Stephen Smith 's mom fired off a letter to the FBI about the mishandling of her son's death investigation, saying he was murdered for being gay and naming Buster Murdaugh as a possible suspect. Sandy Smith sent the 4-page letter to the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 2016, hoping the agency would take over the case from local South Carolina authorities, whom she believed had covered up critical evidence in the case. As you know, Stephen was found dead in the middle of a country road in Hampton County near the Murdaugh family estate on July 8, 2015. Investigators initially thought Stephen's death was a "homicide" because there were no signs he'd been struck by a vehicle. Cops then inexplicably changed their minds and determined that it was a hit-and-run accident. Document Launch Doc In the letter , obtained by FITSNews, Sandy wrote Stephen's older brother, Christopher , was told by a classmate that Buster Murdaugh allegedly killed Stephen with … [Read more...] about Buster Murdaugh Named by Stephen Smith’s Mom as Murder Suspect in FBI Letter
Disappoint dash someones hopes
‘Bad Cinderella’ Broadway Review: Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Latest Could Use Some Badness
Your first thought after seeing Bad Cinderella , the latest musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber , is, well, she isn’t that bad. For better and worse. The musical, energetically directed by Laurence Connor, opens on Broadway tonight with quite a reputation: We’ve heard it was lambasted by critics in London (it wasn’t). That Andrew Lloyd Webber himself trashed it (he didn’t). The truth: Bad Cinderella , known as plain old Cinderella during an abbreviated London run that had the dreadful timing to coincide with the Covid pandemic (that was Lloyd Webber’s point when he lamented opening the show then), is a musical that upends and modernizes the age-old tale with an irreverent, knowing tone meant to smirk away the old lessons and replace them with new ones – with morals, as in the moral of the story, that more closely aligned with today’s thinking. What, you’ve seen this before, maybe when it was called Wicked ? Into the Woods ? Six ? There is no shortage of … [Read more...] about ‘Bad Cinderella’ Broadway Review: Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Latest Could Use Some Badness
BBC Must Explain Glossy U.S. Acquisitions After Being Accused By ITV Of Chasing Ratings
The BBC has been told that it must be more transparent about its content acquisitions strategy after being accused by ITV of buying glossy U.S. shows to chase ratings. Ofcom , the UK’s media regulator, said the BBC must explain in its Annual Plan how buying content, as opposed to commissioning British originals, supports “distinctiveness” and engages different audiences. The BBC is funded by the British public to the tune of £3.8B ($4.7B), meaning it has an obligation to be distinct from commercial rivals like ITV and serve all audiences. Ofcom made the intervention as part of plans to update the BBC’s operating licence for a digital age from next month. A guiding principle of the changes is transparency, with Ofcom arguing that the BBC has not always provided proper “detail and clarity” on updates to its output and services. In a submission to Ofcom’s review, ITV said the BBC had “dramatically increased” its spend on acquired content over the past six years, … [Read more...] about BBC Must Explain Glossy U.S. Acquisitions After Being Accused By ITV Of Chasing Ratings
Oscar Winner Roger Ross Williams: Spending On Oscar Doc Campaigns Has “Gotten Insane” — CPH:DOX
Oscar winner and Academy member Roger Ross Williams is saying publicly what many in the documentary community have stewed over privately – that the sums of money being spent on Oscar documentary campaigns has “gotten insane.” And Williams, a former Academy Governor representing the Doc Branch, says something may be done about it. “We in the Academy, in the Doc Branch, have a campaign finance reform committee… to sort of try to work through that and figure out solutions to that. It’s gotten insane. It’s gazillions of dollars to get seen and heard,” he said, “and that’s so troubling because it should be on the merit of the films.” His remarks, less than two weeks after the Academy Awards, came in a discussion with documentary programmer and Pure Nonfiction podcaster Thom Powers at CPH:DOX in Copenhagen. Powers asked the filmmaker about “the escalating attention that awards season sucks up in our industry,” and Williams didn’t hold back. “We know it’s awards, it’s the … [Read more...] about Oscar Winner Roger Ross Williams: Spending On Oscar Doc Campaigns Has “Gotten Insane” — CPH:DOX
William Levy-Led Vix Series ‘Montecristo’ Sets Premiere Date; Drops Official Trailer
EXCLUSIVE: The ViX original series Montecristo starring William Levy is set to premiere on April 14, with the release of all 6 episodes to hit the streamer. Watch the first official trailer above. Based on the literary classic The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, the series tells the story of Alejandro Montecristo (Levy), an enigmatic figure who bursts into the public eye and raises concerns amongst the world’s elite because the origin of his fortune and his past are unknown. Montecristo is the founder and CEO of a new technology company that has incited the envy and interest of many, among those is Fernando Alvarez Mondego – a businessman connected to the Spanish aristocracy who wants to acquire the Montecristo startup. What Fernando doesn’t know is that Montecristo is someone he knew decades ago and the reason for his emergence is fueled purely by revenge. “I have always loved this story and wanted to tell it,” Levy tells Deadline exclusively of … [Read more...] about William Levy-Led Vix Series ‘Montecristo’ Sets Premiere Date; Drops Official Trailer
Sophia Culpo Confirms Braxton Berrios Breakup With Series Of TikToks
Getty Composite Olivia Culpo 's younger sib, Sophia , confirmed her relationship with NFL player Braxton Berrios went kaput ... with the model/influencer firing off a number of TikToks with her sister about living the single life. Rumors surrounding the end of the couple were circulating for weeks ... after fans noticed the once-inseparable duo suddenly stopped appearing on each other's social media platforms. Gallery Launch Gallery In fact, Braxton -- who signed with the Miami Dolphins earlier this month -- elected to take his mother on a Hawaiian vacation last week ... which, no disrespect to moms across the globe, seemed like what someone would do if they didn't wanna waste a getaway trip that was already booked prior to a breakup. Sophia addressed the speculation head-on with a number of TikToks on Wednesday ... enlisting her sister, Aurora -- who separated from her husband in early 2022 -- to help her make some post-split content for … [Read more...] about Sophia Culpo Confirms Braxton Berrios Breakup With Series Of TikToks
Tyson Fury Rips Into Oleksandr Usyk After Fight Falls Apart, ‘S***house P***y’
Instagram / @tysonfury Tyson Fury is LIVID with Oleksandr Usyk after their fight negotiations came to a screeching halt this week ... with the heavyweight champion calling his potential opponent a "bug-eyed, gappy teeth, ugly little rat bastard" after the two sides failed to reach an agreement. "You little slimy f***er," Fury (33-0-1) said in the scathing clip on Thursday. "Tried all week to get out of it, begging for a rematch [clause] like a little girl. You got your rematch [clause] and didn’t even want to fight at that." Getty Fury and Usyk (20-0) were initially slated to fight on April 29 ... but that ain't happening now, after both sides couldn't see eye-to-eye over how to handle a potential second bout. Fury claims his team presented the best possible outcome ... but ultimately, Usyk never wanted to fight him in the first place. "You little shithouse p***y," Fury added. "Always know, p***y, that you were never man enough to tangle … [Read more...] about Tyson Fury Rips Into Oleksandr Usyk After Fight Falls Apart, ‘S***house P***y’
‘Vanderpump Rules’ Jax Taylor Claims Tom Sandoval Cheated On Ariana Multiple Times
Bravo Jax Taylor is offering up his thoughts on Tom Sandoval 's affair with Raquel Leviss ... saying he believes Tom's been cheating on Ariana Madix for years -- and Tom's famous business partner knew all about it. The former "Vanderpump Rules" star spilled the tea with his wife Brittany Cartwright on Wednesday's "Watch What Happens Live" -- telling Andy Cohen he wasn't shocked at all when the Scandoval drama came to light. He also claims he was practically a witness for the infamous Miami incident years ago. Gallery Launch Gallery Fans of the show remember the long-standing rumor that Tom cheated on Ariana with a girl in Florida at the very beginning of their relationship ... and Jax says he was in the next room when it went down. He's certain this has been a frequent thing with Tom, but still won't go into specifics on what he knows. Jax also talks to Tom's business partner Tom Schwartz on the daily, … [Read more...] about ‘Vanderpump Rules’ Jax Taylor Claims Tom Sandoval Cheated On Ariana Multiple Times
Essence Atkins & Tetona Jackson To Star In Wayans’ Family Comedy Pilot At CBS
Essence Atkins and Tetona Jackson are joining Damon Wayans and Damon Wayans Jr in the latter pair’s CBS family comedy. The untitled project, which picked up a pilot order in February , has also set Andy Ackerman as director and exec producer of the pilot. It centers on a legendary talk radio host and happily divorced “Poppa” (Wayans) who has his point of view challenged at work when a new female co-host is hired, and at home where he finds himself still parenting his adult son (Wayans Jr.), a brilliant dreamer who is trying to pursue his passion while being a responsible father and husband. Atkins plays Dr. Ivy Reed, an intelligent, savvy and bold, Ivy is the host of the “Ask Doctor Reed” radio show where she gives helpful advice to listeners with a modern approach on life. When the network wants to modernize Poppa’s outdated routine, Ivy joins him as a co-host; she quickly dismantles his old-school arguments, and a new rivalry is instantly born. Jackson plays … [Read more...] about Essence Atkins & Tetona Jackson To Star In Wayans’ Family Comedy Pilot At CBS
Hundreds Of WGA East Members Stage Walkout At Hearst Magazines Media: “So Many Of Us Pour Our Heart And Soul Into These Brands”
Hundreds of WGA East members employed at Hearst Magazines Media staged a half-day walkout and rally today to demand a fair contract. The walkout at four of the company’s offices – in New York City, Easton, PA, Ann Arbor, MI, and Birmingham, AL – comes after more than two years of negotiations for a first-time contract. The last scheduled day of negotiations is March 28. According to the guild, they’re seeking “fair wage increases, better severance and strong anti-harassment protections,” among other demands. Watch some video of the walkout below. The guild represents some 500 of the publishing giant’s editorial, video, design and photo staff at more than 25 brands including Esquire, Cosmopolitan, Harper’s Bazaar, Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Popular Mechanics, Car & Driver, Oprah Daily, Seventeen, Elle, Redbook and Woman’s Day . “We’re walking out today because more than two years is too long to wait for a fair union contract,” said Joey Capparella, … [Read more...] about Hundreds Of WGA East Members Stage Walkout At Hearst Magazines Media: “So Many Of Us Pour Our Heart And Soul Into These Brands”