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Kate Spade’s Husband Makes Statement That Raises More Questions Than it Answers

Roger Friedman
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Kate Spade’s Husband Makes Statement That Raises More Questions Than it Answers

Kate Spade’s husband, Andy Spade, has issued a statement about his wife’s suicide. It raises more questions than it answers. According to Andy, they’d been living apart for 10 months. “We were not legally separated, and never even discussed divorce.” That seems a long time and doesn’t address why they they were in that situation or who was living with Kate and their daughter if she was so depressed. They never discussed divorce? That’s hard to believe. And the wording in the first paragraph–we were in touch with her— who was in touch with whom?

Read this statement. Something tells me this is the beginning, not the end, of this terrible story.

 

“Kate was the most beautiful woman in the world. She was the kindest person I’ve ever known and my best friend for 35 years. My daughter and I are devastated by her loss, and can’t even begin to fathom life without her. We are deeply heartbroken and miss her already.Kate suffered from depression and anxiety for many years. She was actively seeking help and working closely with her doctors to treat her disease, one that takes far too many lives. We were in touch with her the night before and she sounded happy. There was no indication and no warning that she would do this. It was a complete shock. And it clearly wasn’t her. There were personal demons she was battling.

For the past 10 months we had been living separately, but within a few blocks of each other. Bea was living with both of us and we saw each other or spoke every day. We ate many meals together as a family and continued to vacation together as a family. Our daughter was our priority. We were not legally separated, and never even discussed divorce. We were best friends trying to work through our problems in the best way we knew how. We were together for 35 years. We loved each other very much and simply needed a break.

This is the truth. Anything else that is out there right now is false. She was actively seeking help for depression and anxiety over the last 5 years, seeing a doctor on a regular basis and taking medication for both depression and anxiety. There was no substance or alcohol abuse. There were no business problems. We loved creating our businesses together. We were co-parenting our beautiful daughter. I have yet to see any note left behind and am appalled that a private message to my daughter has been so heartlessly shared with the media.

My main concern is Bea and protecting her privacy as she deals with the unimaginable grief of losing her mother. Kate loved Bea so very much.”

Harry Potter aka Daniel Radcliffe Will Be on Broadway While Harry Potter is on Broadway

Roger Friedman
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Harry Potter aka Daniel Radcliffe Will Be on Broadway While Harry Potter is on Broadway

You know, Harry Potter is on Broadway now as a play — “Harry and Potter and the Cursed Child.” It will likely win some Tony Awards on Sunday.

So just to be confusing, “Harry” is coming to Broadway this fall. Daniel Radcliffe, who played Harry in the eight movies, is returning to the stage in a new play come October. “The Lifespan of a Fact” is written by Jeremy Kareken & David Murrell and Gordon Farrell, directed by Leigh Silverman.

Three playwrights? Very unusual. They adapted it from a book of the same name byby John D’Agata and Jim Fingal about a fact checker and the writer of a magazine article.

More good news: Bobby Cannavale and Cherry Jones co-star. Well, you can’t do better than that.

The sixteen week engagement is at the Roundabout/Studio 54.

 

 

Gaga for Oscars: First Trailer for Bradley Cooper’s “A Star is Born” with Lady Gaga Wows

Roger Friedman
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Gaga for Oscars: First Trailer for Bradley Cooper’s “A Star is Born” with Lady Gaga Wows

The word on Bradley Cooper’s remake of “A Star is Born” is that it’s great.

We sure hope so! The first trailer is very promising. Last night at the “Oceans 8” premiere, the folks from Warner Bros. were very excited.

Look at this trailer- Bradley Cooper is a country singer! Gaga is rocking. This could really up end the Oscars in the best way! They even sing together– and Gaga is her real self, Stefani Germanotta. It looks like they used her real backstory as an aspiring songwriter. Very smart.

Will It Go Round in Circles? Fifth Beatle Billy Preston’s Estate Still Not Settled 12 Years After His Death

Roger Friedman
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Will It Go Round in Circles? Fifth Beatle Billy Preston’s Estate Still Not Settled 12 Years After His Death

The amazing Billy Preston died 12 years ago today. He was one of the great music stars of all time– the only artist ever listed on a Beatles record on the label– “Get Back” by The Beatles and Billy Preston. He had massive #1 hits including “Will it Go Round in Circles” and “Nothing from Nothing.” He co-wrote the famous Joe Cocker hit, “You are So Beautiful to Me.”

Billy died after spending six months in a coma on June 6th, 2006. But I can tell you exclusively that three days before Billy’s death, on June 3rd, his sister Rodena Preston– now deceased herself– decided he was dead  anyway. In a shocking move, she opened a probate case on him. Billy was not dead yet, and not even in the throes of dying. But Rodena– whom Billy had cut out of his life, along with with the rest of his family– filed a petition as if he were gone. She wanted his money. Probates are always filed after a person has stopped breathing. You need a death certificate. She didn’t have one.


caption this: Death before dying.

A dozen years later, Preston’s estate has still not been settled. His manager and business partner, Joyce Moore, acting on his wishes (which, in full disclosure, I heard Billy declare many times), has weathered a long legal storm to get justice for Billy and end this nightmare.  First she had to settle a long and complicated bankruptcy proceeding that took years. But even with that behind her, Preston’s avaricious extended “family” continues to cause trouble.

Rodena Preston’s early probate filing was made by her son in law, an attorney named Bill Hence, Jr. who ultimately resigned by the California Bar “with charges pending.” Rodena, in order to pull off this scheme, claimed Preston had died “in testate” without a will, when in fact in 2004 he had disinherited her and the whole family from his will and his 1999 probate avoidance trust.

Now that Rodena is dead, the newest stumbling block to putting Billy’s estate to bed is a possible illegitimate half sister who calls herself Lettie Preston. But “Lettie Preston,” who claims to have been the product of an affair Billy’s dad had, has no birth certificate and no paperwork to prove her relation. She believes she’s a Preston, but has no way to back it up. This past January, Lettie Preston filed a response to a motion with the court objecting to being asked for a birth certificate showing that George Preston, Billy’s father, was hers as well.

(Lettie Preston actually wrote me an email in September 2010, disputing statements I made then about what was at the time a four year old case. Now it’s a twelve year old case. In that time she has not been able to advance her cause with anything but hearsay.)

Will it go round in circles? Moore, who is married to R&B great Sam Moore, used to drive Billy to weekly dialysis treatments in his later years when he lived in Arizona– not California, where he died and where his family insists he was a resident. When Preston slipped into a coma, it was Moore who cared for him and even welcomed Eric Clapton to Preston’s bedside. (Clapton hoped to wake Billy up by playing him their records, but to no avail.)

At his penultimate performance– at the Atlantis in the Bahamas for Sam Moore’s 70th birthday, October 2005– I asked Billy about his sisters, legit or otherwise. “I don’t want anything to do with them,” he said quite emphatically. I never forgot it. It’s hoped that sometime soon Billy Preston’s real wishes will be carried out and he can actually rest in peace.

 

“Ocean’s 8”: Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett Are Cool Thieves, And Anne Hathaway Steals the Show — Plus Rihanna is a Movie Star Now

Roger Friedman
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“Ocean’s 8”: Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett Are Cool Thieves, And Anne Hathaway Steals the Show — Plus Rihanna is a Movie Star Now

You can’t not like “Ocean’s 8.” It’s not possible. The cast is so perfectly full of the best people, and they just want to have fun: Sandra Bullock and Cate Blanchett anchor the plot of this caper comedy directed by Gary Ross, but it’s Anne Hathaway who steals the show, with Sarah Paulson, Rihanna, and James Corden punctuating the story with perfect supporting roles.

There’s even a cameo by Elliott Gould from the original “Ocean’s” movies but no other big stars like George Clooney or Matt Damon, even though they were rumored to be in it. (In fact, Clooney’s character seems to have been decisively removed for now from this iteration–his character is said to be dead.)

Warner Bros. knows they have a hit with “Ocean’s 8.” They threw a big old fashioned swanky premiere last night starting with a screening at Alice Tully Hall followed by a lavish party at the Metropolitan Museum’s Temple of Dendur. That’s because “Ocean’s 8” is also about stealing a $150 million Cartier necklace from the Met Ball. (Good product placement!)

Interesting: Anna Wintour is mentioned in the movie but is seen for a nano second. Maybe she was scared off by her disastrous involvement in “Zoolander 2.” But there has been almost zero of the expected synchronicity between the movie, Anna, Vogue and the Ball.

There are plenty of other fun cameos in “Ocean’s 8” and it’s worth staying for the closing credits to see all the people who play themselves at the movie’s re-staging of the Ball. Ross also used several “older” actresses from New York to play a pivotal plot point including Marlo Thomas, Dana Ivey, Elizabeth Ashley and Mary Louise Wilson.

But back to the party, where Rihanna wore Givenchy, Sarah Paulson was in all plastic Prada, Helena Bonham Carter, Bullock, and Blanchett were shining stars. Anne Hathaway’s dad, Gerry, was overcome with pride for Anne and thrilled for his MIA wife (Anne’s mom) Kate who’s getting raves in Cape May right now playing Erma Bombeck in a one woman show. Bonham-Carter told me her life has been a “nightmare” lately (divorce from director Tim Burton) but she’s back now–can’t wait to see her in more movies.

Bullock is the leader of the “Ocean’s 8” gang as Debbie Ocean, and she helped organize the movie. But when I congratulated her, she was so gracious to the “Ocean’s” original producer, the late Jerry Weintraub. “It’s all about Jerry, he did it,” she said. Sandy and Cate had a long confab, which is how I got the photo here. I asked Cate how she liked being head of the Cannes jury this year. “It was hard work,” she said. “But I think I had a great group on the jury.” Blanchett, who is Australian, has finally settled in the UK outside of London with husband Andrew Upton and her boys, after a year of globe trotting.

“Ocean’s 8” is going to be a big hit– we need it– it’s fun, refreshing, and cool. And there are just enough twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your seats. Sequels– oh yes, we’ll have “Ocean’s 9” and “Ocean’s 10”– there is plenty of potential!

 

 

All photos c2018 Showbiz411

Rupert Murdoch’s Fraudulent Fox News On PR Campaign Against Big Network Newscasts

Roger Friedman
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Rupert Murdoch’s Fraudulent Fox News On PR Campaign Against Big Network Newscasts

It’s not like any one takes Fox News seriously except for escaped mental patients. But suddenly Rupert Murdoch’s fraudulent “news” network is on a PR campaign against Real News.

Twice in the last two weeks, the New York Post — under Murdoch’s aegis, sister of Fox News– has printed ridiculous stories about CBS News thinking of getting rid of evening news anchor Jeff Glor after just six months. There are no facts or sources to back this up. It’s just the Post shilling for Fox News and Murdoch. Glor is in fact doing a very good job and isn’t going anywhere.

Today, Foxnews.com — a place where Murdoch can plant his own crazy ideas– attacks Lester Holt at NBC News. Fox News should be so lucky to have Lester Holt. The headline is “Embarrassment for Lester Holt as Ratings Sink.”

The embarrassment is Fox News. I should know. I watched it all unfold for 10 years. They are steeped in fiction and agenda. Only Shepherd Smith seems to have any editorial independence. The rest of the day is just a cosmic fantasy, in which conspiracy theories, slightly veiled racism and homophobia, and the provocation of bitterness forms the day’s plan.

I guess they’ll go after David Muir next at ABC if they can figure out a tactic. And of course, Fox News distrusts CNN– the network everyone turns to in times of real crisis– and MSNBC. They use very big words at those places.

PS I am hopeful that the reboot of “Murphy Brown” will once again skewer “Wolf News.” It never gets old!

Grammy Legend Salute Set for LA in July Honoring Neil Diamond, Tina Turner, Queen, Emmylou Harris

Roger Friedman
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Grammy Legend Salute Set for LA in July Honoring Neil Diamond, Tina Turner, Queen, Emmylou Harris

Some good news about the Grammy Awards and their ilk: I’m hearing the new annual Grammy salute concert for Lifetime Achievement will be in Los Angeles this year on July 14th.

Being honored are Neil Diamond, Tina Turner, Queen, Emmylou Harris, the Meters and industry heavyweights like Sire Records’ founder Seymour Stein, composer John Williams, and the late great Bill Graham of Fillmore West and East fame.

The main thing is, Hal Blaine is getting a special honor. Hal Blaine is the most important drummer of the classic pop era, having played on hundreds– maybe thousands– of hits as part of the Wrecking Crew, the Phil Spector group that provided instrumentation for everyone from the Beach Boys to Ike and Tina Turner, the Fifth Dimension. When you hear that drum downbeat opening on “Be My Baby,” that’s Hal Blaine. Rolling Stone named him the 5th best drummer of all time. I’d put him right behind Ringo and Keith Moon on my all time list.

And think of it– Hal Blaine played on Neil Diamond records, Monkees records (Micky Dolenz) that Neil wrote, Herb Alpert and Tina Turner. There’s a lot of crossover.

Some of the performers being talked about for the show are Micky Dolenz, Herb Alpert, Emmylou Harris, and Ledisi with more name coming. The show will be taped for airing on PBS this fall. Last year’s show in New York was so spectacular I expect this one will be just as good if not better.

The Grammys are probably thinking of who should be in the next class of Special Merit recipients. A couple of names I’d like to see: Sam Moore of Sam & Dave; and the Fifth Dimension, certainly.

 

Roseanne Afternoon Tweet Binge Begins: “I’m making restitution for the pain I have caused”

Roger Friedman
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Roseanne Afternoon Tweet Binge Begins: “I’m making restitution for the pain I have caused”

keep refreshing…
this has something to do with getting her show back on the air…

Superstar Designer Kate Spade Dead at 55 of Suicide, Aunt of “Mrs. Maisel” Star Rachel Brosnahan

Roger Friedman
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Superstar Designer Kate Spade Dead at 55 of Suicide, Aunt of “Mrs. Maisel” Star Rachel Brosnahan

It’s a weird thing to write that Kate Spade was the aunt of “Mrs. Maisel” star Rachel Brosnahan. Much as I love that show, Kate Brosnahan Spade was a superstar designer. She was found dead today at age 55 in her Park Avenue apartment after hanging herself with a scarf from a doorknob.

Obviously she must have suffered from severe depression, but what a tragedy, and a loss. Kate Spade had a 13 year old daughter named Frances, and her husband Andy, brother of actor David Spade. At least to the outside world, she had the perfect life. In 2006, she and Andy sold her company to Neiman Marcus for the remainder of the original 1999 sale for $33.6 million. Coach owns the company now. They paid $2.4 billion for it last year.

Kate Spade’s handbags and designs were marked by their ebullient, upbeat, cheerful look. Polka dots in yellow and white and other bright colors were their signature. Even her logo looked happy. There was nothing to suggest darkness around Kate Spade. According to reports she was in the middle of launching a new and already successful line called Frances Valentine.

What a shame. Mental illness remains a lurking killer. Condolences to her family and friends, and fans — of whom there are millions.

 

Roseanne Update: Sara Gilbert Throws in with Network Hoping for Reboot: “I agree with ABC”

Roger Friedman
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Roseanne Update: Sara Gilbert Throws in with Network Hoping for Reboot: “I agree with ABC”

Hey, Sara Gilbert’s not stupid. She could use $300,000 an episode for a rebooted “Roseanne.” So yesterday on “The Talk” Sara threw in with ABC and declared they made the right decision to cancel the show.

Can there be a “Roseanne” without Roseanne? I think it will be “AfterMASH” or “Archie Bunker’s Place” or “The Golden Palace” or — you get the drift. They will never overcome the absence of Roseanne. And Barr has a financial interest, too.

But here’s Sara, giving it her all.

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