Month: September 2022

Actors Sean Penn and Ben Stiller have been officially and permanently banned from entering Russia, along with 23 other “members of the US Congress, high-ranking officials, representatives of the business and expert communities, as well as cultural figures.”  

The personal sanctions were announced in a statement by Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in response to what it calls “the ever-expanding personal sanctions by the G. Biden Administration against Russian citizens.”  The sanctions also target Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Thea Kendler, as well as several other officials in the department of trade.

Penn had traveled to Ukraine to make a documentary for Vice as Russia was planning its invasion of the sovereign nation. In February, he issued the following statement: “Already a brutal mistake of lives taken and hearts broken, and if he doesn’t relent, I believe Mr. Putin will have made a most horrible mistake for all of humankind. President Zelensky and the Ukrainian people have risen as historic symbols of courage and principle. Ukraine is the tip of the spear for the democratic embrace of dreams. If we allow it to fight alone, our soul as America is lost.”

Stiller traveled to Ukraine in June as part of the UN Refugee Agency to meet people “who have been impacted by the war” and hear “how it’s changed their lives.”  Stiller said as part of a video message posted by the UN Refugee Agency that “war and violence are devastating people all over the world. Nobody chooses to flee their home. Seeking safety is a right, and it needs to be upheld for every person.”

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Tiffany Haddish posted a message on Instagram addressing the sexual misconduct allegations recently lodged against her and her fellow comedian Aries Spears.  The 42-year-old Haddish wrote: “I know people have a bunch of questions. I get it. I’m right there with you. Unfortunately, because there is an ongoing legal case, there’s very little that I can say right now. But, clearly, while this sketch was intended to be comedic, it wasn’t funny at all — and I deeply regret having agreed to act in it. I really look forward to being able to share a lot more about this situation as soon as I can.”

A lawsuit filed last week in Los Angeles accused Haddish and Spears of recruiting underage children for the purpose of filming sexually explicit comedy skits several years ago. The plaintiffs, who are now 14 and 22, said the experiences made them “physically, emotionally, and mentally uncomfortable.” They also said they felt they had been “groomed” when they were young and are now “traumatized for life.”

Haddish and Spears have denied all allegations through their attorneys.

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“NCIS” alum Pauley Perrette opened up to fans about overcoming a “massive stroke” that she suffered one year ago. The 53-year-old actress tweeted: “It’s 9/2 One year ago I had a massive stoke. Before that I lost so many beloved family and friends, And daddy And then Cousin Wayne Yet still a survivor after this traumatic life I’ve been given so far…And still so grateful. Still so full of faith. And STILL HERE!”

Perrette also shared an accompanying video, in which she shares, “How many times do I cheat death?” Perrette cited a 2014 incident when she was hospitalized after suffering a massive allergic reaction to her TV character’s black hair dye and a 2015 attack by a homeless man outside her home. Perrette also revealed that is “a domestic violence and a rape survivor.” She concluded the video: “And I’m still here.”

Perrette is best known for playing forensic scientist Abby Sciuto on “NCIS” for 15 seasons between 2003 to 2018. She said she was retiring from acting in 2020.

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Ozzy Osbourne and family are returning to TV with a reality BBC docu-series, which will follow the life of the iconic Osbourne family. The show, entitled Home to Roost, will depict the everyday life of Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne as they start over back in the U.K., returning to their family home in the town of Buckinghamshire. The couple’s children, daughter Kelly and son Jack, will also be featured in the show to assist their parents with readjusting to life back across the pond.

Home to Roost will consist of a 10-part series on the BBC, and will premiere in 2023 — though an exact release date has not been announced. The BBC said in a statement: “The series will follow the Osbournes as they celebrate one of their most important years yet — with everything from Sharon’s 70th birthday to Kelly’s soon-to-be-born baby, Ozzy’s tour, and of course the big move itself. This will be a genuine portrait, showing Sharon and Ozzy as they face up to illness and the challenges of getting older, but with the usual Osbourne eccentricities, humor, warmth and love.”

The announcement of the new series comes shortly after Ozzy said in an interview that he and Sharon were moving back to the U.K., citing the rising levels of gun violence within the United States. Ozzy and Sharon have both insisted that his health was not a factor in deciding to leave the U.S.

Home to Roost comes two decades after the family first broke onto the reality TV scene with their hit MTV series The Osbournes. The show, which premiered on MTV in 2002, became one of the highest-rated reality series in the network’s history.

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