Latest news with #MichaelHammer
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Armie Hammer's father's bizarre dying wish involving Tom Cruise is finally revealed 3 years after his death
Armie Hammer 's oil tycoon father Michael Hammer died of cancer in late 2022. But before the 67-year-old succumbed to the disease, he made his dying wish known — and it involves Hollywood heavyweight Tom Cruise. The patriarch reportedly had the 62-year-old Mission: Impossible star as one of his top two choices to to portray him in a feature film about his infamous early 2000s art scandal. Per Page Six, director Barry Avrich — who helmed the 2021 Netflix documentary Made You Look — said the late gallery owner was also open to his 38-year-old disgraced son playing him. 'We were, and still are, shopping the scripted version… and [Michael] felt he should be played by either Tom Cruise or Armie, his son. He offered to introduce me to both,' Avrich revealed. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. The report that Cruise was one of Hammer's top choices arrives as the actor's new film Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning has been swamped for two weeks in a row by Disney's live-action remake of Lilo & Stitch. Despite that, the stunt-heavy film had the best debut for the series to date and has blasted past the $350 million benchmark at the global box office. The filmmaker Avrich is gearing up to release a book about the art forgery scandal, titled The Devil Wears Rothko, on June 10. Michael was the owner of Manhattan-based Knoedler Gallery, which shuttered in 2011 after being accused of selling millions in counterfeit art pieces. A Mark Rothko painting sold for over $17 million in 2004, but it was later found to have been forged. The gallery had been Manhattan's oldest exhibition space. Knoedler & Co. would eventually confess to unwittingly selling 31 phony pieces, including art by Rothko and Jackson Pollock. Former gallery director Ann Freedman had previously procured the expensive works from a dealer named Glafira Rosales. Avrich said he sees 75-year-old Meryl Streep depicting Freedman if the movie comes to fruition. Fake art schemes are still an issue in the art world — Barry recalled that 'a prominent Chelsea Gallery' offered to host his book launch party, but withdrew the invitation after learning the book's title. 'The gallery director saw the book title and said they have not been immune in dealing with fakes,' he dished to Page Six. Aside from Armie, Michael is survived by his wife Misty and younger son Viktor, 36. He also left behind ex-wife Dru Ann Mobley, Armie and Viktor's mother. The pair divorced in 2012 after 27 years of marriage. Best known for his ties to family firm Occidental Petroleum, Michael reportedly inherited a $40 million fortune from his late grandfather, industrialist Armand Hammer, who ran the company until his death in 1990. His death came just months after Armie — once among Hollywood's A-list elite until a cannibalism scandal unraveled his career — traveled back to Los Angeles from the Cayman Islands, where he was spotted selling timeshares at a resort amid his fall from grace. Armie now hosts the Armie HammerTime Podcast, where he 'sits down with extraordinary people from all walks of life as he rebuilds his own.'
Al Jazeera
4 days ago
- Business
- Al Jazeera
‘Unfriendly and meddling': Cuba reprimands US diplomat amid rising tensions
Cuba's Foreign Ministry has issued a statement of protest against the head of the United States mission to the island, Michael Hammer. In a news release published on Friday, the Foreign Ministry accused Hammer, a career diplomat, of 'unfriendly and meddling behaviour' since his arrival to Cuba in late 2024. 'By inciting Cuban citizens to commit extremely serious criminal acts, attacking the constitutional order, or encouraging them to act against the authorities or demonstrate in support of the interests and objectives of a hostile foreign power, the diplomat is engaging in provocative and irresponsible conduct,' the Foreign Ministry wrote. 'The immunity he enjoys as a representative of his country cannot be used as cover for acts contrary to the sovereignty and internal order of the country to which he is assigned, in this case Cuba.' The Foreign Ministry said the message was delivered by its director of bilateral affairs with the US, Alejandro Garcia del Toro. Friday's statement is the latest indication of increasingly rocky relations between Cuba and the US, particularly since President Donald Trump began his second term in January. Diplomatic ties between the two countries, however, have been icy for decades, stretching back to the Cold War in the 1960s. After the Cuban Revolution of 1959, the US government imposed strict trade restrictions on the island and backed efforts to topple the newly established Communist government. But there have been efforts to ease the tensions, notably during the administrations of Democratic presidents like Barack Obama and Joe Biden in the US. In 2016, for instance, Obama sought to normalise relations with Cuba, only to see those efforts rolled back during the first Trump administration, starting in 2017. Likewise, President Biden — who formerly served as Obama's vice president — removed Cuba from the US's list of 'state sponsors of terrorism' in the waning days of his term in January. But upon taking office for his second time on January 20, Trump reversed course once more, putting Cuba back on the list that very same day. Trump also included in his presidential cabinet several officials who have taken a hardline stance towards Cuba, most notably former Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Born to Cuban immigrants, Rubio is an outspoken supporter of continuing the trade embargo against the island. The Cuban government, meanwhile, has continued to accuse the US of attempting to destabilise its leadership. In Friday's statement, the Cuban Foreign Ministry accused Hammer of 'public and insulting manipulation' for his recent visit to the tomb of a 19th-century national hero, Jose Marti. The US Embassy to Cuba posted a video of the visit with a voiceover of Marti's words, 'Respect for the freedom and thoughts of others, even of the most unhappy kind, is my passion: If I die or am killed, it will be for that.' Critics have interpreted that citation as an implied endorsement of dissent on the island. In recent months, there have also been signs that Trump plans to once again tighten the screws on the Cuban government, in a return to the 'maximum pressure' campaigns that typified foreign policy during his first term. In February, for instance, the Trump administration announced it would yank visas from anyone who works with Cuba's medical system, which sends thousands of healthcare workers abroad each year, particularly in the Caribbean region. Critics have criticised the healthcare programme for its low pay and hefty restrictions on its employees. Trump and Rubio, meanwhile, have claimed the medical system amounts to a form of 'forced labour' that enriches the Cuban government. But leaders in Havana have denied that allegation. Then, in April, the US government condemned Cuba for re-arresting a group of dissidents, among them prominent figures like Jose Daniel Ferrer and Felix Navarro. Cuba had initially agreed to release Ferrer and Navarro as part of a bargain brokered by the Vatican earlier this year. Cuba was expected to release 553 prisoners, many of whom were swept up in anti-government protests, and in exchange, the US was supposed to ease its sanctions against the island. The sanctions relief, however, never came. An additional measure was taken against Cuba just this month. The State Department, under Rubio's direction, determined that 'Cuba did not fully cooperate with U.S. counterterrorism efforts in 2024'. It accused Cuba of harbouring 11 fugitives, some of whom faced terrorism-related charges in the US. 'The Cuban regime made clear it was not willing to discuss their return to face justice in our nation,' the State Department wrote in a news release. 'The United States will continue to promote international cooperation on counterterrorism issues. We also continue to promote accountability for countries that do not stand against terrorism.' As punishment, Cuba was labelled as a 'not fully cooperating country' under the Arms Export Control Act, a designation that limits its ability to purchase weaponry and other defence tools from the US. Furthermore, Hammer had recently signalled that new sanctions were on the way for the island. But in the face of Friday's reprimand, the US. State Department indicated it was undeterred and would continue to support dissidents against Cuba's 'malign influence'.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Crowds changing course due to low water levels at Cheney
EL DORADO, Kan. (KSNW) — Several thousand people are expected at El Dorado State Park this weekend. Boating is a big draw ahead of Memorial Day. A park ranger tells KSN what he's doing to keep people safe on the water and why El Dorado State Park is so popular. Right now at Cheney Lake, the water level is just under 8 feet below normal. Several campers KSN spoke to say it's the reason they go to El Dorado State Park. Showers and storms through the holiday weekend With Cheney's level so low, Park Ranger Michael Hammer says he's expecting a lot more people. 'I know the game wardens are planning on doing water patrol tomorrow, … Sunday and Monday as well,' said Hammer. Many residents like Paige Green from Derby, who come from all over south central Kansas, are at the park already. 'We camp out here pretty regularly on holiday weekends, said Paige. 'We have a boat out here, all of our friends are out here, so it's just a good place to hang out.' For some, being out on the water is a tradition. 'We've been doing this a long time, it's a tradition that our parents started,' said Paige. 'Our parents have been doing this since we were little,' said Chase Green. Lake goers like Chase and Paige, who usually go to Cheney, are changing course. 'We live about two and a half miles from Cheney reservoir, so the lake's pretty low and their reservoir is pretty low, and we come out here just because we enjoy the environment, and the lake is a little higher,' said Greg Metzen. Hammer says the trend for people coming to El Dorado came early. 'It already kind of started at the end of last season. I've talked to campers, and they would say that they were normally out of Cheney this time of year, but with it being so low, they decided to come out here instead,' said Hammer. Many lake goers are ready for a safe and fun holiday weekend. 'Anybody that takes any kind of boating class would be, you know, told that so and they do have the Department of Wildlife and Parks people that come out and patrol that out here in El Dorado, which makes you feel a little safer,' said Metzen. The park ranger says law enforcement will step up patrols in and around the campgrounds. He urges parents to make sure their little ones are paying attention to the streets and looking both ways, as campers can get big, which can cause low visibility between them. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
