Ray Liotta remembered as 'a force of nature' as late star's fiancee, daughter celebrate 'Black Bird' premiere, plus more news

Ray Liotta honored by fiancee, daughter and co-stars at his ‘Black Bird’ premiere

Ray Liotta’s fiancee Jacy Nittolo and daughter Karsen Liotta joined his former co-stars at the premiere of “Black Bird” in Los Angeles on Wednesday, June 29, to celebrate one of the late actor’s final performances. Ray, who died last month at age 67, plays Big Jim Keene in the psychological thriller, which centers around Jim’s son, Jimmy (Taron Egerton), as he navigates a prison deal in which he’s forced to coax a confession out of a convicted serial killer (Paul Walter Houser). On the red carpet, Taron said he “just kind of fell in love with [Ray] immediately,” according to ET. “We developed a very, very, very close connection, and I had a very special time filming those scenes,” he added. Greg Kinnear, who also appears in the six-episode Apple TV+ series, opened up about Ray as well, telling ET: “Way before I was an actor I saw a movie by Jonathan Demme, ‘Something Wild,’ it became one of my favorite films. Ray Liotta was a force of nature in that movie, I’ve watched him my entire career. It was such a thrill that he was in this.” The show’s creator Dennis Lehane previously told The Hollywood Reporter he “wrote the part of Big Jim Keene in ‘Black Bird’ for Ray,” admitting he had a “lifelong dream to work with” the “Goodfellas” star. “And the performance he gave? It was a master class,” Dennis said. “Black Bird” hits Apple TV+ on July 8.

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Beyonce says new album was created as ‘a safe place’ at ‘a scary time for the world’

Beyonce shared some of the backstory on her upcoming album, “Renaissance,” on Instagram on Thursday, June 30, along with a glimpse at the new recording’s stunning cover art. “Creating this album allowed me a place to dream and to find escape during a scary time for the world,” Bey captioned an image that showed her sitting on a horse wearing little more than heels and a spiked silver train that snaked its way around her gorgeous physique like a minimalist bodysuit. She went on to describe how making the album during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic “allowed me to feel free and adventurous in a time when little else was moving.” Bey explained: “My intention was to create a safe place, a place without judgment. A place to be free of perfectionism and overthinking. A place to scream, release, feel freedom. It was a beautiful journey of exploration.” She closed the post by writing, “I hope you find joy in this music. I hope it inspires you to release the wiggle. Ha! And to feel as unique, strong, and sexy as you are.” “Renaissance,” out July 29, marks the singer’s seventh studio album and her first major release since 2016’s “Lemonade.”

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Travis Barker’s daughters thank dad’s fans for love, prayers amid hospitalization

As Travis Barker continues to regain his strength after being hospitalized earlier this week, his daughters thanked fans and social media followers for their support. The drummer was reportedly hospitalized on Tuesday, June 28, after suffering from severe abdominal pain. ET later reported he’s been diagnosed with pancreatitis, an inflammation of the digestive system organ, and was being treated at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. People, meanwhile, reported Travis’ wife, Kourtney Kardashian, has been close by his side, though she had not mentioned the situation on social media as of Thursday. On Wednesday, Travis’ 16-year-old daughter, Alabama Barker, shared a note of gratitude and a photo of her dad’s hand on her Instagram Stories, captioning the pic, “Thank you guys for all the prayers and love, I appreciate you & love all of you.” The Blink-182 star’s stepdaughter, Atiana De La Hoya, 23, also posted on her Stories, writing, “Thank you for the outpouring of love and prayers sent our way at this time. It is heard, felt and appreciated. Xx,” according to Yahoo. Sources close to Travis and Kourtney recently told People doctors are currently working to manage Travis’ pain while continuing to run tests and keep him on a special, safe diet.

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Machine Gun Kelly smashed a glass into his head to get a crowd’s attention: ‘I didn’t have a fork’

Can someone get this man some utensils? After Machine Gun Kelly shared videos of himself smashing a champagne glass on his head at the afterparty for his show in New York City this week, the singer was asked about the incident on “Late Night With Seth Meyers.” “You know when you clink a champagne glass with a fork to kind of get people’s attention?” MGK asked Seth. “Yeah, I didn’t have a fork. So I just clinked it on my head.” The gruesome result involved lots of blood and a gash across his eyebrow, all of which he apparently refused bandages for when he proceeded to sing “My Ex’s Best Friend” into the microphone Jezebel reports was in his hand when he opted to use his head as a clinking instrument. “You know, in medicine they call that ‘askin’ for it,'” Seth teased his guest. “Yeah,” said the singer,”So I had a serious case of that last night.

R. Kelly taught victims ‘that love is enslavement and violence,’ judge says at sentencing

On Wednesday, June 29, R. Kelly was sentenced to 30 years in prison for racketeering and sex trafficking in New York City. The sentencing comes after years of claims the “I Believe I Can Fly Singer” kidnapped, tortured, sexually assaulted, manipulated and psychologically tormented scores of women and girls. According to the New York Times, the music star’s trial shed light on the people in his circle who supported and helped to mask his behavior. While reading the sentence, U.S. District Judge Ann M. Donnelly reportedly told R. Kelly: “You taught [women and girls] that love is enslavement and violence,” before detailing some of the horrific narratives women had shared during the trial. “This case is not about sex. It’s about violence and cruelty and control,” the judge continued. “You had a system in place that lured young people into your orbit — and then you took over their lives.” The singer’s lawyer has said she intends to appeal on his behalf. He’s also facing federal child pornography charges, among others, in Chicago, where a trial is due to begin Aug. 15, the Times reported.







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