Amman, Jordan | AFP | Hollywood heavyweight Will Smith said Monday his son Jaden inspired him to take the role of the genie in a remake of Disney classic Aladdin, out later this month. Smith said he had been reading scripts and struggling to decide which role to accept. “I had …
Read More »As R. Kelly outrage festers, will music embrace #MeToo?
New York, United States | AFP | The #MeToo movement has shaken a number of industries including Hollywood in recent years, but the world of popular music has mostly shied from embracing the crusade. In a business long associated with seedy behavior, few artists have faced rejection for actions or allegations, …
Read More »Hollywood mogul Weinstein fired over sex harassment claims
New York, United States | AFP | Movie mogul Harvey Weinstein was fired from his film studio The Weinstein Company following reports he sexually harassed women for decades, as Hollywood stood accused Monday of protecting one of its own despite a pattern of misconduct. The firing came three days after a …
Read More »Hollywood stars enter Confederate symbols row
Venice, Italy | AFP |Hollywood stars George Clooney and Julianne Moore on Saturday weighed in on the debate raging in the United States over statues and other symbols of the pro-slavery side in the American Civil War. The pair spoke out on the issue at the Venice film festival, where …
Read More »Stars honor Jackie Chan but Trump very much on their minds
Los Angeles, United States | AFP | Action movie star Jackie Chan accepted an honorary Oscar on Saturday as Hollywood A-listers sounded a cautionary note over President-elect Donald Trump’s victory in the polls. Left-leaning Tinseltown overwhelmingly backed Democrat Hillary Clinton in the race for the White House, and stars at …
Read More »Man who defaced Trump’s Hollywood star arrested
Los Angeles, United States | AFP | A man who admitted to defacing Donald Trump’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in protest at the Republican presidential candidate’s treatment of women was arrested on Thursday, police said. James Otis had planned to hold a news conference in the early …
Read More »Lupita Nyong’o dazzles at ‘Queen of Katwe’ premiere
Actress Nyong’o plays mom to a Ugandan chess prodigy in the new Disney movie that opens in US theaters on Friday LOS ANGELES, Sept. 21 (UPI) — Queen of Katwe star Lupita Nyong’o turned heads on the red carpet Tuesday. The 33-year-old actress, who plays Nakku Harriet in the new …
Read More »Cannes hotel deploys hawks to keep gulls away from rich and famous
Cannes, France | AFP | The last thing rich and famous visitors to Cannes want is a cheeky seagull swooping in to nibble their peanuts or steal their steak. So the Grand Hyatt Cannes Hotel Martinez has deployed a team of trained hawks to chase away opportunistic gulls who may …
Read More »Hollywood creations a danger
By Okodan Akwap The mightily deceptive allure of Hollywood is that many black actors would be dying to play villains Among local commentaries on America’s problematic race relations, Andrew Mwenda’s article, ‘Beyond America’s façade of democracy’ (The Independent, December 8), stands out. He notes that, “The ‘democratic’ process … consistently …
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