Prince William knighted The Beatles’ Richard Starkey, better known as Ringo Starr, at a UK ceremony. The former Beatles member was rewarded for his services to music after a career of more than 50 years. Starr is the second band member to be knighted, the first one being Paul McCartney.

Another busy day for Sir. Ringo. peace and love peace and love pic.twitter.com/JpHd0r6r4u

— #RingoStarr (@ringostarrmusic) March 20, 2018

The ceremony was held at the Buckingham Palace in London on Tuesday. Prince William stood in for his grandmother, 91-year-old Queen Elizabeth, who is best known for handing out such distinctions.

After receiving the honor, Starr, 77, admitted that he felt a “bit shaky today on my own”  without his bandmates. The Beatles drum player then joked that he would be wearing the medal at breakfast.

Starr’s bandmate and friend Sir Paul was knighted in 1997. The two other members of the Beatles, George Harrison and John Lennon, passed away before they could receive the same honors.

The recently-appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire will now join a hefty list of British musical legends including, Elton John, Rod Stewart, and Mick Jagger, all of whom now have “Sir” as their title.

A picture of the ceremony was posted on Twitter by Ringo’s representatives on Tuesday. Starr can be seen with his wife, actress Barbara Bach, posing happily outside Buckingham Palace with the drummer giving his trademark peace sign salute.

Another day in the life peace and love. 😎✌🌟💖🎶🐘🎵🍒🌺🙏🏽☮ pic.twitter.com/7rKcIYjmLw

— #RingoStarr (@ringostarrmusic) March 20, 2018

Ringo Starr told the BBC that he was honored to receive the title.

“It means a lot actually. It means recognition for the things we’ve done. I was really pleased to accept this.” He said.

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The Weinstein Company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, several months after the studio’s co-founder, Harvey Weinstein, had been accused of sexual assault by multiple women. This decision was first announced on February 25, after talks of a potential acquisition by a group of investors led by Maria Contreras- Sweet fell through.

The once highly successful film company also said that it would release any survivors of alleged sexual misconduct from any non-disclosure deals that prevented them from speaking out. In addition, they also struck a deal with a private equity firm, which will purchase its assets if the deal is approved in court.

“While he had hoped to reach a sale out of court, the board is pleased to have a plan for maximizing the value of its assets, preserving as many jobs as possible and pursuing justice for any victims,” said company chairman, Bob Weinstein.

The Weinstein Company also called the NDA cancellation an “important step toward justice” for the victims who had been silenced by Harvey Weinstein. In addition, they hope that the removal of the non-disclosure agreements will encourage people to come forward with their stories if they wish to do so.

Earlier last month, New York Attorney General, Eric Schneiderman, filed a civil-rights lawsuit against the film company. The lawsuit alleges that the studio violated New York’s “civil rights, human rights, and business laws”. More so, Schneiderman has been in favor of lifting the NDAs for a long time, having issued a statement in response to the recent news. He called the NDA removal a “watershed moment” and hopes that this recent turn of events will empower those who have been “muzzled” to come out and share their experience.

Aside from the company’s turmoil, Harvey Weinstein himself is facing a series of individual civil suits, including one in which he is being sued for alleged sex trafficking.

Weinstein’s lawyers denied all allegations brought against the disgraced mogul.

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On Monday, Meghan Markle, Prince Harry’s fiancée, stepped out for her first official royal duty with Queen Elizabeth. It wasn’t only the event at Westminster Abbey, but also Meghan’s outfit which attracted a lot of attention.

She wore a white, $1,000 coat from British designer Amanda Wakeley. But this was only a piece of her incredible wardrobe. Let’s just remember another coat she wore for Christmas, the Sentaler one. However, as much as everyone loves her style and class, all of her items are not really that affordable.

What’s even more interesting is that at the moment, she and Prince Harry are paying for everything out of their own pockets. This is because members of the royal family cannot accept designer clothes for free.

For example, assistants like Natasha Archer, who is helping Duchess Kate, choose from a variety of options from many designers. However, the outfit that is worn for that occasion is paid for.

It’s worth noting that after their wedding, which takes place on May 19^th, Meghan’s budget for clothing will be covered by the money that Prince Charles gives to Prince Harry from his income of about $28 million.

 

Meghan Markle’s Chic Style and Wardrobe

 

Last year, Prince William, his wife Kate, and Prince Harry took some of the money they needed for their public lives from a special fund of about $4.8 million.

Also, Meghan wore another controversial, $78,000, Ralph & Russo gown for her engagement portraits with Prince Harry. When those pictures were released back in December, a lot of people expressed their disagreement.

According to reports, Meghan earned about $50,000 per episode when she was still part of the cast of Suits. As for her style, fashion experts are praising it and saying that she has evolved and became a lot more sophisticated than she used to be.

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In an attempt to convince a judge to dismiss a federal sexual misconduct lawsuit, disgraced producer, Harvey Weinstein, has quoted several actresses, including Meryl Streep, to prove that not all of the women he had worked with had a negative experience. Alongside Streep’s example, the new legal filing included quotes from actresses, Gwyneth Paltrow and Jennifer Lawrence.

On Tuesday, Weinstein’s lawyers told the federal court in New York that the class-action lawsuit filed by six women should be dismissed. According to them, the alleged assaults don’t have enough ground for prosecution, considering that they took place years ago and the accusers failed to offer facts to support claims of assault.

The disgraced mogul’s attorneys cited comments made by Streep, who had said that Weinstein had always been respectful in their working relationship.

Upon hearing of her role in Weinstein’s legal defense, the Meryl Streep issued a response to the use of her comments the next day. Streep said that Weinstein’s use of her statement as evidence for his defense is “pathetic and exploitative”.

“The criminal actions he is accused of conducting on the bodies of these women are his responsibility,” Streep said, “and if there is any justice left in the system he will pay for them.”

Weinstein’s attorneys did not shy away from including comments from actress, Jennifer Lawrence, who at one time told Oprah Winfrey that she had known Weinstein since she was 20 and said “he had only ever been nice to me”.

Gwyneth Paltrow was also mentioned in the court filing, claiming that she went on to star in several of Weinstein’s productions even after she claimed that she was assaulted by the mogul during the filming of 1994’s Emma.

Regardless of their comments, all three actresses have condemned Weinstein ever since multiple news outlets alleged decades of alleged sexual misconduct in October.

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Suicides surged by 10 percent across the US in the four months after actor and comedian, Robin Williams died in 2014, according to a new study.

Researchers from Columbia University believe that the extensive media coverage of William’s death contributed a great deal to the spike. They claim that the actor’s suicide is a great example of how “copy-cat” deaths can follow high-profile suicides.

“We observed a 9.9 percent increase in the number of suicides in the U.S. from August to December 2014,” said epidemiologist, David Fink, and his colleagues.

Following the death of the Good Will Hunting actor, approximately 1,841 suicides occurred in the United States in the next four months.

Previous years had a rate of 16.800 suicides in the same season however the last third of 2014 saw 18.960 suicides.

The researchers acknowledged that the spike could not be traced back to the death of Robin Williams with certainty. However, they note that the rapid increase in suicides starting in August 2014, specifically suffocation suicides, establish a link nonetheless.

Previous studies have established a link between high-profile suicides, especially celebrity suicides, with a surge in suicide deaths.

Researchers for this study found that the rate of suicides was most prevalent among men ages 30 to 44, a demographic that is similar to the actor.

According to Fink, this overlap is nothing new. While suicide cases tend to have different triggers, the epidemiologist says that a common theory is that many cases share three precursors. One is the breakdown of the individual’s social structure, the other is access to a means of suicide and lastly is the ability to overcome a natural fear of death. Fink states that a celebrity suicide may partially fulfill the third factor.

The study was published in the Public Library of Science journal, PLoS ONE.

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Last month, during an interview, actor Matt Damon, suggested that claims of sexual harassment should be viewed differently from allegations of sexual assault. These comments stirred many women who criticized the actor for his ignorance and lack of understanding. Now it seems that the Oscar winner is backing down from his previous statement saying that he will be jumping in the back seat and will keep his mouth shut.

Damon addressed his controversial remarks on Tuesday on the Today show.

“I really wish I’d listened a lot more before I weighed in on this,” said the Downsizing actor, “Ultimately what it is for me is that I don’t want to further anybody’s pain…so for that I’m really sorry.”

Previously, Damon said that there’s a difference between sexual harassment and sexual assault, suggesting that there is a “continuum” when it comes to questionable behavior. The Goodwill Hunting actor said that people would have to find a limit to what is considered criminal behavior and what is considered “shameful and gross”. In the interview, Damon also compared the allegations against  Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey, and Louis CK. More so, the Oscar winner said that most men with whom he had worked with are innocent people and that the industry should focus more on them.

Among the actresses who stepped in to criticize Matt Damon were Alyssa Milano and even Damon’s Good Will Hunting, co-star, Minnie Driver.

There are so many men I love who do NOT frame the differentiation between sexual misconduct assault and rape as an excuse or worse- our problem. Such bollocks..

— Minnie Driver (@driverminnie) December 15, 2017

In his current interview, Damon confessed that he was a lot of friends who have been sexually assaulted or harassed and that he supports their movement.

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On Sunday evening, women attending the 2018 Golden Globes decided to wear all-black to raise awareness about the culture of sexual harassment in Hollywood. Latin actress Blanca Blanco, however, decided to break the dress code and wear a crimson red outfit.

Her decision was met with huge criticism.

At the event, Eva Longoria said women should be aware that this year’s Golden Globes is a “moment of solidarity, not fashion moment.” She explained that for years women have put on quite a show with their gowns and beautiful faces and figures. However, this year things have changed.

Critics roasted Blanco for opting for red when her peers were wearing all-black. Twitter exploded as well, with users not being able to comprehend what was on the Latino beauty’s mind when she picked red.

One Twitter user noted that during a movement that seeks to raise awareness about the sexualization and abuse of women, the actress chose an outfit that seems an “awkward choice”.

Blanco: Shaming Does Not Fix the Problem

Other social media users, though, defended Blanco’s fashion sense. One Twitter user noted that it is “ridiculous” to shame a woman at an anti-shaming event or accuse her of supporting sexual harassment because she failed to follow a dress code. “Guess we’re back to blaming the woman for her attire,” one user tweeted.

What hypocrisy, shaming an individual buy a group promoting anti-shaming @blancablanco

— Ger Fitzgerald (@ger_fitzgerald) January 9, 2018

Blanco, 36, was disappointed with the critics’ reaction. In a recent interview, she explained that she loves red and that her fashion choice was not a statement about being against the movement.

She cheered the actresses that spoke out against abuse and took a stand with their fashion choices. She noted that real change is “long overdue,” but added that resorting to shaming does not fix the problem.

Blanco was not the only star to break the dress code at the show. Meher Tatna who leads the Hollywood Foreign Press and German actress Barbara Meier sported more colorful looks as well.
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Thanksgiving came and went and many actors including Uma Thurman have wished their fans happy holidays on social media. However, the actress added a special twist to her social media post by commenting on the disgraced mogul, Harvey Weinstein.

H A P P Y T H A N K S G I V I N G I am grateful today, to be alive, for all those I love, and for all those who have the courage to stand up for others. I said I was angry recently, and I have a few reasons, #metoo, in case you couldn’t tell by the look on my face. I feel it’s important to take your time, be fair, be exact, so… Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! (Except you Harvey, and all your wicked conspirators – I’m glad it’s going slowly – you don’t deserve a bullet) -stay tuned Uma Thurman

A post shared by Uma Thurman (@ithurman) on Nov 23, 2017 at 12:58pm PST

Many actresses have come forward in the past months accusing Weinstein of every possible sexual misconduct under the sun. Thurman, however, showed restraint when asked about her experience with the producer.

“Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! (Except you Harvey, and all your wicked conspirators- I’m glad it’s going slowly- you don’t deserve a bullet),” Thurman wrote on her Instagram this Thursday.

The actress has starred in several movies produced by Weinstein’s former producing company, Weinstein Co, including the Kill Bill franchise and Pulp Fiction.

Thurman hasn’t provided an account of her experience with the mogul but has said she is waiting for the whole situation to calm down before she can tell her story.

“I learned that when I have spoken in anger, I usually regret the way I express myself,” she said.

The Instagram post featured a photo of Thurman when she starred in Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill franchise as Beatrix Kiddo aka The Bride.

Thurman is currently in previews for her Broadway debut starring in Beau Willimon’s The Parisian Woman.

Weinstein is under investigation by authorities from Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, New York, and London for alleged acts of sexual assault.

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Former Backstreet Boys member, Nick Carter, has been accused of sexual assault by Melissa Schuman, a former member of the all-girl pop group Dream. The woman detailed the encounter with Carter in a post on her personal blog. Schuman claims the singer raped her at his apartment in 2002.

The singer claimed she first knew of Carter’s interest in her after their representative set up a phone call in the hopes that they could date.

The former Dream member said she was 18 at the time and a virgin while Carter was 22. Schuman said she was invited to Carter’s apartment during a day off from the movie they were co-starring in.

Schuman along with one of her friends went to Carter’s and listened to some of his new music. Then the Backstreet Boys singer allegedly brought Schuman into the bathroom where he started kissing her.

She states that Carter was disregarding her objections while unbuttoning her pants after which he started to perform oral sex on her. Carter allegedly then demanded her to do the same to him.

“So when he place my hand on his penis my thought was the only way to get out was to get him to finish what he had started,” Schuman wrote.

I’m not afraid anymore #metoo https://t.co/4Mk8Yw7OJX

— MelissaSchuman (@MelissaSchuman) November 19, 2017

The singer also said she couldn’t open the bathroom door due to it being locked and couldn’t call her friend because she didn’t know where she was.

After the incident in the bathroom, Carter then took the singer to the bedroom where he allegedly raped her. Schuman wrote that she told the former Backstreet Boys member that she was a virgin and was saving herself for her future husband, but Carter dismissed her pleas.

“I said it over and over again” said Schuman.

The former Dream member wrote she was inspired to come forward after seeing people victim-shame a fan who claimed to have been assaulted by Carter. Schuman notes that many victims don’t speak out because of victim-shaming.

Carter’s ex-girlfriend, Paris Hilton, accused him of domestic abuse and was arrested in 2016 for taking part in a bar brawl in Florida.

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