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Associated Press
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
National Recording Artist Justine Skye Announced as Keynote Speaker for the 2025 Active Minds Mental Health Conference
With over 130 million streams globally, Skye uses her powerful voice to champion mental health awareness, encouraging young people to make their well-being a priority. WASHINGTON, June 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Active Minds, the nation's leading nonprofit organization committed to transforming mental health norms among 14 to 25 year-olds, announced that singer, actress, and mental health advocate Justine Skye will serve as the keynote speaker at the 2025 Active Minds Mental Health Conference. The Active Minds Mental Health Conference is the largest national event focused on youth mental health advocacy. Aimed primarily at individuals aged 18–25, the conference includes keynote presentations, breakout sessions, and interactive programming led by experts in mental health, higher education, and student leadership. It serves as a platform for participants to learn about the most effective strategies for promoting mental well-being and reducing stigma in their communities. 'Our attendees consistently tell us they're looking for real voices and relatable stories,' said Alison Malmon, Founder and Executive Director of Active Minds. 'Justine's journey and advocacy are powerful reminders that healing is not only possible—it's necessary, and it begins with courageous conversations. We are thrilled to welcome her to the Active Minds stage.' Skye, the Brooklyn-born artist who began her music career at just 17, has rapidly ascended in the industry with hundreds of millions of streams. Following her artistic reintroduction in 2021 with the album Space & Time, Skye has showcased her multifaceted talent, including her late-night television debut on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and a prominent role on the hit series Grown-ish. Her single 'Collide' became a viral sensation on TikTok, accumulating 130M streams worldwide, proving her enduring appeal in the ever-evolving music landscape. Now, Justine Skye is stepping into the glow of a new era with the release of 'Oh Lala"—her first official dance single and Warner Records debut. 'Speaking up about mental health isn't a weakness—it's a strength,' said Justine Skye. 'I'm honored to be the keynote speaker at this year's Active Minds Mental Health Conference and connect with a generation that's championing a new era of mental health. This year's theme, Stories That Move, is a powerful reminder that when we open up, we not only heal ourselves—we inspire others to do the same.' More information about the upcoming conference, including session details and registration, can be found at About Active Minds Active Minds is the largest nonprofit in the United States mobilizing youth and young adults to transform mental health norms across society. For more than 20 years, we have equipped the next generation of peer mental health advocates through a variety of programs, including the Active Minds Chapter Network, A.S.K., and Send Silence Packing. Our advocacy, initiatives, and campaigns foster lasting change in how youth view and discuss mental health, encouraging them to use their voices to influence broader conversations and inform mental health supports within their communities. Together, we are building a diverse movement of champions committed to improving mental health for all. To learn more about Active Minds, visit MEDIA CONTACTS Dante Worth ( [email protected] ) Nick Dierl ( [email protected] ) View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Active Minds, Inc.
The Star
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
82YO billionaire David Geffen divorcing 32-year-old husband with no prenup
David Geffen (left) was private about his relationship with David Armstrong, though according to People he did share the occasional photo of the two on Instagram. Photo: David Geffen/Instagram Retired music mogul David Geffen has filed for divorce from his dancer husband a month shy of the two-year mark of a marriage with no prenuptial agreement. The 82-year-old billionaire will pay a year of spousal support — half the length of the marriage, as required by California law — to soon-to-be ex David Armstrong, whose stage name is Donovan Michaels, according to the filing obtained by TMZ and People . While there was no prenup, Geffen's main source of income is stocks and other equities, which are considered separate property under California law, and thus so are the dividends, according to TMZ, which first reported on the split. Geffen attributed the breakup to 'irreconcilable differences,' People reported, citing the petition filed May 16 in Los Angeles. They officially separated on Feb 22. High-profile celebrity lawyer Laura Wasser, who has shepherded the likes of Kim Kardashian, Kevin Costner and Ariana Grande through their respective breakups, is representing Geffen. Known as the 'divorce lawyer to the stars,' and dubbed the Disso Queen, Wasser has also overseen the divorces of Jennifer Garner, Angelina Jolie and Britney Spears. Geffen, who came out as gay in 1992, was private about his relationship with Armstrong, a 32-year-old go-go dancer, though according to People he did share the occasional photo of the two on Instagram. A December 2021 snap of him and Armstrong aboard the mogul's US$400mil yacht Rising Sun has since been deleted, People noted. The former record exec, currently worth at least US$8.7bil, founded three labels — Asylum Records, Geffen Records and DGC Records — and co-founded the DreamWorks SKG film studio. The Brooklyn-born Geffen is also known for his US$100mil contribution to the US$550mil renovation of what was formerly Avery Fisher Hall, renamed David Geffen Hall. The renovated space debuted as the new home of the New York Philharmonic when it emerged from a two-year makeover in 2022. – New York Daily News/Tribune News Service
Business Wire
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Wire
New York City Rallies Behind Iconic Museum of the City of New York for First Annual Gotham Dreams Gala
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Museum of the City of New York (MCNY) is pleased to announce its first annual Gotham Dreams gala, taking place on , at Cipriani 42 nd Street. This year's celebration will spotlight the unifying impact of sports, media, and entertainment in shaping the identity of the greatest city in the world. The Museum will honor Candace Bushnell, bestselling author, producer, and creator of Sex and the City, for her profound influence on New York City's cultural landscape; Carmelo Anthony, the Brooklyn-born, 10-time NBA All-Star, Naismith Hall of Fame Class of 2025 inductee, entrepreneur, and philanthropist whose impact extends far beyond the basketball court; and John McEnroe, Hall of Fame tennis legend, New York Times #1 Best Seller, and philanthropist celebrated for his passion and excellence, both on and off the court. 'We are proud to celebrate the vibrant role that sports, media, and entertainment play in bringing New Yorkers together,' said Stephanie Hill Wilchfort, the Ronay Menschel Director and President of the Museum of the City of New York. 'New York is the perfect backdrop to honor Candace Bushnell, Carmelo Anthony, and John McEnroe—each of whom has helped define the city's spirit through creativity, talent, and passion.' 'We're thrilled to unite passionate New Yorkers who believe in celebrating our city's rich past while boldly shaping its future," said Matt Brown, Board Chair of the Museum of the City of New York. "Together, we're not just preserving history—we're making it." The gala will convene a powerful coalition of corporate sponsors across New York's business and cultural communities including Apollo Global Management, Ares Management, Atlantic Investment Management, Avenue Capital Group, Bank of America, Blue Owl Capital, Brightstar Capital Partners, CAIS, Calamos Investments, Carlyle, Citco group of companies (Citco), Consello, Davidson Kempner Capital Management, Ernst & Young, Fortress Investment Group, Franklin Templeton Investments, FT Partners, GEM, GoldenTree Asset Management, Golub Capital, Grafine Partners, Hamilton Lane, Kinderhook Industries, Monroe Capital, MontaRosa, Morgan Stanley Global Sports & Entertainment, Newmark, Oak Hill Advisors, Partners Group, Prosek Partners, RBC, Silvercrest Asset Management, Sound Point Capital, Stone Point Capital, TPG Inc., Vista Equity Partners, and William Morris Endeavor. 'I've always believed New York City is where dreams are born—and where they come true,' said Candace Bushnell. 'It's a pleasure to be recognized by the Museum of the City of New York, a place that tells the stories of this remarkable city with brilliance and heart.' 'New York is home – it's where I've poured my blood, sweat, and tears,' said Carmelo Anthony. 'The community here has always been my driving force and being recognized by the Museum of the City of New York, in the very place that shaped me, inspired me, and continues to support me, is a true honor.' 'To be honored by the Museum of the City of New York—a place that celebrates my home city and what I believe to be the greatest city in the world, is very exciting to me,' said John McEnroe. The Gotham Dreams Co-Chairs include Christy and Ed Burns, Chris Brown, Marisa and Matt Brown, Cynthia and Bernard Curry III, Patricia and Alexander Farman-Farmaian, Ayla and Antonio Farnos, Meredith and Brian Feurtado, Elizabeth and Robert Jeffe, Cindy and Stephen Ketchum, Tracey and Kenneth Pontarelli, Ronay and Richard Menschel, Toby Milstein Schulman and Judah Schulman, Margaret Sung and Michael Schmidtberger, and Heather and Bill Vrattos. Proceeds from Gotham Dreams will support the Museum's public programs and educational initiatives that serve tens of thousands of New York City students and families each year, as well as its groundbreaking exhibition program—exemplified by critically acclaimed shows like Above Ground: Art from the Martin Wong Graffiti Collection, Urban Stomp: Dreams & Defiance on the Dance Floor, You Are Here: An Immersive Film Exhibition, and New York at Its Core. For more information, please visit The Museum of the City of New York celebrates and interprets the city's history, art, popular culture, and civic life, highlighting New York's influence worldwide. Founded in 1923 as a private, nonprofit corporation, the Museum serves 200,000 visitors from around the world through exhibitions, school and public programs, publications, and collections.
Black America Web
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Black America Web
Maino Claps Back: Robber Gets Laced Up In Brooklyn Sneaker Heist
Source: Randy Brooke / Getty Maino recently revealed a harrowing experience from nearly two decades ago, when he found himself face-to-face with an armed assailant during an attempted robbery at a Brooklyn sneaker shop. Speaking in an interview with DJ Vlad, the Brooklyn-born rapper recounted how a young man entered the store, pulled a gun on him, and tried to carry out a stick-up. Instead of complying, Maino resisted and managed to wrestle the weapon away during a physical struggle, ultimately firing it and hitting the would-be robber twice. Though Maino discharged the firearm, he clarified that he was never arrested or taken to court over the matter. Surprisingly, the case wasn't officially categorized as self-defense, despite the clear threat to his life. The rapper mentioned that a second individual was involved in the robbery attempt, but that person never made it inside due to a security buzzer at the door. As the fight unfolded, several people inside the store fled. By the time Maino walked outside after the shooting, police had already arrived and ordered him to the ground. However, eyewitnesses immediately spoke up in his defense, informing officers that he was the victim and had acted in response to the robbery attempt. Even the wounded gunman admitted Maino had shot him. 'I didn't face any charges. I never had to step foot in a courtroom,' Maino recalled. The incident remains a vivid example of a dangerous encounter that could have ended very differently. SEE ALSO Maino Claps Back: Robber Gets Laced Up In Brooklyn Sneaker Heist was originally published on Black America Web Featured Video CLOSE
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
James Foley, Director of ‘Glengarry Glen Ross,' ‘House of Cards' and ‘Fifty Shades,' Dies at 71
James Foley, the Brooklyn-born filmmaker who collaborated with A-list stars like Al Pacino, Sean Penn, Madonna and Mark Wahlberg across a 30-plus-year career in film, TV and music videos, has died. He was 71. Foley's rep said Thursday he died 'peacefully in his sleep earlier this week' at his Los Angeles home following a 'years-long struggle' with brain cancer. More from The Hollywood Reporter Jirí Bartoska, Czech Actor and Longtime Karlovy Vary Film Festival President, Dies at 78 Paul Nichols, Longtime TV Publicist, Dies at 76 Carolyn Raskin, Producer of Frank Sinatra Specials and 'Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In,' Dies at 97 Born on Dec. 28, 1953, and raised in New York, Foley graduated from high school and went on to study film at New York University and then at USC in Los Angeles. It was during his final year of film school that a chance meeting would change the course of his life and jump start his career behind the camera. 'I was very lucky, and in the perverse calculus of Hollywood I was in the last year of film school and shared a house with a guy. There was a woman who was pursuing my friend so we had this film school party, which consisted of people projecting their student films onto a white wall and getting stoned,' Foley recalled in a detailed anecdote to Film Freak Central. 'And this girl came. Hal Ashby was pursuing her — she was pursuing my friend and Hal was pursuing her — and Hal called her up and asked to come to this party full of film students. Just as he walked through the door, my film was showing on the wall. I'll never know whether he was being polite or anything, but he told me he liked it and stuff and he was going to form a company that was going to produce other people's movies and what did I want to do? I could write something and direct it.' Foley admitted that he thought it was all a dream. But by the time he wrote a draft of a screenplay, Ashby had released two films, both of which 'bombed terribly,' leading to a lost opportunity for Foley. 'But at that time, because Hal Ashby had hired me, I became known to other people in Hollywood and got kind of viable in that weird calculus of Hollywood just because someone else, respected, thought I was viable.' He was able to ride that momentum to his directorial debut, 1984's Reckless, starring Aidan Quinn and Daryl Hannah. He followed it by directing Madonna's 'Dress You Up' music video in what would mark the first of many collaborations with the Material Girl helming many of her iconic music videos, including 'Live to Tell,' 'Papa Don't Preach,' 'True Blue' and 'The Look of Love.' He also directed the 1987 feature film Who's That Girl starring Madonna opposite Griffin Dunne. It was the latest push in the pop superstar's acting career following Desperately Seeking Susan and Shanghai Surprise, and it landed with a thud at the box office, leading Foley to reflect on his career. 'It was a major life experience. That first failure is so shocking,' he once said. His follow-up film came in 1986 with the Sean Penn- and Christopher Walken-starrer At Close Range. He went on to direct After Dark, My Sweet starring Jason Patric, Rachel Ward and Bruce Dern and an episode of Twin Peaks before helming 1992's Glengarry Glen Ross from a script by David Mamet. Set in the high stakes world of real estate, the film starred Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Alec Baldwin, Ed Harris, Alan Arkin and Kevin Spacey. Pacino landed a best supporting actor Oscar nomination for his work in the film. Foley and Pacino would go on to collaborate again with 1995's Two Bits. In 1996, Foley saw the release of his thriller Fear, starring Mark Wahlberg and Reese Witherspoon. Though it grossed just $20.8 million at the box office, the film was credited for fueling the careers of its stars who have gone on to become two of Hollywood's most successful actor-producers. After Fear, Foley worked with Gene Hackman and Chris O'Donnell on 1996's The Chamber; again with Wahlberg on 1999's action-packed The Corruptor, co-starring Chow Yun-Fat; with Edward Burns, Rachel Weisz, Andy Garcia, Dustin Hoffman and Paul Giamatti on 2003's Confidence; and with Halle Berry and Bruce Willis on the 2007 thriller Perfect Stranger. His experience on the latter film led him to take a break from movies. 'For various reasons, it was not the best experience I've had. I kind of withdrew after that moment,' he told FilmInk. Foley then took his talents to the small screen for a spell, directing an episode of Hannibal before checking into Netflix's inaugural series House of Cards, a gig he said he got after a period of being in 'director jail' thanks to the belief of David Fincher. Foley would eventually direct 12 episodes of the acclaimed series. He also jumped behind the camera for two episodes of Showtime's Billions. But back to the big screen he went, taking over the Fifty Shades franchise from Sam Taylor-Johnson. He directed the final two films in the franchise, Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed, starring Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in 2017, Foley talked about the seamless transitions he made throughout his career by moving between TV and film and across various genres. 'What I love is that it's fluid. I've had a very fluid career of ups and downs and lefts and rights, and I always just responded to what I was interested in at the moment and I was very unconscious about genre,' he said while promoting his work in the new Fifty Shades franchise. ' So the thing I would say I least like is there is an understandable tendency to, of course, pigeonhole somebody or identify them as, 'He does this kind of movie, so if we're making that kind of movie, we should get him and he'll make it like the other ones he's made.' That is of no interest to me, personally, to repeat myself. So I've always just followed my nose, for better or for worse, sometimes for worse.' In an interview with Movie Habit, Foley said he trusted his gut by taking on projects that he liked and ones he felt audiences would as well. 'Not to be eclectic for eclectic's sake, but if I follow this idea of 'what do I like?' I guess it's going to be eclectic. Looking back, I become conscious of connections between a bunch of films. Obviously, males who are alienated and estranged from the mainstream. Groupings of males and the dynamics among them,' he said of the types of characters featured in his films. 'I never thought about it until it was over, but I think Confidence is kind of an interesting cousin to Glengarry, in that it is a group of guys together in pursuit of money, and what their allegiance is, and their betrayals.' He also credited an attention to detail and involvement in all aspects of filmmaking to his longevity. 'I am incredibly hands-on about everything,' he told FilmInk. 'You have to know when to apply or relieve pressure. You have to make the actors aware that you're empathetic. The best actors want to be directed. Once you're on the same wavelength, you get incredible results.' Foley is survived by his brother, Kevin; sisters Eileen and Jo Ann; and nephew Quinn (fiancé of Antea Kalinic). He was predeceased by another brother, Gerard (husband of Ann Marie Quinn Foley). 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