Impractical Jokers star Joe Gatto responds to viral TikTok alleging sexual assault

Joe Gatto, one of the founding members of prank show Impractical Jokers, has released a statement after a woman accused him of sexual assault in a TikTok. The comedian said he had “used poor judgement” in the past but “wouldn’t assault anyone”.

The TikTok user, who posted under the name joozyb, said she met Gatto in Milwaukee in 2023, when she was 19. She claimed that she began texting him after approaching him in a restaurant in the hopes of getting a free ticket to his show.

Gatto allegedly gave her a pair of tickets and the two, according to the accuser, continued to exchange texts after his gig. She claimed that he eventually invited her to her hotel room, and that she went, at which time “some stuff happened.”

She declined to go into detail about what occurred, but shared screenshots purportedly showing exchanges with the comedian, as well as a bruise that she claimed he gave her.

“I got sexually assaulted by Joe Gatto, the Impractical Joker,” Joozy claimed in one of her subsequent posts that day. The main post about her allegations has received more than eight million views.

Gatto, 48, issued a statement on Saturday (22 March) denying the allegations.

“I have used poor judgment and as a result have violated the trust of the people I love most,” Gatto said in the statement reported by Variety. “But anyone who knows me at all knows full well that I wouldn’t assault anyone.

“Working on myself is an ongoing process, and I am now going to take some time away from the public eye to focus my energies where I need to.”

The comedian was one of the founding members of the Impractical Jokers show, which ran on truTV and earned a sizeable fandom. He began on the show in 2011 and appeared in more than 240 episodes as well at a movie version of the show.

He eventually left the prank show in 2021.

At the time of his departure, Gatto cited “issues in my personal life” and announced he and his wife, Bessy, were splitting up.

“Sorry in advance for the long and more-serious-than-usual note below, I just wanted to let you all know that I will no longer be involved with ‘Impractical Jokers,’” Gatto wrote in an Instagram post in 2021. “Alongside my friends, I’ve devoted a decade of my life to building this franchise and couldn’t be prouder of what has been accomplished. However, due to some issues in my personal life, I have to step away. Bessy and I have decided to amicably part ways, so now I need to focus on being the best father and co-parent to our two incredible kids.”

Gatto and his wife got back together in 2023.

At the time, Gatto’s cast mates issued a statement saying they “never imagined making Impractical Jokers” without Gatto on the show.

“We want to keep making people laugh, keep our relationship with the Impractical Jokers fans going, and keep working with the members of our team we consider family,” the group wrote in response to Gatto’s leaving.

Impractical Jokers is still on the air and is in its 11th season, now airing on TBS.

David Cronenberg Thinks ‘The Brutalist’ AI Backlash Was a Smear Campaign by Other Oscar Nominees: “A Harvey Weinstein Kind of Thing”

Bowen Yang Says “It’s a Miracle” That ‘Wicked’ Is Out Given the Political Climate: “It’s About Racism and Fascism”

David Cronenberg has offered up his thoughts on the backlash that the Oscar-winning film The Brutalist was on the receiving end of throughout awards season.

The Canadian filmmaker was at a London Soundtrack Festival talk with career-long collaborator Howard Shore to discuss some of the films they’ve partnered on over the years.

The two visionaries discussed M. Butterfly, Cronenberg’s 1993 film about a French diplomat (Jeremy Irons) who becomes infatuated with a Chinese opera performer, Song Liling (John Lone). Their affair lasts for 20 years, and they subsequently marry, but Irons’ character is unaware or willfully ignorant that Liling is a man.

Cronenberg compared his editing of the film to the criticism surrounding Brady Corbet’s post-war epic when it was revealed that artificial intelligence was used on the film’s lead, Brody (who went on to win the best actor Oscar for his performance), to enhance the accuracy of his character’s Hungarian accent.

“I must confess, there was a scandal [with] The Brutalist,” the director began at London’s Royal Festival Hall. “There was a discussion about Adrien Brody… but apparently they used artificial intelligence to improve his accent. I think it was a campaign against The Brutalist by some other Oscar nominees. It’s very much a Harvey Weinstein kind of thing, though he wasn’t around.”

“We mess with actors’ voices all the time,” Cronenberg continued. “In the case of John (Lone), when he was being this character, this singer, I raised the pitch of his voice [to sound more feminine] and when he’s revealed as a man, I lowered to his natural voice. This is just a part of moviemaking.”

Cronenberg and Shore have collaborated on all of the former’s films, bar one, since 1979. At Saturday’s discussion, they unpacked movies such as The Fly (1986), Dead Ringers (1988), M. Butterfly (1993), Crash (1996) and most recently, The Shrouds (1994).

While the two stayed clear of any political talk, Shore did open up on incorporating a myriad of sounds into Cronenberg’s films, such as jazz in Naked Lunch or electric guitar in Crash. “What I like to think we tried to do is work around the frame,” the Canadian composer said. “It wasn’t going into the center of the image. [The music] was always the exterior. That’s where I was looking at, and I would do things to broaden and create more depth in the story.”

The duo go way back — they grew up in the same Toronto neighborhood and Shore would watch Cronenberg get around on his motorcycle. Now, the pair is in their late 70s (Shore) and early 80s (Cronenberg). Shore says his sound can be traced through the 16 films the pair have worked together on.

“After The Fly, I was seriously getting used to the opera sound,” Shore said. “And from Dead Ringers, it inherited the three horns of [Peter Jackson’s] Fellowship of the Ring. So there’s a connection between David’s film and Peter Jackson, and really, all through the late ’80s and ’90s, all the films I was doing, I was building up from David’s original concept. The films have been like a spine. You can see my work from beginning to end all through David’s films.”

With James Spader, Cronenberg even discussed the controversy around his daring 1996 project Crash, which was about a man aroused by car crashes. “The film caused a huge sensation [at the] Cannes Film Festival in 1996,” he said. “Alexander Walker was a very famous film critic here, said this was a film ‘beyond the bounds of depravity’, which of course I loved. We actually used in some our ads.” Shore added, prompting laughter from the audience: “I went to Spain after Cannes and I was on a desolate beach. Next to me, poking out under a rock, was a newspaper clip that had blown in from somewhere. I dusted it off and it said: ‘Crash: ban this sex-crazed film.’”

The filmmaker also said it “suits him” to not have received an Oscar nomination throughout his colorful career. “I’m Canadian… Oscars are an American thing,” he joked.

Conan O’Brien is set to receive the Mark Twain Prize for humor as…

WASHINGTON (AP) – Conan O’Brien is set to receive the Mark Twain Prize on Sunday night at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, where the backstage drama of the host institution may hang over the celebration.

O’Brien, 61, was named the latest recipient of the award for lifetime achievement in comedy in mid-January, about three weeks before President Donald Trump upended the Kennedy Center by ousting the longtime president and the board chairman. Trump dismissed the board of directors and replaced them with loyalists, who then elected him as chairman.

In announcing the changes, Trump posted on social media that the dismissed individuals “do not share our Vision for a Golden Age in Arts and Culture.”

How that vision takes shape remains to be seen, but Trump has spoken about wanting to book more Broadway shows there and floated the idea of granting Kennedy Center Honors status to actor Sylvester Stallone and singer-songwriter Paul Anka.

Into this maelstrom steps O’Brien, whose comedic persona has never been particularly political. The comic has always tended more towards goofiness and self-deprecation. But he has also leaned into sensitive societal issues at times. In 2011, O’Brien officiated a gay wedding live on his show, overseeing the marriage of his longtime costume designer Scott Cronick and his partner David Gorshein.

O´Brien vaulted into the spotlight from near-total obscurity in 1993 when he was chosen to replace David Letterman as host of “Late Night” despite no significant on-camera experience. The former Harvard Lampoon editor had spent the previous years as a writer for “Saturday Night Live” and “The Simpsons,” appearing on camera only as an occasional background extra in “SNL” skits.

FILE – Conan O’Brien takes part in a panel discussion during the South by Southwest Conference and Festival, March 11, 2025, in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Jack Plunkett/Invision/AP, File)

He went on to host “Late Night” for 16 years, longer than any other host. O’Brien was later tapped to replace Jay Leno as host of “The Tonight Show,” but that experiment ended in public failure. After seven months of declining ratings, NBC executives brought Leno back for a new show that would bump “The Tonight Show” back. O´Brien refused to accept the move, leading to a public spat that ended with a multimillion-dollar payout for O´Brien and his staff to exit the network in early 2010.

O’Brien went on to host another talk show on the cable station TBS, while launching successful podcasts and travel shows. He is currently on a late-career elder statesman hot streak. His travel series, “Conan O´Brien Must Go,” sparked popular and critical acclaim, with a second season coming. His recent gig hosting the Academy Awards was so well received that the producers announced they are bringing him back next year.

In the wake of Trump’s takeover of the Kennedy Center, several artists, including the producers of “Hamilton” and actress and writer Issa Rae, announced they were canceling appearances at the venue.

Others have chosen to perform while making their sentiments known from the stage. Leftist comic W. Kamau Bell directly addressed the controversy in his performance just days after the shake-up. Earlier this month, cellist Erin Murphy ended her set with a performance of the Woody Guthrie protest anthem, “All You Fascists Bound to Lose.”

Mark Twain recipients typically receive tributes and testimonials from a star-studded collection of comics and celebrities. Given the nature of comedians, it seems likely that some of them on Sunday evening will address the issue of the institution’s uncertain future.

Other comedians receiving the lifetime achievement award include both Letterman and Leno, along with George Carlin, Whoopi Goldberg, Bob Newhart, Carol Burnett Bill Murray and Dave Chappelle.

The ceremony will be streamed on Netflix later this year. The date has not been announced.

President Donald Trump tours the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, Monday, March 17, 2025. (Pool via AP)

President Donald Trump attends a board meeting at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, Monday, March 17, 2025. (Pool via AP)

Black Grape and Happy Mondays star dies as tributes pour in for ‘Wags’

Black Grape and Happy Mondays star dies as tributes pour in for ‘Wags’

Paris Angels and Black Grape star Paul ‘Wags’ Wagstaff has died. Tributes have poured in for the musician, who has been part of Domino Bones and Happy Mondays, as they reminisced on his ‘kind heart and a lightness of touch with the disenfranchised.’

Sharing the news, presenter Terry Christian wrote on X: “R.I.P Paul ‘Wags’ Wagstaff guitarist with Manchester bands Paris Angels and of course Black Grape and more recently Happy Mondays. Like asking where the music goes when it stops playing – that Manchester vibe Paul was a part of will always be in ‘the area’.”

Wagstaff also performed with Domino Bones and played in the reformed Happy Mondays. The Blackheads frontman Mike Bennett paid tribute to the star in a statement.

He said: “Legendary Paul Wagstaff also known as Wags was an important part of Paris Angels, Black Grape and Happy Mondays. I knew him for years and he was not just a musician but a literary scholar, and always had a kind heart and a lightness of touch with the disenfranchised.

“Needless to say I dipped in and out of that category and I have to say that his advice, kind heart scholastic words stopped me from making wrong decision and venturing through dark corridors. Despite his own physical deliberations I found him self deprecating, upbeat and creatively of genius proportions.”

The guitarist was most recently working on a project with his long-term partner Tamara Smith – who is an actress for the Royal Shakespeare Company as well as a poet and playwright.

Paying tribute, Mike continued: “His influence on Tamara’s new body of work will remain substantial and my heart goers out to her, as they have always been quite literally soulmates who looked at life through a very special lens and certainly made a difference both in the local community as well as touching peoples hearts in the artistic community all over the world.

“He was a one off and told me great stories of working with the likes of Joe Strummer and Snow Patrol. We will never see his like again!”

Singer-songwriter Badly Drawn Boy posted: “I’m very saddened to hear of the sudden passing of Wags.. aka Paul Wagstaff. He was always a really lovely bloke, and a truly talented and soulful guitarist. Very sad news.”

One fan wrote: “RIP Paul “Wags” Wagstaff. Guitarist with Paris Angels and Black Grape, and – from meeting him at the Town & Country Club in 1991 – lovely bloke.”

Wagstaff is survived by long-term partner Tamara Smith.

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TikToker Alleges She Was Sexually Assaulted by Former “Impractical Jokers” Star Joe Gatto When She Was 19

TikToker Alleges She Was Sexually Assaulted by Former “Impractical Jokers” Star Joe Gatto When She Was 19

Charna Flam

March 22, 2025 at 2:58 PM

Former Impractical Jokers star Joe Gatto is facing accusations of sexually assaulting a 19-year-old woman.

In a Thursday, March 20, TikTok video, user joozyb said, “I got sexually assaulted by Joe Gatto, the Impractical Joker.”

In a separate TikTok video, she detailed how she met the comedian while he was performing in Milwaukee in September 2023. She began the video by explaining that she, her sister, and her mother saw Gatto at a restaurant during brunch and asked to take a photo.

She revealed later that day that she messaged Gatto, now 48, via Instagram in hopes of receiving a free ticket to his comedy show. He then gifted her two show tickets and meet-and-greet tickets to his Milwaukee show at the Pabst Theater. Per his calendar, Gatto was in Milwaukee on Sept. 8, 2023.

Related: Joe Gatto Doesn’t Watch Impractical Jokers Since Leaving the Show — But Says He ‘Never’ Did (Exclusive)

After the show, the TikToker – who attended the show alone – took a photo with him at the event and then returned home. She claimed that while she was speaking with her roommate, they were drinking, and she was messaging Gatto via Instagram direct messages. “I was drunk, whatever, and he was texting me all this stuff. And, like, it was starting to get a little weird, you know,” the TikTok user claimed in the video.

She claimed that after their initial conversation, Gatto put the messages in vanish mode. Vanish mode is a setting when users “send each other disappearing messages, photos, videos and other content in Instagram chats” that will disappear when someone leaves the chat or turns the mode off, per Instagram.

She then alleged that he gave her instructions on how to get to his hotel. Upon arrival, she said, “Somebody led me to the elevator, and somebody was on the elevator with me and pressed the button.”

Related: Impractical Jokers’ Joe Gatto Says He Has No Plans to Return to Prank Show: ‘I Am So Removed From It’

While she did not go into detail about what allegedly happened next between her and Gatto, she alleges “some stuff happened.”

The TikToker then showed an image from the hotel and showed a time stamp of Sept. 9, 2023, at 2:26 a.m., claiming that’s when she left the hotel.

As she concluded the video, she said, “I’ve been wanting to tell people this for so long. I’ve like, tried in different ways, but it’s hard with somebody this big, [I] come to the realization that if I do say something, that I’m really saying something.”

Before posting the TikTok video detailing the alleged incident, she uploaded a TikTok montage of photos they took together before the alleged encounter and alleged screenshots of their conversations. She then uploaded another TikTok shortly after of just an image of a bruised buttock, which she alleged occurred from the encounter with Gatto.

“Yes he did S.A me. yes he had JUST gotten back together with his wife. I’m sorry you guys don’t want to hear it but,” she captioned the photo TikTok.

PEOPLE reached out to Gatto’s representatives and the TikTok user for comment.

Gatto announced in January 2022 via an Instagram post that he was exiting the popular truTV hidden camera television series after a decade “due to some issues in my personal life.”

“Alongside my friends, I’ve devoted a decade of my life to building this franchise and couldn’t be prouder of what has been accomplished. However, due to some issues in my personal life, I have to step away,” he continued. He also noted that he and his wife, Bessy Gatto, “decided to amicably part ways” following their 2013 marriage.

Since that initial announcement, Joe and wife Bessy announced in September 2023 that they got back together.

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If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.

Read the original article on People

Startling new Camilla claim: ‘Didn’t want to’

Camilla once loathed the idea of being queen — and she had a few choice words for her husband.

The claim was made by royal author Tom Quinn in his new book, Yes Ma’am: The Secret Life of Royal Servants.

Quinn spoke to hundreds of former and current palace staff members to learn what it’s like to watch over the House of Windsor.

Fox News Digital reached out to Buckingham Palace for comment.

A spokesman previously told the publication: “We don’t comment on such books.”

“Camilla definitely didn’t want to be queen because she’s intelligent enough to know that once you become queen or a senior member of the royal family, you are constantly under the microscope,” Quinn told Fox News Digital.

“And I think Camilla, right back in the 1970s when she first met Charles, decided, ‘I don’t want to marry.’ Not because she didn’t love him. I think she would’ve liked to marry him.

“But apparently, she said, ‘I’m not going to be able to cope with being queen. I don’t want to be queen because it’s too much focus, too much attention on me.’ She enjoyed being able to have a private life away from the limelight. But Charles refused to give up.”

A member of staff claimed to Quinn that Camilla “hated the idea of being queen.” The unnamed aide claimed that Camilla would regularly say to Charles, “Can’t we get away from all this protocol? It’s all bollocks.” But Charles, who “hates swearing,” would reply, “You’re going to do it [become queen] for me, darling.”

Quinn claimed that even after Camilla married Charles in 2005, she was always worried about taking on the title of queen.

After long being recognised as a mistress, the now 77-year-old was eager to enjoy a quieter life without the scrutiny.

“Everything is focused on what you do,” Quinn explained. “You’ve got the press, which, in the UK, is sometimes very intrusive on the royal family. You’ve got the media in general, you’ve got the world’s press, television — everything is focused on what you do.”

“[But] Charles continued the relationship, as it’s well known, through his marriage to [Princess] Diana,” Quinn shared. “It was only because Charles wouldn’t give up that Camilla is queen. But I also think, as she got older, she realised that she could manage being queen. She could manage the lifestyle that Charles couldn’t escape. And that’s why, in the end, I think they did get together and marry.”

But the king’s children, Prince William and Prince Harry, were said to not be keen on having Camilla as a stepmother, let alone a future queen consort.

Quinn claimed in his book that the brothers “could be cruel about Camilla,” nicknaming her “Lady Macbeth,” “Cruella de Vil” and “The Witch of the West.”

But their pleas for Charles not to marry Camilla fell on deaf ears.

“Many of the staff said to me that Charles’ reliance on Camilla is very much like William’s reliance on [his wife] Kate [Middleton],” Quinn explained. “Charles relies on Camilla for stability and warmth and all the emotional stuff that he didn’t get as a child. And that’s why he couldn’t give her up.

“They did brilliantly to turn Camilla from someone who was widely disliked, even hated, because she was seen as the other woman in Charles’ relationship with Diana. And now, she’s very well-liked, which was a very difficult thing to do. And it speaks volumes about her.”

“In a way, it’s a very romantic story,” Quinn reflected. “They didn’t give up on each other.”

It took years for many in Britain to forgive Charles, the man whose admitted infidelity brought such pain to “the people’s princess” before she died in a Paris car crash in 1997.

But the public mood softened after Charles married Camilla Parker-Bowles in 2005, and she became the Duchess of Cornwall.

Although Camilla played a significant role in the break-up of Charles’ first marriage, she eventually won over many Britons due to her down-to-earth style.

She also softened Charles’ hard edges and made him appear more approachable.

In February 2022, Queen Elizabeth II expressed her “sincere wish” that Camilla be known as “Queen Consort” when Charles ascended to the throne. The queen, England’s longest-reigning monarch, died in September of that year at age 96.

Royal aides had suggested that Camilla didn’t want to be called queen and “intended” to be known instead as “Princess Consort,” which would have been a first in British history.

But the careful use of the word “intend” led to the possibility of change later on.

When Camilla was crowned alongside her husband in 2023, she officially became known as “Queen Camilla.”

Months before the coronation, Harry opened up about his stepmother.

In interviews leading up to the January 2023 publication of his memoir Spare, Harry accused Camilla of leaking private conversations to the media to burnish her own reputation. He also accused members of the royal family of getting “into bed with the devil” to gain favourable tabloid coverage, singling out Camilla’s efforts to rehabilitate her image after her longtime affair with his father.

“That made her dangerous because of the connections that she was forging within the British press,” he told CBS. “There was open willingness on both sides to trade information. And with a family built on hierarchy, and with her on the way to being queen consort, there was going to be people or bodies left in the street.”

Writing about his father’s wedding to Camilla, Harry says: “I had complex feelings about gaining a step-parent who, I believed, had recently sacrificed me on her personal PR altar.”

Still, he says he wanted his father to be happy.

“In a funny way, I even wanted Camilla to be happy. Maybe she’d be less dangerous if she was happy?”

In his book, Harry said that both he and William had previously “begged” their father not to marry Camilla, worried she would become a “wicked stepmother.”

Charles is said to not be taking any of Harry’s phone calls — and for one royal author, it’s easy to see why.

“When Harry branded his stepmother Camilla a ‘villain’ in his book and revealed that both he and William initially begged their father not to marry her, Harry committed what Charles regards as a cardinal sin,” Christopher Andersen, author of The King, previously told Fox News Digital.

“No one disses Camilla in royal circles and gets away with it — not even a son of the king,” Andersen warned.

Anderson also noted that Harry’s explosive memoir was a major blow to his father.

“I think Charles could forgive Harry for some of the trouble he’s caused — including bailing on the monarchy … slamming his brother William for bullying behaviour and suing for royal protection when visiting the U.K. But Charles is having a hard time forgiving Harry for taking what he sees as gratuitous potshots at his beloved Queen Camilla,” he said.

“This still remains a thorn in the king’s side,” Andersen claimed.

George Foreman, championship boxer and grill star, dies at 76

The two-time heavyweight champ and Olympic gold medalist became the famous face of the George Foreman Grill and even starred in his own ABC sitcom, “George.”

George Foreman, the boxing great who went on to become a grill entrepreneur and occasional TV star, has died. He was 76.

Foreman’s official Instagram account announced the news on Friday night. “Our hearts are broken. With profound sorrow, we announce the passing of our beloved George Edward Foreman Sr., who peacefully departed on March 21, 2025, surrounded by loved ones,” the statement read. “A devout preacher, a devoted husband, a loving father, and a proud grand- and great-grandfather, he lived a life marked by unwavering faith, humility, and purpose.”

A two-time world heavyweight champion and an Olympic gold medalist, Foreman is widely considered one of the greatest boxers of all time, yet his achievements in the ring seldom overshadowed his achievements as a businessman or his convictions as a born-again Christian. He also worked as a ringside commentator for HBO for 12 years, and appeared on numerous television series, including the short-lived ABC sitcom George, the reality travel series Better Late Than Never, and the music competition show The Masked Singer.

The post on Foreman’s account went on to describe the late boxer as “a humanitarian, an Olympian, and two-time heavyweight champion of the world” who “was deeply respected — a force for good, a man of discipline, conviction, and a protector of his legacy, fighting tirelessly to preserve his good name — for his family.”

The post concluded, “We are grateful for the outpouring of love and prayers, and kindly ask for privacy as we honor the extraordinary life of a man we were blessed to call our own.”

Sheryl Lee Ralph, who starred on George with the boxer in 1993, paid tribute to him on Instagram. “My heart is with the Foreman family today. George had a smile as wide as his spirit and a heart full of kindness,” she wrote. “I’ll never forget how eager he was to learn, grow, and give his all.”

Of the images she included with the post she wrote, “These photos take me back to 1993, when we filmed his very first sitcom, George. From the ring to the screen, he showed up with joy, humility, and heart. Rest well, my friend.”

Born in 1949 in Marshall, Texas, Foreman began his boxing career as an amateur in 1967, rising through the ranks and eventually defeating the Soviet Union boxer Jonas Čepulis in just two rounds to win the gold medal for heavyweight boxing at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics.

Foreman went pro in 1969, amassing a 37-0 record over the next four years. He faced off against undefeated reigning champion Joe Frazier in 1973 for his first shot at the Heavyweight Championship, ultimately emerging victorious over Frazier, in his first defeat, in January 1973. Foreman successfully defended his title against José Roman and Ken Norton, then lost it in his only fight against Muhammad Ali — his first professional loss — at the iconic “Rumble in the Jungle” face-off in 1974.

Following a yearlong hiatus, Foreman won five more fights in 1976 and early 1977 before being defeated by Jimmy Young, resulting in a near-death experience that prompted his unofficial retirement and his conversion to Christianity. He joined the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, a Holiness Pentecostal in Houston, eventually becoming its pastor in 1980 and opening a youth center.

Foreman returned to the ring in 1987, launching a 24-fight winning streak that lasted three years before his third-ever loss to Evander Holyfield in 1991 in a championship challenge. Three years later, he successfully defeated Michael Moorer to regain heavyweight championship status, becoming the oldest fighter to ever hold a world championship at age 45.

Foreman continued boxing until 1997, when he was defeated by Shannon Briggs, prompting his retirement with an overall pro record of 76-5. He then worked as a ringside analyst for HBO for more than a decade.

During his comeback, Foreman began promoting Salton, Inc.’s portable grill in 1994. The company ultimately paid the boxer over $137 million for the rights to use his name on the product.

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Foreman is survived by his wife, his five sons — all named George Foreman — and his six daughters.

Rachel Zegler shares childhood photo dressed as Snow White amid flop

Rachel Zegler shared a throwback photo of herself dressed as Snow White as she continues to face backlash over Disney’s live-action remake.

The West Side Story actress, 23, took to Instagram on Saturday to post an adorable 2004 photo of herself as a young child dressed as the iconic fairytale princess.

She also included a behind-the-scenes snap from the film’s set, where she wears Snow White’s signature look with the addition of a shawl and bonnet while seated in a director’s chair.

The movie, which has been met with overwhelmingly negative reviews, is struggling at the box office.

‘2004 to NOW — dreams really do come true. Snow White is now in theaters!’ she captioned the post.

Her post follows a surprising shift in tone after previously criticizing the original Snow White movie.

Rachel Zegler shared a throwback photo of herself dressed as Snow White as she continues to face backlash over Disney’s live-action remake

The West Side Story actress, 23, took to Instagram on Saturday to post an adorable 2004 photo of herself as a young child dressed as the iconic fairytale princess

She also included a behind-the-scenes snap from the film’s set, where she wears Snow White’s signature look with the addition of a shawl and bonnet while seated in a director’s chair

Years after calling the 1937 classic ‘weird’ and ‘sexist,’ Zegler appears to be walking back her comments amid the controversy surrounding Disney’s remake.

While appearing on Thursday’s episode of Good Morning America, Zegler took fans by surprise by gushing about how ‘honored’ she was to play the iconic princess.

Zegler — who attended a screening of the film later in the day — also claimed to be a ‘huge Disney fan’ despite her past criticisms.

Read More Rachel Zegler pushes ahead with Snow White screening as Disney braces for $240M ‘woke’ disaster

‘It was the honor of a lifetime. I think every young person dreams about a phone call like that,’ Zegler said of getting cast by Disney in 2021. ‘This one is certainly extra special as a huge Disney fan.

‘To get to bring her to life in such a unique way and such a special way, it’s just a beautiful opportunity, and I’m very honored.’

Zegler’s remarks come amid ‘awful’ reviews for the controversial $270million reboot and a ‘scaled-back’ press tour that fueled rumors of a feud between her and co-star Gal Gadot, who plays the Evil Queen.

Elsewhere in Thursday’s interview, Zegler spoke about the film’s ‘modern’ twist, which has been heavily criticized as ‘woke’ due to tweaks made to the ‘sexist’ romance plot and the replacement of dwarf actors with CGI.

Zegler’s personal politics, such as her pro-Palestine stance and public condemnation of President Donald Trump, have also added to the backlash.

The actress, 23, stars as the titular character in Disney’s ‘ woke ‘ live-action remake of the classic 1937 animated film, which hits theaters on March 21

Zegler spoke about the film’s ‘modern’ twist, which has been heavily criticized as ‘woke’ due to tweaks made to the ‘sexist’ romance plot and the replacement of dwarf actors with CGI

‘It’s all about bridging a classic to a modern age to bring it to these beautiful young people,’ Zegler told viewers.

‘[Snow White’s] superpower remains her heart, you know, that’s always been the core of this story.

‘That’s always been the core of the Disney Company.’

She also insisted that the upcoming live-action film is for both children and the ‘inner child in all of us.’

Zegler first criticized David Hand’s 1937 original animated Snow White in 2022 during an interview with Extra TV at that year’s D23 Expo.

She called the film ‘extremely dated when it comes to the ideas of women being in roles of power.’ She also admitted she has only seen it once.

‘The original cartoon came out in 1937, and very evidently so. There’s a big focus on her love story with a guy who literally stalks her. Weird. So we didn’t do that this time,’ Zegler told the interviewer.

‘We have a different approach to what I’m sure a lot of people will assume is a love story just because we cast a guy in the movie.’

The ‘guy’ she is referring to, Andrew Burnap, plays a man named Jonathan.

‘All of Andrew’s scenes could get cut, who knows? It’s Hollywood, baby!’ Zegler joked.

Zegler also previously revealed she refused to sing the beloved song Some Day My Prince Will Come from the 1937 classic.

‘We didn’t do that this time. I was scared of the original version. I think I watched it once and never picked it up again,’ Zegler told Variety in 2022.

Zegler said her character is ‘not going to be saved by the prince. She’s not going to be dreaming about true love. She’s dreaming about becoming the leader she knows she can be,’ when she spoke at the Disney expo last year.

‘She’s dreaming about becoming the leader that her late father told her she could be if she was fearless, fair, brave and true,’ she later gushed to Variety as her co-star Gadot smiled beside her.

Later in the day, Zegler attended a special screening of Snow White at The Whitby Hotel

She met many young fans dressed as the Disney princess

Meanwhile, a feud is also rumored to be ongoing between the West Side Story actress and Gadot.

Sources have claimed the pair have ‘nothing in common’, citing their age gap – Zegler is 23 and Gadot is 39 – and differing political views.

Read MoreEXCLUSIVE Disney’s woke Snow White remake slapped with trigger warnings about it containing ‘ominous trees’

The Wonder Woman star was also absent from the film’s secret Spanish premiere last week.

According to PEOPLE, ‘Gal is a mother of four, while Rachel is in a completely different stage of life.

‘On top of that, their political views differ, adding to the tension’.

Israeli-born Gadot, who served in the IDF, has publicly supported the release of Israeli hostages while Zegler has used her platform to voice support for Palestine amid the conflict in Gaza.

This divide has reportedly further fueled their feud.

After a series of PR nightmares, Disney scaled back the Snow White premieres to host a ‘handful’ of tightly controlled events.

Meanwhile, a feud is also rumored to be ongoing between the West Side Story actress and her Snow White co-star Gal Gadot

Sources have claimed the pair have ‘nothing in common’, citing their age gap – Zegler is 23 and Gadot is 39 – and differing political views; the co-stars seen Saturday at the LA premiere of Snow White

This was the case last Saturday, with only a select number of photographers invited to the LA premiere at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood.

And the only interviewers the cast faced were employed by Disney, such as Jodi Benson, who voiced Ariel in the studio’s 1989 animation The Little Mermaid.

Zegler and Gadot arrived separately and only posed for a small number of photos together along with other members of the film’s cast and crew.

At the screening Zegler, who starred in the 2021 remake of West Side Story, briefly addressed the backlash around the film, which has been branded ‘woke’ for adapting the original storyline of Disney’s first feature-length movie, released in 1937.

Rock Pioneers The Searchers Choose Glastonbury for Stunning Final Bow

The Searchers’ Final Encore: A Bittersweet Symphony at Glastonbury

Sometimes the most profound endings come wrapped in the simplest packages. Take The Searchers — Britain’s longest-running band is calling it quits after 68 remarkable years. Their reason? Not creative differences or dramatic fallouts, but rather the mundane reality of navigating modern British motorways.

The Liverpool legends (who, believe it or not, predate The Beatles by three years) have chosen Glastonbury’s Acoustic Stage for their swan song this June 27th. There’s something beautifully fitting about making their festival debut at Britain’s most celebrated music gathering — like finding the perfect final chord to close out a lifetime of melodies.

“Age slows you down a bit,” says Frank Allen, the band’s 81-year-old bassist and singer, with characteristic understatement. His bandmate John McNally, the group’s founding guitarist who started the band at 16 (now a sprightly 83), puts it even more plainly: “The traffic is now an absolute nightmare.”

The Searchers’ influence runs deep through the bedrock of popular music. From their early days in Liverpool’s Merseybeat scene through chart-toppers like “Sweets for My Sweet” and “Sugar and Spice,” they’ve shaped the sound of generations. Bruce Springsteen, The Byrds, Tom Petty — all have tipped their hats to these Liverpudlian pioneers.

Retirement, it seems, is harder to stick to than a perfect three-minute pop song. The current lineup — Allen, McNally, Spencer James, and Richie Burns — actually tried to bow out once before in 2019. But like seasoned performers who can’t resist one more encore, they found themselves drawn back to the stage.

Now, as they prepare to share the 2025 Glastonbury billing with contemporary chart-toppers like Olivia Rodrigo and The 1975 (not to mention fellow veteran Rod Stewart in the Legends’ Slot), there’s a sense of things coming full circle. McNally’s eyes twinkle as he muses, “A Glastonbury debut at 83, can anyone top that? I don’t think life gets any better, does it?”

Their farewell tour kicks off June 14th, winding its way through Britain’s beloved venues one last time. With over 50 million records sold and a career spanning seven decades, The Searchers have witnessed — and helped shape — the entire evolution of British pop music. From skiffle clubs to streaming services, they’ve adapted and endured.

Perhaps the secret to their longevity lies in what Allen describes as “being a part of one of the most important periods in pop history.” But it’s more than that. The Searchers represent something increasingly rare in today’s fast-paced music industry — authenticity that comes only from decades of honing one’s craft, night after night, year after year.

As the final notes of their Glastonbury set fade into the summer evening, it won’t just be the end of a band — it’ll be the gentle closing of a chapter in pop culture history. The Searchers’ retirement marks the gradual sunset of an era when British pop music first conquered the world, three minutes at a time, one unforgettable melody after another.

And maybe that’s exactly how it should end — not with a bang, but with a beautiful harmony, played one last time under the Somerset sky.

Magic Mike Star Breaks Hollywood’s Body-Morphing Spell

Hollywood’s love affair with dramatic body transformations might finally be hitting its limits. Channing Tatum — the charismatic star whose physique has graced everything from “Magic Mike” to “21 Jump Street” — recently drew a line in the sand that’s sending ripples through Tinseltown’s image-obsessed corridors.

“I won’t be doing any more fat roles haha,” Tatum declared on Instagram, alongside a revealing triptych of his physical metamorphoses. The photos tell quite a tale: from a muscular 205 pounds to a bulked-up 235 for “Josephine,” then dropping to a lean 172 for “Roofman.” It’s enough to make a fitness trainer’s head spin.

The 44-year-old’s candid admission about the toll these transformations take speaks volumes. “It’s too hard on the body and too hard to take off now,” he shared, managing to sound both grateful for his genetics and done with the whole song-and-dance of extreme body modifications. His shoutout to his “chef/nutritionist/witch” (gotta love that description) hints at the small army required for these transformations.

Let’s face it — Hollywood’s obsession with physical transformations has long been the industry’s worst-kept secret. Remember Renée Zellweger yo-yoing 30 pounds for Bridget Jones? Or Matthew McConaughey’s skeletal transformation for “Dallas Buyers Club” that earned him an Oscar but probably took years off his life? These stories used to be celebrated as the ultimate proof of dedication. Now? They’re starting to sound more like cautionary tales.

The latest addition to this concerning narrative comes from “The New Look” star Maisie Williams. Her preparation for playing Catherine Dior sounds less like method acting and more like an extreme sport gone wrong — 4 a.m. sweating sessions, dehydration techniques, and sleep disruption that would make a UFC fighter wince. “I wouldn’t be able to sleep through the night at this point,” she told Harper’s Bazaar UK, painting a picture that’s more disturbing than inspiring.

Adrian Brody’s revelation about developing PTSD from his dramatic weight loss for “The Pianist” should be required reading for every filmmaker considering asking actors to dramatically alter their bodies. His description of understanding “emptiness and hunger” in a way he never had before isn’t just powerful — it’s downright haunting.

Here’s the kicker: in 2025, when CGI can transform actors into everything from ethereal elves to aging superheroes, why are we still asking performers to put their bodies through the wringer? The special effects department can handle the physical transformations while actors focus on what they do best — bringing characters to life through their craft.

Tatum’s right when he says “it’s just wild what the human body and will can do.” But maybe it’s time to ask ourselves whether we should be doing it at all. As Hollywood grapples with evolving standards around representation and body positivity, perhaps this is the moment to retire the dramatic transformation as the ultimate measure of an actor’s dedication.

After all, isn’t the real magic of movies in the storytelling, not the waistline?