
L.J. Smith, "The Vampire Diaries" Author, Dies at 66
Yara Sameh
L.J. Smith, the writer of 'The Vampire Diaries' books that was adapted into a popular television series on The CW, died March 8 at the age of 66.
Smith's sister Judy Clifford confirmed the death to
The New York Times
. Smith had a long bout with an autoimmune disease and died in Walnut Creek, Calif.
Smith was born September 4, 1958, as Lisa Jane Smith, in Florida and grew up in California.
She studied experimental psychology at the University of California, Santa Barbara and initially worked as a special education and kindergarten teacher.
The first novel Smith published was 'The Night of the Solstice,' a fantasy book that she had begun as a high school student.
It led to a deal with Alloy Entertainment to write 'The Vampire Diaries.' The series started with three books published in 1991, followed by the fourth in 1992.
The TV adaptation debuted in 2009 and continued until 2017.
Nina Dobrev starred as Elena Gilbert, who caught the eye of vampires Damon Salvatore (Ian Somerhalder) and Stefan Salvatore (Paul Wesley).
Although Smith had only received a small advance for the first few books in 'The Vampire Diaries' series, she had another deal with Alloy Entertainment in the 2000s to extend it with a trilogy addition.
She was dismissed in 2011, and the rest of the series was ghostwritten.
Smith later turned to writing fan fiction from the 'Vampire Diaries' world as a way to further what she'd previously built.
Divola told The New York Times that Smith was 'very hurt and indignant' when a ghostwriter took over the series.
Smith also penned the young adult series 'Dark Visions' and 'Night World' as well as 'The Secret Circle' (the basis of another but short-lived CW adaptation).
The writer also finished a novel called 'Lullaby' and two more 'Night World' books before her death.
Smith is survived by her partner, sister, nephew, niece and grandnephew.
read more
New Tourism Route To Launch in Old Cairo
Ahmed El Sakka-Led Play 'Sayidati Al Jamila' to Be Staged in KSA on Dec. 6
Mandy Moore Joins Season 2 of "Dr. Death" Anthology Series
Don't Miss These Movies at 44th Cairo Int'l Film Festival Today
Amr Diab to Headline KSA's MDLBEAST Soundstorm 2022 Festival
Arts & Culture
Mai Omar Stuns in Latest Instagram Photos
Arts & Culture
"The Flash" to End with Season 9
Arts & Culture
Ministry of Culture Organizes four day Children's Film Festival
Arts & Culture
Canadian PM wishes Muslims Eid-al-Adha
News
Egypt confirms denial of airspace access to US B-52 bombers
News
Ayat Khaddoura's Final Video Captures Bombardment of Beit Lahia
News
Australia Fines Telegram $600,000 Over Terrorism, Child Abuse Content
Lifestyle
Pistachio and Raspberry Cheesecake Domes Recipe
Videos & Features
Bouchra Dahlab Crowned Miss Arab World 2025 .. Reem Ganzoury Wins Miss Arab Africa Title (VIDEO)
News
Ireland Replaces Former Israeli Embassy with Palestinian Museum
News
Israeli PM Diagnosed with Stage 3 Prostate Cancer
Arts & Culture
Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban's $4.7M LA Home Burglarized
Lifestyle
Maguy Farah Reveals 2025 Expectations for Pisces
News
Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly Inaugurates Two Indian Companies
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


See - Sada Elbalad
14 hours ago
- See - Sada Elbalad
Blake Lively Breaks Silence on Justin Baldoni's $400 Million Lawsuit Dismissal
Yara Sameh Blake Lively is addressing her latest legal win against "It Ends with Us" co-star and director Justin Baldoni. A judge on Monday dismissed Baldoni's $400 million defamation lawsuit against Lively and Ryan Reynolds, the couple's publicist Leslie Sloane and The New York Times. Hours after U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman in Manhattan dismissed the countersuit, the Gossip Girl alum spoke out about the decision on social media. 'Like so many others, I've felt the pain of a retaliatory lawsuit, including the manufactured shame that tries to break us,' she wrote in a post on her Instagram Stories on Monday. 'While the suit against me was defeated, so many don't have the resources to fight back.' The "Simple Favor" actress went on to say she is 'more resolved than ever' to 'stand for every woman's right to have a voice in protecting themselves' before sharing a list of organizations dedicated to causes including women's rights, domestic violence and employment law. 'With love and gratitude for the many who stood by me,' she concluded the post. 'Many of you I know. Many of you I don't. But I will never stop appreciating or advocating for you.' In his countersuit, Baldoni alleged that Lively 'stole' the 2024 film from him and his Wayfarer Studios production company and threatened to 'attack' him in the press if her demands were not met. However, Liman ruled that the Wayfarer Parties have not adequately alleged that Lively's threats were wrongful extortion rather than legally permissible hard bargaining or renegotiation of working conditions. Baldoni's legal action also claimed that Lively, Reynolds and Sloane worked with The New York Times to 'spread a false narrative that Baldoni committed sexual misconduct towards Lively,' partly through the publication of an article in the Times in December. But in his dismissal, Liman explained that 'the Wayfarer Parties have not alleged that Reynolds, Sloane, or the Times would have seriously doubted these statements were true based on the information available to them, as is required for them to be liable for defamation under applicable law.' A separate $250 million lawsuit filed by Baldoni against the Times was also dismissed. Liman's dismissal gave Baldoni's team a June 23 deadline to file an amended complaint. read more New Tourism Route To Launch in Old Cairo Ahmed El Sakka-Led Play 'Sayidati Al Jamila' to Be Staged in KSA on Dec. 6 Mandy Moore Joins Season 2 of "Dr. Death" Anthology Series Don't Miss These Movies at 44th Cairo Int'l Film Festival Today Amr Diab to Headline KSA's MDLBEAST Soundstorm 2022 Festival Arts & Culture Mai Omar Stuns in Latest Instagram Photos Arts & Culture "The Flash" to End with Season 9 Arts & Culture Ministry of Culture Organizes four day Children's Film Festival Arts & Culture Canadian PM wishes Muslims Eid-al-Adha News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier Sports Former Al Zamalek Player Ibrahim Shika Passes away after Long Battle with Cancer Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt News Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly Inaugurates Two Indian Companies Business Fear & Greed Index Plummets to Lowest Level Ever Recorded amid Global Trade War Arts & Culture Zahi Hawass: Claims of Columns Beneath the Pyramid of Khafre Are Lies News Flights suspended at Port Sudan Airport after Drone Attacks News Shell Unveils Cost-Cutting, LNG Growth Plan Videos & Features Video: Trending Lifestyle TikToker Valeria Márquez Shot Dead during Live Stream Technology 50-Year Soviet Spacecraft 'Kosmos 482' Crashes into Indian Ocean


See - Sada Elbalad
15 hours ago
- See - Sada Elbalad
Judge Dismisses Justin Baldoni's $400M lawsuit against Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds
Yara Sameh A judge on Monday dismissed Justin Baldoni's $400 million defamation lawsuit against Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, finding that her accusations of sexual harassment were legally protected and therefore immune from suit. U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman in Manhattan dismissed Baldoni's entire lawsuit — which also alleged extortion and other claims — but allowed him to amend and refile a couple of allegations regarding interference with contracts. 'Today's opinion is a total victory and a complete vindication for Blake Lively, along with those that Justin Baldoni and the Wayfarer Parties dragged into their retaliatory lawsuit, including Ryan Reynolds, Leslie Sloane and The New York Times,' Lively's lawyers said in a statement. 'As we have said from day one, this '$400 million' lawsuit was a sham, and the Court saw right through it. We look forward to the next round, which is seeking attorneys' fees, treble damages and punitive damages against Baldoni, Sarowitz, Nathan, and the other Wayfarer Parties who perpetrated this abusive litigation.' Lively has sued Baldoni in federal court for sexual harassment and retaliation, alleging that he and the producers of the 2024 movie "It Ends with Us" launched a smear campaign against her after she complained about conditions on the set of the film. In response, Baldoni retaliated with the defamation claim against the New York Times, Lively, Reynolds, and their publicist, alleging that they had conspired to destroy his career with false allegations. Baldoni said Lively tried to hijack "It Ends with Us," which he directed and whose themes included domestic violence, and then blamed him when her "disastrous" promotional approach prompted an online backlash against her. In turn, Lively had called Baldoni's lawsuit a "vengeful" attempt to weaponize the federal courts and pursue a "sinister campaign to bury and destroy" her for speaking out. The Times, meanwhile, said it shouldn't be punished merely for newsgathering, and said a statement in the article that Baldoni led a "smear campaign" in retaliation for Lively's complaints was "protected opinion". In his ruling on Monday, Liman found that the initial claims — first made in a complaint to the California Civil Rights Department and shared with the Times — were shielded by the litigation privilege, which immunizes legal claims from defamation actions. The Times' reporting on the claims was also protected under the 'fair report' privilege, which allows media outlets to cover legal proceedings without incurring defamation liability. 'We are grateful to the court for seeing the lawsuit against The New York Times for what it was: a meritless attempt to stifle honest reporting,' a Times spokesperson said in a statement. 'Our journalists went out and covered carefully and fairly a story of public importance, and the court recognized that the law is designed to protect just that sort of journalism. We will continue to stand up in court for our journalism and for our journalists when their work comes under attack.' Reynolds, Lively's husband, was accused in the suit of defaming Baldoni by calling him a 'sexual predator.' The judge found that Reynolds was relying on Lively's version of events, which he had no reason to doubt. He also found that Leslie Sloane, Lively's publicist, did not defame Baldoni in her dealings with the Daily Mail, finding that Sloane likewise relied on Lively's account. A trial on Lively's complaint against Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios is set for March 2026. read more New Tourism Route To Launch in Old Cairo Ahmed El Sakka-Led Play 'Sayidati Al Jamila' to Be Staged in KSA on Dec. 6 Mandy Moore Joins Season 2 of "Dr. Death" Anthology Series Don't Miss These Movies at 44th Cairo Int'l Film Festival Today Amr Diab to Headline KSA's MDLBEAST Soundstorm 2022 Festival Arts & Culture Mai Omar Stuns in Latest Instagram Photos Arts & Culture "The Flash" to End with Season 9 Arts & Culture Ministry of Culture Organizes four day Children's Film Festival Arts & Culture Canadian PM wishes Muslims Eid-al-Adha News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier Sports Former Al Zamalek Player Ibrahim Shika Passes away after Long Battle with Cancer Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt News Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly Inaugurates Two Indian Companies Business Fear & Greed Index Plummets to Lowest Level Ever Recorded amid Global Trade War Arts & Culture Zahi Hawass: Claims of Columns Beneath the Pyramid of Khafre Are Lies News Flights suspended at Port Sudan Airport after Drone Attacks News Shell Unveils Cost-Cutting, LNG Growth Plan Videos & Features Video: Trending Lifestyle TikToker Valeria Márquez Shot Dead during Live Stream Technology 50-Year Soviet Spacecraft 'Kosmos 482' Crashes into Indian Ocean


Al-Ahram Weekly
3 days ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
The moral high ground
A few months into the war on Gaza, following the 7 October attacks, I found myself like everyone else, glued to the news around the clock, watching non-stop the horror coming out of Gaza. One night, as the Israeli forces started to bomb Al-Shefa Hospital – a spot I was familiar with, having developed a bond with the reporter who broadcast from there – I realised that reporter was no longer there. He was not even mentioned. That night was particularly heartbreaking for me. I felt pressure in my head, as if it might literally explode. Waves of anxiety surged through me, along with terrible thoughts, and I had to turn off the television and wander around my house at 2:00am, desperately trying to shift my focus. I remembered that night as I watched the Palestinian documentary A State of Passion – directed by Carol Mansour, a Lebanese-Canadian filmmaker with Palestinian ancestry, and Muna Khalidi, who has a very close friendship with Abu-Sittah – which follows the renowned Palestinian-British plastic and reconstructive surgeon Ghassan Abu-Sittah when he volunteered to enter Gaza for the sixth time at a time of conflict only to realise that this time it was full-scale genocide. He had never performed this number of amputations on children ever in his life, as he said at one of the most moving moments. At this point, when the film was recently screened at Zawya in the lineup of the Between Women Filmmakers Caravan – an independent initiative organised by a group of female filmmakers and film curators – the Gaza war was already one year and eight months old. Still, I'd missed the first screening of the film, which made its world premiere at the Cairo International Film Festival, receiving three awards: the top award of the Horizons of Arab Cinema section, the Saadeddin Wahba Award for Best Arabic Film, and the second prize for Best Palestinian Film as well as a Special Mention for Abu-Sittah. After 43 days in Gaza, Abu-Sittah jumped on a plane to Amman to spend 24 hours with Mansour and Khalidi, who had called to request the meeting. As they stated in an online interview with the audience after the screening, the phone call that appears in the film is the real phone call. In Amman, the camera captures the emotions involved in the meeting, which also involves an old friend of Abu-Sittah's and his proud mother, whose favourite son he was, according to the two filmmakers. Mansour and Khalidi accompany Abu-Sittah on a quick visit to Kuwait, where he was raised and where he reminisces about his father, also a doctor, in front of said father's former clinic. Abu-Sittah was born in Kuwait to a Palestinian father and a Lebanese mother. His father's family originated in Maain Abu-Sittah in the southeast of Gaza, which they were forced to flee when the Zionists attacked during the Nakba. They moved to Kuwait and later to the United Kingdom in the 1980s and Abu-Sittah eventually realised his father's dream by studying medicine at Glasgow University. The documentary includes some harsh photos of children undergoing surgical procedures, especially when Abu-Sittah is trying to prove that Israel used white phosphorus in their military operations, but such graphic imagery was limited, reflecting the filmmakers' decision to give only a small taste of the horror after they were faced with the predicament of whether and how much to show. Abu-Sittah recalls performing amputations on six children in a single day, and when he elaborates on how complicated the situation is there, he explains that health procedures are based on people directing you to save the life of the only living member of the family or whether a doctor can just clean up a wound that will keep someone alive for a day so as to save a few other lives that require urgent attention. Abu-Sittah made his way to Gaza to treat patients all the way through Rafah many times; his first medical visit to Gaza was during the first Intifada in 1987. He was back during the second Intifada in 2000 and then in the wars of 2009, 2012, 2014, 2021 and finally 2023. Mansour alone accompanies Abu-Sittah to London where he lives with his family: his wife Dima and three sons. Khalidi couldn't go due to complications with her visa. And this is where the documentary becomes a more personal exploration of Abu-Sittah's extraordinary character. When he's not working, he is with his family, a dedicated husband and father whose presence is a delight to them. He is seen ironing his sons' school uniforms and putting together their lunch boxes in the morning. There is a sequence in the 90-minute documentary when we hear the exchange of voice messages between him and his three sons. It is touching how he says good morning to each of them in spite of the horrors he is enduring so many miles away. Dima and Abu-Sittah have a sweet relationship with the Palestinian cause at its core. Dima explains how she took the children to Gaza, showing them every corner of it with a strange presentiment that it might not survive. They went to the beach and visited all the landmarks. Her presentiment was right: they returned on 7 September, exactly a month before the horrific incidents began. When Dima and Abu Sittah were in Gaza, they took along Dima's mother, who needed medical attention in London while her father remained alone, an old man tired of being repeatedly displaced, refusing to leave his house. The mother could not return to Gaza but she has been living in Egypt: she was even present at the screening of the film. When Dima spoke of Palestinian resilience, it rang true in a way it usually doesn't. 'If he hadn't gone to Gaza, I wouldn't have known how to maintain my respect for him,' she also said of Abu-Sittah, who, for his part, said they were both so clear about his need to be there, the decision didn't even have to be discussed. * A version of this article appears in print in the 5 June, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link: