Latest news with #Lexi
The Citizen
18 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Citizen
Salt Rock actress Lexi Venter shines in big-screen debut
From the moment Salt Rock actress Lexi Venter emerges from candlelight in the opening shot of Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight, it is clear her face is one to remember. The talented nine-year-old leads the film adaptation of Alexandra Fuller's memoir of the same name, which had its South African premiere at the Durban International Film Festival at Suncoast Casino last Saturday. Remarkably, the film marks the big screen debut for Lexi and the directorial debut for Embeth Davidtz, who also wrote and starred in the film. Told through the eyes of young 'Bobo' (Lexi), the film explores the turmoil as Zimbabwe transitioned from colonial rule to independence in 1980. Bobo is the youngest surviving child of a white farming family unwilling to accept the change, with her father Tim (Rob van Vuuren), an army reservist, and mother Nicola (Davidtz), an alcoholic, each spiralling in their own way. Bobo's older sister, Vanessa (Anina Reed), also has local ties. Although Anina hails from Cape Town, her Ballito-based grandmother, Margie Reed, proudly attended the premiere on Saturday to support her granddaughter's big-screen debut. Despite the hardened, occasionally hateful outlook of her parents and their community, Bobo looks at the world with open-heartedness and youthful empathy. Lexi plays the role with sensitivity and grace, anchoring a film that otherwise may otherwise have been a difficult sit. 'It became clear to me, in the ugliness of what I had to show, that I had to show it through a beautiful lens,' said Davidtz at the premiere. 'So, I had to find the most special child with a sunny disposition and a cinematic face.' That child was Lexi, cast through an open audition in 2023 when she was just seven. Though new to film, she had stage experience in ballet and took to the role naturally during filming near Johannesburg. 'What surprised me is how many people are involved to make a movie and how many times we had to retake the same scene!' said Lexi. 'It was very easy because Embeth was there to help me and everyone was so kind. It was just lovely being on set.' Lexi's entire family played a part. Her mother Vanessa helped supervise, her fether Riaan filmed a few shots, her brother Logan acted and did stunt-double work and even her dog Shadow appeared on screen as Bubbles. Filming was not without its challenges and Lexi remembers a few scenes being particularly difficult. 'There was one was when I was on a horse and the dog was barking and Nicola was screaming and shouting and the horse was turning and twisting and it was so hard to do and I had to remember my lines. It was just crazy!' she said. 'Most of it came naturally, but the sad scenes were pretty difficult for me. I thought of my rat dying because she passed away.' Lexi's performance has received widespread praise and she is already auditioning for other projects. Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight will screen again at The Pavilion on Sunday, July 27, with limited seats available. Stay in the loop with The North Coast Courier on Facebook, X, Instagram & YouTube for the latest news. Mobile users can join our WhatsApp Broadcast Service here, or if you're on desktop, scan the QR code below. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
GMA Network
a day ago
- Entertainment
- GMA Network
Are Lexi Gonzales, Gil Cuerva ready for marriage? Actress answers
Lexi Gonzales and Gil Cuerva have been together for three years. But are they ready to settle down? In Tuesday's episode of "Fast Talk with Boy Abunda," the Kapuso actress acknowledged she has been in a relationship with Gil for quite some time now, but that they are still "far from marriage." "Although we want our relationship to go somewhere, definitely, but I think we are just at a place right now where hindi pa namin kaya," she said. According to Lexi, they keep an open and honest communication to continuously improve their relationship. "We adjust with each other every time kasi nagbabago talaga ang buhay," she said. "Palitan lang kami ng energy." Meanwhile, Kristoffer Martin, who has been married to AC Banzon since 2022, advised Lexi not to rush things regarding marriage. "Kasi ganyan din kami ng asawa ko, akala namin ready na kami magpakasal before, hindi pa pala," he said. "'Yun pala may mga bagay na kailangan dumating or mangyari para mas makita niyo 'yung importance niyo sa isa't isa na kung kayo talaga, kayo talaga," he added. Lexi and Gil met when the actress guested on "Taste Buddies." She admitted to making the first move on Gil. Lexi and Kristoffer star in the Kapuso series "Cruz vs. Cruz," top-billed by Vina Morales, Neil Ryan Sese, and Gladys Reyes. It airs on GMA Afternoon Prime from Mondays to Fridays at 3:20 p.m. — Hermes Joy Tunac/LA, GMA Integrated News
Cosmopolitan
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Cosmopolitan
Former ‘Summer House' Star Lexi Wood Dishes on Drake Dating Rumors
Former Bravolebrity Lexi Wood is getting real about her dating history. During an appearance on Gia Guidice's Casual Chaos podcast, Lexi was asked about romance rumors with rapper Drake. Yes, the one known for hits like 'Headlines' and 'Hotline Bling.' 'I need to know, are any of the Drake rumors true? I feel like they have to be. You're from Canada and you're so hot,' Gia, aka the daughter of Real Housewives of New Jersey star Theresa Giudice, asked Lexi during the July 21 episode. The model and influencer, who joined Summer House for only one season last year, explained that any chatter about her dating the five-time Grammy winner has only come from other people. 'I think that being even put out there by anyone but me and him was insane. It definitely was not that person's place to say anything,' Lexi said. 'But I will say, he's amazing and I'm really lucky to know him, and he is so talented, so sweet, comes from such a great family, has great friends.' The clarification comes after Lexi's ex, Jesse Solomon, alluded to her alleged past relationship with the rapper during an interview on the Chicks in the Office podcast, when he said, 'When you're going for a girl that's dated Drake, you're not going to, like, get her by playing it cool.' 'I was just sent it a billion times, and I was like, 'First of all, why would you say that? Why would you say something about my…' Lexi said of his comment. 'I think like everything that you enter, whether it's a friendship, relationship, whatever, there's just like you're figuring it out, like, you're not going to go and post it all over.' She added, 'I just felt like it was very distasteful.' Dating rumors between Lexi and Drake are not entirely far-fetched as they both hail from Toronto and Lexi has reportedly had a string of famous exes. She was romantically linked to Brooklyn Beckham in April 2018. In November 2022, she sparked engagement rumors with Kaia Gerber's older brother, Presley Gerber, before they called it quits the following month. The Summer House alum previously dispelled rumors with the 'NOKIA' rapper during an appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen in January. When asked about the timeline of her reported fling, Lexi awkwardly laughed it off before sipping her drink and saying, 'Can I, like, take a sip and pass this one or something?' Well, that's that on that.
GMA Network
a day ago
- Entertainment
- GMA Network
Lexi Gonzales, Kristoffer Martin share what it's like working with Vina Morales, Gladys Reyes in 'Cruz vs. Cruz'
Lexi Gonzales and Kristoffer Martin are all praises for their "Cruz vs. Cruz" co-stars Vina Morales and Gladys Reyes. The Sparkle stars guested in "Fast Talk with Boy Abunda" Tuesday where they talked about what it's like working with the two veteran actresses. Kris and Lexi play Jeff and Andrea, the children of Vina's character, Felma. According to Kristoffer, he thought he would be intimidated working with Vina. "Pero hindi, storycon pa lang namin, sobrang approachable po, walang wall," he said. "Siya pa 'yung makikipagusap sa 'yo," he said. "Tapos nanay pa namin, so hindi kami nahirapan. Day one po namin sa taping, hindi kami nahirapan," he added. While Kristoffer has worked with Gladys before, Lexi, for her part, had only been with the veteran actress in their promos for the show. "Si Ms Gladys, sa promos pa lang namin siya nakakasama so for, and other stuff including the show. Wala pa kaming eksena together pero lahat mababait sa set," she said. The two also told Tito Boy that they have not been slapped by Gladys yet. "Nag-r-ready pa lang kami, wino-work out ko pa lang 'yung face ko," Lexi quipped "Ako, iniiwas ko na po 'yung character ko sa character niya. Ako na 'yung nag-a-adjust, hindi ko binabanggit 'yung pangalan," Kristoffer added in jest. "Cruz vs. Cruz" follows the story of the two families of Manuel Cruz (Neil Ryan Sese). He leaves his original family -- Felma and their children --in the Philippines to work abroad and provide for them. However, while there, he meets a woman, Hazel (Gladys), who lures him to marry her after she gets pregnant. "Cruz vs. Cruz" is directed by Gil Tejada and premiered on GMA Afternoon Prime on Monday. Catch it on weekdays at 3:20 p.m. —CDC, GMA Integrated News
Leader Live
2 days ago
- Leader Live
Mother jailed for killing baby daughter during first Covid lockdown
Melissa Wilband, 28, caused traumatic brain injuries to Lexi Wilband as she bathed her at their home in Newent, Gloucestershire, on Easter Sunday 2020. Bristol Crown Court heard tests showed Lexi died following bleeding on her brain, likely caused by being violently shaken, both recently and on at least one earlier occasion. She died at Bristol Children's Hospital, with a nurse holding her hand, on April 18 – six days after her collapse. Wilband was found guilty of manslaughter earlier this year following a trial. Her former partner, Jack Wheeler, 31, was acquitted of causing or allowing Lexi's death. Mr Wheeler had also been charged with Lexi's manslaughter but this was formally withdrawn during the trial after prosecutors offered no evidence against him. Jailing Wilband, Mr Justice Saini said he was satisfied she had caused the fatal injuries to Lexi by 'violently' shaking her. 'Lexi was about four-months-old when she died. She was a healthy baby. It is important that we recognise this is about her life being taken,' he said. 'Lexi was killed by you when the country was in the first national Covid-19 lockdown. 'Your shaking of Lexi led to severe bleeding in her brain. I am sure, on the evidence, that Lexi had been shaken by you in another, less violent incident before that Easter Sunday. 'Only you will know why you acted in the way you did. 'It is hard to imagine the pain that Lexi must have suffered both from the past violence and the violence that led to her death. She would have cried out in anguish.' During the trial, jurors were told that Wilband and Mr Wheeler were in a relationship for about three years, but that Lexi was conceived with another man in early 2019. But Wilband told Mr Wheeler, of Ledbury, Herefordshire, that he was the baby's biological father and presented him with a fake DNA certificate that claimed he was '100%' the 'farther' of her then-unborn child. A genuine DNA test after Lexi's birth in November 2019 confirmed that Mr Wheeler was not biologically related to her, but he remained with Wilband and brought up Lexi as if she were his own child. Jurors heard how Wilband, who had a volatile relationship with Mr Wheeler, took cocaine six days after Lexi was born. After Lexi collapsed, Wilband made a 111 call from the new-build council house where she lived with Mr Wheeler and Lexi. She claimed Lexi had stopped breathing while in her bouncer chair. Lexi was taken to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital and was intubated, with Wilband asked if she would like to hold her baby before the procedure took place. She declined to do so. The infant was then transferred to Bristol Children's Hospital, where Wilband told medics that Mr Wheeler had been carrying Lexi in her bouncer chair and was swinging it. A decision was made to switch off Lexi's ventilator on April 17, following the results of an MRI scan. Jane Osborne KC, prosecuting, said Wilband was aware that her baby might die through the night but did not stay at her bedside. 'A staff nurse held Lexi's hand through the night and remained with her,' Ms Osborne said. 'She arrived just after Lexi had ceased to show any signs of life and had stopped breathing.' A post-mortem examination gave Lexi's cause of death as bleeding to the brain, caused by a non-accidental traumatic event such as shaking. Giving evidence, Wilband denied ever shaking Lexi and said she had a 'bad wrist' that meant she was physically unable to shake her, and sought to blame her partner. In a victim impact statement, Mr Wheeler's mother Donnah Davies and father Paul Wheeler said they knew Lexi was not their biological granddaughter 'but it made no difference to us'. 'She was a beautiful little baby girl and we loved her,' they said. 'I can say that Lexi's death is something that Paul and I will carry with us for the rest of our lives.' David Aubrey KC, defending, said Wilband was immature for her age and had been diagnosed with ADHD. 'The sentencing guidelines recognises that age and or lack of maturity can impact the offender's responsibility and can reduce the sentence,' he said. 'This happened at the time of the Covid-19 pandemic and the defendant found that before she had the support of her family she was now in effect alone and had to cope with the stresses she was facing at the time. 'The lack of support that was taken from her and dealing with things alone is something for the court to have proper regard to.' Speaking afterwards, Ann Hampshire, from the CPS, said Wilband had not shown any remorse for her actions. 'Lexi's life was tragically cut short by someone who should have loved and cared for her – her own mother,' she said. 'Everyone who has been involved in this case has been deeply moved by the tragic circumstances of Lexi's death. 'Every professional she's spoken to – the Probation Service, the psychologist – she's maintained her denial and stated she wants to appeal.'
