Latest news with #PoloLounge
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Cloobeck sues Villaraigosa over use of the phrase 'proven problem solver'
In an unusual twist in the governor's race, a wealthy Democratic businessman is suing former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa over the use of a common phrase in political campaigns. Stephen Cloobeck, a philanthropist and Democratic donor who made his fortune in real estate and hospitality, filed a lawsuit against Villaraigosa this week after the former mayor repeatedly described himself as a "proven problem solver" in campaign materials. Cloobeck, who has applied for a federal trademark of the phrase "I am a proven problem solver,' texted the federal lawsuit to Villaraigosa late Tuesday, though the former mayor has not been served yet. The lawsuit argues that Cloobeck has been using the phrase since March 2024, and that "it has acquired extensive goodwill, developed a high degree of distinctiveness, and become famous, well known, and recognized as identifying Cloobeck's campaign." "In light of the fame, acquired goodwill, and overall consumer recognition of [the phrase Cloobeck is seeking to patent, he] is very concerned that the public will likely be confused or mistakenly believe that Villaraigosa's campaign is endorsed, approved, sponsored by, or affiliated, connected, or associated with" Villaraigosa, the suit alleges. Cloobeck and Villaraigosa are two Democrats running in an increasingly crowded 2026 gubernatorial field to replace termed-out Gov. Gavin Newsom. Read more: Who is running for California governor in 2026? Meet the candidates Representatives for Villaraigosa were incredulous that a phrase that's used by politicians and elected officials across the nation would be the subject of litigation. "This is completely ludicrous. This lawsuit is a joke,' said Josh Pulliam, a strategist on the Villaraigosa gubernatorial campaign. 'Antonio launched his campaign on his record as a proven problem solver, and Cloobeck wants to prevent him from saying that? We think it's totally ridiculous and Trump-like tactics. Who knows what he's going to go after next?' Cloobeck said he sought to get Villaraigosa, who he has known for a quarter-century, to stop using the phrase and only filed the lawsuit after a lack of response to texts, phone calls and requests for a face-to-face meeting. "The response from them — or the lack of response from Antonio to me — is frankly offensive," he said, adding that they had lunch at the Polo Lounge in Beverly Hills six weeks ago. "You can be friends and have a business disagreement." Legal scholars said the lawsuit has little chance of success. 'The claim that this is a unique or distinctive phrase that could be trademarked is very difficult to succeed on. In the political context, people would want to tread even more carefully because you don't want to take phrases out of the political debate,' said Jessica Levinson, an election law professor at Loyola Law School. "This sounds more like a political tactic than a legal tactic," Levinson added. Get the L.A. Times Politics newsletter. Deeply reported insights into legislation, politics and policy from Sacramento, Washington and beyond, in your inbox twice per week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
01-05-2025
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
Cloobeck sues Villaraigosa over use of the phrase ‘proven problem solver'
In an unusual twist in the governor's race, a wealthy Democratic businessman is suing former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa over the use of a common phrase in political campaigns. Stephen Cloobeck, a philanthropist and Democratic donor who made his fortune in real estate and hospitality, filed a lawsuit against Villaraigosa this week after the former mayor repeatedly described himself as a 'proven problem solver' in campaign materials. Cloobeck, who has applied for a federal trademark of the phrase 'I am a proven problem solver,' texted the federal lawsuit to Villaraigosa late Tuesday, though the former mayor has not been served yet. The lawsuit argues that Cloobeck has been using the phrase since March 2024, and that 'it has acquired extensive goodwill, developed a high degree of distinctiveness, and become famous, well known, and recognized as identifying Cloobeck's campaign.' 'In light of the fame, acquired goodwill, and overall consumer recognition of [the phrase Cloobeck is seeking to patent, he] is very concerned that the public will likely be confused or mistakenly believe that Villaraigosa's campaign is endorsed, approved, sponsored by, or affiliated, connected, or associated with' Villaraigosa, the suit alleges. Cloobeck and Villaraigosa are two Democrats running in an increasingly crowded 2026 gubernatorial field to replace termed-out Gov. Gavin Newsom. Representatives for Villaraigosa were incredulous that a phrase that's used by politicians and elected officials across the nation would be the subject of litigation. 'This is completely ludicrous. This lawsuit is a joke,' said Josh Pulliam, a strategist on the Villaraigosa gubernatorial campaign. 'Antonio launched his campaign on his record as a proven problem solver, and Cloobeck wants to prevent him from saying that? We think it's totally ridiculous and Trump-like tactics. Who knows what he's going to go after next?' Cloobeck said he sought to get Villaraigosa, who he has known for a quarter-century, to stop using the phrase and only filed the lawsuit after a lack of response to texts, phone calls and requests for a face-to-face meeting. 'The response from them — or the lack of response from Antonio to me — is frankly offensive,' he said, adding that they had lunch at the Polo Lounge in Beverly Hills six weeks ago. 'You can be friends and have a business disagreement.' Legal scholars said the lawsuit has little chance of success. 'The claim that this is a unique or distinctive phrase that could be trademarked is very difficult to succeed on. In the political context, people would want to tread even more carefully because you don't want to take phrases out of the political debate,' said Jessica Levinson, an election law professor at Loyola Law School. 'This sounds more like a political tactic than a legal tactic,' Levinson added.
Los Angeles Times
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
‘Star Wars' has always been a family saga. For ‘Andor,' Tony Gilroy tapped his brothers
Brothers and filmmakers Tony, Dan and John Gilroy credit their late mother for their creative drive. Growing up in upstate New York, they were kept busy at home by their mother, Ruth, with a variety of activities that included crocheting, knitting, doing embroidery, building walls, planting trees and even beekeeping. They described her as curious, adventurous, creative, 'the smartest of all of us' and someone who was 'always trying something new.' 'Our mother was the person who made everything in her house and who taught us how to make everything,' says Tony Gilroy, the creator and executive producer of the Disney+ series 'Andor.' 'I don't even remember when the satisfaction of making things wasn't part of [us]. I'm not happy if I'm not making something.' 'I think that's much more about the fabric of who we are and what we do, and why we get along and why we keep doing what we do than anything else that [our father] Frank had to say,' he adds. So it's no coincidence that one of the most significant characters introduced in 'Andor' has been a resourceful mother whose strength of spirit and sense of justice helps spark the flames of resistance against the oppressive Empire. The Gilroys latest collaboration — set in a galaxy far, far away — is perhaps the biggest thing the they have made together so far. A prequel series of a prequel spinoff film of an ever expanding franchise, 'Andor' follows Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) and other key figures on both side of the nascent war during the formative years of the Rebel Alliance. The second and final season, premiering Tuesday, will lead directly into the events of the 2016 film 'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.' The first season of the gritty, grounded spy thriller, which launched in 2022, was hailed by critics and audiences for its mature storytelling and political themes. Among Andor's accolades were eight Emmy nominations and a Peabody Award. 'This show has … all the stuff that I did when I was a kid, but for real,' says Tony Gilroy, who broke into the 'Star Wars' franchise as a co-writer for 'Rogue One' before being tapped as 'Andor's' showrunner. John Gilroy joined him on the show as an editor and also served as an executive producer for Season 2 (after also editing on 'Rogue One'). Tony tapped Dan Gilroy, who wrote Episodes 4 through 6 of the first season as well as Episodes 7 through 9 of the second, even before officially convening the writers room. It's far from the first time the brothers have worked together. John Gilroy was the editor on both his brothers' directorial debuts — 'Michael Clayton' (2007) for Tony Gilroy and 'Nightcrawler' (2014) for Dan Gilroy — as well as other subsequent films; the trio worked together on 'The Bourne Legacy' (2012). But, as Tony Gilroy explains, they're 'always kind of working together.' Over drinks in a curved booth at the Polo Lounge on a March afternoon, the Gilroy brothers reminisced about the roundabout way they all wound up in the family business: Hollywood. Their father, Frank D. Gilroy, was an award winning playwright, known for 'The Subject Was Roses,' who also wrote for television and film. Among their memories growing up is how their father would come out to Los Angeles for months at a time, living and working out of hotels as he tried to land gigs or put movies together. Dan and John Gilroy also remember staying with him at the Beverly Hills Hotel for a couple of weeks during one of these trips while he was working on the 1976 film 'From Noon Till Three,' starring Charles Bronson and Jill Ireland. Having this close-up view when they were younger 'demystified the job of being a writer,' says Dan Gilroy. 'It was watching my father go upstairs to his office and type away for eight or nine hours and then come downstairs. Or we didn't see him for two or three months.' However, none of the brothers had any interest in following in their father's footsteps. John Gilroy went to college thinking he would become a lawyer, only to eventually find himself in a cutting room as a film editor after he became interested in directing. Dan Gilroy worked as a journalist at the trade publication Variety, but eventually started screenwriting. Tony Gilroy, who was an aspiring musician, saw Dan get into screenwriting and thought he could do it, too. 'It's much more difficult than I had anticipated,' says Tony Gilroy of screenwriting. 'But during that time, [Dan and I] started writing together occasionally. Sometimes we would, sometimes we wouldn't, but we started as a team, sort of.' They joke about how their desire for separate paychecks led them to pursue their individual careers. But they still tend to show each other what they are working on, sending their earliest drafts for feedback. 'We trust each other very much creatively, and we do send each other our things,' Dan Gilroy says. 'At this point in our career, we're all so in tune creatively.' 'It's huge actually, to be able to pass around work like that to each other,' says John, of that level of trust. Exchanging honest feedback is one of the things that was instilled in them from their father, the Gilroys say. They also inherited his 'epic' work ethic. Still, Tony Gilroy admits that when he signed on for 'Andor,' he had no idea the amount of work that it would be. This is because just about everything mentioned in the script — objects, languages, customs, locations — need to be designed before they could be introduced. There was so much he had to figure out with production designer Luke Hull that Tony Gilroy says Hull deserves as much credit as anyone in the writers room. Season 2 will see Cassian and his adversaries and allies in new locations, including those that have been previously mentioned in 'Star Wars' lore but remained unseen. The world building for this 12-episode season, which is broken up into four 3-episode arcs, also included crafting new historic anthems and traditional ceremonies. 'You're making cultural ethnography' when working on 'Star Wars,' says Tony Gilroy. The stories within the 'Star Wars' franchise are also often a family affair. The core series of film trilogies center generations of Skywalkers and their legacies. 'Andor's' adventures started off with Cassian's search for his long lost sister, and also features the (troubled) family dynamics of a number of characters. In addition to the usual challenges that come with working on a TV show with the scale of 'Andor,' the project has faced additional obstacles during the production of both of its seasons. The first season of the show was delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which then required Tony Gilroy and his crew to pivot because of the new realities such as limited crowd sizes and travel when production finally moved forward. (Though, Gilroy credits COVID for saving the show because it prevented him from directing the initial episodes while trying to juggle all of his other responsibilities as showrunner.) For Season 2, the dual Hollywood strikes in 2023 meant the showrunner had to step away from the show for five months. While Tony Gilroy had finished working on the scripts before the WGA strike was called, all 12 episodes of the season were essentially shot without his presence. 'It was a spooky thing for everybody,' says John Gilroy, who Tony says helped 'build the show in the most fundamental way' with him. 'He normally weighs in on a lot of things. Now, everybody had to step up, but everybody knew their job from the from the season before.' When the strike was over, John Gilroy immediately delivered the rough cuts of all 12 episodes to Tony. He was confident that his brother would be happy with what he saw and that they 'didn't break his show.' 'I was really terrified to look at it,' says Tony Gilroy, but that soon dissipated. 'I binged it after two days, and I got to be able to watch the show in the most unusual way. … I'm not sure if I ever would have gotten there if I didn't have the freshness as an audience and gone, 'I'm confused here, I don't get that there.'' After generating what he estimates were around 200 pages of notes, he headed to London, where four cutting rooms were open with all of the directors and editors for what he describes as 'the most exciting two weeks ever, creatively.' While the Gilroys are mindful of spoilers, they do tease some of what's to come in Season 2. Dan Gilroy says he particularly enjoyed Mon Mothma's (Genevieve O'Reilly) arc and backstory — which is fitting because his episodes include a significant moment for the Chandrilan senator. Tony Gilroy teases how complicated Syril Karn's (Kyle Soller) story becomes as well as episodes exploring the events around the Ghorman massacre, a brutal clash between Imperial forces against peaceful protesters that led to the formal rise of the Rebel Alliance. 'Living with these characters for four and a half years was the most comfortable thing,' says John Gilroy. 'I never got bored. I'm in a dark room all the time by myself, mostly, and just spending time with those characters. They're my biggest hang. So I do love them.' Both John and Tony Gilroy credit their time on 'Rogue One' as helping to inform their approach to working on a 'Star Wars' project. 'I just knew that we were working on something a lot of people were counting on us to do a good job [on], and I've never felt that before,' says John Gilroy, adding he was immediately conscious of the built-in audience and sense of responsibility that came with working on the project. 'On 'Rogue' we learned how much people cared, and the depth of the passion,' adds Tony Gilroy. 'Sometimes it's scary, but mostly it's really beautiful. … We decided in the very beginning we're never going to mess with that. Our secret formula is, we are never going to wink, we're never going to joke, we're never going to be cynical. We're going to take it more seriously than anybody else ever did.' For them, this meant taking every opportunity to stay within and underscore 'Star Wars' canon and making sure to avoid things that undermined the story or doing things just for the sake of nostalgia. In 'Andor' Season 2, for example, audiences will learn the backstory behind an iconic line from 'Rogue One.' It's a callback to events fans will recognize that expands upon existing lore. (Tony Gilroy credits his son for bringing the opportunity to his attention.) And while Tony Gilroy is ready for his time on 'Andor' and in 'Star Wars' to be over, he does admit he misses it. 'I've been hiding out in this show for five years,' says Tony Gilroy. 'It was a really powerful drug to be in that because you're just creating s— from morning to night.' 'What a great place to get lost in,' adds Dan Gilroy.
Yahoo
02-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Mick Jagger, Demi Moore, Kim Kardashian and More Turn Out for Chanel and Charles Finch's Pre-Oscar Dinner
Chanel and Charles Finch have turned the night before the Oscars into one of the most anticipated of all awards season nights, thanks to their pre-Oscar dinner. Held at the Polo Lounge at the Beverly Hills Hotel, the annual affair — now in its 16th year — drew a mix of film stars, fashion folk, artists — and Jeff Bezos — out for a night of mingling. Several of this year's Oscar nominees came out, including Demi Moore (in Chanel shorts), Adrien Brody, Fernanda Torres, Ralph Fiennes, Colman Domingo, Felicity Jones, Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong. More from WWD 'Anora' Cast, Adrien Brody and More Attend Giorgio Armani's Pre-Oscar Party Demi Moore Models Chanel Tweed Short Suit at Pre-Oscar Dinner Kim Kardashian Nods to Two Vintage Chanel Looks at Pre-Oscar Dinner Chanel mainstays Lily-Rose Depp, Riley Keough, Phoebe Tonkin, Ava DuVernay and H.E.R. were in attendance, as were Mick Jagger, Lupita Nyong'o, Danielle Deadwyler, Elle Fanning, Dakota Fanning, Kim Kardashian, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Patrick Dempsey, Maude Apatow, Willem Dafoe, Molly Gordon, Rita Ora, Gayle King, Michael Keaton, Natasha Lyonne, Olivia Munn, John Mulaney, Olivia Wilde, Zoey Deutch and many more. The courtyard outside the Polo Lounge was lit with heat lamps and scattered with waiters bearing trays of skinny margaritas, as well as red and white wine. Fiennes was the first to arrive, in a crisp navy suit, and was somewhat charmingly handed a black wristband, which he gamely slipped on before heading to the bar. 'Do I look cute?' Odessa Young asked a photographer as she tried a few poses. Keough, dressed in a feathery white Chanel mini, was momentarily stumped when asked to describe the dress in one word. 'It's great, it's a great look,' Felicity Jones offered as she walked by. The Fanning sisters caught up with King as they waited for their moment on the carpet, each in a caped dress look. 'Always a treat, never a chore,' Lyonne quipped as she adjusted her leather jacket around her red curls before hopping in front of the cameras. She posed with boyfriend Bryn Mooser as Regé-Jean Page began his turn for photos. 'They're both my boyfriend,' she said, motioning between the two. Mulaney looked on from afar while Munn posed for photos. 'Oh good, the only two troublemakers in Hollywood,' Lyonne said as soon as she spotted them. Maude and Judd Apatow had a father-daughter moment, with Maude attempting to give Judd some guidance on how to button his jacket for photos. At an event filled with people accustomed to seeing the most famous of the famous, the arrival of Jagger still managed to cause a commotion. The legendary musician indulged the crowd for some photos before giving a little wave and heading off into the room with girlfriend Melanie Hamrick in tow. Kardashian, new to the Chanel party circuit, walked the step-and-repeat twice, so as to give her Claudia Schiffer-inspired hairstyle and archival look their proper due. Jeff Goldblum had a Chanel fashion moment in an oversize blazer and a lapel-full of camellias, while Miguel opted for tweed and a Chanel western ribbon tie. Toward the tail end of the cocktail hour, Finch gathered everyone's attention in the garden by standing atop a ledge and addressing the crowd. 'It is a difficult time, as you know, I'm prohibited [from] making long political speeches,' Finch said, before moving into safer territory. 'It's not about that tonight. It is about the greater movies that happen here and the great people that are here tonight. We have nominees, we have amazing filmmakers. The party started really many years ago, 30 years ago, when you were all children. And it was a night where we welcomed really independent filmmakers to come and have free food,' he said. 'Nothing has changed. My passion for cinema remains the same.' After cheers-ing (and one final pointed remark from the host: 'We will not give into tyranny'), it was time to find seats — and Finch took a fork to a plate to corral people as such. 'I didn't see you at Diane von Furstenberg,' a gentleman said by way of greeting to another guest. 'I don't go to day events,' came the reply. 'Are you here?' Elle Fanning asked Depp as she and Dakota slid over into their booth to make room for her. Those who skipped the cameras popped up at tables inside the restaurant: Al Pacino and his much-younger companion, who waved off photographers on the actor's behalf; Stan and his girlfriend Annabelle Wallis were late arrivals, and lingered outside deep in conversation with Dan Stevens; Leonardo DiCaprio materialized, black baseball hat on, taking a seat at a round table in the back, which he requested. The only pictures he took were for Brody's mother, who snapped a few of her son and DiCaprio on her iPhone. Launch Gallery: Chanel and Charles Finch 2025 Pre-Oscar Dinner at the Beverly Hills Hotel Best of WWD A Look Back at SAG Awards Best Dressed Red Carpet Stars SAG Awards Wildest Looks of All Time on the Red Carpet, Photos From the Archive: A Look Back at Marc Jacobs Annual Holiday Party [PHOTOS]
New York Times
02-03-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Celebrities Start Partying Before the Oscars and Keep Going All Weekend
The billionaire Jeff Bezos sat inside the Polo Lounge at the Beverly Hills Hotel on Saturday night with his fiancée, Lauren Sanchez, who carried a silver purse in the shape of a spaceship. Earlier that week Mr. Bezos, who owns The Washington Post, had made news for pushing the paper's opinion section to embrace 'personal liberties and free markets.' The section's editor resigned in response. If that was weighing on him, you'd never have known by the convivial rapport he shared with Kim Kardashian. Both were guests at a pre-Oscars dinner hosted by Chanel and Charles Finch. Ms. Kardashian used a metal fork to pry open a handbag that was roughly the size of an AirPods case. She removed a Ricola lozenge, popped it in her mouth and returned to her conversation with Mr. Bezos. The room's perimeter was reserved for entertainment royalty. Mick Jagger nudged pink cotton candy floss off his dessert sundae with a spoon. Al Pacino held court in one corner, leaning across the table for an animated discussion with Jeff Goldblum. In the days leading up to the Oscars, stars wound through an annual succession of events hosted by fashion labels and agencies eager to capitalize on Hollywood's biggest weekend. 'It's a fantasy, magical world,' the actress Lupita Nyong'o said. 'It's nice to escape into that sometimes.' Party hosts did not seem to agree on what level of escape their festivities should provide from the wildfires that had ravaged the Los Angeles area just months earlier. On social media Jean Smart and Stephen King had argued that it would be inappropriate for awards season to go on at all. United Talent Agency skipped its pre-Oscars party, instead opting to donate to three wildfire relief organizations, while CAA and WME forged ahead with theirs. So did the nonprofit organization Women in Film, which went on with its Friday night cocktail party despite the fact that its chief executive, Kirsten Schaffer, had lost her home in the Altadena fire. At a Spanish-style villa in West Hollywood, guests including Cynthia Erivo exchanged compliments over a charcuterie board the size of a foosball table. Giorgio Armani also hosted a party on Saturday at its cavernous boutique on Rodeo Drive. Adrien Brody, Samuel L. Jackson and Denis Villeneuve maneuvered around the tightly packed store, trying not to crash into glass display cases that housed spear-like pairs of stilettos. Inside the Polo Lounge, Mr. Goldblum said he wished that more awards shows were like the American Film Institute luncheon, which does not pick individual winners. 'In so many areas, there's competition-entertainment,' he said, 'and maybe it doesn't have to be.' Leonardo DiCaprio sneaked in late wearing a dark baseball cap. He plucked some French fries from his table, then took a puff from his vape and exhaled smoke in a diagonal plume. 'Ciao,' Mr. DiCaprio said to another attendee, making his way out of the party around 10 p.m. Other guests swarmed the party's many nominees, including Demi Moore, who brought her daughter Scout LaRue Willis, and Colman Domingo, who chatted on the patio with Mr. Brody, his competition for best actor. 'You guys are amazing,' Mr. Domingo told a group that included the best actress nominee Fernanda Torres. Ms. Torres said she considered her film, the Brazilian drama 'I'm Still Here,' a 'dark horse' for Sunday's ceremony. 'It's very tough to make people watch the movie,' she said, noting that its Portuguese had been a difficult sell for American viewers. Still, she had poured energy into evangelizing it: 'It's a film that moves people in a very special way.' By 10:30 p.m., plates of steak au poivre and chicken Parmesan had been cleared away by waiters in white jackets. One by one, Gayle King, Willem Dafoe and Michael Keaton filed out. A younger generation of guests, including Lily-Rose Depp and the sisters Elle and Dakota Fanning, stayed behind to chat in a courtyard full of cigarette smoke. As the evening wound down, the director Judd Apatow reflected on how his relationship to the Oscars had changed. The ceremony feels a lot like Disneyland, he said: The first few visits are thrilling. 'If you've been going for a very long time, it's still fun but it's not mind blowing,' he continued. 'You can tell that there's a guy inside the Mickey Mouse costume, and it feels a little less magical.' As the years go by, he said, 'you can tell that Mickey Mouse looks a little old, a little tired.'
