Latest news with #MissUSA
San Francisco Chronicle
3 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Man charged in the killings of an 'American Idol' exec and her husband called 911 afterward, DA says
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The man accused of killing an 'American Idol' executive and her husband used the couple's gun to kill them and later called the police, authorities allege. Los Angeles police previously said they responded to a 911 call about a burglary that afternoon, July 10, but left after finding 'no signs of forced entry or trouble.' Officers found the bodies of Robin Kaye and Thomas Deluca four days later at their home in the Encino neighborhood of Los Angeles while carrying out a welfare check. They had been shot to death. During a town hall meeting Monday, Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman told concerned residents that the man charged in the killings, Raymond Boodarian, made the initial 911 call, ABC7 reported. He said Boodarian used a gun registered to one of the victims in the attack, which authorities believe happened when they arrived home unexpectedly while he was burglarizing the place. Boodarian, 22, was arrested the day after the bodies were found. His lawyer, Brad Siegel, didn't immediately respond to an Associated Press voicemail Tuesday seeking comment. Kaye had been with 'American Idol,' the hit singing competition TV series, for more than 15 years and was working on the upcoming season at the time of her death. She had also worked in the music departments of several other productions, including 'The Singing Bee,' 'Hollywood Game Night,' 'Lip Sync Battle,' and several Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants.
Associated Press
3 hours ago
- Associated Press
Man charged in the killings of an 'American Idol' exec and her husband called 911 afterward, DA says
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The man accused of killing an 'American Idol' executive and her husband used the couple's gun to kill them and later called the police, authorities allege. Los Angeles police previously said they responded to a 911 call about a burglary that afternoon, July 10, but left after finding 'no signs of forced entry or trouble.' Officers found the bodies of Robin Kaye and Thomas Deluca four days later at their home in the Encino neighborhood of Los Angeles while carrying out a welfare check. They had been shot to death. During a town hall meeting Monday, Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman told concerned residents that the man charged in the killings, Raymond Boodarian, made the initial 911 call, ABC7 reported. He said Boodarian used a gun registered to one of the victims in the attack, which authorities believe happened when they arrived home unexpectedly while he was burglarizing the place. Boodarian, 22, was arrested the day after the bodies were found. His lawyer, Brad Siegel, didn't immediately respond to an Associated Press voicemail Tuesday seeking comment. Kaye had been with 'American Idol,' the hit singing competition TV series, for more than 15 years and was working on the upcoming season at the time of her death. She had also worked in the music departments of several other productions, including 'The Singing Bee,' 'Hollywood Game Night,' 'Lip Sync Battle,' and several Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants.
Newsweek
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Rosie O'Donnell Blasts Trump Over Colbert Show Cancellation
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Comedian Rosie O'Donnell launched a scathing attack against Donald Trump in a TikTok post on Friday, claiming the president will "arrest every artist that disagrees with him" following CBS's announcement that The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will end in 2026. O'Donnell, a staunch critic of the president who moved to Ireland after Trump's 2024 election victory, accused him of orchestrating Colbert's cancellation as part of a broader effort to silence opposition voices. However, in a statement CBS said the cancellation was due to "financial reasons." Newsweek has reached out to the White House via email on Saturday for comment. Why It Matters O'Donnell's allegations come amid Trump's unprecedented threat to revoke her U.S. citizenship, marking a significant escalation in their nearly two-decade feud that began in 2006 when O'Donnell criticized Trump's moral character during his Miss USA pageant ownership and as recently in conversation with the Irish prime minister while in the Oval Office. Trump wrote on Truth Social last Saturday that he is giving "serious consideration" to taking away the comedian's citizenship, stating she "is not in the best interests of our Great Country." What To Know Earlier this week, CBS announced that Colbert's popular late-night show would end in May 2026 after years of hosting one of television's most politically charged programs. The timing has sparked speculation among fans who view the cancellation through the lens of Paramount's pending merger and the company's recent settlement of a lawsuit with Trump over a 60 Minutes report. Trump accused 60 Minutes of editing its interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee in last year's presidential election, in a "deceitful" way, which the program denied. In a statement on Thursday, the network dismissed speculation and said the late-night talk show was being canceled for financial reasons. Those reasons are associated with Paramount's proposed merger with Skydance Media, which requires Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approval under the Trump administration. Paramount is the parent company of CBS. In response to the Late Show's cancelation, Trump wrote on Truth Social on Friday: "I absolutely love that Colbert' got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings. I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next. Has even less talent than Colbert! Greg Gutfeld is better than all of them combined, including the Moron on NBC who ruined the once great Tonight Show." Last Monday, Colbert called out Paramount over its $16 million settlement with Trump during the show. "While I was on vacation, my parent corporation Paramount paid Donald Trump a $16 million settlement over his 60 Minutes lawsuit," Colbert said in a monologue on The Late Show. "As someone who has always been a proud employee of this network, I am offended, and I don't know if anything will ever repair my trust in this company. But just taking a stab at it, I'd say $16 million would help." O'Donnell's nearly 10-minute TikTok post also included unsubstantiated claims about Trump's mental and physical health, calling him "mentally incapacitated" and alleging he suffers from dementia. She framed Colbert's cancellation as part of systematic silencing of Trump critics, comparing immigration enforcement to "his own personal Gestapo." Trump, who is 79 years old and is the oldest person to serve a second term, has faced intensifying scrutiny over his age and cognitive fitness. Although, his physician declared him "fully fit" after a comprehensive physical that included a perfect score on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, the White House announced on Thursday that he had been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency (CVI). Comedian Rosie O'Donnell addresses a protest against President Donald Trump in front of the White House in Washington, D.C., on August 6, 2018. Comedian Rosie O'Donnell addresses a protest against President Donald Trump in front of the White House in Washington, D.C., on August 6, 2018. NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty Images What People Are Saying Rosie O'Donnell via TikTok on Friday: "I think Americans should stand up and say, no way. You're not going to silence us. You don't have the right to silence us. You never did. And you never will. We, the people, have the right to speak up against atrocities, which are happening on a daily basis, ICE, his own personal Gestapo—what will it take, America? What will take? He's gonna arrest every artist that disagrees with him and pretty much every artist does. Whether or not they're brave enough to say it is another thing." She added: "How long do all of the voices against this horrific administration have in terms of their careers and ability to make money? Because this madman, this mentally incapacitated, physically ill, mentally ill man is spiraling out of control." President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social last Saturday: "Because of the fact that Rosie O'Donnell is not in the best interests of our Great Country, I am giving serious consideration to taking away her Citizenship. She is a Threat to Humanity, and should remain in the wonderful Country of Ireland, if they want her. GOD BLESS AMERICA!" Stephen Colbert reacted to The Late Show's cancellation during Thursday's episode: "Before we start the show, I want to let you know something that I found out just last night. Next year will be our last season. The network will be ending The Late Show in May," he said as the audience booed. "Yeah, I share your feelings. It's not just the end of our show, but it's the end of The Late Show on CBS. I'm not being replaced, this is all just going away, and I do want to say that the folks at CBS have been great partners. I'm so grateful to the Tiffany Network for giving me this chair and this beautiful theater to call home. And of course I'm grateful to you, the audience, who have joined us every night." What Happens Next The Late Show's conclusion will mark the end of an era for political late-night television, though CBS has not announced replacement programming. O'Donnell's citizenship status remains unchanged despite Trump's threats, as presidential powers to revoke citizenship are constitutionally limited and face significant legal challenges.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Tiaras, tans and trauma: How reality TV — and real life — turned into a beauty pageant
Pageant contestants have to mine their deepest tragedies and look perfect doing it. So does everyone else. A woman in a glittering pink evening gown saunters onto a platform. She looks impeccable: Her lashes are long, and her heels are high. Her shiny brown hair is pulled back into a demure updo. Her confidence is on display in her walk, and when she's announced as the winner, joy overtakes her face, erupting into a dazzling white smile. Amaya 'Papaya' Espinal, a 25-year-old nurse from the Bronx, just won Love Island USA Season 7. She's not a pageant queen, but she might as well be. Beauty pageants are more symbolic than actually watched these days. Their viewership has declined since their height of popularity in the 1960s. The 2024 Miss America pageant, which was not televised and only available on streaming, was slammed by viewers for appearing 'low budget,' and Miss USA 2024 viewership numbers on the CW dropped 28% from the previous year. Still, the iconography of a gorgeous woman competing with others for a tiara and sash remains influential. We all know a beauty queen when we see one. Pageantry has just taken on a new form. Women prepare all year and all their lives to go on shows like Love Island now. They have demanding fitness routines, constant hair and skin maintenance, not to mention all the sprays, needles and lasers necessary to look perfectly smooth on camera. It's like taking on a second job to spend an uncertain amount of time in the spotlight. 'Though pageant culture is declining … reality TV has supplanted [pageants] as an opportunity to be seen and compete, and for our culture to see beautiful young women in swimsuits,' director Penny Lane, whose four-part docuseries Mrs. America premiered at Tribeca Festival in June, tells Yahoo. Lane and her documentary team followed contestants competing to win the crown at the pageant for married women 18 and older, which the film is named after. She was drawn to Mrs. America in particular because it felt 'rebellious' compared to most other pageants, which exclude women who aren't young and unmarried. For example, Miss America, the country's most popular pageant, requires contestants to be single, childless and under the age of 28. 'If you think of it this way, that means older married women are not interesting to the beauty pageant world … only those who are sexually available,' Lane says. 'If you're a woman, you're expected to spend your entire life killing yourself to look hot ... it's considered by many to be a virtue — the effort to present a beautiful exterior to the world.' Physical attractiveness is only half of your score in a pageant. The other half comes from how well women are able to package their life stories into quick interviews with judges and answer an off-the-cuff question onstage. 'You have to quickly mine your deepest trauma — not always, but generally — then package it up to have a happy ending and a call to action to demonstrate that this thing you went through was worth it because it's now who you are,' Lane says. You have to do that to get a good arc on reality TV, as well — and in modern life. 'Contestant energy' Former pageant contestants say the demands of pageantry aren't necessarily bad. They teach self-confidence and poise. Laura J. Kaminer has been in the pageantry circuit for 33 years, 10 of which she spent actively competing. In 2003, she won Mrs. South Carolina United States. She's now a pageant emcee, and her husband judges them. 'My parents were interested in grooming me for life by teaching me etiquette, poise and instilling self-confidence. I took modeling classes, which taught us things like how to walk, interview skills, basic manners and more,' she says. 'Pageants were sort of like the 'recitals' of modeling and manners class.' Kaminer sees the 'DNA of pageantry' all over pop culture, from the 'contestant energy' people have on reality TV to the way people brand themselves on social media. 'The ability to have a stage presence, work a room and communicate publicly are all skills seen in traditional pageantry,' she says. 'Shows like The Bachelor and other reality series have a pageant-like structure: Appearance, interviews, elimination rounds and even crowns. Pageantry has simply been rebranded. Even as elements of pageantry are put more obviously on display in reality TV, the competitions themselves are evolving too. Megan Celestini, who won Ms. Woman Florida United States in 2017, tells Yahoo that pageantry is not just about how you walk and talk on stage anymore. 'Organizations, and even the judges in your interviews, are looking for you to translate your story into something compelling, visual and authentic that resonates with others,' she says. 'Many of them seemingly now prioritize contestants who can maintain a social media presence, recruit new participants and connect with brands — all while staying current with cultural trends in beauty, fashion and digital storytelling. I've even had judges directly ask me how many followers I have on social media.' She noted that Nia Sanchez, who stars in the reality show The Valley, was first Miss USA. Taylor Hale, a former Miss Michigan USA, appeared on CBS's Big Brother. Hannah Brown, Caelynn Bell (née Miller-Keyes) and Hannah Ann Sluss are all pageant veterans who made their mark on Bachelor Nation. The lines between entertainment, pageantry and social media are more blurred than ever, so to win at any of them, you'll need to blend them all. But some say pageantry's reach is even more visible than on television; it's become ingrained in the way we interact with one another every day. Marie Nicola, a pop culture historian, is also a former beauty pageant contestant. She was a pageant coach after she stopped competing, before appearing on reality TV shows. She has a different perspective. 'I don't think that it's that pageantry has taken over popular culture — more so than we now live in a hypervisible society. Hypervisibility has absorbed the demands of pageantry, in particular the pageant-like behaviours [like] polish, performance, public storytelling without any of the structure, ritual or reward of pageants,' she says. Competing to be seen Pageant skills are tools for survival. In a way, we're all just competing to be seen. Influencers with pageant backgrounds demonstrate this daily. Nicola sees this in Jordon Hudson, a Miss Maine USA runner-up who made a name for herself as football coach Bill Belichick's girlfriend and 'creative muse.' She carries herself with the same calm they teach in titleholder training. Hannah Neeleman, a Mrs. America winner and Ms. World competitor known to her millions of followers online as Ballerina Farm, channels her mastery of femininity and aesthetics into her posts. 'This isn't about competition in the traditional sense — it's about the cultural pressure to curate your identity before someone else defines it for you, or worse, claims your curated identity for themselves,' Nicola says. 'It's not the judging that matters now, it's the potential to be judged at all times. The camera might not be rolling, but the audience is still there. The discipline, narrative control and self-presentation that pageantry once required is now a baseline for public life.' Mike Fahey is a judge in the Miss USA system. He knows we're all being judged all the time online. 'More and more, we are asked to curate our own appearances, not just in the flesh but also as spectral selves,' he tells Yahoo. 'It's always been a contest between the real you and the you that you kind of almost are. To see well, in the flesh or as an apparition on a screen, is to be well-seen.' Love Island USA winner Espinal is the reigning queen of reality TV, having won the summer's biggest 'pageant.' She's now returning home to a new stage as a TV star and an influencer, having gained 2.9 million Instagram followers in the last month, according to social media data website Social Blade. Though she might hold the crown, everyone on TV, social media and in real life is presenting and posturing all the time. It's less of an indication that pageantry is seeping into pop culture, and more of a revelation of what our culture truly values: appearances. 'It's all about presentation. It's all about being a good little pageant girl,' Fahey says. 'We regard the sort of person who can distill that way of living to a few well-chosen, well-put words as the sort of winner we want to be. And, more creepily, the sort of winner we also want to emulate. That trend didn't originate with pageants, but they certainly helped practice it.' Solve the daily Crossword
Gulf Today
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Gulf Today
'American Idol' music supervisor and husband both found dead at LA home
An "American Idol' music supervisor and her husband were both found dead in their Los Angeles home Monday afternoon. Officers were conducting a welfare check at a home in the Encino neighbourhood when they found the bodies of a man and woman with gunshot wounds. An "American Idol' spokesperson confirmed the deaths of Robin Kaye and her husband, Thomas Deluca, both 70. The couple owned their home, according to public records. "Robin has been a cornerstone of the Idol family since 2009 and was truly loved and respected by all who came in contact with her,' an "American Idol' spokesperson said in a statement. "Robin will remain in our hearts forever and we share our deepest sympathy with her family and friends during this difficult time.' Los Angeles police said Tuesday afternoon they arrested 22-year-old Raymond Boodarian in connection with the couple's deaths. Boodarian was allegedly burglarizing their home while the couple was away July 10. He is accused of shooting and killing Kaye and her husband when they returned and then fleeing on foot. Boodarian has not yet been assigned a public defender and could not be reached for comment. Police responded that same afternoon to reports of a burglary at the Encino home, but said in a press release there were "no signs of forced entry or trouble.' Kaye, an industry veteran, has also worked in the music departments of several other productions such as "The Singing Bee,' "Hollywood Game Night," "Lip Sync Battle,' and several Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants. Associated Press
