But it wasn’t coffee that contributed to Shayne’s lack of shut-eye in the days leading up to the wedding. “My wedding day, where I look like I was coked out of my mind, I didn’t sleep for two days straight because I had no idea what [Natalie] was going to say at the altar,” he explained. “No idea.”
He even asked the producers if he could skip the the ceremony entirely because he knew it would be “embarrassing,” but he says the producers told him that he had to go through with it. “Whether you say yes or no is up to you, but you have to go through with it,” he explained. “It’s kind of what you sign up for.”
To make matters worse, he said, the stars were working during the day and filming at night, making him even more tired. “I was so mentally exhausted by everything going on in my life, and I just didn’t want to have another problem on my hands,” he shared, “so I was like, Let’s just do this.”
It’s a simple yet valid question, one that the world is wondering after Will Smith slapped the comedian on live television during the Oscars on Sunday. The now-infamous blow has been the topic du jour on every corner of the internet and television in the 48 hours since — but Rock has remained noticeably silent. That is until Wednesday evening, when Rock addressed the topic publicly at a standup show in Boston.
“Whoa, okay!” he exclaimed upon entering the stage in an all-white suit. The standing ovation from the crowd thundered on before Rock made another effort to get the ball rolling for the evening: “Yo, let me do the show!”
After a few more moments of applause, Rock immediately addressed the elephant in the room.
“How was your weekend?” he began, drawing a wave of laughter. “I don’t have a bunch of shit about what happened, so if you came to hear that, I have a whole show I wrote before this weekend. I’m still kind of processing what happened. So, at some point I’ll talk about that shit. And it will be serious and funny.”
An audience member then chanted “Fuck Will Smith!” before Rock continued.
“I’m going to tell some jokes. It’s nice to just be out,” he said before beginning his material.
There were at least a dozen local broadcast journalist set up outside the theater as early as two hours before showtime, bundled up in the thirty degree New England weather.
“This is insane,” one onlooker shouted as he walked by troves of cameras and on-air reporters around 6 p.m.
Prior to showtime, local religious leaders gathered outside the Wilbur Theatre to make a statement about “the incident regarding our brothers” and “send a message that violence is not the way to resolve conflict.”
“This is a teachable moment so we end the cycle of violence that is underreported in the Black community,” said Kevin C. Peterson, founder of the New Democracy Coalition, a non-partisan and non-profit organization that focuses on civic engagement, to a small crowd of reporters.
Event organizers at the Wilbur were not pleased with the masses that gathered outside.
“We have to get ready for a show,” said one Wilbur employee as he attempted to put up ropes outside the venue. “We’re trying to work now.”
Boston resident Sam Wisnia, 24, felt it was “serendipitous” that Rock was scheduled to make his first public appearance only a short distance from his hometown. He got tickets on Monday morning following the Oscars and acted early enough that he only paid $70.
“I didn’t watch [the Oscars] live but I watched the clip plenty of times,” Wisnia said. “I hope he leads [his set] with the whole situation and he can find the humor in it.”
Another Boston local Jesse Setaro, 32, saw an Instagram ad for Rock’s show “after he got smacked.” He paid $225 and considers that a steal compared to what others paid.
Setaro was unfazed by the frenzy of reporters outside the theater: “Why wouldn’t they be here? it’s a historic night.”
Rock’s taciturnity is perhaps the reason that ticket sales for Rock’s stand-up comedy tour have been nearly impossible to come by. By coincidence, Rock was booked to play several shows in Boston beginning on Wednesday before he embarks on his “Ego Death World Tour” next month, starting in New Jersey. It’s the first time that Rock has gone on the road in five years.
His four-day stint in Boston commenced on Wednesday at the 1,000-seat Wilbur Theatre, with one sold-out show at 7:30 p.m. and another at 10 p.m. COVID-19 vaccinations were mandated for attendees.
Tickets went quickly on Ticketmaster and were being resold on StubHub and other ticket exchange and resell websites for astronomically high prices. Original prices started at $49.50, but, in the wake of the shocking incident at the Oscars, they were going for as much as $800 to $8,000 on secondary sites. Admission to the 7:30 p.m. show was in especially high demand because many anticipated it would be the first time Rock would publicly respond to Smith’s violent outburst.
A StubHub representative said the site experienced “more than 25 times the daily sales” over the past two days compared to the last month. “It is incredibly unusual to see the spike we have experienced,” said Mike Silveira, spokesperson for StubHub. Similarly, the online ticket reseller TickPick wrote Monday on Twitter, “We sold more tickets to see Chris Rock overnight than we did in the past month combined.”
The incident in question occurred in the middle of the 94th annual Academy Awards, as Rock presented the best documentary feature category on stage. The comedian began riffing about A-list celebrities in the audience before going off script to made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith and her shaved head. (The actress has alopecia, a medical condition that results in hair loss.)
“Jada, I love you: ‘G.I. Jane 2,’ can’t wait to see it,” Rock said referring to the 1997 action movie in which Demi Moore’s character has a shaved head.
Smith initially laughed at the jab. But after turning to Pinkett Smith and noticing her epic eye-roll at the joke, he quickly shifted gears and walked on stage to slap Rock in the face. At first, everyone — Rock included — thought the rouse was a bit, but it soon became clear that wasn’t the case.
“Oh, wow,” Rock said as Smith walked off stage. “Wow. Will Smith just smacked the shit out of me.”
After returning to his seat, Smith yelled, “Keep my wife’s name out your fucking mouth.”
Rock responded, “Wow, dude. It was a ‘G.I. Jane’ joke.” That prompted Smith to shout at a louder octave, “Keep my wife’s name out your fucking mouth!”
Rock appeared visibly shaken on stage and struggled to collect his thoughts. “That was, uh, the greatest night in the history of television,” he offered.
Shortly after the incident, Smith was awarded the Oscar for best actor for his performance as tennis coach Richard Williams in “King Richard,” a feel-good sports drama in which he plays the father of tennis icons Venus and Serena Williams. In a tearful acceptance speech, Smith apologized to the Academy and his fellow best actor nominees, but he stopped short of mentioning Rock. In his remarks, he also attempted to connect the altercation to his onscreen character in “King Richard.”
“Richard Williams was a fierce defender of his family,” Smith said. “Art imitates life. I look like the crazy father, just like they said about Richard Williams.”
Later in his speech he said, “In this business, you got to be able to have people disrespecting you. And you got to smile and you got to pretend like that’s okay.”
On Monday, Smith issued an apology to Rock on Instagram. “I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be.” He also said, “Jokes at my expense are part of the job, but a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally.”
Rock declined to press charges, but the Academy has launched an investigation into the situation to “explore further action and consequences,” a spokesperson said.
Jared Leto as Dr. Michael Morbius in Daniel Espinoza’s MorbiusPhoto: Sony Pictures
No one wants to watch a lousy movie, but an unmitigated disaster can often be more interesting than something that’s just mediocre. Morbius falls into the latter category, a run-of-the-mill origin story that’s capably acted and professionally mounted, but mostly lifeless up on screen—and feels more disappointing after two years of anticipation for its release. Jared Leto delivers an adequately creepy and conflicted take on the eponymous scientist opposite a scenery-chewing Matt Smith as his surrogate brother and sometime adversary, while director Daniel Espinoza (Life) stages the action like his latest project is cosplaying as a series of classic horror movies. The result is a bland, competent, and safe superhero adventure that seems destined to be forgotten before its end credits finish rolling.
Leto (House of Gucci) plays Dr. Michael Morbius, a scientist who devoted his life and career to curing rare blood diseases after contracting one as a child. Bankrolled by his surrogate brother Lucien (Smith), a rich orphan who was alternately raised and monitored by their shared physician Nicholas (Jared Harris), Morbius takes increasingly risky and ethically questionable chances to alleviate the fatigue and physical disability from which they both suffer. After harvesting the organs of vampire bats in the search for a crucial anti-coagulant, Morbius administers an experimental treatment to himself which restores his health and strength—but not before he succumbs to an inexplicable bloodlust and murders the team of mercenaries shepherding his laboratory through international waters.
When his lab partner Dr. Martine Bancroft (Adria Arjona) is injured during the excursion, Morbius summons the authorities on her behalf and flees the scene before being apprehended. But while he tries to figure out what to do about his newfound condition, Lucien contacts Morbius and demands his own dosage of the treatment. As two detectives close in on Morbius, seeking answers about his role in a gruesome string of deaths, he races to create a cure for this insatiable appetite. Before long, Morbius finds himself at odds not only with the cops, but with Lucien after his former friend embraces becoming a bloodthirsty, superhuman monster. That makes Morbius more determined than ever to find a cure for the violent and all-consuming affliction from which both he and Lucien suffer, while recognizing that doing so may cost both of them their lives.
Working from a script by Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless, whose first credit was on Luke Evans’ 2014 vampire film Dracula Untold, Espinoza shuffles through a familiar series of bloodsucker cliches that are frequently joked about but are otherwise reduced to the symptoms of a superhero’s curse, a la the Hulk. It’s hard to remember the last film that treated these fictional creatures with any real dignity. This one is all too happy to exploit their violent and dangerous impulses for set pieces, then undercut the more interesting elements of addiction or biological need to let Morbius, Lucien and his costars prattle on in increasingly tedious, expository exchanges. Essentially, when it isn’t standing on the shoulders of genre giants to elicit scary moments, Morbius wants to be the Batman Begins of Sony’s supervillain franchise, and it’s unafraid to borrow liberally from its predecessors to evoke the same atmosphere or tone.
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Morbius’ first attack on the mercenaries, for example, unfolds like he’s the xenomorph in a better-lit, earthbound version of the Nostromo and/or LV-426, decimating space truckers and automatic-weapon-wielding Marines with swift brutality. A later fight between Morbius and Lucien, meanwhile, conjures the tube chase from An American Werewolf In London, but with less style and more computer-generated imagery. One supposes there are only so many locations that filmmakers can use for action scenes that haven’t already been shot in some iconic fashion, but it takes little imagination to make those cinematic connections while they’re happening. Moreover, Jon Ekstrand’s score functions in precisely the kind of same-y, nondescript way that so much film and TV music seems to these days. The few moments that stand out do so because they sound so similar to Hans Zimmer’s wall-of-sound work on Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy, especially when they’re accompanying a scene where, say, a man is looking skyward as a swarm of bats flutter around him in obedience.
While close-ups of Jared Leto’s vibrating ears feel unnecessary, the effect of Morbius’ “radar” as he scans his environment—from his elegantly appointed laboratory to the entirety of Manhattan—actually offers a neat visual, as the buildings dissolve beneath expanding waves of mist. But endlessly transforming faces and colored trails that trace these monsters’ progression across a cityscape quickly grow repetitive, and by the time Morbius and Lucien are hammering each other from one rubble pile to the next, the action becomes an empty placeholder for the hero’s resolution that Espinoza telegraphs. His instincts to try for something semi-tragic, even operatic are admirable, and occasionally work when he slows things down to create a single, tableau-like moment, but the rest of the time the movie ebbs and flows without excitement between dopey character motivations and reams of technical jargon about blood.
If he’s not quite winging it like Tom Hardy is in the Venom franchise, Leto thankfully doesn’t seem to take himself too seriously to prevent a little bit of fun from creeping into the film. But his character’s journey is too obvious, predictable and oddly impatient to get to its resolution for audiences to care much about whether or not he becomes a superhero or succumbs to his disease. Especially since there’s no particular inclination for Morbius to help ordinary people without the enormous financial resources of Lucien, it’s hard to imagine him doing much of anything for anybody after acquiring his powers and apparently learning how to control them. Smith, on the other hand, seems to relish his chance to turn heel opposite Leto, but he also seems to be well aware that however viewers receive his performance as the film’s bloodsucking super-baddie, his face will be covered more often than not with wildly uneven computer-generated effects.
Without spoiling anything, a couple of post-credits sequences set up a future for Leto’s character in a larger world that you understand why Sony would try and telegraph, but given the failures of past Spider-Man spin-offs (particularly those from the Amazing films) it’s hard to believe they have really thought any of those next steps through. But until then, Morbius feels like exactly the kind of second-tier superhero adventure audiences will accept in between ones that they actively want. Admittedly, it’s odd to want a movie like this to have been worse, but that would mean it failed as bigly as the swings it took; by comparison, Morbius is a walk, or at best a bunt. That may qualify it as a hit for Leto, Espinoza and Sony, but that doesn’t mean it’s much fun to watch from the stands.
Made In Chelsea star Olivia Bentley has detailed her years-long struggle with alopecia, as she threw her support behind Jada Pinkett-Smith in the wake of Chris Rock’s Oscars jibe.
In a candid piece for The Sun, the reality star revealed she first began suffering from hair loss after going on The Pill at the age of 16, and has faced horrific abuse from trolls despite attempting to hide bald patches with wigs and hair extensions.
It comes after Jada’s husband Will Smith furiously slapped comedian Chris during Sunday’s Oscars after he joked that the actress, who has openly shared her own alopecia struggles, was set to star in GI Jane 2 due to her shaved head.
Ordeal: Made In Chelsea star Olivia Bentley has detailed her years-long struggle with alopecia, as she threw her support behind Jada Pinkett-Smith in the wake of Chris Rock’s Oscars jibe
Olivia explained that she first began to lose clumps of hair after going on The Pill, and doctors later diagnosed her with alopecia.
The star admitted she managed to hide her bald patches by using hats and wigs, but still faced nasty comments from classmates.
She said: ‘But when I was 17 I was devastated when a boy I was dating told me he would not have kids with me because he didn’t want them to be bald.’
Hard: The Made In Chelsea star shared her own battles with hair loss as she slammed comedian Chris for his joke about Jada’s own battle with alopecia at Sunday’s Oscars
Difficult: Olivia revealed she first began suffering from hair loss after going on The Pill at the age of 16, and has faced horrific abuse from trolls
Olivia went onto reveal she faced horrific abuse from trolls when she joined the cast of Made In Chelsea in 2016, with one even branding her a ‘bald b***h’ when she shared her hair loss for the first time on social media.
The star went onto reveal that in recent months her hair has begun to grow back, and she’s become more comfortable showcasing her natural hair inside of hiding behind extensions.
Olivia went onto laud Jada for speaking openly about her own battle with alopecia in 2018, while slamming comedian Chris for his ‘personal and poorly-timed’ joke.
Ordeal: She added one troll branded her a ‘bald b***h’ when she discussed her hair loss, and for years has hidden her bald patches under wigs and hair extensions
She added ‘Chris’s joke was a bad one. It didn’t warrant being slapped but it caused upset all round.’
The shocking scenes that unfolded during Sunday’s Oscars have divided fans online, with some lauding and others slamming Will for slapping Chris in the wake of his comment towards Jada.
The Independance Day star returned to his seat after the unexpected outburst, and could be heard shouting: ‘Keep my wife’s name out of your f*****g mouth’ at Chris, who remained on-stage and continued his planned speech.
Mere minutes later Will was awarded the Oscar for Best Actor for his role in King Richard, and in his acceptance speech, Smith apologized to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences – whose members vote for the awards, and who stages the ceremony – but stopped short of apologising to Rock.
Rage: It comes after Jada’s husband Will Smith furiously slapped comedian Chris during Sunday’s Oscars after he joked about the actress’ shaved head
Smith initially laughed off the attack, writing on Instagram on Sunday evening: ‘You can’t invite people from Philly or Baltimore nowhere!!’
Yet as the gravity of the situation became clear, Smith then posted a public apology to Instagram 24 hours after the ceremony, saying he wanted to say sorry formally to Rock.
He said his behaviour was ‘unacceptable and inexcusable’ and left him ’embarrassed’.
On Wednesday the Academy said it had launched ‘disciplinary procedures’ against Smith, and confirmed he ignored their request for him to leave his seat.
Dramatic: While the star attempted to brush off the shocking scenes, winning the Oscar for Best Actor minutes later, he issued an apology to Chris in a statement on Tuesday
Rock, who is yet to respond to Smith’s attack or his apology, will be on stage in Boston on Wednesday night for his first show since the incident.
‘The Board of Governors today initiated disciplinary proceedings against Mr. Smith for violations of the Academy’s Standards of Conduct, including inappropriate physical contact, abusive or threatening behavior, and compromising the integrity of the Academy,’ their statement said.
‘Mr. Smith was asked to leave the ceremony and refused, [but] we also recognize we could have handled the situation differently.’
Smith will receive 15 days notice of a vote as well as an opportunity to be heard by written response.
At the next board meeting – scheduled for April 18 – the Academy may take action that could include ‘suspension, expulsion, or other sanctions permitted by the Bylaws and Standards of Conduct.’
WHAT IS ALOPECIA?
Alopecia, which causes baldness, is thought to be an autoimmune disorder. The immune system – the body’s defense system – turns on itself.
What are the symptoms?
‘Typically, one or more small bald patches, about the size of a 50p piece, appear on the scalp. The hair can start to regrow at one site, while another bald patch develops. Hair may also begin to thin all over the head,’ says Marilyn Sherlock, chairman of the Institute of Trichologists.
What causes it?
‘For some reason, the body’s immune system begins to attack its own hair follicles. Special white blood cells in the body, known as T-lymphocytes, cause the hair to stop growing,’ she adds.
Can worry make it worse?
Stress has been shown to prolong the problem.
Is it an inherited condition?
There is strong evidence to suggest that alopecia, like other auto-immune diseases, runs in families. About 25 per cent of patients have a family history of the disorder.
Who gets it?
Alopecia areata usually affects teenagers and young adults, but it can affect people of any age. It is just as common among men as women.
Is there a cure?
There is no known cure, although there are various treatments which may be effective for some people.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has begun “disciplinary proceedings” against Will Smith over his behavior at the Oscars, with the organization revealing that Smith was asked to leave, but refused to do so, after he slapped Chris Rock onstage during the ceremony.
“The Board of Governors today initiated disciplinary proceedings against Mr. Smith for violations of the Academy’s Standards of Conduct, including inappropriate physical contact, abusive or threatening behavior, and compromising the integrity of the Academy,” the statement said.
Additionally, Smith will receive 15 days notice of a vote as well as an opportunity to be heard by written response, and at the next board meeting scheduled for April 18, the Academy may take action that could include “suspension, expulsion, or other sanctions permitted by the Bylaws and Standards of Conduct.”
In its statement, the Academy also said “Mr. Smith was asked to leave the ceremony and refused, [but] we also recognize we could have handled the situation differently.” The Hollywood Reporter has reached out to Smith for comment. The Academy also apologized directly to Rock in the statement, as well as nominees, guests and viewers.
Rock was presenting best documentary feature at the 2022 Oscars on Sunday when he made a G.I. Jane joke about Jada Pinkett Smith, who has a shaved head (the actress has alopecia). After Smith walked up to the stage to slap Rock, Smith returned to his seat and shouted at the presenter to take his wife’s name out of his “fucking mouth.” Smith later went on to win the best actor award for his performance in King Richard. While receiving his first-ever Oscar, he apologized to the Academy and his fellow nominees; he did not, however, mention Rock.
The officers of the organization’s board of governors had an emergency meeting a day later, and the full board met at 12 p.m. PT on Wednesday to discuss the incident.
One board of governor attending the meeting Wednesday said there was broad support for Smith to be suspended or expelled from the Academy. “I think everyone unanimously feels what he did was out of control,” the person said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“People want real consequence. Every member of every branch is reaching out to all their governors,” says the source. “It was an assault — and not only a physical assault, but an assault on the community.”
During the meeting, board members were told that Academy leadership had requested Smith to leave the theater, but that he apparently declined to do so. However, it still isn’t clear who asked him to leave, or what the sequence of events were. The source added that images of Will Smith and his family celebrating and dancing at the post-Oscar Vanity Fair party as if nothing had happened was an additional insult.
THR‘s awards columnist Scott Feinberg has spoken to numerous Academy members since the show Sunday who felt that the organization should at the very least suspend Smith’s membership, citing the group’s Standards of Conduct implemented eight weeks after Harvey Weinstein’s sexual misdeeds were exposed. And almost none said Smith should be back at the Oscars show next year to carry out the ceremonial tradition whereby the previous year’s best actor presents the best actress award.
Following many condemnations, including from the Academy, Smith took to Instagram on Monday to apologize to Rock. “Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive. My behavior at last night’s Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable.”
Rock has yet to make a statement, but the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed to THR that he declined to press charges.
See below for the Academy’s full statement.
The Board of Governors today initiated disciplinary proceedings against Mr. Smith for violations of the Academy’s Standards of Conduct, including inappropriate physical contact, abusive or threatening behavior, and compromising the integrity of the Academy.
Consistent with the Academy’s Standards of Conduct, as well as California law, Mr. Smith is being provided at least 15 days’ notice of a vote regarding his violations and sanctions, and the opportunity to be heard beforehand by means of a written response. At the next board meeting on April 18, the Academy may take any disciplinary action, which may include suspension, expulsion, or other sanctions permitted by the Bylaws and Standards of Conduct.
Mr. Smith’s actions at the 94th Oscars were a deeply shocking, traumatic event to witness in-person and on television. Mr. Rock, we apologize to you for what you experienced on our stage and thank you for your resilience in that moment. We also apologize to our nominees, guests and viewers for what transpired during what should have been a celebratory event.
Things unfolded in a way we could not have anticipated. While we would like to clarify that Mr. Smith was asked to leave the ceremony and refused, we also recognize we could have handled the situation differently.
On Ellen DeGeneres’ daytime talk show, Sykes, one third of the trio who hosted the Oscars on Sunday, said while she didn’t witness Will Smith slapping presenter Chris Rock because she was changing outfits, she did see Smith’s profane verbal exchange with Rock and the moments after.
“I just felt so awful for my friend, Chris, and it was sickening,” she told DeGeneres, according to a preview clip. “I physically felt ill, and I’m still a little traumatized by it.”
Sykes also expressed her frustration with Smith being allowed to stay in the theater and accept his award for best actor.
“For them to let him stay in that room and enjoy the rest of the show and accept his award, I was like, ‘How gross is this? This is just the wrong message,'” she said. “You assault somebody, you get escorted out the building and that’s it. For them to let him continue, I thought it was gross. Plus, I wanted to be able to run out after he won and say, ‘Unfortunately Will couldn’t be here tonight…'”
Smith has apologized for the incident. Rock has not yet made any public comments but is set to return to the stage tonight in Boston with his stand-up tour.
Sykes says she’s upset by the fact that “no one” has apologized to her and fellow hosts Amy Schumer and Regina Hall.
“We worked really hard to put that show together,” she said, only for it to be overshadowed.
Sykes shared that she and Rock, however, interacted at an after part and he apologized to her, saying, “It was supposed to be your night,” according to Sykes.
“That’s who Chris is,” she said.
Schumer weighs in
Meanwhile, Schumer took to Instagram to share her thoughts, stating she was still feeling “triggered and traumatized.”
“I love my friend @chrisrock and believe he handled it like a pro,” she wrote. “Stayed up there and gave an Oscar to his friend @questlove and the whole thing was so disturbing.”
Rock was presenting the award for best documentary feature when Smith rushed the stage and struck him on the face over a joke Rock made about Smith’s wife, actress Jada Pinkett Smith.
“I’m still in shock and stunned and sad. Im proud of myself and my cohosts. But yeah. Waiting for this sickening feeling to go away from what we all witnessed,” Schumer wrote in the post, which she also used to plug her Hulu series “Life and Beth,” joking “I think we can all agree that the best way to unpack what happened is to stream my series.”
Family, friends and fans are mourning the loss of singer Tom Parker.
Following a battle with brain cancer that was first diagnosed in October 2020, Parker, who was a member of the group the Wanted, died on March 30, his wife, Kelsey Hardwick, confirmed in a statement. He was 33 years old.
“It is with the heaviest of hearts that we confirm Tom passed away peacefully earlier today with all of his family by his side,” she wrote in an Instagram post. “Our hearts are broken, Tom was the centre of our world and we can’t imagine life without his infectious smile and energetic presence. We are truly thankful for the outpouring of love and support and ask that we all unite to ensure Tom’s light continues to shine for his beautiful children. Thank you to everyone who has supported in his care throughout, he fought until the very end. I’m forever proud of you.”
Bruce Willis is “stepping away” from his acting career after being diagnosed with aphasia, which leads to the loss of ability to understand or express speech, his family said in a statement posted to social media.
“To Bruce’s amazing supporters, as a family we wanted to share that our beloved Bruce has been experiencing some health issues and has recently been diagnosed with aphasia, which is impacting his cognitive abilities,” read the statement. “As a result of this and with much consideration, Bruce is stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him.”
The 67-year-old film star is best known for playing John McClane in the iconic Die Hard franchise. The original 1988 film made Willis a film and action star after he was mainly known as a comedic TV actor, specifically in the series Moonlighting (1985-89).
“I’m very saddened by this news,” said Larry Gordon, producer of Die Hard and its 1990 sequel. “Bruce is a good friend and was fantastic to work with on Die Hard1 and 2. They couldn’t be harder films for an actor to make and survive. He is the consummate pro and a gutsy guy.”
Willis has starred in such blockbusters as The Fifth Element (1997), Armageddon (1998) and The Sixth Sense (1999). Willis’ other classics include The Last Boy Scout (1991), Death Becomes Her (1992) Pulp Fiction (1994) and 12 Monkeys (1995).
“This is a really challenging time for our family, and we are so appreciative of your continued love, compassion and support,” said the Willis family in their statement. “We are moving through this as a strong family unit, and wanted to bring his fans in because we know how much he means to you, as you do to him. As Bruce always says, ‘Live it up’ and together we plan to do just that. Love, Emma, Demi, Rumer, Scout, Tallulah, Mabel, & Evelyn.”
A year ago, director James Cullen Bressack shot the Willis films Survive the Game and Fortress back-to-back in Puerto Rico. He recalls the actor being in good spirits, and having a tradition of crumpling up pages once they filmed a scene and shooting them like basketballs into a trash can. Recalls the filmmaker to The Hollywood Reporter: “He and I just enjoyed doing that. Both of us competing to see who could make more baskets. He laughed a lot. I laughed a lot. It was a lot of fun.” In an Instagram post, Bresack paid tribute to Willis, writing, “I’m blessed to have had the chance to work with him.”
Willis was immediately trending on social media as the news broke, as fans were sharing their disbelief and sadness over the development.
Susan Lucci’s husband Helmut Huber has died at the age of 84, it as shared on Wednesday morning.
The TV producer and manager, who was a native of Austria, passed away on Monday on Long Island, New York.
The couple were married since 1969 and have two children together, Liza Huber, 47, and Andreas Huber, 34.
‘He was an extraordinary husband, father, grandfather, and friend,’ the soap opera star’s rep told People.
Sad loss: Susan Lucci’s husband Helmut Huber died on Monday at the age of 84, it as shared on Wednesday morning. Seen in 2017 in NYC
A long love: The couple have been married since 1969 and have two children together, Liza Huber and Andreas Huber
‘Helmut’s passing is a tremendous loss for all who knew and loved him. He was an extraordinary husband, father, grandfather, and friend,’ a statement from Lucci’s publicist, Jessica Sciacchitano, said.
‘The family kindly asks for privacy during this incredibly difficult time,’ it was added.
A rep for the family stated, ‘A family man, he was a loyal friend, and loved them deeply.
‘With a roaring sense of humor, larger-than-life personality, and a practical problem-solver, he lived his life to the fullest. Mr. Huber who formerly raced motorcycles in Austria was a first-rate skier, and avid golfer, belonging to the Garden City Golf Club and Westhampton Country Club.’
Sad loss: Helmut’s passing is a ‘tremendous loss for all who knew and loved him. He was an extraordinary husband, father, grandfather, and friend,’ a statement from Lucci’s publicist, Jessica Sciacchitano, said. Seen in December 2021
Huber is survived by Susan, and his two sons and two daughters as well as his brother, eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
He worked as Lucci’s manager and the CEO of Pine Valley Productions.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions are made to the American Stroke Association in support of stroke awareness and research, People claimed.
The couple met on the job at the Garden City Hotel on Long Island, New York when Susan was in her early 20s and just out of college.
‘The first time I saw Susie, it hit me,’ he told People in 1999. ‘Still today, she walks in a room, and I just light up.’
The way they were: Here they were seen at The American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women Red Dress Collection 2020 at Hammerstein Ballroom on February 2020 in New York City
They go way back: The power couple during Entertainment Tonight & ABC-TV Party at Tavern on the Green in New York City in 1983
In December, she turned 75 years old.
And she was seen dining with her husband the night before at their favorite restaurant.
‘Twas the night before my birthday,’ wrote the siren in her caption.
It was true love: The couple met on the job at the Garden City Hotel on Long Island, New York when Susan was in her early 20s and just out of college. ‘The first time I saw Susie, it hit me,’ he told People in 1999. ‘Still today, she walks in a room, and I just light up.’ Seen in 1980
The star is best known for portraying Erica Kane on the ABC daytime drama All My Children during that show’s entire network run from 1970 to 2011.
The show won her an Emmy in May 1999; it was her 19th nomination.
After the show was cancelled by ABC, the actress went on to appear in the comedy series Hot In Cleveland playing herself.
She also starred on ABC’s dramatic comedy series Devious Maids from 2013 to 2016.
A milestone! Soap opera legend Lucci turned 75 years old in December; here she is seen in 1978 at the start of her career
TV vet: The star is best known for portraying Erica Kane on the ABC daytime drama All My Children during that show’s entire network run from 1970 to 2011. Seen left with Eileen Letchworth, right
Lucci is also known for her pinup figure.
Many times she has shown off her hot body on Instagram, much to the delight of her loyal 191K followers.
The brunette bombshell was in a white one-piece swimsuit as she walked on the beach during a vacation in 2020. ‘GOOD morning, St Barth’s,’ wrote the New York native.
Still a 10: Lucci is also known for her pinup figure. Many times she has shown off her hot body on Instagram, much to the delight of her loyal 191K followers. The brunette bombshell was in a white one-piece swimsuit as she walked on the beach during a vacation in 2020. ‘GOOD morning, St Barth’s,’ wrote the New York native
Acclaimed actor Bruce Willis is “stepping away” from his career due to a recent diagnosis of aphasia, a language disorder that impacts a person’s ability to communicate, his family said Wednesday.
“To Bruce’s amazing supporters, as a family we wanted to share that our beloved Bruce has been experiencing some health issues and has recently been diagnosed with aphasia, which is impacting his cognitive abilities,” his family wrote in a post on his daughter Rumer’s Instagram account. “As a result of this and with much consideration Bruce is stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him.”
“This is a really challenging time for our family and we are so appreciative of your continued love, compassion and support,” his family added. “We are moving through this as a strong family unit, and wanted to bring his fans in because we know how much he means to you, as you do to him.”
The post was signed by Willis’ current wife, Emma Heming Willis, as well as former wife, actress Demi Moore, and his children Rumer, Scout, Tallulah, Mabel and Evelyn. Demi, Scout and Tallulah all posted the same message on their own Instagram pages.
According to Johns Hopkins University, aphasia is a language disorder that results from damage in the area of the brain that controls language expression and comprehension. The disorder “leaves a person unable to communicate effectively with others,” Johns Hopkins said.
Willis, 67, is best known for his starring role as New York City cop John McClane in the “Die Hard” films, though his acting career has spanned decades and included “Pulp Fiction,” “The Sixth Sense,” and the television series “Moonlighting.” He has won more than 20 awards, including a Golden Globe for “Moonlighting” and one Primetime Emmy each for “Moonlighting” and his appearance on “Friends,” according to his IMDB profile.
He was married to Moore for 13 years before their divorce in 2000, and had three children. He is now married to Willis, with whom he has two children.
Victoria Albert
Victoria Albert is a Sr. News Editor at CBS News. Reach her at victoria.albert@viacomcbs.com
