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Entertainment

Cindy Williams, ‘Laverne & Shirley’ star, dead at 75

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CNN
 — 

Cindy Williams, the dynamic actress known best for playing the bubbly Shirley Feeney on the beloved sitcom “Laverne & Shirley,” has died, according to a statement from her family, provided to CNN by a representative. She was 75.

Williams died after a short illness, said the statement from her children Zak and Emily Hudson, provided to CNN by family spokesperson and Williams’ personal assistant Liz Cranis.

“The passing of our kind, hilarious mother, Cindy Williams, has brought us insurmountable sadness that could never truly be expressed,” their statement read. “Knowing and loving her has been our joy and privilege. She was one of a kind, beautiful, generous and possessed a brilliant sense of humor and a glittering spirit that everyone loved.”

Williams had credits spanning six decades, but it was her role on “Happy Days” spin-off “Laverne & Shirley” that endeared her to millions and made her a household name.

On the series, she starred opposite the late Penny Marshall as one half of a dynamic friend duo whose adventures powered the show, which ran for eight seasons from 1976-1983.

Born in Van Nuys, California, Williams’ interest in acting throughout high school led her to studying theater at Los Angeles City College, according to a biography provided by her family. Some of Williams’ first professional acting credits include a three-episode arc on the 1969 series “Room 222” and appearances on other shows, like “Nanny and the Professor” and “Love, American Style,” in the early 1970’s.

Williams went on to become a prolific working television and film actor, appearing in dozens of titles. But it was after she first appeared as Shirley Feeney on “Happy Days” in 1975 that her career began to take shape.

The lighthearted “Laverne & Shirley” proved to be a ratings hit and earned six Golden Globe nominations, including two for best comedy series and one for Williams in the best actress in a comedy category.

Williams also appeared in several standout films. Most notably, she starred in George Lucas’ 1973 film “American Graffiti,” which earned Williams a British Academy Film Awards nomination for best supporting actress. The film, about a group of friends who spend one wild night together before leaving for college, went on to be nominated for five Oscars, including best picture, at the 1974 Academy Awards. Williams also had roles in acclaimed films “Travels with My Aunt” by George Cukor’ in 1972 and “The Conversation” from director Francis Ford Coppola in 1974.

Williams was also an accomplished stage actress, with a long list of credits. Last year, she took her one-woman show, “Me, Myself and Shirley,” where she shared stories from throughout her career, on a national tour. She had at least one series of dates scheduled for later this year.

Upon news of her passing, Williams’ friends and fans took to social media to honor the late actress, who left a legacy of laughter.

“Happy Days” star and film director Ron Howard tweeted that Williams’ “unpretentious intelligence, talent, wit & humanity impacted every character she created & person she worked with,” going on to say that the pair worked together on six different projects together. “Lucky me,” he added.

Henry Winkler, who played Fonzie on “Happy Days,” called Williams “a fine and talented human being” on Twitter.

“Oh how I loved Cindy Williams,” Yvette Nicole Brown, who worked with Williams in 2016 when she guest starred in an episode of CBS’s “The Odd Couple,” shared on Twitter. “She was as lovely as I always imagined she’d be.”

Actor Jason Alexander wrote on Twitter: “I did not know Cindy Williams but boy did I adore her work, especially the wacky joyful funny pleasure of watching her Laverne and Shirley days. I pray she had a good life and send my sympathy to those who knew and loved her.”

Williams’ children added in their statement that they were proud of their mother for many reasons – “her lifelong mission to rescue animals, her prolific artistry, her faith” among them – but “most of all, her ability to make the world laugh!”

“May that laughter continue in everyone, because she would want that,” the statement said. “Thank you for loving our Mom, she loved you too.”



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Entertainment

Annie Wersching, best known for role in ’24,’ dead at 45

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CNN
 — 

Actress Annie Wersching passed away of cancer early Sunday morning, her publicist, Craig Schneider told CNN. Wersching was 45 years old.

She was best known for playing FBI agent Renee Walker in the series “24.”

Wersching’s husband, Stephen Full, released a statement to CNN:

“There is a cavernous hole in the soul of this family today. But she left us the tools to fill it. She found wonder in the simplest moment. She didn’t require music to dance. She taught us not to wait for adventure to find you. ‘Go find it. It’s everywhere.’ And find it we shall,” he wrote.

Wersching also provided the voice for Tess in “The Last of Us” video game. Neil Druckmann, the creative director of new HBO Max series “The Last of Us” based on the game, tweeted on Wesching’s passing:

“Just found out my dear friend, Annie Wersching, passed away. We just lost a beautiful artist and human being. My heart is shattered. Thoughts are with her loved ones.”

(CNN and HBO Max are both part of the same parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery.)

A GoFundMe was set up by “Handmaid’s Tale” actress Ever Carradine in support of Annie’s children and husband “so they can continue to live life in a way that they know would make Annie proud.”

Wersching regularly appeared in television dramas throughout the aughts and into the 2010s. In 2007, she played Amelia Joffe on the long-running ABC soap “General Hospital.” Her breakout role came in 2008 when she portrayed FBI agent Renee Walker on the hit Fox show “24,” starring alongside Kiefer Sutherland throughout the seventh and eighth seasons.

Some of Wersching’s other notable TV credits include her role as the love interest of Harry Bosch (Titus Welliver) on Amazon Prime’s 2014 series “Bosch” and a recurring role as the villainous vampire Lily Salvatore on the CW’s “The Vampire Diaries.”

Portraying the Borg Queen in “Star Trek Picard” in 2022, Wersching frequently shared photos of herself from set in full costume accompanied by messages of gratitude for the makeup and prosthetics artists that transformed her into the intergalactic villain. Wersching’s role in “Star Trek Picard,” which airs on Paramount+, is listed as one of the actress’s last professional credits on IMDb.

Wersching’s husband concluded his statement with a touching memory on Sunday.

“As I drove our boys, the true loves of her life, down the winding driveway and street, she would yell BYE! until we were out of earshot and into the world. I can still hear it ringing. Bye my Buddie. ‘I love you little family…’”



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Entertainment

Razzies removes child star Ryan Kiera Armstrong from worst actress nominees

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CNN
 — 

The Razzies have apologized and removed child actor Ryan Kiera Armstrong from their annual list of nominees.

Armstrong had been nominated this week for worst actress for her performance in “Firestarter” by The Golden Raspberry Awards (the formal name for the Razzies), a satire of Hollywood award shows which bills itself as celebrating the best of the worst in cinema.

There was backlash given that Armstrong is only 12 years old.

“Sometimes, you do things without thinking, Then you are called out for it. Then you get it. It’s why the Razzies were created in the first place,” Razzies co-founder John B. Wilson said in a statement on Wednesday.

“The recent valid criticism of the choice of 11 year old (sic) Armstrong as a nominee for one of our awards brought our attention to how insensitive we’ve been in this instance,” the statement continued. “As a result, we have removed Armstrong’s name from the Final Ballot that our members will cast next month. We also believe a public apology is owed Ms. Armstrong, and wish to say we regret any hurt she experienced as a result of our choices.”

The Razzies will only nominate those who are 18 years old or older moving forward, according to the group.

“We have never intended to bury anyone’s career. It is why our Redeemer Award was created,” the statement said. “We all make mistakes, very much us included. Since our motto is ‘Own Your Bad,’ we realize that we ourselves must also live up to it.”

CNN has reached out to representatives for Armstrong for comment.

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World

‘Russia’s Rambo’ — once a Putin favorite — says he’d now fight for Ukraine and feels ‘nothing but hatred’ for his home country

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CNN
 — 

Russian actor Artur Smolyaninov was the star of one of President Vladimir Putin’s favorite films – about a Soviet unit making a last-ditch stand against Afghan insurgents. Now he is classified as a “foreign agent” and faces criminal investigation.

Smolyaninov was the hero of “Devyataya Rota” (The 9th Company), a Russian feature film that came out in 2005. He played the part of the last soldier standing during a battle in Afghanistan, which Soviet forces occupied for a decade. He was often described as Russia’s Rambo, a nod to the US action movies starring Sylvester Stallone.

Much has changed since then. Smolyaninov is in exile and in a recent interview said he was prepared to fight on Ukraine’s side and kill Russian soldiers. He told Novaya Gazeta last week: “I feel nothing but hatred to the people on the other (Russian) side of the frontline. And if I were there on the ground, there’d be no mercy.”

He said a former colleague had gone to fight on the Russian side. “Would I shoot him? Without any doubt! Do I keep my options to go fight for Ukraine open? Absolutely! This is the only way for me. And if I were to go to this war, I would only fight for Ukraine.”

A few days later, the Russian Ministry of Justice classified the actor as a foreign agent.

Alexander Bastrykin, the head of the Russia’s Investigative Committee, also ordered that a criminal case be opened against Smolyaninov.

Smolyaninov has been highly critical of the campaign in Ukraine. He recently recorded a Soviet-era song – Temnaya Noch (Dark Night) – with reworked lyrics.

It included the lines: “Take a look, occupier, How maternity homes are without power, How children sit in shelters. And how books are drowned. The Russian night Has reached schools and hospitals.”

Another verse referred to “a bunker, Where one Führer hides, And a bald little cook, Feeds the Fuhrer from a spoon.” The cook was a reference to Yevgeny Prigozhin, who runs the Wagner private military company and won catering contracts from the Kremlin.

When he first spoke out against the war last summer, Smolyaninov, who at the time he was in Russia, told an interviewer it was “a catastrophe, everything collapsed: ashes, smoke, stench, tears.”

Last October, a Moscow district court imposed a fine of 30,000 rubles (430 US dollars) against Smolyaninov on charges of discrediting the Russian armed forces. That same month, he left Russia and is thought to be in Latvia at present.

Smolyaninov recounted how he’d crossed the Russian border into Norway. “I crossed the border on foot… You just walk 30 meters and there are completely different people in front of you. They are so soft. Even the look is different.”

The film “Devyataya Rota” was so popular that Putin welcomed the actors and crew, including Smolyaninov to his residence outside Moscow in November 2005, where he put on a special showing of the movie.

The Kremlin said that after watching the film, Putin talked with director Fyodor Bondarchuk and the leading actors, including Smolyaninov.

Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported at the time that Putin declared that the film “takes the soul, you immerse yourself in the film.”

“The film is very strong, such a real serious thing about the war and people who found themselves in extreme conditions in this war and showed themselves very worthy,” Putin said at the time.

The Russian Justice Ministry has added a number of others to its list of foreign agents in recent days, including music critic Artemy Troitsky and several journalists.

“These people were put on the register under article 7 of Russian law on the control of the activities of persons under foreign influence,” according to Russian state news agency TASS.

It was also reported this weekend that two well-known theatrical actors had been fired from the Chekhov Moscow Art Theater for criticizing the war in Ukraine. Dmitry Nazarov and his wife Olga Vasilyeva were dismissed by the artistic director of the theater, Konstantin Khabensky, who accused the actors of “anti-Russian sentiments.”

The state news agency TASS confirmed the duo had been fired, without specifying a reason.

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Entertainment

Adam Rich, ‘Eight Is Enough’ actor, dead at 54

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CNN
 — 

Adam Rich, an actor who rose to fame as a child playing the youngest Bradford family member, Nicholas, on the TV drama “Eight Is Enough,” has died, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner.
He was 54.
Rich died Saturday at his home in LA, according to a report by TMZ, citing his family. They did not share a cause of death.

While Rich is best known role on “Eight Is Enough,” he also appeared on several TV shows and assorted TV movies throughout the late ’70s and ‘80s. Some of those credits include “Fantasy Island,” “CHiPs,” “Small Wonder,” and a voice role on the animated series “Dungeons & Dragons.”

Rich’s last TV credit was an episode in “Baywatch” in 1993, before stepping away from on-camera appearances for ten years.

He later played himself in the 2003 David Spade comedy “Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star,” and portrayed Crocodile Dundee in the TV series Reel Comedy that same year.

Rich faced legal troubles for alleged burglary in 1991. His TV dad from “Eight Is Enough,” actor Dick Van Patten, once paid his bail, according to a report from the Los Angeles Times.

As part of a satire on celebrity death, Rich participated in a 1996 hoax which falsely reported his passing, as written by “Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius” author Dave Eggers, for Might Magazine.

The former child star was featured in the CNN series “The History of the Sitcom” in 2021, and reflected on his career in a post on Instagram at the time.

“I’m grateful for the joy felt while working on 8!…,” Rich wrote. “I do hope it may have brought you some joy as well.”



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Entertainment

Jeremy Renner thanks his fans for their sympathies in his first social media post after snow plowing accident

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CNN
 — 

Actor Jeremy Renner thanked fans from his hospital bed Tuesday as he continued to recover from two surgeries following being injured by a snowplow machine in what officials described as “a tragic accident.”

“Thank you all for your kind words. Im too messed up now to type. But I send love to you all,” Renner wrote in a caption under a selfie photo showing him apparently in a hospital bed.

The “Hawkeye” actor was injured on New Year’s Day near his Nevada home while he was clearing snow from a private driveway to help family members leave his house after gathering for the holidays, according to his publicist, Samantha Mast.

“Jeremy is making positive progress and is awake, talking and in good spirits,” Mast said a statement released Tuesday evening. “He remains in ICU in critical but stable condition. He is overwhelmed by the showing of love and support. The family asks for your continued thoughts while he heals with his close loved ones.”

Renner, 51, was run over by his snowcat, an engine-powered machine used to clear snow, Washoe County Sheriff Darin Balaam said on Tuesday during a news conference.

At some point, the machine started to roll away while Renner was not in the driver’s seat, Balaam said. He was injured as he tried to get back into the machine, Balaam explained. Renner’s family members were with him when he was injured.

A Renner spokesperson previously told CNN that he sustained “blunt chest trauma and orthopedic injuries.” So far, the actor has undergone two surgeries related to the injuries, a source close to the actor told CNN.

Minutes before 9 a.m. on Sunday, authorities received word of the accident through a 911 call reporting a crash involving a snowcat and a pedestrian on Mount Rose Highway, Balaam said Tuesday.

Even though it was not snowing at that time, that highway was closed and at least a dozen cars were stranded due to the severe winter weather that was hitting the area, Balaam said.

Due to these conditions, a helicopter landed in the vicinity of the highway at 9:37 a.m., and Renner was taken to a Reno-area hospital at 9:56 a.m., Balaam said.

At the time of the injury, parts of western Nevada were blanketed with snow. The Reno area received between 6 and 12 inches of snow at elevations below 5,000 feet between New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, and up to 18 inches at higher elevations, according to the National Weather Service in Reno.

“He was being a great neighbor and he was plowing those roads for his neighbor,” Balaam said of Renner.

Authorities do not believe Renner was intoxicated during the incident, with Balaam calling it “a tragic accident.”

The Washoe County Sheriff’s Office has Renner’s taken the snowcat to analyze it to “rule out any potential mechanical failure,” which is a normal part of the investigation with this severity of injuries, Balaam said.

During an appearance on “CNN This Morning” Wednesday, Balaam said the actor is very active in the Reno community.

“He’s one of our honorary deputies here at the Sheriff’s Office,” Balaam said. “That’s one of the nonprofits [for] members in our community. And they help us do ‘Shop For The Sheriff,’ where they spend $50,000 and donate it and he’s one of those members. He does a lot for our community.”

“When I took office in 2019 he showed up for ‘Shop For The Sheriff’ and you should see the kids and the parents,” Balaam added. “He took the time out of his busy days to give autographs and shop with kids. He does a lot in the community and what I truly enjoy about Mr. Renner is a lot of times he does it and no one knows. He does it out of the kindness of his heart.”

A day after the accident, Renner’s family released a statement thanking hospital staff and first responders while the actor remained hospitalized.

“Jeremy’s family would like to express their gratitude to the incredible doctors and nurses looking after him, Truckee Meadows Fire and Rescue, Washoe County Sheriff, Reno City Mayor Hillary Schieve and the Carano and Murdock families,” a statement from his spokesperson read. “They are also tremendously overwhelmed and appreciative of the outpouring of love and support from his fans.”



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Entertainment

Jeremy Renner is in ICU recovering from 2 surgeries after being injured in snow plowing incident

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CNN
 — 

“Hawkeye” actor Jeremy Renner is recovering from surgery after suffering “blunt chest trauma and orthopedic injuries” in a New Year’s Day snow plowing accident in Nevada, a spokesperson for the actor said.

As of Monday evening, Renner was in the intensive care unit in “critical but stable condition,” the spokesperson said.

The 51-year-old actor has so far undergone two surgeries to address injuries he sustained in the accident, a source close to the actor previously told CNN.

Renner was hospitalized on Sunday after a “weather related accident” while plowing snow, his representative Sam Mast confirmed to CNN earlier on Monday.

The Washoe County Sheriff’s Office said its deputies responded to a “traumatic injury” involving Renner in the area of Mount Rose Highway in Reno.

Deputies found Renner injured and coordinated his transport to an area hospital, the Sheriff’s Office said in a news release, adding that the actor was the only person involved in the accident.

The Sheriff’s Office did not provide details on how the snow plow accident happened but said its Major Accident Investigation Team is looking into the circumstances of the incident.

At the time of the accident, parts of western Nevada were covered with snow. The Reno area received around 6-12 inches of snow at elevations below 5,000 feet between New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, and up to 18 inches at higher elevations, according to the National Weather Service in Reno.

Renner has shared multiple videos and photos on his verified social media accounts showing him in snowy conditions, including one Instagram video posted two weeks ago in which the actor appears to be driving a snowplow.

Renner’s family released a statement Monday evening thanking hospital staff and first responders as the actor remained hospitalized.

“Jeremy’s family would like to express their gratitude to the incredible doctors and nurses looking after him, Truckee Meadows Fire and Rescue, Washoe County Sheriff, Reno City Mayor Hillary Schieve and the Carano and Murdock families,” a statement from his spokesperson read. “They are also tremendously overwhelmed and appreciative of the outpouring of love and support from his fans.”

Renner stars in the Paramount+ series “Mayor of Kingstown” and is best known for his role as Hawkeye in several Marvel Cinematic Universe films.



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World

Taraneh Alidoosti: Iranian actress arrested after criticizing execution of protester

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CNN
 — 

One of Iran’s best-known actresses has been arrested days after she criticized the execution of a man who was involved in the nationwide protests that have swept the country since September.

Taraneh Alidoosti, who starred in the 2016 Oscar-winning film, “The Salesman,” had condemned the hanging of Mohsen Shekari, who was killed this month in the first known execution linked to the protests. Shekari was reportedly convicted of “waging war against God” for stabbing a member of the Basij paramilitary force at a protest in Tehran on September 23.

State media outlet Fars News Agency, which is affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards, said Alidoosti had been arrested because there was a “lack of evidence for her claims.”

Known as a feminist activist, Alidoosti last month published a picture of herself on Instagram without the Islamic hijab and holding a sign reading “Women, Life, Freedom” to show support for the protest movement.

After Shekari’s execution, she said in another post: “Your silence means supporting tyranny and tyrants,” adding that “every international organization who is watching this bloodshed and not taking action, is a disgrace to humanity.”

Her Instagram account has since been deleted.

Days after Shekari was hanged, a second execution took place on December 12. Majidreza Rahnavard was hanged in the northeastern city of Mashhad after he was accused of killing two paramilitary officers.

“Some celebrities make claims without evidence and publish provocations and have been thus arrested,” Far News Agency said in its report on Alidoosti.

Local rights group, Committee to Counter Violence Against Women in Iranian Cinema, said on Twitter that it wasn’t clear which government department had taken Alidoosti into custody.

Alidoosti, who has appeared in various popular Iranian TV shows, is known for her activism in the MeToo movement in Iran’s cinema industry.

Last month, she denied reports that she had left Iran, writing that she planned to stay in the country and stop working.

“I will stand by the families of prisoners and the killed and will demand justice for them. I will fight for my home and I will pay any cost to stand for my rights,” she wrote.

Several Iranians have been sentenced to death by execution during the nationwide protests, which were sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini after she was apprehended by the state’s morality police for allegedly not wearing her hijab properly.

Her death touched a nerve in the Islamic Republic, with prominent public figures coming out in support of the movement. The protests have since coalesced around a range of grievances with the authoritarian regime.

According to Amnesty International, as of November, Iranian authorities were seeking the death penalty for at least 21 people in connection with the protests.

At least 458 people have been killed in the unrest since September, according to Norway-based Iran Human Rights on Wednesday.

CNN cannot independently verify the number of people facing executions in Iran, or the latest arrest figures or death tolls related to the protests, as precise figures are impossible for anyone outside the Iranian government to confirm.

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Entertainment

Adam Scott, Naomi Campbell, Aubrey Plaza among the celebrities honoring this year’s CNN Heroes

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CNN
 — 

Celebrities and musicians are coming together tonight to honor everyday people making the world a better place.

CNN’s Anderson Cooper and ABC’s Kelly Ripa will co-host the 16th Annual “CNN Heroes All-Star Tribute,” premiering live at 8 p.m. ET. They will be joined by more than a dozen celebrities, including supermodel and activist Naomi Campbell and actors Adam Scott of “Severance,” Aubrey Plaza of “The White Lotus” and Tenoch Huerta of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” who will serve as award presenters.

The 2022 CNN Hero of the Year will be revealed during the live broadcast, selected by CNN’s audience from this year’s Top 10 CNN Heroes. All 10 honorees are awarded a $10,000 prize, and the Hero of the Year receives an additional $100,000 for their cause.

“We’re so deeply honored to be here,” said actress and singer Sofia Carson, who will be performing a song from award-winning songwriter Diane Warren at the event. “Diane wrote this incredible anthem ‘Applause’ for those leading, surviving and fighting and tonight we dedicate this song and performance to our heroes.”

Two teenagers who are making a difference in their communities will be honored as 2022 Young Wonders:

  • Sri Nihal Tammana, a 13-year-old from Edison, New Jersey, started “Recycle My Battery,” which keeps used batteries out of the ecosystem through a network of collection bins.

Here are three ways you can be a part of tonight’s CNN Heroes special:

Tune in to watch the two-hour televised event tonight at 8 p.m. ET on CNN, CNN International, CNN en Español or on CNNgo, the online streaming platform available on Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire, Chromecast, Samsung Smart TV and Android TV, and on CNN mobile apps.

CNN has partnered with GoFundMe to enable donations to this year’s Top 10 honorees. GoFundMe is the world’s largest fundraising platform that empowers people and charities to give and receive help. Supporters can make online donations to the Top 10 CNN Heroes’ non-profit organizations directly from CNNHeroes.com.

Do you know someone in your community doing amazing things to make the world a better place? Keep an eye on CNN.com/heroes and consider nominating that person as a CNN Hero in 2023. You can also read more about many of the 350 past CNN Heroes who have helped over 55 million people across all 50 US states and in more than 110 countries around the world.

This year, for the first time, CNN Heroes is collaborating with The Elevate Prize Foundation to provide additional prizes in the form of non-profit training, organizational support and grants to the 10 honorees. The CNN Hero of the Year will also be named an Elevate Prize winner and receive additional funding and ongoing support for their work.

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Entertainment

Irene Cara, ’80s pop star behind ‘Fame’ and ‘Flashdance’ theme songs, dies at 63

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CNN
 — 

Academy Award winner Irene Cara, best known for singing the theme songs for “Fame” and “Flashdance,” has died in her Florida home, according to a statement from her publicist made on behalf of the singer’s family. She was 63.

“This is the absolute worst part of being a publicist. I can’t believe I’ve had to write this, let alone release the news,” Judith Moose said in a tweet announcing the singer’s death. “Please share your thoughts and memories of Irene. I’ll be reading each and every one of them and know she’ll be smiling from Heaven. She adored her fans.”

Cara’s cause of death is unknown, according to Moose’s statement.

This story is developing.



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