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Last week actor Danny Masterson was sentenced to 30 years in prison on two counts of rape by force or fear. Afterwards it emerged that some of his fellow That ‘70s Show alumni, including Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher, had written “letters of support” for their former castmate, in which they called him “exceptional” and an “extraordinarily honest and intentional human being.” Many were horrified that they would throw their weight behind someone charged with multiple cases of sexual assault. On Saturday the two went into damage control.

In a video posted on Instagram, Kunis and Kutcher said they were “aware of the pain” the letters had caused people.

“We support victims,” Kunis said. “We have done this historically through our work and will continue to do so in the future.”

“A couple months ago, Danny’s family reached out to us and they asked us to write character letters to represent the person that we knew for 25 years, so that the judge could take that into full consideration, relative to the sentencing,” Kutcher explained.

“The letters were not written to question the legitimacy of the judicial system or the validity of the jury’s ruling,” Kunis continued.

“They were intended for the judge to read and not to undermine the testimony of the victims or re-traumatize them in any way. We would never want to do that, and we are sorry if that has taken place,” Kutcher said.

Kunis concluded by saying, “Our hearts go out to every single person who’s ever been a victim of sexual assault, sexual abuse or rape.”

Their response, however, to some did not mollify the situation. Some criticized what they called the “heavily lawyered language” they deployed.

One of the women Masterson was convicted of raping allegedly called it “insulting and hurtful.”

Others thought it played like a hostage video.

Some argued that the two only apologized because they got caught for something they didn’t know would go public.

Some found it cynical.

And others called them actors.

Christina Ricci seemed to acknowledge the video in an Instagram post, writing, “Unfortunately I’ve known lots of ‘awesome guys’ who were lovely to me but have been proven to be abusers privately. I’ve also had personal experience with this. Believe victims. It’s not easy to come forward. It’s not easy to get a conviction.”

After Masterson’s sentencing, Leah Remini, a former Scientologist (as Masterson is) who’s become a critic of the religion, said she was “relieved” he was “off the streets.”

(Via NBC News)

Prior to a slugfest in the gold medal game that saw Dennis Schröder drop 28 points to lead Germany to an 83-77 win over Serbia for the country’s first World Cup gold, Canada and Team USA met in a highly anticipated showdown for the bronze medal.

The game lost some of its luster (and some of its stars to rest) after both teams lost their semifinals, but it was still a meaningful game for both sides as there was a bronze medal and plenty of pride on the line in a matchup of two teams loaded with NBA stars. For Team USA, Anthony Edwards and Austin Reaves continued to shine with 24 and 23 points respectively, while Mikal Bridges had a nice night with 19 points and nine rebounds, but as has been the case against top teams in this World Cup, they simply didn’t have enough defensive answers for Canada. While they were playing without Jaren Jackson Jr., Team USA allowed Canada to do just about anything they wanted on the offensive end, with the Canadians shooting 51.2 percent from the field and 45.9 percent from three, creating good looks consistently.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had yet another monster game with 31 points, 12 assists, and six rebounds, but his performance came secondary to Dillon Brooks dropping 39 on the Americans, as he delighted in the opportunity to take down Team USA. Brooks caught fire from deep, knocking down 7-of-8 from beyond the arc, and simply bludgeoned the USA defense with a barrage of threes.

Even with Brooks’ outburst, the two teams were unable to separate themselves through four quarters, still being knotted up at 111-111 thanks to some incredible late game heroics from Mikal Bridges.

But as the game went to overtime the Canadian side took control. SGA and RJ Barrett (23 points) were the ones to deliver the biggest buckets of overtime to lead Canada to a 127-118 win, as Gilgeous-Alexander dropped Mikal Bridges with a stepback and Barrett put the dagger in with a three from the top of the key.

For the second straight World Cup, Team USA heads home without a medal to show for their efforts, and while they should have a much better player pool available to choose from for the Olympics next year, they were still a highly talented team this year and showed there’s lots of work to do to get them to become a cohesive unit, particularly defensively. For Canada, its the first World Cup medal for the men’s squad, and earning it with a win over the Americans is particularly sweet. They’ll still feel they left a gold medal opportunity on the table, but will be certainly buoyed by their performance and will have sky high expectations for the Olympics next year.

After defeating Team USA on Friday, there was some wonder as to whether Germany would have any letdown in the gold medal game of the 2023 FIBA World Cup against Serbia. You could tell how much beating the Americans meant in their postgame celebration, but it became apparent early on Sunday that Germany had been able to quickly refocus on the task at hand.

In the first half, the two teams went back and forth in a game that remained level at 47-47 at the break, with both teams following the lead of their top stars as expected. Dennis Schröder and Franz Wagner led the way early for Germany, while Bogdan Bogdanovic continued his sensational tournament for Serbia.

However, in the third quarter the Germans started to flash their lockdown defense, limiting Serbia to 10 points in the quarter, and followed that effort to pull away to a 12-point advantage. On the offensive end, Schröder left Serbia searching for answers for his pace in getting to the rim, collapsing the Serbia defense and, even when they did keep him from finishing himself, opening up Serbia in rotation for Germany’s crisp passing (that likewise killed the USA team) to pick them apart.

Serbia would battle back to close the deficit to one possession, with Bogdanovic (17 points) and Aleksa Avramovic (21 points to lead Serbia) pulling them back into the game.

With Serbia within a basket in the final minute, Schröder went to work, putting the dagger in with yet another drive and finish at the rim, as he authored an exceptional performance with 28 points to carry Germany to their first World Cup gold.

After some late free throws, the celebration was on for Germany after a 83-77 win, capping off a magical World Cup that saw them go undefeated through both group and knockout round play.

They were the most complete and consistent team at this year’s World Cup, able to win games that were low-scoring as well as shootouts, as evidenced by the vast difference in the scores of the semifinal and final. Their comfort in seemingly any kind of game or any situation was remarkable, led by veterans Schröder and Daniel Theis, with the Wagner brothers injecting some youth into the squad, and the likes of Andreas Obst and Johannes Voigtmann playing their roles to perfection around the stars.

If the GOP primary was held today, Donald Trump would easily win. It just happens that within the next year he might be going to jail, though that might not be enough to stop him from still running. Popular as he might be among Republican voters, it’s another story with the other half of the country, who largely find him to be a repellant autocrat and probable criminal. This weekend the former president paid another visit to Iowa, where he witnessed the violently mixed response he’s well-earned.

As per The New York Times, on Saturday Trump attended the Iowa-Iowa State college football game at Jack Trice Stadium. He got some cheers — and what sounded like an equivalent amount of loud boos. It’s yet another stark reminder that he’s not a unifier but a polarizing figure who only appeals to part of the country, while being equally loathed by the other.

Heckling Trump wasn’t the only way Iowans made their opinions known. Someone also flew a plane over the stadium bearing a banner with the words “Where’s Melania?” The ex-First Lady has barely been seen since leaving the White House, though reports claim she sometimes gets mad at her philandering husband.

where’s Melania

Others flipped Trump off as he watched the game from his private booth.

There were cheers, of course, including when he first entered the stadium.

Trump wasn’t the only GOP candidate in attendance that day. Ron DeSantis was also there. He, too, received some birds, just as he’d been jeered while visiting the state back in August.

Trump took Iowa back in 2020, by a whopping eight percentage points. That still wasn’t enough for him to win re-election.

(Via NYT)

Every single week, our TV and film experts will list the most important ten streaming selections for you to pop into your queues. We’re not strictly operating upon reviews or accrued streaming clicks (although yes, we’ve scoured the streaming site charts) but, instead, upon those selections that are really worth noticing amid the churning sea of content. There’s a lot out there, after all, and your time is valuable.

TIE: 10. You Are So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah (Netflix film)

Adam Sandler can’t miss on Netflix, but you can never accuse him of phoning it in. Even though he hasn’t given us another Uncut Gems (yet), he’s always a crowd pleaser, and here, he does re-team with Idina Menzel (also of Uncut Gems), so that’s a high point. Additionally, he portrays as a father to daughters who are embodied by his real-life daughters, Sunny and Sadie. Get ready for sheer drama and betrayal when someone’s Bat Mitzvah might be spoiled because of a dude (boooo), but you’ll get some Dua Lipa = a win.

TIE: 10. The Flash (Warner Bros. film steaming on HBO Max)

This film didn’t manage to break the slump of the DCU’s current state, but hopefully, Aquaman 2 will eventually make that issue better. They really should have put Jason Momoa in it rather than have two Ezra Millers. At least Michael Keaton’s Batman gets much airtime, but man, after the Batgirl debacle, I’d love to see Keaton get a theatrical Batsuit win. Those who did watch the film enjoyed it, and enough people who didn’t go to the theater are at least streaming the film now.

9. Who Is Erin Carter? (Netflix series)

This series is a sleeper along the same vein as 2002’s In From The Cold (starring Margarita Levieva, finally getting her butt-kicking due). Again, audiences adore watching a maternal figure suddenly reveal a mysterious past that includes the ability to spring into gunman-busting moves out of nowhere. Netflix hasn’t yet announced a Season 2, but that should be coming soon because viewers binged this one in short order.

8. Star Wars: Ahsoka (Disney+ series)

The Internet dreamcast Rosario Dawson in the lead role of this series, so even though there’s some Star Wars TV show fatigue out there, this series is still racking up the goodwill. If you haven’t hopped in yet, however, you’ll want to catch up on Ashoka’s The Mandalorian appearance as well as the conclusion of Star Wars: Rebels. And let’s hope that Baby Yoda can get his mojo back and rally hard for his fourth season, whenever that materializes.

7. Don’t Worry Darling (New Line Cinema movie streaming on HBO Max and Netflix)

Don’t ask me why this film is trending again after turning into soap-opera central. Actually, hey, you know what? It’s because of Harry Styles, and the film is now streaming on Netflix in addition to HBO Max. No one can accuse the movie of being high art, but does provoke some speculation, including why Harry Styles’ character thought he could behave in such a way and whether the star himself actually spit on Chris Pine despite all denials to the contrary. And as always, Florence Pugh can make up for the shortcomings of others.

6. The Nun (Warner Bros film on HBO Max)

James Wan’s The Conjuring universe continues to expand with The Nun II currently in theaters, but if you missed the some of the most effective jump scares in the game, you should brush up on this first installment. Try not to pee in your pants while Valek lurks about, and Taissa Farmiga walks right into Hell on Earth. Lately, however, star Bonnie Aarons has alleged that the first film stiffed her on merch profits, and hopefully, that situation has been cleared up. I mean, the decision makers have seen her work and surely, she could haunt their nightmares, too.

5. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (Paramount film streaming on VOD and Amazon Prime)

Our own Mike Ryan called this installment the best theatrical TMNT film, and this version hails from Jeff Rowe rather than Michael Bay. It doesn’t have as much “boom” or Megan Fox, and it’s animated, but there’s plenty of Ayo Edebiri for everyone who’s been missing her since the conclusion of The Bear‘s sophomore season. Cowabunga, or something like that.

4. The Changeling (Apple TV+ series)

LaKeith Stanfield heads into the horror realm in this adaptation of Victor LaValle’s acclaimed novel. The show promises to be a grown-up fairytale begins in a New York City library and heads into a version of the Big Apple that usually remains closed from human eyes. It’s also a parenthood fable, and yes, it truly feels like the scariest horror stories often revolve around kids, whether they happen to be good or evil. Given Stanfield’s ability to showcase the surreal in various other projects, one can bet that this quality adds to the spooks in this series.

3. The Wheel Of Time (Amazon Prime series)

Jeff Bezos made no secret of hoping that Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power would become his Game of Thrones, but this show starring Rosamund Pike actually succeeds more on that front. Whatever their preferences, though, it’s clear that fantasy-lit lovers are enjoying the heck out of this streaming platform. Pike stars as Moraine of the all-powerful Aes Sedai organization, and she is one of the few choice women in this world who can wield magic. Under her watchful eye, the prophesied Dragon Reborn could either fix humanity or do the opposite. (Also, my Amazon version of Game of Thrones happens to be The Boys, although I realize that you didn’t ask.)

2. One Piece (Netflix series)

Hats off to Netflix for besting their previous performance as live-action adapter of beloved anime/manga that people feel very strongly about. Cowboy Bebop and Death Note did not go over too terribly well, but the viewers are here for this iteration of Monkey D. Luffy looking for an elusive treasure and aiming to become the pirate king. As a bonus, you will be able to enjoy the Japanese dub if you so prefer, just to gain the authentic experience since it features the voice cast behind the anime series.

1. The Little Mermaid (Disney movie streaming on Disney+)

Halle Bailey stars as Ariel in the live-version of Disney and director Rob Marshall resurrecting this classic story. Bailey earned rave reviews while more than holding her own and performing “Part of Your World.” The film does expand upon the ideas of the original film, and as such, it’s more overstuffed than the version you already know. For sure, the ocean seems like it’s seen some things (and it has) in the decades since the launch of the 1989 classic.

Sean Strickland (28-5) stunned Israel Adesanya (24-3) in a decision victory to claim the UFC Middleweight title at UFC 293 from Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia.

Adesanya was the aggressor out of the gate. While Strickland stood his ground and continued moving forward, it was Adesanya who looked for his range, mixing in kicks, strikes, and feints. With less than a minute remaining in the first round, Strickland hurt Adesanya bad with a straight right hand that sent the champion to the mat. Strickland jumped on him with a slew of shots, but Adesanya was able to escape the onslaught and survive for the second round.

In the second, Strickland brought his confidence with a measured attack on the champ. He walked down Adesanya, but the champ was much more active in the round in what was ultimately a strong round for Adesanya.

Between rounds, Strickland’s corner demanded more, including grappling and encouraged him to stop standing and watching Adesanya move. The third saw Strickland fall into the same pattern from the prior round as Adesanya opened up his combinations. Strickland caught Adesanya midway through the round with a counter left, but Adesanya wasn’t in any real danger. Strickland caught Adesanya with another counter left hook as the champ missed wildly, but again was able to pivot out of any danger.

After a handful of power shots from Strickland in the third, he came back out in the fourth and found his way into a sew of combinations. Adesanya went body-head-body over and again throughout the round, chipping away with body kicks and following with slight combinations to the head.

Heading into the fifth and final round, the margins were razor thin, with it being conceivable that Strickland had won three of the four. Adesanya operated with urgency in the final round, but Strickland kept moving forward, refusing to allow time for the champ to find any consistency in his shots.

Strickland stepped in after Dricus Du Plessis skipped out on the UFC’s offer for a title shot. Strickland came into Saturday night’s main event with consecutive wins in 2023 after losing both fights in 2022 at the hands of Alex Pereira and Jared Cannoneir.

Adesanya reclaimed his belt in a knockout of Pereira in April in their trilogy bout after dropping the title in November last year.

After Texas Tech lost in overtime on the road at Wyoming and Oregon hung 81 on Portland State in their opener, many raised an eyebrow when the Ducks were posted as just a 6.5-point favorite on the road in Lubbock on Saturday. That line continued dropping and for most of Saturday, the Red Raiders rewarded those who put their faith and funds behind them.

Texas Tech, led by former Oregon quarterback Tyler Shough, led the Ducks deep into the fourth quarter, before a long drive led to an Oregon field goal with 1:10 on the clock put the Ducks up 31-30.

While that was bad for Texas Tech fans looking for the upset win, those that just had a financial stake in the Red Raiders plus the points still were in good shape. That was until they weren’t, as Shough got hit on a pass attempt on Texas Tech’s ensuing drive and the ball popped right to Jeffrey Bassa, who did not fall down (like he probably should have) to ensure a Ducks win, but instead rumbled 42 yards to the house to put Oregon up 8.

Shough would lead the Red Raiders back down the field to the Oregon 33 with under 10 seconds to play, but his last gasp heave to the end zone found the waiting arms of a Ducks defensive back rather than a Texas Tech receiver, preserving not only an Oregon win but a cover as well.

That and the finish to Ole Miss-Tulane represented the two worst beats of the day in college football — Ole Miss false started on a 4th and 1 Tulane stuffed down 7 (getting 7.5 to 13.5), then kicked a 56-yard field goal, and then got a scoop and score to cover every number under the sun. However, the Oregon-Texas Tech finished featured the most painful single play for bettors, and we can rest assured it will pop up Monday night on Scott Van Pelt’s SportsCenter.

Kid Cudi’s fascination with the intelligent life on other planets has often appeared in his creative projects. Now the self-proclaimed “Man on the Moon” is hooking up with a legendary sci-fi franchise.

On Saturday, September 8, as a part of “Star Trek Day,” Cudi announced the song “Boldly Be,” a song inspired by Gene Roddenberry’s immortal series. The campaign will also include a gaming component as well as a limited-release fashion line.

The joint venture’s name pulls from the fictional Vulcan IDIC philosophy: infinite diversity in infinite combinations. Although specifics, including the exact release date, have not yet been shared, in a press statement Cudi claimed that fans will love each element of the partnership.

“I grew up watching Star Trek with my dad, who is single-handedly responsible for turning me into a fan,” Cudi said. “The most important thing to me is to be as authentic as possible. Star Trek’s mission has always been about having a hopeful future, and when I was first approached about this project, it was the perfect marriage of all the things I believe in – being brave and a hero by doing what’s right and fighting for freedom. I can’t wait to share my love of this incredible franchise with the world.”

Watch the teaser clip above.

Kid Cudi’s fascination with the intelligent life on other planets has often appeared in his creative projects. Now the self-proclaimed “Man on the Moon” is hooking up with a legendary sci-fi franchise.

On Saturday, September 8, as a part of “Star Trek Day,” Cudi announced the song “Boldly Be,” a song inspired by Gene Roddenberry’s immortal series. The campaign will also include a gaming component as well as a limited-release fashion line.

The joint venture’s name pulls from the fictional Vulcan IDIC philosophy: infinite diversity in infinite combinations. Although specifics, including the exact release date, have not yet been shared, in a press statement Cudi claimed that fans will love each element of the partnership.

“I grew up watching Star Trek with my dad, who is single-handedly responsible for turning me into a fan,” Cudi said. “The most important thing to me is to be as authentic as possible. Star Trek’s mission has always been about having a hopeful future, and when I was first approached about this project, it was the perfect marriage of all the things I believe in – being brave and a hero by doing what’s right and fighting for freedom. I can’t wait to share my love of this incredible franchise with the world.”

Watch the teaser clip above.

Donald Trump is crushing it in the polls, which is unfortunate because he might be going to jail. But if he doesn’t — or even if he does and he runs anyway, releasing stump speeches from the clink — he still has to pick a running mate. Luckily, there are plenty of Republicans to choose from. Alas, one of Trump’s biggest cheerleaders probably won’t get the gig, at least if it’s up to Trump supporters.

Newsweek conducted a new poll asking 1,500 Trump voters who they wanted to be on the bottom of the Trump 2024 ticket. Top spot did not go to Marjorie Taylor Greene, the loudest and most prolifically chaotic of MAGA lawmakers, who just last month claimed she was on the former president’s veep shortlist.

Sadly, she didn’t even get second place. Nor third. Heck, she didn’t even make the Top 10. Out of 15 spots, she scored 14th, ahead of last place winner Asa Hutchinson but behind Elsie Stefanik.

So who won the top slot? That went to new kid on the block, Obama-plagiarizing phrama bro Vivek Ramaswamy, who, like Trump, has had to contend with Chris Christie mockery. Second place went to “Don’t know,” showing how much energy the GOP exudes these days. Third actually went to Trump’s former veep, Mike Pence, but given their relationship since the 2020 election that’s probably not going to happen.

Some others who crushed Marjorie include Ron DeSantis (fourth), Trump kiss-up Kari Lake (fifth), Democratic candidate Robert F. Kennedy (seventh), his daughter Ivanka (ninth), and “Doesn’t matter to me” (10th). She also placed behind “Someone else” (12th). Sorry, Marge.

(Via Newsweek)