Month: January 2022

It has been a really weird season for Antonio Brown, which has become the norm for the former All-Pro who has become more well-known for his off-field antics and troubles than his production on it.

Brown returned to the Bucs after a three-game suspension for using a fake vaccine card early in the season (he eventually got actually vaccinated), and with Chris Godwin’s injury, the expectation was Brown would be even more important to the Tampa offense going forward. However, on Sunday in New York, Brown had just three catches for 26 yards well into the second half when he suddenly, just, left in the middle of a Bucs drive. Brown was upset about something on the sidelines and Mike Evans couldn’t convince him to let it go and Brown rips off his pads and dips.

Brown threw his undershirt and gloves into the stands, danced in the opposite end zone as he waved to the crowd, and then disappeared into the tunnel.

No one on the Bucs sideline even seems to try and stop him after Evans’ briefly tried talking him out of it, as it appears this might be the most amicable in-game quitting in NFL history, with the team just as fed up with the player as the player is with the team. It’s certainly not ideal for the Bucs, but in the long run, it might just be best for all parties to move on — it seems impossible that the Bucs would welcome him back after this. There is also a real chance this is the last we see of Brown on an NFL field, and it’s quite the exit if that is indeed the case.

It’s easy for people to assume that once someone is a well-known entertainer or pop star, life is a perfect dream. Obviously, we know deep down that’s not true, but every once in a while, artists do open up about the pressures and anxiety they face. That’s exactly what Ellie Goulding did on New Year’s Eve this past weekend, letting fans know that despite her many accomplishments this year, she deals with a level of anxiety that leaves her feeling “crippled.” Sharing about these experiences is exactly how people gain awareness and compassion for those of us struggling with anxiety — so kudos to Ellie for her courage and vulnerability in sharing. Check out her full missive below.

Happy New Year everyone…
This past year has been the very best of my life. I became a mother, the greatest joy I’ve known. I’ve had time to sit down with great musicians and writers and made exciting new music that I hope will give people who heart it the same euphoric escape that I experienced when writing it. I have released my first book, performed to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the President and Joni Mitchell (and I can’t explain how grateful I am for that privilege). I have a dog and a cat that love me, I have friends that really love me, and I have a husband that adores and supports me every single day.

But this year has also been the hardest of my life. I’ve struggled daily, nightly, hourly, with a kind of panic I didn’t even know existed. While the moments of being on stage in front of all of you have been some of the most exhilarating and calming, this year I have been struggling.

If I was to really think about it, my anxiety has dictated quite a lot of my life and career, and I feel sad about that. But it has also made me who I am, and sometimes at my most terrified, when I feel there is no escape from the sheer panic and dread in my heart and brain, I remind myself that I can feel. I feel so much and that is how I have got to this place in my life.

I want to tell you this on the last day of this year because so many of you have been asking how I’m doing and often do not get a reply. It’s because I’ve been too scared to admit that the answer is, not very good. I feel something is broken inside — something that has been echoed deeply by the few I have opened up to. This is something so many people have gone through, you may be going through right now, or might go through in the future — and I just wanted to say, and I have to remind myself all the time, that it’s not just you, it’s not just me. Crippled by anxiety.

I know so many of you reading this feel this same pain and at the same time so many of you won’t have experienced it, but will most likely know someone who has struggled.

For those that are in this right now, we’re together and we can get through this — most importantly, by talking. Talking and opening up is the hardest, and the best thing you can do.

Life is a precious thing and seeing Arthur grow every day gives me so much hope. I have so much love and energy for anyone going through this. Let’s get through this together. 2022 is going to be a bright year. Positive energy. Together. Signing off (for a bit) and sending so much love, as ever, to you all xx

She followed up her initial post today with another thank you: “Just a quick note to say, thank you so much to those who reached out (you know who you are!) for all the lovely comments, and the brave stories you have shared with me,” she wrote. “I feel supported and loved, and most of all, not alone! It means a great deal. Hugs.”

On Jan. 2, Marjorie Taylor Greene accomplished in a year what it took former president Donald Trump over a decade to do: She got permanently banned from Twitter. The reason? Too much posting of COVID misinformation. The social media service gave her five chances, and she blew through them all. (Mind you, she still has her House account.) The controversial Georgia representative was predictably not happy, and she passed along a statement in which she, among other things, quoted A Few Good Men for some reason.

https://twitter.com/DcWalaDesi/status/1477662859463217152/photo/1

In the post, Greene made “what-about”-ist comparisons to Maxine Waters, Ilhan Omar, and Kamala Harris, who she accused of promoting violence and bailing out “Black Lives Matter terrorists.” She then made some veiled threats to the social media service itself.

“Twitter is an enemy to America and can’t handle the truth,” Greene wrote. “That’s fine, I’ll show America we don’t need them and it’s time to defeat our enemies. They can’t successfully complete a Communist revolution when people tell the truth,” she said about her lies.

“Social media platforms can’t stop the truth from being spread far and wide,” she added. “Big Tech can’t stop the truth. Communist Democrats can’t stop the truth. I stand with the truth and the people. We will overcome!”

Greene wasn’t the only person outraged by her suspension. As per Raw Story, Lauren Boebert, fellow far right superstar and Twitter weirdo, was hopping mad, too. “Twitter permanently suspended a sitting US President. They’ve now permanently suspended a sitting member of US Congress. Of course, both from the same party,” she wrote. “They forget that in 2022 we are taking back the House and we WILL be holding them accountable!”

What did she mean exactly? If Republicans fail to take back the House in the fall, we never have to find out.

(Via Raw Story)

Miley Cyrus hosted a New Year’s Eve special this weekend for NBC, an event that was full of plenty of memorable moments — like a major wardrobe malfunction. Co-hosted with Pete Davidson, the special wasn’t the only NYE party in Miami this weekend — Kanye and Future also put together a private show at the last-minute. (Though Kanye’s ex-wife, Kim Kardashian, has recently been linked up with Pete, she didn’t show up for either party.) Billie Joe Armstrong was slated to appear on Miley’s show, but had to pull out last minute due to Covid-19 exposure.

One of the best parts of Miley’s show, though, was when she debuted a brand new song called “You.” It fits somewhere between her beachy, loved up songs like “Malibu” and “Younger Now,” and the new, rock-focused material she’s released in the Plastic Hearts era. And though fans have already been begging Miley to release the track, apparently, it’s so new that she hasn’t even recorded it yet. Responding to a fan requesting the song be released right now Miley let them know it’s not quite ready for release at the moment: “@mileynation13 this song is so new I haven’t even recorded it yet just wanted to do something special for YOU all!”

Debuting a brand new song is definitely a great way to bring in the new year. Check out the live performance of “You” above, and get ready for new music from Miley, hopefully coming very soon.

Last fall, Janet Jackson shared a first look at her upcoming documentary, titled simply Janet. The film, which the singer made in collaboration with A&E and Lifetime, will be directed by Ben Hirsh and executive produced by Janet herself, as well as her brother Randy Jackson. Months after teasing the film, the legendary singer has revealed that Janet will be released in two parts, with the first premiering on January 28. In addition to sharing the release date, a new trailer for Janet was also shared.

The three-minute trailer gives viewers an “intimate, honest, and unfiltered look” at Janet’s life and career. “It’s something needs to be done,” Janet said about the documentary. The preview also reveals the cast of artists that give interviews for the film, including Missy Elliott, Janelle Monae (who inducted Janet into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame), Whoopi Goldberg, Samuel L. Jackson, Mariah Carey, Teyana Taylor, Tyler Perry, and many more. Q-Tip, who said he was “flabbergasted” by Janet’s decision to open up to the world about her life, will also make an appearance.

The documentary also arrives on the 40th anniversary of Janet’s 1982 self-titled debut album.

You can view the trailer for the upcoming documentary in the video above.

For Harry Potter heads, the new year kicked off in high fashion, with a splashy new reunion, not unlike the one for Friends, dropped onto HBO Max. It had, well, not everybody. Stars Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint were there, as were a couple handful of guests. One notable absence was the person who created the franchise: J.K. Rowling, who’s been all but shunned since 2019, when she started making anti-trans comments. Of course, the special couldn’t completely ignore her, but they did their best to keep her to a minimum.

As per The Daily Beast, the reunion — entitled Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts, commemorating not the books but the start of the film franchise — only featured Rowling a few times, all of it consigned to archival footage. What’s more, a disclaimer appeared the handful of times she appeared, noting that her interviews were filmed back in 2019, before she began speaking out against transgender people.

There’s a chance Rowling could have appeared. In a piece by The Los Angeles Times, an HBO spokesperson revealed that they approached the author about participating, but they did not say whether she refused or if her interviews had been ditched.

Since Rowling’s comments first surfaced, all three Harry Potter film stars have distanced themselves from her. Rowling has continued her trans tirade, posting about the subject as recently as Wednesday.

(Via The Daily Beast)

Gunna has spent the last few months promoting his next album, which he previously revealed is titled Drip Season 4. The musician started promoting it back in August with the single “9 Times Outta 10,” featuring producer Taurus. A month later, he returned “Too Easy,” featuring Future and which was later remixed by Roddy Ricch. Both songs left fan to wonder when the full album would arrive. Finally, on New Year’s Day, he gave an answer.

Gunna shared a post of what appears to be a clip from a music video for an upcoming song, which is reportedly titled “Pushin P” and which features contributions from Young Thug and Future. In the caption, Gunna wrote, “DS4 1-7-22 #HNY,” confirming that the album will arrive in less than a week on January 7.

Drip Season 4 will be Gunna’s first album since 2020’s Wunna, which became a fan favorite by the end of the year. It’s also the first installment in the series, which Gunna began back in 2015, since 2018’s Drip Season 3.

You can view the announcement and the song preview in the post above.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Drip Season 4 is out 1/7 via YSL Records/300 Entertainment.

It’s been almost a year since the Jan. 6 riot, when violent Trump supporters, whipped up by the outgoing president and his lies about a stolen election, stormed the Capitol building, hoping to overturn a free and fair election. One of their targets was Mike Pence, whom some of them wanted to hang. Did almost getting murdered cause the former vice president to turn on Trump, even as he’s continued to defend their actions? Absolutely not. But his continued, baffling downplaying of that fateful day has not gone unnoticed by those who helped save his life.

As per Insider, Pence went on the Christian Broadcasting Network, where he yet again tried to write off the day he was nearly killed as just like any other, all while slamming Democrats.

“I’m not going to allow the Democrats or the national media to use one tragic day in January to demean the intentions of 74 million people who stood with us in our cause,” Pence told the network. “And I’m not going to allow the Democrats to use one tragic day in January to distract attention from their failed agenda and the failed policies of the Biden administration. We’re going to focus on the future.”

Pence’s comments didn’t sit well with Capitol Police Sergeant Aquilino Gonell, one of many officers who fought back against violent Trump supporters that day. He suffered both physical injuries and emotional trauma; on top of going to therapy, he’s unable to raise his left arm. So when he spoke with NPR, Gonell did not go lightly on Pence’s comments

“That one day in January almost cost my life,” Gonell said. “And we did everything possible to prevent him from being hanged and killed in front of his daughter and his wife. And now he’s telling us that that one day in January doesn’t mean anything. It’s pathetic. It’s a disgrace.”

He added, “He swore an oath to the country, not to Donald Trump.”

Gonell also came for the Republican lawmakers who, after the siege, went ahead and voted against certifying the 2020 election, effectively condoning the actions of the deadly mob.

“We risked our lives to give them enough time to get to safety. And allegedly, some of them were in communication with some of the rioters and with some of the coordinators or in the know of what would happen,” Gonell said. “And it makes you question their motives and their loyalty for the country, as we were battling the mob in a brutal battle where I could have lost my life and my dear fellow officers, as well.”

Gonell added: “They’re telling us, ‘Oh, it wasn’t that bad.’ It was that bad when they were running for their lives. It was that bad when we were struggling to hold them off so they could have a chance to escape to safety.”

Gonell was one of the Capitol officers who testified before the House back in July, describing the scene as a “medieval battleground” and telling lawmakers, “To be honest, I did not recognize my fellow citizens that day, or the United States they claimed to represent.”

Trump, meanwhile, still claims that his speech that day, which ended with supporters attacking police officers, was “extremely calming.” But at least Pence’s former staff are more horrified by what happened than he is.

(Via Insider)

While much of the world spent their New Year’s Eve with family and friends watching the countdown to 2022, Kodak Black spent part of the holiday behind bars. According to TMZ, the rapper was in Florida’s Greenacres neighborhood to celebrate the new year with friends and help pay off credit card debt for five families who lived in the area. Police then arrived to arrest him on trespassing charges connected to a four-month-old cease-and-desist letter. His lawyer, Bradford Cohen, told TMZ that the letter was issued by the local Housing Authority in September after Black was caught riding around in Pompano Beach.

Cohen added that the September arrest was unwarranted. He also claims Black was never officially served the cease-and-desist letter because he was never given it directly. Furthermore, Cohen says the letter included very few details, none of which said that the rapper was not allowed to be in the Greenacres neighborhood. Broward Sheriff’s Office says Black was booked early in the morning and released on a $25 bond a couple of hours later.

The rapper is currently out on a supervised release following his exit from prison last year. It remains to be seen if the arrest will be marked as a violation of his supervised release.

Kodak Black is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Jeff Bezos is the richest person on the planet, according to Forbes, and not without hard work: He goes out of his way to crush unions and he overworks his employees so much they have to urinate in bottles. (Maybe that’s why he wasn’t the billionaire named Time’s Person of the Year.) On New Year’s Eve, while so many were hunkering down due to the Omicron variant, the Amazon founder was living the high life. And the only thing everyday people could do was make fun of his look.

Bezos posted a picture of him and his main squeeze, Lauren Sanchez, enjoying a roofdeck end-of-2021 celebration. She was dressed relatively normally, in a black crop top and leather pants. He, however, was not. He had tight white chinos, an orange patterned ‘70s shirt, and — why not? — sunglasses in the shape of hearts.

The entrepreneur, who stepped down as CEO of the company he founded and, like most billionaires, has grown even more unimaginably wealthy during the pandemic, was doing what he always does: enjoying himself while the world he could easily save suffered. And so a helpless people did the only thing they can do: They made fun of him.

If it makes you feel better, there’s one thing that makes Bezos — who has so little idea what to do with his money that he keeps going to space for fun — feel bad: His girlfriend clearly would rather be shtupping Leonardo DiCaprio, who just starred in a movie that also makes fun of him.