Month: January 2023

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Entertainment Daypop

‘Laverne & Shirley’ actor Cindy Williams dies at age 75

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Actor Cindy Williams, best known for her role in the 70s-80s TV sitcom “Laverne & Shirley”, has died at age 75.

Williams children said in a statement released by family spokesperson Liza Cranis that she died peacefully Wednesday at her home in Los Angeles after a short illness: “The passing of our kind, hilarious mother, Cindy Williams, has brought us insurmountable sadness that could never truly be expressed. Knowing and loving her has been our joy and privilege. She was one of a kind, beautiful, generous and possessed a brilliant sense of humor and a glittering spirit that everyone loved.”

Williams starred as Shirley Feeney opposite Penny Marshall (who played Laverne DeFazio) in the popular sitcom “Laverne & Shirley”. “Laverne & Shirley,” a spinoff of “Happy Days,” starred Williams and Marshall as roommates who work in a Milwaukee bottling plant. The show ran from 1976-1983. Williams also appeared in the 1973 film “American Graffiti” and the 1974 film “The Conversation.”

Henry Winkler, who played The Fonz in “Happy Days,” shared: “Cindy has been my friend and professional colleague since I met her on the set of ‘Happy Days’ in 1975. Not once have I ever been in her presence when she wasn’t gracious, thoughtful and kind. Cindy’s talent was limitless. There was not a genre she could not conquer. I am so glad I knew her.”

Williams is survived by her two children, Emily and Zak. In their statement, her children said that their mother was devoted to rescuing animals and her faith, and that she wanted the world to laugh: “May that laughter continue in everyone, because she would want that .. Thank you for loving our Mom, she loved you too.”

Editorial credit: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com

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Sports Daypop

Veteran righty Zack Greinke and Kansas City Royals agree to 1-year contract

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The Kansas City Royals and starting pitcher Zack Greinke have agreed to terms on a one-year contract, pending a physical. Sources say that the deal is expected to be between $8-$10 million, plus performance bonuses. The 39-year-old righty turned in a 3.68 ERA across 137 innings (26 starts) for Kansas City last year on a one-year, $13 million deal. He ended the 2022 season ranked first in starts (514), first in innings (3,247), second in wins (223, behind Justin Verlander) and third in strikeouts (2,882).

Greinke, who will turn 40 in October, is heading into his 20th Major League season since debuting with the Royals at 20 years old in 2004. He spent the first seven seasons of his career with the Royals, and also played for the Brewers, Angels, Dodgers, D-backs and Astros. Greinke is also a six-time All-Star, six-time Gold Glove Award winner and two-time Silver Slugger Award winner, and won the 2009 AL Cy Young Award with the Royals.

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Sports Daypop

Hockey Hall of Famer and Blackhawks icon Bobby Hull dies at 84

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The NHL Alumni Association announced Monday that Chicago Blackhawks winger and Hockey Hall of Famer Bobby Hull has died at age 84. No cause of death was revealed.

The Blackhawks said in a statement: “The Chicago Blackhawks are saddened by the passing of Blackhawks legend Bobby Hull, a superstar for our franchise between 1957 and 1972  Hull is part of an elite group of players who made a historic impact on our hockey club. The Golden Jet helped the Blackhawks win the 1961 Stanley Cup and delivered countless memories to our fans, whom he adored. Generations of Chicagoans were dazzled by Bobby’s shooting prowess, skating skill and overall team leadership that led to 604 career goals, a franchise record that remains to this day. We send our deepest sympathies to the Hull family.”

Nicknamed ‘The Golden Jet’, Hull spent 15 of his 17 NHL seasons with the Blackhawks and registered 604 goals and 549 assists in that time. The star winger was also a three-time Art Ross Trophy winner, won the Hart Trophy in back-to-back seasons (1964-65 and 1965-66), and was elected to 10 All-Star Games. Hull also helped the Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup during the 1960-61 season, defeating the Detroit Red Wings in six games. He was the first player in NHL history to score more than 50 goals in a single season, scoring 54 goals during the 1965-66 season.

Hull announced his retirement during the 1978-79 season, but returned the following season after the WHA merged with the NHL. He appeared in 18 games for the Winnipeg Jets during the 1979-80 campaign then was traded to the Hartford Whalers, where he played nine games before retiring for the final time. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1983, and had his No. 9 jersey retired by the Blackhawks in that very same year.

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Entertainment Daypop

Lisa Loring, the original Wednesday from ‘The Addams Family,’ dies at age 64

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Lisa Loring, the actress who first portrayed Wednesday Addams on the TV show ‘The Addams Family,’ has died at age 64.  Loring’s daughter Vanessa Foumberg confirmed the news in a statement to Variety and The Hollywood Reporter, sharing that she died of a stroke. Foumberg said: “She went peacefully with both her daughters holding her hands.”

Loring’s friend Laurie Jacobson posted on Facebook that Loring was a smoker who suffered from high blood pressure: “She had been on life support for 3 days. Yesterday, her family made the difficult decision to remove it and she passed last night. She is embedded in the tapestry that is pop culture and in our hearts always as Wednesday Addams.”

Loring began her career as a child model and was first cast in the TV show ‘Dr. Kildare’  She portrayed Wednesday from the ages of 6 to 8 during two-seasons of the original TV show in the 1960s.  Loring appeared on the sitcom The Pruitts of Southampton with Phyllis Diller and appeared on shows including Fantasy Island, The Girl From U.N.C.L.E. and Barnaby Jones. Loring also played Cricket Montgomery on the soap opera As the World Turns from 1980 – 1983.

Loring is survived by her two daughters, Vanessa and Marianne, and her grandchildren, Emiliana and Charles.

Editorial credit: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com

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Pop Daypop

Chlöe Bailey to release debut album ‘In Pieces’ this March

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Chlöe Bailey announced that her debut album, titled ‘In Pieces,’ will be released in March.  Chlöe released a short clip announcing her new album, though she did not reveal an exact date for the album release.

In October 2022, Chlöe released her new song, “For the Night,” featuring Latto. “For The Night” was the follow-up to Chlöe’s single “Surprise.”

The “For the Night” music video, co-directed by Chlöe, shares a look inside a day in her life.  You can take a look at the video – here.

Editorial credit: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com

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Pop Daypop

Meghan Trainor announces pregnancy, release of book on motherhood

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Meghan Trainor and her husband Daryl Sabara are expecting their second child. Trainor revealed the news during her appearance on The Today Show.  Trainor and Sabara’s son, Riley, was born in February 2021; their second child is due this summer.  Trainor also shared with People the happy news: “What a blessing … I’m just so grateful I can get pregnant. And I’m like, ‘I’m crushing it. This is amazing. This is my dreams.’ I’m halfway there—I want four kids!”

Trainor will also release her first book, Dear Future Mama: A TMI Guide to Pregnancy, Birth, and New Motherhood from Your Bestie, on April 25.  Trainor shares stories and first-hand experiences from her own pregnancy, and touches on topics like ovulation and breastfeeding, and shares her personal perspective on body image and mental health. Trainor says in a press release: “I spent my entire pregnancy trying to get all the information I could possibly get … I was captivated by what I was experiencing, and as the first of my friends to be pregnant, nobody around me but my mom, my aunts, and strangers on the internet knew what I was going through. After feeling so overwhelmed and alone in my first pregnancy, I was inspired to write this book to make sure no other future mama ever felt like that. I want to give future mamas permission to find the right path for them—without the judgment of others. I want this book to feel like a hug from a bestie.”

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Sports Daypop

Chiefs defeat Bengals 23-20 with late field goal to advance to Super Bowl LVII

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The Kansas City Chiefs scored a field goal with seconds remaining to beat the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 in a close AFC Championship matchup on Sunday, sending them to the Super Bowl to face the Philadelphia Eagles. The Chiefs sacked Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow with less than a minute left before kicker Harrison Butker earned the winning field goal.

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes played the game with a high-ankle sprain which he sustained in the Chiefs’ divisional round win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. The sprain caused Mahomes to limp on at least one occasion during Sunday’s game, but he played well, throwing 29 of 43 for two touchdowns and 326 yards. Mahomes said: “I want to thank God, man. He healed my body this week, to battle through that. He gave me the strength to be out here.”

After the win, Mahomes said of the Eagles from the field: “They’re a great football team. I’ve watched them all year long. Great quarterback, great entire team, man. It’s going to be a great challenge for us … but I’m going to celebrate this one first.nI don’t think we have any cigars, but we’re going to be ready to go at the Super Bowl.”

The Chiefs win marks their third trip to the NFL final in four years, after they broke a five-decade drought to hoist the Lombardi Trophy in 2020 and lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers the following year.

The Chiefs will face the Eagles in Super Bowl LVII at 6:30 p.m. EST Feb. 12 in Glendale, Ariz.

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Sports Daypop

Eagles defeat 49ers 31-7 to advance to Super Bowl LVII

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The Philadelphia Eagles defeated the San Francisco 49ers 31-7 in the NFC Championship game Sunday in Philadelphia, and will advance to Super Bowl LVII.

The Eagles forced three turnovers, logged three sacks and allowed just 164 yards, with running back Miles Sanders scoring two of the Eagles’ four rushing touchdowns in their win at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts completed 15 of 25 passes for 121 yards and scored a rushing touchdown, and running back Boston Scott also scored a rushing touchdown. Eagles safety Reed Blankenship and linebacker Haason Reddick each forced and recovered fumbles in the win.

Meanwhile, 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy sustained a right elbow injury on the sixth play of the next drive did not return until the second half. Purdy returned in the third quarter after replacement QB Josh Johnson sustained a concussion, but the 49ers offense continued to struggle.

Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said in an on-field interview: “Obviously, this is something you dream about as a kid,” All the guys on our team have dreamt about this their entire lives. Just to be able to do this together with a bunch of men who love each other, who are connected to each other and would do anything for each other is pretty sweet.”

The Eagles will meet the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII at 6:30 p.m. EST Feb. 12 in Glendale, Ariz.

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Entertainment Daypop

’24,’ ‘Timeless’ actor Annie Wersching dies of cancer at age 45

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Actor Annie Wersching, best known for playing FBI agent Renee Walker in the series “24” and voicing Tess in the video game “The Last of Us,” has died at age 45. Wersching’s publicist told The Associated Press that she passed away Sunday morning in Los Angeles following a battle with cancer.

“The Last of Us” creator Neil Druckmann wrote on Twitter that “We just lost a beautiful artist and human being. My heart is shattered. Thoughts are with her loved ones.” Actor Abigail Spencer, who appeared with Wersching on the sci-fi series “Timeless,” tweeted, “We love you Annie Wersching. You will be deeply missed.”

Wersching appeared on dozens of television shows over the course of her two-decade career including “Star Trek: Enterprise,” and recurring roles in “24,” “Bosch,” “The Vampire Diaries,” Marvel’s “Runaways,” “The Rookie” and, most recently, the second season of “Star Trek: Picard” as the Borg Queen. She also provided the voice and motion capture performance for Tess for the popular video game “The Last of Us.”

Wershing was diagnosed with cancer in 2020, according to Deadline, and continued working. She’s survived by her husband, actor Stephen Full, and three sons. A GoFundMe page was set up Sunday to support the family.

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Entertainment Daypop

Jay Leno breaks multiple bones in recent motorcycle crash

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In an interview with the Las Vegas Review-Journal, former late-night talk show host Jay Leno said he broke multiple bones in a motorcycle accident — just months after suffering severe burns to his face. Leno said on Jan. 17 he was knocked off his bike, suffering a broken collarbone, two broken ribs and two cracked kneecaps.

Leno is gearing up for his Las Vegas residency on the Encore Theater stage at Wynn Las Vegas in March. He explained that he had been testing out a 1940 Indian motorcycle when he noticed the smell of leaking gasoline.  Said Leno: “So I turned down a side street and cut through a parking lot, and unbeknownst to me, some guy had a wire strung across the parking lot but with no flag hanging from it … So, you know, I didn’t see it until it was too late. It just clothesline me and, boom, knocked me off the bike.”

Leno said he didn’t initially go public about the accident due to all the publicity he had received following the November 2002 incident where he suffered severe burns on his face and body while working on a 1907 White Steam Car in his Los Angeles garage last fall. After a gasoline fire erupted, Leno was brought to Grossman Burn Center for treatment where he underwent a skin grafting procedure and several other surgeries during his 10-day hospital stay.

Editorial credit: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com