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On March 16, 2024, Upworthy shared the story of a Redditor named Fancy-Anywhere-4733 (FA for short) who had an incredible dilemma: How do you respond to your family 37 years after they threw you out of the house as a 16-year-old for a bogus reason?

Now, he has shared his response, which is full of honesty, strength and grace.

First, here is some background (you can read the whole story here).

FA’s mother died when he was 12 years old and 2 years later, his father married a woman named Ashley with two kids, Mark (14) and Emily (12). “I got along with Ashley and Emily really well, but Mark, not so much so,” FA recalls. The following year, this rivalry came to a head when both boys fell for the same girl, Lisa, that FA began to date, much to Mark’s annoyance.

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To get FA back for dating his crush, Mark planted some of Emily’s panties in his dresser drawer for his stepmother to find on laundry day.

“I had no answer as I’d never seen [the underwear] before,” FA wrote. “Of course, no one believed me. No matter how much protesting I did.” Mark added to the lies by saying that FA often stared at Emily and once said he wanted to marry her.

FA’s father threw him out of the house for being a “perv” and he was forced to live on the streets, doing whatever he could to get by. After decades of hard work he created a new life. He had a good job, was married with 4 kids and had finally found real happiness.

Recently, at the age of 53, his stepsister, Emily, whom he hadn’t spoken to in years, emailed him. Emily revealed that Mark got drunk and admitted that he set FA up and the news has been like a “bombshell” was dropped on the family.

“After sharing this revelation with Mom and Dad. Dad started crying, like really crying,” Emily wrote in the email. “I’ve never seen him cry before. I believe it because he has been carrying around a lot of guilt all these years. Obviously, now knowing the truth, he is now having to deal with the consqueses of his actions. However, after several hours of talking, we all came to the conclusion that we needed to find you and make amends. I have spent hours trying to locate you, in the hopes that I could reach out and extend a heartfelt apology for the years of misunderstanding and mistreatment and hurt.”

Receiving the email was an incredible shock, and FA wasn’t sure whether he would respond at all. “I’m, however indifferent to the idea,” FA admitted. “Like, I have no ill feelings towards [Emily]. She obviously was young and had no real say in the matter. But with lots and lots of therapy, I learned to let go of that hate and anger and to let go of them. As well with all the love I receive from my wife, kids and in-laws, it’s all I really need.”

FA received countless comments from people who suggested some ways to respond to the to the email. Two days later, he shared his response to Emily in a new post:

Dear Emily,

I appreciate you taking the time to reach out to me, but I must be honest with you. The years of pain and hurt caused by the lies and manipulation by Mark and the betrayal by Dad have left deep scars that will never be truly healed. While I understand that you are now aware of the truth and are genuinely sorry for what has transpired, I find it difficult to simply forgive and forget.

The betrayal and abandonment I experienced at the hands of my own family have left me with a sense of distrust and resentment that can never be overcome. The damage that has been done has impacted me in ways that you may never ever fully and truly understand, and the idea of trying to reconcile now feels like an insurmountable task.

I have spent years in therapy trying to come to terms with the pain and deep trauma I endured, and I have worked hard to build a wonderful life for myself that does not rely on the presence or approval of those who turned their backs on me.

While I am grateful for the apology and the newfound awareness of the truth, I do not feel compelled to rekindle a relationship that was built on lies, deception and betrayal. Especially after all these years.

I have found peace and closure in distancing myself from those who caused me harm, and I do not see the need to reopen old wounds in the name of reconciliation. While I believe in the power of forgiveness, that isn’t something I can give.

I wish you all the best in your life, I really do, but I must prioritize my emotional health and self-preservation above all else. I hope you can respect my decision and understand that the wounds of the past will take a lifetime to heal. I would appreciate if you pass this fact on to the others and please don’t reach out again. I must look to my future and not my past.

Sincerely, [FA]

“This is a good response. You are letting them know that the door is closed, and you didn’t give them any information on whether you have a family,” Primierofilho wrote in the comments. “That’s (one of) my favorite parts of [FA’s] beautifully eloquent reply. By denying his ex-family any information of how he is doing, they don’t get to know which way to turn their feelings,” Darkstormchaser added.

One of the most powerful parts of FA’s letter is the clear reason why he will never be able to forgive them. Even though he believes in forgiveness, doing so would unravel a lot of the work he’s done to heal after the incredible, nearly insurmountable pain they have caused him.

Forgiveness was simply a bridge too far and FA should be proud that he drew up clear boundaries with his family. There was no reason why he should trade an ounce of his peace of mind in exchange for giving solace to those who abandoned him as a teen.

Believe nothing you hear, half of what you see, and only a crumb of what’s on Google. Well, unless it relates to celebrity net worth.

On March 15, during Cardi B’s appearance on 360 With Speedy, the “Enough (Miami)” rapper shed light on her massive wealth. With several business ventures, endorsements, and more, Cardi must be rolling in the dough.

Like most of us, host Speedy Morman could not help but ask Cardi to verify the search engine results. Continue below for Cardi’s official response.

What Is Cardi B’s Net Worth?

When Morman asked if the $80 million price tag on Google was indeed true, Cardi seemed to confirm that it was certainly close to it.

“I made a lot of money,” she said. “I feel like I actually passed almost doing $80 million. I make a lot of money. I make a lot, a lot, a lot, a lot, a lot, a lot, a lot of money.”

Cardi went on to say that even though she’s rolling in the dough, she also has quite a few bills.

“But also, I got a lot, a lot of bills,” she said. “I’m taking care of [family]. I’m helping a lot — I’m not going to say I take care, I’m helping a lot, and I help a lot of my friends and I help a lot of my family and everything.”

Watch the full interview here.

Cardi B is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Sasheer Zamata has never seemed more radically free and confidently at ease than in her latest comedy special, The First Woman — an hour-long, joke-per-minute feminist history lesson that quietly became one of 2023’s best stand-up offerings when it dropped late last year. Soaking up the spotlight in a stylish tangerine jumpsuit, surrounded by jungle plants, and miming how one empties their silicon menstrual cup, Zamata manages to make her brand of social commentary sincerely funny — a rare feat given the current stand-up special churn, but one that shouldn’t come as a surprise for anyone who’s been paying attention to her upward trajectory.

In the seven years since departing Saturday Night Live, the comedian has bounced from actress to writer to podcast host, starring in indie films and network comedies, and headlining her own show with friend and fellow funnywoman, Nicole Byer. She’s graduated from supporting player to singular talent, ditching the formulaic constraints of sketch comedy to broaden her hysterically funny horizons. And The First Woman, her second stand-up venture, filmed in D.C., is the culmination of that years-long odyssey. Filled with deeply intimate musings on racial inequality in our nation’s healthcare system, bizarre anecdotes about public masturbation, and a surprising amount of fact-checking punchlines on everything from witches to Amelia Earhart, Zamata’s set is bold and unapologetic, brimming with what she labels “female energy,” and born from a COVID lockdown that sparked growth and an abundance of material.

UPROXX chatted with Zamata about the feminist themes of The First Woman and the strange kismet of her casting in Marvel’s Agatha.

What’s the catalyst for doing another stand-up special? What has to happen to convince you that now is the right time?

I wanted to release new material. The last special I put out was in 2017, and a lot has happened with the world, with me. I feel like I’ve grown so much since then and this material and this performance reflects that. It’s very woman-heavy. I’m talking about women’s health and our bodies and history, and it just feels very rich with female energy.

This special dives into a bunch of zeitgeisty topics – women’s health, the erasure of Black women, and reproductive issues. Do you ever look at the social climate and think, ‘This could be a good time to put out these jokes.’?

I don’t think I really write material like, ‘Oh, this is a hot topic, I’ve got to jump on while the goings hot.’ But unfortunately, women’s health has been, is, and continues to be an issue concurrently, for all time. So it’s timely now. It’ll probably be timely next year. It has been timely for the last decades of our lives. I think if you just do work that feels very personal to you, it will feel timely because other people can find something to relate to within it. And yeah, we are in a moment where people are talking a lot about women’s rights health-wise. I actually shot this special in D.C. Something about it felt really refreshing and cathartic — to scream about my pussy in D.C.

At one point in the special, you quiz the audience on which household items they’ve sexually experimented with. That feels like a risky move. Why do it?

It’s genuinely fun. I can’t remember when I started doing that on stage. I am sharing the first time I masturbated with a household object — it was the handle of a lint roller. I’ve talked to other people who are like, ‘Oh yes, I use a filter of a fish tank. I use a hairbrush. I use whatever.’ And I’m like, ‘Other people have wild stories too. I want to know.’ So I just kind of opened it up to the audience and I was like, ‘Please give me your stories. This is a safe space.’ And the more I did it, the wilder the answers got. I think it’s beautiful because then people start feeling comfortable talking about that stuff.

We’ve been repressed to feel like that kind of sexuality or exploration is reserved for men or straight men. They’re encouraged to masturbate or be sexual beings at a young age because of the media that we’re given. But women, we kind of have to button up and not even address our own body parts or our own desires because it’s icky or it’s gross or it’s weird. So I wanted to create an opportunity for people to loudly admit something they may have never told anyone. It’s a wonderful moment because I feel it brings the audience together. Like, ‘Hey, I’m not the only one. We’ve all done stuff like this.’

Has anyone ever shouted out an answer that surprised you?

Someone said a Spirograph pen during the special, and I’ve never heard that one before. It vibrates, so I was like, ‘She’s innovative. I appreciate that.’

Are there topics in this special you worried might not land? Maybe they’d be too political or divisive?

Yeah, I do talk about pussies and our reproductive organs a lot, and I think there have been times where I’m like, ‘Am I talking about it too much? Are people going to be like, ‘Oh my God, get out of here. Can we move on to a different body part or a different thing? Anything?’.’ But I think once I did it a bunch on stage, I realized that I was getting a response from women, just people in general, who were craving this, who were craving someone talking about this stuff out loud and acknowledging it because we don’t in our culture. So I think I was like, ‘I want to dig deeper into this stuff, but I don’t know if people are willing to go there with me.’ Then I would do it more and be like, ‘Oh, they are ready.’

I think I also attract a crowd that’s way more open to that kind of stuff than I think other comedy crowds. I feel like my crowds are just down to be radical.

There’s plenty of witch lore in this special. Was that a result of working on Agatha?

I actually finished the special before I got cast on Agatha, so it was kind of magical kismet. When they hired me, I emailed the director and I was like, ‘Did you know you actually hired a witch?’ They saw me perform and do some of these jokes and they were like, ‘Oh, wow. We didn’t even realize how good of a fit this was.’ But yeah, it is nice that I get to be in witchy things — that aligns with the work that I was already doing in my stand-up. It just feels very much like this is the right time.

Did you suggest they include the history of the broomstick in the show?

Yeah, [Kathryn Hahn] was down and the creator of the show was like, ‘We have thought about using the history of broomsticks and how women have masturbated with broomsticks, and that’s kind of the imagery of a woman riding a broom, but it’s still a Disney show. It’s still on Disney+.’

As a woman in this comedy game, how have you grown and how do you feel about your place within this world now?

I feel like I’m in a good spot where I get asked to do things that feel like they align with my own values. I play a lot of characters that are hippie-dippy or social justice warriors or just things that feel good to me, and that’s how I like to present my voice in the world. I feel like my standup represents who I am as a person, and I love that people can also see that and put me in roles that align with that. So yeah, I feel very fortunate that my career has turned out to be one that feels right to me.

You can watch ‘The First Woman’ streaming now on YouTube

“We come to this place….for magic.”

Those are the first words of the National Anthem, also known by some as Nicole Kidman’s AMC Theaters monologue, that captivated the nation ever since its debut in September 2021. While some A-list actors hate being a part of the joke, Kidman has been outwardly embracing her role of Movie Theater Ambassador/Bedazzled Paint Suit Enthusiast for those iconic AMC ads. And she has no plans of stopping.

“My dream will be to be onstage doing it with a drag queen,” Kidman told ELLE in a new interview.“I’ve got to be able to do that at some point.” Of course, it’s already been done, so all she has to do is show up.

Of the ad, Kidman wasn’t surprised with its initial reaction. She said she filmed the initial ad over just one weekend, and soon enough the ad was spoofed on SNL, went viral on TikTok, and even got Jigsaw involved. “If that’s what it takes, I’ll do whatever it takes,” she said referring to the virality of the ad.

Kidman also teased that this won’t be the last you see of her in those plush reclining chairs. “We have to have some more ideas for the next one,” she added. It seems like this AMC gig might go down in history as one of Kidman’s best roles, aside from her short gig as Tom Cruise’s wife. That was super convincing. But after all….heartbreak feels good in a place like this.

(Via ELLE)

Pulp surprised their North American fans this week by announcing that they will be bringing their reunion tour here this fall — marking their first shows on the continent in twelve years. They will be performing in five cities: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, and Toronto.

Pre-sale passes for those who signed up went on sale today, giving a better idea of what the general public can expect when the official sale opens on Friday, March 22.

Here’s what fans who are looking to attend should know about ticket prices.

How Much Are Tickets For Pulp’s North American Tour In 2024?

Using Pulp’s Chicago show as a starting example, the passes are only General Admission and are all-in pricing, meaning no hidden fees. According to Ticketmaster, this show started at $94 for tickets — but appears to be sold out for now.

For those who want to attend in New York, the prices might be a little different. The tickets for this show’s pre-sale also are sold out, but fans on Reddit have claimed that theirs were around $131.

Using the thread, Reddit users also claimed that Chicago tickets were even lower at $69.50. San Francisco ranged from $59.50 to $99.50. Los Angeles ranged from $79.50 to $99.50. Finally, Toronto ranged between CA $99.00 to CA $135.00.

Additional information about Pulp’s North American tour can be found on the band’s website.

Now that Lollapalooza has announced is 2024 lineup, fans might be wondering how much tickets for the festival will be.

The tickets, which will go on sale on Thursday, March 21 at noon, start at $385 for general admission. $715 will get you GA+, which includes access to two lounges with private bathrooms. VIP tickets start at $1565 and include golf cart transportation and exclusive viewing areas at the stages. A Platinum pass comes with complimentary food and drink and other perks for $4500. A password-protected presale for tickets is on March 21 from 10 am CT to noon; you can sign up for access by joining Lollapalooza’s email list or signing up for text updates.

Lollapalooza will return to Grant Park in Chicago, Illinois on August 1 through 4 with headlining performances by SZA, Tyler The Creator, Blink-182, The Killers, Future & Metro Boomin, Hozier, Stray Kids, Melanie Martinez, and Skrillex. Uproxx cover stars Tate McRae and Conan Gray, d4vd, Labrinth, Faye Webster, Killer Mike, Reneé Rapp, and more will also perform. See below for a full list of Lollapalooza performers. You can purchase tickets and fiind more information on the festival’s website.

Lollapalooza 2024 Lineup

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

The 2024 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament will get started on Wednesday and Thursday night with First Four action, while the First Round will begin on Friday and continue through Saturday.

This year’s edition of the Women’s Tournament features an incredibly deep field of contenders. The top seeds are the undefeated South Carolina Gamecocks, Caitlin Clark’s Iowa Hawkeyes, Juju Watkins’ USC Trojans, and Madison Booker’s Texas Longhons. The path for those top seeds will be difficult as there’s talent throughout the field, with Iowa having last year’s champions, the LSU Tigers, in a 3-seed in their region. While there are plenty of great matchups to look forward to on the second weekend, the first two rounds figure to see some surprises and upsets, as the tone gets set for the rest of March Madness.

Here is the full TV schedule for the First Four and First Round on the ESPN family of networks.

FIRST FOUR

Wednesday, March 20

7:00 p.m. ET (ESPNU): 16. Sacred Heart vs. 16. Presbyterian (Courtney Lyle and Carolyn Peck)
9:00 p.m. ET (ESPNU): 12. Vanderbilt vs. 12. Columbia (Jay Alter and Kelly Gramlich)

Thursday, March 21

7:00 p.m. ET (ESPN2): 11. Auburn vs. 11. Arizona (Pam Ward and Christy Winters-Scott)
9:00 p.m. ET (ESPN2): 16. Holy Cross vs. 16. UT Martin (Beth Mowins, Stephanie White, and Holly Rowe)

FIRST ROUND

Friday, March 22

11:30 a.m. ET (ESPN2): 8. North Carolina vs. 9. Michigan State (Courtney Lyle and Carolyn Peck)
12:00 p.m. ET (ESPN): 2. Ohio State vs. 15. Maine (Matt Schumacker and Meghan McKeown)
1:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2): 6. Louisville vs. 11. Middle Tennessee (Dave O’Brien and Christy Thomaskutty)
2:00 p.m. ET (ESPN): 1. South Carolina vs. 16. Sacred Heart/Presbyterian (Courtney Lyle and Carolyn Peck)
2:30 p.m. ET (ESPNews): 7. Duke vs. 10. Richmond (Matt Schumacker and Meghan McKeown)
3:00 p.m. ET (ESPNU): 1. Texas vs. 16. Drexel (Tiffany Greene and Jimmy Dykes)
3:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2): 4. Virginia Tech vs. 13. Marshall (Jay Alter and Kelly Gramlich)
4:00 p.m. ET (ESPN): 3. LSU vs. 14. Rice (Dave O’Brien and Christy Thomaskutty)
4:30 p.m. ET (ESPNews): 4. Kansas State vs. 13. Portland (Brenda VanLengen and Holly Warlick)
5:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2): 8. Alabama vs. 9. Florida State (Tiffany Greene and Jimmy Dykes)
6:00 p.m. ET (ESPNU): 5. Baylor vs. 12. Vanderbilt/Columbia (Jay Alter and Kelly Gramlich)
7:00 p.m. ET (ESPNews): 5. Colorado vs. 12. Drake (Brenda VanLengen and Holly Warlick)
7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2): 7. Iowa State vs. 10. Maryland (Roy Philpott and Brooke Weisbrod)
8:00 p.m. ET (ESPNU): 3. Oregon State vs. 14. Eastern Washington (Jason Ross Jr. and Aja Ellison)
10:00 p.m. ET (ESPN2): 2. Stanford vs. 15. Norfolk State (Roy Philpott and Brooke Weisbrod)
10:30 p.m. ET (ESPNU): 6. Nebraska vs. 11. Texas A&M (Jason Ross Jr. and Aja Ellison)

Saturday, March 23

12:00 p.m. ET (ESPN): 6. Tennessee vs. 11. Green Bay (Eric Frede and Steffi Sorensen)
1:00 p.m. ET (ABC): 3. UConn vs. 14. Jackson State (Pam Ward and Christy Winters-Scott)
1:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2): 4. Indiana vs. 13. Fairfield (Angel Gray and Andrew Lloyd)
2:00 p.m. ET (ESPNews): 8. Kansas vs. 9. Michigan (Elise Woodward and Mary Murphy)
2:15 p.m. ET (ESPN): 2. Notre Dame vs. 15. Kent State (Sam Gore and Tamika Catchings)
2:30 p.m. ET (ESPNU): 3. NC State vs. 14. Chattanooga (Eric Frede and Steffi Sorensen)
3:00 p.m. ET (ABC): 1. Iowa vs. 16. Holy Cross/UT Martin (Beth Mowins, Stephanie White, and Holly Rowe)
3:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2): 6. Syracuse vs. 11. Auburn/Arizona (Pam Ward and Christy Winters-Scott)
4:00 p.m. ET (ESPNews): 5. Oklahoma vs. 12. FGCU (Angel Gray and Andrew Lloyd)
4:30 p.m. ET (ESPN): 1. USC vs. 16. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (Elise Woodward and Mary Murphy)
4:45 p.m. ET (ESPNU): 7. Ole Miss vs. 10. Marquette (Sam Gore and Tamika Catchings)
5:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2): 8. West Virginia vs. 9. Princeton (Beth Mowins, Stephanie White, and Holly Rowe)
7:00 p.m. ET (ESPNews): 7. Creighton vs. 10. UNLV (Kevin Fitzgerald and Kim Adams)
7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2): 4. Gonzaga vs. 13. UC Irvine (Ann Schatz and Mike Thibault)
9:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2): 2. UCLA vs. 15. Cal Baptist (Kevin Fitzgerald and Kim Adams)
10:00 p.m. ET (ESPNU): 5. Utah vs. 12. South Dakota State (Ann Schatz and Mike Thibault)

The 2024 Lollapalooza lineup has been revealed, and the world is better for it. As usual, Chicago’s Grant Park will serve as the home for the multiday annual event. Between August 1 and 4, the festival features headlining performances by SZA, Tyler The Creator, Blink-182, The Killers, Future & Metro Boomin, Hozier, Stray Kids, Melanie Martinez, and Skrillex.

But those aren’t the only notable names on the lineup. Uproxx cover stars Tate McRae and Conan Gray, d4vd, Labrinth, Faye Webster, Killer Mike, Reneé Rapp, and more will perform across the weekend.

Lollapalooza’s massive list of featured acts only means one thing: tickets will go fast. So, continue below for ticket information to ensure you can confirm your entry.

When Do Lollapalooza 2024 Tickets Go On Sale?

According to the festival’s announcement post, the earlier you secure your tickets, the better. The official pre-sale is scheduled for Thursday, March 21, from 10 a.m. to noon central time. As organizers stated, the general sale will kick off after noon, pushing the ticket price up.

However, it is important to note that it is password-protected. To retrieve the code, you must sign up for Lollapalooza’s email newsletter or SMS opt-in on its website. Find more information here.

Lollapalooza 2024 Lineup

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

A Star Wars show from the creator of Russian Doll, what a concept!

Disney+ has released the first trailer for The Acolyte. Created by Leslye Headland (Russian Doll, underrated romantic-comedy Sleeping with Other People), the series follows “an investigation into a shocking crime spree [that] pits a respected Jedi Master against a dangerous warrior from his past. As more clues emerge, they travel down a dark path where sinister forces reveal all is not what it seems.” You can watch the trailer above.

The cast includes Amandla Stenberg, Lee Jung-jae, Manny Jacinto (Jason from The Good Place!), Dafne Keen, Charlie Barnett, Jodie Turner-Smith, Rebecca Henderson, Dean-Charles Chapman, Joonas Suotamo, and Carrie-Anne Moss.

The Acolyte is set roughly a century before the events of the earliest Star Wars movie, The Phantom Menace, which “stands out because it is the earliest in the Star Wars timeline that we have ever been in live-action,” Headland told the Dagobah Dispatch podcast. “We are toward the end of the High Republic, leading into George’s prequels, so we are looking at a time period where the Jedi are at the height of their power.” I bet everything’s going to work out just fine for ol’ Ki-Adi-Mundi (whoops).

The Acolyte premieres on Disney Plus on June 4.

2024: a big year for Anya Taylor-Joy and sand. Following her surprise appearance in Dune: Part Two, the actress plays young Furiosa in director George Miller’s Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, a prequel to the masterpiece that is Mad Max: Fury Road. “As a child, my world was forever changed,” she says in the action-packed trailer above. “My mother was magnificent. Then he took it all from me.”

“He” is Warlord Dementus, played by Chris Hemsworth with some truly stunning facial hair (and a teddy bear around his neck). The trailer ends with a showdown between Furiosa and Dementus. Whoever wins, we, uh, also win.

Taylor-Joy replaced Charlize Theron as Furiosa, but there’s no animosity between the two actresses. “She’s been so classy and kind in letting me go and do it,” The Menu star said. “But I feel very lucky that, from the second I read the script, I just knew this person. I felt so fiercely protective over Furiosa, and fiercely protective of her interests

Here’s the official plot synopsis:

As the world fell, young Furiosa is snatched from the Green Place of Many Mothers and falls into the hands of a great Biker Horde led by the Warlord Dementus. Sweeping through the Wasteland, they come across the Citadel presided over by The Immortan Joe. While the two Tyrants war for dominance, Furiosa must survive many trials as she puts together the means to find her way home.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga opens on May 24.