By Mark Gray
3:29am PDT, Jun 8, 2023
Cause of death now known
Nearly a year after his death, more is coming to light about Ray Liotta's death. The "Goodfellas" star died from respiratory insufficiency, pulmonary edema and acute heart failure, according to documents obtained by TMZ. In other words, Ray had heart and respiratory system issues, including fluid in his lungs. The 67-year-old died in May 2022 in his hotel room in the Dominican Republic, where he was filming the upcoming thriller "Dangerous Waters." Documents noted that the death was natural and nonviolent. TMZ reported that Ray also suffered from atherosclerosis — a thickening of the arteries caused by a buildup of plaque in the inner lining — something that often leads to diabetes and other health issues.
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Oscars thoughts
Richard Dreyfuss isn't mincing words when discussing the Academy Awards' new diversity requirements, which deems that Best Picture nominees must meet certain standards. "They make me vomit," the "Mr. Holland's Opus" actor, 75, said in an interview on PBS' Firing Line with Margaret Hoover. "Because this is an art form. It's also a form of commerce, and it makes money. But it's an art. And no one should be telling me as an artist that I have to give in to the latest, most current idea of what morality is." The Oscar-winning actor went on to name several iconic films that would either cause controversy in today's world, our they'd no longer qualify under the new terms. "What are we risking? Are we really risking hurting people's feelings? You can't legislate that, and you have to let life be life," the "Jaws" icon said. "And I'm sorry, I don't think that there is a minority or a majority in the country that has to be catered to like that." The Oscars rule is "so patronizing," he continued. "It's so thoughtless and treating people like children."
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'Faithful' partner isn't important?
Shakira is finding herself after separating from her longtime partner, Gerard Pique. While accepting Billboard's first Woman of the Year award at the inaugural Latin Women in Music gala, the pop star reference her less-than-amicable split in 2022, wherein her ex was accused of cheating. "This has been a year of seismic change in my life where I've felt more than ever — and very personally — what it is to be a woman," she told the crowd. "It's been a year where I've realized we women are stronger than we think, braver than we believed, more independent than we were taught to be. Because what woman hasn't at some time in her life forgotten herself because she's seeking the attention and love of someone else? It happened to me, more than once." Since her split, Shakira has released a dis song and moved from Spain to Miami. "But there comes a time in the life of every woman where she no longer depends on someone else to love and accept herself just as she is," she continued. "A time when the search for someone else is replaced by the search for oneself. A time when the desire to be perfect is replaced by the desire to be authentic, and where finding someone who is faithful is less important than being faithful to ourselves."
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Secretly sending messages?
Taylor Swift and her rumored boyfriend, The 1975's Matt Healy, might be covertly communicating on stage… and there's alleged evidence. On May 3, the 1975 frontman was performing in the Philippines. While on stage, he looked at the camera and mouthed the words: "This is about you, you know who you are. I love you." Fast forward to Friday, May 5. While performing in Nashville as part of her Eras Tour, Taylor coyly looked at the camera during the show and appeared to mouth the exact same words, a TikTok video shows. Matt — who has been linked to the "Delicate" singer for several weeks — was in attendance at all three of Taylor's Nashville shows, including the rain-soaked performance on Sunday, May 7, which was delayed several times and let out after 1:30 a.m. on Monday morning. "You guys have been through a lot tonight," she told the crowd. "We all look like we were sprayed by a garden hose. We all look like river otters."
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Divorcing and in debt
Kim Zolciak-Biermann has filed for divorce from her husband of 11 years, Kroy Biermann, amid seven-figure financial struggles. In legal documents, Kim said the marriage was "irretrievably broken with no hope of reconciliation." She listed the separation date as April 30. The split comes after a report claimed the duo owes over $1 million in unpaid taxes. The debt has been building up for a decade. According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the couple owes a $1.1 million to the IRS for unpaid taxes, interest, and penalties from 2013, 2017, and 2018. They also owe the state of Georgia $15,000 for unpaid taxes for 2018. Both reports come several months after Kim and Kroy's home went into foreclosure and was set to be auctioned off. At the time, in February, the former "Real Housewives of Atlanta" star told friends the whole thing was a "misunderstanding." Kim and Kroy were able to work out a deal to keep the home. Now that their marriage is over, what happens to the house and the tax bill?
Book it
A slew of A-listers are growing increasingly nervous about Britney Spears' long-awaited memoir, and a few of them are reportedly making legal moves to keep it on ice. The US Sun reported that Simon & Schuster, the book's publisher, received "strongly worded legal letters" from those who fear what the "Toxic" singer has written. "Britney is brutally honest in the book — there are a lot of nervous A-listers," a source said. "Strongly worded legal letters have been sent to the publishers by people who know Britney and who fear what she has written." There is no known release date for the tell-all, and there's no real movement on it either.
Fight nights
Chris Brown was involved in not one, but two different scuffles in Las Vegas over the weekend, according to multiple reports and video. The first occurred late Friday night (May 5) at the R&B singer's birthday bash at a skating rink. TMZ said Chris was upset with party guest Teyana Taylor and got into it with Usher who was apparently defending her. Although reports said Chris punched Usher in the face and left him bloodied, the "Confessions" singer looked no worse for wear at the Lovers & Friends music festival on Saturday (Chris played the same festival.) Then, footage surfaced of Chris getting into skirmish backstage during Missy Elliott's set on Saturday, May 6. Chris, though, denied doing anything wrong, claiming he was protecting his child, who was not seen in the backstage video. "yall been geeked all weekend, y'all dragging it now. It was mad people backstage and security was trying to clear everyone off the stage. People started pushing back.. I INTERVENED To let them know MY CHILD WAS BACK THERE," he wrote on Instagram. "So y'all can keep ya narrative."
