By Wonderwall.com Editors
3:30am PDT, Oct 20, 2022
George Floyd's family announces $250M lawsuit against Kanye West
Members of George Floyd's family have announced plans to sue Kanye West over comments the rapper made about George's death on a recent edition of "Drink Champs," multiple outlets reported on Tuesday (Oct. 18). Kanye, who's also under fire for antisemitic social media posts and his clothing line's "White Lives Matter" shirts, suggested on "Drink Champs" that George died from fentanyl use, even though the medical examiner's office ruled his death a homicide and former police officer Derek Chauvin was convicted of murder and manslaughter for kneeling on George's neck. According to Pitchfork, Roxie Washington, the mother of George's young daughter, Gianna, will file on her behalf and plans to seek at least $250 million in damages. "Mr. Floyd's cause of death is well-settled through evidence presented in courts of law during the criminal and civil trials that were the result of his untimely and horrific death," a cease and desist letter to Kanye from Witherspoon Law Group states, per TMZ. "Nevertheless, you have maliciously made statements that are inaccurate and unfounded, causing damage to Mr. Floyd's estate and his family," the letter continues. "The interests of the child are priority," attorney Nuru Witherspoon told Pitchfork in a statement. "George Floyd's daughter is being re-traumatized by Kanye West's comments, and he's creating an unsafe and unhealthy environment for her." ABC News, meanwhile, reported a lawyer representing George's brother Philonise said they were also "looking into a lawsuit" against Kanye. The "Drink Champs" episode was taken down due to Kanye's comments.
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Kelly Ripa responds to Kathie Lee Gifford's criticism of chapter on Regis Philbin
Kelly Ripa says she doesn't "have time" for critics of her new memoir who haven't read the book — including Kathie Lee Gifford. In an interview with Amanda Hirsch for her "Not Skinny But Not Fat" podcast released Tuesday (Oct. 18), Kelly was asked about Kathie Lee's negative response to the chapter in "Live Wire" on Kelly's difficult experience working with Regis Philbin on "Live!" Speaking to Fox 5 NY last week, Kathie Lee, who co-hosted the show with Regis from 1985 until 2000, said she was very sorry to see the headlines," about him "'cause what's the point?'" She added, "I don't get it" and said she's "not going to read the book." On Amanda's podcast, Kelly said she hadn't seen Kathie Lee's interview, then shared her take on deciding to write about working with Regis. "I tend to not go into deep dives about things I can't comment on because I haven't seen them," she said, according to ET. "And then, I write this entire chapter [in my book that] is about correcting the record in real time. Do you do it? Should one do it? Theoretically, should a person correct the record in real time or should they not even comment on it?" Kelly continued: "If you're at home hidden behind a computer screen not having read a book, launching criticism, I don't have time for you. I don't listen to that." She said readers seem to have gleaned her messages about "universal truths that we all experience" from "Live Wire." "And, so, I am not going to entertain criticism from people who didn't read the book," she concluded before adding that if anything, Kathie Lee only helped her sell more copies. "It is really hard to sell a book …," Kelly explained. "Suddenly all of these headlines pop up … so my ultimate comment is, 'Thank you.'"
RELATED: Kathie Lee Gifford defends Regis Philbin, says she won't read Kelly Ripa's memoir
Sarah Michelle Gellar tells BFF Selma Blair she makes 'us believe we can do anything' in moving note after 'DWTS' exit
After Selma Blair's emotional early exit from "Dancing With the Stars" on Monday (Oct. 17), her best friend, Sarah Michelle Gellar, celebrated Selma's achievements with an equally emotional message of love and support. "Long before @dancingwiththestars I knew you were a ten, and now the world knows," Sarah wrote on Instagram following Selma's revelation that her body "has taken a hit" from her competition on the show due to the multiple sclerosis she was diagnosed with in 2018. "Selma I've never been so proud of you (and I'm often proud of you)," Sarah continued. "You make the rest of us believe that we can do anything. That we can never give up." The actress also thanked Selma's dance partner, Sasha Farber, for the "gift" of helping Selma "radiate" joy on the dance floor. "And speaking of gifts- @selmablair your love and friendship is the greatest gift. I love you Blair," she wrote. But the love didn't stop there. In the comments, Selma replied: "My heart and soul of all great things…. Always you Smg. The way you show up for me. The way this @dancingwiththestars experience with @sashafarber1 and all of the cast…. Has rallied with true grit and JOY and determination has inspired me more than I can process. I have been so fortunate to be loved by you. And now I have had the extreme elation and grace of dancing on a ballroom floor, and being lifted and carried by my loves. And the public." Selma called the whole experience "a gift I will cherish forever," before telling her friend, "I love you so dearly. Thank you for being by my side on another journey. Here's to many more. ♥️." Selma, 50, revealed she was leaving the show in Monday's episode in a pre-taped segment. "I had these MRIs and when the results came back, it just all adds up to I can't … I can't go on with the competition," she said. "I pushed as far as I could."
RELATED: Selma Blair exits 'DWTS,' reveals her body 'has taken a hit' amid MS battle, plus more celebs diagnosed with multiple sclerosis
Daniel Craig receives same royal honor as James Bond
Daniel Craig visited Windsor Castle on Tuesday (Oct. 17), where Princess Anne presented him with the same British order of chivalry his James Bond character had at an investiture ceremony. Queen Elizabeth II first appointed the star, 54, a Companion of the Order of St. Michael and St. George in January as a tribute to his contributions to British film and theater. Sharing a photo of Anne bestowing the honor on Daniel on Instagram, the royal family teased in the caption, "We've been expecting you," quoting one of the film franchise's most famous lines. Daniel, who played Ian Fleming's spy, 007, from 2006's "Casino Royale" through 2021's "No Time To Die," starred with the monarch in a video segment that aired as part of the 2012 Olympics opening ceremonies. It featured Bond being sent to Buckingham Palace to pick up the queen, who then joins him for a helicopter ride to the Olympics, where they appeared to parachute in from above. In an appearance on "Late Night" in February, Daniel revealed Queen Elizabeth was "very funny" in person and recalled how she'd teased him for not smiling when they were posing for a photo. The monarch died in Scotland on Sept. 8 after a 70-year reign. She was 96.
Iman says she hopes to see her husband, David Bowie, again 'if there is an afterlife'
Iman lost her husband, David Bowie, to liver cancer on Jan. 10, 2016, when he was 69, and she hasn't stopped thinking of him since. The supermodel, 67, opened up about her love and her grief on a "SiriusXM Today Show Radio" special earlier this month, telling Hoda Kotb one of her most cherished wishes is to be reunited with the musician. "If there is an afterlife, I'd like to see my husband again," Iman said (via Page Six). "That's the one I want." Iman and David tied the knot in 1992 and as she told listeners on SiriusXM, she keeps him as close to her heart as possible. "I have a necklace I'm wearing under here that has his name on it… I've worn it since that first week after David passed away," she said, adding, "I think of him all the time." She doesn't see another romance on the horizon right now, either, though she said she's "always open to love," if not the romantic kind. "I just don't know if I'm open to that kind of relationship. It's only been six years, so I'm not open to it now," she said. Asked if the six years since David's passing felt like they went by fast, Iman said the time feels, "like sometimes a blink and sometimes 100 years." Looking back on the love they shared, she added, "I think if you're lucky, you'll experience something like that, you know what I mean? It's luck, and I was lucky."
Britney Spears wants justice for dad's alleged conservatorship abuse
Nearly one year after a judge terminated her 13-year-long conservatorship, Britney wants her father and others involved in the arrangement brought to justice for what they had her endure. The singer lashed out at her dad, Jamie Spears, in a series of tweets and a VoiceNote on Monday (Oct. 17), sharing a new story about the scary and unexplained medical procedure she says she was forced to undergo before she was institutionalized. (Britney didn't specify which facility she's referring to, but Billboard reports she was sent to inpatient mental health treatment centers in 2008 and 2019.) "I believe in a world where we all deserve justice !!! 15 years in a system of secretive and manipulative abuse … JUST ENDING IT has never been good enough for me and it will never be !!! I was talked to abusively and punished for no reason at all," Britney tweeted. In her VoiceNote, Britney said she had three MRIs before being sent to "that place." She wasn't suffering from any physical ailments, but said she wasn't told why the MRIs were necessary. Since she'd had an MRI as a child when there was concern a cyst she had might be cancerous, she explained, "whenever I hear 'MRI' I kind of was like, 'that's a big deal, something must be wrong with me.'" The MRIs required Britney to lie completely still inside the machine for more than an hour, she said, much longer than the MRI she had at age 8. "The whole thing didn't make sense — the isolation, the nurses … to me I was like, 'Wait, is this a new kind of cancer treatment? [Is] that why they sent me away to this place? They didn't want me to know?'" she remembered wondering. "None of that it true, I'm fine, I'm alive." In her tweets, she wrote that she was continually mistreated and barred from being told what was happening to her despite having done "absolutely nothing wrong. … I have no justice at all in my eyes," she continued. Finally, she wrote that she wishes she could send her father away "to a place" where he, too, would be denied freedoms like access to his home and his privacy as she was, though she said that "will never happen." In the end, Britney wrote, "I don't see how they get to walk away so easily and get away with what was done to me … the world has shown me and the world only that cruelty wins !!!"
Mindy Kaling and BJ Novak's latest selfie has fans convinced their romance is back on
Mindy Kaling and BJ Novak's fans refuse to give up their collective dream that "The Office" alums and former flames will end up together, after all. This week, Mindy shared a carousel of photos from the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures gala and at the very end of the collection, she popped in a selfie that showed her grinning before a wall of flowers while BJ leans toward her with one hand resting on his head. "YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOURE DOING WITH THAT LAST PIC," one fan teased the star in the comments. "Mindy and BJ for life !!!! I know they are together 🔥🔥," wrote another. A third person said they hope Mindy writes "a memoir one day detailing your complicated relationship" with BJ, whom she dated on and off for years. "Does this mean its instagram official?!????" someone else asked. While some users were happy for the throwback to the romance between Mindy and BJ's characters on "The Office" — "Ryan and Kelly for life," one person commented — plenty of others made it clear they still think Mindy and BJ are soulmates in real life.
