Friday, December 19, 2025
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Ex-Fox News Anchor Gretchen Carlson Posts Video Thanking Supporters in Ailes Lawsuit (Watch)

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Former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson is very smartly using social media to reach her supporters. Carlson thanks them in this video. She’s suing Fox News chief Roger Ailes for sexual harassment that led to her leaving the network on June 23rd.

Ailes has denied the charges. Fox has put up no defense for him at all, but several current female employees are trickling in with endorsements rather than support their colleague. They close ranks at the Kremlin, too.

Donald Trump Posts Fake News Story to Facebook, Website About Delegate Court Decision

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Are Donald Trump’s followers being fed a fake version of the news? Something is very wrong about how actual news is being disseminated on his Facebook page and website.

Today a federal judge ruled that delegates who committed to Donald Trump can leave him and choose another candidate. It’s pretty much all over the news. The judge is Senior United States District Judge Robert E. Payne. It’s RNC Rule 16 and the delegate involved is attorney Carroll “Beau” Correll Jr., who vowed never to vote for Trump. Now he won’t have to.

But on Donald Trump’s Facebook page and website, the campaign has posted a completely fictitious version of what happened. The headline in both places is “Federal Court Sides With Grassroots Activists: RNC Delegates Are Bound to Follow Election Results.”

NBC called the ruling “a victory for Correll.”

But according to Trump sites, Correll lost and delegates must remain with Trump. In the Trump version, Correll “was soundly defeated.”

The court wrote: This matter is before the Court following a bench trial on
the merits of the FIRST AMENDED VERIFIED CLASS ACTION COMPLAINT
FOR INJUNCTIVE AND DECLARATORY RELIEF (the “Amended Complaint”)
(ECF No. 20) filed by Carroll Boston Correll, Jr. C’Correll”).
For the reasons, and to the extent, set forth below, judgment
including declaratory and injunctive relief will be entered for
Correll.”

For Correll, not against him. He was not soundly defeated at all. He won. Confusing, huh? What’s true? You can read the judge’s decision here: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/3174287/Correll.pdf

(2)_Donald_J._Trump_-_2016-07-11_21.04.50

Look at the court decision: “For the foregoing reasons, judgment will be entered in Correll’s favor on Counts I and II and the Commonwealth will be permanently enjoined from enforcing Va. Code § 24.2-545(0).”

Correll is no longer bound to vote for Trump, neither are the rest of the Republican Virginia delegates.

The “story” posted to Trump’s pages is fiction, written by his staff and purposely picks out phrases from the judge’s decision to suit their concocted work. Some of it is true– but it’s all out of context and rearranged to suit the Trump campaign’s new version of events. Maybe they think their followers simply won’t read the actual news.

I am totally baffled.

 

Steven Tyler Welcomes New Granddaughter, Sends Get Well Message to Joe Perry

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You know that Steven Tyler has been in touch with Aerosmith bandmate Joe Perry’s family since the guitarist’s collapse last night during a show in Coney Island.

 But you know in this world, everything has to be expressed publicly on social media. So Tyler has just posted a message to Perry on Twitter so everyone can see it:

It’s been an emotional 24 hours for Tyler. Also yesterday, daughter Liv, the actress, gave birth to her third child, a little girl named Lula Rose.

Tyler is on his solo Out on a Limb Tour, and has his first solo album coming out on Friday. Perry is said to be improving, thank goodness. I’m sure by the fall he’ll be reunited with Aerosmith.

Broadway: “Hamilton” Box Office Hits New High in Final Week of Lin-Manuel Miranda Performances

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The three cast members who exited “Hamilton” on Saturday night went out with a bang.

For the final week of Lin-Manuel Miranda, Leslie Odom Jr and Phillipa Soo’s performances, “Hamilton” went up by $30,000. It finished the week with $2,053,263. And that’s amazing since sold out, the show really can do $1.9 million.

But the average ticket price rose ten bucks to $190. That also helped.

Just to give perspective– when “Hamilton” finished its first week on Broadway last July 19th, the box office was $1,288,436.00. Now most shows would give their Playbills back for that number. But a year later “Hamilton” is making $800,000 more per week.

Insane.

“Ghostbusters” Scores a Robust 78 Among Critics, May Surprise The Naysayers After All

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Is the new “Ghostbusters” a terrible movie that no one should see? The fanboys would like you to believe it– they’ve been denouncing Paul Feig’s movie almost since before it was made.

But guess what? The new “Ghostbusters” has a robust 78 on Rotten Tomatoes. It has 50 positive reviews and 14 negative ones.

On Saturday night, Sony-Columbia hosted a red carpet premiere on Hollywood Boulevard at what used to be Grauman’s Chinese Theater. They gave the film its first real show of support after negative stories ran about the movie’s merchandise being sold at clearance prices by Target.

Fact is, “Ghostbusters” is a funny summer hit. I don’t know why Sony didn’t do more for it in New York– given that the movie takes place in Times Square and most of the cast lives here. Very weird.

But “Ghostbusters” may surprise everyone come Friday. It’s not like a single publicist has spoken to me about it, but I’ll tell you go see it and make up your mind. There are plenty of good laughs. And the cameos are all worth it– right til the end of the movie (don’t leave or you’ll miss Sigourney Weaver).

This movie is a nice vindication for producer Amy Pascal, too. She was ousted from Sony last year after the hacking scandal, but it’s her name on the screen in giant letters. She knows how to make movies, ya know. She just isn’t good with email. (This is true of so many powerful women lately!)

Aerosmith’s Joe Perry Collapses Onstage During Hollywood Vampires Show in Coney Island

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Word is spreading on social media that Aerosmith’s Joe Perry has collapsed on stage during a Hollywood Vampires show at Coney Island. He’s been taken to Coney Island Hospital. Various reports indicate he may have had a heart attack…

Keep refreshing…

update 11:28pm Perry is in stable condition according to various sources…

Review: Fanboys Want to Kill “Ghostbusters” But Four Comic Superstars Are Worth the Ticket

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Who you gonna call? Not the old Ghostbusters. They’d been trying to work out a new chapter of their series when Harold Ramis died in 2014. I talked to Ivan Reitman a lot about it but then Ramis fell ill, and the rest is history.

Someone had the smart idea for an all-female cast version. Why not? The original “Ghostbusters” wasn’t “The Godfather.” It’s sturdy enough to take this route. A new generation, same song (Ray Parker via Huey Lewis). Paul Feig is very clever. What could go wrong?

I’ll take the stand that the new “Ghostbusters” is a lot of fun. You’re never going to recapture the novelty of the original — even with cameos from all the old stars. The surprise is over. But new productions of old plays are common on stage. There’s nothing so sacrosanct about “Ghostbusters.” Get over it.

The Feig movie basically retells the same story as the original, just updated to 2016. Ghosts are attacking, scientists with weird inventions must combat them. The squad this time is Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones. A Hemsworth is their Annie Potts (I’m never sure which one, but I think it’s Chris. Or Liam.) Andy Garcia and Cecily Strong are New York’s mayor and his aide de camp. Ed Begley and Zach Woods run a haunted house . This isn’t rocket science.

The good news is that the actresses are terrific fun, each enjoyable as heck. McCarthy and Wiig are better known quantities from “Bridesmaids” and their TV shows, and they’re solid as the central ‘straight men’ (comic– not preference). I adore both Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones, and they don’t fail to entertain. Neither does Cecily Strong. Lorne Michaels has a current crop of female superstars, and they are all unleashed here.

Hemsworth is very funny and self-deprecating although it might have been more interesting to have Paul Rudd in there instead.

Special effects? This isn’t “Avatar,” They’re fine. I saw the 2D version. “Ghostbusters” is about characters and fun, so it didn’t bother me that the whole thing looks a little cheesy. What bothered me was there was no story. With all these characters, there’s no flirting, no romance, no frisson. One more draft and maybe Wiig and Andy Garcia might have hooked up. Leslie Jones could have had one of her Colin Jost things happening. I was sure Cecily Strong’s mayoral aide and McKinnon’s inspectress gadget would at least wink at each other. But nada. Nothing happens. And so the film never feels like it takes off to a higher plane.

But Harold Ramis gets a lovely nod with a bust-wearing-glasses, and all the old actors roll through (you have to wait til the bitter end to see Sigourney Weaver). Begley and Woods fade away (the latter could have developed a crush on Jones). Dan Aykroyd has a drive by, and Murray has a bewildering cameo that ends nowhere. I really clapped when I saw Annie Potts– she could have been their den mother, the elder lady with all the secrets. (Next time, if there is a next time.)

This “Ghostbusters” also has a lot of product placements, notably H&M (which is the only name on a New York skyscraper) and 7-11. For some reason, when the scenes turn to Times Square, stores that don’t exist anymore like Woolworth’s and Bonds are featured. Was this a retro thing? I couldn’t figure it out. But it does say that I was getting a little bored toward the end so that checking for Easter eggs was on my mind.

Is it fun? Yes. Is it a good summer comedy? Yes. And it’s absolutely worth seeing these ladies go for it. They’re a hoot. So plug your ears to the nay-sayers. Don’t let them slime this film.

Box Office: “Pets” More Popular Than Ever with $103 Mil, “Mike and Dave” Can’t Get Dates

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Box office conundrum over the weekend. “The Secret Life of Pets” scored over $103 million, $10 million more than estimates. HUGE hit for Universal. Animation box office record for original film.

Live action took many hits. “Mike and Dave” couldn’t scare up dates after Friday night. Their total is $16 million. That’s an airplane comedy. Zac Efron needed a more famous “brother,” I guess.

“Independence Day: Resurgence” still not near $100 mil– just $91 mil.

“Hamilton” All-Star Send Off for Original Cast: John Kerry, Jane Fonda, JLO, Charlie Rose

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They wouldn’t let press into the showing of “Hamilton” tonight– just photographers. I don’t know why– totally random.

But the publicist has sent word there’s an all-star cast in the audience including Secretary of State John Kerry, Jane Fonda, Jennifer Lopez (did she bring Casper?), Charlie Rose, Spike (and presumably Tonya) Lee, Mariska Hargitay (probably with husband Peter Hermann), Marla Maples (formerly Mrs. Donald Trump), and Rosie O’Donnell–who’s seen the show so many times she could fill in on any of the parts on the spur of the moment!

At today’s matinee and tonight’s show, creator Lin Manuel Miranda received standing ovations upon hitting the stage.

I wonder what all this hoopla over today’s shows will do to the box office once people realize the three main stars are gone. I think the show will be just as good if not better. But I wonder if all this attention for this show won’t do some harm to it. I guess we’ll see over time.

PS Louise Mensch, former British conservative MP and stooge for Rupert Murdoch in the hacking hearings, now his employee in New York, was at the matinee. She tweeted from it with her kid. Can you imagine if she’d identified herself to Manuel and the cast? I wonder how much she paid for those hard to get seats.

If there are any updates, I’ll add them.

Roger Ailes: 6 More Women Speak of Sexual Harassment as Fox News Chief is Set Up as Bill Cosby of Broadcasting

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Uh oh.

Gabriel Sherman of New York Magazine has six more women besides Gretchen Carlson accusing Fox News chief Roger Ailes of sexual harassment. Sherman wrote the biography of Ailes last year (The Loudest Voice in the Room) that got Ailes’s PR chief Brian Lewis fired (and settled with an $8 million deal to keep quiet).

The women include, Kellie Boyle, 54, a former Republican National Committee field adviser and Marsha Callahan, now 73, a former model. They went on the record. Four others used pseudonyms.

Boyle says that back in 1989 Ailes told her: ‘You know if you want to play with the big boys, you have to lay with the big boys.’ She declined.

Callahan says in 1967 or 1968, when she was a model, Ailes said: ‘Sit on the sofa and lift your skirt up.’ I had to do these different poses. And then, I recall very clearly, he said he’d put me on the show but I needed to go to bed with him. I was a really shy girl, but I was a little cheeky so I said, ‘Oh yeah, you and who else?’ And he said, ‘Only me and a few of my select friends.’

So far, the stories don’t come from Ailes’ run at CNBC or Fox News– they’re all way in the past. That doesn’t excuse the behavior if true. But more contemporary stories will have more of an impact, if there are any. You never know, once alleged victims start talking– as in the case of Bill Cosby– the flood gates can open.

Stay tuned…

update: Ailes’s outside counsel sent this to NY Mag: “It has become obvious that Ms. Carlson and her lawyer are desperately attempting to litigate this in the press because they have no legal case to argue. The latest allegations, all 30 to 50 years old, are false.”