezos, threatened to release sensitive images, including nude photos of Bezos,...
- 2/8/2019
- by Ryan Bort
- Rollingstone.com
Jeff Bezos is hitting back at the National Enquirer and its owner American Media Inc. alleging they attempted to blackmail and extort him by threatening to publish explicit photos of him and girlfriend Lauren Sanchez.
In a post on the website Medium, the 55-year-old Amazon CEO wrote: “Rather than capitulate to extortion and blackmail, I’ve decided to publish exactly what they sent me, despite the personal cost and embarrassment they threaten.”
In a statement obtained by People, Ami said, “American Media believes fervently that it acted lawfully in the reporting of the story of Mr. Bezos. Further, at the...
In a post on the website Medium, the 55-year-old Amazon CEO wrote: “Rather than capitulate to extortion and blackmail, I’ve decided to publish exactly what they sent me, despite the personal cost and embarrassment they threaten.”
In a statement obtained by People, Ami said, “American Media believes fervently that it acted lawfully in the reporting of the story of Mr. Bezos. Further, at the...
- 2/8/2019
- by Alexia Fernandez
- PEOPLE.com
After weeks of seeing his private life flooded into the public, Jeff Bezos went online today to accuse Donald Trump’s pals at the National Enquirer of attempting to strong arm him with intimate photos, texts and an intent to ruin him with Amazon shareholders.
“Any personal embarrassment Ami could cause me takes a back seat because there’s a much more important matter involved here,” the world’s richest man and owner of the Washington Post wrote, regarding National Enquirer parent company American Media’s desire to shut down the investigation Bezos has started of how information about his marriage and other personal affairs became public knowledge.
“If in my position I can’t stand up to this kind of extortion, how many people can?,” the Amazon founder wrote.
I’ve written a post about developments with the National Enquirer and its parent company, Ami. You can find it here: https://t.co/G1ykJAPPwy
— Jeff Bezos (@JeffBezos) February 7, 2019
Recounting that he’d been told American Media boss and Trump’s avowed “catch and kill” buddy David Pecker was “apoplectic” about the investigation into the leaked personal material, Bezos wrote of how proud he was to own the Washington Post and of the reporting it did – even if its probing journalism ruffled the likes of Trump and Pecker’s seemingly new pals the Saudi royal family. The latter of course are widely regarded to be behind the disappearance and brutal murder of contributing WaPo columnist Jamal Khashoggi last year in Turkey.
In a long and detailed blog post, the usually behind the boardroom Bezos also revealed how American Media has allegedly tried to force him to “capitulate to extortion and blackmail” in order to avoid further personal embarrassment and potential professional problems with his shareholders. Already having put investigator Gavin de Becker on the trail and brought Hollywood slugger Marty Singer on as his attorney, the WaPo owner flipped the script today and threw the matter up for all to see and judge.
“In the Ami letters I’m making public, you will see the precise details of their extortionate proposal: They will publish the personal photos unless Gavin de Becker and I make the specific false public statement to the press that we ‘have no knowledge or basis for suggesting that Ami’s coverage was politically motivated or influenced by political forces,’ ” Bezos says, pulling back the curtain.
“If we do not agree to affirmatively publicize that specific lie, they say they’ll publish the photos, and quickly,” the billionaire declares. “And there’s an associated threat: They’ll keep the photos on hand and publish them in the future if we ever deviate from that lie.”
Bezos and his wife MacKenzie announced earlier this year that they are divorcing in what now was clearly an effort to blunt that news and other details of their lives emerging in the Enquirer. Regardless, in the past few weeks the tabloid has had a near endless stream of salacious stories about the exec’s relationship with Lauren Sanchez, the estranged wife of Wme co-chief Patrick Whitesell.
American Media did not respond to request for comment on Bezos’ accusations and revelations.
RelatedTom Hanks Narrates Super Bowl Ad For The Washington Post On Journalism’s Importance
Back on January 13, the former Celebrity Apprentice host did openly play his hand and took to social media to crow about Bezos’ obviously uncomfortable stint in the scandal spotlight:
So sorry to hear the news about Jeff Bozo being taken down by a competitor whose reporting, I understand, is far more accurate than the reporting in his lobbyist newspaper, the Amazon Washington Post. Hopefully the paper will soon be placed in better & more responsible hands!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 14, 2019
With Bezos now playing open offense, Pecker and the Enquirer could find themselves embroiled in more investigation from law enforcement.
Late last year, as the legal net was tightening around former Trump wingman Michael Cohen, the feds revealed that American Media had provided “substantial and important assistance” to them in their investigations of possible misconduct in the 2016 election.
In what was seen at the time as an effective blowing up of the tabloid’s so-called “catch and kill” strategy to bury stores that could reflected badly on Trump, Ami and CEO Pecker were granted freedom criminal prosecution by the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York for their role in paying off Playboy model Karen McDougal with $150,000 before the ballot box showdown with Hillary Clinton over two years ago.
Today’s revelations by Bezos may have inquiring minds at the U.S. Attorney’s office and more wanting to know.
“Any personal embarrassment Ami could cause me takes a back seat because there’s a much more important matter involved here,” the world’s richest man and owner of the Washington Post wrote, regarding National Enquirer parent company American Media’s desire to shut down the investigation Bezos has started of how information about his marriage and other personal affairs became public knowledge.
“If in my position I can’t stand up to this kind of extortion, how many people can?,” the Amazon founder wrote.
I’ve written a post about developments with the National Enquirer and its parent company, Ami. You can find it here: https://t.co/G1ykJAPPwy
— Jeff Bezos (@JeffBezos) February 7, 2019
Recounting that he’d been told American Media boss and Trump’s avowed “catch and kill” buddy David Pecker was “apoplectic” about the investigation into the leaked personal material, Bezos wrote of how proud he was to own the Washington Post and of the reporting it did – even if its probing journalism ruffled the likes of Trump and Pecker’s seemingly new pals the Saudi royal family. The latter of course are widely regarded to be behind the disappearance and brutal murder of contributing WaPo columnist Jamal Khashoggi last year in Turkey.
In a long and detailed blog post, the usually behind the boardroom Bezos also revealed how American Media has allegedly tried to force him to “capitulate to extortion and blackmail” in order to avoid further personal embarrassment and potential professional problems with his shareholders. Already having put investigator Gavin de Becker on the trail and brought Hollywood slugger Marty Singer on as his attorney, the WaPo owner flipped the script today and threw the matter up for all to see and judge.
“In the Ami letters I’m making public, you will see the precise details of their extortionate proposal: They will publish the personal photos unless Gavin de Becker and I make the specific false public statement to the press that we ‘have no knowledge or basis for suggesting that Ami’s coverage was politically motivated or influenced by political forces,’ ” Bezos says, pulling back the curtain.
“If we do not agree to affirmatively publicize that specific lie, they say they’ll publish the photos, and quickly,” the billionaire declares. “And there’s an associated threat: They’ll keep the photos on hand and publish them in the future if we ever deviate from that lie.”
Bezos and his wife MacKenzie announced earlier this year that they are divorcing in what now was clearly an effort to blunt that news and other details of their lives emerging in the Enquirer. Regardless, in the past few weeks the tabloid has had a near endless stream of salacious stories about the exec’s relationship with Lauren Sanchez, the estranged wife of Wme co-chief Patrick Whitesell.
American Media did not respond to request for comment on Bezos’ accusations and revelations.
RelatedTom Hanks Narrates Super Bowl Ad For The Washington Post On Journalism’s Importance
Back on January 13, the former Celebrity Apprentice host did openly play his hand and took to social media to crow about Bezos’ obviously uncomfortable stint in the scandal spotlight:
So sorry to hear the news about Jeff Bozo being taken down by a competitor whose reporting, I understand, is far more accurate than the reporting in his lobbyist newspaper, the Amazon Washington Post. Hopefully the paper will soon be placed in better & more responsible hands!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 14, 2019
With Bezos now playing open offense, Pecker and the Enquirer could find themselves embroiled in more investigation from law enforcement.
Late last year, as the legal net was tightening around former Trump wingman Michael Cohen, the feds revealed that American Media had provided “substantial and important assistance” to them in their investigations of possible misconduct in the 2016 election.
In what was seen at the time as an effective blowing up of the tabloid’s so-called “catch and kill” strategy to bury stores that could reflected badly on Trump, Ami and CEO Pecker were granted freedom criminal prosecution by the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York for their role in paying off Playboy model Karen McDougal with $150,000 before the ballot box showdown with Hillary Clinton over two years ago.
Today’s revelations by Bezos may have inquiring minds at the U.S. Attorney’s office and more wanting to know.
- 2/7/2019
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
After her real-life romance gone wrong with John Meehan went viral thanks to journalist Christopher Goffard’s investigative podcast, Debra Newell felt like her story wasn’t accurately represented.
“It wasn’t really talking enough about what a bad guy John was or what he did,” she tells Variety. “And I’d never seen myself as desperate or insecure. I saw myself as an accomplished woman who really had it all except love.”
Neither Newell, nor her family was involved in the podcast’s production, but they did meet with various members of the team behind Bravo and Universal Cable Productions’ limited series adaptation of the same name.
“I was hoping this would reach a broader market and be able to help people through [experiences] with this type of man and realize what was out there,” Newell says of the scripted show.
Having the real-life people involved aided some areas of the storytelling,...
“It wasn’t really talking enough about what a bad guy John was or what he did,” she tells Variety. “And I’d never seen myself as desperate or insecure. I saw myself as an accomplished woman who really had it all except love.”
Neither Newell, nor her family was involved in the podcast’s production, but they did meet with various members of the team behind Bravo and Universal Cable Productions’ limited series adaptation of the same name.
“I was hoping this would reach a broader market and be able to help people through [experiences] with this type of man and realize what was out there,” Newell says of the scripted show.
Having the real-life people involved aided some areas of the storytelling,...
- 11/16/2018
- by Danielle Turchiano
- Variety Film + TV
The long-promised “celebrity’ terminal at Los Angeles International airport is set to open this month — and the cushy experience could become a requirement in Hollywood contracts, a new report says. The Private Suite, operated by security czar Gavin de Becker, began construction at Lax in 2015. It promised absolute luxury and privacy for the rich and famous often harangued by paparazzi and forced to wait in line for iced coffee with the dregs of commercial fliers. De Becker held a press preview on Monday, and the level of extreme coddling — and the sheer cost — is something to behold. Also Read: Zoe Saldana.
- 5/4/2017
- by Matt Donnelly
- The Wrap
Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher shared a bond like no other. Subscribe now for an inside look at Hollywood’s legendary mother-daughter duo — only in People.
Friends and family of Carrie Fisher, who died at age 60 on Dec. 27 after a heart attack, gathered Thursday for an intimate memorial at her Beverly Hills home. On Friday, a funeral service for Fisher’s mother, Debbie Reynolds, who died at age 84 following a possible stroke just one day after her daughter, will take place at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles. She will be buried with some of her daughter’s ashes.
Friends and family of Carrie Fisher, who died at age 60 on Dec. 27 after a heart attack, gathered Thursday for an intimate memorial at her Beverly Hills home. On Friday, a funeral service for Fisher’s mother, Debbie Reynolds, who died at age 84 following a possible stroke just one day after her daughter, will take place at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles. She will be buried with some of her daughter’s ashes.
- 1/6/2017
- by jodiguglielmi
- PEOPLE.com
Ahh the life of a celebrity, tons of free products and VIP treatment galore. Who doesn't like special treatmment and perks in life, especially when travelling.
If you are a celebrity, you love flying to or from London's Heahtrow and/or Hong Kong International airport. At Heathrow airport celebrities can now take advantage of a perk only available previously to diplomats and royals only. This service allows you to go from the seat of your car to the seat of the plane. The most luxurious treatment is at Hong Kong International. Celebs flying Cathay Pacific can access lounges that have a spa with private cabanas featuring oversized tubs. One would think that there are tons of hidden perks for celebrites and VIP's at Los Angeles International Airport (Lax), but there are not. Lax will soon be upgraded though. The terminal was last updated in the early '80's for the 1984 Olympics.
If you are a celebrity, you love flying to or from London's Heahtrow and/or Hong Kong International airport. At Heathrow airport celebrities can now take advantage of a perk only available previously to diplomats and royals only. This service allows you to go from the seat of your car to the seat of the plane. The most luxurious treatment is at Hong Kong International. Celebs flying Cathay Pacific can access lounges that have a spa with private cabanas featuring oversized tubs. One would think that there are tons of hidden perks for celebrites and VIP's at Los Angeles International Airport (Lax), but there are not. Lax will soon be upgraded though. The terminal was last updated in the early '80's for the 1984 Olympics.
- 9/11/2011
- by Tiberius
- GeekTyrant
Newton-John Appeals for Information About Missing Beau
Australian singer Olivia Newton-John has broken her silence over the disappearance of long-term love Patrick McDermott two months ago, appealing for anyone with information to step forward. The Grease star, 56, is concerned about the whereabouts of her American partner of nine years, who was last seen on an overnight fishing expedition off California's San Pedro coastline between June 30 and July 1. On Sunday the California Coast Guard put out a statement about McDermott's disappearance, saying, "We haven't really determined what happened to Mr. McDermott and so we can't really say that he disappeared from that vessel." In a statement released Monday, Newton-John says, "I'm hopeful that my treasured friend is safe and well, and I'm grateful to the officials who are working so hard to find Patrick, whom I love very much. I ask anybody with information that could help to please, please come forward." The singer/actress' spokesman Gavin De Becker added the star was in "close and frequent contact" with McDermott's relatives and friends.
- 8/23/2005
- WENN
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