Category: Entertainment

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The Obamas left the White House over a decade ago. And yet they persist, rent-free, in some people’s minds.

Sunday was Donald Trump’s Freedom 250 celebration for his birthday.

The bread-and-circuses event featured UFC fighting at its heart, with Trump in the front row.

After a win, fighter Josh Hokit praised himself, Jesus, and trump. He then made a wild yet familiar claim about former First Lady Michelle Obama.

‘Am I right, America?’

On Sunday, June 14, the UFC conducted a series of fights on the lawn of the White House, sponsored by the likes of Polymarket and Saudi Arabia.

Briefly overshadowing the demolished East Wing, a (hopefully) temporary UFC fighting arena was erected on the lawn.

Branded as Freedom 250, it did not take place on or represent America’s upcoming 250th anniversary. Instead, it took place on Donald Trump’s birthday. He is now 80.

The gauche display was, simply put, beyond parody. The Idiocracy parallels are difficult to ignore.

However, one of the most contemptible moments of the night came courtesy of Josh Hokit, a UFC fighter with a penchant for inflammatory commentary.

“Shout out to Trump,” he began his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, “for having the balls to put some s–t like this on.”

Hokit then praised his religion’s central figure, Jesus, as “more incredible than the Incredible Hok.” Here, he equates part of his surname to the Marvel hero, the Hulk.

He then made a remark about fighter Alex Pereira’s mother. It was sexual in nature.

“And lastly,” he announced while grinning, “Michelle Obama is a man.”

Anticipating cheers, he asked: “Am I right, America?” The reaction sounded more like groans — even from a deeply Trump-friendly crowd.

What was the point of this?

These days, people note that it is odd — if not unexpected — for Donald Trump to appear so fixated on President Joe Biden, who dropped out of the 2024 race and has been out of office for what feels like the longest 17 months in world history.

Insulting President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama over a decade after they left the White House is incredibly strange.

There is a fixation upon the Obama presidency by the American right. It was a time of social progress. The reactionary backlash to these positive changes — and to our first Black president — doomed us to over a decade of Trump.

In the former First Lady, conservatives find an educated Black woman, one of their deepest fears.

Bigots imagining her to be a transgender woman or as a secret man pulling some sort of The Birdcage act has been going on since long before any of us had heard the word transvestigating.

Whatever the goal or “reasoning” behind it, claiming that Black women appear more masculine than white women has a historic role in racism.

Most of our culture’s beauty standards are strongly influenced by white European beauty standards, which are inherently political. These social constructs are used to reinforce both systemic and personal racism.

What’s really odd is that Hokit would have been, what, a high schooler when the Obamas left the White House? He would have been a tween at most when President Obama first took office.

Cultural malice and this sort of vice signaling don’t have to make sense. It’s arguably not supposed to.

At the end of the day, Hokit is announcing that he loves Donald Trump and hates whatever Michelle Obama represents to him. For the audience to whom he’s speaking, that’s more than enough.

Josh Hokit Declares ‘Michelle Obama is a Man’ at White House UFC Fight on … was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.

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As you’ve likely heard by now, the New York Knicks won their first NBA championship since 1973 over the weekend.

Though the series wrapped up in San Antonio rather than Manhattan, several stars were still on hand, including Prince Harry, who put in a surprise appearance.

But while Harry was certainly among the biggest names in attendance, his seat location had some royal watchers raising their eyebrows.

Instead of rubbing elbows with the celebrities occupying the coveted courtside seats, Harry found himself sitting in the eighth row, while stars like Timothee Chalamet and Ben Stiller enjoyed prime real estate much closer to the action.

For a man who once stood on Buckingham Palace balconies before cheering crowds, the eighth row probably wasn’t exactly what he had in mind.

Harry attended the game without Meghan Markle or the couple’s children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. Instead, he was accompanied by JP Lane, a U.S. Army veteran and Purple Heart recipient who is expected to compete in the next Invictus Games.

The prince was reportedly already in San Antonio for the Warrior Games and was invited to attend the matchup by Silver.

In fact, Harry was seated near Silver during the game, which may explain why he wasn’t in the celebrity-packed courtside section.

Still, social media users couldn’t help but notice the contrast.

While Chalamet, Stiller and other Knicks superfans occupied the highly visible celebrity row, Harry’s seat was several rows behind the action. And yes, plenty of royal critics immediately seized on the optics.

Of course, Harry wasn’t the only recognizable face sitting outside the VIP section.

Sydney Sweeney, Scooter Braun, and Billy Baldwin were also reportedly seated away from the courtside spotlight.

Knicks superfan Spike Lee was also in attendance, and Harry haters alleged that he snubbed the Duke of Sussex.

“If it was a friendly interaction Spike would’ve first shaken Harry’s hand – not point at him,” one social media user wrote, according to GB News.

“Harry went to high 5 but when Spike ignored that Harry followed through with the hand to touch his chest,” another added.

But it appears that Spike was just joking when he declined to take Harry’s hand. Seconds later, the two laughed and embraced.

The outing came just hours after another event that likely generated far more headlines in royal circles.

Back in London, members of the royal family gathered for Trooping the Colour, the annual celebration of King Charles’ official birthday. Harry and Meghan were once again absent from the festivities, continuing a streak that dates back several years.

Instead of military pageantry and palace balconies, Harry spent his Saturday night watching basketball in Texas.

And while he may not have landed a courtside seat, he still managed to get people talking.

Prince Harry Sat In the 8th Row, Got Snubbed By Spike Lee at the NBA Finals was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.

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Even those who celebrate Tyra Banks often see her as an almost cartoonishly villainous figure.

Her own on-screen behavior and antics have reinforced this notion.

But Tyra says that the Netflix doc that came out earlier this year went too far, using dishonest editing.

She’s suing for defamation and more, saying that her words were spliced to make her look evil to audiences.

She’s suing Netflix

On Saturday, June 13, Tyra filed a defamation lawsuit against Netflix over her portrayal on the 3-part Real Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model docuseries from February.

Unlike some similar documentaries, Tyra actually participated — even if she avoided some topics, like her erstwhile friendship with Jay Manuel.

In her legal filing, which People obtained, she alleges that the docuseries was maliciously edited to reinforce a false narrative against her.

Tyra is seeking a jury trial to determine “appropriate” compensation.

“[Tyra] did share her side. Her answers were very honest,” the legal filing claims. “But the story that viewers heard was the deceptive story producers chose to tell.”

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“Tyra Banks participated in the Netflix documentary series [on] America’s Next Top Model (‘ANTM’),” the filing explained.

The explanation continued: “Because she believed viewers deserved a candid conversation about the show’s legacy — its successes and its shortcomings.”

Tyra’s team added: “There are aspects of the show for which Ms. Banks takes accountability and she wanted ANTM viewers to hear that from her directly.”

Pursuant to this goal, the filing says that she “did not limit the ANTM topics the interviewer could ask.”

Even so, the filing alleges that only 16 minutes of Tyra’s lengthy interview made it into the final docuseries.

We allegedly didn’t see part of her responses to really pivotal topics

Tyra believes that the clips what the docuseries did include were “stripped of context and reassembled to support a false and defamatory narrative unrelated to what she actually expressed.”

A big issue in the filing is that the doc was marketed as a documentary, with the filing arguing that “the genre matters.”

“Viewers of a documentary do not expect manufactured drama or constructed narratives,” the filing notes. “They expect facts.”

Tyra’s team argues: “Because they were promised a documentary, that is exactly how viewers interacted with the Netflix Series.”

The filing highlights specific moments from interviews — moments that Netflix’s editors allegedly spliced out to rob other statements of context, and to make Tyra appear more villainous.

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Among the moments that Tyra alleges were robbed of vital context were the sexual assault of Shandi Sullivan and Miss J’s stroke and recovery.

Her lawsuit isn’t only about damages.

Tyra is suing for “loss of future business opportunities, loss of business income, other compounding losses as will be shown at trial.”

She also wants compensation for being part of the series given the “significant mental anguish” that she has experienced in the aftermath.

This sounds like a complex legal matter. We don’t know which way a jury might rule. There’s a non-zero chance that this ends with an out of court settlement of some kind. We’ll certainly be paying attention as this lawsuit unfolds.

Tyra Banks Sues Netflix: Their Doc Made Me Look EVIL! was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.

​The Hollywood Gossip

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We have tragic news to report from the world of music today.

Multiple outlets have now confirmed that singer and influencer Oliver Tree has died following a helicopter crash in Brazil.

He was just 32 years old.

Authorities say the accident took place on Sunday in Rio de Janeiro when two helicopters collided in midair.

According to TMZ, all six people involved in the crash were killed. Investigators are still working to determine exactly what caused the deadly incident.

Tree, whose real name was Oliver Tree Nickell, rose to fame thanks to his distinctive look, offbeat sense of humor, and viral music hits.

Songs such as “Life Goes On” and “Miss You” helped transform him from an internet curiosity into a global music star.

The California native built a devoted fan base by blending alternative music, comedy, and elaborate online stunts.

His unusual persona helped him grab attention, but his commercial success was mainly the result of his musical prowess.

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News of Tree’s death comes while he was in the midst of an ambitious international tour supporting his latest album.

He had recently performed in South America and had additional dates scheduled across Europe and other parts of the world.

Fans quickly flooded social media with tributes following confirmation of the tragedy.

Many remembered Tree not only for his music, but also for his willingness to embrace absurdity in an entertainment industry that often takes itself far too seriously.

His videos routinely racked up millions of views, and his unconventional approach helped him stand out in an increasingly crowded digital landscape.

Officials in Brazil have launched an investigation into the crash.

Authorities are reportedly examining evidence from the scene as they work to determine what led to the collision.

We extend our condolences to his family, friends, loved ones, and fans during this incredibly difficult time.

Oliver Tree Cause of Death: Singer, Social Media Star Was 32 was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.

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