German tennis legend Boris Becker was discharged from bankruptcy court in London after a judge found Wednesday he had done “all that he reasonably could do” to repay creditors tens of millions of pounds.
Becker fell far short of repaying his creditors in full, but Chief Insolvency and Companies Court Judge Nicholas Briggs said it would be “perverse” not to end the case given the efforts Becker made.
“On the spectrum of bankrupts who range from ‘difficult as possible and doing everything to frustrate the trustee’s inquiries’ to ‘co-operative, providing information and delivering up assets’, Mr. Becker clearly falls on the right side of the line," Briggs wrote.
Becker, 57, was deported to Germany two years ago after serving 8 months in a London prison for illicitly transferring large amounts of money and hiding 2.5 million pounds ($3.1 million) in assets after he was declared bankrupt in 2017.
He had been convicted in a London court on four charges under the Insolvency Act, including removal of property, concealing debt and two counts of failing to disclose estate. He was acquitted of 25 other charges, including nine counts of failing to hand over Grand Slam trophies and his Olympic gold medal to bankruptcy trustees.
He was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison, but was released early under a fast-track deportation program for foreign nationals.
Becker rose to stardom in 1985 at the age of 17 when he became the first unseeded player to win the Wimbledon singles title. He went on to become the world No. 1 player, winning two titles at Wimbledon, two at the Australian Open and one at the U.S. Open.
He retired from professional tennis in 1999 and worked as a coach, television commentator, investor and celebrity poker player.
Becker blamed laziness and bad advice for his financial problems that led him to declare bankruptcy after owing creditors nearly 50 million pounds ($62.5 million) over an unpaid loan of more than 3 million pounds ($3.75 million) on his estate in Mallorca, Spain.
Attorney Katie Longstaff said at a High Court hearing last month that the joint trustees did not oppose his effort to end the case but did not support it because he still owed about 42 million pounds ($52.5 million).
Becker's lawyer, Louis Doyle, said the two sides had reached a settlement that includes a “substantial sum” the tennis great must pay. The agreement “includes the outstanding trophies,” Doyled said, adding Becker “can’t do more than he has done to bring us to this point."
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'Vanderpump Rules' is reportedly halting production to give the cast and crew a break after two "very rough, intense seasons".
Lisa Vanderpump's reality TV show has been full of drama ever since castmember Tom Sandoval split from Ariana Madix in 2023 after it emerged that he had a months-long affair with her pal Rachel Leviss and a new report suggested the show is going to be rested to give everyone involved time to "decompress" following the 'Scandoval' fall out.
A source told New York Post column Page Six: "Everyone needs a moment to decompress after two very rough, intense seasons,” the source told us. “The cast is looking forward to a break from filming the show."
Filming usually takes place between May and July, but the report suggests production on season 12 will be paused over the summer months. It comes after the 2023 'Scandoval' drama prompted TV bosses to resume filming on the show earlier than expected which is said to have cut everyone's time off with season 11 being filmed shortly after the 10th series wrapped.
TMZ reports producers "want to let the cast do their own thing for a bit without jumping right back into another summer of filming" adding that they hope som time off will lead to some "big developments and new drama to capture" when filming resumes.
It's not clear when the show will go back into production, but the outlet reports TV bosses are unlikely to wait until next summer to pick it back up.
Another reason behind the pause is said to be Ariana Madix's new job hosting 'Love Island USA'. She's replacing actress Sarah Hyland as the face of the dating show and is set to spend several months in Fiji filming and would have been unavailable for 'Vanderpump Rules'.
Announcing the news in a video posted on Instagram, Ariana declared she can't wait to get to the villa. She said: "Talk about a bombshell! This summer, I'm trading rhinestone buckles for bikinis.
"I'm hosting the next season of 'Love Island USA' streaming this summer on Peacock. I can't wait to stir up some trouble in paradise."
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Harvey Weinstein is due back in a New York courtroom Wednesday for his first appearance since an appeals court last week overturned his 2020 rape conviction and ordered a new trial.
The preliminary hearing in Manhattan is expected to include discussion of evidence, scheduling and other matters, according to Weinstein's attorney, Arthur Aidala.
Aidala said Weinstein will attend the hearing, despite the 72-year-old having been hospitalized since shortly after his return to the city jail system on Friday from an upstate prison. He has said Weinstein, who has cardiac issues and diabetes, was undergoing unspecified tests due to his health issues.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office has said it is determined to retry the case against Weinstein. Legal experts say that may be a long road and come down to whether the women he's accused of assaulting are willing to testify again. One of the women, Mimi Haley, said Friday she was still considering whether she would testify at any retrial.
Aidala said Saturday that he plans to tell the judge that he believes a trial could occur any time after Labor Day.
The once-powerful studio boss was also convicted in Los Angeles in 2022 of another rape and is still sentenced to another 16 years in prison in California.
In the New York case that is now overturned, he was convicted of rape in the third degree for an attack on an aspiring actor in 2013, and of forcing himself on Haley, a former “Project Runway” production assistant, in 2006. Weinstein had pleaded not guilty and maintained any sexual activity was consensual.
The Associated Press does not generally identify people alleging sexual assault unless they consent to be named, as Haley has.
On Thursday, the New York Court of Appeals vacated his conviction in a 4-3 decision, erasing his 23-year prison sentence, after concluding a trial judge permitted jurors to see and hear too much evidence not directly related to what he was charged with.
The ruling shocked and disappointed women who celebrated historic gains during the era of #MeToo, a movement that ushered in a wave of sexual misconduct claims in Hollywood and beyond.
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Victoria Beckham is still walking on crutches as she continues to recover from a broken foot.
The 50-year-old star posed in a white dressing gown as she prepared for a photoshoot for her own beauty band, and she revealed she is still healing from her recent accident.
In a photo on her Instagram Story, she posed for a mirror selfie as she leaned on a crutch in a pair of strappy heels.
The Spice Girls star turned fashion designer suffered an injury at the gym in February, and she has been using crutches to walk on ever since.
Despite her injury, she recently insisted she is happier than she's ever been after turning 50 this month.
She told the Sunday Times newspaper: "I do feel quite content at the moment, even with the dodgy foot…
"I’m excited about the future … The thing with ageing is that it is what it is. I always remember Marc Jacobs saying to me when he turned 60 that it was better than the alternative of not turning 60. It’s good advice!
"But generally I feel good about things. I have better opportunities now than I did when I was younger."
Victoria marked her milestone birthday last Wednesday (17.04.24) and celebrated by jetting to the South of France with her family for a meal in a fancy restaurant.
She went on to throw a glitzy party on Saturday night (20.04.24) which reunited her with the rest of the Spice Girls. The bash at Oswald's in Mayfair, London was attended by famous friends including Tom Cruise and Salma Hayek and featured a Spice Girls reunion as Victoria got up with Geri Horner, Emma Bunton, Mel B and Mel C to sing their hit 'Stop' complete with original choreography.
It marked the first time the group had performed together as a five-piece since the closing ceremony of the London Olympics back in 2012.
A source told MailOnline: "It meant the world to Victoria that they [the Spice Girls] were all there. They were a huge part of her life and they shared so much together.
"They were special days and so of course to have them there to mark her 50th was just wonderful for her. It made everything so perfect."
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Jeff Bridges doesn't "think too much" about his near-death experience.
The 74-year-old actor came close to losing his life in 2021, when he contracted COVID-19 while battling cancer – but Jeff insists that he's now moved on from his health scare.
The Hollywood star – who was diagnosed with lymphoma in 2020 – told the New York Post newspaper: "It’s amazing the way the mind can forget all that stuff. I don’t think too much about the past."
Jeff revealed that he's currently feeling "great" and he now looks back on his health scare as a "learning experience".
The actor previously likened his near-death experience to "a bizarre dream".
He told PEOPLE in 2022: "I was pretty close to dying.
"The doctors kept telling me, 'Jeff, you've got to fight. You're not fighting.' I was in surrender mode. I was ready to go. I was dancing with my mortality."
Jeff admitted that his chemotherapy treatment made him particularly vulnerable to COVID.
He shared: "I had no defences. That's what chemo does – it strips you of all your immune system. I had nothing to fight it. COVID made my cancer look like nothing."
Jeff feels the experience has changed his outlook on life, and it's made him more appreciative of his friends and family.
The movie star admitted that his emotions and his ability to receive love has been "turned up".
Jeff – who has been married to Susan Geston since 1977 – said: "Who would say, 'I'd love some cancer and give me a dose of COVID? But my ability to receive all the love and give it was just heightened. Everything was turned up in the most beautiful way."
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Barbra Streisand is under fire for bluntly asking Melissa McCarthy on Instagram if she had used Ozempic to lose weight.
The 82-year-old ‘You Don’t Bring Me Flowers’ singer, blurted the question after ‘Bridesmaids’ actress Melissa, 53, posted a carousel of images on the social media platform of her and choreographer Adam Shankman, 59, outside the Centre Theatre Group Gala in Los Angeles, showing her wearing a pastel green blazer and dress.
Melissa captioned the images: “Pastels only to honor the incredible @matthewbourne13 at the @ctgla gala last night with this fella @adamshankman !! Thiiiiis much closer to my dream of dancing on stage (dancing and green heart emojis.)”
Barbra responded in the comments: “Give him my regards did you take Ozempic?”
The singer has deleted her query – but not before fans branded her everything from stupid to rude online.
Others defended Barbra, saying she would never intentionally try and mock Melissa.
One said: “Babs is 82? (shrugging emoji) kinda par for the course, old people do not know how (stuff)works nor do they (care.)”
‘Gilmore Girls’ actress Melissa did not reply to Barbra’s question about whether she had jumped on the celebrity bandwagon of using the diabetes drug to lose weight.
Melissa has been open about her up-and-down weight for years, and once said she has been “every size on the planet” during her life.
She once lost 70lbs by turning to an all-liquid diet, which she later said she’d “never” do again.
In 2015, she dropped 50lbs by changing her mindset away from an obsession with her figure – telling Life and Style at the time: “I truly stopped worrying about it.
“I think there’s something to kinda loosening up and not being so nervous and rigid about it that, bizarrely, has worked.”
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King Charles has resumed public-facing duties for the first time since his cancer diagnosis.
The 75-year-old monarch was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year, but he and his wife, Queen Camilla, visited a specialist cancer center in London on Tuesday (04.30.24).
Charles and Camilla, 76, both smiled and waved as they arrived at the Macmillan Cancer Center at University College Hospital, where they were warmly welcomed by patients and staff.
The King – who is continuing his cancer treatment – paid tribute to the staff at the center.
The monarch hopes that the visit will also raise awareness of the importance of early cancer diagnosis.
Charles has been named as a patron of Cancer Research UK, and during his visit, he met with Professor Charlie Swanton, the charity's chief clinician.
In February, Buckingham Palace announced that Charles had been diagnosed with cancer.
At the time, it was revealed that the monarch felt "positive" about his treatment and that he was keen to return to public duties as soon as possible.
The statement read: "During The King’s recent hospital procedure for benign prostate enlargement, a separate issue of concern was noted. Subsequent diagnostic tests have identified a form of cancer.
"His Majesty has today commenced a schedule of regular treatments, during which time he has been advised by doctors to postpone public-facing duties. Throughout this period, His Majesty will continue to undertake State business and official paperwork as usual.
"The King is grateful to his medical team for their swift intervention, which was made possible thanks to his recent hospital procedure.
"He remains wholly positive about his treatment and looks forward to returning to full public duty as soon as possible.
"His Majesty has chosen to share his diagnosis to prevent speculation and in the hope it may assist public understanding for all those around the world who are affected by cancer."
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Kendrick Lamar has unleashed a blistering six-minute “diss track” attacking his nemesis Drake.
The Pulitzer Prize-winning rapper, 36, released the song ‘Euphoria’ on Tuesday (30.04.24) after Drake, 37, posted two songs blasting his rival – including his since-deleted track ‘Taylor Made Freestyle’, put out earlier this month, in which he used AI versions of Snoop Dogg and murdered Tupac Shakur to mock Kendrick for working with Taylor Swift.
Kendrick rapped on his new ‘Euphoria’ track Drake is a “scam artist” and brought up rumours he had plastic surgery to create his abs.
He sings: “Let your core audience stomach that, Then tell them where you get ya abs from.”
Kendrick also raps he “hates” the way Drake walks, talks and dresses and warns: “If I catch flight, it’s gon’ be direct.”
Drake was last week forced to remove his second Kendrick diss track amid outrage from Tupac Shakur’s estate it used AI to recreate the singer’s voice.
Tupac’s estate sent him a cease and desist letter, prompting Drake to strip the song from on his social media accounts.
His team were also reportedly working with Tupac's estate to get the song removed from all other platforms online, according to TMZ.
The letter, sent by attorney Howard King, said Tupac’s estate was “deeply dismayed and disappointed” by the unauthorised usage of his voice, saying it was a “blatant abuse of the legacy of one of the greatest hip-hop artists of all time”.
Attorneys for Tupac’s estate said the AI use was a “flagrant violation” and pointed out Kendrick was “a good friend to the Estate” and “has given nothing but respect to Tupac and his legacy publicly and privately”.
They set Drake 24-hour deadline to remove the song.
Mr King said in his letter Tupac’s estate would “never” have approved of the AI recreation of the rapper’s voice.
He added: “It is hard to believe that (Tupac’s record label’s) intellectual property was not scraped to create the fake Tupac AI on the Record.”
The letter said the song may also have violated publicity rights laws and stated the track gives the “false impression that the estate and Tupac promote or endorse the lyrics for the sound-alike”.
It also highlighted how Drake had previously battled others to stop wrongfully using his likeness – including in the 2023 song ‘Heart on My Sleeve’ written by a TikToker that also used AI to recreate his voice.
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Taylor Swift continues to dominate in the week following the release of her 11th album, “The Tortured Poets Department.” The 31-track album has hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, tying Swift with Jay-Z for second-most No. 1 albums at 14. Only The Beatles, with 19 No. 1 albums, have had more.
The double album has amassed 2.61 million equivalent album units in the U.S., according to Luminate, the industry data and analytics company. A shocking 1.91 million of those units come from traditional album sales — people purchasing downloads, CDs, cassettes and vinyl. Vinyl accounts for 859,000 units sold, the highest number of vinyl sales in modern history.
It is the top-selling album of 2024, eclipsing Beyoncé's “Cowboy Carter,” which sold 228,000 units. (But streaming was a boon: “Cowboy Carter” hit 407,000 equivalent album units, a combination of pure album sales and on-demand streams, earned in the U.S. in its first week.)
“The Tortured Poets Department" hit 891.34 million album streams stateside, according to Luminate, the biggest streaming week for an album in history.
She's broken the highest single-week mark for an album, passing Drake's 25-track “Scorpion” with 745.92 million in 2018, his 21-track "Certified Lover Boy" with 743.67 million in 2021, and her own “Midnights” in 2022 with 549.3 million streams.
“My mind is blown. I’m completely floored by the love you’ve shown this album,” Swift wrote on X. “2.6 million are you actually serious? Thank you for listening, streaming, and welcoming Tortured Poets into your life. Feeling completely overwhelmed.”
Last Wednesday, Spotify announced that "The Tortured Poets Department” had become the platform’s most streamed album in a single week, with over 1 billion streams globally. That was just four days after its release. On release day, the album broke the record for more streams in a single day, with over 300 million. Swift broke similar records at Apple and Amazon Music.
And by Monday afternoon, Swift had broken yet another record with tracks claiming the top 14 spots on the Billboard Hot 100. Previously, she was the only artist to ever monopolize the top 10 when her last album, 2022's “Midnights” took over the charts.
So what's in the No. 1 spot this time around? Her lead single, “Fortnight” featuring Post Malone, followed by “Down Bad,” “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart," “The Tortured Poets Department," and “So Long, London,” respectively.
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Rachel McAdams has been nominated for a Tony Award for best actress in a play for her role in "Mary Jane."
Hers was one of a handful of nominations announced on "CBS This Morning," with the rest to follow separately.
The Canadian actress earned the nod for her turn in the Amy Herzog-penned play about a single mother in a difficult family situation.
"Mary Jane" is also nominated for best play.
This is McAdams' first Tony nomination.
The awards are set for June 16, and will be hosted by Ariana DeBose.
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Mary J. Blige is planning to retire in the next "five or six" years.
The 54-year-old superstar has been in the music business for more than 30 years and even moved into acting but while she is not quite finished, she admitted that she will be ready to quit within the next decade.
She told US TV show 'Extra: "Mary is singing about life. Life… love… being stable and understanding you can have things like love. You can have a good life. "Right now, I’m definitely gonna do some more acting and I’m definitely gonna retire in, like, five or six years. “Right now, I’m still doing what I’m doing but not as often as I was doing it because I don’t have to now."
The 'Family Affair' hitmaker now has a reported net worth of $20 million but reflected on her tough childhood growing up in Yonkers, Y and admitted that while it was a tricky time for her whole family, herself and other musicians like Lady Gaga are made "stronger" by all having similar sorts of experiences.
She said: "It was hard. My mom was a single parent… So if you survive it, you have friends and you have had love. It made us stronger… You can ask any writer from Yonkers — Jadakiss, DMX, Lady Gaga. It’s something about Yonkers that made you strong!"
Earlier this year, Mary – who split from Kendu Isaacs in 2018 after 16 years of marriage – confirmed that she is no longer single but admitted that now she has realised that she is her only true love.
She said: "The glow is the love for Mary J. Blige. I find my real love. And my real love is me and I found it!"
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Bob Geldof is diving into the archives to create a new version of "Do They Know It's Christmas?" for its 40th anniversary this year.
The Irish musician tells The Canadian Press he's involved in a supercut of the charity single that blends vocals of pop stars from separate recordings made over the decades.
The original 1984 song was written by Geldof and Midge Ure and featured a who's who of British music stars of the era, including Paul McCartney, Sting and the late George Michael. Record sales raised funds to fight the famine in Ethiopia.
Other versions of the song were recorded in later years, including ones in 2004 and 2014 that featured vocals from Chris Martin of Coldplay, Ed Sheeran and the late Sinéad O'Connor.
Geldof says he envisions the voice of a young Bono from U2 singing alongside Harry Styles, who recorded the song 30 years later as a member of One Direction.
He says English producer Trevor Horn is shaping the idea
"If it works, it works. If it doesn't, it doesn't," he says.
"But it's fascinating unto itself, from our perspective."
Geldof is also involved in "Just For One Day," a stage musical retelling of the story behind the 1985 charity concert Live Aid, which he helped organize. The show rolls into Toronto for its North American premiere in January.
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Rutland Centennial Hall, Kelowna
May 31 1:30 pm
Royal Canadian Legion Oliver , Oliver
May 31 7:00 pm
Penticton Trade & Convention Centre, Penticton
Jun 1 7:00 pm
