One of the stars of a hit British band that produced one of the 1980s most seminal reggae songs has died at the age of 55.
Frederic Waite Jr was the drummer in Birmingham band Musical Youth.
The band performed their defining song, Pass the Dutchiejust days ago at the closing ceremony of the Commonwealth Games.
In 1982, the cannabis inspired anthem went to number one on the charts in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland and reached the top 10 of the US Billboard chart.
It also had a recent resurgence after featuring in the hit Netflix show Stranger Things.
On Wednesday, the ban announced the death of Waite Jr on social media.
“We are sad to announce the passing of Musical Youth’s drummer Frederick Waite Jr.
“Our thoughts go out to him and his family during this sad time. We have lost a musical legend, who inspired many young musicians over the last 40 years,” the tribute stated.
Rest in Eternal Peace.
Waite, known as “Freddie” died on July 20 in Birmingham with details only being announced now. It is not known what caused his death.
The British-Jamaican band formed in the UK’s second city in 1979.
They first performed for students at their own school, Duddeston High, in the city, reported website Birmingham Live.
Pass the Dutchie was the first single after the group signed to a major label, in their case MCA Records.
Musical Youth was the first black act to have a music video played on the then new music channel MTV.
Debut-album The Youth of Today, also released in 1982, was certified gold in the UK and Canada and spawned a number of further hit singles. Musical Youth were also nominated for a Grammy Award for best new band in 1984.
The band disbanded in 1985. Two of the band members, Dennis Seaton and Michael Grant, resurrected the band as a duo in 2001.
The band came back together for the closing ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in on July 20 as part of a celebration of Birmingham culture alongside singer Beverley Knight, the band UB40 and a TV show Peaky Blinders.
However Waite did not appear with another drummer taking his place.
Tributes have poured in for Waite with people saying it was “beyond sad,” and remembering his youth in Birmingham.
“How incredibly sad, Freddie, you inspired so many black British teenagers in the 1980s and made them realize their dreams could come true,” one said.
Britney Spears’ lawyer, Mathew Rosengart, is coming to his pop star client’s defense after her ex-husband Kevin Federline leaked videos of her allegedly arguing with her teenage sons.
“Britney Spears is a brilliantly talented, extremely hardworking icon, who is rightfully beloved and respected by millions around the world,” the former federal prosecutor exclusively told Page Six.
“The same, unfortunately, cannot be said about Mr Federline, who for reasons that are inexplicable, decided to give a gratuitous interview that has hurt the mother of his children.”
Mr Rosengart adds that the singer, 40, has “faithfully supported” sons Sean Preston, 16, and Jayden James, 15, and “loves them dearly”.
“Whether he realizes it or not, Mr Federline has not only violated the privacy and dignity of the mother of his children, he has undermined his own children, whose privacy he should protect,” the high-powered lawyer, who helped free Britney from her 13-year conservatorship, said.
“Putting aside his ITV interview, Mr Federline’s abhorrent, ill-advised decision to post an old video of his 11 and 12-year-old children was cruel, bottom of the barrel stuff.”
Mr Rosengart has also claimed in his statement to Page Six that Federline, 44, may have broken the law by posting videos in which Spears did not know she was being recorded, since California is a two-party consent state.
“In addition to demeaning himself and violating societal norms, he has now also created various legal issues for himself including, but not limited to, implicating cyber-harassment and cyber-bullying statutes, among other things,” the LA-based lawyer said.
I have told Page Six it has been his “honour” to work with Spears to “suspend her father as conservator, to help her gain her freedom and dignity, and to help protect her from the type of bullying she endured in the past – and we will not tolerate bullying in any area”.
Mr Rosengart also said he is working with Instagram to “ensure” that Federline “adheres to its rules and we are exploring all appropriate relief against him”.
“In the meantime, as Britney herself poignantly said, whatever is occurring between her and her boys should remain private,” he said. “We urge Mr Federline to act with a measure of grace and decency and to cease from publicly discussing private matters, which benefits no one.”
Federline’s lawyer did not immediately respond to Page Six’s request for comment on Mr Rosengart’s statement. Overnight, Federline deleted the three clips from his Instagram of him.
Just hours before, the former backup dancer, who was married to Spears from 2004 until 2007, shared the videos on his platform with the caption, “I cannot sit back and let my sons be accused in this way after what they’ve been through . As much as it hurts us, we decided as a family to post these videos.
“This isn’t even the worst of it. The lies have to stop. I hope our kids grow up to be better than this.”
A source from Spears’ camp exclusively told Page Six in response to the posts at the time, “Kevin is disgusting. He is weaponizing the kids by releasing the videos. But in these clips, Britney is just being a mum.”
The internet widely agreed, with people on social media commenting how Spears appeared to only be trying to discipline her children.
One person wrote, “The fact that Britney Spears has to remind her own kids that she is a WOMAN and she deserves RESPECT tells us all we need to know about Kevin Federline’s parental influence. That man is pure evil and he’s raised those kids in his image of him. Truly tragic.”
Another tweeted, “Dear Kevin Federline. You released a ‘scathing’ video of a mum being a mum. Sometimes mums – gasp – have reactions. They might discipline by taking things away or ask for respect. This is shocking but sometimes mums will argue with their kids.”
Spears herself gave insight earlier this week into how difficult it has been for her to co-parent with Federline after he shared in a preview for an ITV interview that Sean Preston and Jayden James have chosen “not to see” their mother for “a few months”.
The singer called the claims “hurtful” on Instagram, saying it “concerns” her. She added later that her sons de ella would act “hateful” towards her when visiting.
This story originally appeared on Page Six and is republished here with permission
Barcelona’s attempts to establish themselves once again as a force in La Liga and the Champions League this season have seen the heavily-indebted Catalans gamble with their future to enable a striking summer spending spree.
A year after being forced to let Lionel Messi go as eye-watering reported debts of 1.35 billion euros (A$1.96 billion) crippled the club, Barcelona have spent 153 million euros (A$222m) on transfer fees alone to strengthen their squad, with Robert Lewandowski the most notable new arrival.
“This is a really exciting season. Nothing would give me more pleasure than to make all the fans happy,” coach Xavi Hernandez said before last weekend’s 6-0 friendly win over Mexican side Pumas UNAM.
“That means winning trophies. That is our main objective.”
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After three years of struggles, on and off the field, the summer has seen hope return to the Camp Nou, with president Joan Laporta talking of an exciting “new era” when the club unveiled Lewandowski as a Barcelona player.
“Euphoria” was the headline on the cover of local daily Sport the same day. Even partisan Madrid-based sports daily Marca admitted that Barca were “frightening” in the wake of their drubbing of Pumas UNAM last weekend, when Lewandowski scored his first goal since his arrival from Bayern Munich.
Yet how Barcelona have gone about raising the funds to sign Lewandowski, as well as centre-backs Jules Kounde and Andreas Christensen, AC Milan midfielder Franck Kessie, and Leeds United’s Brazilian winger Raphinha have raised eyebrows.
Faced with severe limits on spending in order to comply with La Liga’s financial controls, Barcelona knew they needed to raise money quickly to be able to invest in any signings and, crucially, to register any new players.
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– PULLING ‘LEVERS’ –
They quickly set about selling off assets to bring in money by activating a series of what have been called economic “levers”.
The club sold 25 per cent of their domestic television rights for the next quarter of a century to US investment firm Sixth Street for some 400 million euros.
Barcelona sold 24.5 per cent of Barca Studios, which manages the club’s digital business and audiovisual productions, to Socios.com for 100 million euros on August 1, and then another 25 per cent to US investment firm GDA Luma for 100 million euros more.
In the space of a few weeks, 600 million euros had been brought in to fill the coffers.
The aim was to clean up the club’s finances, make it possible to increase the salary limit set by La Liga and allow the new signings to all be registered for the start of the season.
On top of that, Barca signed the biggest sponsorship deal in their history with Spotify, bringing in a reported 435 million euros for the music streaming giant to feature on the club’s shirts and to have naming rights to the Camp Nou.
All up, that series of deals totals 1 billion euros – so Barcelona look well placed to become serious title contenders again as they prepare to host Rayo Vallecano this weekend.
Only time will tell if mortgaging part of the club’s assets in exchange for an immediate influx of cash will bear fruit.
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– DE JONG TO LEAVE? –
Yet, Barcelona are still waiting for La Liga to allow them to register their five new signings, although they hope to be able to do so in time for the season starting this weekend.
They are also hoping to further ease their financial problems by reducing their wage bill.
The Catalans have been trying to persuade Frenkie de Jong to leave, with suggestions even made that a contract he signed in 2020 was not legal. The Dutch midfielder says he wants to stay.
FULL STORY: Barca threaten legal action over contract drama — Rumor Mill
Martin Braithwaite, Samuel Umtiti and Memphis Depay are also candidates to depart the Camp Nou, with the latter reportedly a target for Juventus.
On top of that, efforts have been made to persuade certain players, including Gerard Pique and Sergio Busquets, to accept wage reductions.
Barca’s “economic miracle”, as the press have called it, still has to be transformed into a footballing miracle.
The NBA will honor Celtics great and civil rights activist Bill Russell by retiring his No. 6 jersey throughout the league, making him the first player to receive the honor.
A patch commemorating the 11-time champion will be worn on the right shoulder of player jerseys and a shamrock-shaped logo with the No. 6 on courts will be used across the league as well for the 2022-23 season, the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association said on Thursday.
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“Bill Russell’s unparalleled success on the court and pioneering civil rights activism deserve to be honored in a unique and historic way,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement.
“Permanently retiring his No. 6 across every NBA team ensures that Bill’s transcendent career will always be recognised.”
Russell, the cornerstone of a Boston Celtics dynasty that won 11 NBA titles and a powerful voice for social justice during and after his career, died on July 31 at the age of 88.
US President Joe Biden and former President Barack Obama — who awarded Russell the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011 — were among those who paid tribute to Russell’s contributions on and off the court.
NBPA executive director Tamika Tremaglio said the union was proud to support the “momentous honor” of retiring Russell’s jersey.
“Bill’s actions on and off the court throughout the course of his life helped to shape generations of players for the better and for that, we are forever grateful,” Tremaglio said.
Russell wore the No. 6 for his entire 13-season career from 1956-69. It will not be issued again by any NBA team to any player, although players who currently wear No. 6 — a group that includes Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James and the Washington Wizards’ Kristaps Porzingis — can retain it.
The NBA said the Celtics plan to “separate and unique recognition” for Russell on their uniforms, which will be revealed at a later date.
While the league-wide jersey retirement is a first for the NBA, it has happened in other North American leagues.
Major-league Baseball permanently retired No. 42 in 1997 in honor of Jackie Robinson, who broke the big leagues’ color barrier.
The NHL said upon Wayne Gretzky’s retirement in 1999 that his No. 99 would be retired league-wide.
Alpine is reportedly set for a legal showdown with Oscar Piastri amid reports the Australian driver will join McLaren next season.
The 21-year-old was announced last week as Fernando Alonso’s replacement at Alpine only for Piastri to take to social media to declare he would not be driving for the team.
It came amid reports that McLaren had told Daniel Ricciardo he would not have a seat in 2023.
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Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer said they could seek compensation, expected to be in the millions.
“Going to the High Court is over 90 per cent certain that’s what we’ll do,” he told Reuters.
“If the [board] says ‘your license is only valid at Alpine’ and then he [Piastri] says ‘that’s great but I’m never driving for them, I’ll just sit out a year,’ then you’ve got to go to the High Court for compensation.”
Szafnauer said Alpine would assess how much money they have invested in Piastri’s development.
This figure would include the costs associated with independent tests as well as thousands of kilometers in the team’s 2021 car.
According to Reuters, one power unit costs as much as $2.55 million (AUD)
“We haven’t sat down with the accountants to figure out everything we’ve spent,” said Szafnauer.
“We will have to do that if we go to the High Court.”
According to TheRace.com, the fact Alpine believe the matter will head to the court implies that the team is resigned to losing Piastri to McLaren with their focus now on compensation rather than holding onto its rising star.
Oscar Piastri has said he will not drive for Alpine in 2023.Source: Getty Images
HAMILTON’S REVEALS BIG HOLLYWOOD BLOW
Lewis Hamilton has sensationally revealed he had to turn down a role as a fighter pilot in Top Gun: Maverick, describing it as “the most upsetting call” he’s ever made.
The seven-time world champion counts himself as a good friend of actor Tom Cruise, who played the lead role in the 1986 original and the recent Hollywood blockbuster that has grossed a whopping $AUD1.8 billion.
Hamilton recalls being invited to the set of one of Cruise’s movies as the starting point of their friendship.
“One of the nicest people you’ll ever meet,” Hamilton told Vanity Fair.
“He invited me to his set years ago when he was doing Edge of Tomorrow, and then we just built a friendship over time.”
Once Hamilton caught wind a Top Gun sequel was in the works, he was desperate to be involved given his love of the film as a child.
“So when I heard the second one was coming out, I was like, ‘Oh my god, I have to ask him,’” Hamilton said.
Tom Cruise bumps fists with Lewis Hamilton before the British GP at Silverstone. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
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“I said, ‘I don’t care what role it is. I’ll even sweep something, be a cleaner in the back.’”
Cruise obliged, but he wasn’t going to give Hamilton a cameo appearance.
Instead, the megastar wanted the Mercedes driver to be one of the fighter pilots.
There was just one catch: filming was set to take place during the back-end of the 2021 F1 season when Hamilton was locked in a tense battle with Max Verstappen for the world championship.
Knowing he had to turn down the chance of a lifetime, Hamilton was devastated when he made the call.
“I’m a perfectionist,” Hamilton said.
“The most upsetting call that I think I’ve ever had.”
F1 TRACK SET TO MAKE APPEARANCE IN … CALL OF DUTY?
Christmas has come early for the cross section of F1 and Call of Duty fans.
Infinity Ward, the developers of the video game, released a trailer that confirmed the Marina Bay Circuit in Singapore will be a playable map in the latest edition of the famous franchise.
In an official statement, Infinity Ward confirmed the map would be playable in the Modern Warfare II Beta for fans to get a taste of what’s to come.
“The Modern Warfare II Beta is set to feature a robust multiplayer experience going beyond the Core 6v6 experience with a variety of meticulously designed maps of various sizes, and an equally impressive set of Modes, Progression experiences, and other aspects that will be more thoroughly revealed at Call of Duty: Next,” the statement read.
“In addition, we revealed a fly-through of Marina Bay Grand Prix, where combat occurs within the main infield of an urban race circuit, one of the 6v6 Multiplayer maps confirmed for the Beta.”
The pit lane in Singapore will look a little different in this year’s Call of Duty. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
There does not look to be any official F1 branding or names of the drivers, suggesting it is not an official partnership between them and Call of Duty.
Funnily enough, the worlds of F1 and Call of Duty have intertwined previously, as Lewis Hamilton was a non-playable character in Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, released in 2016.
LONG LIVE VEGAS! F1’S FIRST DATE IN SIN CITY LEAKED
What happens in Vegas might very well have great implications in the title race as the date for the Las Vegas GP has been leaked.
A Letter of Intent for the race between Liberty Media and the Convention Bureau was posted on Twitter and eagle-eyed fans noted the date.
The Las Vegas GP is slated to take place on November 18 and it would remain on that date until 2027 when the contract expires.
Based on the current F1 calendar, it would mean the race in Sin City would be the penultimate race of the season as the Abu Dhabi GP will take place on November 20 this year.
Serena Williams sounded just the tiniest little bit salty as she reflected on likely finishing her tennis career with one less grand slam title than Australian legend Margaret Court.
Williams’ crusade to win an elusive 24th major title and draw level with Court has been a five-year saga that looks almost certain to end fruitlessly when she retires at this year’s US Open.
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The 40-year-old American revealed her plans to end her career to focus on having another child in an article in Vogue Magazine published on Tuesday night (AEST).
Williams referenced Court twice in the piece, and while she was careful with her words left the impression she should be remembered as tennis’ greatest ever player.
“There are people who say I’m not the GOAT because I didn’t pass Margaret Court’s record of 24 grand slam titles, which she achieved before the ‘open era’ that began in 1968,” Williams wrote.
“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want that record. Obviously I do. But day to day, I’m really not thinking about her. If I’m in a grand slam final, then yes, I am thinking about that record. Maybe I thought about it too much, and that didn’t help.
“The way I see it, I should have had 30-plus grand slams. I had my chances after coming back from giving birth. I went from a C-section to a second pulmonary embolism to a grand slam final. I played while breastfeeding. I played through postpartum depression.
“But I didn’t get there. Shoulda, woulda, coulda. I didn’t show up the way I should have or could have. But I showed up 23 times, and that’s fine. Actually it’s extraordinary. But these days, if I have to choose between building my tennis resume and building my family, I choose the latter.”
Williams stepped onto a hardcourt for the first time in a year and a half on Monday in the WTA Toronto tournament where she fought through to the second round with a straight sets victory over Nuria Parrizas Diaz.
It was her first singles victory since the 2021 French Open, some 14 months ago. The former world number one had played her first singles match in a year during a first round defeat at Wimbledon in June.
“I know there’s a fan fantasy that I might have tied Margaret that day in London, then maybe beat her record in New York, and then at the trophy ceremony say, ‘See ya!’ I get that. It’s a good fantasy,” she wrote.
“But I’m not looking for some ceremonial, final on-court moment. I’m terrible at goodbyes, the world’s worst.”
Another Aussie champion, Ash Barty, also got a mention in Williams’ self-penned article as she revealed how hard she was finding it to walk away.
Barty stunned the tennis world by retiring at age 25 earlier this year.
“I know that a lot of people are excited about and look forward to retiring, and I really wish I felt that way,” Williams wrote. “Ashleigh Barty was number one in the world when she left the sport this March, and I believe she really felt ready to move on. Caroline Wozniacki, who is one of my best friends, felt a sense of relief when she retired in 2020.
“Praise these people, but I’m going to be honest. There is no happiness in this topic for me. I know it’s not the usual thing to say, but I feel a great deal of pain. It’s the hardest thing that I could ever imagine. I hate it. I hate that I have to be at these crossroads. I keep saying to myself, I wish it could be easy for me, but it’s not.”
Australia is set to stage one of its biggest ever seasons of golf, headlined by an $8 million, 16-event tour, starting in October.
PGA of Australia on Thursday confirmed the summer schedule, which has increased from 12 events in 2019-20, and will see the return of the Australian Open.
Bolstering the announcement is the likelihood of big Australian names committing to play on home soil after the pandemic crushed opportunities over the past two summers.
Scroll down for the full schedule!
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World No.2 Cameron Smith is set to return to play in the Australian Open and Australian PGA Championship, while compatriot Marc Leishman is also expected to feature.
Top-50 player Lucas Herbert has already committed to play both showpiece Australian events, while No.66 Min Woo Lee will feature at the Australian PGA Championship.
LIV Golf, meanwhile, is reportedly eyeing three Australian events as part of its expanded 2023 core schedule, and the International Series it runs with the Asian Tour.
Should those events materialize around April, as reported by Australian Golf Digestit would see the likes of Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson also down under this upcoming season.
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While the Greg Norman-led series has its detractors due to its Saudi Arabian funding, LIV’s reported venture into Australia will ultimately give golf fans more events, and more international stars, playing for big-money purses on these shores.
Combined with the bumper PGA Tour of Australasia schedule, golf’s Australian presence is set for a significant shot in the arm, while the groundwork has been put in place for more growth in the coming years.
PGA of Australia is committed to increasing the prize money on its tour, this year offering $2 million at the Australian PGA Championship, and $1.7 million each for the men’s and women’s fields at the Australian Open.
Combined with state Opens, state PGAs, The Players Series, and a New Zealand swing, the full season is worth more than $8 million.
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Just as significant, however, is the creation of better pathways into Europe and, in turn, the US, through a strengthened partnership with the DP World Tour.
Thursday’s announcement revealed that the top three players in the Order of Merit will earn a DP World Tour playing card for the following season, while the following 10 players gain exemption into at least the second stage of Q-School.
The Australian Open and Australian PGA Championship will both be co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour with the winner also gaining automatic entry to the circuit, while the winner of the Order of Merit earns a spot at next year’s Open Championship.
“What I love about this is the pathways that it creates for our exciting crop of future Australian stars,” PGA of Australia chief Gavin Kirkman said.
“We’ve worked hard to build the schedule back after Covid knocked everyone around in the tournament space, and having the Australian Open and the New Zealand Open back stronger than ever really makes a difference.”
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Playing fields could improve again next season when the US PGA Tour reverts back to a calendar schedule, instead of the current wraparound program that conflicts with the Australasian Tour.
Furthermore, Kirkman confirmed to reporters that LIV players are allowed to feature on the tour, unlike in Europe and the US where the PGA and DP World Tours have banned dual members.
“The players coming home to play, as long as there’s no conflicting event, they will be welcome to play,” he said. “And the Australian players that come home, and wherever they’re playing at the moment, if they’re members of our organisations, they’ll be eligible to play, and that’s been discussed with the other tours.”
In theory, this would open the door for LIV Golf’s Australian contingent to play several events at home in the coming months, split between the two tours.
That ensures that any defection to LIV Golf, as widely reported, would likely see Smith play more in Australia, not less.
Kirkman, meanwhile, said he hasn’t been approached by LIV about the staging of a tournament next year in Australia.
“We’re hearing things are going on but at the end of the day … if that event comes to Australia we’ll just continue focusing on what we do best and that’s running our tour and servicing Australian golf in the way we feel it should be serviced,” he said.
“We’ll just see what happens there.
“If it comes to Australia, we’ve got to be in a position to stay focused on our strategy. If it fits in, it fits in, but we will talk closely to Golf Australia and the WPGA Tour and work on what we need to keep working on.”
PGA TOUR OF AUSTRALASIA FULL 2022-23 SCHEDULE
October 10-16 — CKB WA PGA, Kalgoorlie Golf Club — $200,000
October 17-23 — WA Open, West Australian Golf Club — $162,500
November 7-13—VIC PGA, Moonah Links Resort—$200,000
November 14-20—Queensland PGA, Nudgee Golf Club—$200,000
November 21-28 — Fortinet Australian PGA Championship, Royal Queensland Golf Club — $2,000,000
November 29-December 4 — ISPS HANDA Australian Open, Victoria Golf Club and Kingston Heath Golf Club — $1,700,000
December 5-11 — Gippsland Super 6, Warragul Country Club — $175,000
January 23-29—TPS Victoria, Rosebud Country Club—$200,000
Jan 30-Feb 5 — TPS Murray River, Cobram-Barooga Golf Club — $200,000
TBA February—VIC Open, TBA—TBA
February 13-19 — TPS Sydney, Bonnie Doon Golf Club — $200,000
February 20-26—TPS Hunter Valley, Oaks Cypress Lakes Resort—$200,000
February 27-March 5—NZ Open, Millbrook Resort—$1,400,000
March 6-12 — NZ PGA Championship Auckland — $150,000
Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee has dropped jaws across the globe with an extremely revealing Instagram post.
The 59-year-old posted a photo of himself rocking out with his, ahem, private parts out on Thursday, shocking his 1.4 million followers and giving the social media censors something to do (though at the time of writing, the post was still up).
“Ooooopppsss,” Lee’s caption read.
Instagram has a strict anti-nudity policy.
Lee has never been too shy about letting it all hang out, previously appearing in a sex tape with Pamela Anderson while driving.
His latest post attracted immediate attention from the public and celebrities.
“Does the camera add 5 pounds?” comedian Ryan Sickler commented.
“OH MY GOD,” fellow comedian Brittany Furlan said.
Machine Gun Kelly’s drummer, Rook, sounded the most impressed, commenting: “I’M F****N DYING🤣🤣🤣🤣.”
And TikTok content creator Daniel Mac provided the wittiest double understanding, wondering: “How long will this stay up?”
In a follow-up post, Lee shared an image of an elephant face-to-face with a naked man, with the elephant asking: “How do you breathe through that little thing?”
One of the more succinct comments on that post read simply: “Go to sleep bro.”
At his band’s height in the 1980s, the famed drummer was known for sleeping with groupies, drugging heroically and swallowing small light bulbs for kicks.
He made headlines in June after returning to the stage with broken ribs.
Even though the iconic drummer only lasted five songs into the band’s hotly anticipated reunion kick-off tour at Atlanta, Georgia, it was actually five more songs than his doctor ordered.
In true Lee fashion, the musician ignored the doctor’s advice and went ahead with his performance during the band’s opening night alongside Def Leppard, Poison, and Joan Jett & The Blackhearts.
After soldiering on through five tracks on the drums, Lee’s pain was too much for him to handle.
“Man y’all ain’t gonna believe this s**t,” he wrote on social media ahead of the gig. “I broke four f***ing ribs!”
“But I’ve been resting and healing and even though the doctor tells me I shouldn’t play at all, you know I’m stubborn and I’ll beast through the pain every show for as many songs as I can.”
Lee revealed he had Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne’s drummer Tommy Clufetos save the show until he’s “back at 100 per cent.”
“We’ve all been waiting years for this moment and there’s no way I’m missing this! On with the show,” Lee added.
Britney Spears’ ex-husband, Kevin Federline, has leaked videos of the singer arguing with her children after she complained publicly about them allegedly disrespecting her.
Federline, 44, posted the private footage on his previously dormant Instagram page on Wednesday night, US time.
“I cannot sit back and let my sons be accused in this way after what they’ve been through,” Federline wrote, alluding to Spears’ public remark hours earlier that her teenage sons had been “hateful” while visiting her house.
“As much as it hurts us, we decided as a family to post these videos the boys took when they were 11 and 12. This isn’t even the worst of it. The lies have to stop. I hope our kids grow up to be better than this.”
The two boys, Sean Preston and Jayden James, are now 16 and 15 years old, respectively.
In the first video posted by Federline, Spears can be heard arguing with her sons in the dark.
“This is my house. If I wanna come in here and give you lotion for your face cuz it is coarse, and all you tell me is, ‘It’s fine, it’s fine,’ no it’s not fine!” she says.
“You better all start respecting me, are we clear? And when Robin calls … even Robin is a f*****g kid.”
It is unclear who exactly “Robin” is.
“You all need to start treating me like a woman with worth. I am a woman, OK? Be nice to me. Do you understand? Spears continues.
The second and third videos, filmed during a car ride, show the singer asking one of the children: “Have you lost your f***ing mind?”
“I am shocked as f*** with you, and I don’t know what to do… I don’t know what to say. But I do care, more than you know.”
As the conversation continues it becomes apparent that one of the boys is upset because his phone has been taken away, apparently as punishment for not wearing shoes outside.
“If you really cared you wouldn’t take my phone away,” he tells his mother.
Spears this week ripped Federline for revealing that she is estranged from their sons — while admitting their troubled relationship started “long before” he said.
“It saddens me to hear that my ex-husband has decided to discuss the relationship between me and my children,” Spears said in a midnight Instagram story earlier this week.
“As we all know, raising teenage boys is never easy for anyone,” the troubled pop star wrote of the boys, who did not attend her recent wedding.
Spears lashed out after her ex revealed that she had not seen their sons for months — even though they live just a three-minute drive away from the sprawling Calabasas mansion she bought with new husband Sam Asghari in June.
However, her biggest complaint was that Federline claimed the falling out was recent — and based on the boys’ anger at their mom’s racy naked social media photos.
“It concerns me the reason is based on my Instagram… It was LONG before Instagram,” she insisted.
“I gave them everything,” she insisted. “Only one word: Hurtful.”
In a follow-up post, she wrote, “Reminder that the trauma and insults that come with fame and this business not only affect me but my children as well !!! I’m only human and I’ve done my best.”
In that second post, Spears said her ex should not be speaking out because “whatever is happening outside this home has nothing to do with his home.”
On Wednesday, she wrote that “I know teenagers are hard to deal with but COME ON”.
“There’s being rude, then there’s just being HATEFUL. They would visit me, walk in the door, go straight to their room and lock the door.
“I’m like, why come visit me if they don’t even visit me!
“I don’t know what’s going on in their heads. I always TRIED and TRIED, and maybe that’s why they stopped coming here. I wanted them to love me so much that I might have overdone it.”
Mumford & Sons frontman Marcus Mumford has revealed he was sexually abused as a child.
The singer, 35, told GQ that he felt “layers of shame” after the abuse, which started when he was just six years old.
“Like lots of people – and I’m learning more and more about this as we go and as I play it to people – I was sexually abused as a child,” Marcus said.
“Not by family and not in the church, which might be some people’s assumption. But I hadn’t told anyone about it for 30 years.
“And for some reason, and I can’t really understand why, I didn’t become a perpetrator of sexual abuse – although I’ve done my fair share of c**tish behaviour.”|
Marcus added that his mother only found out what had happened after hearing it in the lyrics of one of his songs, Cannibal.
The lyrics read: “I can still taste you and I hate it / That wasn’t a choice in the mind of a child and you knew it.”
Marcus is married to Carey Mulligan and they have two children together.
He was raised by parent John and Eleanor, who were leaders of the evangelical Christian group, the Vineyard Churches.
He plays in the folk band alongside Ben Lovett and Ted Dwane, with fellow Mumford member Winston Marshall quitting the band last year.
They shot to fame in 2009 with their album Sigh No More, which included tracks The Cave and Little Lion Man.
