2 students were transported to hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries, the Los Angeles City Fire Department said.
Subscribe to continue reading this article. Already subscribed? To login in, click here.Originally Published: October 17, 2024 at 12:28 p.m.
Angelica Nwandu had always had a weakness for celebrity gossip. So when she found herself unemployed in 2014 after quitting her job as an accountant to follow her dreams of becoming a screenwriter, she spent her free time in her cramped apartment in downtown Los Angeles consuming it and dishing about it with her friends, one of whom urged her to launch her own gossip site. The suggestion became an Instagram account she called The Shade Room (TSR). Nwandu's first post explained the name. "I said, 'The Shade Room is the truth room,' " she recalls. "Shade goes deep into the culture. When you think about the Black diaspora, a lot of times we are so brutally honest with each other," Nwandu says. "I see it as so much deeper than what it is portrayed as in the media. It's portrayed as just being petty, but I think it has to do with survival."
From its inception, The Shade Room combined celebrity news with coverage of politics and national issues like police brutality. What set it apart was access to boldface names. Rather than merely looking on from the outside, TSR boasted exclusive photos (such as an internet-breaking 2018 snapshot of Kourtney Kardashian, Scott Disick and Sofia Richie) and interviews (such as rapper Quavo's heartbroken reaction to the death of his music partner Takeoff) and made it easy for celebrities and their followers to continue their conversations through the raucous comments section. Nwandu stalked established gossip sites, repurposed the stories on The Shade Room with her unique commentary, and combed Instagram pages for celebrities' likes and comments on posts — something that would become a key evidence-building technique at The Shade Room. Her ability to speak to readers in a language they understood — her voice is reminiscent of your best girlfriend bringing you up to speed — wh ile delivering trustworthy news made her Instagram account a hit.
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Before long, Hollywood companies looking to connect with Black audiences started to reach out to her. She recently worked with Columbia Pictures, for instance, on the promotional campaign for Bad Boys: Ride or Die. Because of the stigma surrounding the supposed "toxicity" of gossip journalism, Nwandu recalls, "It took us time to break and build trust with advertisers and celebrities." Part of that meant dialing back on a tone that had been criticized as homophobic, which Nwandu admits is still a work in progress.
Nwandu began to staff up, building a team of more than 40 journalists, and before long her solo Instagram project burgeoned into a full-fledged Black media empire, drawing more than 49 million followers, generating millions in revenue and attracting venture capital investment. With that came increased credibility and, eventually, access to the White House.
TSR now delivers content across a bevy of social media platforms and digital products, including a website, newsletter and video programming — all while maintaining a distinct voice coded in Black lingo and barbed wit, as it weighs in on everything from the supposed feud between Naomi Campbell and Rihanna to the Kamala Harris-Tim Walz campaign's HBCU homecoming tour.
Despite her success, Nwandu is still — spiritually, at least — dishing with her friends in that cramped apartment. She imagines that TSR's followers, known as "roommates," are in there with her, spilling tea, dropping hot takes and clapping back in the comments. "All your business is out on the table: Whoever got bad grades in school, whoever got pregnant, whoever went to jail, whoever got in trouble with this and that — it's all coming out on the table. And we're going to laugh, we're going to talk, we're going to get on you, and then we're going to move on because we still love you," she says. "So that's kind of the environment we've built in this community."
This story appeared in the Oct. 9 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.
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The UK's entertainment and media sector is in superb health, projected to surpass £100 billion in revenue this year on its way to over £120bn by 2028 according to a new report from PwC. As consumer behaviour shifts, it's important to understand what is behind the growth of the industry and its position in the digital economy.
The role of technology and digital transformationEntertainment has been at the forefront of the transition to a largely digital economic landscape, with streaming services, digital gaming platforms and social media inseparable parts of people's everyday lives. Moving away from physical media has done wonders for accessibility, clearing barriers between product and consumer – if you can engage them, it's easy for them to follow you to what you want them to see.
Streaming and on-demand contentWith the likes of BBC iPlayer offering robust competition to international giants like Netflix and Amazon's Prime Video, plus a host of other streaming services competing for slices of an ever-growing pie, job creation in the creative sector is extremely promising. Producers rush to meet demand by creating more and more content which can then be exported. The rise and rise of on-demand video through YouTube and TikTok as well as everyday streaming through Twitch means that consumers expect to find what they want quickly and conveniently.
Gaming and esports: a new frontier for growthThe role of gaming in the industry's health cannot be understated. The UK has leaned into its appeal as a hub for esports to great success, with the field set to reach £220m revenue by 2027, while the appetite for gaming in general is massive. This isn't just limited to console and PC titles, either – the UK's gaming sector also includes platforms offering online roulette and other casino games that generate substantial revenue streams of their own while tapping into the fundamental appeal of play.
Tourism and live events: the recovery of physical entertainmentThe post-pandemic recovery of the UK's live events industry is well under way, underlined and then some by the astonishing £997m economic jump-start of Taylor Swift's Eras Tour coming to the country in 2024. The public's rediscovery of its love for live concerts, theatre and festivals contributes to the economy through tourism, ticket sales and hospitality, offering experiences that can't be matched at home.
Challenges and future prospectsThe entertainment industry isn't without its challenges, of course. Inflation and rising operating costs risk pricing smaller organisations out of live spaces, while there are concerns about what might happen as regulations play catch-up to the rapid development of digital environments. But it's likely to remain a flagship part of the UK economy, especially with its early investment into the still-developing fields of augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.
Director Ali Abbasi basked in the applause, confident that the eight-minute standing ovation "The Apprentice" was enjoying in Cannes last May meant that his six-year gamble to bring the film to the screen was about to pay off.
The movie, a look at Donald Trump's early years as a real estate developer and his friendship with Roy Cohn, was scouting for distribution. Armed with this kind of reception, Abbasi believed he would soon have Netflix, or one of the prominent indie studios, knocking on his door.
But though "The Apprentice" drew interest from the usual suspects, there were no offers — not even a lowball one. The film, which depicts Trump getting liposuction, abusing amphetamines, running his casino into the ground and raping his first wife, Ivana, was simply too hot to handle. With Trump locked in a tight race for the White House, major studios, indie labels and streamers, or at least their corporate parents, couldn't risk alienating the once and possibly future king.
"I get it," Abbasi says. "This guy can become the next president, and he will have all these tools at his disposal, which he's shown a willingness to use. So he can come after you with all these regulations and taxes." he adds, "But it still upsets me."
Abbasi's experience says a lot about the anxiety gripping the entertainment world as it watches a tumultuous, enormously consequential election unfold. From corporate suites to studio lots, Hollywood is bracing for a possible Trump return, one that could bring chaos and deepen political divisions in a polarized country.
"There's a lot of nervousness," says Schuyler M. Moore, a partner at Greenberg Glusker, who practices entertainment, corporate and tax law. "They don't know exactly what he would do if he got back in power."
The actors, writers and directors who make most of what Hollywood exports are overwhelmingly supportive of Kamala Harris and view Trump as an existential threat to their freedoms. They speak at rallies for the Democratic nominee, host fundraisers and make personal contributions. And they're terrified about what Trump would mean for everything from abortion access to environmental protections — to say nothing of the frontal assault on the rule of law he seems hell-bent on waging. "Everything's at stake," says Sarah Paulson, the Emmy- and Tony-winning actress and a Harris supporter. "Democracy is on the ballot."
But the people who sign Paulson and other artists' checks have complicated loyalties — they seem more worried about making money than maintaining democratic norms. For them, a second Trump term would mean lower taxes and less antitrust enforcement, a key attraction for a debt-ridden industry looking to consolidate. They are banking on Trump behaving like a generic Republican by embracing a pro-business agenda. But Trump has been less interested in ideology and more attracted to a politics of personal grievance, one that rewards sycophants and punishes critics.
Trump's erratic behavior in his first term made it difficult for companies to figure out how to navigate his administration without offending him. Despite that challenge, his policies were often good for corporate bottom lines. In 2017, Trump signed a massive tax cut, lowering corporate rates from 35% to 21%. The bill included benefits that were especially helpful to Hollywood, including a lowered rate on overseas income and the ability to immediately write off the full cost of film and TV productions. Disney and Comcast each saved more than $6 billion in the following four years, according to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy.
If elected to a second term, Trump has vowed to cut the corporate rate even further — to 15% for companies that make their products in the U.S. Harris, in contrast, wants to hike the rate to 28% and increase the tax on overseas income.
Ricardo Tomás for VarietyRegardless of who wins, the Motion Picture Association, which represents seven Hollywood studios, is already seeking to influence the next tax law. In a Sept. 25 letter, the lobbying group urged Congress to preserve the benefits of the Trump tax cut, arguing that it "led to a profound increase in film and television production and ownership in the U.S."
On the other hand, Trump has targeted companies that own news operations, sometimes in performative ways, but sometimes with genuine consequences. In the last month, he has threatened to pull the broadcast licenses of CBS and Disney's ABC over their coverage, and he is currently suing ABC. He has threatened to investigate Comcast for "treason" over NBC's coverage of the Russia scandal. And in 2017, his Justice Department sued to block AT&T from acquiring Time Warner, which some saw as retaliation against CNN for its coverage of his campaign and presidency. Looking ahead, Trump has pledged to use his office to prosecute opponents. Since many media conglomerates operate news divisions and produce late-night shows that investigate, criticize or lampoon Trump, that could make them a legal and political target for a president obsessed with personal retribution.
"I could see him asking Republicans to pass a law saying anything anti-government is treasonous," says Moore. "And I could also see him trying to upend current defamation law, so it becomes much easier to go after people. That could have a chilling effect on free speech."
Moore faults companies for being too enamored of the tax cuts that Trump is proposing and insufficiently fearful of his authoritarian impulses. "He's not kidding around," he says. "I'm not sure how great it would be for them to live in a country without a functional democracy."
Those darker predictions may not come to pass, but whoever wins the Oval Office will have to deal with a media industry that's desperate to keep merging. And since the next president's administration will be tasked with enforcing antitrust law, that will give either Trump or Harris enormous power over Hollywood's future. The Biden administration has antagonized Wall Street by appointing enforcers — Lina Khan at the Federal Trade Commission and Jonathan Kanter, anti-trust division chief at the Justice Department — who have targeted corporate power, especially in tech. Critics argue that has ha d a chilling effect.
"They created an environment that made dealmaking more difficult," says Bill Kovacic, a former FTC chair. "They've scared away deals." It's not obvious which administration would be better for companies. Kovacic assumes that Trump would back off on the Biden approach, though he adds, "if you're a company he hates, he's not beyond revenge."
Harris, meanwhile, sued several companies on antitrust grounds when she was California attorney general. But she was reluctant to take big swings at the tech industry, according to a memoir by Kathleen Foote, the longtime chief of the AG's antitrust section. Kovacic says Harris might go a little easier than Biden, but in a subtle way, so as not to rile her left flank. Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren recently urged the Justice Department to scrutinize Venu, the new sports streaming venture from Disney, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery, saying it would raise subscription prices across the industry. If Harris is elec ted, Sanders and Warren are likely to keep up the pressure on her administration on that and similar issues.
Warner Bros. Discovery is struggling under a massive debt load, and another merger may be its only means of survival. At the Allen & Co. conference in July, CEO David Zaslav didn't endorse a candidate, but said he hoped the next administration will see the benefits of consolidation. "We just need an opportunity for deregulation, so companies can consolidate and do what we need to, to be even better," he said.
The Hollywood unions have supported the Biden approach, arguing that media consolidation suppresses wages and results in layoffs. "The Biden administration has been the most pro-labor administration we've seen in our lifetimes," says Matthew Loeb, the president of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, which represents 65,000 Hollywood workers and has endorsed Harris. "It was an easy call for us," Loeb says.
Entertainment companies also face the risk of an all-out trade war. Hollywood is an export business, but many studios belong to companies such as Sony and Apple that also import electronics and other goods to the U.S. Trump has promised a 10% tariff on all imports and a 60% tariff on goods coming from China. That would unleash "chaos" in a global marketplace, says Ed Brzytwa, the VP of international trade at the Consumer Technology Association. "All the agreements, rules and norms will start to unravel," he says.
Trump imposed tariffs on Chinese imports in 2018, most of which Biden retained. They amounted to a $32 billion levy on electronic goods through 2021, according to Brzytwa's group. The Consumer Technology Association — whose members include Sony, Disney, Amazon and Comcast — argues that the tariffs failed to revive U.S. manufacturing, but did push production to other Asian countries, like Vietnam and Taiwan. In 2022, Sony Electronics moved much of its camera production to Thailand.
Harris would likely maintain the Biden approach, using targeted tariffs more aggressively than under previous Democratic administrations. Trump's overall tariff rates would be seven times higher than the current level, according to the Tax Foundation. If he follows through, prices would rise, and the resulting drop in demand, for many companies, would outweigh any gains from lower tax rates, Brzytwa says. "I think there is a lot of interest in the corporate world in preserving what was accomplished in the [Trump tax bill]," he says. "But they don't want a situation where the U.S. is a fortress and is closed off from the world."
Brzytwa warns that other countries would likely retaliate, making life more difficult for exporters — even entertainment producers. Media giants shoot all over the world, taking advantage of foreign subsidies. They employ creative talent overseas, and release movies and television shows to vast international regions, where they hope to drive future growth. Trump's protectionist policies could disrupt that. They would threaten to reframe America's role in the global economy, straining alliances and fracturing trade partnerships. The consequences of those actions would be felt in almost every sector of the economy.
"You have someone in Trump with the potential to blow it all up," says Tina Fordham, the founder of Fordham Global Foresight and an expert on geopolitical risk. "If the rules of the game and international norms aren't respected, then the U.S. will no longer be treated as a reliable global trading partner. That means all the advantages that America has enjoyed in the post-World War II era could erode. I'm not sure people appreciate how destabilizing this could be."
Some of that impact is already being felt. A decade ago, Hollywood was still focused on opening the Chinese market to American films. But that initiative faded away as the relationship soured. "That ship has sailed," says Greg Frazier, who worked on the issue while at the MPA. "Whether it's Harris or Trump, I don't see any great opening in China, on either side."
As for "The Apprentice," after months in limbo, the producers finally signed a deal with Briarcliff Entertainment, a tiny distribution company that has handled politically charged fare such as "The Dissident," a 2020 documentary about the murder of Jamal Khashoggi that also scared off major media outlets.
"It was such a relief to get into theaters," Abbasi says. "I spent the summer clinically depressed and thinking, 'We did all this work, and nobody is ever going to see our film.'"
Instead, "The Apprentice" opened in theaters on Oct. 11, a month before a presidential election that could return Trump to the pinnacle of power. Abbasi is glad that someone had the courage to release his movie, but he won't forget the fear he encountered while trying to get "The Apprentice" in front of audiences.
"The big story for me is how one human being is intimidating the 300 million or so people who live in America," Abbasi says. "How can an entire country let that happen?"
Jack Dunn contributed to this report.
EX-BBC radio host the Rev Richard Coles is set for I'm A Celebrity — and ready to let rip at his old employer.
The former Communards and Strictly star, 62, said the BBC did not know its a**e from its elbow last year.
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Ex-BBC radio host the Rev Richard Coles is set for I'm A CelebrityCredit: Handout
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Rev Coles will reportedly be joined in the jungle by Radio 1 rising star Dean McCulloughCredit: GettySources also say Radio 1 rising star Dean McCullough, 32, is in advanced talks to enter the ITV series which starts next month.
An insider said: "As always, the jungle bosses have cleverly put together a sensational line-up guaranteed to make for compulsive viewing.
"Rev Coles will have a variety of tales to tell from his wild days as a pop star in the Eighties, through to performing on Strictly and his later life as a man of the cloth.
"Meanwhile, Dean isn't known for being a shrinking violet and is sure to be outspoken — plus he's one of the youngest men lined up for the show so far."
Richard departed as host of Radio 4's Saturday Live show under a cloud in March 2023 after 12 years.
The Beeb announced the news, buried in an email, only five days before his final show.
Richard said later he "felt rather hurtled towards the exit".
He added of the BBC: "You devote your energies to it and yet they perhaps don't always respond with similar devotion.
COLEEN ROOMY I'm A Celeb plans most lavish launch show ever after blowing £21m on mansion
WAGS' WAR Becky Vardy threatens to reignite war with Coleen Rooney ahead of I'm A Celeb
COLEEN OF THE JUNGLE Coleen Rooney signs for I'm A Celeb in biggest deal in show's history
Nadia Sawalha backs Loose Women co-star for I'm A Celeb success
"It's a great national institution and more power to its elbow.
"It would just be nice if it could distinguish that elbow from its ae sometimes."
Coleen Rooney signs for I'm A Celebrity in biggest deal in show's history with bosses hoping she spills secrets on Wagatha and WayneI'm A Celebrity already has most of its line-up in place.
So far, it includes Wag queen Coleen Rooney, Dancing on Ice judge Oti Mabuse, ex-Love Islander Tommy Fury, Corrie's Alan Halsall and social media star GK Barry.
A spokesman for I'm a Celebrity said: "We don't comment on speculation."
Alright, I have a confession to make. When I heard that Kansas City Chiefs player and boyfriend of Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce, would serve as the host of Prime Video's Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity, my expectations were not high. I mean, yes, the star athlete proved he's got some acting chops in Ryan Murphy's Grotesquerie, but hosting a trivia game show in front of a live audience is very different from portraying a flirty nurse on a horror drama.
To be fair, my exposure to game shows is mostly limited to Family Feud and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, but I've seen enough to know that it takes quite a bit of charisma and humor to do the job well. Plus, hosts are solid communicators and quick thinkers who can expertly navigate surprises to keep things running smoothly. So, you can understand why I wasn't sure how the football player would live up to these expectations.
Now, two episodes later, all my doubts are gone, because Kelce is actually really good.
In case you're unfamiliar with the game show series, it invites contestants to answer a series of questions about things they learned in grade school. Each question is categorized by grade and subject, and the contestant gets a chance to win up to $100,000. But if they ever get stuck, they can enlist the help of a classroom full of celebrities—like Nikki Glaser, Nicole Byer and Ryan Fitzpatrick.
In the first episode, from the moment he first appears on the stage, it seems like Kelce is completely at ease. With a dazzling smile, he eggs on the crowd, busts a few moves and looks directly into the camera as he welcomes everyone to the show. Then, he greets the very first contestant and proceeds to shower him with encouragement and compliments before breaking down the basics of the game.
From his contagious enthusiasm to his improvised jokes, one would think he's been doing this for years. For instance, after revealing that he majored in criminal justice, he quipped, "I said, 'If I'm gonna go to school, I might as well learn how to not go to jail.'" And he doesn't hesitate to engage in a little playful banter with the celebrities.
Kelce's got the charm, he's the ultimate hype man and he has already nailed the art of establishing a solid connection with the contestants throughout the show. Plus, I saw no signs of nervousness and he didn't flub once. If you ask me, that's seriously impressive for a newbie—and I'm almost certain that game show legends like Steve Harvey would be proud.
Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity is now available to stream on Prime Video.
Wait, Did Travis Kelce Really Pay Tribute to Taylor Swift in 'Grotesquerie'?
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Celebrities have weighed in on the 2024 presidential race in a variety of ways in recent weeks, with some of the biggest names in politics and Hollywood backing a particular candidate in hopes of moving the needle this November.
FOX News correspondent Geraldo Rivera attends the Fox News Channel 10th Anniversary celebration on ... [+] Oct. 4, 2006 in New York City.
Getty Images Key FactsFormer Fox News personality Geraldo Rivera tweeted that he once considered Donald Trump a friend until he "stabbed the Constitution in the back," and said he will support Kamala Harris this election because Trump is a "sore loser who cannot be trusted."
Actress Anne Hathaway sung Queen's "Somebody to Love" at a Broadway for Harris rally and said: "In case you didn't know, I am voting for Kamala."
TV show host and producer Andy Cohen posted a video with Kamala Harris' husband Doug Emhoff and said he would be voting for Harris because "it's an investment in my daughter's future.. I want her to make her own decisions."
Actor Dennis Quaid attended a Trump rally in California where he called President Ronald Reagan his "favorite president of the 20th century" and Trump "my favorite president of the 21st century."
Former NBA star and billionaire Magic Johnson spoke at a Harris rally in Flint, Michigan, telling supporters "Let's make sure we, in the United States, elect our first woman president in Kamala Harris."
Omarosa Manigault Newman, a former member of the Trump administration and contestant on his reality show "The Apprentice," endorsed Kamala Harris in an interview with Variety and said she hopes Harris will "usher in a new generation of young political leaders."
Manigault Newman appeared on "The Apprentice" in 2004 and served as director of communications for the Office of Public Liaison under Trump in 2017, but was fired from the White House and later blasted the former president in her memoir.
Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker—who made headlines earlier this year after giving a controversial college graduation speech that touched on Catholic values, abortion, IVF and a woman's role in society—endorsed Trump, calling him "the president who is going to be the most pro-life president" in a Fox News interview.
Get Forbes Breaking News Text Alerts: We're launching text message alerts so you'll always know the biggest stories shaping the day's headlines. Text "Alerts" to (201) 335-0739 or sign up here: joinsubtext.com/forbes.
What Other Celebrities Have Endorsed Harris?Billionaire pop star Taylor Swift endorsed Kamala Harris in an Instagram post minutes after a debate between Harris and Trump wrapped up. She's joined by musicians Olivia Rodrigo, John Legend, Cardi B, Kesha, Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas, Chappell Roan, Bruce Springsteen and Neil Young, along with Beyoncé's mom Tina Knowles. Artists Stevie Nicks, Charli XCX and Beyoncé have not made outright endorsements but have signaled support for Harris, with the later giving her campaign permission to use her song "Freedom."
A litany of actors have also offered support, including George Clooney, Barbra Streisand, Rosie O 'Donnell, Jamie Lee Curtis, Cynthia Nixon, Mindy Kaling, Tony Goldwyn, Ker ry Washington, Nick Offerman, Jane Fonda, Ben Stiller, Kathy Griffin, John Stamos, Ed Helms, Tiffany Haddish, Ike Barinholtz, Matt Damon, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Aubrey Plaza, Jennifer Aniston, Mel Brooks, Lynda Carter, LeVar Burton, Anthony Rapp, Misha Collins, Mark Hamill, Robert De Niro, Jennifer Lawrence, Fran Drescher and Bryan Cranston. Directors Ken Burns and Spike Lee and "West Wing" creator Aaron Sorkin also said they support Harris.
Former President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle and former President Bill Clinton and his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, have also thrown their support behind Harris. Former President Jimmy Carter, now 100, reportedly told his son he was trying to make it to the milestone birthday so he could cast his vote for Kamala Harris.
Billionaire Mark Cuban has publicly supported the Harris/Walz ticket, and other billionaire suppo rters of Harris include Laurene Powell Jobs, Arthur Blank, Michael Bloomberg, John Pritzker, Sheryl Sandberg, Eric Schmidt, Steven Spielberg, John Fish, Reed Hastings, Theodore Leonsis, Christy Walton, Elaine Wynn, Melinda French Gates and Sean Parker.
Others who have said they'll vote for Harris include Republican political commentator Ana Navarro, Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, fashion designer billionaire Tory Burch, Martha Stewart and scientist Bill Nye.
What Other Celebrities Have Backed Trump?Former pro wrestler Hulk Hogan and UFC President and personality Dana White endorsed Trump on stage at the Republican National Convention. Actors Jon Voight, Rosanne Barr and Zachary Levi have all expressed support.
Musicians Kid Rock, Amber Rose, Chris Janson, Jason Aldean, reggaeton star Nicky Jam and Azealia Banks have supported Trump, and 50 Cent responded to the attempted assassination of the former president by putting Trump's face on the cover of his "Get Rich or Die Tryin'" album (it's hard to call the response an official endorsement, he did appear to support the president in 2020 before apparently backtracking).
Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy in January said voting for Trump over Biden was a "no-brainer" and he also has the support of Joe Germanotta, a New York City restaurant owne r and father of pop star Lady Gaga.
Public-facing billionaires like Elon Musk and Steve Wynn have also supported the former president, and his donors include billionaires Bill Ackman, Marc Andreesen, Dan Snyder, Linda McMahon, Diane Hendricks, Miriam Adelson, Kelcy Warren, Timothy Dunn, Elizabeth and Richard Uihlein, Phil Ruffin, Jeff Sprecher and Kelly Loeffler, Jimmy John Liautaud, Geoffrey Palmer, Bernard Marcus, Robert "Woody" Johnson, Kenny Troutt, George Bishop, J. Joe Ricketts, Andrew Beal, Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, Don Ahern, Roger Penske, Richard Kurtz, Antonio Gracias and Douglas Leone.
Trump thanked Brittany Mahomes, wife of NFL superstar Patrick Mahomes, for her "defending him" after she lashed out at social media users who criticized her for liking several pro-Trump posts last month (Mahomes has not formally endorsed a candidate).
Who Has Not Endorsed Trump Or Harris?Billionaires who haven't endorsed a candidate include Larry Ellison, Ken Griffin, Jeff Bezos, Warren Buffet, Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, Jamie Dimon, Ray Dalio and Sergey Brin.
Surprising FactFormer KKK Leader David Duke said on his radio show that he was endorsing Jill Stein, the Green Party candidate, for president. He called her the "only candidate who speaks clearly against the war in the Middle East." Stein said she rejected the endorsement, calling Duke a "racist troll" and "white supremacist." Duke endorsed Trump for president in 2020 and 2016.
Further Reading ForbesKamala Harris Has More Billionaires Prominently Backing Her Than Trump—Tyler Perry, Bill Ackman Weigh In (Update)By Derek SaulForbesChappell Roan Cancels Appearances In New York And D.C.— Her Kamala Harris Endorsement Controversy ExplainedBy Conor MurrayForbesTrump: 'I Hate Taylor Swift'—As Endorsement Has Minimal Impact On VotersBy Molly BohannonForbesElon Musk's X Introduces Trump-Themed Hashtags After He Endorses Former PresidentBy Antonio Pequeño IV Further Viewing
Sean 'Diddy' Combs is facing six new sexual abuse lawsuits, filed recently, which accuse him of conduct including assaulting a minor. These civil lawsuits follow Combs' recent criminal charges related to an alleged scheme of sex trafficking and racketeering.
In other entertainment news, music enthusiasts will have the chance to purchase iconic items such as Michael Jackson's jackets and Noel Gallagher's guitars at a Propstore auction next month. The sale is expected to bring in around 2 million pounds and will showcase over 350 items from music legends.
Additionally, Warner Bros Discovery announced the launch of its Max streaming service in seven Asian markets by November 19. The service will introduce iconic content from brands like HBO and the DC Universe to regions including Indonesia and Hong Kong, expanding its reach to more than 72 markets.
(With inputs from agencies.)
Taxi driver Steve Potts was concerned he would retire without picking up a famous passenger
A taxi driver, who has spent 36 years ferrying passengers around Lincolnshire, says he is "thrilled" to have picked up his celebrity fare.
Steve Potts, 62, who operates Streetwise Taxis in Woodhall Spa, was called to the town's Petwood Hotel to take a couple to Newark train station.
The cabbie was surprised when he was greeted by actors and married couple James Bolam and Susan Jameson.
Mr Potts said: "It was the first time I've turned up and it was someone famous. I was also thrilled it wasn't a celebrity I didn't like - there's a few of those!"
He added: "I've watched his TV programmes before, Likely Lads, New Tricks, he was brilliant in both. And his wife was in that too."
"He's a good actor, very versatile. I told him I'd always admired him and he seemed really chuffed with that."
James Bolam (left) has starred in numerous TV series and films including the BBC drama New Tricks
Mr Pott, a father of four and grandad of one, said his lack of famous taxi fares had become a running joke with wife Liz and he feared he would retire having never experienced it.
He said: "Taxi drivers all over the country must pick up thousands of passengers every day. Even in Lincolnshire.
"I'd been moaning it was only five years until I retired and I still hadn't had one. Hopefully it might happen again."
As well as being married, James Bolam and Susan Jameson have also appeared alongside each other on screen
Discussing the journey, he said he enjoyed "chit chat" with the actors during the hour-long car ride, was was happy that the actors took an interest in him too.
James Bolam, 89, and wife Susan Jameson, 83, had attended a private screening at Kinema in the Woods in Woodhall Spa of a short film called A Memory Owed.
The film, which is centred around RAF Bomber Command during World War Two, features footage of Avro Lancaster PA474 which is housed at RAF Coningsby.
Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
More on this storyLancaster bomber takes to sky following restoration
Ex-RAF site could become county tourism focus
MIAMI – Miami police have made another arrest in connection with a kidnapping that ended in a shooting on the Julia Tuttle Causeway in September.
Police took Kelly James Perpall into custody Tuesday on charges of attempted murder, armed kidnapping and home invasion robbery with a deadly weapon.
Authorities arrested an accused co-defendant, Mercedes Latifah Green, on those same charges on Oct. 1. Both Green, 33, and Perpall, 39, live in Miami's Liberty City neighborhood.
According to arrest reports, they're among a group of five people who kidnapped a woman from a home in the city's Little Haiti neighborhood on Sept. 10. Authorities haven't publicly identified any other co-defendants as of Wednesday afternoon.
Authorities said the group went to the home, located in 100 block of Northeast 68th Street, knocked on the door and asked for the victim, confronting her about money, drugs and a stolen gun; she denied any involvement and closed the door on them.
Police said they knocked again — and, this time, when the other person answered, they weren't asking. The reports state Perpall, Green and the other co-defendants "barged into the home" and one of the perpetrators, while armed, "accused the victim of stealing his gun and asked where it was."
The victim again denied stealing the gun, which led a co-defendant to pistol-whip and punch her "several times," police said. Authorities said that the co-defendant handed the gun to another accomplice, who also pistol-whipped and punched the victim.
Green, police said, "struck the victim with a liquor bottle on the head." The witness said Perpall then pulled out a gun "to keep anyone from intervening," the reports state.
Mercedes Green. (WPLG)"The victim was then dragged out of the home by her hair and placed inside the vehicle," a Ford F-150, by one of the co-defendants, police said.
Authorities said the woman told the group that the gun was at her father's house and directed them there. Police said when her father answered his door, he denied knowing anything about the gun and the group left.
The reports state that at around 3 a.m., after driving around, the group took the woman to the Julia Tuttle Causeway.
Perpall, "along with both male co-defendants," then dragged the victim out of the truck, police said. One of the men then shot her three times and left her on the side of the road.
The reports state that after being shot, the woman walked around the causeway looking for help. About 35 minutes after the shooting, someone called Miami Beach police to report "a body on the side of the road."
Authorities said first responders found the woman with "severe injuries to her face." Medics took her to Jackson Memorial Hospital's Ryder Trauma Center for treatment.
The reports state that detectives were eventually able to interview the victim, who told police that she knew all of the culprits except Green, who would deny any involvement following her arrest.
Police said detectives located Perpall at a home on Southwest 103rd Court in Cutler Bay and took him into custody Tuesday.
Perpall "placed himself (at) the scene but denied touching the victim," they said.
As of Wednesday afternoon, both he and Green were being held without bond in the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.
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