By Mark Gray
8:52am PDT, Apr 3, 2020
"Tiger King" connections
You can't go anywhere without hearing about Netflix's massive hit docu-series "Tiger King." While many in the country were introduced to Joe Exotic, Bhagavan "Doc" Antle and Jeff Lowe via the series, it turns out that many celebrities have known about these guys for a while. Britney Spears, for example, has a surprising connection to Doc, and it involves one of her most iconic moments ever. In 2001, the pop star memorably performed "I've a Slave 4 U" at the MTV Video Music Awards and danced with a snake in front of a tiger on the stage, where Doc also appeared. A slew of famous faces have visited Doc's zoo over the years, including Beyonce, Logan Paul, Da Brat and United States soccer stars and World Cup winners Ali Krieger and Ashlyn Harris. Shaquille O'Neal, who briefly appeared on the series, spoke out to claim he and Joe aren't friends, as was implied on the show.
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Tragic passing
Fountains of Wayne frontman Adam Schlesinger passed away on April 1 due to complications from the coronavirus. He was 52. The Emmy and Tony winner had been put on a ventilator in a New York hospital as he battled COVID-19. According to his girlfriend, the "Stacy's Mom" singer had been "sedated to facilitate his recovery." On March 31, Adam's girlfriend told TMZ, "He is in critical condition, but his condition is improving slightly and we are cautiously optimistic." In addition to hits like "Stacy's Mom," Adam also wrote "That Thing You Do!" for the movie of the same name, earning an Oscar nomination for his efforts. Tom Hanks, who directed and starred in the film, said, "There would be no Playtone without Adam Schlesinger, without his 'That Thing You Do!' He was a One-der. Lost him to COVID-19. Terribly sad today."
RELATED: Stars we lost in 2020
Tragic accident
Former "The Bachelor" star Michelle Money was asking for prayers after her 15-year-old daughter, Brielle, landed in intensive care following a skateboarding accident. "She suffered a serious brain trauma and a fractured skull. She is in a medically induced coma to relieve pressure in her brain," Michelle said on March 30. The following day, Michelle said Brie was "doing good" and was in "stable condition." She added, "They're basically trying to remove fluid from her brain because her brain just has so much swelling and they need to keep the pressure down. So they're going to be removing some of her brain fluid."
Lawsuit
A New York City photographer is suing Ellen Barkin for $175,000 for posting a vulgar image of herself to Twitter during Harvey Weinstein's rape trial. The photographer said he owns the image — since he took the picture of Ellen — and never gave her permission to post it. In the image, the "Animal Kingdom" star is seen flipping off photographer Steven Hirsch while standing outside the Manhattan courtroom where Weinstein was fighting rape and sexual assault charges. "Barkin did not license the photograph from plaintiff for the website, nor did Barkin have Plaintiff's permission or consent to publish the Photograph on the website," the copyright infringement lawsuit said, according to Page Six.
R.I.P.
So long, Pickup Man. Joe Diffie, a mainstay on the country music charts in the '90s and an artist hugely influential to today's biggest country stars, passed away on March 29 from complications due to COVID-19. Two days prior to his death, Joe's family noted that he had tested positive for the novel coronavirus. The death of the "John Deere Green" singer sent shockwaves through the country community. "The music and legacy he leaves behind are legendary," Carrie Underwood said. Blake Shelton called him "a true hero."
Interesting situation
Modern family? Wayne Brady has been self-isolating like so many others amid the current health pandemic, but he's not alone. In fact, he's with his 17-year-old daughter, Maile, his ex-wife, Mandie Taketa, and her boyfriend, Jason. The TV host knows his situation is far from normal, but it's normal for him and his family. "So Mandie, her boyfriend, Jason, my daughter, Maile, we are a family," Wayne told "Access Hollywood." "We are like this nuclear family."
Released early
Tekashi 6ix9ine is a free man, and it's thanks to the coronavirus. On April 2, a New York judge granted the rapper a compassionate release from prison effective immediately, stating that he should be allowed to finish his sentence at home under supervision. The release comes after Tekashi, via his lawyers, pleaded with the judge to let him serve the rest of his sentence at home, claiming his asthma has compromised his immune system, thus making him more susceptible to contracting the coronavirus. Tekashi will be on supervised release and will have a GPS monitor. He must remain at an address approved by his probation officer for the first four months. He's only allowed to leave for attorney visits or medical treatment, and both of those need to be approved by the Probation Department. Last December, he was convicted on racketeering charges and sentenced to two years in prison.
Royals no more
Say hello to non-royals Harry and Meghan. April 1 will forever be known as "Meg-xit" day, as it marked the first day of the couple's royal-free lives. The couple had previously announced their plans to step down from their roles as senior royals. Meghan is already hitting the ground running, as she narrated a nature documentary for Disney+ called "Elephant," which was available to stream on April 3. There had been rumors that Meghan, who now resides in Los Angeles with Harry and their son, Archie, was planning to attend the glitzy Met Gala next month, but that event was canceled due to the pandemic.
New music
She's backkkk! On April 2, Lindsay Lohan made her return to music, dropping "Back To Me," her first official new song in 12 years. "The song is about rediscovering and accepting oneself, shutting out the noise and moving forward and letting the past go. Living in the now," Lindsay said in an Instagram post about her club anthem. Last year, Lindsay released-and-quickly-deleted a song entitled "Xanax," but it was never considered an official release.
