Month: August 2023

Millie Bobby Brown is forever grateful for Stranger Things. It’s the show that made her an international star, a mogul, and a beneficiary of the Bon Jovi fortune. She’s also “ready” for it to be over.

“I think I’m ready. It’s been such a huge factor in part of my life, but it’s like graduating high school, it’s like senior year,” Bobby Brown told Women’s Wear Daily. “You’re ready to go and blossom and flourish and you’re grateful for the time you’ve had, but it’s time to create your own message and live your own life.” She’s most excited about never having to float in a giant tub again.

Speaking of living her own life, Bobby Brown, who is engaged to Jon Bon Jovi’s son Jake Bongiovi, also discussed how wedding preparations are going. “There are only so many moments in life that you get only once. And to have everyone’s opinions and eyes looking at that just feels unnatural to me,” she said. “So I feel it’s important to keep those things, those small precious moments in life, really close to your chest. I can say that the planning is going — it’s so fun and it’s such an exciting time in my life.”

What’s going to happen first: the Stranger Things season five premiere or the MBB/Bongiovi wedding? At this point, who knows. Maybe the events can combine, and the wedding can be held during Halloween Horror Nights.

(Via Women’s Wear Daily)

With under a month until its September 8 release date, we are starting to get more information about NBA 2K24. While we have the covers and the first batch of player ratings for top stars, Tuesday brought a new gameplay trailer that shows off this year’s new feature — ProPlay — in which they pulled full move sets and mannerisms for players off of NBA game film.

The trailer highlights a lengthy dribble sequence from Kevin Durant in a side-by-side showing how the game mimics his dribble moves and body movements nearly identically to the clip from the game, allowing for what they believe will be the most realistic gameplay they’ve delivered yet in NBA 2K. The trailer also has some fun with this year’s offseason moves, as it features Jordan Poole calling for an iso against former teammate Draymond Green (who famously punched him in the face) and then burying a three on the wing over Green.

Fans of the game will undoubtedly be excited watching the trailer, but as is always the question for 2K, will the promises of the curated trailer gameplay matchup with the reality of hours of actual gameplay for those that buy the game. That’s not always the case and there will almost assuredly be something that has to get patched up once the game goes live for millions, but it does look very good and the ProPlay providing more unique player movements is certainly intriguing, with the jury still out on how exactly it works in practice.

Former Donald Trump attorney Jenna Ellis found herself hit with RICO charges alongside the former president and 17 others including Rudy Giuliani, Sidney “The Kraken” Powell, and John Eastman.

As part of Trump’s legal “Strike Force” that attempted to overturn the 2020 election, Ellis has been roped into a slew of charges that involve violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, forgery, and various other crimes related to the well-documented efforts to pressure state officials into “finding votes” that would swing Georgia’s results away from Joe Biden.

In response to her indictment, Ellis posted the following on Twitter along with an inspirational quote from your mom’s kitchen: “The Democrats and the Fulton County DA are criminalizing the practice of law. I am resolved to trust the Lord and I will simply continue to honor, praise, and serve Him. I deeply appreciate all of my friends who have reached out offering encouragement and support.”

Ellis being indicted is an interesting wrinkle. Despite being a loyal Trump foot soldier during his election fraud schemes, she has since turned on the former president. Not only has Ellis admitted in a disciplinary hearing in Colorado that she “misrepresented” facts about the 2020 election, but the former Trump attorney is also a staunch supporter of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. RICO cases often involve flipping conspirators to rat out players higher on the food chain, and Ellis seems primed to fill that role.

In the meantime, people on Twitter are having a field day with her trying to inspirational quote her way through the very serious charges in Georgia.

You can see some of the reactions to Ellis below:

(Via Jenna Ellis on Twitter)

You’re mistaken if you thought Shania Twain would take it easy after her Queen Of Me Tour ended. The country-pop music star is returning to Las Vegas for an all-new residency in 2024. Although the “Any Man Of Mine” singer dropped hints on Instagram with a fun video encouraging followers to visit Sin City, Billboard shared the official news of Shain’s forthcoming Come On Over residency.

Beginning in May 2024, Shania’s five-month stint at Planet Hollywood’s Bakkt Theater will kick off. Shows for the residency will be spread across May, August, September, November, and December.

During her chat with the outlet, Shania spoke about her return to the venue where she held her 2022 residency, Let’s Go!, saying, “The Bakkt Theater feels more intimate to me than some other theaters. It’s a real party vibe and inspires me to be close to everybody. This residency is going to be more interactive, with more fan interaction.”

General tickets for the Come On Over residency begin on Monday, August 21, at 10 a.m. PT at Ticketmaster.com. CITI card members can are invited to join the presale starting tomorrow, August 16, at 10 a.m. PT. In contrast, the Live Nation/Caesars Entertainment presale will follow on August 17. Find more information here.

View the full schedule for Shania Twain’s Come On Over residency below.

05/10/2024 — Las Vegas, NV @ Planet Hollywood – Bakkt Theater
05/11/2024 — Las Vegas, NV @ Planet Hollywood – Bakkt Theater
05/15/2024 — Las Vegas, NV @ Planet Hollywood – Bakkt Theater
05/17/2024 — Las Vegas, NV @ Planet Hollywood – Bakkt Theater
05/18/2024 — Las Vegas, NV @ Planet Hollywood – Bakkt Theater
05/23/2024 — Las Vegas, NV @ Planet Hollywood – Bakkt Theater
05/25/2024 — Las Vegas, NV @ Planet Hollywood – Bakkt Theater
05/26/2024 — Las Vegas, NV @ Planet Hollywood – Bakkt Theater
08/23/2024 — Las Vegas, NV @ Planet Hollywood – Bakkt Theater
08/24/2024 — Las Vegas, NV @ Planet Hollywood – Bakkt Theater
08/29/2024 — Las Vegas, NV @ Planet Hollywood – Bakkt Theater
08/31/2024 — Las Vegas, NV @ Planet Hollywood – Bakkt Theater
09/01/2024 — Las Vegas, NV @ Planet Hollywood – Bakkt Theater
09/04/2024 — Las Vegas, NV @ Planet Hollywood – Bakkt Theater
09/06/2024 — Las Vegas, NV @ Planet Hollywood – Bakkt Theater
09/07/2024 — Las Vegas, NV @ Planet Hollywood – Bakkt Theater
11/29/2024 — Las Vegas, NV @ Planet Hollywood – Bakkt Theater
11/30/2024 — Las Vegas, NV @ Planet Hollywood – Bakkt Theater
12/04/2024 — Las Vegas, NV @ Planet Hollywood – Bakkt Theater
12/06/2024 — Las Vegas, NV @ Planet Hollywood – Bakkt Theater
12/07/2024 — Las Vegas, NV @ Planet Hollywood – Bakkt Theater
12/11/2024 — Las Vegas, NV @ Planet Hollywood – Bakkt Theater
12/13/2024 — Las Vegas, NV @ Planet Hollywood – Bakkt Theater
12/14/2024 — Las Vegas, NV @ Planet Hollywood – Bakkt Theater

What’s up, my estival experts, my Aestas admirers, my sommar seekers? If you, like me, are wondering why it feels like summer – already the briefest of seasons – has blown by, I’m sorry to say I don’t have a good explanation. Only that you are not alone in those feelings, and that they probably speak to enjoying the season as best you can. I know it feels like you have to take some far-flung escape to pristine and turquoise waters on a borrowed yacht with 20 of your closest friends just to throw a birthday cake overboard, but you don’t, and even James Harden hasn’t done that again this summer.

So just enjoy the weeks of fun, sun, and balmy weather we’ve got left, break out the summer fit you’ve been waiting for a reason to wear (this is the reason), and enjoy this latest dispatch of your big ballin’ favs experiencing the ephemeral joys of ripping around on a jet ski.

Klay Thompson

The Warriors’ preeminent water baby (Thompson’s an Aquarius – so it also cosmically tracks) went to Greece and ticked off most of the major Hellenic holiday boxes. Bopping around on a boat in a matching leisure set, jumping off some cliffs (the form here, too bad Phidias isn’t still around to make a sculpture about it), eating whole grilled fish, tagging the MLB (again, Phidias is spinning in his grave with this form) and playing pickup in a nondescript gym.

Rating: Not sure what the surgeon general recommends in terms of servings of Vitamin Sea per day, but Klay would tell you whatever it is, you could use more.

Devin Booker

Color me having had my know-it-all vacation prediction ass handed to me, because Devin Booker went ahead and left the rugged backcountry of America to vacation abroad! Did he go to the rugged backcountry of another country? He did. But biking around the Swiss Alps looked as beautiful as it was a comfortable departure for him.

And just in case you thought he was finished, Booker went on to chill at a quaint holiday home in France, before continuing on to London, England, and, I believe, a first time visit to the Tate.

Rating: A dream trip, innit?

Jimmy Butler

Bad news for everyone who does this as a hobby or a beloved pastime, but Jimmy Butler baked some cookies on his offseason recently and now baking is illegal.

Rating: Even the kind you do using boiling water or whatever. Even no-bake bakes. All of it. It had a good run.

Steph Curry

Steph and Ayesha Curry went on vacation to Greece for their anniversary, where Ayesha got fits off and Steph, endearing, had the tag of his swim trunks flipped up more often than not. Anyway, aside from all the chartered boats it looks like a relatable and nice vacation!!

Rating: Sorry, I start to get emotional when it gets to be this point in August.

Jaylen Brown

Brown went to Japan for the first time and enjoyed the hell out of it. He shopped for some pottery, ate really nice looking food, wrote some heartwarming as hell captions about a rice cracker, and went on a shopping spree that yielded a receipt likely as tall as you.

Rating: I have already begun to picture the tunnel looks those two dozen or so shopping bags will yield this season, this counts as meditation.

Buddy Hield

Lots to take in here and in two parts, so let’s get started. First, we have a wonderful photo dump of Buddy Hield home for the summer, the only person who that otherwise banal act counts as a vacation for. Hield pops the cap off a beer with his teeth (who amongst us but also PLEASE stop), holds a little swimming piglet, lines up some mangos, eats some fritters and fish and does what looks like a camp for some kids.

Next, Buddy went to Dubai to rip around on some camels and ATVs in the desert, and pose like Cristo Redeemer on a NOT RUNNING yellow buggy.

Rating: Whether you are barefoot in the Al Faya Desert or just in your own backyard opening bottles with your teeth (I said stop!), take this wise caption from Buddy Hield to heart.

Pascal Siakam

Pascal Siakam, still on vacation. This time, the Raptors star whose name is still hanging around the late summer trade rumor mill made it over to Germany. Pascal took a plane/chopper ride over, maybe, the Black Forest, then returned city-side for some kebabs. Did Dennis Schroder have anything to do with this destination? I mean, probably! At the very least he gave Pascal some reccos.

Rating: Once again, if you are able, when your workplace dangles your name in trade talks and you’re already off and able to – stay on vacation.

Ben Simmons

At the risk of turning this column into a dating app profile, I’m just going to share one photo of Ben Simmons fishing and call it a day. But when I say Ben Simmons has been fishing, believe me, he’s really been fishing.

Rating: I hope his confusion at the shirt is more like regret at not buying it, then not getting it.

Jusuf Nurkic

Nurk alert! Nurkic got married in Dubrovnik at one of the Game of Thrones castles which is, yes, ignorant of me, but helped you place it right away.

He also got together with Pau Gasol at some point before Gasol’s induction into the Hall of Fame, though I wish Pau had worn a bucket hat to that, too.

Rating: Shaping up to be a Bosnian Beast of a summer so far!

Norman Powell

Sometimes there’s a fair amount of research/legwork/informed guesswork on my part that goes into locating the destinations of NBA summer vacations, and sometime Norman Powell just goes ahead and tells you.

Rating: Thank you, Norm, I hope it was a great family trip!

Blake Griffin

To the above point, even with some digging, the nighttime scene, photo angle, and architectural style of that dome makes me think this could be anywhere along the Mediterranean, from Italy to Turkey. But if anyone deserves a little intrigue, it’s Blake Griffin.

Rating: Still, would a daytime shot with a geotag kill you?

Bismack Biyombo

Biz has had a busy summer. He took part in the NBPA’s The Sanctuary program in Andalusia, Spain, then made his way to the DRC to run basketball camps and take a couple day trips – like this one out to the Kahuzi-Biega wildlife park, a UNESCO heritage site, to meet the rangers.

Rating: When you’re this busy they call you Bi– No, I’m not going to do that.

Cam Payne (Josh Okogie)

Cam Payne celebrated his birthday in Paris and also made sure to have the signature dish of Josh Okogie in Paris, which is, inexplicably, spaghetti.

Rating: Sometimes you just gotta go with it, it makes for a better vacation.

Scottie Barnes

Scottie Barnes went to Jamaica for his 22nd birthday and tied a jaunty bandana around his neck to pair with a bucket hair for that perfect “I’m going to wade into the sea for spontaneous photos” look.

Rating: Nailed it.

DeAndre Jordan

Sometimes summer vacation is about trying out new hobbies you didn’t have time to explore during the rest of the year. The only bummer with this is I bet DeAndre Jordan was wearing an incredible hat when he did his guitar lesson.

Rating: Something lost, but something gained.

Tacko Fall

During some downtime during coaching in Johannesburg at a BWB camp, Fall went on safari and seemed to blow a giraffe’s mind at being nearly chest-height to it.

Rating: That beautiful creature is about to faint.

Horse Girl Summer

They say the NBA’s a copycat league and that’s finally come true in the best way possible. Has Nikola Jokic brought the horse lover out of his peers? Or have there always been more horse girls in waiting than we’ve known about, and now they finally have the courage to come forward? Whatever the case, it’s perfect.

Also bonus points for Aaron Gordon traveling to Serbia to support Nikola Jokic and one of his horse’s in a race, which the team won and Jokic let Gordon hoist the trophy for.

Rating: There are colleagues you complain with while walking to get a coffee, and colleagues who make the monumental leap from the office into real life, and showing up at a Serbian racetrack is a good way to achieve the latter.

Bonus: NBA SVW Couples Retreat

The beauty of this photo (slide 7) is that it’s a Hieronymus Bosch for the modern NBA fan. What action is your eye most drawn to? Karl-Anthony Towns’ floating head popping in at the upper margins? Ivica Zubac breaking the 4th wall with a level stare of “you’re-in-on-this-too” and confusion? Patrick Beverley, fleeing? Paul George hiding in plain sight? Patrick Patterson, sort of pouting? Whatever you see is just what you’re meant to.

Have Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard used their $600 worth of pillows and blankets with other couples?

On the latest episode of the Armchair Expert podcast, Bell and Shepard addressed the rumors that they’re part of the swingers community — rumors that Shepard basically started himself. “There was one that said we hosted orgies or swingers parties,” he said. Bell quickly replied that she knows “exactly” how the gossip started. “It’s because you frequently make key party jokes,” The Good Place actress explained. “We’ll have a dinner party or something, and as we’re sitting down, you’ll say, ‘Everybody leave your keys.’”

Shepard conceded that he’s made similar jokes to “many of the guests” who’ve appeared on Armchair Expert in the past. “Some of them, I realize afterwards, ‘Oh, we do not have the same sense of humor,’” he said. “I was like, ‘Hey, if you guys are ever in L.A. and you wanna swing.’”

Bell turned her husband’s jokes about swinging into a commentary about society at large. “A lot of people don’t get jokes,” she said. “That’s actually something I have been thinking about lately, because it’s such a bummer that everything you say has to be taken so literally that there’s no room for fun in expression or language anymore when you’re telling a story, because you better have the facts right. It’s just such a lame way to communicate.”

If this is Bell and Shepard’s sneaky way of trying to star in a Swingers remake, except this time it’s about swingers, not swing dancing, all I can say is: touché.

(Via US Weekly)

Drake and 21 Savage have been entertaining fans across the country with their It’s All A Blur Tour. Throughout the stops along the way, the two rappers have also hosted special celebrity guests, including Bad Bunny and other performers.

At the recent Los Angeles stop, SZA dropped by to watch the show — but she kept her presence undercover in a hilarious disguise. She would later share the photos on social media, as she wore a baseball cap, a hoodie, a pair of glasses, and a fake mustache.

“Lost in the bit or is the bit lost in me,” SZA captioned a selfie of the outfit on her Instagram story.

It’s also no surprise that she decided to catch the show, as she and Drake have been longtime friends. The Canadian rapper was also supposed to appear on SZA’s recent album, although the collab didn’t work out this time.

Back in 2020, Drake also used a 21 Savage song to reveal that he and SZA used to date over a decade earlier.

“In this case a year of poetic rap license mattered lol,” SZA responded at the time. “I think he jus innocently rhymed 08 w wait. Anybody who really knows me and was around during this time can confirm.. it’s all love all peace. I just didn’t want anybody thinking anything underage or creepy was happening. Completely innocent. Lifetimes ago.”

Check out SZA’s disguise at Drake and 21 Savage’s tour above.

Nicki Minaj is no stranger to social media. Whenever she’s not taking a temporary hiatus for personal reasons, the “Barbie World” rapper actively engages with her massive Barb fan base across platforms or claps back at rumors.

As she continues to work hard on the final touches of her forthcoming album, Pink Friday 2, Nicki took a break to let loose on TikTok. During her livestream on Sunday (August 13), she jumped on the viral NPC TikTok trend but had a hilariously hard time keeping up.

In the screen-recorded clip shared by Pop Base, as fans flood her broadcast with different virtual skins and items for her to turn into a sound effect, she couldn’t keep up. Nicki is a lyrical beast on the microphone, but her on-the-spot improvisation in alignment with the fad could use some work.

To explain the movement, the NPC (or “non-playable character”) trend, made popular by viral star PinkyDoll, is a role-play exercise where the broadcast pretends to be an idle background user in a video game controlled by those in the stream. With each gift, item, or skin donated, the streamer must incorporate a fun verbal quip about it once it appears on the screen.

Nicki managed to nail the microphone emoji effect, saying, “You know what I do on the mic. I destroy these h*es.” However, as more items, including an animated breakfast combo and a medieval helmet (great helm), she laughed her way through it as she tried to find the perfect catchphrase.

At one point, she even broke character when fans shared a hearted hand gif with her. “I told y’all about them hands. Don’t get blocked,” yelled Nicki.

Nicki Minaj might not have a future as the next big NPC TikToker, but she still is one of the greatest rappers ever to enter the spotlight.

A new advanced screening of Blue Beetle has sparked another round of social media reactions as critics continue to praise the Latin-based superhero film. Once again, Xolo Maridueńa‘s performance is the highlight as well as the film’s heartfelt message of family.

Directed by Angel Manuel Soto, Blue Beetle focuses on Jaime Reyes, a recent college grad who’s not exactly thrilled with his current job prospects. After stumbling upon a mysterious Scarab, Jamie finds himself infused with alien tech that gives him incredible powers, but also makes him and his family a target for nefarious forces that want the Scarab back.

You can see what the critics are saying below:

“Saw an early screening of #BlueBeetle today,” Noah Villaverde tweeted. “It’s a sweet, self-contained superhero origin story that has even more heart than I expected thanks to the direction of Angel Manuel Soto and a remarkably charismatic turn from Xolo Maridueña.”

“#BlueBeetle is incredible, and the best superhero film in the last few years next to #AcrossTheSpiderverse,” Swara Salih wrote. “Director @angelmanuelsoto and writer Gareth Dunnet Alcocer made something so heartfelt, and hilarious (I laughed so much), with great action scenes and so much commentary.”

“#BlueBeetle brought a huge smile to my face, laughter out of me, & even a tear to my eye,” Zach Pope tweeted. “A gigantic throwback to 2000’s era filmmaking with a beautiful Latin culture mixed all into it. Come for Blue Beetle and be ready to fall in love with Xolo Maridueña & the Reyes family.”

“#BlueBeetle is quite enjoyable!” Sheraz Farooqi wrote. “A focus on family and Latin culture keeps the film grounded in heart. Xolo Maridueña is fantastic throughout. The film can feel like a Power Rangers special at times but the third act is strong. It’s a mix between the first Shazam! and Ms. Marvel.”

You can see more Blue Beetle reactions below:

Blue Beetle hits theaters on August 18.