CHRISTOPHER STEVENS reviews last night's TV: Hollywood starlet's legacy of sadness, regret... and one final shocking twist
Most people, if they recognise her at all today, know Jayne only from a single photograph, as the blonde in the low-cut dress, under the withering sidelong gaze of a contemptuous Sophia Loren.
My Mom Jayne, a biographical portrait by her daughter Mariska Hargitay, with the help of her numerous half-siblings, was a reminder that, for a few years around 1960, the starlet was a mega-celebrity — bringing up her family in a pink Beverly Hills mansion with its own zoo and jungle in the grounds.
Today, there's literally nothing left of her fame. Mariska's two-hour film opened amid bulldozed rubble. The house, sold to pay Jayne's debts after her death aged 34 in 1967, has been demolished. Even the heart-shaped swimming pool is gone.
Her second husband, Mickey, a Hungarian circus performer and bodybuilder, adored her. But she carved a trail of wreckage through the lives of everyone she loved, and the predominant mood of the recollections was not of celebration but of sadness, regret and loss.
Three of her children — including Mariska, who was fortunately too young to remember it — were in the back seat of Jayne's car when she was killed in a head-on collision with a truck. Her latest boyfriend, the lawyer who handled her third divorce, died with her.
Mariska, herself a successful actress and star of the long-running Law And Order: Special Victims Unit crime serial, insisted she'd spent her life avoiding lurid gossip about her mother's life. But Jayne was addicted to the lurid, revelling in it.
As a 21-year-old hopeful in Hollywood, she realised her dreams of serious acting were holding her back when she auditioned as Joan of Arc for the head of casting at Paramount Studios.
Mariska Hargitay at the 'My Mom Jayne: A Film By Mariska Hargitay' premiere during the 2025 Tribeca Festival at Carnegie Hall last month in New York City
'He just seemed to think that I was wasting my 'obvious talents',' she giggled, and soon she was posing topless for Playboy.
Success did come, with a Broadway stage role and a couple of hit movies. But when her career hit the skids, she was willing to do anything to stay in the public eye — including nude scenes and seedy nightclub shows.
This two-hour biography didn't attempt to analyse why Jayne so craved attention. Her father died when she was three, which helps to explain why she first married at 17, but patently she was trying to fill a deeper void.
In the final half-hour, the film took a shocking twist as Mariska revealed that Mickey Hargitay wasn't her biological father. In fact, she was born after Jayne's brief fling with a Vegas crooner, Nelson Sardelli.
Mariska confronted her mother's former press secretary, 99-year-old Rusty Strait, implying he has exploited her memory. But surely Jayne wouldn't have it any other way.
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The Sun
a minute ago
- The Sun
Chris Pratt dragged into Katy Perry's bitter legal row after he rented $15m home she forced bedridden veteran, 85, from
CHRIS Pratt could be dragged into Katy Perry's ugly legal battle to prise $6 million from an 85-year-old disabled veteran she evicted from his home. The Guardians of the Galaxy star and his wife Katherine Schwarzenegger are renting the $15 million house previously owned by Carl Westcott who is bedridden in a hospice. 8 8 8 8 Westcott's family is outraged the popstar is suing the ailing man - who receives 24/7 care - for $6 million to cover back rent and alleged damages. Entrepreneur Westcott, a US Army veteran and founder of 1-800 Flowers - sold his Montecito mansion to Perry for $15 million in July 2020. Westcott had signed the property deal with Perry and Orlando Bloom's business manager, Bernie Gudvi, after initially agreeing to sell his 8.9-acre estate to the Firework singer. Gudvi accepted Westcott's counteroffer to increase the price from $13.5 million to $15 million, according to court documents. But just one month later, Westcott filed a lawsuit against Gudvi, alleging he was heavily medicated and not of sound mind when he contracted with Perry for the sale. He maintained that the contract was thus "void" on the grounds of his mental incapacity when he signed it. Westcott has been bedridden for nearly two years as he suffers from Huntington's disease, a brutal condition that stops parts of the brain working properly over time. However, the pop star's legal team successfully countered his challenge in court, and keys were exchanged in 2024, meaning that Westcott had to move out. The judge said Westcott presented no persuasive evidence that he lacked capacity to enter into a real estate contract between June 10, 2020, and June 18, 2020, the days during which he negotiated and signed the contract. His angry son, Chart, told The U.S. Sun in February that Perry was "a rich pop star who can buy any other house in the world... she has no empathy... it's unforgivable." Katy Perry and Justin Trudeau Spark Romance Rumors with Surprise Dinner in Montreal After her successful verdict, Perry then lodged a damages claim for $6 million against the elderly man - phase two of the legal action. According to court documents, the star's team is seeking compensation for alleged lost rental value, deferred maintenance, repairs for water damage and a fallen tree. Perry has paid $9 million so far for the $15 million property, which dates back to the 1920s/'30s, and is comprised of a large main house, three-bedroom guest house, one-bedroom pool house, gym building, and equipment building, per court filings. The Perry V Westcott case is heading back to court this month for the penalty phase, with his lawyers claiming in filings that her "16 witnesses have failed to produce any construction or repair contracts between Perry and any general contractor." The U.S. Sun understands that recovery of such costs is normal in civil litigation. RENTED OUT A source has told The U.S. Sun that the luxury house is currently being rented by Jurassic World star Chris Pratt, 46, and Katherine Schwarzenegger, 35. She is an American author and the eldest daughter of legendary Terminator star Arnold Schwarzenegger and NBC broadcast journalist Maria Shriver, who is also a member of the famous Kennedy family. The source added that, ironically, "Shriver initially put in a bid for the same house in 2020." Westcott's attorney returned to court last Tuesday ahead of a "likely attempt to subpoena Pratt because he is a material witness," she said. "For example, to establish when he started renting? He is living in a property that is wrapped up in a legal battle." The star is likely to be asked to testify - "Katy has already been mandated to do so," the source said. She added that Westcott's team "want to know how much Pratt is renting the house for. "Perry has claimed millions of dollars in damages, and claimed that it's not liveable - it's clearly liveable because an A-list actor is renting it." PRATT TESTIMONY Pratt's name was mentioned several times in court filings by Westcott's legal team last Friday in documents submitted to the Superior Court of the State of California. Before Perry's damages claim goes to trial, Westcott's attorneys have asked Judge Lipner to consider a "status report of issues to be resolved." Their August 1 document claimed: "Now, just before the Phase 2 trial, there is new, never-before disclosed evidence that Perry has rented out the Westcott property to the actor Chris Pratt and his wife. "Per a recent Daily Mail online newspaper article... 'sources close to Perry' say she rented the house to actor Chris Pratt." In their filings, the judge was asked to issue a pre-trial order to "allow Westcott's repair expert Steve Norris to do a short three-hour house re-inspection of the property... so he can see what repairs were done and opine as to their reasonable value." His attorneys also asked the judge to "allow Westcott to take several re-depositions limited to 3 hours each of the following persons: Perry and Gudvi... Chris Pratt (the tenant at the property, concerning its condition or problems and the terms of his lease agreement with Perry), and Orlando Bloom, Perry's boyfriend and father of her child, whose deposition testimony showed would personally be in charge of repairs." They alleged, "Now that we know Perry just rented out the house to a famous actor, conducting a trial on the real merits... means that this court's discretion should be exercised to allow the few and very short depositions requested and to allow Mr. Norris to spend 3 hours re-inspecting the property. "Another reason for allowing the short and few depositions is to allow Westcott and this court to know who owns the house after the recent split between Perry and her boyfriend Orlando Bloom." Their filings also alleged, "The current issues were caused by Perry/Gudvi waiting until after the September 2024 discovery cutoff to perform repairs, unless they did no repairs yet were still able to rent out the house as-is to Chris Pratt, which would tend to show the alleged repairs were exaggerated to drum up damages. "Either way, Perry's conduct is unfair and without the requested house inspection and short depositions requested by Westcott deprives him of a trial on the real merits." PERRY TO TESTIFY The source told The U.S. Sun today, "Judge Lipner confirmed that Katy will have to testify for at least an hour or more to the damages claim." Timeline of Katy Perry's mansion battle against veteran Carl Westcott July 2020: Entrepreneur Carl Westcott, US Army veteran and founder of 1-800 Flowers - sold his Montecito mansion to Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom for $15 million. Westcott had bought it only two months earlier for about $11.25 million. August 2020: Westcott filed a lawsuit against Perry and Bloom's business manager, Bernie Gudvi, alleging he was heavily medicated and not of sound mind when he contracted with Perry for the sale. The pop star's legal team countered and alleged that Westcott, who has Huntington's disease, had changed his mind on the sale, and the contract should be upheld. December 2023: A judge ruled in favor of Perry, and upheld the original sales contract. A Los Angeles judge ruled that Westcott failed to prove incapacity, finding him of sound mind during the sale negotiations. March 2024: The keys were exchanged. On May 17, 2024, Perry officially took legal ownership after the deed was recorded. 2024-2025: Phase two of the legal action - after the successful verdict, Perry lodged a damages claim for $6 million against Westcott, who is bedridden and currently receiving 24/7 care. This claim has yet to go before court. August 2025: Damage claims and ongoing litigation - Perry has paid $9 million so far for the luxury property and is now seeking $6 million in damages, citing structural defects, deferred maintenance, and lost rental income. TRIAL IN AUGUST The latest legal request follows filings submitted by Westcott's legal team, lodged in the Superior Court early July, and which outlined a further motion in the case. The July documents show that Westcott asked the court to "exclude any and all evidence, references to evidence, exhibits, testimony or argument relating to claims for alleged damages concerning repairs allegedly needed at Mr. Westcott's former home located at... Santa Barbara, California, as of May 17, 2024." Westcott's legal team explained in these earlier filings that escrow closed on May 17, 2024, and that Perry "must testify" in the penalty phase. "Since Gudvi had signed the contract in his capacity as the agent of the singer Katy Perry, the court ruled that Perry is the real-party-in-interest as to the damages being sought in the Phase 2 trial and that she must testify during the trial." Who is Carl Westcott? Katy Perry is suing the bedridden and ailing veteran, 85, who has a neurological disorder Carl Westcott was born in 1939 at the charity hospital in Vicksburg, Mississippi. Westcott and his five sisters lived in a house without indoor plumbing. When Westcott was six, his father - who drove a logging truck - left and never returned. His mother became a nurse's aide, earning just $5 per eight-hour shift. When he was five, Westcott sold papers in front of the Vicksburg Hotel, as well as chewing gum - he also shined shoes. "By the time I was eight, I was making more money than my mother." The judge ruled that the boy should go to Columbia Training School, a state institution, until the situation improved at home. When Westcott was 16, he asked his mother to change his birth date in the family Bible to prove he was old enough to join the U.S. Army. He became a paratrooper and was honorably discharged as a corporal After becoming a successful car salesman, he joined Sopp Chevrolet as the dealership's general manager. In 1983, Westcott bought the NBC television affiliate in Tyler, Texas. His firm, Westcott Communications, became a pioneer in producing training programs in 18 fields such as automobile dealership management, certified public accountants, and law enforcement personnel. The company went public in 1989, and Westcott sold it in 1996. He said that, throughout his lengthy life, he has treated others with respect and dignity. Source: Horatio Algar Association of Distinguished Americans - Westcott was an award recipient in 2003 The documents also said that the property title, "was vested in the name of an entity supposedly owned by Perry called DDoveB LLC, a California limited liability company, formed on April 9, 2024. "The name of the LLC closely resembles the name Perry's daughter, Daisy Dove Bloom, the child of Perry and her long-time actor boyfriend, Mr. Orlando Bloom. "Westcott's counsel has repeatedly asked Perry's counsel who owns the LLC that owns the house? "This court has always been told that Gudvi is Perry's manager and agent, and at her deposition before Phase 1 Perry testified the house was to be owned by her and she was buying it to live in, and not to rent." QUESTIONS OVER REPAIRS Westcott's legal team claimed in the July court document that under the terms of the house sale contract, it stated the home was being sold "in its present physical condition" and that the singer "had the right to perform inspections" prior to escrow being closed. They alleged that "Perry's lawyers did not even produce a written schedule showing each alleged item of repair and the cost Perry is seeking for each allegedly defective condition." His lawyers also claimed in the documents that "newspapers reported that Perry had just rented the house to the actor Chris Pratt, whose wife is the daughter of Maria Shriver, whom the court will recall from the Phase 1 testimony was bidding against Perry to buy the property in 2020." This revelation prompted Westcott's team to "immediately contact Perry's counsel" and ask for further details about her current rental agreement with Pratt, per the document. His lawyers also requested an "expert" to visit the property to "visualize any repairs." 8 8 The document added, "Given that many of her prior 'estimates' totaling $2.29 million pertained to habitability items, it defies logic and common sense that she was able to rent the house to a famous actor. "Perry's counsel flatly refused in a series of approximately half a dozen meet and confer emails to even disclose if repairs had been done." FAMILY HOME The Daily Mail reported in June that the singer had rented out the property to Pratt. A source told the paper, "The arrangement suits Chris, but it's a bit of a surprise given how Katy fought tooth and nail to get her hands on the house. "She previously suggested it was the ideal place for her and Orlando to raise a family. "After all that time, energy, and money, it seems unthinkable that they are not going to live in it." The U.S. Sun has contacted representatives for Pratt, Perry and Bloom for comment on the latest developments in the bitter case. STRUGGLE Westcott had intended to live in his home for the remainder of his life, according to his angry family. His son, Chart, ranted on X last November, 'My family has been in a struggle against… Katy Perry and now Orlando Bloom to defend the honor of my father, Carl Westcott, who is dying from Huntington's Disease. 'He is a US Army Veteran and winner of the Horatio Alger US award (an honor he shares with Clarence Thomas, Buzz Aldrin, and Donald Trump's father Fred Trump). 'Celebrity privilege, much like political lawfare, must end. We cannot afford any two tier justice in America.' The Horatio Alger Award is given to exceptional leaders who 'personify the American Dream' and have triumphed over adversity to achieve greatness. The latest revelations come as photos showed Justin Trudeau and Perry enjoying a night out in Canada after the singer split with Bloom earlier this year. 8 8
The Independent
30 minutes ago
- The Independent
‘Weapons' spins small town into chaos that mirrors real life, humor and all
If there's one thing Zach Cregger learned while writing and directing his upcoming horror movie 'Weapons,' it's that the best laughs won't come from the jokes he writes. The film follows Cregger's 2022 solo directorial debut ' Barbarians,' the widely celebrated genre-bending horror. This time, the young director bends even more, spinning a town into chaos when all children but one from the same classroom mysteriously vanish, leaving a trail of questions in their place. The Warner Bros. release hits theaters Friday and is as creepy as it is hilarious — a delicate balance that required Cregger to strip any intentionality behind his humor, he told The Associated Press. 'If the humor is coming from an authentic reaction that a character's having, then it works,' Cregger said. 'There's a lot of jokes that didn't make it into the movie that I thought were going to be so funny. And then we did a test screening, and nobody laughed and I'm like, OK, it's gotta go.' Paranoia runs deep in the film. The town's heartbroken parents are represented by Josh Brolin's character, Archer, whose son was among the missing. The students' teacher, played by Julia Garner, is determined to solve the mystery, despite parents blaming her for the disappearances. The humor here comes naturally, Cregger said, as characters navigate the absurd events happening around them. 'You're not playing for the laugh, otherwise you lose the laugh,' said Brolin, whose character stumbles through his grief, a state ripe for what he called genuine and 'embarrassingly funny' moments. Maybrook's unrest puts a mirror up to society If 17 kids up and ran out of their homes at 2:17 a.m. one morning with no trace, what would a community do? That question drove 'Weapons,' painting a picture of a town left reeling by the mystery. The film setting — the fictional small town of Maybrook, Illinois — is just as integral to the plot as any of its main characters. The town feels hyper realistic, a core tenet to the movie's ability to blend humor and horror, two genres that Garner said are 'opposite side of the same coin.' 'It's funny because this isn't even like a proper horror film,' Garner said. 'It has comedic elements and has horror elements, but it's kind of its own genre, in a way.' The town's reactions to tragedy and shock was intentionally meant to feel oddly realistic, Cregger said. Parents are outraged, storming into town halls and angrily demanding answers from the police, the school and, most pointedly, the students' teacher. Yet, when Garner's character is attacked in broad daylight, bystanders and store owners hardly bat an eye, a level of indifference that Cregger said is just as realistic as the parental outrage. 'We definitely have a, 'Whoa, not my problem,' kind of a thing when chaos is occurring, because we see it so much on TV that I think we're able to just kind of tune it out, even when it's happening in front of us,' Cregger said. 'Living in America, I've seen crazy things happen with my own eyes right in front of me, and I've just kept walking for better or worse, so I don't know, it feels real.' 'Weapons' relies on imperfect characters Brolin — who's found wide-reaching success across Hollywood, from the 1985 classic, 'The Goonies,' to the Marvel universe — initially hesitated when approached for the film. As a father of four, facing his worst nightmare — losing his children — was 'not something I want to show up to work for,' he said. But 'Weapons' lends the characters a layer of depth that allowed horror, a genre he said is typically treated as cosmetic, to suddenly have 'depth, and humor and absurdity,' which, coupled with his own adult daughter's love of 'Barbarian,' was enough to convince him to sign on. The movie subtly mocks suburban life, as goriness and horror occur under the sights of nosy neighbors, corrupt police departments and struggling relationships. Each character that drives the plot forward is just as flawed as they are victims of tragedy. Gandy, the schoolteacher, is harassed by parents for her missing students, but is secretly battling alcoholism. Archer, the heartbroken father, is failing in his job and his marriage as he navigates his son's absence. Paul Morgan, played by Alden Ehrenreich, is a local beat police officer with secrets of his own. 'Every character is perceived in a certain way and then every character breaks,' Brolin said. 'It all comes down to this very base thing: What if you lost the thing that you value the most? How do you deal?' For Ehrenreich, who's found success in dramas, notably as a young Han Solo, 'Weapons' offered a different pace, but its horror wasn't what drew him in. Rather, he was captivated by the film's depth and weirdness. 'The weird resonance, the weird opening voice-over, the way it was written and the kind of emotional brokenness of these characters and the depth that I felt was in the writing, that was as deep as any drama I've read in years,' Ehrenreich said.
Daily Mail
31 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Denise Richards steps out with 'black eye' days after cop confrontation at ex Aaron Phypers' home
Denise Richards sparked concern as she stepped out with an apparent black eye this week just days after getting confronted by cops at her ex Aaron Phypers' home. The 54-year-old actress, whose split from Phypers, 52, was revealed last month, was granted a temporary restraining order against Phypers on July 16, after accusing him of years of physical and emotional abuse - which he has denied. However Richards was seen arriving at Phypers' Calabasas home on Sunday before police were called. Amid the drama in her personal life, Richards stepped out in Calabasas on Tuesday with a large dark shadow around her right eye and a dark mark below her chin. The make-up free star looked somber as she strolled with sources telling TMZ her apparent bruises were 'just lighting and shadow'. They added she also underwent microneedling and a PRP injection. Daily Mail has contacted representatives for Denise Richards for comment and has yet to hear back. Sources told TMZ Richards arrived 'unannounced' at Phypers' home last week and 'started banging on a back door, demanding to be let inside.' Phypers saw this and immediately left due to concern over the restraining order. Phypers' parents let Richards inside and it was claimed she 'barged in, demanded the dog' and 'screamed at his parents that they needed to get out of the house, putting her finger in their faces.' The publication claims she allegedly began 'swinging' at Phypers' brother Brett and 'throwing mail at him.' Brett was later pictured standing by Richards' parked Corvette as they waited for police. Richards was seen being questioned by three Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputies outside the home, with police concluding 'there was no crime committed and no arrests were made.' A distraught Phypers was seen consoling his 'terrified and shaken up' mom after Richards' visit - which marks the latest explosive chapter in the pair's acrimonious divorce. Richards' divorce attorney Brett Berman told Daily Mail in a statement that 'Ms. Richards did not violate a restraining order' and had only entered the home when Phypers was not there. 'On August 3, 2025, after confirming that Mr. Phypers was not present in her home. Richards entered the home to retrieve her dogs' Berman continued. Berman claimed that Richards did so 'after learning that Mr. Phypers had put down one of her other dogs without her knowledge or permission.' Phypers denied these 'absolutely false' accusations' to the Daily Mail and said: 'Denise's actions are willfully intentional in the slander and destruction of what is left of a family. He further claimed: 'This is after Denise chose to carry on an adulterous affair - after being caught not once, not twice, but three times.' In California, victims named as the 'protected person' in a restraining order will not get into trouble for contacting the person against whom the order was taken out. However, the person who is restrained by the order may use it as evidence to dismiss the order in future court proceedings. After Aaron filed divorce paperwork on July 7, Richards hit back a week later with a request for a temporary restraining order that included a laundry list of domestic abuse allegations — all of which her husband has denied. Her estranged husband has since denied all allegations of abuse, while a source close to Phypers told the Daily Mail that her black eye was actually the result of a drunken fall. He said he is waiting for an upcoming August court hearing in which a judge will decide if the order is lifted, and until then, he is banned from going near his estranged wife and their adopted daughter Eloise, 14, whom he says he adores and misses terribly. It comes days after Phypers alleged that she has been having a months-long affair with a former special forces soldier named Rudy Reyes. He claimed in a detailed letter to 'family and close friends' that Reyes has showered her with X-rated photos and videos, including a graphic clip that shows him naked and pleasuring himself. In an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail, the Wild Things actress' outraged husband claimed he caught wind of his wife's alleged affair in April. He said she had promised to break it off, only for him to catch her lying about another hook-up with 53-year-old Rudy that took place at a Hilton Garden Inn in Burbank, California, the following month. He claimed his discovery of the May tryst then led to an explosive argument over the July 4th holiday weekend, during which she smashed his phone. Phypers was the founder of the Malibu wellness center, Q360 Club (also known as Quantum 360), until he chose to shut it down last year, on October 1, 2024. According to his petition for divorce, filed on July 7, he has not made any income since. Richards, allegedly makes $250,000 per month from being on OnlyFans, TV shows, having brand deals and doing appearances, he noted in the income and expense declaration obtained by the Daily Mail. He's requesting spousal support since he alleges his monthly expenses total $105,000, and is demanding he and Richards split 50 percent of their production company, Smoke & Mirrors Entertainment.
