Latest news with #BasedOnATrueStory
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Will Smith Reportedly Offloading Properties For Cash To 'Keep Up With The Enormous Bills'
Will Smith's finances are allegedly not on an A-list scale at the moment. The A-list actor and his wife, , have reportedly been going through the motions regarding their treasury, which has been underperforming for some time now. Will Smith's career and earnings have seemingly taken a slight downturn since the contentious episode between him and Chris Rock on the Oscars stage in March 2022, which resulted in a 10-year ban from the award ceremony. Will Smith And Wife's Living Condition Reportedly Contributing To Their Woes The actor's multi-million-dollar net worth is being threatened by enormous bills reportedly stemming from managing his sprawling properties. To blow some of the steam off, the star reportedly sold a five-bedroom Maryland mansion for $795,000 and has listed a Woodland Hills Home earlier in the year for $2 million. An insider has predicted that the actor and his wife cannot hold out for much longer in the face of their increasingly difficult situation, which is becoming increasingly challenging to maintain on a daily basis. Another side to the story is the current living situation between Will and Jada, where they reside separately in different homes, and the actor still sorts bills for both properties. According to RadarOnline, the couple is reportedly not on the same page about continuing as a union, and a split is imminent than ever. The Oscar Winner's Three-Year-Old Controversy Still Blowing Hot On His Checks The source added that since the actor slapped his colleague on the face for making a joke about his wife's hair, his earnings have taken a turn. Will's latest film, "Bad Boys: Ride or Die," reportedly grossed over $404 million worldwide last year, but sources claimed it did not make a significant impact. A source added that the actor's income is doing little to sustain the life he and Jada are used to. At the 2022 Oscars, host and comedian Chris Rock, who steered the ship for the night, publicly referenced a "G.I. Jane" joke about Jada's shaved head, utterly oblivious to the fact that she battled alopecia. According to the Cleveland Clinic, alopecia is an autoimmune disease that affects the body's hair follicles, resulting in patchy hair loss. The disease commonly affects the scalp, although patchy hair loss can occur anywhere on the body. Will's outburst at Chris in the middle of his gig landed him on the blacklist of the award show with a 10-year ban. Inside Will's Unimpressive Comeback To Music His acting career is not the only thing plummeting around him; his latest attempt at getting the crowd dancing again was met with very low patronage and enthusiasm from the public. It marked his return to the recording booth after two decades since the release of "Lost and Found." Perhaps driven by nostalgia, the rapper released a "Based On A True Story" album in 2025. The Blast noted that the musical project managed to sell under 300 copies in the United Kingdom and did not crack the Billboard 200 in the United States. As reported by The Blast, the singer addressed the 2022 Oscars incident on some tracks in the project, but they had little to no impact on boosting the album's numbers. Will's album featured musical collaborations with his son, Jaden Smith, rapper Big Sean, and Teyana Taylor. Despite these iconic additions, the album only recorded 36 digital downloads. The 'Emancipation' Star Reflected On A Major Parenting Fail On the home front, Jada and Will have created a beautiful legacy through their kids, who have also become a force in the entertainment industry. However, raising them was a different business for the actor and actress, and if given the chance to do it again, Will would tweak one or two ingredients in the parenting mix. The Blast reported that Will confessed that they encouraged Jayden and Willow Smith as young adults and teenagers to prioritize radical honesty; a decision that backfired severely. According to him in an interview, radical honesty meant that his kids would do whatever they wanted and open up to him, expecting appreciation for their honesty, no matter how outrageous their actions were. "It's awful, don't try it. You want your kids to lie, definitely, you don't want to know some of the stuff your kids are thinking of doing," the star noted. Will revealed that it was one of the terrible mistakes he and the "Girls Trip" actress made, and he would always advise parents not to take that disastrous route. Who Is On Will Smith's Hollywood MVP Actors List? Except in very sensitive situations which may demand physical contact, Will has zero problems giving others their flowers, alongside himself. While appearing on a stream, he provided the names of colleagues he would place on the list of the greatest actors of all time. While he initially tried to be modest by excluding his name on the list, even though he absolutely sees himself up there with the greats, he did it anyway, noting: "So three of them, and I'm not really saying this to be arrogant, I do think I'm like one of the most prolific actors of our time." Will identified Marlon Brando, Denzel Washington, Daniel Day-Lewis, and himself as the best brains and talents of the movie industry. Is there an incoming turnaround for Will Smith's allegedly poor-performing bank account? Solve the daily Crossword
1News
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- 1News
Renowned Fat Freddy's Drop founder Chris Faiumu dies
Fat Freddy's Drop founding member and beatmaker Chris Faiumu has died. Chris Faiumu was known by his stage name DJ Fitchie or DJ Mu and helped develop the band's widely regarded sound. In a post to social media, the band confirmed its "talismanic founding member, production maestro, selector and brother" had died. "This is a seismic shift in our world. Sending alofa to the Faiumu & Duckworth aiga, and to MU's wider aiga of friends and fans worldwide," the band wrote. ADVERTISEMENT "Tears flowed on receiving word that your journey had taken you to the heavens Chris DJ MU Fitchie. "These were all the titles you were famously known by for your miraculous works to all music makers of Aotearoa and the whole world. " Growing from Faimu's already established career, Fat Freddy's formed in 1999, following his experimentation with live instrumentation and vocals in his DJ sets. In 2005 the collective of Wellington musicians burst onto the national scene with the release of their first studio album Based On A True Story. Chris Faiumu pictured in 2004. (Source: 1News) The album sold over 100,000 copies in New Zealand and spent 108 weeks consecutively in the Top 40. At the New Zealand Music Awards that year it won Album of the Year, Best Aotearoa Roots Album and the People's Choice Award. Fat Freddy's Drop also won Best Group. ADVERTISEMENT The band enjoyed local success in New Zealand and also attracted huge crowds at festivals and their own headline gigs across Europe and Australasia. In October 2014, Fat Freddy's Drop sold out London's O2 Academy. More recently, the band regularly toured Europe and UK, making the trip twice in 2024 with both summer and winter drops. In 2024, the band released its sixth studio album entitled SLO MO, with nine bass-heavy new songs. Reporter Isobel Prasad caught up with the band as it drops its sixth studio album this week. (Source: 1News) At the time, Faiumu described the mix as "Afro rhythmic soul music, an exploration of Black music from Polynesia". The band has sold in excess of 500,000 albums. ADVERTISEMENT Other New Zealand DJs took to social media to pay tribute to Faiumu following his death. Shapeshifter wrote they were "deeply saddened" by the news. "Mu was and still is a massive inspiration to Shapeshifter. We have toured and shared many stages together with the mighty @fatfreddysdropnz Our deepest and dearest of condolences we would like to send much warmth and love to Nicole Mia and the whole FFD family." "Beyond heartbroken," wrote Wellington's DJ Jazzywhut. Another Wellington DJ Rodrigo Pantoja said Faiumu was "an inspiration and a total legend, to say you'll be missed is an understatement. "Thanks for the music bro, we'll continue to dance." ADVERTISEMENT
RNZ News
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- RNZ News
Fat Freddy's Drop founder Chris Faiumu dies
Chris Faiumu. Photo: Sarah Hunter Chris Faiumu, the founder of the band Fat Freddy's Drop has died. More widely known as Mu and DJ Fitchie, he was the man behind the band's signature sound. Fat Freddy's Drop's 2005 album Based On a True Story is the third highest selling album ever by a New Zealand artist. It remained on the Top 40 charts for two years. The band was also well known for its live improvised performances, and toured internationally. The band celebrated its 25th anniversary last year. Tributes for the musician have been posted social media, with people sharing warm stories about his career, and grief at his passing. More to come... Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Will Smith says Oscars slap fallout was brutal
Three years after he slapped comedian Chris Rock on stage at the Oscars, Will Smith says making a mistake so publicly was "brutal". "The last few years for me have been really deep reflection," the actor tells 1Xtra's Remi Burgz. "After the Oscars I shut it down for a minute and really went into the internal work and just taking a big, strong, honest look at myself." Will was banned from the awards ceremony for 10 years after he hit the comedian for joking about his wife's shaved head - a result of alopecia, a hair loss condition. "For the first time in my career, [I was] having to deal with a level of disapproval that I never had to experience," Will says. "The addiction to the approval of others that I had to dissolve, it was brutal." At the 2022 ceremony in Los Angeles, Chris Rock mocked Will's wife Jada's appearance. Clips showing Will immediately marching on stage and slapping him across the face and telling him to keep his wife's name out his mouth have been viewed millions of times online. Will resigned from the Oscars Academy shortly after, saying his actions were "shocking, painful, and inexcusable". The 56-year-old tells 1Xtra the fallout has also given him to time to reflect. "It was just like there was a manhole cover over some unexplored areas and the manhole cover came off," he says. "It was scary for a minute what was in there. "But then all of a sudden, all these new thoughts, new energies, new creativity came through like a geyser and it started showing up as music." Earlier this year Will released his first album in 20 years, Based On A True Story, and tells 1Xtra he asked for advice before heading back to the studio. "When I started writing, I called Jay Z and I called Kendrick," he says. "Kendrick said you have to say those things you've always been scared to say and Jay Z said don't even go near it if you're not trying to tell the truth." The new music hasn't been a hit with critics. Pitchfork said it was "excruciatingly corny" while Rolling Stone described it as "cringey... clunky and dated" in a two-and-a-half star review. But Will says it was a "fun way to express the madness of what goes on in my head". "It is the exploration of what I call the 'despicable prisoners'. "It's the parts of myself that have been banished, the parts of myself I'm not allowed to talk about on the radio, the part of myself I'm not even allowed to acknowledge is real. "Working in that space of authenticity, honesty and imperfection, allowing that to grow into a higher perfection than the imagery of Will Smith is where I am as an artist and as a human right now." Remi's full interview with Will Smith is available to stream on BBC Sounds. Why did Will Smith hit Chris Rock? Will Smith resigns from Oscars Academy over slap Will Smith banned from Oscars for 10 years Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.
IOL News
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- IOL News
Will Smith reflects on his transformation after the infamous Oscars slap
Smith described the introspective journey as 'brutal but beautiful' or 'brutiful', ultimately leading to a new era of creativity and self-awareness. In a candid conversation on BBC's "1Xtra" with host Remi Burgz, Will Smith opened up about the profound transformation he has undergone since the infamous incident at the 2022 Oscars, where he slapped comedian Chris Rock. Reflecting on the shocking moment, which was televised worldwide, the actor acknowledged that it forced him to take a 'big, strong, honest look at myself". In the aftermath of the incident, which occurred after Rock made a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith's hair loss, Smith decided to take a step back and engage in deep self-reflection. 'After the Oscars I, like, shut it down for a minute and really went into the internal work,' he explained during the interview. "All of a sudden, it was like there was a manhole cover over some unexplored areas, and like the manhole cover came off, and it was scary for a minute ... Then all of a sudden all of these new thoughts, new energies and new creativity came through. So, I feel like I'm brand new." He continued: "I feel like the greatest creative period of my life will be in the next, you know, five to 10 years." The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences described Smith's behaviour as 'unacceptable and harmful', subsequently issuing a 10-year ban on his attendance at the prestigious awards ceremony. Nevertheless, the actor appears to have channelled the turmoil into his artistry, marking his return to music with a new album, "Based On A True Story", which also touches on the Oscars incident.
