Latest news with #BrigitteNielsen
Perth Now
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Brigitte Nielsen declines to discuss estranged son but insists she has been a good mother
Brigitte Nielsen refuses to discuss her relationship with her estranged son Killian but is adamant she has been a good mother to him. The 61-year-old actress' son Killian Marcus Nielsen - who she had with Mark Gastineau - recently opened up about how the star cut him out of her life about a year ago after he attended the birthday party of the daughter of Raoul Meyer - who is Brigitte's former husband. The pair did not end on good terms after their divorce in 2005 - after being married since 1993. When asked about her relationship with her estranged son, Brigitte told Vanity Fair Italy: 'That's something I'd rather not talk about. These things, in my view, should be dealt with at home, not in public." Despite not wishing to discuss her fractured relationship with her son, the mother-of-five went on to explain that she does believe she has been a good parent to Killian. When asked whether she thinks she has been a good mother, the 'Rocky IV' star answered: 'Absolutely, yes. Clearly I'm probably better at it now than I was in my 20s. But I managed to raise five children, take them to school, teach them right from wrong, all without ever stopping working or travelling. It was incredibly hard: I always took them with me, I never missed a single nappy. Did you know I named [my son] Douglas after McDonnell Douglas planes because when I was pregnant with him I was constantly flying on them!" Last month, Killian appeared on the Italian television show 'La Volta Buona' and explained how his relationship with his mother improved when he met his partner Laura Barbieri following his battle with alcohol issues. Speaking on the show, he said: 'Once I met Laura, I got closer to my mother ( Brigitte Nielsen ), to my adoptive father. We were doing well, there was a finally positive family situation. However, Killian went on to explain that his relationship with his mother has since fallen apart because of an Instagram Story of Killian at a party with Raoul Meyer and since then, he has been banned from her events. He added: 'A few weeks later, I called my mom because she had an event in Capri. I asked her if I could come too. She said, 'No, you can't come because you're a former alcoholic and we're promoting a gin.''
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Flavor Flav reflects on how he 'reshaped and molded reality TV' with 'Flavor of Love,' 'Strange Love'
From Public Enemy hype man to U.S. Olympic Water Polo team sponsor, Flavor Fav has blazed a unique path. 'I never dreamed when I was younger that I would be doing this,' Flav, 65, told Yahoo Entertainment. A musical prodigy proficient in 15 instruments, 'I always did want to be famous one day with my music,' which he did alongside Chuck D. 'I just didn't know exactly what part of the field that I was going to come out of. All I did was just live day to day and try. I didn't really imagine that I would be who I am now.' See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Another thing Flav (real name: William Drayton Jr.) tried was reality TV, some 20 years ago. Initially reluctant to appear on the Surreal Life in 2004 — when the genre was new and the stars weren't exactly A-list — he agreed to take part in Season 3 of the VH1 show. It was there that he met Brigitte Nielsen, the actress from Rocky IV and ex-wife of Sylvester Stallone, and their opposites-attract pairing landed them their own spin-off: 2005's Strange Love. 'That was an amazing show and Brigitte Nielsen is one amazing person,' he said. 'She's very lovable, very kind and very sweet. We really had fun doing Strange Love because it was strange. You got a tall Danish blonde that's a model and a movie actor, and then you got the short, Black rapper. I'm 5'7', she's 6'2' [in] bare feet. [But] thanks to Brigitte, we made great television.' Their relationship didn't survive the season. Nielsen went to live with her Italian boyfriend (now husband) Mattia Dessì with whom she had a daughter in 2018 at age 54. As for Flav, VH1 handed him another series, Flavor of Love, a Bachelor-like show that brought the network big viewership for three seasons, from 2006 to 2008. 'I kind of reshaped and molded reality TV. There's been other shows like mine ... but they didn't do as well as mine,' said the perpetual hype man. 'That's because I'm the original. I was the first out the gate. The only one who can ever break my records is Flavor Flav.' He continued, 'What reality TV gave me was the power to be able to bring over 7 million people to my viewership. I've done it once and I can do it again.' There's been talk of a series around him pursuing his high school diploma. There's also a Flavor of Love reboot in the works, though not with him. These days, Flav's about using his fame for good causes. He was at the 2024 Olympics to hype the water polo team after signing a deal to sponsor the team for five years and provide financial support. He's currently looking into sponsoring the U.S. Olympic women's hockey team, saying, 'We're trying to put [a deal] together and get it done.' Last year he paid an athlete's rent when she couldn't. Since January, he's been fundraising for Black families who lost homes in the Los Angeles County wildfires, and recently passed the $150,000 mark. 'I am considered a mouthpiece to the world,' Flav said. 'I'm considered a leader. A lot of people do follow me and I try to do the right thing with my power … and not mislead people with my power.' He takes pride in using his life experience to help others, visiting jails, group homes and schools for many years to share 'the mistakes that I've made through life. … Because everybody makes mistakes,' said the performer, who is four years sober. 'Nobody's perfect. [Life is] going to always be a learning adventure.' Flav's passion for championing other artists is strong too. When asked about being a famous Swiftie — aka a fan of Taylor Swift — he corrects us, 'I am King Swiftie, thank you. And let me tell you, I didn't get that name from Taylor, I got it from the Swifties, [so it's] even more legitimate. The Swifties see how hard I go in for my girl.' He's happy to rattle off his favorite things about the pop songstress, who shouted him out at an 'Eras Tour' stop in Hamburg last year, praising her life-inspired lyrics and marveling at how she caused record-breaking seismic activity ('it hit the Richter scale, baby!'). 'I go in hard for Taylor — and that's because she's real, man,' he said. 'She's one of the most important artists of our time. I'm very proud of her. I'm happy for her with Travis [Kelce] — the whole nine.' He recently hung out with Jason Kelce at the Super Bowl, saying he's 'pretty cool people … he's got mad love for Flav.' Flav is bringing a lot of his signature enthusiasm to a new partnership with 5-Hour Energy timed to the start of daylight saving time on March 9. He helped create a mini bottle, 1-Hour Energy, to give people a boost who are tired from the time change. For the record, Flav only had a half-energy shot before our conversation, he said. 'A full one would have me on my way to Mars. I'm already full of energy,' he said. That he is.
