GoneTrending

John Mayer recently opened up about the loss of his friend, comedian Bob Saget, on the first anniversary of his passing. The singer shared a sweet photo of Saget at an airport to Instagram on Monday, along with an emotional caption.

“One year ago today, we lost Bob Saget. I loved that guy. I love saying ‘I loved that guy,’” Mayer wrote. “Soon after he left us, I couldn’t finish those three words without falling apart, but now I say it with all the simplicity and complexity that love itself entails.”

“I knew he was otherworldly while he was here,” He continued. “Every moment we spent together was the stuff of Old Hollywood Magic, of dinners and drinks and stories and laughs and memories you knew were cutting deep grooves into your soul as the lathe was turning. Grief is a journey, and it’s a profound trip that someone you lose takes as well; they leave the space around you and slowly climb a staircase to find a space within you.”

Saget and Mayer had been friends for a long time after he reached out to the musician in 2006 about performing at a benefit. Mayer also went on to do a stand-up comedy set with his pal.

“He’s such a great guy. He’s such a good friend,” Saget said, via CheatSheet. “He’s just one of my dearest friends. I’m very lucky.”

Following Saget’s sudden passing last year, Mayer even helped his friend’s wife, Kelly Rizzo, and encouraged fans to donate to the Scleroderma Research Foundation — a nonprofit that Saget frequently supported.

Wheel Of Fortune wouldn’t have made it through forty seasons without being a tightly-wound projection in the production sense, which is why it’s so funny when the show goes off the rails. The show occasionally veers towards dirty jokes and surprising comment territory from contestants, and even Pat Sajak is known to joke about nipple rings because you gotta let loose on occasion.

Letting loose is exactly what one contestant did when solving a “Quiet Neighborhood” puzzle against a 10-second bonus timer. Via The Sun, Jamie McMahon Carrillo ended up getting a little bit excited and did a little “twerk” move against Sajak. Maybe it was a possible twerk? It didn’t even qualify as a Miley-style twerk, so it feels like an attempted twerk. This prompted the question on social media.

The Wheel Of Fortune Twitter account quickly weighed in with skull emoji but called this a “butt bump.” Hmm.

To twerk or not to twerk? People were pretty quick to conclude that this was one, or at least, they couldn’t stop inquiring in disbelief.

Sajak handled the surprise well. He’s seen some stuff over the years for sure, and a little mini-twerk is no big deal.

(Via The Sun)

Video content-sharing application and streamer Triller is at the center of yet another lawsuit. This time, it comes via Universal Music Publishing.

After the company’s acquisition of Verzuz, co-founded by music titans Swizz Beatz and Timbaland in March 2021, they have faced several lawsuits. After Triller allegedly defaulted on the deal after two payments, the pair took the company to court in August 2022 to retrieve the remaining $28 million balance. The following month, the parties reached a settlement.

In a joint statement, Swizz and Timbaland said, “We’re glad to come to an amicable agreement with Triller and continue giving fans the music and community that they’ve come to know and love from the brand.”

Unfortunately, Triller’s legal woes didn’t stop there. At the same time, Sony Music filed a lawsuit against the company for violating their and the artists signed to their label’s intellectual property rights. In the suit, Sony Music stated after Triller “historically failed to make payments in a timely manner,” representatives for the label attempted to contact Triller but only resulted in “near-total radio silence,” forcing the company to terminate its licensing agreement with Triller on August 8, 2022. But the company refused to take down Sony Music artists’ songs from their library for app users.

Now, according to Rolling Stone, Universal Music Publishing is alleging Triller has “repeatedly failed to deliver on its promises” “despite its contractual obligations.”

Attorneys for Universal Music Publishing list in the suit Triller failed to pay the fifth, sixth, and seventh quarterly installments of the licensing fees totaling $3 million, equating to $1 million per quarter.

Triller has not issued a public statement regarding the matter.

Last month, French Montana was filming a music video in Miami Gardens when gunfire broke out, wounding 10 people. The Bronx rapper issued a statement expressing regret at the incident and assuring fans his “thoughts & prayers are w/ the victims & families at this time.” However, that hasn’t stopped one of them from apparently pursuing legal counsel — and a potential lawsuit — against the rapper, according to NBC Miami.

Carl Leon, a 25-year-old music blogger who was injured in the shooting, told local news he plans to file suit. His attorney, Josiah Graham, said, “Sometime during the break of one of the scenes, that’s when he heard gunshots. He didn’t know what happened, like everyone else. He took off running. As he’s running, he fell at some point. When he gets up, he discovers he’s been shot.” Although Leon had been invited to the video filming, Graham stressed that Miami police hadn’t issued a permit for it and said, “It’s our understanding that he had an unauthorized video shoot at Finger Licking, so, we’re looking into that.”

However, a link between the film shooting and the guns hasn’t been publicly established, so it’s unclear whether French and collaborator Rob49 were involved or just unlucky. French was at the restaurant to celebrate the release of his mixtape Coke Boys 6, and it appears that any filming took place as part of the celebration, not a separate, planned video. Meanwhile, Rob49 was apparently also hit and hospitalized.

Back in December, Lizzo visited Late Night With Seth Meyers. During the “Day Drinking” segment, the two enjoyed some day drinks, and left a drunk voicemail to Meyers’ dad. This past weekend, Meyers was asked by fans about the voicemail and how his father reacted to it during an appearance on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen,

Meyers and Cohen recalled Lizzo saying “Bye, b*tch,” before hanging up the phone.

“Lizzo then, independent of me knowing, reached out to the show, and found out my dad’s address,” Meyers said. “Lizzo sent flowers to my father with a note that said ‘I’m sorry I called you a b*tch.’ That is a class act.”

Last year was one of the biggest years of Lizzo’s career, as she released her long-anticipated sophomore album, embarked on the Special tour, and won an Emmy for her reality competition, Watch Out For The Big Grrrls. In April, she will kick off the second leg of her tour, appropriately called the Special 2our, with dates in North America and the UK.

In the meantime, you can watch the clips from Late Night With Seth Meyers and Watch What Happens Live above.

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

Two-year-olds are the best. Hands down. People like to complain about the “terrible twos,” and yes, there are challenges that arise as a child starts to recognize that they have free will. But there is nothing cuter than a conversation with a tiny human who’s only been on this planet for a couple of years. The way toddlers think, the way they speak—it’s just nonstop hilarity.

And when we you get a particularly funny 2-year-old? Seriously, the best improv on Earth.

That’s why one mom’s TikToks of her daughter Willow serving patrons at her little outdoor diner are bringing entertainment to millions.

---

Willow’s “patrons” are primarily her mom Sarah and her three siblings. Her outdoor “diner” is her toy kitchen on the porch with fake food. And the service is … well, you just have to see it.

Willow calls her patrons “ma’am,” no matter what their gender, which is adorable. And her facial expressions. Oh my gosh. She’s like a semi-grumpy, middle-aged diner lady who’s seen it all and has no patience for your foolishness.

Just watch what happens when this “ma’am” tries to order the cookie she’s eating:

@saruh2themax

I got put on a strict diet due to my audacity. #willowpenelope #willowsdiner #cute #funnytoddler

“That’s mines. I have broccoli. There you go, ma’am,” all while continuing to eat the cookie. Totally savage.

Check out how she serves—or doesn’t—her brother, Jack:

@saruh2themax

Today at Willow’s Diner: The bonds of family are tested. #willowpenelope #willowsdiner #jackattack

“I don’t know what her rules are!” was the best line. Nobody knows what a 2-year-old’s rules are. Not even the 2-year-old herself. And Willow’s “Can you be the ma’am?” after Jack gave up trying to get his food? Classic.

(Arbitrarily being denied service at Willow’s Diner is not unusual, by the way. There’s even clever merch that says “I didn’t get served at Willow’s Diner.”)

Does Willow serve rocks at her diner? Sure, why not? As long as she keeps making those faces, she can serve anything she pleases.

@saruh2themax

That time she successfully upsold me on a rock… #willowsdiner #willowpenelope

Just don’t mess with her tea-making process. Like, at all.

@saruh2themax

Willow’s diner. Now serving chocolate milk tea! #willowpenelope

And definitely don’t try to serve her some tea.

@saruh2themax

Replying to @suppgorjess She tolerates me being the waitress for approximately 2 seconds and no more.

It’s the unbroken eye contact, right? You can’t train this kind of comedy into a kid.

The thing about 2-year-olds is they’re only that age for a short spell. The tyrannical threes and the fascist fours, with all of their complex adorableness, are coming fast, so it’s wise of this mom to frequent Willow’s Diner—and document the experience—while 2-year-old Willow is still in business.

Social media is a powerful tool that can be used for good or bad. TikTok user Keith Lee chooses to use his platform for good by helping others, and boy does it work well for those who seem to need it most. Lee is a self-proclaimed food critic who has amassed more than 8 million followers and nearly 300 million likes on TikTok with his food reviews.

His no-nonsense deadpan take on foods and his extremely strict rating scale is what makes his reviews so trustworthy to his large following. Lee doesn’t announce himself as an influencer or food critic when he goes to different restaurants, he simply orders his food to go and tries it while sitting in his daughter’s PAW Patrol folding chair.

But his followers know, once his eyes roll back in his head after taking a bite, the food is getting a high rating and they all need to try it. The process never fails. Lee gives a good review; business sells out. And the father of two isn’t looking to profit from small businesses when he reviews their items. In fact, Lee wants all the focus to be on the business that was struggling before he reviewed their food.

---

Recently, Lee heard about a pizza place in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he lives. One of the employees called and asked if he would try the food because the business wasn’t doing well, though the food was delicious. Let’s just say, the wings got his seal of approval. Lee’s eyes rolled so far back in his head, it looked like he might just take a nap.

@keith_lee125

Frankensons Pizzeria Taste test 💕 would you try it ? 💕 #foodcritic

The restaurant in question is Frankensons Pizzeria and since Lee’s review, Frankensons has had lines down the street. That’s not an exaggeration. It was an overnight turnaround for the owner, Frank Steele, whose restaurant went from not making enough money to pay the rent on their space, to having people willing to wait in line for more than two hours.

Steele told KTNV, “It has been a struggle. I was lucky if I did $400 a day.” While the owner admits that he had no idea who Lee was or his level of influence, he soon found out. “Our phone never stopped ringing. I’ve sold more lemon pepper wings in the last two days than I have in the past four months. I made more garlic knots yesterday and the day before than I’ve ever made,” Steele explained to KTNV.

@keith_lee125

3 day life update 💕 Thank you. God Is Amazing, God Bless You 🙏🏽 💕 #foodcritic

It wasn’t just local people coming by either. Steele revealed to the news station, people were coming from as far away as Utah, Iowa and California. But Frankensons isn’t the first place Lee’s influence has put on the map. His reviews have even sold out larger chains of certain items and while he does enjoy his job of reviewing food for all restaurants, larger chains are held to a different standard for Lee.

The food critic makes it clear that his goal is to help small businesses thrive while earning his livelihood through the larger companies that can afford to pay him for deals. Recently, Lee’s review of a Chipotle steak quesadilla went viral and increased the company’s business across the country. This led to a partnership with Chipotle for Lee and the made-up item will be added to the menu in March 2023.

Watching how much Lee puts into his mission to help struggling businesses while continuing to do what he loves is inspiring. Hopefully, more deals come his way so small restaurant businesses continue to have their own superhero when they least expect it.

Belarus recently legalized the ability to pirate music and other media from nations that are deemed as “unfriendly.”

The Eastern European nation is notably one of Russia’s allies. This new law also comes after the United States sanctioned Belarus over the war in Ukraine. President Joe Biden has prevented material exports to the country. Amazon, Intel, Airbnb, and other companies also cut off their support of Belarus.

According to Vice, the temporary law was passed in December and is currently in effect until late 2024. Currently, it applies to all forms of digital goods, including music, films, tv shows, software, and more under that umbrella.

The “unfriendly” nation piracy law includes “foreign states that commit unfriendly actions against Belarusian legal entities and (or) individuals,” which, in this case, very well could include the US and its allies.

“The law states that the government will still collect royalties for the use of that material, but the royalties will be held by the patent authority,” Vice stated. “If the rights holders don’t collect the royalties within three years—unlikely for companies barred by law from doing business in Belarus—the funds will be absorbed by the government budget.”

Belarus’ law also states that it doesn’t need the consent of the original rights holders to import physical items due to “a critical shortage in the domestic market of food and other products.”

Last year, Pamela Anderson was in the news quite a bit, though it was never about her as much as it was always about her image. Anderson was the subject of Hulu’s Pam and Tommy drama series, which racked up a ton of buzz and praise while leaving Anderson out of the conversation almost entirely.

The Hulu series shows Anderson, played by Lily James, in her early Hollywood days when she was often over-sexualized and undermined as a serious actress. The real Anderson did not want to even watch the series, and instead decided she needed to take control of her own life, and thus the Netflix documentary was born.

Pamela, A Love Story uses unseen footage, personal video diaries, and interviews in order to show Anderson’s side of the story. The movie chronicles her tumultuous time in the spotlight that began in the 90s with the hit series Baywatch, which catapulted the actress to superstardom (and made her the subject of a lot of tabloid coverage) before her infamous sex tape scandal. As per the official description:

In her own words, through personal video and diaries, Pamela Anderson shares the story of her rise to fame, rocky romances and infamous sex tape scandal. Pamela Anderson defined a decade. Now she will define herself.

The movie will premiere on Netflix on January 31st. Check out the trailer above.

In the ’80s, the sibling group DeBarge was nearly inescapable on R&B radio, with songs such as “I Like It” and “Rhythm Of The Night” dominating the airwaves and turning El, Bunny, Randy, James, Bobby, Mark, and Chico into more or less household names (depending on your household). However, their reign came to a pretty abrupt end at the end of the decade; between changing tastes and two members, Bobby and Chico, getting arrested for drug trafficking in 1989, the group was disbanded before the ’90s.

This week, it appears that their past troubles have resurfaced for one member, El DeBarge, who was arrested for possession of illegal weapons and narcotics in Burbank, California on Sunday (January 8), according to TMZ. DeBarge was reportedly stopped at a gas station at around 3:30 am when police officers noticed expired registration on his vehicle. When they went to check it out, they say they saw a collapsible baton in plain sight inside it, prompting an additional search. Collapsible batons are banned for civilian use in California; meanwhile, the search turned up what the officers suspected were narcotics believed to be heroin along with pepper spray. DeBarge didn’t have a valid driver’s license either.

He was booked on possession of a controlled substance; possession of a leaded cane or baton; and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Unfortunately, El DeBarge has a history of legal problems and substance addiction. In 2001, he was arrested for cocaine possession, then in 2006 and 2007, arrested on separate charges of possession of a controlled substance. Each time, he was given probation, but in 2008, he was sentenced to two years in state prison for possession of crack cocaine and violating his probation, serving 13 months. He spent a few stints in rehab, but hasn’t had any run-ins with the law since 2012.