ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
Jennifer Lawrence and Cooke Maroney Are Engaged. Jennifer Lawrence is on her way to becoming a Mrs.! The A-list actress and boyfriend Cooke Maroney are engaged, Lawrence's rep confirmed to E! News. Speculation that Jennifer, 28, had accepted a proposal from Cooke, 34, made headlines when the bride-to-be was spotted wearing what sources described to Page Six as a "massive ring" on her finger during a recent date night. J. Law was first romantically linked to the art gallerist in June 2018. It's reported that the pair was introduced by Jennifer's best gal pal and date to the 2014 Oscars, Laura Simpson. In the months that followed, the Oscar winner and her boyfriend would enjoy a romantic getaway to Europe and share PDA during outings in New York City. Unlike Jennifer's prior outlook on love, which included much more public relationships with Nicholas Hoult and Darren Aronofsky, she and Cooke have decided to get to know each other away from the public eye.
Congratulations to the future newlyweds! (Eonline)
Meghan Markle's Best Friends Break Their Silence: 'We Want to Speak the Truth'. Meghan Markle's close friends are opening up for the first time about the woman they know and love. After maintaining their silence for nearly two years, five women who form an essential part of Meghan's inner circle have spoken with PEOPLE to "stand up against the global bullying we are seeing and speak the truth about our friend," says a longtime friend and former costar. "Meg has silently sat back and endured the lies and untruths," her former costar says in this week's cover story. With Meghan and her husband, Prince Harry, expecting their first child this spring, "we worry about what this is doing to her and the baby," adds the costar. "It's wrong to put anyone under this level of emotional trauma, let alone when they're pregnant." In candid interviews, the women -- who requested anonymity to protect the private relationships they hold dear -- set the record straight on everything from Meghan's relationship with her dad to an up-close view of her wedding to the reality of her day-to-day life at Kensington Palace's Nottingham Cottage. "We've all been to their cottage," says a close confidante. "It's small and she's made it cozy, but the perception of their lifestyle and the reality are two different things. Meg cooks for herself and Harry every single day." A friend from L.A. recalls visiting the cottage, sharing, "We had a couple of days together recently. Her husband was out of town on work. In the room she made up for me, there was a candle lit by the bed, slippers and a robe. We were the only two in the house. It was our time. She made the most lovely meals. She made tea every day. It was raining and muddy outside, so the dogs got all dirty, and she's wiping them off with towels. How much she loves her animals, how much she loves her friends, how much she loves feeding you, taking care of you -- none of that has changed." But since her relationship with Harry became public in 2016, Meghan has been the subject of intense scrutiny -- along with various mistruths. Among them: Meghan's relationship with her dad, Thomas Markle, and half-sister, Samantha. "They have been made to appear as siblings who had this falling out, and that's not the truth at all," a longtime friend says of Samantha and Meghan's half-brother Thomas Jr., who were in their mid-to late teens when Meghan was born: "They were not a part of her life." As for Meghan's father, who has said he can't reach Meghan, "He knows how to get in touch with her," adds the longtime friend. "He's never called; he's never texted. It's super-painful." For the friends who talk to her daily, Meghan is an ever-present support: a consummate listener who balances passion for her work with an intense interest in people. "When you see her at walkabouts, when she crouches down to talk to the kids and genuinely has real conversations with people, that's Meg," says the former costar. "That's how she crouches down with our kids at home. That's how she plays with them. That's how she engages with people and how she always has." Even amid the worldwide spotlight focused on her wedding day last May, "We could feel Meg's energy," says the confidante. "The calm that she moves with. That's how it felt because that's how she and Harry are as a couple." A "selfless" friend who writes thank-you notes for reasons big and small and is "the best listener," Meghan is also a clutch advice-giver for those who rely on her. "If I'm thrown some kind of curveball, I always think, 'I gotta talk to Meg,'" says a former colleague. "We talk daily. And the first thing out of her mouth is, 'How are the kids? How are you?' I'm not even allowed to ask about her until she finds out about me." (People)
Denise Richards on Finding Love Again After Her Divorce from Charlie Sheen: 'I Was Never Bitter'. It's been 14 years since her exceedingly public divorce from Charlie Sheen, but Denise Richards says she has no regrets about their union -- or the subsequent drama she dealt with for nearly a decade. "I was never bitter about my divorce," says Richards, who split from Sheen when she was six months pregnant with their second daughter Lola, now 13. (Their daughter Sam is 14, and Richards is also mom to 7-year-old Eloise, whom she adopted as a single mom in 2011). "Going through everything, it changed me," she adds. "But I love life and I'm a glass-half-full kind of person. And I did my best to rise above it." Still, Richards, 47, admits that being pulled into a difficult time in Sheen's life (he was open about a drug and alcohol relapse and went on bizarre rants about tiger's blood and winning) was "extremely disheartening." "Times were extremely negative, and I would have to tell myself, this too shall pass," she says. Now, the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star is happily remarried to wellness practitioner Aaron Phypers, whom she met in 2017 and wed last September. And she's grateful for the lessons she's learned in life and love. "We have an amazing relationship," Richards says of Phypers. "We love each other for who we are, and we don't judge each other. And for him to embrace a single woman with [three] daughters and an ex-husband with a wonderfully colorful past, it's a lot. That made me fall in love with him even more. Phypers "is amazing with the girls," she adds. "He's such a great stepdad, and they're close to him." When it comes to Sheen now, Richards says despite their once contentious relationship, she is supportive of her ex, who is now sober, as well as his connection with their daughters. "I'm supportive of the girls having a relationship with their dad," she says. "Whatever is going on with a couple, the children should not be privy to it. Obviously, there are times when emotions might flare up. But we're human beings and we make mistakes. I know that when someone is struggling with addiction, sometimes choices are made that are not in the best judgment, and I have empathy for that. I want Charlie to be the best person and father he can be." Richards was by Sheen's side when he learned of his HIV-positive diagnosis in 2011 (he went public with it in 2015), and when Sheen's ex-wife Brooke Mueller was in rehab in 2013, Richards took care of Bob and Max, Sheen's now 9-year-old twin boys with Mueller. "No matter what happens, Charlie can call me at any point," Richards says. "I don't see our relationship as a failure. It's a journey. It went a different way than we anticipated, but that's okay. And I will always be a good friend to him." (People)
Hayden Panettiere 'Hasn't Had Much Time' With Her Daughter Kaya. This last year hasn't been the easiest for Hayden Panettiere. Since splitting with fiance Wladimir Klitschko in August 2018, the Nashville alum "hasn't had much time" with her daughter, Kaya, a source reveals in the new issue of Us Weekly. "She knows the child being with her is not best for [Kaya right now]," the insider says. "It's a sad situation." The 4-year-old has been living with the heavyweight champion boxer, 42, in his native Ukraine. He's currently raising her with the help of his mother. After Klitschko and Panettiere ended their nine-year romance, the Heroes alum, 29, quickly moved on with Brian Hickerson. And those close to the actress haven't been happy with her new romance. "It's not a healthy situation," a source previously told Us. But according to Hickerson, "Just to be clear, Hayden's friends and family are not worried about her at all," he said in a statement to Access Opens a New Window. And for even more on Panettiere, pick up the new issue of Us Weekly, on stands now! (UsMagazine)
Susan Lucci's Emergency Heart Procedure: 'I Feel Lucky To Be Alive'. The first time Susan Lucci felt a tightness in her chest last fall, she thought maybe she was just tired. "I told myself, it's nothing, it will go away," says the 72-year-old soap opera legend. "And it did." About 10 days later, she felt it again, "radiating around my rib cage," she says. "I thought maybe I had fastened my bra too tightly." The third time was Oct. 23 -- was different. On that day, while shopping at the Tory Burch boutique in Manhasset, Long Island, she says, "It felt like an elephant pressing down on my chest." After Lucci sat down to catch her breath, the store manager quietly offered to drive her to nearby St. Francis Hospital. On the way, she called her husband's cardiologist, Dr. Richard Shlofmitz, who told her to meet him in the ER. There, she underwent a CT scan which revealed 90 percent blockage in the heart's main artery, often called "the widow maker," and 70 percent blockage in another branch. Dr. Shlofmitz inserted two stents into her arteries to increase blood flow back to the heart. "Ninety percent blockage -- I was shocked," Lucci tells PEOPLE in this week's issue. "I'm lucky to be alive." Indeed, says her cardiologist Holly Andersen, Associate Professor of Medicine at the Ronald O. Perelman Heart Institute at New York Presbyterian Hospital and Weill Cornell Medical Center: "Had she gone home, that 90 percent blockage could have become 100 percent and she could have suffered a significant heart attack or even sudden death." Now Lucci, who starred as Erica Kane for 41 years on All My Children, wants to help others by sharing her story. "I'm not a nurse or anyone who can help in any real way," she says fighting back tears. "This is the way I can help. I can tell my story. Everyone's symptoms are different, but I felt compelled to share mine. Even if it's one person I help. That is someone's life." In so doing, Lucci -- who strictly adheres to her Pilates regime and heart-healthy Mediterranean diet of fruits, vegetables and protein -- is shattering the stereotype of who is at risk for heart disease. "As a woman you think about breast cancer, not a heart attack," says Lucci. "Every EKG I had was great. My blood pressure was on the lower end of normal." But as it turns out, Lucci was at risk due to her family history of heart disease. Her dad, Victor Lucci, had a heart attack in his late forties. As Dr. Andersen explains: "Her risk was due to her father's arteriosclerosis, a condition that causes plaque buildup, which can cause blockage and hardening (or calcification) of the arteries." As Lucci has learned, heart disease kills one out of three women -- approximately 400,000 women a year, according to the America Heart Association. Now as a national volunteer and spokesperson for the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women campaign, Lucci is using her heart and her voice to raise awareness. "We often put ourselves on the back burner. But if your body is telling you something, we need to pay attention." And by doing so, her doctors say, she saved her life. "The key thing Susan did was to seek help when she had symptoms, rather than think it would go away," says Dr. Shlofmitz. Happily, he notes, "She has no damage. Her heart is pumping as good as when she was born." "Susan telling her story will save lives," notes her cardiologist Dr. Andersen, who adds, "Everyone should know how to save a life with Hands Only CPR. It takes only one minute to learn at HandsOnly.org." (People)
Rapper Freeway undergoes successful kidney transplant. Philadelphia rapper Freeway, who has been battling kidney failure for years, finally received a transplant. The 40-year-old posted a video to Instagram Tuesday, announcing that he'd undergone the procedure and it had been a success. "What's up everybody? Thank y'all for the prayers and all your support. Everything went well, the surgery went well. I'm in recovery," the "Flipside" rapper said. "God is good. I got the new kidney. The doctor said everything is fine. Thank y'all man, I really felt the prayers. It meant a lot." On Monday, Freeway, whose real name is Leslie Pridgen, told fans doctors had finally found a healthy kidney donor for him and he was in a Baltimore hospital awaiting the operation. A member of the rap group State Property, Freeway was on Jay-Z's former label, Rock-A-Fella Records, in the early 2000s. After a decade working with other record companies, he released his latest album, 2018's "Think Free," on the rap mogul's current label, Roc Nation, last year. In 2015, the rapper announced he had been diagnosed with kidney failure. He addressed the experience on the independently released, "Free Will," the next year. (PageSix)
Gigi Hadid Is Over People Crediting Her Family for Her Fame. More than five years ago, Gigi Hadid was known as former model and Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star's Yolanda Hadid's daughter. Actually, Yolanda Hadid's daughter, to be precise. Now a supermodel, Gigi expresses frustration when people credit her success to her family connections, according to ELLE. "I mean, I understand it. I come from privilege, and I recognize my privilege," the 23-year-old told the magazine in a cover interview for its March 2019 issue. "But because my mom was on a TV show, people think that my whole childhood was fame. It absolutely was not. My mom was a model. She moved to the States when she was 16 to send money back to her family in Holland. My dad was a refugee and worked his way up in every way. I work hard to honor my parents." In 2016, Yolanda dropped ex-husband David Foster's last name and took on that of her first ex-husband and her children's father, Mohamed Hadid. She also left The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Meanwhile, her and Mohamed's younger daughter and Gigi's 22-year-old sister, Bella Hadid, has also made a name for herself as a supermodel. Both women's careers have flourished in recent years and they are now more famous than their mother. In her interview with ELLE, Gigi was asked if she and Bella are competitive. "Bella and I have very different styles," she replied. "A job that wants Bella is not a job that I'm the right look for, so I never took that personally," she added. "In a lot of ways, she inspires me. We learn from each other." (Eonline)
Jussie Smollett is back to work in Chicago on the set of "Empire," and detectives want to chat with the actor while he's in town ... TMZ has learned. A production source tells us Smollett flew back into the Windy City Sunday, after his weekend show in Los Angeles. We're told Smollett shot scenes for one of the final episodes of the season Monday and did a table read with the cast Tuesday ... security was present the entire time. Law enforcement sources tell us cops want to speak with Jussie while he's in town as part of their ongoing investigation. As for where he's staying while in town ... a source close to Jussie tells us he's back at the same apartment complex where he was living at the time of the attack. Jussie made his first public appearance at a concert at the Troubadour in Los Angeles Saturday, where he very proudly stated, "I couldn't let those motherf*****s win!" The show was supposed to have a meet and greet, which was canceled due to security concerns. Police revealed Monday they've found additional surveillance footage surrounding the time leading up to and after the incident ... but the new video hasn't been released. Our sources say cops have not found any video of the attack or anyone fleeing after the attack. (TMZ)
More info in the Antonio Brown police investigation ... the NFL star's baby mama initially told cops he pushed her during a heated argument -- but then tried to get police to "cancel" her report. It's all laid out in documents obtained by TMZ Sports ... a woman who has a child with Brown went to the Hollywood Police Dept. in Florida on January 18th to report a domestic violence incident that took place on Jan. 17th. The woman initially told cops she went to Brown's home to drop off their daughter and get reimbursement for the daughter's recent hair appointment. The woman claimed Brown tried to kick her off the property -- and an argument ensued, with Brown ultimately using both hands to push her out of the doorway "causing [her] to fall backwards to the ground." The woman told police she suffered a scraped wrist as a result of the incident. Cops say they noticed the scrape and photographed the injury. Cops say they gave the woman a domestic violence brochure and information on how to obtain a restraining order. But a short time later, the woman had a change of heart -- telling another officer she "wished to cancel her report" because she did NOT want to press charges against Brown. Cops say the woman admitted she stood in the doorway of Brown's home and refused to let him close the door -- it seems like she was almost taking blame for the incident. After cops told her they could not "cancel" the report, she became irate and left ... according to the documents. Brown's attorney previously told us the NFL star denies all allegations of wrongdoing -- calling them "baseless and false." Brown has NOT been arrested. (TMZ)
Duane Martin didn't come anywhere close to addressing Tisha Campbell-Martin. According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Duane doesn't specifically make any mention of Tisha's allegations levied against him ... that he physically, mentally and emotionally started abusing her near the start of their marriage back in 1996. In docs, Duane goes after the "Martin" star's skills as a parent -- or lack thereof. He says, for example, their kids don't do their homework when they're with her. He adds it's a different story when they're with him because "I am a graduate of New York University. Schooling was very important to me." He says Tisha didn't graduate from any university and has no educational background. What's more ... it appears Tisha and Duane had previously agreed to hand off custody of their kids at a police station, but Duane now wants that to change because he says it's not in the best interest of their kids. Duane also wants the courtroom cleared for the next hearing. As we reported ... Tisha alleged Duane once punched her in the chest with a closed fist and as recently as December Duane allegedly "grabbed me by my arm to try to get me in the bedroom." She claimed to have filed a police report in January about multiple alleged physical altercations. (TMZ)
Congratulations to the future newlyweds! (Eonline)
Meghan Markle's Best Friends Break Their Silence: 'We Want to Speak the Truth'. Meghan Markle's close friends are opening up for the first time about the woman they know and love. After maintaining their silence for nearly two years, five women who form an essential part of Meghan's inner circle have spoken with PEOPLE to "stand up against the global bullying we are seeing and speak the truth about our friend," says a longtime friend and former costar. "Meg has silently sat back and endured the lies and untruths," her former costar says in this week's cover story. With Meghan and her husband, Prince Harry, expecting their first child this spring, "we worry about what this is doing to her and the baby," adds the costar. "It's wrong to put anyone under this level of emotional trauma, let alone when they're pregnant." In candid interviews, the women -- who requested anonymity to protect the private relationships they hold dear -- set the record straight on everything from Meghan's relationship with her dad to an up-close view of her wedding to the reality of her day-to-day life at Kensington Palace's Nottingham Cottage. "We've all been to their cottage," says a close confidante. "It's small and she's made it cozy, but the perception of their lifestyle and the reality are two different things. Meg cooks for herself and Harry every single day." A friend from L.A. recalls visiting the cottage, sharing, "We had a couple of days together recently. Her husband was out of town on work. In the room she made up for me, there was a candle lit by the bed, slippers and a robe. We were the only two in the house. It was our time. She made the most lovely meals. She made tea every day. It was raining and muddy outside, so the dogs got all dirty, and she's wiping them off with towels. How much she loves her animals, how much she loves her friends, how much she loves feeding you, taking care of you -- none of that has changed." But since her relationship with Harry became public in 2016, Meghan has been the subject of intense scrutiny -- along with various mistruths. Among them: Meghan's relationship with her dad, Thomas Markle, and half-sister, Samantha. "They have been made to appear as siblings who had this falling out, and that's not the truth at all," a longtime friend says of Samantha and Meghan's half-brother Thomas Jr., who were in their mid-to late teens when Meghan was born: "They were not a part of her life." As for Meghan's father, who has said he can't reach Meghan, "He knows how to get in touch with her," adds the longtime friend. "He's never called; he's never texted. It's super-painful." For the friends who talk to her daily, Meghan is an ever-present support: a consummate listener who balances passion for her work with an intense interest in people. "When you see her at walkabouts, when she crouches down to talk to the kids and genuinely has real conversations with people, that's Meg," says the former costar. "That's how she crouches down with our kids at home. That's how she plays with them. That's how she engages with people and how she always has." Even amid the worldwide spotlight focused on her wedding day last May, "We could feel Meg's energy," says the confidante. "The calm that she moves with. That's how it felt because that's how she and Harry are as a couple." A "selfless" friend who writes thank-you notes for reasons big and small and is "the best listener," Meghan is also a clutch advice-giver for those who rely on her. "If I'm thrown some kind of curveball, I always think, 'I gotta talk to Meg,'" says a former colleague. "We talk daily. And the first thing out of her mouth is, 'How are the kids? How are you?' I'm not even allowed to ask about her until she finds out about me." (People)
Denise Richards on Finding Love Again After Her Divorce from Charlie Sheen: 'I Was Never Bitter'. It's been 14 years since her exceedingly public divorce from Charlie Sheen, but Denise Richards says she has no regrets about their union -- or the subsequent drama she dealt with for nearly a decade. "I was never bitter about my divorce," says Richards, who split from Sheen when she was six months pregnant with their second daughter Lola, now 13. (Their daughter Sam is 14, and Richards is also mom to 7-year-old Eloise, whom she adopted as a single mom in 2011). "Going through everything, it changed me," she adds. "But I love life and I'm a glass-half-full kind of person. And I did my best to rise above it." Still, Richards, 47, admits that being pulled into a difficult time in Sheen's life (he was open about a drug and alcohol relapse and went on bizarre rants about tiger's blood and winning) was "extremely disheartening." "Times were extremely negative, and I would have to tell myself, this too shall pass," she says. Now, the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star is happily remarried to wellness practitioner Aaron Phypers, whom she met in 2017 and wed last September. And she's grateful for the lessons she's learned in life and love. "We have an amazing relationship," Richards says of Phypers. "We love each other for who we are, and we don't judge each other. And for him to embrace a single woman with [three] daughters and an ex-husband with a wonderfully colorful past, it's a lot. That made me fall in love with him even more. Phypers "is amazing with the girls," she adds. "He's such a great stepdad, and they're close to him." When it comes to Sheen now, Richards says despite their once contentious relationship, she is supportive of her ex, who is now sober, as well as his connection with their daughters. "I'm supportive of the girls having a relationship with their dad," she says. "Whatever is going on with a couple, the children should not be privy to it. Obviously, there are times when emotions might flare up. But we're human beings and we make mistakes. I know that when someone is struggling with addiction, sometimes choices are made that are not in the best judgment, and I have empathy for that. I want Charlie to be the best person and father he can be." Richards was by Sheen's side when he learned of his HIV-positive diagnosis in 2011 (he went public with it in 2015), and when Sheen's ex-wife Brooke Mueller was in rehab in 2013, Richards took care of Bob and Max, Sheen's now 9-year-old twin boys with Mueller. "No matter what happens, Charlie can call me at any point," Richards says. "I don't see our relationship as a failure. It's a journey. It went a different way than we anticipated, but that's okay. And I will always be a good friend to him." (People)
Hayden Panettiere 'Hasn't Had Much Time' With Her Daughter Kaya. This last year hasn't been the easiest for Hayden Panettiere. Since splitting with fiance Wladimir Klitschko in August 2018, the Nashville alum "hasn't had much time" with her daughter, Kaya, a source reveals in the new issue of Us Weekly. "She knows the child being with her is not best for [Kaya right now]," the insider says. "It's a sad situation." The 4-year-old has been living with the heavyweight champion boxer, 42, in his native Ukraine. He's currently raising her with the help of his mother. After Klitschko and Panettiere ended their nine-year romance, the Heroes alum, 29, quickly moved on with Brian Hickerson. And those close to the actress haven't been happy with her new romance. "It's not a healthy situation," a source previously told Us. But according to Hickerson, "Just to be clear, Hayden's friends and family are not worried about her at all," he said in a statement to Access Opens a New Window. And for even more on Panettiere, pick up the new issue of Us Weekly, on stands now! (UsMagazine)
Susan Lucci's Emergency Heart Procedure: 'I Feel Lucky To Be Alive'. The first time Susan Lucci felt a tightness in her chest last fall, she thought maybe she was just tired. "I told myself, it's nothing, it will go away," says the 72-year-old soap opera legend. "And it did." About 10 days later, she felt it again, "radiating around my rib cage," she says. "I thought maybe I had fastened my bra too tightly." The third time was Oct. 23 -- was different. On that day, while shopping at the Tory Burch boutique in Manhasset, Long Island, she says, "It felt like an elephant pressing down on my chest." After Lucci sat down to catch her breath, the store manager quietly offered to drive her to nearby St. Francis Hospital. On the way, she called her husband's cardiologist, Dr. Richard Shlofmitz, who told her to meet him in the ER. There, she underwent a CT scan which revealed 90 percent blockage in the heart's main artery, often called "the widow maker," and 70 percent blockage in another branch. Dr. Shlofmitz inserted two stents into her arteries to increase blood flow back to the heart. "Ninety percent blockage -- I was shocked," Lucci tells PEOPLE in this week's issue. "I'm lucky to be alive." Indeed, says her cardiologist Holly Andersen, Associate Professor of Medicine at the Ronald O. Perelman Heart Institute at New York Presbyterian Hospital and Weill Cornell Medical Center: "Had she gone home, that 90 percent blockage could have become 100 percent and she could have suffered a significant heart attack or even sudden death." Now Lucci, who starred as Erica Kane for 41 years on All My Children, wants to help others by sharing her story. "I'm not a nurse or anyone who can help in any real way," she says fighting back tears. "This is the way I can help. I can tell my story. Everyone's symptoms are different, but I felt compelled to share mine. Even if it's one person I help. That is someone's life." In so doing, Lucci -- who strictly adheres to her Pilates regime and heart-healthy Mediterranean diet of fruits, vegetables and protein -- is shattering the stereotype of who is at risk for heart disease. "As a woman you think about breast cancer, not a heart attack," says Lucci. "Every EKG I had was great. My blood pressure was on the lower end of normal." But as it turns out, Lucci was at risk due to her family history of heart disease. Her dad, Victor Lucci, had a heart attack in his late forties. As Dr. Andersen explains: "Her risk was due to her father's arteriosclerosis, a condition that causes plaque buildup, which can cause blockage and hardening (or calcification) of the arteries." As Lucci has learned, heart disease kills one out of three women -- approximately 400,000 women a year, according to the America Heart Association. Now as a national volunteer and spokesperson for the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women campaign, Lucci is using her heart and her voice to raise awareness. "We often put ourselves on the back burner. But if your body is telling you something, we need to pay attention." And by doing so, her doctors say, she saved her life. "The key thing Susan did was to seek help when she had symptoms, rather than think it would go away," says Dr. Shlofmitz. Happily, he notes, "She has no damage. Her heart is pumping as good as when she was born." "Susan telling her story will save lives," notes her cardiologist Dr. Andersen, who adds, "Everyone should know how to save a life with Hands Only CPR. It takes only one minute to learn at HandsOnly.org." (People)
Rapper Freeway undergoes successful kidney transplant. Philadelphia rapper Freeway, who has been battling kidney failure for years, finally received a transplant. The 40-year-old posted a video to Instagram Tuesday, announcing that he'd undergone the procedure and it had been a success. "What's up everybody? Thank y'all for the prayers and all your support. Everything went well, the surgery went well. I'm in recovery," the "Flipside" rapper said. "God is good. I got the new kidney. The doctor said everything is fine. Thank y'all man, I really felt the prayers. It meant a lot." On Monday, Freeway, whose real name is Leslie Pridgen, told fans doctors had finally found a healthy kidney donor for him and he was in a Baltimore hospital awaiting the operation. A member of the rap group State Property, Freeway was on Jay-Z's former label, Rock-A-Fella Records, in the early 2000s. After a decade working with other record companies, he released his latest album, 2018's "Think Free," on the rap mogul's current label, Roc Nation, last year. In 2015, the rapper announced he had been diagnosed with kidney failure. He addressed the experience on the independently released, "Free Will," the next year. (PageSix)
Gigi Hadid Is Over People Crediting Her Family for Her Fame. More than five years ago, Gigi Hadid was known as former model and Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star's Yolanda Hadid's daughter. Actually, Yolanda Hadid's daughter, to be precise. Now a supermodel, Gigi expresses frustration when people credit her success to her family connections, according to ELLE. "I mean, I understand it. I come from privilege, and I recognize my privilege," the 23-year-old told the magazine in a cover interview for its March 2019 issue. "But because my mom was on a TV show, people think that my whole childhood was fame. It absolutely was not. My mom was a model. She moved to the States when she was 16 to send money back to her family in Holland. My dad was a refugee and worked his way up in every way. I work hard to honor my parents." In 2016, Yolanda dropped ex-husband David Foster's last name and took on that of her first ex-husband and her children's father, Mohamed Hadid. She also left The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Meanwhile, her and Mohamed's younger daughter and Gigi's 22-year-old sister, Bella Hadid, has also made a name for herself as a supermodel. Both women's careers have flourished in recent years and they are now more famous than their mother. In her interview with ELLE, Gigi was asked if she and Bella are competitive. "Bella and I have very different styles," she replied. "A job that wants Bella is not a job that I'm the right look for, so I never took that personally," she added. "In a lot of ways, she inspires me. We learn from each other." (Eonline)
Jussie Smollett is back to work in Chicago on the set of "Empire," and detectives want to chat with the actor while he's in town ... TMZ has learned. A production source tells us Smollett flew back into the Windy City Sunday, after his weekend show in Los Angeles. We're told Smollett shot scenes for one of the final episodes of the season Monday and did a table read with the cast Tuesday ... security was present the entire time. Law enforcement sources tell us cops want to speak with Jussie while he's in town as part of their ongoing investigation. As for where he's staying while in town ... a source close to Jussie tells us he's back at the same apartment complex where he was living at the time of the attack. Jussie made his first public appearance at a concert at the Troubadour in Los Angeles Saturday, where he very proudly stated, "I couldn't let those motherf*****s win!" The show was supposed to have a meet and greet, which was canceled due to security concerns. Police revealed Monday they've found additional surveillance footage surrounding the time leading up to and after the incident ... but the new video hasn't been released. Our sources say cops have not found any video of the attack or anyone fleeing after the attack. (TMZ)
More info in the Antonio Brown police investigation ... the NFL star's baby mama initially told cops he pushed her during a heated argument -- but then tried to get police to "cancel" her report. It's all laid out in documents obtained by TMZ Sports ... a woman who has a child with Brown went to the Hollywood Police Dept. in Florida on January 18th to report a domestic violence incident that took place on Jan. 17th. The woman initially told cops she went to Brown's home to drop off their daughter and get reimbursement for the daughter's recent hair appointment. The woman claimed Brown tried to kick her off the property -- and an argument ensued, with Brown ultimately using both hands to push her out of the doorway "causing [her] to fall backwards to the ground." The woman told police she suffered a scraped wrist as a result of the incident. Cops say they noticed the scrape and photographed the injury. Cops say they gave the woman a domestic violence brochure and information on how to obtain a restraining order. But a short time later, the woman had a change of heart -- telling another officer she "wished to cancel her report" because she did NOT want to press charges against Brown. Cops say the woman admitted she stood in the doorway of Brown's home and refused to let him close the door -- it seems like she was almost taking blame for the incident. After cops told her they could not "cancel" the report, she became irate and left ... according to the documents. Brown's attorney previously told us the NFL star denies all allegations of wrongdoing -- calling them "baseless and false." Brown has NOT been arrested. (TMZ)
Duane Martin didn't come anywhere close to addressing Tisha Campbell-Martin. According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Duane doesn't specifically make any mention of Tisha's allegations levied against him ... that he physically, mentally and emotionally started abusing her near the start of their marriage back in 1996. In docs, Duane goes after the "Martin" star's skills as a parent -- or lack thereof. He says, for example, their kids don't do their homework when they're with her. He adds it's a different story when they're with him because "I am a graduate of New York University. Schooling was very important to me." He says Tisha didn't graduate from any university and has no educational background. What's more ... it appears Tisha and Duane had previously agreed to hand off custody of their kids at a police station, but Duane now wants that to change because he says it's not in the best interest of their kids. Duane also wants the courtroom cleared for the next hearing. As we reported ... Tisha alleged Duane once punched her in the chest with a closed fist and as recently as December Duane allegedly "grabbed me by my arm to try to get me in the bedroom." She claimed to have filed a police report in January about multiple alleged physical altercations. (TMZ)
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