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LeBron James in Talks to Star in new comedy movie

LeBron James, scribe Steve Mallory, and James’ SpringHill Entertainment have sold an untitled comedy pitch to Paramount Players, with the NBA icon in early talks to star.

SpringHill and Mallory have been developing the film for several months. Mallory would pen the script.

James would produce with his SpringHill partner Maverick Carter. Jamal Henderson and Spencer Beighley will oversee the project for SpringHill. Ali Bell and Gabby Canton are handling the project for Paramount Players.

This would mark James’ second big-screen role; he previously played himself in the Judd Apatow comedy “Trainwreck.”

The sale comes on the heels of James signing a four-year, $154 million contract to join the Los Angeles Lakers — one of the biggest sporting deals in NBA history.

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Diddy Calls ‘Black Panther’ a ‘Cruel Experiment’

“Black Panther” has been widely revered as a seminal piece of black cinema, setting a precedent for increased diversity in Hollywood. But Sean “Diddy” Combs is skeptical about the staying power of African-American expression in an industry that still lacks ample opportunities for people of color.

In a cover story for Variety, Combs shared his thoughts on Marvel’s first tentpole with a majority-African-American cast, as well as on Hollywood’s limitations for people of color at large.

“‘Black Panther’ was a cruel experiment,” Combs said. “We live in 2018, and it’s the first time that the film industry gave us a fair playing field on a worldwide blockbuster, and the hundreds of millions it takes to make it.”

While he acknowledged the significance of “Black Panther’s” success, he also pointed out the rarity of the opportunity, as well as financial discrepancies that result from powerful companies turning African-American culture into product.

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Oprah Winfrey is about to get into the restaurant biz

The media mogul on Wednesday announced that she had made an undisclosed equity investment in True Food Kitchen, a health-driven restaurant chain based in Phoenix. The restaurant, which was named the 2018 top emerging restaurant brand by data firm Fishbowl, offers sustainable, local and organic meals, including vegan and vegetarian options.

True Food Kitchen declined to disclose how much Winfrey invested in the company, but said she would join the brand’s board of directors and act as a consultant. Private equity firm Centerbridge will remain the restaurant’s controlling shareholder.

Winfrey sought out True Food Kitchen’s CEO Christine Barone after dining at the chain with friend and health expert Bob Greene. Winfrey and Barone discussed a possible collaboration and the restaurant’s future over lunch at Winfrey’s house several months ago.

“I love bringing people together over a good meal,” Winfrey said in a statement. “When I first dined at True Food Kitchen, I was so impressed with the team’s passion for healthy eating and, of course, the delicious food, that I knew I wanted to be part of the company’s future.”

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Oprah Winfrey says she bought a private plane after a rude encounter with someone at the airport

Oprah Winfrey says she had an encounter with a rude fan at the airport in the ’90s, and that led her to use a private plane for travel.

Winfrey, who is on the cover of British Vogue’s August issue, spoke with the magazine’s Editor-in-Chief Edward Enninful for an interview. When asked about her “greatest luxury,” the actress and humanitarian said that it is having her own airplane — which she convinced herself to indulge in after she met an unpleasant person.

“There are days when I am more open and warm than others,” Winfrey explained. “One of the things that actually caused me in 1991 to get my own plane, I was in the airport and I was just minding my own business and a woman came up and she said, ‘You’re not acting like you do on TV.'”

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Meghan and Harry to tour Australia and New Zealand

(CNN) Royal newlyweds Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will tour Australia and several neighboring countries later this year, Kensington Palace announced.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will visit Australia, Fiji, the Kingdom of Tonga, and New Zealand in a tour to coincide with the Invictus Games which will be held in Sydney from October 20 to 27.

Prince Harry founded the Invictus Game, a sporting event for wounded or sick servicemen and veterans, in 2014. It’s held in a different city every year.

Prince Harry, who served with the British army in Afghanistan, was the first member of the Royal family to enter a combat zone since 1982.
The Games also hold extra significance for the royal couple; they made their first public appearance together at the 2017 Games in Toronto, Canada.

 

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The bizarre reason why the Queen has 2 birthdays

Being the Queen comes with special privileges, like owning 200 of the same handbag, and having not one but two birthdays.

The Queen turns 92 on her actual birthday on April 21, but she also has an official birthday that is celebrated every year on a Saturday in June.

The reason for the second birthday has to do with the weather. Sovereigns whose real birthdays fall in colder months have often celebrated an official birthday on a different date in the hope of good weather for their birthday parade, known as the Trooping the Colour, according to the Royal Family’s official website.

Because British weather can be cold on April 21, the Queen celebrates her official birthday in June. The Queen’s official celebration usually falls on the second Saturday of June.

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Lil Kim files for bankruptcy after owing creditors over $4 million

Lil Kim has filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy. She owes her creditors over $4 million, and she’s even offering to sell off her mansion in New Jersey to ease her financial pain.

The Blast obtained court documents in which the rapper lists her financial details. According to the docs, she has about $2,573,300 in assets, but she has $4,084,841 in liabilities. In back taxes alone, she owes 1,845,451.

Among her major assets listed is her home, which she values at $2.3 million, a 2000 Mercedes Benz worth $4,200 and a 2005 Bentley Continental GT valued at $52,600. Her jewelry, apparel, electronics and furniture ring in at $60,000. She also says her three entertainment companies are worth in excess of $150,000, The Blast said.

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Anthony Bourdain, chef and TV host, dies in France in apparent suicide

Anthony Bourdain, the celebrity chef and citizen of the world who inspired millions to share his delight in food and the bonds it created, was found dead in his hotel room Friday in France while working on his CNN series on culinary traditions. He was 61.

CNN confirmed the death, saying that Bourdain was found unresponsive Friday morning by friend and chef Eric Ripert in the French city of Haut-Rhin. It called his death a suicide. Bourdain’s assistant Laurie Woolever would not comment when reached by The Associated Press.

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Fox News star Charles Krauthammer reveals he has weeks to live in heartbreaking letter

Charles Krauthammer, the beloved and brilliant Fox News Channel personality who gave up a pioneering career in psychiatry to become a Pulitzer Prize-winning political analyst, on Friday revealed the heartbreaking news that he is in the final stages of a losing battle with cancer.

The 68-year-old’s incisive takes on politics of the day have been missing from Fox News Channel’s “Special Report” for nearly a year as he battled an abdominal tumor and subsequent complications, but colleagues and viewers alike had held out hope that he would return to the evening show he helped establish as must-viewing. But in an eloquent, yet unblinking letter to co-workers, friends and Fox News Channel viewers, Krauthammer disclosed that he has just weeks to live.

“I have been uncharacteristically silent these past ten months,” the letter began. “I had thought that silence would soon be coming to an end, but I’m afraid I must tell you now that fate has decided on a different course for me.”

“This is the final verdict. My fight is over.”

– Charles Krauthammer

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Jesse Williams Is Still Fighting Child Support Demands From His Ex-Wife

The escalating bitterness between Jesse Williams and his estranged wife, Aryn Drake-Lee, is unlikely to diminish anytime soon. In fact, it appears the strained relationship between the two just got even worse — Williams is fighting back against his ex’s request for more spousal support, asking the court to deny the increase.

Court documents obtained by E! News reportedly reveal that Williams says Drake-Lee “exaggerates many of our expenses.” Williams offered context, stating, “We agreed that our children should live a simple life without wasting money on extravaganza.”
It’s clear there is no love lost between the two — on both sides.

 

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