By Mark Gray
9:02am PDT, Oct 30, 2021
Cancer reveal
John Tesh was secretly battling cancer (again) last year, he revealed in October, detailing his cancer's return. In a chat with People magazine, the former "Entertainment Tonight" host and musician explained, "I woke up with an enormous amount of pain one morning in October 2020 — I had pain in both my legs. It turned out there were two tumors around either side of my pelvis and wrapped around my organs." John, 69, said he was prepared to fight back, as this wasn't new territory for him. (He was diagnosed with a rare form of prostate cancer back in 2015, and doctors gave him 18 months to live.) "I went back into the trenches — I was battle ready" he said. John quietly underwent multiple surgeries and chemotherapy treatments. "I felt less like a guy who was sick trying to get well and more like somebody who was healed well resisting sickness." He is again cancer-free and feeling well.
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Facing judgement
Tom Cruise got his MLB Playoffs face time, and the Internet responded in kind. During a Dodgers vs. Giants game on Oct. 9, TV cameras showed the actor in the stands. Social media seemed to think he didn't quite look like himself, as commenters felt he had a puffier-than-usual face. Immediately, Twitter users let their opinions be known. Some wondered if Tom, 59, was having an allergic reaction, while others suspected he had plastic surgery. Others actually firmly believed that it was an impersonator (it wasn't). Tom did have some people in his corner, arguing that he's simply aging, but the critics outweighed the defenders.
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Horrible tragedy
Criminal charges have not been ruled out in the Oct. 21 accidental shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the New Mexico set of Alec Baldwin's Western indie film "Rust." "All options are on the table. … No one has been ruled out at this point," District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies Carmack told reporters on Oct. 27 at a press conference. In that same press conference, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said Halyna was killed from a "live round" shot by Alec from a .45-caliber Colt pistol, the only functioning gun on the set, during a rehearsal scene. The sheriff, who alleged there was "complacency" on the set, confirmed that the firearm was given to Alec by the film's assistant director, Dave Halls. How live ammunition found its way to the set is at the heart of the investigation. "We don't know how those live rounds got there," the DA told CNN. "And I think that that will probably end up being kind of the linchpin for whether a decision is made about charges." Involuntary manslaughter charges could be considered. More than 600 pieces of evidence were recovered from the set including 500 rounds of ammo (some of which were live bullets) and three guns. In an affidavit also filed on Oct. 27, Dave admitted that he didn't thoroughly check the gun before announcing it was a "cold gun" and handing it to Alec. Head armorer Hannah Gutierrez told authorities the gun was locked in a safe while the cast and crew were on a lunch break just before the incident. Several people had access to the safe and its combination, she said. "Hannah advised on the day of the incident, she checked the 'dummies' and ensured they were no 'hot' rounds," the warrant states. She added that "ammo was left on a cart on the set, not secured." On Oct. 29, lawyers for Hannah released a lengthy statement to Variety that said in part, "Safety is Hannah's number one priority on set. Ultimately this set would never have been compromised if live ammo were not introduced. Hannah has no idea where the live rounds came from."
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Spaceman
William Shatner hasn't gone to infinity, but he has gone beyond! On Oct. 13, the "Star Trek" actor walked into Blue Origin's New Shepard capsule and launched into space. He and the crew experienced four minutes of weightlessness before the capsule headed back to Earth, landing in the West Texas desert. At 90, the "Star Trek" icon is now the oldest person to ever go to space. After landing, the former Captain Kirk was moved to emotion while discussing his experience with Jeff Bezos, who owns the space tourism company. "What you have given me is the most profound experience I could imagine," he said. "I'm so filled with emotion about what just happened. It's extraordinary. I hope I never recover from this. I hope I maintain what I feel now. I don't want to lose it. It's so much larger than me, and life."
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Engaged
Wedding bells will soon be ringing. Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker have taken the next step in their fast-moving romance: They're engaged. On Oct. 17, the blink-182 rocker got down on one knee and proposed on the beach in front of the Rosewood Miramar hotel in Montecito, California. Kourtney said yes. The proposal was beautiful, as Kardashian family florist Jeff Leatham set up thousands of red roses on the sand in the shape of a giant heart beforehand after conspiring with Travis. The bride-to-be posted photos from the proposal on Instagram, captioning them simply, "forever." A few days after the proposal, Kourt shared more images from the moment. "I woke up all night thinking it was a dream," she captioned a slideshow. Travis commented, "Forever with you is a dream come true."
Complicated split resolved
Geena Davis has settled her divorce from a man she apparently never actually married. Confused? Back in 2017, Geena and pediatric plastic surgeon Dr. Reza Jarrahy split after 17 years of marriage (or so we thought). After the breakup, Reza asked for their property to be divided equally. Geena, though, quickly told her ex to lawyer up and claimed that they were never actually legally wed — and that she had Reza's tax records to prove it. While terms of the deal remain confidential, a source sympathetic to Reza — who married Geena in a 2001 ceremony that wasn't legally binding, it's now emerged — said the actress got the lion's share of the property. "They were very unfavorable to Reza, who agreed to settle just to put this behind him and be free of the nightmare Geena has caused for him," a source told Page Six. The settlement supposedly cost $1.5 million in legal fees. "Reza has had enough of her narcissism, so he was willing to take a bad deal just to make her go away and refocus on the kids," the source said, referring to the couple's daughter, 19, and twin boys, 17. "This has been devastating for Reza. Geena's priorities since day one have been to preserve her lifestyle and wealth above anything else."
Goodbye to a leader
Colin Powell, the first Black U.S. secretary of state, passed away on Oct. 18, 2021, due to COVID-19 complications at 84. The former four-star general was fully vaccinated but also suffered from multiple myeloma, a cancer of plasma cells that suppresses the body's immune response, the former general's longtime chief of staff, Peggy Cifrino, confirmed to CNN, adding that the leader "also had Parkinson's, which put him at high risk with an immuno compromised system." Following his death, tributes poured in from celebrities and politicians, including several former presidents.
Death details
Notorious '80s video vixen and actress Tawny Kitaen died from heart disease, a coroner announced on Oct. 20. Tawny, who most notably starred in several Whitesnake videos (she was also briefly married to the band's frontman), passed away at her home in Newport Beach, California, on May 7, but the coroner didn't reveal her cause of death for more than five months. TMZ reported that the actress, who was 59, died from dilated cardiomyopathy, the most common type of heart disease. Other contributing factors included clogged arteries. Antidepressants, sedatives, Tylenol, nerve pain medication and opioids were also found in her system. In addition to her music video roles, she also starred opposite Tom Hanks in the 1984 film "Bachelor Party," and she appeared on "The Surreal Life," "Botched" and VH1's "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew."
Trump takedown
George Clooney gave a not-so-sweet anecdote about "knucklehead" Donald Trump while recalling their shared experiences over the years. While chatting with the BBC's Andrew Marr Show on Oct. 10, the actor, who is a Democrat, acknowledged that Trump will be a political factor for years to come, but argued that the former POTUS actually "can't stand" his own supporters, yet loves being adored by them. "It's so funny because he was just this knucklehead. I knew him before he was a president. He was just a guy who was chasing girls. Every time you went out, he'd come over and be like: 'What's the name of that girl?' That's all he was," George said. "And the idea that there's this whole group of people that, you know, that they think he's the champion of which, he certainly can't stand in real life. He's gonna play this out for a while and we'll see where we go with it as a country. My hope is that we have a little better sense than to do that again, my hope."
Medical emergency
Howie Mandel experienced a scary incident this month — he passed out at a Los Angeles Starbucks. TMZ reported that the "America's Got Talent" judge was with his wife and friends at the coffee shop on Oct. 13 when he fainted and fell over. He was quickly placed on a cement bench. Paramedics came and eventually took the comedian to the hospital. "I am home and doing better. I was dehydrated and had low blood sugar," he tweeted afterward. "I appreciate the great doctors and nurses that took such good care of me. Thank you to everyone who reached out but I am doing ok!" Howie later revealed he'd been drinking too much coffee as he returned to work following a colonoscopy.
Sweeping changes
Just a fews days after her father was removed from the conservatorship that's ruled her life for more than 13 years, a report emerged claiming Britney Spears' house was swept for listening devices. The new came after claims were made that her dad and his team secretly recorded her in her private space. "When allegations arose about the spying, action was immediately taken to make sure things were more secure," a source told The Sun on Oct. 4. "It was effectively a sweep, similar to what the FBI do." It's not known if anything was found. Around the same time, TMZ reported that Jamie and his team tried "curing" Britney with religion and for a time would only let her read religious material.
Ring-a-ding!
He put a ring on it. After more than a year of dating, Bravo star Teresa Giudice and digital marketing company founder Luis "Louie" Ruelas are engaged. People magazine reported that Luis popped the question while on a romantic vacation in Greece at the Amanzoe Resort in Porto Heli on Oct. 19. The magical proposal included sparklers, candles, roses, a violinist and a fireworks display. Former "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" star Dina Manzo and her husband, Dave Cantin, were also there for the big moment. "It was absolutely exquisite," a source told People. "The choreographed fireworks display illuminated a 'Marry Me' sign as Louie got down on one knee. Teresa was completely surprised."
Presidential wedding
She's already a King, and now she's now related to a president: On Oct. 11, former "The Real Housewives of Orange County" star Meghan King married Cuffe Biden Owens, a Los Angeles-based attorney who's the nephew of President Joe Biden. The POTUS even attended the wedding, which took place at Cuffe's childhood home in Pennsylvania just three weeks after the couple started dating. "We connected on a dating app, texted for a day or two, then spent five straight hours on the phone the first time we spoke," Meghan told Brides magazine. "By the time that call ended, Cuffe was booked and packed for a flight to St. Louis [where I live] that took off in about eight hours. Within a week, we were back on the East Coast, meeting his family, and starting to plan our future together. We didn't leave each other's side for weeks."
Split rumor
Lala Kent reportedly split with her fiancé, Randall Emmett, in October amid cheating allegations. Breakup rumors began swirling on Oct. 17 after pictures surfaced on social media that appeared to show Randall with two women at a Nashville hotel. Lala then liked a social media post that alluded to Randall being unfaithful. Later that day, fans of the "Vanderpump Rules" star noticed that the producer was suddenly absent from her Instagram feed. At the same time, she began vaguely hinting at a breakup with posts and videos. "Randall always lives a double life," a source told Page Six on Oct. 18 after it reported the duo had split. "He lives the life of a husband or boyfriend, and then he lives the life of a serial partier and then goes on a bender." Interestingly, on Oct. 19, TMZ said the Lala and Randall were trying to work things out, but she didn't utter a word when asked by a camera crew about the status of the relationship. At the time, Lala wasn't wearing her engagement ring. A few days later, Lala celebrated three years of sobriety, marking the accomplishment via an Instagram post. Randall posted his own photo of balloons. "Congrats on 3 years," he captioned it.
