Latest news with #ElizabethTaylor
CTV News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Wallis Annenberg, billionaire philanthropist who backed arts, science and other causes, dies at 86
Wallis Annenberg, right, presents Elizabeth Taylor, center, and Sylvester Stallone with Devereux Foundation Awards at a ceremony, Thursday, July 12, 1984, Beverly Hills, Calif. (AP Photo/Nick Ut, file) LOS ANGELES — Wallis Annenberg, the billionaire philanthropist who supported the arts, science, education and animal welfare causes over decades in Los Angeles, died Monday, her family said. She was 86. Annenberg died at home from complications related to lung cancer, the family said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times. 'Wallis transitioned peacefully and comfortable this morning to her new adventure,' the statement said. 'Cancer may have beaten her body but it never got her spirit. We will hold her and her wisdom in our hearts forever.' Her name adorns institutions across the Los Angeles area, including the Wallis Annenberg Building at the California Science Center, the Wallis Annenberg GenSpace senior center and the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts. The Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing, the world's largest bridge for animals on the move, will open next year over an LA freeway. During her 16-year tenure as president and chief executive of the Annenberg Foundation, the nonprofit organization has donated about $1.5 billion to thousands of organizations in Southern California, the Times reported. Under Wallis Annenberg's leadership, the foundation expanded its philanthropic scope beyond media, arts and education to include animal welfare, environmental conservation and healthcare. Her father, Walter Annenberg, started the foundation after selling his publishing empire, including TV Guide and other publications, in 1989 to Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. Walter Annenberg died in 2002. Wallis Annenberg was a longtime board member of LA's Museum of Contemporary Art and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, or LACMA. In 2002, she gave $10 million to endow LACMA's director position. 'Wallis Annenberg blessed the Los Angeles community not only with her philanthropy, but also with her guidance about how to improve our community,' said LACMA Chief Executive Michael Govan, who filled that endowed position in 2006. Born in Philadelphia, she moved to Los Angeles in the early 1970s after marrying neurosurgeon Seth Weingarten. The couple divorced in 1975. Wallis Annenberg received the 2022 National Humanities Medal from President Joe Biden for her life in philanthropy. She is survived by four children and five grandchildren. The Associated Press
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
John Goodman Reveals Elizabeth Taylor Talked About Epic Hollywood Love Affair on Movie Set
John Goodman revealed that Elizabeth Taylor talked about her tumultuous romance with Richard Burton when they worked together in the 1994 film, The Flintstones. The Hollywood legend played Wilma Flintstone's mother, Pearl Slaghoople, in the 1994 live-action comedy, marking her final film role in an iconic 60-year career. According to Taylor's official website, the famed actress spent five days shooting The Flintstones, where she 'navigated the set like the pro she was.' 'She made final touches to her own makeup, received daily gag gifts from the crew, and made light of stressful situations,' the site teased. Goodman, who played Fred Flintstone in the film adaptation of the classic 1960s cartoon series, told People magazine that he was starstruck when Taylor spoke to him about Burton during a filming break. "Elizabeth Taylor was my mother-in-law in The Flintstones," the actor recalled. "She took a fall in the film, so we were just squatting around her, talking to her. I just got her talking about [Richard] Burton a little bit when she was on the floor, and it was wow." "There's old-school movie stars and then there's Elizabeth Taylor,' Goodman added. 'She was at the zenith in her life and in films. I never thought I'd ever get to meet her." Taylor and Burton were the most iconic celebrity couple of the 1960s and '70s. They met on the set of Cleopatra in Rome in 1961 when they were both married to other people (him to Sybil Williams and her to Eddie Fisher). The two made 11 films together, including The Taming of the Shrew and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? They married for the first time in 1964. Taylor and Burton's legendary romance ultimately ended in two divorces—one in 1974 and another in 1976 In the 2010 book Furious Love: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, and the Marriage of the Century, Taylor told authors Sam Kashner and Nancy Schoenberger that Burton was her greatest love and continued to send her passionate letters up until his death at age 58. Burton's final love letter to Taylor was sent to her Bel-Air, CA, home three days before he died in Switzerland on August 5, 1984. 'In my heart, I will always believe we would have been married a third and final time,' Taylor reflected in the book. 'From those first moments in Rome, we were always madly and powerfully in love.'John Goodman Reveals Elizabeth Taylor Talked About Epic Hollywood Love Affair on Movie Set first appeared on Men's Journal on Jul 21, 2025
Harpers Bazaar Arabia
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Harpers Bazaar Arabia
Feeling Splendido: The Hotel That Serves Elizabeth Taylor's Favourite Spaghetti
She's had a meticulously planned face-lift. But though the Splendido's appearance may have been refreshed, her celebrated spirit – that has attracted a slew of celebrities since 1901 – remains preserved Those in the know don't say they re going to Portofino, they say they're going to the Splendido, A Belmond Hotel. This isn't just an indication of how intrinsically linked this starry, storied property is to it: location on the Italian Riviera – it's what it says about you. It's a stamp of belonging to a rarified world. An indication of taste, refinement. And yes, we will be so crass to point out, sheer spending power. The 'Homage to Elizabeth Taylor' tomato spaghetti starter – named after and created for the icon that adored it, and spent four of her honeymoons here – is 40 Euros. And when you order it, accompanied by a chilled spritz on the jasmine-scented, wisteria-clad La Terrazza, youll come to the realisation that money surely can buy happiness. This pink 16″-century Benedictine monastery anything but austere, as stars like Jennifer Aniston and Madonna would attest to. And it's reemerged this summer season with added aplomb, having undergone a meticulous facelift courtesy of designer Martin Brudnizki, to celebrate its 40 anniversary under the stewardship of Belmond. Drawing inspiration from its setting – at the summit of a cliff overlooking the glistening superyacht-filled harbour (and the homes of designers Giorgio Armani and Dolce and Gabbana in the distance) – motifs of painted flora and fauna, bespoke Medea furniture and local artisanal techniques, are married with requisite upgrades when it comes to tech and modern amenities. You definitely won't hear your neighbours, keen athletes on the tennis court, or the seagulls that swoop in the sunshine outside. The vibe? Staying at your art collector friend's villa. Luxurious, but understated. Comfortable yet elevated. Somewhere it wouldn't seem out of place to see Jeff Goldblum and his jazz band take to the piano for an impromptu performance (true story, this actually happened in June). Opt for one of the suites – 103 offers excellent views and two balconies, plus a stand-alone sunken tub complete with Acqua di Parma toiletries – while La Baronessa is sure to become the ultimate bolt-hole for regulars looking for sprawling space. And while it's tempting to order breakfast in bed, venture downstairs to fully indulge in a generous array of dainty patisserie, juicy sun-kissed fruit, fresh mascarpone and burrata coupled with the region's famous pesto, plus Lombardian chef Corrado Cortis signature Portofino eggs. Even A-listers can't resist the temptation of taking a snap of the bay as the sun rises. You'll be tempted to take all your meals at La Terraza – a hotspot for visitors willing to make the trek up the steep hill to get a taste of the property, and excellent for people-watching – but the poolside Splendido Grill is another option. Don't miss the trofie pesto – rightly recommended by all the staff as a must-try – though the scent of wood-fired pizzas is hard to resist. Those taking in the sun on the tangerine-hued loungers with their distinctive striped parasols, can also take advantage of this menu as they dip n the (temperature-controlled) saltwater pool and sip. If there's an unexpected drizzle? Head to the indoor bar that dispenses excellent Negronis and Ava Gardner (another fan) cocktails. This season also sees the opening of a Dior spa. Distinctive Toile de Jouy wicker furnishings immediately set the scene, with a menu of face and body treatments that can be enjoyed in the comfort of dedicated rooms, or outside in specially created cabanas hidden on the cliffside. Many enjoy the brisk walk down to Portofino's designer boutique-lined pizzetta, where ferries still usher locals to nearby Towns like Santa Margherita (where Silvio Berlusconi has his summer house) and fishermen share space with big boats in this once-sleepy village, but the Splendido also puts on a regular shuttle for guests. A hotspot? The hotel's sister property, the 14-bedroom Splendido de Mare that has captured a prime location at the centre of the main square, flanked by Bottega Veneta, Brunello Cuccinelli and two Louis Vuittons, overlooking the port. Grab a pistachio cone at Gelateria Bar San Giorgio – a contender for the best ice-cream in the country. Splendido is set amidst a protected, forested park – hence its lush surroundings – and in keeping with this ethos, it has a special relationship with an eco-farm La Portofinese. They'll dispatch a tiny van to take you up what seems to be a footpath, but is actually a winding road, further into the greenery, where you can have private cooking lessons or dine amid organic vineyards and plantations endemic to the area. A must-do activity, even though you'll be loath to leave the comforting confines of the hotel, or cut into the exploration of the Cinque Terre (ideally via a sleek Riva boat that the hotel can arrange). There's also been another simultaneous unveiling this season: the spectacular Villa Beatrice. This five-room villa (four suites in the main house, and a stand-alone cottage) with its own private pool and gardens offers the ultimate in privacy. Butler? Check. Private chef? Check. And complete access to the hotel next door if you're looking for company during aperitivo. What To Pack: It would be remiss to head to Portofino without a sprinkling of raffia and some enormous shades. This season, Chloe does the trick. For those who pride themselves on knowing the best, and staying at the best, it's a rite of passage to stay at the Splendido. It says you've not only arrived, but that you've kind of always been there, always belonged. And it takes a magical place to have this allure. For people, from billionaires to celebrities, to wear their patronage as a badge of pride. Once thing is for certain, the hype is justified. It's a privilege to be part of this club.
The Guardian
18-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
How destruction of Hotel Oloffson is symbol of Haiti's gang crisis
There was an outpouring of grief in Haiti when the Hotel Oloffson, a cultural and architectural landmark in Port-au-Prince, was set ablaze on the night of 5 July, in what local media described as retaliation by armed gangs after a police operation in its vicinity. For many, its ruins are a stark and sobering symbol of the state of a capital city on the verge of collapse, and a sign that a once vibrant culture may be fading as violent criminal armed groups continue their reign of terror. The 19th-century mansion, built in 1887 in the ornate 'gingerbread' style, once welcomed celebrities including Elizabeth Taylor, Mick Jagger and Graham Greene. A magnet for the world's rich and famous in the 1960s and 70s, it was reborn in the 80s as a hub for vodou musicians and a refuge for foreign correspondents. Watching the white wooden fretwork – often likened to lace – that once adorned the balconies reduced to ashes, has been tough for former patrons, who were once enchanted by its dreamlike, otherworldly charm. 'It was an extraordinary place, beyond time and space,' said Haitian historian and legal scholar Georges Michel, who would stop by, in the evenings on his way home. 'After two or three beers, I'd sometimes have dinner. I'd meet people. It was Haitian. It was home.' Some have already started dreaming of rebuilding the Oloffson, when the embattled city returns to some level of normality. But they are unable to make solid plans to do so as the Caribbean nation teeters dangerously toward a 'point of no return' – a warning that UN officials have expressed as the body count continues to climb into the thousands. The anti-government groups have been terrorising Port-au-Prince for the past four years, setting homes ablaze one neighbourhood after another and tightening their grip on the capital, cutting it off from the rest of the country. On 1 June 2021, a gang seized control of a stretch of the only national road leading south out of the city, in the name of a coalition of criminal groups. The next month Jovenel Moïse, the then president, was assassinated, triggering a political crisis that has prevented elected governance. Last year a transitional presidential council was established to prepare the country for elections after a fresh wave of attacks enabled gangs to take control of much of downtown Port-au-Prince. According to UN figures in January more than a million people were displaced and more than 5,600 were killed by gangs in 2024. Armed groups began occupying an area near the Oloffson in January, displacing residents and forcing staff to flee and the hotel to close. Universities on the same street have since shut down or relocated. Residents say there was a police operation in the area on the day the hotel was destroyed, but the cause of the blaze remains unknown, with clashes making it dangerous for officials or journalists to investigate. Haitian architect Daniel Elie said the torching of the hotel is 'part of a succession of losses', which has seen aspects of Haiti's culture 'going up in smoke'. 'The Oloffson was one of those rare spaces where two worlds tried to meet,' he said, adding that it was a part of the literary and artistic 'Indigenist movement' in Haiti between 1915 and 1945, which sought to reclaim African heritage and elevate the voices, traditions and lived realities of Haiti's rural population. 'All of that unfolded in venues such as the Oloffson. So beyond the architecture, its cultural legacy is even more significant,' he said. The hotel was one of the finest examples of gingerbread architecture – a popular style in Port-au-Prince in the latter half of the 19th century. The grand wooden houses, a blend of neoclassical and neo-gothic elements, were inspired by architectural trends in Europe at that time. 'A European bourgeoisie, strengthened by the Industrial Revolution, appropriated ancient styles and reinvented them' said Elie, a leading expert in heritage conservation. 'Haitian families were sending their children to Europe to study in universities and architecture schools, and they brought back all these ideas.' Some houses were even imported piece by piece from Europe. The hotel was designed by a French architect known only as Mr Lefèvre and assembled in Haiti by a French builder. Unlike many modern buildings, gingerbread houses like the Oloffson survived the 2010 earthquake, thanks to their flexible wooden frames. But many were lost to rapid urbanisation. Today, just a few dozen exist, local experts said – but scarcely any carry the historical weight of the Oloffson. Over the years it hosted Haitian presidents from Vilbrun Guillaume Sam in 1915 to René Préval in the 2000s, as well as musicians, film stars and renowned authors. Greene even set his 1966 novel, The Comedians, at the hotel and later co-wrote the screenplay for its 1967 film adaptation starring Taylor and Richard Burton. As portrayed in Green's novel, Oloffson was also a hotspot for foreign elites in search of exotic adventures during the 1960s and the 1970s. 'It was a kind of jet-set moment when Vogue would send photographers to shoot models in the lush gardens with glistening, shirtless paddlers in the background,' recalled French photographer and documentarian Chantal Regnault, who said she was struck by the colonial overtones when she first stayed there in 1979. 'You used to see a photo of the Oloffson on the cover of the city's tourism brochures,' recalled Théodore 'Lòlò' Beaubrun Jr of legendary Haitian band Boukman Eksperyans. As a child in the late 1960s, he would accompany his father, a renowned Haitian theatre artist, through the hotel's vast white-painted gallery, mingling with local artists. 'I learned so much, it was a school,' he said. 'When we started, it was all about catering to journalists,' said Richard Morse, who took over management of the Oloffson in 1987 with the help of his girlfriend. He later bought the property with his family. Speaking to the Guardian from Maine, he described the guilt and sense of helplessness as the hotel destruction came amid the rising tide of violence, murder and rape. Born in Puerto Rico to a Haitian mother and an American father, Morse had been a new wave rock musician in the US before moving to Haiti in search of traditional drum rhythms. In 1988, he launched Thursday night vodou music concerts at the hotel. This would later be a key moment in the rise of his vodou-rock band RAM, and a new era of cultural crossover for the venue, which he described as a fantastic 'Alice in Wonderland' experience. 'The gangs were the last clients – and they didn't pay,' he said. 'I need to go there and decide what to do. People keep telling me I can't go, but what I really want is just to stand in the yard. That's my home.' Haiti's stability was a significant concern for Caribbean leaders when they met earlier this month at the Caribbean Community (Caricom) leaders summit. Opening the meeting, the outgoing chair of Caricom and the prime minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley, appealed for more global support for Haiti. 'The world really needs a check on itself when it comes to Haiti. If ever we doubted that there were first class and second class citizens in the eyes of the world, don't doubt it any more,' the Mottley said. She added that, in spite of the staggering loss of life, and the displacement of people and food insecurity, 'the world … has been unable to move beyond the promises and the platitudes that would bring help to the people of Haiti'. Mottley said the Caribbean's capacity to address the escalating situation is limited, and called for a 'truth talk, both within the context of what is possible from Haiti's perspective, but equally what is possible from the international community'.
The Guardian
18-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
How destruction of Hotel Oloffson is symbol of Haiti's gang crisis
There was an outpouring of grief in Haiti when the Hotel Oloffson, a cultural and architectural landmark in Port-au-Prince, was set ablaze on the night of 5 July, in what local media described as retaliation by armed gangs after a police operation in its vicinity. For many, its ruins are a stark and sobering symbol of the state of a capital city on the verge of collapse, and a sign that a once vibrant culture may be fading as violent criminal armed groups continue their reign of terror. The 19th-century mansion, built in 1887 in the ornate 'gingerbread' style, once welcomed celebrities including Elizabeth Taylor, Mick Jagger and Graham Greene. A magnet for the world's rich and famous in the 1960s and 70s, it was reborn in the 80s as a hub for vodou musicians and a refuge for foreign correspondents. Watching the white wooden fretwork – often likened to lace – that once adorned the balconies reduced to ashes, has been tough for former patrons, who were once enchanted by its dreamlike, otherworldly charm. 'It was an extraordinary place, beyond time and space,' said Haitian historian and legal scholar Georges Michel, who would stop by, in the evenings on his way home. 'After two or three beers, I'd sometimes have dinner. I'd meet people. It was Haitian. It was home.' Some have already started dreaming of rebuilding the Oloffson, when the embattled city returns to some level of normality. But they are unable to make solid plans to do so as the Caribbean nation teeters dangerously toward a 'point of no return' – a warning that UN officials have expressed as the body count continues to climb into the thousands. The anti-government groups have been terrorising Port-au-Prince for the past four years, setting homes ablaze one neighbourhood after another and tightening their grip on the capital, cutting it off from the rest of the country. On 1 June 2021, a gang seized control of a stretch of the only national road leading south out of the city, in the name of a coalition of criminal groups. The next month Jovenel Moïse, the then president, was assassinated, triggering a political crisis that has prevented elected governance. Last year a transitional presidential council was established to prepare the country for elections after a fresh wave of attacks enabled gangs to take control of much of downtown Port-au-Prince. According to UN figures in January more than a million people were displaced and more than 5,600 were killed by gangs in 2024. Armed groups began occupying an area near the Oloffson in January, displacing residents and forcing staff to flee and the hotel to close. Universities on the same street have since shut down or relocated. Residents say there was a police operation in the area on the day the hotel was destroyed, but the cause of the blaze remains unknown, with clashes making it dangerous for officials or journalists to investigate. Haitian architect Daniel Elie said the torching of the hotel is 'part of a succession of losses', which has seen aspects of Haiti's culture 'going up in smoke'. 'The Oloffson was one of those rare spaces where two worlds tried to meet,' he said, adding that it was a part of the literary and artistic 'Indigenist movement' in Haiti between 1915 and 1945, which sought to reclaim African heritage and elevate the voices, traditions and lived realities of Haiti's rural population. 'All of that unfolded in venues such as the Oloffson. So beyond the architecture, its cultural legacy is even more significant,' he said. The hotel was one of the finest examples of gingerbread architecture – a popular style in Port-au-Prince in the latter half of the 19th century. The grand wooden houses, a blend of neoclassical and neo-gothic elements, were inspired by architectural trends in Europe at that time. 'A European bourgeoisie, strengthened by the Industrial Revolution, appropriated ancient styles and reinvented them' said Elie, a leading expert in heritage conservation. 'Haitian families were sending their children to Europe to study in universities and architecture schools, and they brought back all these ideas.' Some houses were even imported piece by piece from Europe. The hotel was designed by a French architect known only as Mr Lefèvre and assembled in Haiti by a French builder. Unlike many modern buildings, gingerbread houses like the Oloffson survived the 2010 earthquake, thanks to their flexible wooden frames. But many were lost to rapid urbanisation. Today, just a few dozen exist, local experts said – but scarcely any carry the historical weight of the Oloffson. Over the years it hosted Haitian presidents from Vilbrun Guillaume Sam in 1915 to René Préval in the 2000s, as well as musicians, film stars and renowned authors. Greene even set his 1966 novel, The Comedians, at the hotel and later co-wrote the screenplay for its 1967 film adaptation starring Taylor and Richard Burton. As portrayed in Green's novel, Oloffson was also a hotspot for foreign elites in search of exotic adventures during the 1960s and the 1970s. 'It was a kind of jet-set moment when Vogue would send photographers to shoot models in the lush gardens with glistening, shirtless paddlers in the background,' recalled French photographer and documentarian Chantal Regnault, who said she was struck by the colonial overtones when she first stayed there in 1979. 'You used to see a photo of the Oloffson on the cover of the city's tourism brochures,' recalled Théodore 'Lòlò' Beaubrun Jr of legendary Haitian band Boukman Eksperyans. As a child in the late 1960s, he would accompany his father, a renowned Haitian theatre artist, through the hotel's vast white-painted gallery, mingling with local artists. 'I learned so much, it was a school,' he said. 'When we started, it was all about catering to journalists,' said Richard Morse, who took over management of the Oloffson in 1987 with the help of his girlfriend. He later bought the property with his family. Speaking to the Guardian from Maine, he described the guilt and sense of helplessness as the hotel destruction came amid the rising tide of violence, murder and rape. Born in Puerto Rico to a Haitian mother and an American father, Morse had been a new wave rock musician in the US before moving to Haiti in search of traditional drum rhythms. In 1988, he launched Thursday night vodou music concerts at the hotel. This would later be a key moment in the rise of his vodou-rock band RAM, and a new era of cultural crossover for the venue, which he described as a fantastic 'Alice in Wonderland' experience. 'The gangs were the last clients – and they didn't pay,' he said. 'I need to go there and decide what to do. People keep telling me I can't go, but what I really want is just to stand in the yard. That's my home.' Haiti's stability was a significant concern for Caribbean leaders when they met earlier this month at the Caribbean Community (Caricom) leaders summit. Opening the meeting, the outgoing chair of Caricom and the prime minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley, appealed for more global support for Haiti. 'The world really needs a check on itself when it comes to Haiti. If ever we doubted that there were first class and second class citizens in the eyes of the world, don't doubt it any more,' the Mottley said. She added that, in spite of the staggering loss of life, and the displacement of people and food insecurity, 'the world … has been unable to move beyond the promises and the platitudes that would bring help to the people of Haiti'. Mottley said the Caribbean's capacity to address the escalating situation is limited, and called for a 'truth talk, both within the context of what is possible from Haiti's perspective, but equally what is possible from the international community'.
