Adrien Brody posts message after Harvey Weinstein reacted to Oscars

Adrien Brody has posted a cryptic message hours after jailed Harvey Weinstein’s shock response to the actor mentioning his children in his Oscars acceptance speech was revealed.

Brody, 51 – who has been dating Weinstein’s ex-wife Georgina Chapman, 48, since 2019, picked up his second Best Actor Oscar at Sunday’s ceremony and in an emotional acceptance speech, thanked his partner and her two children.

The Brutalist star said: ‘I share this with my amazing partner Georgina, who has not only reinvigorated my own self-worth but my sense of value and my values and her beautiful children, Dash and India.

Revealing the nickname Weinstein’s children aged 14 and 11 have for him, he added: ‘It’s been a rollercoaster, but thank you for accepting me into your life, and Popsy’s coming home a winner.’

Former film mogul and convicted rapist Weinstein, 72, is currently serving a lengthy prison sentence at Rikers Island.

Weinstein’s spokesman Juda Engelmayer exclusively told DailyMail.com: ‘Harvey is happy for Georgina and grateful that his kids are being loved and cared for as they deserve to be.’

Adrien Brody has posted a cryptic message hours after jailed Harvey Weinstein ‘s shock response to the actor mentioning his children in his Oscars acceptance speech was revealed

Disgraced former film mogul Weinstein, 72, is currently serving a lengthy prison sentence at Rikers Island after being convicted of rape and sexual assault in 2020 – pictured July 2024

Brody, 51 – who has been dating Weinstein’s ex-wife Georgina Chapman, 48, since 2019, picked up his second Best Actor Oscar at Sunday’s ceremony and in an emotional acceptance speech, thanked his partner and her two children

Hours later Adrien took to Instagram to share a video of himself walking out in Los Angeles.

He said: ‘You I got no sleep. I got no sleep last night. I am going to keep this video short because I know I made the longest Oscars speech in history.’

Read MoreEXCLUSIVE Harvey Weinstein breaks silence on Adrien Brody mentioning his children in Oscars speech

Brody began giggling himself after revealing he had the longest speech ever in the 97 year history of the Academy Awards as it clocked in at five minutes and 40 seconds in total.

The previous record was held by Greer Garson according to the Guinness World Records as hers was reportedly five minutes and 30 seconds when she won for Mrs. Miniver in 1943.

He continued on his social media video by saying: ‘I’m going to keep it short. I love you all. You know I’m grateful.

‘Keep smiling and I hope that this proves that dreams can come true and I hope that your dreams come true as well. God bless you.’

He also captioned the social media post to his 1.9million followers: ‘Believe in hope. Believe in yourself. Spread love, not hate. and thank you #keepsmiling’

Fashion designer Chapman divorced Weinstein in 2017 shortly after his horrific crimes against women in Hollywood were exposed in a bombshell exposé.

Revealing the nickname the children have for him, he added: ‘It’s been a rollercoaster, but thank you for accepting me into your life, and Popsy’s coming home a winner.’

Weinstein’s spokesman Juda Engelmayer exclusively told DailyMail.com: ‘Harvey is happy for Georgina and grateful that his kids are being loved and cared for as they deserve to be’ – pictured 2014

Weinstein became the most prominent villain of the #MeToo movement, which took root in 2017 when women began to go public with accounts of his behavior – pictured 2020

In October it was reported Weinstein had been receiving treatment behind bars at Rikers Island for a rare type of bone marrow cancer known as chronic myeloid leukemia.

Weinstein had spent most of the summer hospitalized with various maladies, from Covid and double pneumonia to needing fluid on his heart and lungs removed.

Read More Fans are sickened by Adrien Brody’s disgusting act towards girlfriend as he wins best actor

As for Weinstein’s current health situation, Engelmayer said, ‘He is fighting for his health and healthcare. It’s challenging where he is and not in the hospital where he should be. He is doing as well as he can.’

He added that Weinstein went to the prison hospital last month for ‘blood pressure issues’ but is back in the prison.

Weinstein has denied that he raped or sexually assaulted anyone.

Weinstein became the most prominent villain of the #MeToo movement, which took root in 2017 when women began to go public with accounts of his behavior.

At the original trial, Weinstein was convicted of forcibly performing oral sex on a TV and film production assistant in 2006 and rape in the third degree for an attack on an aspiring actor in 2013.

Weinstein saw his 2020 conviction on rape and sexual assault charges overturned last April and he was ordered to undergo a new trial.

Hours after Weinstein’s statement, Adrien took to Instagram to share a video of himself walking out in Los Angeles.

He said: ‘You I got no sleep. I got no sleep last night. I am going to keep this video short because I know I made the longest Oscars speech in history’

Brody began giggling himself after revealing he had the longest speech ever in the 97 year history of the Academy Awards as it clocked in at five minutes and 40 seconds in total

He continued on his social media video by saying: ‘I’m going to keep it short. I love you all. You know I’m grateful. Keep smiling and I hope that this proves that dreams can come true and I hope that your dreams come true as well. God bless you’

The case was overturned after the Court of Appeals determined the trial judge unfairly allowed testimony against Weinstein based on allegations from other women that were not part of the trial.

Those allegations will be part of his retrial, which is set to begin in New York on April 15.

Weinstein’s acquittals on charges of predatory sexual assault and first-degree rape still stand.

After the retrial, Weinstein is due to start serving a 16-year sentence in California for a separate rape conviction in Los Angeles, authorities said.

Weinstein was convicted in Los Angeles in 2022.

Weinstein, the co-founder of Miramax and The Weinstein Company film studios, was once one of the most powerful people in Hollywood, producing such Oscar winners as Pulp Fiction and Shakespeare in Love.

Oscar winners 2025 full list – see who received honors for this year’s Academy Awards

Best Picture

Anora – WINNER

The Brutalist

A Complete Unknown

Conclave

Dune: Part Two

Emilia Pérez

I’m Still Here

Nickel Boys

The Substance

Wicked

Anora was the biggest winner of the night as Mikey Madison earned Best Actress

Best Director

Jacques Audiard — Emilia Pérez

Sean Baker — Anora – WINNER

Brady Corbet — The Brutalist

Coralie Fargeat — The Substance

James Mangold — A Complete Unknown

Actress in a Leading Role

Cynthia Erivo — Wicked

Karla Sofía Gascón — Emilia Pérez

Mikey Madison — Anora – WINNER

Demi Moore — The Substance

Fernanda Torres — I’m Still Here

Actor in a Leading Role

Adrien Brody — The Brutalist – WINNER

Timothée Chalamet — A Complete Unknown

Colman Domingo — Sing Sing

Ralph Fiennes — Conclave

Sebastian Stan — The Apprentice

Actress in a Supporting Role

Monica Barbaro — A Complete Unknown

Ariana Grande — Wicked

Felicity Jones — The Brutalist

Isabella Rossellini — Conclave

Zoe Saldaña — Emilia Pérez – WINNER

Zoe Saldana was recognized in the Best Supporting Actress category for Emilia Perez

Actor in a Supporting Role

Yura Borisov — Anora

Kieran Culkin — A Real Pain – WINNER

Edward Norton — A Complete Unknown

Guy Pearce — The Brutalist

Jeremy Strong — The Apprentice

Animated Feature Film

Flow – WINNER

Inside Out 2

Memoir of a Snail

Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl

The Wild Robot

Cinematography

The Brutalist — Lol Crawley – WINNER

Dune: Part Two — Greig Fraser

Emilia Pérez — Paul Guilhaume

Maria — Ed Lachman

Nosferatu — Jarin Blaschke

Original Screenplay

Anora — Sean Baker – WINNER

The Brutalist — Brady Corbet & Mona Fastvold

A Real Pain — Jesse Eisenberg

September 5 — Moritz Binder, Tim Fehlbaum; co-Written by Alex David

The Substance — Coralie Fargeat

Sean Baker earned three individual honors for Anora in addition to Best Picture

Adapted Screenplay

A Complete Unknown — James Mangold and Jay Cocks

Conclave — Peter Straughan – WINNER

Emilia Pérez — Jacques Audiard with Thomas Bidegain, Léa Mysius and Nicolas Livecchi

Nickel Boys — RaMell Ross & Joslyn Barnes

Sing Sing — Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar; Story by Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar, Clarence Maclin, John ‘Divine G’ Whitfield

Achievement in Production Design

The Brutalist

Conclave

Dune: Part Two

Nosferatu

Wicked – Nathan Crowley and Lee Sandales – WINNER

Achievement in Sound

A Complete Unknown

Dune: Part Two – WINNER

Emilia Pérez

Wicked

The Wild Robot

Dune: Part Two won Best Achievement in Sound as Gareth John, Richard King, and Ron Bartlett are seen left to right

Original Song

El Mal – Emilia Pérez – Clément Ducol, Camille, and Jacques Audiard – WINNER

The Journey – The Six Triple Eight

Like A Bird – Sing Sing

Mi Camino – Emilia Pérez

Never Too Late – Elton John: Never Too Late

Original Score

The Brutalist — Daniel Blumberg – WINNER

Conclave — Volker Bertelmann

Emilia Pérez — Clément Ducol and Camille

Wicked — John Powell and Stephen Schwartz

The Wild Robot — Kris Bowers

Live-Action Short Film

A Lien

Anuja

I’m Not a Robot – WINNER

The Last Ranger

The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent

Animated Short Film

Beautiful Men

In the Shadow of the Cypress – WINNER

Magic Candies

Wander to Wonder

Yuck!

Documentary Feature Film

Black Box Diaries

No Other Land – WINNER

Porcelain War

Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat

Sugarcane

No Other Land took home Documentary Feature Film as Basel Adra, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal, and Yuval Abraham are seen left to right

Documentary Short Film

Death by Numbers

I Am Ready, Warden

Incident

Instruments of a Beating Heart

The Only Girl in the Orchestra – WINNER

International Feature Film

I’m Still Here (Brazil) – WINNER

The Girl With the Needle (Denmark)

Emilia Pérez (France)

The Seed of the Sacred Fig (Germany)

Flow (Latvia)

Makeup and Hairstyling

A Different Man

Emilia Pérez

Nosferatu

The Substance – Pierre Olivier Persin, Stéphanie Guillon, and Marilyne Scarselli – WINNER

Wicked

Achievement in Costume Design

A Complete Unknown — Arianne Phillips

Conclave — Lisy Christl

Gladiator II — Janty Yates and Dave Crossman

Nosferatu — Linda Muir

Wicked — Paul Tazewell – WINNER

Blockbuster Wicked did not come away empty handed as Paul Tazewell became the first Black male winner of Achievement in Costume Design

Achievement in Film Editing

Anora — Sean Baker – WINNER

The Brutalist — David Jancso

Conclave — Nick Emerson

Emilia Pérez — Juliette Welfling

Wicked — Myron Kerstein

Visual Effects

Alien: Romulus

Better Man

Dune: Part Two – WINNER

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

Wicked

What To Expect From Daredevil: Born Again

Read up on where Charlie Cox’s Man Without Fear has been, what he’s up to in the new series, and what to anticipate in terms of story, tone, and the future of the character.

Tuesday sees the arrival of Daredevil: Born Again, the highly anticipated return of fan favorite characters from the Netflix Daredevil series in the Disney+ Marvel Cinematic Universe milieu. Of course, questions remain for those who championed another series for blind attorney Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) and his vigilante alter ego. Did the Netflix series happen? Were any of the characters Blipped? Can Born Again maintain the quality of its predecessor?

Luckily, we’ve had the chance to watch a few episodes and give fans and newcomers alike a handy guide for the Daredevil: Born Again experience.

No. Born Again does a good job reminding viewers of the key relationships — chief among them: the feud between Matt and Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio). More specific details — like the Hand’s raid on the hospital in Daredevil: Season 2 — are not pertinent to the story of Born Again. Also, as Cox has said it takes place six years after the events of Daredevil’s third season, which drew nearly every lingering storyline to a close, there is very little for Born Again to pick up directly from its predecessor.

Nevertheless, as it has been some time since any of the characters have been in a long-form television series, here’s a quick list of where we left them before the new series picks up.

Matt: Although he made a brief Daredevil appearance in last year’s Echo limited series, that proved to be a flashback to the Blip years. The last time we saw him chronologically, he was holding onto She-Hulk Jessica Walters (Tatiana Maslany) after she re-arranged reality to both defeat her long-time antagonist and spend a little more time with the yellow-suited Daredevil of Hell’s Kitchen. As far as we can tell, Walters has not followed Matt back to New York, so we doubt his relationship status from that last She-Hulk: Attorney at Law scene will matter.

Fisk: Echo is more pertinent to Fisk as he had a larger role in that story by chasing his ward, Maya Lopez (Alaqua Cox), back to her hometown. Once there, she received mysterious new powers and used them to alter Fisk in some way. After accepting that she would never rejoin his empire, he learned about the Mayoral Recall in New York and decided to run for the office. Maya potentially healing his heart may matter in Born Again. For one thing, his bid to run the city may have a genuinely altruistic motive. Then again, Fisk always thought he was being altruistic, even when he was planning to destroy all of Hell’s Kitchen in the first season of Netflix’s Daredevil. Meanwhile, even if the specifics of what occurred on Echo may not directly impact Born Again, Fisk’s behavior since Maya shot him in the final moments of Hawkeye may have a bearing on his Born Again story.

Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson): Foggy’s status matches his nickname. Last seen in the closing moments of Daredevil’s third season, he quit his job at a high-power law firm to start a new business with Matt and Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll). He was also single — story of his life — by that point, but happy to be with his best friends once more. And as glimpsed in the trailers, he underwent a glow-up in the intervening six years. What that means for his love life is something viewers will have to learn for themselves.

Karen Page: Like Foggy, she was last seen in Daredevil having a celebratory drink with her new business associates at Nelson, Murdock & Page. She also subsequently assisted Frank Castle (Jon Bernthal) in a daring escape. While details of her life afterward are scarce, she has braved so many close calls, kidnapping attempts, and other traumatic events that we imagine nothing in the gap years — even the Blip — could throw her. That said, we would like some more specifics on her life after Daredevil: Season 3. Also, we’re pretty sure neither she nor Foggy were Blipped. Clearly, Matt has some luck in that regard since so many other MCU denizens lost people close to them.

Frank Castle: At the conclusion of The Punisher’s second season, Frank was given the opportunity to do wetwork for the CIA. Naturally, he turned it down as he already has a job to do. We doubt, though, that anything covered in The Punisher will be referenced or carried over into Born Again. From what we’ve seen, he is another of New York’s known vigilantes, a list that includes a couple of familiar names and at least one new costumed identity.

That question lies at the heart of Born Again’s rocky development. Originally conceived as a more episodic program in the vein of She-Hulk, many worried the end product would also skew toward that show’s jokey, fourth wall-breaking irreverence. Then came the news in late 2023 that the original writers and directors had been let go. When replacements were hired on, their job was to convert the program, existing episodes and all, into something more akin to the Netflix Daredevil in format if not in tone.

And, in the end, it seems Born Again was always going to hew closer to Daredevil than She-Hulk. At least in tone. Since much of the season was shot before the creative upheaval, it is easy to see the original writers’ intent: a story featuring themes in keeping with the Netflix series. Visually, it might be a brighter-looking series than its predecessor, but that can be reasoned away thanks to: A) the program unambiguously taking place in the MCU, and B) more of the story occurring in daylight.

In the episodes we’ve seen, serialization is definitely present. A few plots slow-burn, others come to the fore and resolve within an episode or two. Characters arcs, meanwhile, seem built to run the duration of the first season, if not the whole series. And, as with the original Daredevil, the characters and their interactions are the real meat of the tale.

While Matt and Fisk always take center stage in a Daredevil TV show — with their associated supporting characters also getting screentime — every season introduced new characters to either welcome with open arms or push into the Hudson. In the case of season 3’s Dex (Wilson Bethel), it was both! But does Born Again offer characters as memorable as Stick (Scott Glenn) or Matt’s mother, Maggie Murdock (Joanne Whalley)?

In the episodes we’ve seen, Nikki M. James and Clark Johnson make immediate impressions as Kirsten McDuffie and Cherry, respectively. Both work with Matt for reasons best discovered when watching the show, but they bring a new vibe to office scenes. Of course, that’s to be expected with Johnson, who knows his way around a crime drama thanks to his years on Homicide: Life on the Street and directing shows like The Shield.

Fisk’s new circle, populated by Arty Froushan, Zabryna Guevara, and Michael Gandolfini, also offer some new energy – which is required considering how often Fisk changes out majordomos, underlings, and assorted hangers-on. They also offer a window into an underseen aspect of the MCU that is also consistent with the Daredevil approach to things.

Other characters come-and-go as well — including one or two new masked personas — and serve the tone of Born Again … even the one who is clearly present to be comic relief.

The return of Daredevil to episodic television naturally leads fans of the old show to ask about Matt’s vigilante cohort, the Defenders. As we mentioned before, Born Again does not expect the viewer to rewatch or closely recall the events of the Netflix shows, and the canonicity of The Defenders is still up in the air.

In fact, the series as a whole retains Daredevil’s more reserved approach to Marvel crossovers. Oh, there are definitely some layered in, and others are very easy to spot, but from what we’ve seen, Born Again keeps its focus squarely on Matt and Fisk’s corners of the universe as it is now. Naturally, that means the Avengers are on a far-off horizon and the Defenders, potentially, never fought the Hand together.

Eventually. In a departure from the Netflix series and even Echo, Born Again’s nine episodes will be released weekly though mid-April. And as is the Disney+ way, the premiere week will feature the first two episodes, so there will be plenty of material to watch in week one, even if it is not the way Daredevil viewers are accustomed to enjoying the show. Although, once season 1 is complete, it will be available on demand and probably string together a lot like the Netflix days.

Usually, the answer to this question is, “Maybe?” But Born Again has the distinction of being the first Marvel Studios television series to be envisioned as an ongoing one from the start. And thanks to an initial 18-episode order, the program will definitely have a second nine-episode season before too long. Beyond that, though, it is unclear. Talent schedules, tighter budgets at Marvel and Disney, and the creative needs of Marvel Studios may conspire to put Matt on ice more effectively than Fisk can ever hope to accomplish. Then again, the third season of the Netflix series ended with a note of finality, and yet it was literally born again. Above all else, the recurring Daredevil characters are fighters and will likely fight on into the next decade.

Daredevil: Born Again: Season 1 premieres its first two episodes on Disney+ on March 4, 2025.

Jay-Z Sues Former Accuser and Her Lawyer Over Sexual Assault Allegations

Charna Flam is a writer-reporter at PEOPLE. She has been working at PEOPLE since 2023. Her work has previously appeared on Variety, The New York Post, and The Wrap.

Jay-Z filed a lawsuit against attorney Tony Buzbee, David Fortney and their Jane Doe client over the previously dropped alleged sexual assault suit, according to Alabama court documents obtained by PEOPLE.

On Monday, March 3, Jay-Z (real name Shawn Carter) proposed three causes of action: malicious prosecution, abuse of process, and civil conspiracy against all three defendants. He also proposed a fourth cause of action, defamation against the Jane Doe. He is seeking assumed, actual and punitive damages.

Jay-Z claimed in the new filing that the initial allegations of rape against him were knowingly “false” and “malicious.” He added that the sexual assault suit was “strategically and tactically calculated and time to inflict maximum pain and suffering” to him.

The previous suit, which was originally filed on Oct. 20, 2024, claimed that Jay-Z and Sean “Diddy” Combs allegedly raped a 13-year-old girl at an MTV Video Music Awards afterparty in 2000. Buzbee and fellow attorney Antigone Curis had the suit voluntarily dismissed on Friday, Feb. 14.

In his March 3 filing, Jay-Z alleges in a new suit that the Oct. 20 lawsuit was founded on false information from the Jane Doe and her lawyers. The filing alleges that the Jane Doe and her lawyers “launched to extort” the rapper “through a menacing ‘private’ ‘demand letter,’ ” adding that the “malicious” defendants made “a desperate attempt to leverage Mr. Carter into an extortionate payoff.”

The filing stated that the Jane Doe “voluntarily admitted” to Jay-Z’s representative that “Carter did not assault her” and that Buzbee “pushed her to go forward with the false narrative of the assault by Mr. Carter in order to leverage a maximum payday.”

It also stated that Jay-Z “brings this lawsuit to hold Doe accountable for her willful defamation per se and her malicious prosecution of knowingly false allegations against” Jay-Z.

On March 3, Buzbee issued a statement to PEOPLE: “This new case alleges the same claims as the other one they pieced together and filed in Los Angeles. Like the one in LA, this new case in Alabama also has no legal merit… she stands by her claims.”

The statement continued, “After speaking with Jane Doe today, it appears that the quotes attributed to her in the lawsuit are completely made up, or they spoke to someone who isn’t Jane Doe.”

“This is just another attempt to intimidate and bully this poor woman that we will deal with in due course. We won’t be bullied or intimidated by frivolous cases.”

The recent filing follows Jay-Z’s first filing against Buzbee in L.A. in December 2024, accusing him of civil extortion, defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress. On Tuesday, Feb. 25, L.A. Judge Mark H. Epstein signaled that the defamation claim has merit to proceed to trial, according to Rolling Stone. But he is leaning toward dismissing the extortion claim.

It also comes weeks after the rapper’s Monday, Feb. 10 filing, alleging Buzbee purposefully inflicted emotional distress on him by filing the lawsuit.

The declaration added that Buzbee intentionally filed the complaint on the eve of his daughter Blue Ivy’s Mufasa: The Lion King movie premiere “to put me in the position of having to choose between supporting my daughter or hiding to avoid the negative press.” He and wife Beyoncé share Blue Ivy, 13, and twins Rumi and Sir, 7½. Beyoncé and Jay-Z ended up attending the event.

Additionally, Jay-Z alleges that he lost $20 million in contracts due to the false allegations in Buzbee’s lawsuit and that he has been going through deep “mental anguish” since it was filed.

After several alleged inconsistencies in the Jane Doe’s allegations, the October suit was “voluntarily dismissed, with prejudice” on Feb. 14 by Buzbee and fellow attorney Antigone Curis, per NBC News. The suit cannot be refiled.

That same day, Jay-Z issued a statement on Roc Nation’s X account, calling the dismissal “a victory.” and said that these allegations caused “trauma” for his wife and three children.

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Rock star’s fiancee dies at sea after horror fall from cruise ship – Daily Record

Faster Pussycat frontman Taime Downe was set to play on board the ship when Kimberly Burch tragically died.

The fiancee of Taime Downe, the lead singer of glam metal band Faster Pussycat, has died after falling overboard from a cruise ship near the Bahamas.

Kimberly Burch, 56, suffered the fatal fall on the first night of The 80s Cruise on board the Royal Caribbean Explorer of the Seas ship, on Sunday, March 2. Her body has still not been recovered.

A spokesperson for Royal Caribbean Group told Mail Online: “Our crew immediately launched a search and rescue effort, is working with local authorities, and we are providing support and assistance to the guest’s family during this difficult time. To respect the privacy of our guest’s family, we have no additional details to share.”

Burch, an estate agent, had been in a relationship with Downe, 60, for around six years, and had joined the rock star on the ship as he prepared to perform on board. It departed from Miami, with stops planned in Nassau, San Juan and Labadee.

She shared a picture of the couple on social media just hours before her death, captioned: “We made it to @the80scruise,” the Mirror reports.

However, her mother Carnell Burch confirmed her tragic death to TMZ, saying Downe had called her with the news. A US Coast Guard spokesperson told the publication the incident happened around 20 miles from Freeport, in the Bahamas.

Burch is said to have gone overboard on the first day of the cruise. One guest posted on X: “Currently on the #RCL Explorer of the Seas for the #80scruise. Unfortunately, we have a “woman overboard’ situation and boats have been deployed. We are currently 80+ miles from Miami at 11pm PST. Not good.”

Fans also took to social media to share their condolences. Among them was David Draiman, frontman of Disturbed, who wrote: “Omg… I’m SO sorry for your loss brother. #TaimeDowne #KimberlyBurch “

Just two weeks ago, Downe had said he was a “lucky man” in an Instagram post on Valentine’s Day. He shared a picture of the couple and said: “I had a beautiful #valentinesday with my love and better half @burchkimberly. We ate candy and cupcakes.. I’m a lucky man!”

REPORT: Heavy Metal Star Taime Downe’s Fiancée Believed Dead After Going Overboard On Cruise Ship

Kimberly Burch, fiancée of Taime Downe, the frontman for heavy metal band Faster Pussycat, reportedly fell to her death from a Royal Caribbean cruise ship March 3.

TMZ reported Burch fell to her death shortly after getting into a heated argument with Downe. It remains unclear if she accidentally fell from the ship, or if she jumped. But Burch’s mother, Carnell, told TMZ she was confident her daughter wouldn’t intentionally hurt herself. Multiple sources aboard the Explorer of the Seas ship told The Hollywood Reporter that a search operation involving several ships was conducted at the time of the incident, but there have been no reports of a body being recovered from the water.

Burch was accompanying Downe and Faster Pussycat on “The 80s Cruise,” a nostalgia-themed trip that also featured performances from Squeeze, Adam Ant, Tiffany, and Men at Work. The tragic incident took place on the first day of the 7-day roundtrip, which set off from Miami, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

A U.S. Coast Guard spokesperson reported that the incident happened roughly 20 miles away from Freeport, Bahamas, according to TMZ. The Coast Guard deployed a helicopter crew and other personnel to assist the Royal Bahamas Defense Force in its search before suspending efforts, according to TMZ.

Carnell reported that Burch had been drinking while aboard the ship. She firmly maintained that Burch was not struggling with depression at the time of her death and emphasized her excitement leading up to the trip.

“Our crew immediately launched a search and rescue effort, is working with local authorities, and we are providing support and assistance to the guest’s family during this difficult time,” a Royal Caribbean Group spokesperson told TMZ. “To respect the privacy of our guest’s family, we have no additional details to share.”

Burch and Downe had been dating for approximately 6 or 7 years.

Faster Pussycat shared a message on Instagram before embarking on the cruise.

“We board @the80scruise today- March 2nd- and play Studio B this evening at 7:15PM. Second show March 4th at 9:30PM in Studio B,” the band wrote before tragedy struck.

Downe has not issued public comment on the reported tragedy as of Tuesday morning. (RELATED: Dolly Parton Shares Devastating News Of Her Husband’s Death)

Carnell indicated she was attempting to contact authorities in an effort to recover her daughter’s body. Burch is believed to have perished at the age of 56.

George Lowe Dies: Space Ghost Voice Actor Was 67

Veteran voice actor and comedian George Lowe, best known as the voice of Space Ghost on Space Ghost Coast to Coast, and many others, died Sunday, March 2, his representive confirmed to Deadline. He was 67.

His longtime friend “Marvelous Marvin” Boone paid tribute to Lowe on Facebook.

“I’m beyond devastated,” Boone wrote. “My Zobanian brother and best friend for over 40 years, George Lowe, has passed away after a long illness. A part of me had also died. He was a supremely talented Artist and Voice actor. A true warm hearted Genius. Funniest man on Earth too. I’ve stolen jokes from him for decades. He stole some of mine. He was also the voice of Space Ghost and so much more. Pweeloto.”

Born in Dunedin, FL, Lowe got his first radio job with local station WWJB at the age of 15. Lowe did occasional voice-over work for TBWS and Cartoon Network throughout the late 1980s to mid 1990s before landing his signature lead role of Space Ghost in 1994 with the premiere of Space Ghost Coast to Coast on Cartoon Network. The show, a parody of talk shows that featured live-action celebrity guests, hosted by the Hanna Barbera character Space Ghost, ran from 1994 to 1999 on Cartoon Network. It was revived in 2001, airing on Adult Swim’s late-night programming block until 2004.

Lowe also voiced Space Ghost in the Space Ghost Coast to Coast spinoff Cartoon Planet, as well as Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters, The Brak Show, where he also was a series regular as the voice of Dad, and Robot Chicken, among others.

He most recently voiced Space Ghost in a February 2024 episode of Max’s Jellystone.

You can hear Lowe’s voice of Space Ghost in Deep Conversations with Talking Heads’ David Byrne. which aired on Adult Swim, below.

Paradise Season 1 Ending Explained: How Does the Finale Set Up Season 2? – IGN

This article contains spoilers for the Paradise Season 1 finale.

After eight episodes of twists, turns, and a central post-apocalyptic murder mystery on Hulu’s Paradise, we finally know who killed Donut Lord. Sorry, we mean President Cal Bradford (James Marsden), who was found dead in the series premiere. And thanks to the Season 1 finale, “The Man Who Kept The Secrets,” we know not only who killed him and why, but also a whole lot more about where things are going to go in Season 2.

For those who have to think twice, and are wondering why this wasn’t just another day in Paradise, here’s what went down. Broad strokes, Paradise takes place in a world that has seemingly been destroyed by a climate apocalypse, leaving the world’s population dead except those in the town of Paradise, a manufactured community underneath a Colorado mountain. It’s controlled and maintained by billionaires who knew the climate collapse was coming, but did nothing to stop it other than create a safe bunker for themselves to live in.

So that brings us to the finale. In flashback, we meet the guy in charge of the construction team (played by Ian Merrigan) who helped build Paradise, thus far only glimpsed in the background of scenes. He discovered that there was a toxic substance in the ground, brought it to his bosses, and was dismissed from his position. He then spent years trying to warn everyone that catastrophe was coming, ultimately deciding to assassinate President Bradford by posing as a reporter. We’ve seen this scene before, from Secret Service Agent Xavier Collins’s (Sterling K. Brown) perspective, as he was shot while protecting Cal.

Anyway, dude gets thrown in prison – in Colorado – and escapes when the world starts to be destroyed by an enormous tsunami. Taking one of the guards’ uniforms, he kills two people who are supposed to be going into the bunker and steals the identity of one of them: Trent the Librarian. He does this by shaving a bald spot on his head, cutting his beard, and wearing Trent’s surprisingly well-fitting clothes. He also stops long enough to give the identity of Trent’s wife, Maggie (Michelle Meredith) to a random lady crying in a gas station parking lot. Side note: this is while a 300-foot-tall tsunami is ravaging the Earth. But it’s cool, they have time. No rush!

To jump through the rest, “Trent” gets comfy in his librarian life until years later Cal comes to the library, and Trent remembers “Oh yeah, I wanted to kill this guy.” He dresses in an old construction uniform, takes a piece of construction equipment, and conks Cal on the head with it on the balcony. He then conks him on the head again inside his bedroom, killing him.

As he’s telling Xavier all of this, who he has tied up in the library, Nicole Robinson (Khrys Marshall) and Dr. Gabriela Torabi (Sarah Shahi) discover that Maggie isn’t who she says she is because she ate cashew cheese on her cheese fries, but the real Maggie was allergic to nuts.

To paraphrase the late, great Benoit Blanc: this makes no damn sense! Compels us, though.

Look, showrunner Dan Fogelman knows how to tell a yarn, but this is certainly one that stretches the limits of credulity. Could you have identified that Ian Merrigan was playing a blurry construction worker, an assassin, and Trent the Librarian in an absolutely ludicrous disguise? Sure, if you’re Ian Merrigan’s mother. Or a fan of character actors. But could you figure out literally any other part of this mystery without the copious flashbacks in this very episode? Absolutely not. And there’s zero way you could have figured out the Maggie thing – which, for the record, seems to play no purpose in the episode other than giving Robinson and Torabi a way to figure out what happened separately from Xavier.

There’s a gesture toward the overall thesis statement of the show here, which is plainly stated in a speech “Trent” gives moments before he throws himself to his death through the sky-imitating dome over the town of Paradise. He talks about how even here at the end of the world billionaires control everything… Nothing has changed, and his killing of Cal was a frustration that bubbled to the surface and could not be ignored. We the viewers know it’s tragic because Cal was trying to do the right thing in the end and make real change. But as we see in the final moments of the episode it’s Cal’s son Jeremy Bradford (Charlie Evans) who is telling the truth to the people, and rallying the youth. So something is coming there.

The problem is that this very, very, very, very timely idea of billionaires driving regular people to murder gets lost in a lot of “Wait, who is that?” and “Did he shave his bald spot multiple times a day to keep the stubble hidden?” After eight episodes we’re supposed to care about a character we’ve technically never met before and watch him go through a series of increasingly coincidental circumstances (getting registered as a boom operator for press on the White House lawn, getting sentenced to prison in Colorado near the bunker, getting into the bunker, forgetting to kill the President, the list goes on).

The worst part of it, though, is that it makes Xavier’s whole investigation entirely unnecessary because the reason he’s in Trent’s library at all has nothing to do with the murder mystery.

In terms of things the audience could probably figure out, we have spent a lot of time this season in the library. We know Cal made a mix tape for his son there, and we also know that he left a cigarette with numbers on it next to his dead body, which Xavier found but couldn’t decipher what it was code for. It was abundantly obvious that the number was a Dewey Decimal number, something Xavier finally figured out only when he was already in the library looking at books. The camera lingers on the numbers, just in case you haven’t been in the library in a while, too. (Support your local libraries, folks! They’re great!) Anyway, it’s there Xavier finds all the massive secrets Cal knew, including how to escape the bunker and where there are survivors in the outside world.

Trent doesn’t know anything about that. And his murder plot also has nothing to do with it – other than him taking the notebook it’s written on from Xavier when he ties him up, and then giving it back to Xavier before he jumps to his death. Instead, this sets up Xavier being able to find the one plane still stocked with fuel and electricity, as well as the codes to open the door to the bunker, so he can leave and go find his still-alive wife. In terms of Xavier’s plot in Season 2, it’s almost definitely exploring what’s left of the outside world after the climate disaster, and making his way to Atlanta to rescue his wife and bring her home. Basically The Last Of Us, but without the fun zombies.

How about the other big plot of the season, which was the billionaire codenamed Sinatra (Julianne Nicholson) who seemed to be pulling the strings behind the scenes? How was she tied to the murder? Again: she was not. At all. In fact, after denying her psychopath lackey Jane (Nicole Brydon Bloom) possession of the President’s Wii, Jane tells Sinatra that she killed Xavier’s daughter (Aliyah Mastin). And then Sinatra tells Xavier, and apologizes, to which he kills her two guards and is about to kill Sinatra… Until Jane shoots Sinatra in the chest, leaving her in a coma. Also if you were wondering, Jane gets the Wii. Reminder: none of this has to do with the murder mystery the show was about.

Because Sinatra is on life-support, that leaves a power vacuum in Paradise, with befuddled former Vice President Henry Baines (Matt Malloy) finally stepping up and getting control of the billionaire ruling council. So going into Season 2, we’ll likely see Sinatra waking from the coma in a world where she doesn’t pull all the strings, and Bumblin’ Baines in charge, whatever that means. Jane also has control over her… As Jane explains, she sort of saved her life by only wounding her, instead of letting Xavier kill her. So going from being in charge of everything to having a psychopath with leverage over her is a big change for the billionaire.

As for other plotlines? The corollary to Cal’s Jeremy stepping up as a leader in the community is that we see a statue commemorating fallen explorers now has “murdered” spray-painted on it. So everyone in Paradise knows that there’s life outside the walls of the city. Likely, everything Sinatra predicted earlier in the season will come true: that either bringing people in from the outside or letting people inside know there are people alive will destabilize the precarious nature of the reality she’s created. Whether that is good or bad is TBD, but it’s likely the divide between the billionaires at the top and the workers at the bottom will grow wider, all while Cal is outside searching for other survivors.

(If you want to reference how that will all likely work, please see Season 2 of Silo for the exact same plot, with some slight variations.)

In any case, there are plenty more questions going into Season 2. Will there be another murder mystery at the heart? Will Xavier be gone all season long? And most importantly: can anyone beat Jane at Wii Sports? We’ll see you back in the bunker when Season 2 premieres, hopefully sooner rather than later. And maybe next time they won’t have a mystery that hinges on coincidence and cashew cheese.

Pritzker Prize goes to Liu Jiakun of China, an architect who celebrates lives of ordinary citizens

The annual Pritzker Architecture Prize has been awarded to Liu Jiakun of China, who earned the field’s highest honor for “affirming architecture that celebrates the lives of ordinary citizens,” organizers announced Tuesday.

Liu, based in Chengdu in China’s southwestern Sichuan region, has said that the purpose of his architecture “is to create a beautiful, just and dignified living environment,” and that he tries to balance commercial needs with the human needs of the public.

The architect “upholds the transcendent power of the built environment through the harmonizing of cultural, historical, emotional and social dimensions, using architecture to forge community, inspire compassion and elevate the human spirit,” Pritzker organizers said in a statement.

Liu is known for creating public areas in highly populated cities where there is little public space, “forging a positive relationship between density and open space,” the statement said.

Organizers cited his West Village in Chengdu, a 2015 five-story project that spans a block. It includes a perimeter of pathways for cyclists and pedestrians around “its own vibrant city of cultural, athletic, recreational, office and business activities within, while allowing the public to view through to the surrounding natural and built environments.”

They also noted the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute Department of Sculpture in Chongqing, which they said displays an alternate solution to maximizing space, “with upper levels protruding outward to extend the square footage of a narrow footprint.”

In an interview Sunday in his office in Chengdu, Liu said he was not one of those architects who likes to have a strongly recognizable visual style. Rather, he said, he pays more attention to method and strategy.

“Many architects use a strong personal style and form to gain a foothold in the world,” Liu told The Associated Press, speaking in Mandarin. “No matter where it is, people can tell immediately that it is his or her work with a very strong symbolism. But I am not such a kind of architect.”

“I don’t want to have a very clear or obvious style that can be recognized as mine just at a glance,” he said. “I take a more methodological and strategic approach. I hope that when I go to a specific place, I can use my methodology and strategy to adapt to local conditions. I like to fully understand the place, and then look for resources, problems … and then distill and refine, and finally turn (this) into my work.”

Liu also said he tries to balance his country’s artistic and architectural heritage with the realities of modern technology.

“I think China’s traditional architecture is of course brilliant and very classic,” he said, “but it is a product of its time.”

He said he hopes to deeply understand “the thematic part of tradition that can survive,” and then express it with contemporary technology and language. In that way, he said, “tradition can be used as a core … but the presentation of your work is contemporary.”

Liu said he also seeks to balance commercial imperatives with civic concerns.

“The rapid development of cities nowadays is basically driven by capital. It is natural for capital to pursue profits,” he said. But he added: “You have to leave the public the space they deserve. Only in this way can the development of a city be positive and healthy, rather than being completely high-density, where people live in drawers and boxes … without even a place to go and no space for communication.”

Liu is the 54th laureate of the Pritzker Architecture Prize, established in 1979 by the late entrepreneur Jay A. Pritzker and his wife, Cindy. Winners receive a $100,000 grant and a bronze medallion.

The prize has often been equated to the Nobel. Asked if he thought the honor would impact his life, Liu replied: “I have thought about it. But I want to maintain normalcy … I don’t want to become nervous about everything. Of course, it has its advantages. I will definitely not need to promote myself too much. But will it also make me better at work? Not necessarily. Excessive expectations may become a pressure.”

He had another concern, too.

“And will it make me too busy and prevent me from working more attentively?” he pondered. “I hope to keep the normalcy and the freedom, as well as calmness.”

— —

AP senior video producer Wayne Zhang contributed from Chengdu, China

Pritzker Prize goes to Liu Jiakun of China, an architect who…

The annual Pritzker Architecture Prize has been awarded to Liu Jiakun of China, who earned the field´s highest honor for “affirming architecture that celebrates the lives of ordinary citizens,” organizers announced Tuesday.

Liu, based in Chengdu in China´s southwestern Sichuan region, has said that the purpose of his architecture “is to create a beautiful, just and dignified living environment,” and that he tries to balance commercial needs with the human needs of the public.

The architect “upholds the transcendent power of the built environment through the harmonizing of cultural, historical, emotional and social dimensions, using architecture to forge community, inspire compassion and elevate the human spirit,” Pritzker organizers said in a statement.

Liu is known for creating public areas in highly populated cities where there is little public space, “forging a positive relationship between density and open space,” the statement said.

Organizers cited his West Village in Chengdu, a 2015 five-story project that spans a block. It includes a perimeter of pathways for cyclists and pedestrians around “its own vibrant city of cultural, athletic, recreational, office and business activities within, while allowing the public to view through to the surrounding natural and built environments.”

They also noted the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute Department of Sculpture in Chongqing, which they said displays an alternate solution to maximizing space, “with upper levels protruding outward to extend the square footage of a narrow footprint.”

In an interview Sunday in his office in Chengdu, Liu said he was not one of those architects who likes to have a strongly recognizable visual style. Rather, he said, he pays more attention to method and strategy.

“Many architects use a strong personal style and form to gain a foothold in the world,” Liu told The Associated Press, speaking in Mandarin. “No matter where it is, people can tell immediately that it is his or her work with a very strong symbolism. But I am not such a kind of architect.”

“I don´t want to have a very clear or obvious style that can be recognized as mine just at a glance,” he said. “I take a more methodological and strategic approach. I hope that when I go to a specific place, I can use my methodology and strategy to adapt to local conditions. I like to fully understand the place, and then look for resources, problems … and then distill and refine, and finally turn (this) into my work.”

Liu also said he tries to balance his country´s artistic and architectural heritage with the realities of modern technology.

“I think China´s traditional architecture is of course brilliant and very classic,” he said, “but it is a product of its time.”

He said he hopes to deeply understand “the thematic part of tradition that can survive,” and then express it with contemporary technology and language. In that way, he said, “tradition can be used as a core … but the presentation of your work is contemporary.”

Liu said he also seeks to balance commercial imperatives with civic concerns.

“The rapid development of cities nowadays is basically driven by capital. It is natural for capital to pursue profits,” he said. But he added: “You have to leave the public the space they deserve. Only in this way can the development of a city be positive and healthy, rather than being completely high-density, where people live in drawers and boxes … without even a place to go and no space for communication.”

Liu is the 54th laureate of the Pritzker Architecture Prize, established in 1979 by the late entrepreneur Jay A. Pritzker and his wife, Cindy. Winners receive a $100,000 grant and a bronze medallion.

The prize has often been equated to the Nobel. Asked if he thought the honor would impact his life, Liu replied: “I have thought about it. But I want to maintain normalcy … I don´t want to become nervous about everything. Of course, it has its advantages. I will definitely not need to promote myself too much. But will it also make me better at work? Not necessarily. Excessive expectations may become a pressure.”

He had another concern, too.

“And will it make me too busy and prevent me from working more attentively?” he pondered. “I hope to keep the normalcy and the freedom, as well as calmness.”

—

AP senior video producer Wayne Zhang contributed from Chengdu, China

Paul McCartney Asks Rock Hall of Fame to Induct Joe Cocker: ‘He Would Be Extremely Happy’ to ‘Find Himself Where He Deserves to Be’

Paul McCartney Asks Rock Hall of Fame to Induct Joe Cocker: ‘He Would Be Extremely Happy’ to ‘Find Himself Where He Deserves to Be’

Thania Garcia

March 4, 2025 at 1:15 AM

Paul McCartney is petitioning for late English blues-rock singer Joe Cocker to be inducted into the Rock Hall of Fame this year.

In a letter dated Feb. 25, and addressed to “rock and rollers,” McCartney described Cocker, who died in 2014 at age 70, as a “great man and a fine singer” with a unique style. “He sang one of our songs, ‘With A Little Help From My Friends,’ a version produced by Denny Cordell, which was very imaginative,” McCartney wrote.

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Indeed, the Sheffield-born singer’s 1968 interpretation of the Beatles’ “With a Little Help From My Friends” put a electric spin on the classic, as memorably parodied by John Belushi on “Saturday Night Live.”

“And while [Cocker] may not have ever lobbied to be in the Hall of Fame,” McCartney continued, “I know he would be extremely happy and grateful to find himself where he deserves to be amongst such illustrious company.”

In 2024, McCartney advocated for the induction of Foreigner into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, in addition to support from Peter Frampton, Cher and Oasis. The campaign did pay off in their favor: Foreigner earned their induction alongside Dionne Warwick, Cher, Mary J. Blige and the Dave Matthews Band in a ceremony that included performances from Dua Lipa, Jelly Roll and more.

McCartney was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo act in 1999 by Neil Young. The Beatles were inducted as a group in 1988, their first year of eligibility. (Of course, each member of the band was inducted individually between 1994 and 2015.)

Cocker, who has been eligible for the honor since 1994, is a first-time nominee along with Chubby Checker, Maná, Phish, Outkast, Billy Idol, the Black Crowes and Bad Company. Repeats include nominees Mariah Carey, Oasis, the White Stripes, Cyndi Lauper, Joy Division/New Order and Soundgarden.

The induction ceremony will take place in Los Angeles this year, on a fall date that has yet to be announced.

Read McCartney’s letter to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame below.

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