Month: June 2024

Celine Dion revealed she had taken nearly fatal doses of Valium in order to ease the pain of Stiff Person Syndrome symptoms. Dion first revealed her diagnosis back in 2022, however, she had begin experiencing symptoms years prior. In an interview with Hoda Kotb, which aired on NBC tonight (June 11), and will be available to stream on Peacock tomorrow, Dion revealed she had begun taking small doses of Valium to deal with the symptoms — which included muscle spasms and seizures. Over time, she gradually increased the doses, as her body was becoming accustomed to the dosing.

“Ninety milligrams of Valium can kill you,” she said. “You can stop breathing. “And at one point, the thing is that my body got used to it at 20 and 30 and 40 [milligrams], until it went up. And I needed that. It was relaxing my whole body.”

She cut back on the medicine on the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, as musical performances were on hold. However, once she ceased to use of Valium, her symptoms worsened.

Dion’s condition halted plans for a comeback. But she has vowed that she will make a return to the stage, no matter what it takes.

“I’m going to go back onstage,” said Dion. “Even if I have to crawl, even if I have to talk with my hands. I will.”

Fans will get an intimate look at Dion in her upcoming documentary I Am: Celine Dion, which is set to stream on Prime Video beginning June 25.

The Los Angeles Lakers still do not have a basketball coach to replace Darvin Ham. For weeks, it looked like ESPN analyst JJ Redick was the overwhelming favorite to get the job, but over the last few days, UConn coach Dan Hurley emerged as the frontrunner, only to turn down a contract offer from the team.

Redick and Hurley’s candidacies were directly tied to reporting by Shams Charania of The Athletic and Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, respectively. Charania frequently was the most prominent national reporter saying Redick was in pole position, while Wojnarowski reported the news of Hurley’s interest in the job. The two have a long relationship — a piece in New York magazine from last year likened it to a “cold war” — and on Tuesday, Charania seemed to relish the opportunity to get one over on his old mentor.

“Then they, last week, on Wednesday, turned their attention, I’m told, to Dan Hurley,” Charania said on FanDuel TV. “And, he was not the No. 1 candidate, the No. 1 guy to go pursue from the start, from the beginning.”

This goes against some of Wojnarowski’s reporting, as he said in his original piece that “Hurley has been at the forefront of the Lakers’ search from the beginning of the process, even while the organization has done its due diligence interviewing several other candidates.” It’s worth mentioning that both Charania and Wojnarowski are in agreement that Hurley was not the only person the Lakers interviewed, and a month ago, Wojnarowski did report that the team was interested in Redick as part of its “wide-ranging and lengthy search.”

But that wasn’t Charania’s only reference to Hurley’s candidacy that came off like he was swiping at Wojnarowski. Charania appeared on Pat McAfee’s show — which, of course, is broadcast on ESPN — and straight up seemed to express some skepticism about the whole Hurley situation.

“If the Lakers wanna go hire James Borrego, they’ve had a month to hire James Borrego,” Charania said. “They’ve had this week, after losing out on Dan Hurley, I guess, they’ve had this time to go get James Borrego.”

McAfee and his crew sure were interested in Charania sliding that “I guess” in there, and I’m going to assume they weren’t the only people who were.

Getting hit by a baseball stinks. It’s not always intentional when a pitcher sends an offering to home plate but loses control and accidentally plunks an opposing batter, but when it does happen, you can always tell it doesn’t feel especially good. Intent is usually not an important part of the equation, because when you get hit by a projectile that is launched 60 feet and six inches away from you, it hurts like hell.

Blake Dunn of the Cincinnati Reds was our latest example of this on Tuesday night. While standing in the batter’s box as the tying run against indomitable Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase, Dunn got hit in the head by a 101 mile per hour pitch. It did not look like it felt good in the slightest, and yet by some miracle, Dunn looked like it didn’t bug him all the match, so he made his way down to first.

Dunn did not have to leave the game after this, which is nuts, because if I got hit in the head by a pitch that was 40 miles per hour slower, I’d probably not get out of bed for a few days. Anyway, Clase was able to get TJ Friedl out with the very next pitch, and the Guardians picked up a 5-3 win over their in-state opponent.

Wu-Tang ain’t nothing to f*ck with. And Martin Shkreli learned exactly what this means. Today (June 11), New York Post reported that art collective PleasrDAO is suing Shkreli after the notorious Pharmabro allegedly made copies of Wu-Tang Clan‘s Once Upon A Time in Shaolin album.

PleasrDAO claimed that they paid $4.75 million for a one-of-a-kind album by hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan, however, that Shkreli made copies and shared the music to the public violates the terms of the purchase.

Shkreli purchased Once Upon A Time In Shaolin back in 2015 for $2 million, however, was later forced to give up the album to partially satisfy a $7.4 million forfeiture order after he was convicted of defrauding hedge fund investors and scheming to defraud investors in a drugmaker back in 2017. Shkreli was sentenced to seven years in prison, but was released early, and currently remains on supervised release.

According to the report, Shkreli held a “Wu tang official listening party” via online livestream this past Sunday (June 8). PleasrDAO claims that livestreaming the album “greatly diminishes and/or destroys the album’s value” and violates the forfeiture order. The collective is asking that Shkreli destroy his copies of Once Upon A Time In Shaolin, turn over profits from disseminating the music, and pay compensatory and punitive damages.

Once Upon A Time In Shaolin was pressed in 2015, and only one physical copy of the album was made. The album cannot legally be sold commercially or uploaded to digital streaming services until 2103, per an agreement with the purchaser, however, the album can be played at listening parties.

A series of listening parties for Once Upon A Time In Shaolin will take place in Hobart, Australia at the Museum Of Old And New Art from June 15–24.

Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd ruffled some feathers in the lead-up to Game 2 of the NBA Finals when he said Jaylen Brown is the best player on the Boston Celtics. Over the years, there has been plenty of discourse around the hierarchy in Boston, so there were plenty of people who believed that Kidd was trying to stir up some feelings of discontent between Brown and Jayson Tatum — both players addressed Kidd’s comment and made clear they did not care.

Well, as it turns out, Kidd really does not want you to think there was anything Machiavellian going on. Kidd went onto SiriusXM NBA Radio and addressed his comments, and claimed he was simply going off of what he saw after Game 1.

“My comment about Jaylen Brown is from watching tape and watching Game 1,” Kidd said. “I thought, again, he was the best player — also, a Cal alum, so we have ties. And so, I said that. Everybody thought it was mental warfare. That’s not mental warfare, that was just my opinion. But if it was to be true, then dang, I didn’t mean to cause such a stir.”

Boston went on to win Game 2, 105-98, to take a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals on the Mavericks. As such, I think if Kidd is lying here and he was going for mental warfare, well, it didn’t work all that well.

Billy Ray Cyrus has filed for divorce from singer Firerose, TMZ reports. According to documents obtained by the publication, the two officially separated on May 22, nearly a month ago. Cyrus reportedly a cited irreconcilable differences as well as “inappropriate marital conduct” as reasons for their divorce.

According to the report, Cyrus is also seeking annulment, claiming the marriage was obtained by fraud. This marks the end of Cyrus’ third marriage. The “Achy Breaky Heart” singer was married to Cindy Smith from 1986 until 1991 when they divorced. He later married Tish Cyrus, to whom he remained married for 3 decades and shared three kids — Miley, Noah, and Braison. The two divorced in April 2022.

Per the reported terms, Cyrus will pay Firerose $5,000 per month for her to find suitable housing in Tennessee for a period of 90 days, or until the divorce is finalized.

The news arrives seven months after Cyrus and Firerose tied the knot. Cyrus’ marriage to Firerose reportedly has caused tension between him and daughter, Miley, due to the nature of Cyrus’ and Firerose’s relationship. The two evidently met on the set of Miley and Billy Ray’s hit sitcom, Hannah Montana over a decade ago.

At the time of writing, neither Cyrus nor Firerose have commented directly on the matter. However, it appears the two have unfollowed each other on Instagram.

Oh, what it must be like to be a cat. To never suffer from imposter syndrome, to take on foes at least twice your size without hesitation, to navigate the world like you’re on every VIP list in existence. What a glorious life, indeed.

Take this concert-crashing kitty, for example. During a live orchestra performance at the 52nd annual Istanbul Music Festival, a curious feline wandered up on stage without a care in the world—and of course it was all anybody could talk about.

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In a clip shared to multiple social media platforms by several news outlets, including @abcnews on TikTok, we see the gray and white cat traipse onto the stage, as if drawn in by the whimsical tune being played.

Then, it literally catwalks across the stage, unbothered from beginning to end.

Watch:

@abcnews A curious cat wandered onto stage during a live orchestra performance at the 52nd Istanbul Music Festival. #turkey🇹🇷 #orchestra #catsoftiktok ♬ original sound – ABC News

Of course, as many viewers pointed out, this is an all-too-common sight in Istanbul, which, like many Muslim countries, holds a special place in its heart for felines. According to Catster, cats don’t have owners. Instead, they are taken care of by the entire community all around the city—from tea houses to ferries to public transport and beyond.

Istanbul even funds veterinary care for its stray cats, including spaying and neutering, emergency care, and a mobile Vetbus. It’s pretty much Kitty Heaven over there.

Besides commending Istanbul for its feline-friendly atmosphere, people also shared their delight for the cat who “stole the show.”

“He KNEW this was about him. HIS moment! Lol,” one person wrote.

Another added, “that’s his background music, and he’s off on a big adventure.”

Another tapped into the cat’s POV, writing, “how lovely, the humans are playing me a song.”

Some even offered their best cats puns.

“I think it was trying to find the ‘purr-cussion’ section,”one person quipped.

Another said, “That is an ARISTOCAT.”

Istanbul might go above and beyond for its cats, but the respect we have for feline audacity is strong just about everywhere in the world.

June is LGBTQ Pride Month, a time for celebration for those in the community and their allies. People celebrate the occasion with pride parades, fly the pride flag, and commemorate special events in the gay rights movement, such as the Stonewall Uprising. But so far this month, for comedian Tig Notaro, things have been “a little weird.”

She explained the funny situation she and her wife, actor Stephanie Allynne, recently dealt with on the June 6 episode of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.”

“Pride month, I’ll be honest, it’s been a little weird. My wife and I found out recently that our sons didn’t know we were gay. They will be 8 this month,” Notaro told Colbert. “Their school is six minutes away from our house, and at minute three we were in the front seat of the car talking about something about gay. Our son Finn leans forward and says, ‘You’re gay?’”

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“I was so stunned because we’ve lived together almost eight years, and I’ve been gay the whole time — even prior!” Notaro joked. “So, I was like, ‘Yes! We are.’ I was so shocked.”

@colbertlateshow

#TigNotaro’s sons didn’t realize their moms were gay, but they jumped on board quickly! #Colbert

The couple felt they had to address the big revelation before the kids got to school, but they didn’t have much time. “We’re like three minutes now from the school, and I start explaining what gay is,” she continued. As she explained what it meant to be gay, she felt a little awkward coming out to her sons.

“And then while I was explaining it, I started getting insecure, thinking, ‘What if he doesn’t like this?’” she worried. “So, she asked her sons to share their feelings on the sensitive issue. “What do you think about what I just told you?” Notaro asked them.

Her son Finn gave the most beautiful response.

“Oh, I love my family,” he said.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Stephanie Allynne (@stephanieallynne)

The couple were shocked that their kids had no idea what gay meant, even though their mothers were lesbians. “We drop them off at school and we’re like, ‘bye!’ and we truly drove off going like half-a-mile-an-hour, like ‘How on earth do our kids not know we’re gay?’ Because, dare I say, we’re also an iconic gay couple,” Notaro joked.

Allynne and Notaro have been married for over eight and a half years, tying the knot on October 24, 2015, in Notaro’s hometown of Pass Christian, Mississippi. It wasn’t long after that they became parents. On June 26, 2016, their sons, Max and Finn, were born by surrogate.

When the couple first met, it was challenging for Allyne, who wasn’t sure how to label her sexuality. “Everything about her felt right,” she told People. “I knew I liked her, I knew I cared about her and that sent me into an identity crisis spiral. I felt the need to label myself. Was I gay? Was I bi? Was I still straight? Was I ever straight?”

“It took me six months to realize those labels were ridiculous. Once I was able to own my true feelings it was all easy and beautiful. I now don’t believe in the labels,” she continued.

Now, things have come full circle and the couple are explaining to their kids what it means to be gay. “I realized that even though there’s pictures of our wedding day and they know they have two moms, that doesn’t mean they know what gay is,” Notaro told Colbert.

Let’s face it, it’s a lot easier to be a man than a woman. Although men die four years earlier than women, they get to live without the extra burdens of menstrual cramps, lower pay, the pain of childbirth, or the feeling of having a bra strap digging into their backs.

But now, the CEO of a bra company is letting men experience what it’s like to have large breasts so they can understand what women go through every day.

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One day a year, PrimaDonna CEO Ignace Van Doorselaere makes his male employees wear simulated E-cup-sized breasts for an entire work day. “There is only one way for a man to realize what an E-cup feels like, and that is having an E-cup,” Van Doorselaere says.

In order to simulate the feeling of carrying around E-cup-sized breasts, the men wear weights hung around their necks. “Let’s be honest, an E-Cup can weigh up to 1 or 1.5 kilograms (2.2 to 3.5 lbs) per breast,” Van Doorselaere says. “This is a lot. It hurts your neck. It hurts your back. Imagine you are that woman. Carry those breasts for an entire day. That’s why you need good support. Good support is important. Everybody at PrimaDonna knows that now.”

This article originally appeared on 10.30.17

Have you seen anyone with a semicolon tattoo like the one above?

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…everywhere.

That’s right: the semicolon. It’s a tattoo that has gained popularity in recent years, but unlike other random or mystifying trends, this one has a serious meaning behind it. (And no, it’s not just the mark of a really committed grammar nerd.)

The semicolon tattoo represents mental health struggles and the importance of suicide prevention.

Project Semicolon was born from a social media movement in 2013.

They describe themselves as a “movement dedicated to presenting hope and love to those who are struggling with depression, suicide, addiction, and self-injury. Project Semicolon exists to encourage, love, and inspire.”

But why a semicolon?

“A semicolon is used when an author could’ve chosen to end their sentence, but chose not to. The author is you and the sentence is your life.”

Originally created as a day where people were encouraged to draw a semicolon on their bodies and photograph it, it quickly grew into something greater and more permanent. Today, people all over the world are tattooing the mark as a reminder of their struggle, victory, and survival.

I spoke with Jenn Brown and Jeremy Jaramillo of The Semicolon Tattoo Project, an organization inspired by the semicolon movement. Along with some friends, Jenn and Jeremy saw an opportunity to both help the community and reduce the stigma around mental illness.

In 2012, over 43 million Americans dealt with a mental illness. Mental illness is not uncommon, yet there is a stigma around it that prevents a lot of people from talking about it — and that’s a barrier to getting help.

More conversations that lead to less stigma? Yes please.

“[The tattoo] is a conversation starter,” explains Jenn. “People ask what it is and we get to tell them the purpose.”

“I think if you see someone’s tattoo that you’re interested in, that’s fair game to start a conversation with someone you don’t know,” adds Jeremy. “It provides a great opportunity to talk. Tattoos are interesting — marks we put on our bodies that are important to us.”

In 2014, The Semicolon Tattoo Project held an event at several tattoo shops where people could get a semicolon tattoo for a flat rate. “That money was a fundraiser for our crisis center,” said Jenn. In total, over 400 people received semicolon tattoos in one day. Even better, what began as a local event has spread far and wide, and people all over the world are getting semicolon tattoos.

And it’s not just about the conversation — it’s about providing tangible support and help too.

Jenn and Jeremy work with the Agora Crisis Center. Founded in 1970, it’s one of the oldest crisis centers in the country. Through The Semicolon Tattoo Project, they’ve been able to connect even more people with the help they need during times of crisis. (If you need someone to talk to, scroll to the end of the article for the center’s contact information.)

So next time you see this small punctuation tattoo, remember the words of Upworthy writer Parker Molloy:

“I recently decided to get a semicolon tattoo. Not because it’s trendy (though, it certainly seems to be at the moment), but because it’s a reminder of the things I’ve overcome in my life. I’ve dealt with anxiety, depression, and gender dysphoria for the better part of my life, and at times, that led me down a path that included self-harm and suicide attempts.

But here I am, years later, finally fitting the pieces of my life together in a way I never thought they could before. The semicolon (and the message that goes along with it) is a reminder that I’ve faced dark times, but I’m still here.”

No matter how we get there, the end result is so important: help and support for more people to also be able to say ” I’m still here.”

If you want to see more incredible semicolon tattoos, check out nine photos and stories that our readers shared with us!

This article was written by Laura Willard and originally appeared on 7.7.15