Month: April 2021

When we go to magic shows, we know what we’re actually seeing are cool illusions and sleight of hand tricks, not someone’s supernatural ability to actually defy reality. Sometimes we can even figure out how a magician does it—especially in the age of the internet, where you can look. up the secrets of magic tricks—while still being impressed with how well they pull it off. Magic is a skill that takes relentless practice to perfect, and it’s fun to see someone at the top of their game.

There’s “top of their game,” and then there’s David Blaine.

David Blaine is an illusionist and endurance artist who first made a name for himself with his TV show Street Magic. He has set world records for feats of endurance and wows audiences with his magic tricks that are truly hard to believe.

In his show Real or Magic, Blaine performed his tricks on celebrities, and one incredible card trick he pulled on Harrison Ford is going viral because Ford’s reaction is hilarious. It’s an old video, but someone shared part of iit on TikTok, which has given it new life. The full video is included below.

First, Blaine tells Ford to think of a card, then hands him the deck. “Are you thinking of a card?” he asks. Ford nods. “Do I know what card you’re thinking of?” Blaine asks, and Ford shakes his head no.

“Your card just left the deck,” Blaine says. He tells Ford to look through the deck, but that he won’t find his card there. “You won’t see it there,” he says as Ford flips through the cards. “It’s nowhere.”

So far, this seems like a fairly standard mentalism trick, but then Blaine tells Ford to pick a piece of fruit from the fruit bowl on his counter that can be cut into. Ford picks up an orange from among a dozen or so apples and oranges. Blaine tells him to cut open the orange, but first asks him to name the card he’d chosen.

“Nine of hearts,” said Ford.

Together they slice open the orange, and sure enough, rolled up inside is the nine of hearts card. Ford looks stunned, and a voice off-camera says, “No way.”

Then, after a few seconds of silence, Ford’s hilarious reaction: “Get the **** out of my house.”

Harrison Ford Finds Card in Orange: Real or Magic | David Blaine

www.youtube.com

Some might think that Ford and his family were in on it, or that this was some sort of editing for television trick, but Blaine’s magic skill in real life is legendary. According to professional magicians, it’s not that his tricks are over-the-top impressive in and of themselves, but rather his skill at entertaining with magic and pulling off the tricks with a large audience that works so well. It’s not that he’s a flashy entertainer most of the time—it’s actually his understated way of talking through the tricks that makes them so amazing to witness.

Blaine’s skill with cards is where he really shines. He does sleight of hand card tricks better than most. And while there’s an explanation on YouTube of how to get a card inside a piece of fruit (that part’s actually not that hard), how he managed to get Ford to choose the nine of hearts as his card and how he got him to choose the orange remains a mystery.

At least it remains a mystery to me. I have a friend who does mentalism tricks and it freaks me out every time (and he refuses to explain how he does it—he just says it’s something anyone can learn to do). But part of me doesn’t even want to know. Being wowed by magic tricks allows us to keep a bit of childlike wonderment alive—and also gives us delightful moments like this one with Harrison Ford.

Speaking of childlike wonder, if you want to see more of David Blaine’s card tricks, his appearance on The Late Show with Jimmy Fallon does not disappoint. Jimmy Fallon practically pees his pants being blown away by Blaine’s tricks. Enjoy:

David Blaine Shocks Jimmy and The Roots with Magic Tricks

www.youtube.com

The wide receiver class in the 2021 NFL Draft is absolutely ridiculous. Even if you do not include Kyle Pitts in this — and, let’s face it, you probably should, because he should not be possible — there are a bunch of dudes who have the potential to be All-Pro pass catchers at the next level.

DeVonta Smith won the dang Heisman Trophy and will bring a mentality that every NFL coach dreams of. Jaylen Waddle is a human joystick who has the ability to make extremely fast defensive players look slow. Ja’Marr Chase plays like he is offended at the thought of defensive backs trying to check him, and as a result, he wants to punish them. Rashod Bateman is a technically sound bully who would have a shot at being the first receiver off the board in most years. He will be, at best, fourth this year.

All of these dudes will be really good. A handful of others will, likewise, be very good. Today, we’d like to follow our site-wide philosophy of “NFL teams should draft good college players” and highlight one such player: Purdue receiver Rondale Moore.

There may not be a funnier athlete in this Draft than Moore, which is saying something, because it includes a 6’3, 246 pound linebacker who runs a 4.39. The former Boilermaker introduced himself to the collective college football conscious before he ever played a game. A four-star prospect listed at 5’8.5 and 174 pounds, Moore — who didn’t enroll early, meaning he didn’t get a winter/spring session in a college strength and conditioning program — did this in the offseason leading up to his freshman campaign.

According to 247Sports, Moore enrolled at Purdue on June 11, 2018. He then did this on July 20 of the same year. He has long possessed a crazy work ethic and boasts freakish athletic ability — at his Pro Day earlier this year, Moore ran a 4.29 second 40-yard dash and mixed in a 42.5 inch vertical leap. It’s how he’s able to be a giant on the field despite being measured at 5’7 and 180 pounds, which are, to be clear, legitimate concerns as he makes the jump to the next level.

The thing with Moore, though, is that he’s realized something: It does not matter how big or small you are if no one can lay a hand on you. Moore shouldered a pretty big load when he was healthy (big caveat!) for the Boilermakers: 178 receptions, 1,915 yards, 14 receiving touchdowns; 30 carries for 248 yards and three scores; 42 kick returns for 813 yards; 17 punt returns for 118 yards. Purdue kept finding ways to get the football into his hands and he found ways to make things happen. The downside to this, of course, is how much of that production came when he was a true freshman. Behold:

Moore’s sophomore campaign was over after September due to a hamstring injury, then a lingering lower body injury held him out until November as a junior. He played very, very well when he was on the field both seasons, but getting on the field and staying on the field were issues that his future NFL team will have to manage carefully. The good news, relatively speaking, is that those teams will be able to pick and choose when they use him, while Purdue liked to run the “give the ball to Rondale” offense.

Now, in fairness to the Boilermakers, giving him the football oftentimes works out extremely well. The game that always gets mentioned was Moore dragging the second-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes through hell in a 49-20 win when he was a true freshman. That team finished the year 13-1, won the Rose Bowl, and finished the year ranked third. They were helpless against Moore, who touched the ball 18 times for 252 total yards and a pair of touchdowns.

To highlight one moment from this game, watch this:

Moore’s ability to lower his shoulder and use that sturdy base to bowl through guys makes him different from other undersized jitterbug receivers like, say, Tavon Austin or K.J. Hamler. This is an archetype of receiver that is usually sensational in the open field and can shake opponents when they are in 1-on-1 situations but go down pretty easily when you can wrap them up.

That’s not the case when it comes to Moore. He’s strong enough that one guy isn’t always enough to take him down, but like others in this archetype, he has a whole lot of shake to him to make guys look silly.

Purdue tried to get Moore the ball in just about any way possible, which was understandable, but sometimes that meant getting him the ball when he’s not moving or is working back to the line of scrimmage — like on a bubble screen — which is not the best way to use his skill set (an example: the first clip here). But when they had him working on the move or downhill, it was an entirely different story. Take this play when Moore is lined up in the slot and runs a slant. The pre-snap motion by his running back tricked the defense into giving him space to run into, he gets the ball on the move, and he’s able to use his speed, strength, and balance to add another seven yards onto this gain.

This is the stuff I love with him. Moore is by no means a perfect player — he’s not a super refined route runner, although I put that more on Purdue’s offense not really needing to drill that stuff into him and think he’ll be able to learn it all pretty quickly, and his tape includes some drops that seem to be the result of him thinking of what he’s going to do before he pulls the ball in. But Moore’s ability to do stuff when he has a head of steam or he finds a pocket of space is special, no matter how he comes about it.

“As a player, what makes me dangerous is my versatility,” Moore told Ty Dunne. “I think it gives defensive coordinators a lot of problems because I can line up in a lot of different spots and succeed in all of them. I think that really makes me hard to guard and hard to prepare for. I have a lot of tools in my toolbox that enable me to go out there and make plays, whether that be running past you, making you miss, I’m really instinctive out there. There are a lot of different things that make me elusive on the field.”

In an era when NFL teams are looking for gamebreakers, Moore legitimately is one, and even though he’s not a WR1 at the next level, a smart franchise will bring him in and find ways to get him the football in space. Good things will happen as a result.

If you’re a fan of The Office, you probably already know that Peacock’s now the show’s streaming home, and viewers apparently flocked to the NBC streaming service to keep their binge watching favorite in the rotation.

Comcast announced on Thursday that it added more than 9 million subscribers to its ranks in the months following some major acquisitions, namely the above obsessive rewatch favorite and WWE wrestling content. That boost came in the first three months of 2021, which notably started with the addition of The Office to start the year and WWE Network content on March 18.

The Office is obviously a huge draw, as Netflix subscribers had plenty to say about the service losing a fan favorite. And the WWE bump makes sense, given the price point of Peacock compared to WWE Network, though all the racist stuff didn’t make the cut on the NBC streaming platform.

Still, what we don’t know is just how many of these “subscribers” are paying for the actual service. Much like Apple TV+, which has an unknown but sizable base of people watching Ted Lasso on a free trial, Peacock has a variety of other ways to watch. That includes an ad-subsidized free model, and the company wasn’t specific about what tier of subscribers are faring best. Still, the big boost is good news for the platform, which now has 42 million members in the U.S., which puts it on par with other platforms like HBO Max, which has 44.2 million total.

[via The Verge]

Looney Tunes Cartoons, Season 1D (HBO Max series) — This new batch of episodes couldn’t come soon enough. Tune in for Bugs to evade someone besides Elmer Fudd and Yosemite Sam while Daffy can’t cope with a photocopier, and Elmer Fudd’s looking for some legal advice. All in all, you’ll be able to stream 10 new shorts, and you’ll probably be left wanting more.

Lucy the Human Chimp (HBO Max film) — This ain’t the movie starring Scarlett Johansson. Instead, get ready for a more substantial film (a documentary) about Lucy Termerlin, the infamous chimpanzee who believed she was human because she was pretty much raised that way.

The Big Shot with Bethenny (HBO Max series) — Bethenny Frankel (the Skinnygirl founder) does her business-mogul thing here while allowing a gathering of hopefuls to compete for a chance to be her right-hand woman. Watch out though, because the competition will be fierce, and Frankel promises to be demanding and perfectionistic while pushing candidates through real-life challenges aimed at how they can best show off their creativity and determination.

Yasuke (Netflix series) — Netflix will up its anime game with this dazzling series from Japanese animation studio MAPPA (Attack on Titan: The Final Season), and the project arrives with quite a pedigree, given that LaKeith Stanfield executive produces on lead voice work. Stanfield voices a character who’s based upon the real-life first African samurai, who struggles to shed his past life of violence while striving to keep a peaceful existence. However, he must reluctantly pick up his sword again when a war-torn, feudal Japanese village becomes ground central for warring daimyo. The score will arrive courtesy of Flying Lotus, who also produces, and creator/director/producer LeSean Thomas will build upon his proven track record (The Boondocks, Cannon Buster, and Black Dynamite) of interweaving anime and Black culture.

Things Heard & Seen (Netflix film) — Amanda Seyfried stars as a couple that realizes that a sinister darkness plagues their marriage and fits right in with their new home’s past. The story’s based upon Elizabeth Brundage’s novel, and it takes place in the Hudson Valley.

In case you missed these picks from last Thursday:

Bigger (BET+ series) — Season 2 brings back the fan-favorite Will Packer comedy about thirty-somethings living in Atlanta, while they attempt to maneuver their way through, well, life. That would include professional, personal and other such obstacles, all while they’re searching for love and dealing with uncomfortable truths on occasion. The whole season’s dropping at once, only on BET+

Rutherford Falls (Peacock series) — The newest Michael Schur sitcom is doing the streaming thing, and this show is flat-out putting its location in the title, in lockstep with the co-creator’s fixation with location. Can Rutherford Falls match up with Scranton and Pawnee, in the long run? That remains to be seen, but Ed Helms stars as Nathan Rutherford, who is (obviously, due to the last name) inextricably tied to the town’s history, and Nathan’s not taking too kindly to a movement to eject a historical statue. There’s more to that topic than one would assume, and the wrangling of Nathan seems down to his lifelong best pal, portrayed by Jana Schmieding. This looks about as refreshingly and delightfully offbeat as one would expect from The Good Place creator because everything he touches is magic.

The Atlanta Hawks second half surge has taken them from a fringe play-in team prior to the All-Star break to, currently, fifth place in the Eastern Conference. The final nine games of the season will determine exactly where they fall, as they are a game back of the 4-seed Knicks and a game up on the Celtics and Heat in sixth and seventh, respectively.

There have been a number of factors in the Hawks second half surge, from the return of a healthy (and scorching hot) Bogdan Bogdanovic to a coaching change with Nate McMillan. The constant all season has been Trae Young, who continues to put up big numbers for the Hawks but this time is doing it for a contender thanks to an improved supporting cast around him. Young is has missed the last three games for the Hawks with a sprained ankle suffered in New York, but has been steadily increasing his on-court workload and is hoping to be back on the floor sooner than later.

On Tuesday, we got a chance to catch up with Young over the phone on behalf of BODYARMOR, as he’s part of their new One More campaign. Young talked about how his ankle’s feeling, the Hawks resurgence and the mentality shift that led to that, what playing with Bogdanovic does for him, how defense have adjusted to him in Year 3, growing as a leader, and more.

To start, how’s your ankle feeling and kind of how are you doing as you progress through this little rehab process?

Yeah, my ankle’s feeling a lot better, swelling’s getting down. It feels a lot better. So, I mean, should be back playing soon.

That’s obviously good as you guys are making this push for the seeding in the stretch run. What has been in your mind the biggest reason for this run you guys are on and the way you guys have played over the last couple of months?

Really I think just the mentality of everybody just understanding the time and situation really. Understanding we didn’t have a lot of time to keep accepting losing, and we just needed a change in winning and we just need to win. I think everybody’s mentality and everybody’s mindset really has changed and everybody’s really just has been locked in, in focusing on winning each and every day. So I think that’s the biggest change.

One of the biggest changes that you can see is the way you guys have improved in the fourth quarter and that’s something that y’all have talked about all season is learning to close out games. Is there anything you can specifically point to that changed that — obviously health makes a big difference for you guys — but just the way you guys are closing out and the comfort you have in those late game situations and turning some of those close losses into close wins?

Yeah, I think we just … Nate’s done a great job of getting everybody in their right places. And really we’ve just taken our time, and I’m starting to understand and I got guys around me, guys like Gallinari and guys like Lou Will and understand when its winning time and when it’s time to go, when it’s time to slow down. So I think just knowing when the to do certain things is something that we’ve gotten better and I’ve gotten a lot better at, especially recently.

Yeah, and you’ve gotten a chance to play more with Bogdan Bogdanovic, who is obviously having a sensational shooting stretch. What does it do for you having another playmaker on the floor like that next to you, who can take some of that load away from you and really you guys can play off of each other?

Yeah. It’s been great having him back healthy and playing. It was tough having him out for most of that early part of the stretch when we were losing all those games too. And I think really just having him back, adds a shooter, adds another weapon. I mean he’s not really, like, I just put him as a shooter, labeled him as a shooter, but he’s more than that. Like he can really shoot, really score the ball, get other guys involved. He just knows how to play. He’s a really good basketball player. So I think it’s great having him as a teammate.

You’ve taken fewer threes this year, kind of back to where you were in your rookie year in terms of the volume. Is that just the way defenses are approaching you and pressing up higher and giving you more opportunity to kind of drive and get inside, or what has changed there that’s led you to taking more of your looks toward at the rim or in the in between where you’ve really developed that floater game?

Yeah, I mean, there’s definitely more film out there of me. And a lot of people knew I like to shoot threes or whatever, so I think guys are being more physical and more — I mean, pick me up higher this year. And I think that’s been really the main reason why I haven’t taken as many threes. So I think that’s been the main reason guys are picking me up a little bit higher this year in regards to previous years where they would be a little bit more back. So, I mean, it’s just more film out there.

Definitely. Where do you feel like you’ve grown the most in your game over the last three years as a pro? From where you came in as a rookie to now what are you most proud of your development so far?

Probably just my leadership, as far as developing leading vocally. I’ve always been a really good leader by example, but just understanding being a point guard in this league you gotta learn how to do both. Be a leader vocally as well as lead by example. So, just understanding that as I’m getting older, just to use my voice more and that people are going to listen whenever I use my voice. So I just gotta use it more, and so that’s something that I think I’m proud of that I’ve gotten a lot better at. I can still continue and I’m still learning and getting better at that each and every day.

Obviously you had a lot of time from when when the season got stopped last March to when it started again in December. What was your focus in the work you were putting in at home before training camp to be ready to be able to take another step this year?

Yeah, I mean my focus was not to be in that situation again. I mean my thought process and my focus was to get us to the playoffs. I mean, I didn’t care about anything else, I just wanted to be a part of the playoffs Sitting at home and I mean training while everybody was in the bubble was really killing me. So, knowing that if the season shut down again and we had to go to a bubble, I wanted to be a part of that, that playoff that bubbles. So that’s where my focus was.

You’re partnered with BODYARMOR for this One More campaign and what have you learned about taking care of your body and the hydration and nutrition that goes into as a pro? Because that’s something that I know for some young guys is a big transition and something that they learn early on about really having to take care of your body because you’re playing so many more games than you did in college.

Yeah, it was definitely something that I had to get adjusted to was playing 80 games and then, I mean, the back to backs and things like that. And, for me, just understanding I needed to hydrate my body and things like that. So fueling my body with BODYARMOR, which I’ve been consistently doing and I know it’s very important as athlete to be hydrated and stay hydrated while you’re playing. So, it’s very important and the One More campaign is gonna be great. I’m excited for everybody to see it. It really shows — I mean, it’s focusing on the work you put in behind the scenes. And so people will get to see it and it’s gonna be really cool.

Lastly, as you guys look forward to what looks like it’s gonna be reaching that goal of making the playoffs, what do you look at as going to be the key for you guys to not just make the playoffs but being able to maybe make a run and kind of push into later rounds?

I think just keeping the same mentality that we’ve been having, and not just getting to the playoffs and accepting just being there. I know everybody we’ve been talking, I’ve just said it, that one of our goals is to get to the playoffs this year, and once we get there, I can’t just be the end goal. We can’t just be satisfied with that. And so if we have the same mentality that we’ve been having recently and in the way we’ve been playing — which I don’t see it changing — I think we’ll be okay. We can win some games in the postseason.

Michael Cohen can relate to Rudy Giuliani.

They both worked as shady lawyers for Donald Trump and they both had their homes raided by the feds. But just because they have a lot in common (although only one have served prison time… so far) doesn’t mean Cohen has sympathy for Giuliani.

“Here we go folks!!!” Cohen tweeted after the FBI seized cellphones and computers as part of the criminal investigation into the former-New York City’s major alleged Ukraine dealings. Trump’s former fixer also appeared on CNN on Thursday afternoon, where he shared his legal expertise. When asked what he thought about the raid, Cohen replied, “Rudy, I told you so. Donald Trump doesn’t care about anyone or anything, that he will be the next one to be thrown under the bus.” The former-president called the investigation “very unfair” and referred to Giuliani as “a patriot who loves this country.”

Later in the interview, Cohen said, “We have no idea how expansive this investigation is ultimately going to reveal itself, because Rudy’s an idiot. And that’s the problem. Rudy drinks too much. Rudy behaves in such an erratic manner that who knows what’s on those telephones or what’s on his computers?” He also believes that Rudy would turn on Trump without a second thought. “Do I think Rudy would give up Donald in a heartbeat? Absolutely. He certainly doesn’t want to follow my path down into a 36 month sentence for something as innocuous as a hush money payment to a porn star.”

You can watch the CNN clip below.

Blxst and Russ lament the game-killing effects of “Fck Boys” in their steamy new video for the single from Blxst’s Just For Clarity EP. The melodic rap brethren trade verses about the difficulty of finding love and loyalty as a result of lames who ruin it for everybody as they entertain their female companion in luxurious surroundings. And, in classic Blxst video form, the West Coaster ends up at a photoshoot, swaggering in a casual look as a model drapes herself over his shoulders.

Just For Clarity, which dropped in March, opened up the circle of Blxst collaborators, which had previously only included fellow Angelenos like Dom Kennedy, Tyga, Ty Dolla Sign, and Bino Rideaux. While the South Los Angeles collaboration trend continued with Drakeo The Ruler, the two-song release finally paired Blxst with someone from outside California; the New Jersey-born, Atlanta-based Russ, whose independent hustle and usual choice of introspective content pair with Blxst’s like wine and cheese.

Russ showed off more of his heartbreak anthems earlier this year with videos for “Misunderstood,” “Hard For Me,” and “Bankrupt,” so his collab with Blxst sees both firmly within their respective comfort zones, coolly insisting that their peers need to step their game up.

Watch the video for “Fck Boys” above.

As a leading figure in the Republican party, Senator Ted Cruz was bound to take issue with President Joe Biden’s first address to Congress on Wednesday night.

The traditional speech lays out the administration’s plans for the next four years, signaling to both sides of the aisle what compromises might need to be made and what arguments might soon be had. Biden’s speech promised bold action by the government to address crises on multiple fronts, as well as big spending plans. All of which a conservative like Cruz would naturally be against. But it wasn’t what Biden said that bothered the Texas senator — it’s how he said it.

Cruz gave an interview to Fox News following the speech, complaining that speech was “boring, but radical” before harping on about Biden’s “calm” and “dulcet tones.” Cruz basically implied Biden’s address wasn’t memorable enough before calling attention to the “nearly empty” chamber — a protocol no doubt in place because of Covid-19 restrictions — before making a truly bizarre pivot to also whine about how Biden never tweets anything “notable” these days.

We guess that’s why Cruz felt he could literally doze off in the middle of Biden’s address? The Senator was caught on camera appearing to fight a bout of sleepiness as Biden addressed key issues of immigration and gun violence.

And he’s not the only Republican who’s big mad that Biden prefers to treat social media with a bit more restraint than his predecessor showed. While Cruz labeled Biden’s tweets as not “notable” enough, Republican Senator John Cornyn called them “unimaginably conventional.” In fact, according to tweets from Cornyn earlier this month, the president’s totally rational tweeting practices invite the question of who’s really in charge.

All of this is nonsense of course, but when you’re used to the unhinged rantings of a man chugging diet soda at 2 a.m., “normal” becomes dull, we guess. Unfortunately for Cruz, being the internet’s favorite punching bag means his bad manners during last night’s speech and his Fox News remarks afterward drew plenty of ire on social media. Here are some of the best takedowns:

It’s probably good for Biden to remember that he can’t please everyone, but if he’s going to try, Ted Cruz should be at the bottom of his priority list.

Invincible took off running on Amazon Prime while building excitement through weekly episode drops. That strategy’s paying off for Disney+’s Marvel Cinematic Universe shows, and the same goes for fans of Robert Kirkman’s Image Comics Universe title as adapted for the small screen. Naturally, there’s everything that one might expect here by combining superheroes and villains with the gore-filled tendencies of The Walking Dead creator, but there’s also a family drama and a twist on a Peter Parker and Billy Batson-style coming-of-age story. Well, the audience must have spoken loudly enough because Amazon decided to announce a few more seasons coming your way.

This news arrives the day prior to the show’s Season One finale, which will follow up on Nolan Greyson/Omni-Man’s sky-bound fight that has led his son, Mark/Invincible, to realize that Dad is less than a good guy. Everyone else seems to know this already, but get ready for superpowered father-son confrontation. Through an Amazon press release, Kirkman expresses gratitude for how his latest baby is being received and welcomed back for more:

“I’m extremely thankful to Amazon for the support and dedication they’ve put behind Invincible,” said Kirkman. “The comic book is truly a love letter to a genre that Cory (Walker) and I grew up reading and loving, and it’s been a gratifying journey to watch our characters come to life again through the animated series. We’re beyond excited to continue this story for at least two more seasons.”

Kirkman must have known in his gut (or explicitly) that this news was coming, since he recently teased more TWD stars as additions to the cast. There’s plenty more source material where that came from, too, to keep the already expansive cast (including Steven Yeun, J.K. Simmons, Sandra Oh, Walton Goggins, Zachary Quinto, and Seth Rogen) coming back for more, and given that The Walking Dead is now expanding past its own comic-book roots, well, that’s an encouraging sign for the future of Invincible, too. Clearly, that last part is sheer speculation, so perhaps we should all slow down and tune into tomorrow’s Season One finale. It’s a doozy.

According to the CDC, suicide is the second leading cause of death among Gen Zers, and yet only 16 percent of all children receive mental health assistance in school. With her new campaign Mental Health 101, Selena Gomez is hoping to change that statistic. The singer has launched the initiative to raise awareness for the importance of mental health education in schools and communities.

Mental Health 101 is a campaign Gomez launched in partnership with her Rare Beauty brand. Along with aiming to increase mental health education in schools, Mental Health 101 is working to secure funding to pay for education services.

Announcing the campaign in a heartfelt letter, Gomez got candid about her own struggles with mental health in the past:

“Today, I’m grateful that we get to launch Mental Health 101. This campaign is so close to my heart because of my own struggles with mental health. I know first hand how scary and lonely it can feel to face anxiety and depression by yourself at a young age. If I had learned about my mental health earlier on–been taught about how my condition in school the way I was taught about other subjects–my journey could have looked very different.

The world needs to know that mental health matters. It’s just as important as your physical health, and I wish we could all acknowledge that, not just in words but through our actions.

For anyone who is hurting right now, I hope you know that you are not alone. I’m a believer in seeking help. Getting support and educating myself on mental health has changed my life, and it can change yours, too.

I hope that Mental Health 101 will be the stepping stones for others that I wish I had… to get connected to the resources that they need, and to empower young people in ways that may not have been possible before.”

Find more information about Gomez’s Mental Health 101 initiative here.