Britney Spears is seemingly sparing no details about her conservatorship in a newly shared (but now-private) 22-minute voice recording. In the clip, she spoke about everything from how she turned down an interview with Oprah about the conservatorship, to being confused by the #FreeBritney movement, to sharing some wild stories the beginning of the “premeditated” nature of the conservatorship itself.
But in one of many sad and revealing portions of the tape, she also spoke about how detached she was from her Las Vegas residency amid the constraints that she felt in her personal life. The Piece Of Me residency ran in Vegas from 2013 to 2017 and per a Billboard report on the recording, Spears admits (among other things) that it was “demoralizing”:
“My performances I know were horrible. I even wore wigs. All the dancers were doing all these nice, sexy head-flip turns and I had conditioner treatment in my hair and these little caps over my head… because I was just a robot. I didn’t give a f*ck anymore because I couldn’t go where I wanted to go, I couldn’t have the nannies that I wanted to have, I couldn’t have cash. It was just demoralizing. I was kind of like in this conspiracy thing of people claiming and treating me like a superstar, but yet they treated me like nothing.”
Following the release of the tape, Britney’s mom, Lynn Spears, issued a statement. “Your rejections to the countless times I have flown out and calls make me feel hopeless! I have tried everything,” she said on Instagram. “I love you so much, but this talk is for you and me only, eye to eye, in private.”
As is widely known by now, Britney Spears is free from her conservatorship. Part of the thanks there goes to the #FreeBritney movement, which helped bring public awareness to the injustices that Spears was facing. In a 22-minute audio clip shared (and then quickly made private) last night, Spears took a moment to acknowledge her fans and explain how their support left her confused.
It wasn’t their support itself that was confounding, but how it contrasted with the backing Spears got from her own family. She said (as Billboard reports):
“The whole thing that made it really confusing for me is these people were on the street were fighting for me, but my sister and my mother aren’t doing anything. To me, it was like they secretly, honestly liked me being the bad one, like I was messed up, and they kind of just liked it that way. Otherwise why weren’t they outside my doorstep saying, ‘Baby girl, get in the car, let’s go.’ I think that’s the main thing that hurt me. I couldn’t process how my family went along with it for so long.”
This isn’t the first time Spears has given thanks to her #FreeBritney fans. Shortly after the conservatorship came to an end, Spears wrote on Instagram, “You guys rock. Honestly, my voice was muted and threatened for so long, I wasn’t able to speak up or say anything. Because of you guys and the awareness of kinda knowing what was going on, and delivering that news to the public for so long, you give it awareness to all of them. Because of you, I honestly think that you guys saved my life in a way 100%.”
House of the Dragon has done an admirable job of preventing set leaks, even without using Game of Thrones-style “drone killers.” That includes the cast, who are relieved that they can finally talk about the series without fear of spoiling something and having HBO’s lawyers engulf them in fire (in this accurate scenario, HBO’s lawyers are dragons).
In Sunday’s episode, “The Rogue Prince,” King Viserys Targaryen (played by Paddy Considine) revealed his intention to marry young Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) instead of even-younger Lady Laena (Nanna Blondell), much to the dismay of Lord Corlys (Steve Toussaint) and Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock). “I’m so glad I can talk about this now. This is a big one,” Carey said on the West of Westeros podcast about the wedding twist. “It changes one of the branches of the show, if that makes sense. It pushes things in a different direction. And for my character it’s, of course, a massive turn.”
Carey understandably felt a little uneasy playing a 14-year-old girl who’s in a relationship with a 40-something man, but she and Considine bonded on set over their mutual love of RuPaul’s Drag Race. “Paddy is a massive Drag Race fan, and so am I,” she said. “So I’d come into set and be like, ‘Hey, Paddy, did you watch the new episode of All Stars?’ He’d be like, ‘Oh my God, yes! Let’s talk about it.’ And so that’s how we’d start every morning.”
In terms of ranking at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, Harry Styles’ “As It Was” has had an up-and-down journey. In fact, it has had the most up-and-down path in chart history; On the new Hot 100 dated September 3, the song has returned to the top of the chart for a fifth distinct time and 11th total week. “As It Was” is now the first song to ever go No. 1 five separate times.
The Billboard #Hot100 top 10 (chart dated Sep. 3, 2022).
It first topped the chart for a single week on April 16. Jack Harlow’s “First Class” usurped it for a week before Styles returned to No. 1 for two additional weeks, on April 30 and May 7. Future, Drake, and Tems’ “Wait For U” then had a week on top before “As It Was” enjoyed four straight No. 1 weeks, on June 4, 11, 18, and 25. Then, Drake and 21 Savage’s “Jimmy Cooks” topped the Hot 100 for a week before “As It Was” re-upped for three more weeks, on July 9, 16, and 23. After that, Lizzo’s “About Damn Time” was No. 1 for two weeks, Beyoncé’s “Break My Soul” had a couple chart-topping weeks of its own, as last week, Nicki Minaj’s “Super Freaky Girl” took over the top spot. That brings us to this week, Styles’ 11th on top with this song.
Also noteworthy on this week’s chart is Steve Lacy’s “Bad Habit” rising to a new high at No. 3. As for last week’s No. 1, Minaj’s “Super Freaky Girl” slips down to No. 7 this week.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
If there’s a glimmer of hope for the Democrats going into the 2024 presidential election, it is that Donald Trump is showing no signs of gracefully conceding the Republican primary to Ron DeSantis should he win. The former president is already tearing down DeSantis behind-the-scenes, and the situation is not likely to improve should the Florida governor become the GOP nominee.
According to a new report, Trump has allegedly spent over a year criticizing DeSantis for “stealing” from him by copying the former president’s mannerisms in a “lame impression of Trump.” Via Rolling Stone:
Trump has a distinctive (and much-satirized) way of gesticulating while casually talking, delivering political speeches, or even “firing” contestants on his former game show. The sources note that when Trump has seen video clips of of DeSantis speaking at public events over the past year and a half, the former president has scornfully mocked the ascendant Florida Republican for appearing to imitate his body language, movements, and even, at times, speaking rhythm. One of the other sources recalls Trump joking at a dinner event earlier this year that he should sue DeSantis for copyright infringement.
In another form of intimidation, Donald Trump Jr. has also reportedly gotten in the act of accusing DeSantis of “stealing.” According to sources for Rolling Stone, Don Jr. has told people that topics he’s tweeted have been conveniently showing up in DeSantis’ talking points shortly thereafter. Junior is convinced that someone on DeSantis’ team is following his Twitter account and raiding it for campaign content, which has to be the first time anyone has copied off of Don Jr. for anything.
Of course, what the Trumps are really mad about it is that whatever DeSantis is doing is working. He’s been continually leading in the polls as Fox News personalities have signaled that it’s time for the Republican party to move away from Trump.
HBO’s House of the Dragon has certainly given fans what they expected through two episodes. Whether avid readers of the George R.R. Martin series or simply fans of the drama unfolding on Sunday nights, fans have heard familiar house names, filled in story gaps, and seen some heavy foreshadowing about the end of Targaryen reign in Westeros.
Game of Thrones has always been a delicate mix of political maneuvering and gruesome violence, and through two episodes (spoilers ahead for House of the Dragon) the name “Crabfeeder” has quickly become synonymous with both. First mentioned as someone interfering with shipping lanes, the start of episode two — The Rogue Prince — gave us a first look at a character who appears poised to be a volatile force in the show’s first season.
The character, whose moniker comes from a reputation of quite literally leaving his defeated foes on the beach to feed the crabs, is actually named Craghas Drahar. But as we saw in the second episode’s open, he’s very serious about that reputation. The show begins on a beach at low tide, with crabs scurrying over the bodies of fallen enemies nailed to hedgehog-like wooden crosses as the waters rise. Some, which we soon learned, were actually still alive.
HBO on YouTube
The moment solidified something another major player in the House of the Dragon universe feared was coming: Crabfeeder is growing in power in the pirate stronghold of the Stepstones, and he’s a problem the crown simply can no longer ignore.
The second episode’s focus was largely on King Viserys’ heirs. Namely, whether he would remarry and if that new wife could conceive a son. There was also the messy business of Daemon Targaryen stealing a dragon egg and bluffing the conception of his own heir. All of that family drama will create the instability that ruins the Targaryen grip on power, but Crabfeeder is the immediate menace lurking just over the water.
So who exactly is Crabfeeder and what’s his deal? In short, he’s a threat to the empire that’s challenging Targaryen power at a time outsiders question its vulnerability. A prince admiral from Myr, a free city in western Essos, Crabfeeder became a figurehead for a group of free cities called the Triarchy who want to rid the Stepstones — an archipelago far from King’s Landing — of their nagging pirate problem. By taking control of the Stepstones and creating a colony in Targaryen territory, though, they themselves have become a threat to the empire.
In the first episode, Crabfeeder is merely mentioned by name. Corlys Velaryon, a powerful shipping magnate and ally of King Viserys, is worried Crabfeeder’s growing armies will impact his business and cripple his house’s power as they continue to attack Velaryon ships. But in Sunday’s second episode we see the real impact he’s had on the water. And though bloodshed was spared on screen — especially in Dragonstone — the looming threat of beach battles instilled plenty of dread in Episode Two.
While some viewers were grossed out by a variety of things in the episode — including a king’s hand literally dipped in maggots — the most striking moment may have come at the end with the reveal of Crabfeeder’s face. This came after an uneasy alliance between Daemon and Corlys to take care of Crabfeeder on their own following inaction from King Viserys. Both see it as an opportunity to prove their worth, but it becomes very clear Drahar is ready for a fight.
The setup makes Drahar pretty obviously the show’s Big Bad in Season One. While Viserys is reluctant to go to war amid a time of Targaryen turmoil, Daemon and Corlys see Crabfeeder as a real threat as well as an opportunity to undermine Viserys’ grip on power. Drahar, meanwhile, clearly agrees that the Targaryen reign is ripe for revolt as well.
Interestingly, a preview for Episode 3 teases another time jump, this time with a second son for Aegon actually alive following his marriage to Alicent Hightower. Which means we’re likely to get right to the action in a clash between Targaryen and Stepstones forces. And maybe we’ll actually see whether Crabfeeder will actually speak. We once again see a bit more of Drahar’s striking visage in the episode preview, revealing a bit more detail on the mask the prince admiral wears.
In a preview for the show’s third episode we get a better look at the sinister Drahar and what’s on his face. He’s shown twice, peering into the eyes of someone he seems to be leaving for the crabs to feed on, and again when the show teases the arrival of a dragon on the battlefield.
HBO on YouTube
Fans of the books may already know Drahar’s fate, but it will certainly be interesting to see if the show deviates from its source material and — if not — exactly how that story will play out on the beaches of Westeros and beyond.
Michael Jordan was considered one of the most fierce and dedicated competitors in the history of sports. You may recognize the famous basketball player from nicknames such as “MJ,” “Air Jordan,” “His Airness,” “The G.O.A.T” (Greatest of All Time) or even “Black Jesus.”
His win-at-all-costs attitude was unquestioned, and yet, in a recently unearthed video from the ’80s, “His Airness” demonstrated a kinder side and a commitment to helping others through philanthropic endeavors. With 2.4 million views and counting, it’s clear people love seeing Jordan redefine greatness once again.
The video shows a seemingly sweet game of wheelchair basketball starring 16-year-old Eric Barber in a one-on-one competition with the six-time world champion and 14-time All-Star Michael Jordan.
u201cIn his third season in the NBA, Michael Jordan is the brightest young star in the league. He is challenged by 16-year-old Eric Barber to a game of wheelchair basketball. First to 20 wins (1987)nnWatch…u201d
The spirited young Barber quickly takes it to an unsuspecting Jordan, accumulating a sizable lead. A cheeky Kareem Abdul-Jabbar style sky hook gives the 16-year-old an opportune 14-4 advantage. As the crowd’s applause elevates, a noticeably irritated Jordan—he doesn’t like to lose—starts dipping into his vast competitive experience to mount a comeback.
Just as the tide seems to turn through an impressive display of (seated) jumpers, bank shots and some signature intense defense, Barber finds his sweet spot burying a 15-footer to end an entertaining game. Big smiles can be found on all in attendance and even the great Michael Jordan himself. The fans on the scene were treated to a surprisingly intense and creative game.
According to the borgenproject.org, a humanitarian enterprise addressing areas of poverty and world hunger, an estimated 100 million people in the world need a wheelchair. More challenging, 75 million, that’s literally two-thirds, can not afford one. Philanthropic programs such as Wheelchair Foundation receive donations and put their efforts into action. Wheelchair Foundation has delivered or committed to distribute 1,157,425 wheelchairs to date.
When it comes to activities leading to inspirational action such as that witnessed in the heartwarming video featuring “MJ” and young Eric Barber, the National Wheelchair Basketball Association, founded in 1949, continues to host events and leagues across America throughout the year.
His charitable contributions of time and dollars continue year after year. In 2020, he made a pledge of $100 million dollars focusing on social justice, economic justice, and education and awareness. He intended to distribute those funds to organizations such as NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) and the Formerly Incarcerated & Convicted People and Families Movement (FICPFM).
It would appear that competitive spirit has found its way into this historic athlete’s generosity. However, if Jordan wishes to move up the list of accomplished major donors, he still has some considerable work ahead. When it comes to putting your money where your mouth is, Bill and Melinda Gates sit on top, having donated an incredible $15 billion dollars through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Some consolation to the former champion’s loss highlighted in the video that’s making its way through social media: Eric Barber went on to represent four U.S Paralympic wheelchair basketball teams, taking home two bronze medals in the process. “The GOAT” never had a chance.
Look, I get it. You’re there minding your own business, relaxing in the cool ocean waters, when out of nowhere—like, without even the common courtesy of the “Jaws” theme song to offer a fair warning—you find yourself right next to a shark.
Your immediate response? SWIM AWAY AS FAST AS YOU CAN.
Though this survival instinct is completely understandable, sit back and allow two experts to explain why that’s a bad idea.
Kayleigh Grant and Andriana Fragola are both trained scuba divers who have had their fair amount of dealings with all sorts of aquatic creatures, including sharks.
A recent video clip of theirs has been swimming around the internet because it perfectly demonstrates how to safely avoid a shark attack—using a real-life shark.
On camera we see Fragola being approached by a tiger shark while in Oahu, Hawaii.
Meanwhile Grant’s voice can be heard saying, “Andy is demonstrating why we do not want to splash and swim away from sharks.”
She continued, “Splashing and swimming away imitates what prey does. When we’re dealing with top predators like sharks we want to also act like a predator.”
So, instead of trying to swim away, we see Fragola calmly turn around and face the creature while maintaining eye contact.
She even manages the bravest snoot boop of all time—reaching out and pushing the tiger shark’s nose to redirect it. Apparently this is strictly a “tiger shark” thing, so please don’t go trying this technique with a great white.
And in case it’s not obvious: While it’s great that these two pros can offer tips for interacting safely with apex predators, it’s still maybe not the best idea to go seeking out these types of encounters. In fact, both divers repeatedly use the “do not attempt” disclaimer on many of their videos.
This hack does come at an opportune time, considering the supposed recent uptick in recorded shark interactions along the United States East Coast, for reasons that are still under debate.
However, Grant did advise in her caption that “just like bears and other predators,” sharks “typically want nothing to do with humans” and are “not the man-eating monsters the media portrays.”
Only Murders in the Building used to be a show about an apartment building, and now it’s all about theater. In the season two finale, Oliver Putnam (Martin Short) directs a killer reveal. Putnam was a successful Broadway director, but became most known for his biggest failure: a disastrous, dangerous, and campy adaptation of the 1984 film Splash! For the reveal, Putnam enlists the most colorful residents of the Arconia as supporting characters in the production. Given what we know about Oliver – chaos is as attached to him as he is to dips – the killer reveal is ridden with tension. Something could go wrong at any moment. But the elaborate production goes all according to plan, save for a few try-hard performances from Arconia’s quirkiest.
Throughout the series, we’ve watched the Only Murders in the Building podcast within the show better each host: Charles (Steve Martin), Mabel (Selena Gomez) and Oliver. For Oliver, the podcast has reactivated his talent, ambition, and love for the theater. By the end of the season finale, Oliver is directing a real Broadway show that does not involve any life-threatening sets (that we know of right now). But Oliver’s journey has also been quite dark: in the first season, his relationship with his son is strained due to his financial needs, and in season two, just as his relationship with the son is on the mend, Oliver learns that he is not his son’s biological father. The contrast between the camp and the drama is hard to pull off: not many actors can do both, and not many that can do it as well as Martin Short. Oliver, always the elephant in the room thanks to his uniform of a waistcoat, matching trousers and a colorful scarf, is Only Murders in the Building’s most valuable character, and Short’s performance is one of the best on television.
Following the season two finale, Hulu announced that Only Murders in the Building has been renewed for a third season, which we know, thanks to the finale, will focus even more on theater. The first season of the murder mystery series was charming, cozy, and intimate. It focused on a small, narrowly focused world, and was mostly set inside the Arconia, with a few carefully selected guest stars including Sting, Amy Ryan and Nathan Lane. In season one, the murders were truly in the building. Season two, which unraveled the mystery behind the death of Arconia co-op president Bunny Folger, in contrast, was sprawling. It expanded the world far outside the Arconia and had a seemingly endless roster of guest stars: you can now find Only Murders in the Building on the IMDB pages of Cara Delevingne and Michael Rappaport, for example. There were so many guest stars in season two, in fact, that I hardly remember why Amy Schumer was there, and Shirley Maclaine’s (absolutely perfect) scenes feel like they happened years ago. In the end, Bunny’s murder, which happened inside Mabel’s apartment, had nothing to do with the Arconia besides the fact that it happened there.
Every time the second season felt dry or meandering, Short saved the day with a simple, unexpected Adam Driver-inspired pronunciation of a word (the way Short says “theater” is a work out of art on its own). From fighting Nathan Lane in an elevator in a way only a musical theater professional would to lovingly talking about and carrying dips, Short is the heart and soul of Only Murders in the Building, so much so that it has shifted its focus to theater both in season two, and season three: the season two finale introduces Paul Rudd as an actor in Oliver’s Broadway show, and ends with his puzzling on-stage death. It has since been announced that Rudd will be in season three. No matter how clunky Only in Murders in the Building gets, and no matter how famous the guest stars, as long as it has Martin Short, it will remain one of the most comforting shows on television.
Like her mentor, Beyoncé, emerging pop-R&B star Chlöe is also apparently becoming a favorite of HBCU marching bands. During a Saturday night matchup between Alabama State University and Howard University for the MEAC/SWAC Classic, Alabama’s drill team the Honey Beez put on an enthusiastic, gold-clad showcase to Chlöe’s second solo single “Treat Me.” The Honey Beez twirled, twerked, tossed their matching high ponytails, and did the splits as the band turned the uptempo “Treat Me” into a blowout of epic proportions.
When Chlöe saw a clip that had been uploaded to Twitter the next day, she couldn’t contain her love for it. “Ahh, I love this!!” she wrote. “I’ve always wanted to perform my song on the field.”
“Treat Me” peaked at No. 81 on the Billboard Hot 100, giving the singer her second solo Hot 100 appearance after her solo debut “Have Mercy” managed to climb to No. 28. She later revealed that she wrote the song while going through a breakup. Its spicy video, which was inspired by Grace Jones and Janet Jackson, prompted some fans to joke that she’d doubled down on the overt sexiness of the “Have Mercy” video in response to critics who wanted her to tone it down.
You can see the Alabama State Honey Beez’s routine and Chlöe’s joyous response above.
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