Eleanor the Great review — Scarlett Johansson's gorgeous directorial debut
The last of three directorial debuts by big-name actors at Cannes this year, Scarlett Johansson's Eleanor the Great is — unlike Kristen Stewart's more pretentious The Chronology of Water and Harris Dickinson's riskier Urchin — exactly the kind of conventional, performer-led film one would expect from an actor. It also has the jackpot combination of being tear-inducing and laugh-out-loud funny.
Johansson has a 95-year-old secret weapon in the magnificent June Squibb — Oscar-nominated for Nebraska — who plays Eleanor Morgenstein, a widow who has been living in domestic bliss with her best friend Bessie (Rita Zohar, also lovely) for 11 years in Florida. When Bessie dies Eleanor moves back to New York with her daughter Lisa (Jessica Hecht) and grandson Max (Will Price). She wastes
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The Guardian
33 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Judge threatens to remove Sean ‘Diddy' Combs from court over facial gestures
The judge in the federal sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs threatened to remove the music mogul from court for looking and nodding at the jury during testimony on Thursday. During a lunch break after the jury left the room on Thursday, Judge Arun Subramanian said that he saw Combs looking at the jury and 'nodding vigorously' during the cross-examination of Bryana Bongolan, a former graphic designer for Combs and a longtime friend of Combs's former girlfriend, Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura. The judge warned Combs's lawyers that if he saw it again, it 'could result in the exclusion of your client from the courtroom'. 'There should be no efforts whatsoever to have an interaction with this jury,' the judge added. Combs's lawyer said that it would not happen again. Earlier on Thursday, Bongolan resumed the testimony she began on Wednesday. Bongolan previously testified about her friendship with Ventura and described an alleged incident from 2016 in which she says that Combs dangled her from the balcony of Ventura's 17th-floor apartment in Los Angeles for 10 to 15 seconds, before throwing her on to some balcony furniture. She testified that the incident left her bruised and emotionally scarred and that she experiences nightmares and paranoia. During cross-examination, Combs's lawyers challenged Bongolan's credibility, citing inconsistencies between her current testimony and prior statements she gave regarding the alleged balcony incident. On Thursday morning, Combs's lawyers pressed her on the timeline. They claimed that the alleged balcony incident could not have occurred when she alleged because Combs was performing on the east coast for much of September 2016. Before concluding the cross-examination, Combs's lawyer suggested that Bongolan was lying about the balcony incident and the injuries. 'I can't agree with you,' Bongolan responded, adding that she could not recall the exact date of the alleged incident, but she 'will never forget him holding me on that balcony'. Another former girlfriend of Combs, who alleges she was abused and made to participate in drug-fueled sex sessions known as 'freak-offs', is also expected to be called to the stand on Thursday. Testifying under the pseudonym 'Jane', the woman has been described by prosecutors as a single mother who began dating Combs in 2020. Her testimony is expected to be similar to that of Ventura, Combs's former longtime girlfriend, who testified during the first week of the trial. Ventura, who dated Combs on and off from 2007 to 2018, told jurors last month that she was subjected to years of physical and emotional abuse during the relationship. She alleged she was coerced, through violence, and blackmail, into taking part in the so-called freak-offs which she said were orchestrated and directed by Combs and involved drugs and male sex workers. During cross-examination, Combs's attorneys sought to portray Ventura as a willing participant in the freak-offs, framing the encounters as part of a 'swingers lifestyle'. Now in its fourth week, the trial has featured graphic and emotional testimony from several witnesses. To date, more than 16 witnesses have testified, including the singer Dawn Richard, three of Combs's former assistants, Ventura's mother, and rapper Scott Mescudi, also known as 'Kid Cudi'. Combs, 55, was arrested in September 2024 and faces federal charges of sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty to all counts. Prosecutors allege that Combs ran a criminal enterprise since at least 2004 that engaged in or attempted to engage in crimes including sex trafficking, kidnapping, forced labor, arson, bribery, enticement to engage in prostitution and obstruction of justice, with the help of his associates and employees. While Combs's lawyers have acknowledged his history of domestic violence, they argue that the women participated in the freak-offs consensually and they maintain that Combs is not guilty of sex trafficking or racketeering, or of operating a criminal enterprise. Prosecutors have said that they may rest their case next week, with the defense expected to begin calling its own witnesses soon after. However, Combs's lawyers have signaled that their presentation may take longer than anticipated, potentially extending the trial into early July. If convicted on all counts, Combs could face life in prison. The Associated Press contributed reporting In the US, the domestic violence hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). In the UK, call the national domestic abuse helpline on 0808 2000 247, or visit Women's Aid. In Australia, the national family violence counselling service is on 1800 737 732. Other international helplines may be found via
Daily Mail
34 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Glamorous MAGA White House reporter makes shocking claim about DC's men
Glamorous MAGA White House reporter Natalie Winters gave a shocking explanation for why the women in the nation's capital can't seem to find good man. The co-host of Steve Bannon 's War Room, who was dubbed 'Washington's most-eligible bachelorette,' declared that the boys of the Beltway just aren't interested. 'I think most men are gay in DC - either out or closeted depending on whether they're Democrats or Republicans,' Winters, 24, told the The Times. The reporter went viral in January after sharing a celebratory post announcing she had been named White House correspondent, with many raging that she needed to dress more appropriately for the job. Winters said she made the discovery about DC's men while trying to help her friends research dates. 'Because I'm such a great investigative reporter, my girlfriends hit me up to investigate the guys they go on dates with,' she told the Times. 'The stuff I found out is insane.' Moreover, ladies on the prowl for a wealthy Washington tech bro will be disappointed, she explained, as they rarely ever come out to play. As for Winters herself, she's in search of a man 'who allows me to protect feminine energy in a world that is forcing me to be a girl boss,' she said. 'Perhaps, I have...' the journalist teased. So, where are DC's hottest looking for love? The fancy Waldorf Astoria hotel, where Winters met disgraced former Rep. Matt Gaetz. 'We hung out and became best buds,' she dished. 'So many memories here.' Winters even revealed that Trump and Gaetz - who the president originally tapped to serve as attorney general before the congressman bowed out of his scandalous past - are still friends behind the scenes. 'Yes, very good friends - and with his wife too,' she told the Times. Other hotspots for young and hot Republicans are Butterworth's - which has become the new home for the MAGA crowd - and Hawk N Dove, where Democrats and Republicans mingle together. As for Winters herself, she's in search of a man who allows her to 'protect feminine energy in a world that is forcing me to be a girl boss.' Since her mainstream debut in January, Winters has continued to be a disruptor in Washington, frankly telling a CNN reporter that traditional media has failed. When asked if she was a real reporter, she replied: 'I'm pretty sure the group of people in there spent, what was it, four years covering for someone who was essentially dead, and that's being charitable in my description. That's a President by the name Joe Biden. 'So to all those people who are apoplectic over having new media voices, you guys failed - and that's why we're here.' In April, she shared that had been denied membership into the prestigious National Press Club. 'I co-host one of the largest shows on the right, Presidents and Congressmen share my work and I have a White House Press pass,' she lamented at the time. Winters also been named as a favorite to be added Elon Musk's stable of mothers. Musk's baby momma, Ashley St. Clair, revealed to the Wall Street Journal that the billionaire pursued her and other women for impregnation, and asked her and their son to join his 'kid legion.'
The Sun
40 minutes ago
- The Sun
Diddy judge threatens to throw him out of court over ‘unacceptable' gesture to jury a day after rapper mouthed message
THE judge in Sean "Diddy" Combs' federal trial has threatened to throw the music executive out of the courtroom after he tried to interact with the jury. Judge Arun Subramanian singled out Combs before the jury returned from its lunch break, calling his behavior "absolutely unacceptable." 1 "There was a line of questioning where your client was nodding vigorously and looking at the jury," the judge told Marc Agnifilo, Combs' lead defense attorney. "I could not have been any clearer in terms of what I said." Judge Subramanian said he saw Combs looking and attempting to interact with the jury on two separate occasions during the testimony of Bryana Bongolan, a friend of Cassandra "Cassie" Ventura. "I looked and I saw you client looking at the jury and nodding vigorously," the judge added. "It is absolutely unacceptable." The judge then asked Agnifilo, "Is it going to happen again?" to which the defense attorney assured him it would not. "It cannot happen again," Judge Subramanian said, warning that if the issue continued, it could result in the "exclusion of your client from the courtroom." .
