Tag: America

Categories
Entertainment

Kylie Jenner forced to reveal truth behind photos of her working in lab

Kylie Jenner forced to reveal truth behind photos of her working in lab

Kylie Jenner has hit back at haters who criticized her recent lab photos for being “unsanitary”.

But in the process of defending herself, the 24-year-old US makeup mogul has been forced to admit an embarrassing detail.

The Kylie Cosmetics founder uploaded a string of glamorous photos of herself working on cosmetics while wearing a lab coat, telling Instagram followers she was “in the lab creating new magic for you guys.”

The photos were called out by cosmetic developer Kevin James Bennett in an Instagram post, in which he slammed her for not wearing “a hair net, shoe covers, [a] mask … and disposable GLOVES.”

Jenner was quick to argue with Bennett, writing in the comments section, “Kevin — this picture is not taken in a manufacturing facility. i would never bypass sanitary protocols and neither would any other celeb or beauty brand owner.”

The reality star wrote that she was in a “small, personal space” in the pictures, which was strictly “for content.”

“[I was] creating my own fun samples and taking pictures for content nowhere near the mass manufacturing,” the kardashians alum went on to write. “No one is putting customers at risk!”

She concluded, “Shame on you Kevin for spreading false information !!!!”

In Bennett’s reply to Jenner, he accused the star of “serious[ly] gaslighting” her followers.

“So you were standing on a platform, looking into an expensive homogenizing kettle that had processed at least 50 liters of a complexion product (the product still covering the mixing paddles) without PPE or your hair tied back, wearing a lab coat? But this is not a cosmetics manufacturing facility?” I have asked. “It’s a personal space?”

Sources exclusively told Page Six that Jenner was not on the production floor when the pictures and videos were taken as she was simply reviewing colors and ideating on new concepts.

However, this was not made clear to Jenner’s fans, who have mixed feelings about the lab visit.

“Many brand owners take those pictures. Ella she’s not doing anything wrong and we have zero way to know how involved she is in formulation, ”one Instagram user wrote.

Another added, “I’ve seen all kinds of scenarios in development labs, but uncovered hair near a kettle in production would never happen. full stop.”

Jenner founded Kylie Cosmetics in 2014 and began selling products the following year, going on to also launch Kylie Skin and Kylie Baby in 2019 and 2021, respectively.

This story originally appeared on New York Post and was reproduced with permission

.

Categories
Business

Ford axes Focus and Fiesta ST in shift to SUVs and utes

Ford axes Focus and Fiesta ST in shift to SUVs and utes

Ford has axed its popular Fiesta and Focus hot hatches as it focuses on utes and SUVs.

The brand ditched the regular Focus and Fiesta some time ago but continued to import the ST performance models in limited numbers. So far this year the pair has attracted only 183 buyers.

Ford President Andrew Birkic says the decision recognizes the fact that buyer tastes have shifted in recent years. He also hinted there would be performance-car replacements in other segments.

“Both the Focus ST and Fiesta ST have been segment defining hot hatches for Ford Australia and have put smiles on the faces of enthusiasts across the country and we want to thank those fans for their passion,” he says.

“But with semiconductor-related supply shortages and our focus on emerging areas of growth, we’ve made the difficult decision to call time on these iconic hot hatches in Australia. We look forward to sharing more about the next era of our performance vehicle line-up soon,” he says.

The move comes as somewhat of a shock as the brand has just started imported updated versions of both cars.

Ford says it has secured just 40 Focus STs for the remainder of the year, but Fiesta supply is likely to be more than that. The company will also look at trying to secure more vehicles from the plant in Germany if demand warrants it.

The move continues Ford’s shift away from traditional passenger vehicles to utes and SUVs, in particular the Ranger and the Everest wagon, which is based on Ranger underpinnings.

Between them, the Ranger and Everest made up roughly 85 per cent of Ford sales this year. The percentage would have been higher but sales have tapered off as buyers waited for the new models.

The new Ranger was launched last month and the Everest will follow shortly.

A new version of the Ranger Raptor will also arrive soon. It is powered by a potent twin-turbo 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine putting out a V8-like 292kW of power and 583Nm of torque.

Ford will also take the covers off an all-new Mustang at the Detroit motor show next month.

“The Ford Mustang remains the country’s most popular sports car and we’re preparing for the launch of the next-generation Ranger Raptor, which sets a new performance benchmark for dual-cab utes in Australia,” Birkic says.

Both vehicles could become sound investments for those buyers who snap them up, as discontinued performance vehicles have been attracting big prices from car collectors.

Second-hand versions of the Subaru WRX STI EJ25 Final Edition, which launched last year for $62,440, are selling for between $125,000 and $170,000.

.

Categories
Entertainment

Keanu Reeves lands first TV role in Hulu’s The Devil In The White City

Keanu Reeves lands first TV role in Hulu's The Devil In The White City

Keanu Reeves is taking on his first big television role.

Reeves, 57, is set to star in Hulu’s The Devil In The White Citywhich is being executive produced by Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese as well as the John Wick star.

The show, written by Castle Rock producer Sam Shaw, has been in development for over a decade after DiCaprio took on the project in 2010. The streaming service only announced on Thursday that it would be moving forward.

Based on Erik Larson’s bestseller of the same name, Reeves will portray Daniel H. Burnham, a young architect who helped develop early skyscrapers.

Deadline reported that the limited series will begin production in 2023 and will be released the following year. A representative for Hulu did not immediately respond to Fox News’ request for comment.

The series will be a meeting for DiCaprio and Scorsese. The duo worked together on gangs of new york in 2002, Shutter Island in 2010 and The Wolf Of Wall Street, all of which Scorsese directed and DiCaprio starred in.

Aside from Reeves’ four-decade-long acting career, the Matrix star has experience in producing as well. He is currently executive producing John Wick: Chapter 4which is set to be released next March.

Reeves has played the iconic action hero John Wick for nearly a decade, but the role was originally intended for an older actor such as Clint Eastwood or Harrison Ford.

One of the John Wick producers, Basil Iwanyk, revealed in the new book, They Shouldn’t Have Killed His Dog: The Complete Uncensored Oral History Of John Wick, Gun Fu, And The New Age Of Action by Edward Gross and Mark A. Altman, that the legendary assassin was supposed to be played by a 75-year-old man.

Iwanyk said in the book that one of his best friends sent him a script from Derek Kolstad — the creator of the John Wick franchise, according to Entertainment Weekly.

“The lead was a 75-year-old man, 25 years after being retired. It was the fun of watching Clint Eastwood kick a**. I thought, ‘OK, there’s probably one or two names you could do this with: Clint Eastwood, Harrison Ford,’” Iwanyk said.

Reeves has been dominating the big screen since he landed his first major film part in 1986’s Youngblood. The Devil In The White City will mark the actor’s first big TV role.

This story originally appeared on Fox News and is republished here with permission

.

Categories
Entertainment

Addison Rae removes Instagram photo of ‘blasphemous’ Adidas bikini

Addison Rae removes Instagram photo of 'blasphemous' Adidas bikini

Addison Rae is courting controversy with her latest swimsuit snap.

As reported by Page Sixthe 21-year-old TikTok sensation shared a now-deleted Instagram photo of herself in Praying’s $A143 Holy Trinity Bikini, the top of which is printed with “Father” on one side and “Son” on the other.

While the image only captured Rae’s top half, the bottoms of the scandalous suit, which was created in collaboration with Adidas, reads “Holy Spirit” across the crotch.

While the He’s All That star’s famous friends gushed over the look – photographer Mark “The Cobrasnake” Hunter called it a “home run”, while Canadian singer Tate McRae wrote, “oh my god addison” – many commenters expressed their disapproval of the daring swim style.

“Nah this disrespectful to Jesus. Sad what y’all do for money,” one person wrote, while another added, “This is not okay! BLASPHEMY!”

“Is nobody gonna talk about this disrespecting religions,” a third wrote, while a fourth deemed the bikini “so messed up”.

Last weekend, Christina Aguilera posed on Instagram in the French version of the two-piece – printed with “Pere”, “Fils” and “Esprit Saint” – cheekily captioning her video, “A religious experience”.

The pop star’s post didn’t draw the same criticism as Rae’s, however; perhaps things got lost in translation?

A favorite of young stars including Olivia Rodrigo, Halsey and Maddison Beer in addition to Rae, Praying offers cheeky styles inspired by Y2K nostalgia. Popular pieces include a crop top that labels its wearer “God’s Favorite” and a shoulder bag that commemorates Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s decade-long love.

Rae has had a rough few weeks, following Page Six’s exclusive reveal that her 46-year-old father, Monty Lopez, allegedly “misled” a 25-year-old woman into a five-month affair.

Since then, she has canceled press appearances, and said she’s been “struggling” to process the news.

This article originally appeared on Page Six and was reproduced with permission

.

Categories
Entertainment

Melanie Lynskey claims she was brutally body-shamed on Coyote Ugly

Melanie Lynskey claims she was brutally body-shamed on Coyote Ugly

New Zealand actress Melanie Lynskey has candidly recalled the body-shaming she and other actresses faced while filming the 2000 movie Coyote Ugly.

“All the girls had this regimen they had to go on. It was ridiculous,” the actress told The Hollywood Reporter. “I was already starving myself and as thin as I could possibly be for this body, and I was still a [size] four [Australian size eight].”

Lynskey, now 45, played Gloria, a woman who was the best friend of actress Piper Perabo’s lead character, Violet, in the movie.

Now the New Zealand actress has said she faced harsh criticism from the original costume designer, makeup artist and others while she was filming, new york post reports.

“There were already people putting a lot of Spanx on me in wardrobe fittings and being very disappointed when they saw me, the costume designer being like, ‘Nobody told me there would be girls like you,’” Lynskey said.

“Really intense feedback about my physicality, my body, people doing my makeup and being like, ‘I’m just going to help you out by giving you a bit more of a jawline and stuff.’ Just the feedback was constantly like, ‘You’re not beautiful. You’re not beautiful.’”

Lynskey later clarified that the costume designer credited on the movie was not the person she was referring to in her comments.

“The costume designer who initially worked on Coyote Ugly left for some reason, and a lovely kind woman named Marlene Stewart took over and she was AWESOME,” Lynskey tweeted on Wednesday.

“The first person was mean, the person credited was not,” she wrote. “And my answer was kind of a jumble – I had experiences with makeup artists offering to help my face look better but that did not happen on Coyote Ugly. The hair and makeup team were amazing and so kind and among the best I’ve ever worked with.”

But the body-shaming did not stop in the early 2000s.

In January, the Heavenly Creatures actress revealed that she faced a similar situation with a crew member while filming Showtime’s yellowjackets recently.

“They were asking me, ‘What do you plan to do? I’m sure the producers will get you a trainer. They’d love to help you with this,’” she told rolling stone.

The actress’ co-star Juliette Lewis found out about the interaction and wrote a letter to production on Lynskey’s behalf.

“I want women to be able to watch [Yellowjackets] and be like, ‘Wow, she looks like me and nobody’s saying she’s the fat one.’ That representation is important,” Lynskey concluded.

This story originally appeared on New York Post and was reproduced with permission

.

Categories
Entertainment

HBO Max and Discovery merger could mean fewer streaming services to pay for

HBO Max and Discovery merger could mean fewer streaming services to pay for

You know how you’re always complaining that there are too many streaming services and it seems like you have to pay for about five different platforms just to watch the 10 shows you hear about?

That may be about to change. The long-promised consolidation of the sector seems to finally be happening.

This morning, Warner Bros Discovery announced it will combine the media conglomerate’s two existing streaming services, HBO Max and Discovery+, into one service.

While neither HBO Max nor Discovery+ operates in Australia, the significance of today’s news could herald forthcoming changes within the industry that will eventually affect locally available services.

In Australia, there are close to two dozen subscription video on demand platforms. The high number of services has led to frustrations among consumers who are asked to shell out more and more money to access a fractured slate of programming.

The growth in the number of streaming services is approaching unsustainable levels, especially as customers began to evaluate household budgets during a challenging global economic environment.

The number of streaming services has been steadily increasing, ranging from niche platforms such as the horror-focused Shudder to broad appeal brands such as Disney+.

A consolidation of services within the industry has long been mooted and the Discovery+ and HBO Max merger could be the first in a coming wave as the sector evolves.

HBO programming, including Succession and the upcoming Game of Thrones prequel House Of The Dragonand Discovery shows such as Deadliest Catch are distributed in Australia through Foxtel and Binge* while some HBO Max originals titles go to Stan.

Warner Bros Discovery’s announcement was light on details on what the combined streaming platform might look like, only that it would roll out in the US in mid-2023. The current timetable for global plans are Latin America in late-2023, Europe in 2024 and Asia-Pacific in mid-2024.

There’s no confirmation on whether Australia would be one of those Asia-Pacific markets. Warner Bros currently has a multi-year content deal with Foxtel, which it signed in 2020 with no publicly disclosed end date.

Warner Bros Discovery chief executive David Zaslav said of the combined streaming service: “We think that product is going to be superb.”

According to The Verge, Zaslav hinted that the new streaming platform would be built on Discovery’s technology platform, referencing the technical glitches that have beset HBO Max.

The changes to Warner Bros Discovery’s current multiple streaming platforms were pre-empted earlier this week with the revelation the studio was to shelve several projects that had either wrapped filming or delivered finished work.

The most prominent of the canceled titles was DC movie batgirlwhich reportedly had a $US70 million ($A100 million) production budget.

Early media reports suggested that batgirl had performed poorly with early test audiences and the studio was unwilling to spend the money for reshoots or the added cost of marketing.

Other media reports hinted that batgirl and canceled projects such as Scoob: Holiday Haunted they were sacrificed in the name of tax breaks.

the batgirl axing fueled speculation of a significant announcement about HBO Max’s future, given the DC movie had been commissioned specifically for streaming and not cinema release.

HBO is an American pay TV network which has been responsible for some of the most acclaimed series over the past three decades, including The Sopranos, Succession, TheWire, Game of Thrones, Sex And The City and veep.

Even though HBO has never been directly sold to Australian viewers, the strength of its brand and its association with quality programming has made it an international phenomenon.

HBO Max also houses Warner Bros’ movies archives.

.

Categories
Entertainment

Disability activist Hannah Diviney trolled for calling out ableist slur in Beyonce lyrics

Disability activist Hannah Diviney trolled for calling out ableist slur in Beyonce lyrics

An Australian disability advocate has revealed she has been subject to relentless trolling after calling out Beyoncé for using an ableist slur in a newly released song.

It is not the first time Hannah Diviney has called out a star for their use of the word “sp*z” in a song.

Last month, Diviney tweeted Lizzo telling her to “do better” and she did, by changing the lyrics in her new song GRRRLS and apologizing.

Then last week, Beyonce released the track heated on her renaissance album, prompting Diviney to speak up again. The singer also changed the lyrics in her song following backlash.

After calling out the 28-time Grammy winner, Diviney said her Twitter mentions – tweets from users tagging her – became a “dumpster fire” and she wished other people would have as been as open to learning as Beyonce and Lizzo.

“I really respect Beyonce and Lizzo for apologizing,” she said, speaking on ABC’s Q&A program on Thursday night.

“I think that’s a great move because I think we have definitely seen it before when celebrities do that whole ‘I’m going to double down, that’s not what I meant, you just took it the wrong way blah blah’ and both of these women who, it has to be said, occupy incredible spaces as marginalized people themselves, have shown everyone around the world how to be an effective ally.

“And that’s basically be open to learning, go ‘OK cool, I did something wrong, now I’m going to just fix it and we’re not going to make a huge fuss about it.’

“I just wish people who are really passionate about the fact Beyonce and Lizzo had to change the lyrics in their song would get that message,” Diviney continued.

“I actually debated or not whether to bring this up because I have a lot of people that I care about watching and people who care about me and they don’t quite know the level of trolling I’ve got this week.

“But I have had I have had people basically sending me photos of, or like GIFs of, people in wheelchairs being falling over and people in wheelchairs being pushed off cliffs … which is basically telling me to ‘shut up and go away.’”

Diviney said it would not stop her, vowing to continue calling out any use of the word.

“That particular word has been used against me before as an insult and is especially being used against me now,” she said.

“It’s being used against people I care about and it presumes a lack of intelligence or emotional control, which are not at all things that I want associated with me, things I want associated with my disability. They don’t reflect on my life at all.

“Trust me, if people had actually lived with spasticity I don’t think they’d be using that as an insult because it hurts.”

While Beyonce has not publicly addressed the backlash or lyrics, representatives for the singer told media the word was “not used intentionally in a harmful way” and would be replaced.

In June, Lizzo released a statement on Twitter apologizing for using the word.

“It’s been brought to my attention that there are [sic] is a harmful word in my song ‘GRRRLS’,” she wrote.

“Let me make one thing clear: I never want to promote derogatory language. As a fat black woman in America, I’ve had many hurtful words used against me so I understand the power words can have (whether intentionally or in my case, unintentionally).

“I’m proud to say there’s a new version of girls with a lyric change. This is the result of me listening and taking action,” she continued.

“As an influential artist I’m dedicated to being part of the challenge change I’ve been waiting to see in the world.”

.

Categories
Entertainment

Kim Kardashian reveals body fat percentage: ‘Athlete category’

Kim Kardashian reveals body fat percentage: 'Athlete category'

Reality star, billionaire businesswoman, lawyer and now “athlete”.

Kim Kardashian, 41, has revealed her overall body fat percentage – or lack thereof – telling fans she falls into the esteemed “athlete category.”

The mother-of-four shared on Instagram she underwent body composition testing with US company BodySpec, with her results showing she has a total body fat of just 18.8 per cent.

Stream more entertainment news live & on demand with Flash. 25+ news channels in 1 place. New to Flash? Try 1 month free. Offer ends October 31, 2022 >

According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, what is considered a “healthy body fat” depends on your age. In Kardashian’s case, women aged 40 to 59 should fall between “23 per cent to 33 per cent” of overall body fat to be considered healthy.

Meanwhile, the athlete category falls anywhere between 14 and 20 per cent.

Elsewhere in the results, Kardashian further claimed her bones were stronger than “93-97 per cent” of people.

Kardashian, who initially made a name for herself thanks to her voluptuous figure, has significantly trimmed down in recent years after switching to a plant-based diet.

But her oft-extreme methods to achieve her figure have courted controversy at times, more recently when she revealed her rapid weight loss to fit into Marilyn Monroe’s original gown for the Met Gala in May.

She said on the red carpet she lost 7kg in just three weeks to fit into the iconic Jean Louis gown Monroe wore to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to President John F. Kennedy in 1962.

In an interview with Allure in July, the SKIMS founder defended the move, likening herself to an actor preparing for a role.

“If I was starving and doing it really unhealthy, I would say that, of course, that’s not a good message,” she began. “But I had a nutritionist, I had a trainer. I have never drunk more water in my life. I don’t see the criticism for other people when they lost weight for roles — they are [considered] geniuses for their craft.”

Kardashian went on to admit she cares about how she looks “more than 90 per cent of the people on this planet,” adding that she has learned to be more carefree in recent times — but still “hates” one aspect of her body.

“I’m at peace with not being perfect and I wasn’t like that before, I hate my hands — they’re wrinkly and gross,” she said.

.

Categories
Business

Why Canva boss, Cliff Obrecht isn’t bothered by $20 billion loss

Why Canva boss, Cliff Obrecht isn't bothered by $20 billion loss

Despite a $20 billion fall in its evaluation, a tumultuous economic landscape and a sudden string of tech companies announcing staff cuts and sharp declines, Australia’s start up golden child is not worried.

speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald, Canva’s co-founder Cliff Obrecht believed the bearish market would provide the company with lots of opportunities.

“These times of market uncertainty provide a lot of opportunity and other than the external valuation noise, it’s a huge opportunity for us to grow our business,” he said.

This comes as Australia’s largest venture capital firm Blackbird announced they had reduced the holding value of Canva by 36 per cent. Listed as Canva’s largest investor, with around a 14 per cent stake in Canva, this indicated a drop of about US$14 billion or A$20 billion, in the tech company’s estimated value.

“This holding value of Canva is the result of an independent valuation process that was completed by a big four accounting firm and adopted by Blackbird’s valuation committee, in consultation with our auditors,” the company shared in a statement to news.com.au.

Before this, Canva managed to more than double its worth in 2021. After acquiring a valuation of $19 billion in April 2021, the company skyrocketed to $54.5 billion just five months later.

In internal emails reported by Nine newspapers, chief executive Melanie Perkins said the company was set to mark its sixth year of being profitable. She also assured staff and said the company was still hiring, unlike some other technology companies.

“We had planned to dip out of profitability this year to invest in further accelerating growth,” she wrote.

“However, we changed course as soon as we noticed the macroeconomic environment changing and are now back to being profitable again this year, for the sixth year in a row.”

Founded in 2013, by Perth couple Ms Perkins and Mr Obrecht, and Tasmanian developer Cameron Adams, Canva is a free-to-use design tool that allows users to create social media posts, graphics, videos and presentations.

Since then, it’s become Australia’s most successful start-up – a title it continues to hold. For scale, Australia’s second largest start-up, online payments company Airwallex was valued at $5.5 billion in November 2021.

It’s believed Ms Perkins and Mr Obrecht hold a 30 per cent stake in the company, which given the most recent evaluation is close to $6 billion.

According to its website, Canva has more than 2000 employees and operates in 100 languages ​​and across 190 countries.

.

Categories
Sports

Commonwealth Games: Balraj Panesar sat off for choking rival in England vs Canada hockey

Commonwealth Games: Balraj Panesar sat off for choking rival in England vs Canada hockey

England’s Commonwealth Games hockey match against Canada was marred by a wild fight — and one player was sent off after “choking” a rival during a fit of rage.

The hosts were leading the match in Birmingham 4-1 when the fight broke out, The Sun reports.

Stream Over 50 Sports Live & On-Demand with Kayo. New to Kayo? Try 14-Days Free Now >

An England player appeared to tackle a Canadian rival with his hockey stick before receiving a yellow card.

But a melee swiftly ensued between England’s Chris Griffiths and Canada’s Balraj Panesar in the aftermath.

Griffiths appeared to pull on Panesar’s stick, sending his opponent into a blind rage. Panesar lashed out by grabbing Griffiths’ shirt as the two men’s butted heads.

However, Panesar took things up a notch when he then took hold of Griffiths’ neck, appearing to choke the England ace momentarily.

Griffiths responded as such, grabbing Panesar’s shirt while shoving him away.

Players from both sides then stepped in to defuse the situation.

Griffiths picked up a yellow card for his troubles but Panesar did not get off as lightly. He was shown a straight red card for his actions on the pitch.

England took advantage of the extra man as they went 5-1 up almost instantly.

They then ended the game on a high, winning 11-2. The result means England will play Australia in the semi-finals.

This story first appeared on The Sun and was reproduced with permission

.