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The Store Clerk Who Was Allegedly Defrauded By ‘Professional Liar’ George Santos Is Speaking Out: ‘How Is It Possible For A Criminal, An Embezzler, To Be Elected As A Congressman?

People have a lot of questions about incoming Republican congressman George Santos: Where was he born? Where did he go to school? What’s his professional background? Has he always been a serial liar? What does “Jew-ish” mean? What kind of monster lies about their mother dying on 9/11?

But really, the only question that matters is the one that Bruno Simões — the former shop clerk who Santos defrauded nearly 15 years ago — asked when speaking with CNN on Wednesday: “How is it possible for a criminal, an embezzler, to be elected as a congressman?” (Someone should tell Simões about Donald Trump!)

Earlier this week, authorities in Brazil announced that they would be reviving a long-dormant embezzlement case against Santos for buying some snazzy new duds with a stolen checkbook when he was 19. Documents obtained by CNN confirmed reports that, in 2010, Santos admitted to stealing the checkbook in a statement given to police. But Santos never showed up for his literal day in court. In 2013, after years of being unable to locate his whereabouts, the investigation was suspended. Then came 2022… and a long-wanted criminal suspect showed up in New York, running for congress!

As Simões explained to CNN, he remembers his interaction with Santos very clearly — because he was suspicious of the teenager shopper, who did his best to charm the then-clerk. Simões even attempted to verify the checks. When it was eventually determined that they were fraudulent, the then-clerk’s boss forced him to pay the damages, which equaled what would take him four months to make. “Simões paid in installments before the shop owner waived the remaining amount,” according to CNN.

Still, Simões felt victimized by the crime, telling CNN:

I was very frustrated. Being deceived is a terrible feeling. Unlike being mugged by someone with a gun who robs you, you might get angry, but being deceived, being fooled, someone acting in bad faith to steal from you, to me, it’s an even worse feeling.

Unfortunately, I’ve been robbed in Brazil when I was younger, by someone armed… and I can guarantee you that I felt more frustrated in George’s case, who abused my good faith.

“Even though he confessed to his crime, he never looked me up to pay his debt,” Simões added, noting he doesn’t expect that he’ll ever see that money back from Santos. But you can imagine his shock when he learned that someone so devious had actually been voted into a position of power in U.S. government.

Simões says he wanted to make his voice heard as a victim of Santos because, “it looks like he hasn’t learned and is still investing in this career of fraud, faking information, and lying.”

Simões only learned of Santos’ appointment to the House of Representatives when a local reporter in Brazil contacted him to comment. “Honestly, it was a mix of shock and a comical scene,” he said of his reaction to the news. “It was surreal to me to see the image of him in a suit. I saw his photo and I remembered very clearly the photos I had seen of him when he was 19 years old. I said, ‘How is it possible for a criminal, an embezzler, to be elected as a congressman?’ To me that was unbelievable.”

(Via CNN)

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Idles Let Loose When Performing ‘The Wheel’ On ‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon’

Idles refuses to leave Crawler in 2021. The UK five-piece band carried it through 2022 by performing at Coachella and pulling off a world tour. Crawler earned two nominations at the upcoming 2023 Grammys — Best Rock Album and Best Rock Performance for “Crawl”– and by late December, Idles shared the 11-minute Making Of Crawler.

To kick off 2023, Idles brought Crawler track “The Wheel” to a stacked Wednesday (January 4) episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon that also featured Black Panther star Winston Duke, Oscar-nominated director Darren Aronofsky, and breakthrough Wednesday actress Emma Myers.

Vocalist Joe Talbot swung his microphone and played off of the unrelenting instrumentation. Under strobe lights, he sang, “Can I get a hallelujah? / I hear it from the back now.” The song is about being caught in a cycle, but at no point did this performance feel redundant.

Upon sharing Making Of Crawler on December 21, Talbot stated, “We want people who’ve gone through trauma, heartbreak, and loss to feel like they’re not alone. This album shows the ugly side of where those things come from, but also how it is possible to reclaim joy from those experiences.”

Watch Idles on The Tonight Show above, and check out Making Of Crawler below.

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Ayo Edebiri Felt As Stressed By Certain ‘The Bear’ Episodes As FX Show’s Audience Did

The Bear audience already wants to know when Season 2 is coming to FX, but in the meantime, the show’s stars are representing as awards season begins to unfold. Ahead of next week’s Golden Globes ceremony, the series has been nominated for Best Television Series, Musical or Comedy, and Jeremy Allen White scored a lead acting nod as well. His right hand gal (and fellow fan-thirst provoker), Ayo Edebiri, appeared on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert (via IndieWire), where the host didn’t hide his feelings about not being able to handle the show’s final episodes without a break.

Colbert was referring to Episode 7, “The Review,” which began on a celebratory note with a critical rave for The Original Beef Of Chicagoland. In response, the joint’s order volume rapidly increased (and couldn’t be stopped, for reasons), and the yelling began and tensions went sky high. Elan-Moss Bachrach’s Richie gets stabbed, Edebiri’s Sydney quits, and that’s not all. As White previously explained to IndieWire, the episode received a rewrite to be shot in one take, which likely made the shooting experience more stressful, and that translated to the audience.

After the 3:00 minute mark above, Colbert admitted to Edebiri that he actually didn’t watch the season finale yet, since he was so overwhelmed by Episode 7. She admitted that, having lived through this, she also hasn’t fully absorbed the final product: “I didn’t watch all the episodes, I think some were kind of-hard to watch.” This tracks, but for anyone who’s on the fence about finishing, I will add that matters do improve. A lot.

Previously, Edebiri commented on the whole stabbing thing, which was actually funny, as TV Guide declared, because Richie didn’t seem too shocked, which is both amazing and revealing. In response, Edebiri noted, “[T]here’s so much going on it’s not even the biggest thing. Also, this probably isn’t the first time that he’s been stabbed. He probably deserved it.”

Here’s to hoping that Richie manages to be slightly less of a menace in Season 2, but then again, what fun would that be?

(Via IndieWire & TV Guide)

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Who Is Opening Sam Smith’s ‘Gloria’ Tour?

Sam Smith has finally announced their upcoming Gloria tour, and one special guest will join the UK singer for all their tour dates except one. Smith has tasked 31-year-old Canadian singer Jessie Reyez to be the opener for their 27-city tour, which is set to kick off in July 2023. The tour will make pitstops in New York, California, Toronto, and more.

Reyez was recently featured on Smith’s forthcoming album, Gloria, on two tracks, one titled “Perfect” and another named “Gimme,” the latter featuring reggae artist Koffee.

Tickets for Gloria: The Tour will be available for American Express card members before the general public, beginning January 9 at 9 a.m. through January 12 at 10 p.m. There will also be an exclusive 24-hour ticket pre-sale for fans that will kick off on January 11 at 9 a.m. before they go on sale to the general public on January 13 at 9 a.m.

You can find more information about purchasing tickets here.

Check out the tour dates below.

07/25/2023 — Miami, FL @ FTX Arena
07/26/2023 — Orlando, FL @ Amway Center
07/28/2023 — Duluth, GA @ Gas South Arena
07/29/2023 — Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena
08/01/2023 — Raleigh, NC @ PNC Arena
08/02/2023 — Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center
08/04/2023 — Washington, DC @ Capital One Arena
08/05/2023 — Boston, MA @ TD Garden
08/08/2023 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
08/11/2023 — Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena
08/12/2023 — Montréal, QC @ Bell Centre
08/15/2023 — Chicago, IL @ United Center
08/16/2023 — Saint Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center
08/18/2023 — Denver, CO @ Ball Arena
08/19/2023 — Salt Lake City, UT @ Vivint Smart Home Arena
08/22/2023 — Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena
08/23/2023 — Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena
08/25/2023 — Portland, OR @ Veterans Memorial Coliseum
08/27/2023 — Oakland, CA @ Oakland Arena
08/28/2023 — San Francisco, CA @ Chase Center
08/31/2023 — Inglewood, CA @ Kia Forum
09/03/2023 — Phoenix, AZ @ Footprint Center
09/05/2023 — Austin, TX @ Moody Center
09/07/2023 — Fort Worth, TX @ Dickies Arena
09/08/2023 — Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
09/12/2023 — Monterrey, MX @ Arena Monterrey
09/14/2023 — Cuidad de Mexico, MX @ Palacio de los Deportes

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SF9’s Dawon Helped Save Someone In Cardiac Arrest By Administering First Aid

It’s always amazing to see idols do good and help others outside of things they’re already good at.

Just four days ahead of their comeback for their twelfth EP, FNC Entertainment released a statement in regards to SF9 member Dawon’s absence from the group’s fan event held today (January 5). The statement revealed the group’s vocalist assisted in administering first aid to an individual experiencing cardiac arrest at a sauna he frequents earlier in the day. Dawon did his best to follow the instructions given by the paramedics via phone before they arrived at the scene.

Because of the events earlier in the day, it was best decided by management for the SF9 member to not participate in any of the events scheduled for the rest of the day. Fans are encouraged to stay updated via Wonderwall, the group’s official message board, for any updates.

No further details or information have been provided in regards to Dawon’s participation in the group’s comeback.

SF9 is set to release their twelfth EP, The Piece Of 9, on January 9.

Check out the full translated statement from FNC Entertainment, via Soompi, below.

“Hello, this is FNC Entertainment.

We are announcing that SF9 member Dawon will not participate in the season’s greeting fan event scheduled for today (January 5).

Today, while bathing at the sauna he regularly uses, Dawon witnessed a patient in cardiac arrest. Following the instructions of paramedics over the phone, he did his best to administer emergency first aid, and the patient was handed over to paramedics once they arrived at the scene. After discussions with the artist, we have decided [for Dawon] to cancel today’s scheduled activity and rest.

With regards to Dawon’s fan event that was unable to proceed today, we will make another announcement later through Wonderwall. We ask for the understanding of fans who likely feel disappointed at the sudden news of his absence and we will do our best so the artist can recover stability as soon as possible.

Once again, we thank fans for their deep understanding.”

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Will Frank Ocean Headline Coachella 2023?

It has been a while since music fans last saw Frank Ocean on a festival stage. In fact, the disappointment in not seeing him as the surprise headliner for Camp Flog Gnaw in 2019 prompted some fans to boo Drake when he popped out to perform his biggest hits (at Tyler The Creator’s request, no less). Ocean, who was supposed to headline Coachella last year until it was rescheduled, is notoriously cagey about… well, everything, and hasn’t been active on social media in years.

However, Coachella co-founder Paul Tollett told Los Angeles Times in 2021 that the wait for Frank to headline the festival might soon be over. While admitting that the 2022 return festival (Coachella was canceled in 2020 due to COVID-19) dates precluded Ocean’s performance, he predicted that Frank would be the headliner for 2023. While this year’s lineup has yet to be announced, the dates for the event — April 14-16 and 21-23 — were announced last summer ahead of the advance ticket sales. It’s expected that the lineup will be announced sometime this month, as the 2022 lineup was announced in mid-January, so staying tuned will be crucial to finding out if Frank will follow through on Tollett’s pronouncement.

Of course, if Frank is headlining Coachella this year, that begs another question: Will he also release a new album this year to go along with the performance? He cleared all his Instagram posts last September, which has traditionally been an indicator of big-name artists entering new “eras” but with Frank, who loves to move in mystery, all bets are best left off the table until he shows his hand.

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Will Frank Ocean Headline Coachella 2023?

It has been a while since music fans last saw Frank Ocean on a festival stage. In fact, the disappointment in not seeing him as the surprise headliner for Camp Flog Gnaw in 2019 prompted some fans to boo Drake when he popped out to perform his biggest hits (at Tyler The Creator’s request, no less). Ocean, who was supposed to headline Coachella last year until it was rescheduled, is notoriously cagey about… well, everything, and hasn’t been active on social media in years.

However, Coachella co-founder Paul Tollett told Los Angeles Times in 2021 that the wait for Frank to headline the festival might soon be over. While admitting that the 2022 return festival (Coachella was canceled in 2020 due to COVID-19) dates precluded Ocean’s performance, he predicted that Frank would be the headliner for 2023. While this year’s lineup has yet to be announced, the dates for the event — April 14-16 and 21-23 — were announced last summer ahead of the advance ticket sales. It’s expected that the lineup will be announced sometime this month, as the 2022 lineup was announced in mid-January, so staying tuned will be crucial to finding out if Frank will follow through on Tollett’s pronouncement.

Of course, if Frank is headlining Coachella this year, that begs another question: Will he also release a new album this year to go along with the performance? He cleared all his Instagram posts last September, which has traditionally been an indicator of big-name artists entering new “eras” but with Frank, who loves to move in mystery, all bets are best left off the table until he shows his hand.

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Sam Smith Will Bring ‘Gloria’ To North American Arenas For Their Summer 2023 Tour

After nearly five years, Sam Smith is ready to go back on tour in 2023 with their upcoming Gloria tour. The UK singer will kick off their 27-city tour in July 2023 at the FTX Arena in Miami. They are also expected to make pit stops at Madison Square Garden in New York City, the Kia Forum in Inglewood, and Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.

Jessie Reyez, who is featured on Smith’s album Glory on two tracks, one titled “Perfect” and another one named “Gimme” featuring reggae artist Koffee, will be joining the “Unholy” singer for their upcoming tour.

Tickets for Gloria: The Tour will be available to American Express card members before the general public, beginning January 9 at 9 a.m. through January 12 at 10 p.m. There will also be a chance for fans to snag some tickets during an exclusive 24-hour ticket pre-sale for fans that will kick off on January 11 at 9 a.m. before they go on sale to the general public on January 13 at 9 a.m.

You can find more information about purchasing tickets here.

Check out the tour dates below.

07/25/2023 — Miami, FL @ FTX Arena
07/26/2023 — Orlando, FL @ Amway Center
07/28/2023 — Duluth, GA @ Gas South Arena
07/29/2023 — Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena
08/01/2023 — Raleigh, NC @ PNC Arena
08/02/2023 — Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center
08/04/2023 — Washington, DC @ Capital One Arena
08/05/2023 — Boston, MA @ TD Garden
08/08/2023 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
08/11/2023 — Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena
08/12/2023 — Montréal, QC @ Bell Centre
08/15/2023 — Chicago, IL @ United Center
08/16/2023 — Saint Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center
08/18/2023 — Denver, CO @ Ball Arena
08/19/2023 — Salt Lake City, UT @ Vivint Smart Home Arena
08/22/2023 — Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena
08/23/2023 — Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena
08/25/2023 — Portland, OR @ Veterans Memorial Coliseum
08/27/2023 — Oakland, CA @ Oakland Arena
08/28/2023 — San Francisco, CA @ Chase Center
08/31/2023 — Inglewood, CA @ Kia Forum
09/03/2023 — Phoenix, AZ @ Footprint Center
09/05/2023 — Austin, TX @ Moody Center
09/07/2023 — Fort Worth, TX @ Dickies Arena
09/08/2023 — Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
09/12/2023 — Monterrey, MX @ Arena Monterrey
09/14/2023 — Cuidad de Mexico, MX @ Palacio de los Deportes

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Prince Harry Instantly Regretted Watching Meghan Markle’s Sex Scenes On ‘Suits’

Before she spit in the face of every British person’s grandmother (or so I read in the comments of the Daily Mail), Meghan Markle was an actress who starred on USA Network’s Suits for seven years. It was a fun, frothy, enjoyably repetitive show for everyone but Prince Harry, Markle’s husband.

In his memoir, Spare, the Duke of Sussex writes that he made “the mistake of Googling and watching some of her love scenes online” when he began dating Markle. “I’d witnessed her and a castmate mauling each other in some sort of office or conference room. I didn’t need to see such things live.”

When the Harry & Meghan stars began dating two years prior to their nuptials, Prince William and Kate Middleton allegedly had a surprising reaction to the news. The Prince of Wales, 40, allegedly told his younger brother to “f*ck off,” Harry writes in Spare. “I was baffled, until Willy and Kate explained that they were regular — nay, religious — viewers of Suits,” he recalls, joking that he was worried “about the wrong thing” and was not expecting them to “barrage” him with questions.

Harry fell in love with Meghan after seeing her use a Snapchat dog filter, then used the queen’s wifi to Google “meghan markle sex scenes.” The royals, they’re just like us (?!).

(Via Page Six)

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North West And Kim Kardashian Danced To Kanye Archenemy Taylor Swift’s Biggest Hit On The TikTok He Hates Them Having

Kanye West is gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate this. Nearly a year ago, Ye proclaimed that Kim Kardashian, his ex-wife, and North West, their nine-year-old daughter, have a joint TikTok account “against my will.” Kardashian more recently opened up about the presumably impossible task of co-parenting with Ye, calling it “really f*cking hard,” so she deserves to dance on TikTok with her daughter.

But it’s not just that Kardashian and North posted another harmless TikTok for their 12.1 million followers. This time, they’re dancing to “Shake It Off” by noted Ye nemesis Taylor Swift, from the infamous 2009 VMAs interruption to the leaked call about Ye’s “Famous” that played some role in fueling Swift’s 2017 Reputation era.

In the 55-second video, Kardashian and North perform a choreographed dance and lip-sync of “Shake It Off,” wearing matching white outfits in an all-white room.

Last month, a five-year lawsuit against Swift over “Shake It Off” was dismissed after an agreement was reached between Swift and the songwriters alleging copyright infringement (as reported by Billboard). Swifties immediately started speculating over whether that was the final roadblock Swift needed to clear before re-recording 1989, the 2014 album that marked her official transformation into full-blown pop star.

Since the release of Swift’s record-breaking October album Midnights, however, all signs point toward Speak Now as the next album to get the “Taylor’s Version” treatment.