Latest news with #TheWiz
Daily Mail
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Warwick Capper's partner reveals the shattering moment over his son that proved the footy cult hero has a devastating health problem
Warwick Capper, once the flamboyant poster boy of the Sydney Swans, is confronting a far more sobering chapter in his life. Now 61, Capper's memory is fading, and his partner Lisa Arocca has shared the moment that brought everything crashing into focus. The pair were in an Uber on the Gold Coast when the driver asked who they were visiting. Capper replied, 'My son, Indiana.' Then the driver asked where Indiana lived. Capper paused, looked at Arocca and said, 'I can't remember.' In that moment, the man once known as 'The Wiz' realised something was wrong. 'Maybe I have got a problem,' he told her. For Arocca, it was devastating. 'This was bad because one thing Warwick had was a strong memory. He remembered everything,' she told News Corp. Now, Capper forgets names, repeats stories and at times can't follow his own train of thought. 'I can still remember most of the games. But sometimes I forget people's names,' he said. Capper has been through it all. football fame, nightclub tours and even ventures into politics and adult film. But now, the repeated stories and blank expressions suggest something far more serious than ageing. 'I started going downhill a bit I think about seven or eight years ago. I'm just not quite as switched on' he said. He now keeps notes in his phone to track each day. 'I write my whole day now, in my phone, so I don't forget,' Capper said. His speech is often disjointed. His behaviour has at times become erratic. And Capper was recently banned from AFL venues for six months for being 'rude to a girl' at the MCG. Capper, who is displaying the worrying symptoms of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), speaks openly of head knocks. 'I got knocked right out. Didn't know where I f***ing' was though,' he said. He reflects on the times when players were told to 'just give it a rub' and keep going. He's not alone. Capper lists friends like John Barnes, Greg Williams, and John Platten who are also suffering. 'He's the worst I've seen, he thinks he's Ron Barassi' he says of Platten. Capper tells those same stories repeatedly, often forgetting he's just told them. Despite undergoing cognitive tests through the AFL's concussion program, Capper says he was informally told his results were 'pretty bad.' But there's been no official diagnosis, no follow-up. 'Not great,' the examiner had said. Arocca notices the changes every day. She once asked him to leave bags of clothing in the hall to donate. An hour later, Capper threw them all in the bin. 'He had a blank look on his face,' she said. 'In spurts he is fine, and then he isn't.' Though many see his outlandish public persona, Arocca sees the gentle man behind it. 'He has a heart of gold,' she said. 'But I know he doesn't want to admit all this. It's really sad.' Capper is now on the path to becoming a grandfather. But the road to reconciliation with son Indiana has been rough. The pair once had a falling out, with Indiana accusing him of being 'a disgrace.' But today, they're back in touch. Capper's longtime manager, Peter Jess, is furious at how the AFL has treated him. 'They should have wrapped their arms around him and got him proper treatment,' Jess said. 'They're just waiting for these guys to fall off the perch.' Jess believes Capper's behaviour is a sign of frontal lobe damage. He's pushing for the AFL to fund an $8000 MEG scan for Capper. 'This is not the real Warwick,' he said. 'It's f***ing frightening.' Capper, meanwhile, isn't complaining about his decline just yet. 'I'm not in a wheelchair yet,' he said. He still works the pub circuit, still tells his stories, still flashes that same blond-haired bravado. But the sparkle is dimmer now. 'He's always been a bit radical,' Arocca said. 'But now it is a constant rollercoaster ride of being forgetful.' She's holding on, though. 'I just take it day by day.'
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Broadway Alumna and R&B Superstar Stephanie Mills Headlines The Queens Tour with Chaka Khan, Gladys Knight and Patti LaBelle
Stephanie Mills, the Grammy Award-winning singer and actress who catapulted to stardom in 1975 headlining as Dorothy in the original seven-time Tony Award-winning Broadway run of The Wiz, scoring a number one smash hit with the musical's anthemic ballad 'Home', is one of four female music industry icons taking center stage for The Queens: 4 Legends, 1 Stage tour. The Queens tour–which also features legendary singers Patti LaBelle, Chaka Khan and Gladys Knight–kicked off its second leg on May 9 in Las Vegas and runs through October 6, arriving at the Kia Forum May who cut her teeth singing gospel music as a kid in Brooklyn's Cornerstone Baptist Church, left a groundbreaking impression in the soul, pop and R&B arenas, recording a string of number one hits in the 1980s, including 'Home,' 'I Have Learned to Respect the Power of Love' and the Grammy-winning chart-topping single 'Never Knew Love Like This Before.' Mills also collaborated with R&B superstar Teddy Pendergrass on hit duets such as 'Feel the Fire' and 'Two Hearts.' 'Teddy was gone much too soon,' says Mills of Pendergrass, who died in 2010 following complications from a car accident that left him paralyzed. 'I miss Teddy every day because we used to talk a lot. It was like a brother and sister relationship.' Working with fellow musical artists is a joy and privilege that Mills never takes for granted. Uniting with LaBelle, Khan and Knight on tour is an experience Mills describes as nothing short of 'exciting.' 'It's very exciting, and I think this will never happen again,' says Mills. 'And I say that because Patti is in her 80s and Gladys is in her 80s and Chaka and I—we're the youngest. I'm the baby of the group at 68 years old. But it's all just so wonderful, Black women all coming together and bringing R&B back and showing the low and respect we have for each other. I mean, I bowed down to Patti and Gladys and Chaka because they came before me. They paved the way for me to exist.' Gathering four generations of soul songstresses on stage—each performs one roughly 45-minute set, but, says Mills, 'come together to do something at the end'—is something that Mills has wanted to do for a long time. 'I've always wanted to tour with these women—I call them my sisters. So, this is like a dream come true for me. I really, really wanted to tour with Chaka, I wanted to tour with Gladys and Patti. Gladys is like sweet potato pie. She's just as sweet as she can be, and so is Patti. So, for all of us to finally come together and do this is just amazing. And we keep adding to the tour. We were initially supposed to do 20 shows, and now we're doing 25.' 'That the L.A. show is on Mother's Day is also a really nice little coincidence,' adds Mills. In the wake of the COVID pandemic when touring came to a halt, Mills says that getting back on a stage is like an artistic rebirth of sorts. 'I live for it. I love live performances,' she says. 'We're all using our own bands and our own singers. We will have a rotating stage, so the minute Gladys is over then I come around. The minute I'm over, Patti comes around. There won't be any lull in the performances.' This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Broadway debut of The Wiz, a moment that Mills refers to as 'the yellow brick road of my introduction to the world.' That numbers such as 'Home' and 'Ease on Down the Road' are still sung and heard and enjoyed by generations both young and old is a 'gift,' says Mills, who this April dropped her latest single, an upbeat, high-energy house dance mix of the classic 1967 track 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough,' written by Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson and originally recorded by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. 'I'm just really excited about this new version,' says Mills. 'This is a happy time. It's a peaceful time in my life.'
New York Post
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Ashanti recalls terrifying ordeal of being harassed by convicted stalker for years: ‘It changed my life'
Ashanti has opened up about how the 'unsettling' years she endured being stalked by a fan changed her life.' The 'Rock Wit U' singer, 44, spoke about the 'disheartening' experience on Monday's episode of the Investigation Discovery docuseries 'Hollywood Demons.' 'I have some of the most amazing fans in the world, so I always try to be gracious, I always try to be courteous, but it does get a bit invasive,' she said. Advertisement 11 Ashanti has opened up about how the 'unsettling' years she endured being stalked by a fan changed her life.' Ashanti/Instagram 11 Ashanti's serial stalker Devar Hurd. Steven Hirsch 'In 2009, I was actually playing Dorothy in 'The Wiz' on Broadway, and my mom was getting these pictures, texts,' Ashanti continued, recalling that the sender declared that he wanted to 'be together' with the singer. Advertisement According to the docuseries, the man commented on Ashanti's live performances, disparaged her relationship with rapper Nelly, and even attempted to gain access to her home. 'It makes you feel a little scared,' Ashanti said. 'This is a red line being crossed. Obviously, my family along with me, it's kind of affecting everyone. They didn't ask to be a part of this.' 11 'In 2009, I was actually playing Dorothy in 'The Wiz' on Broadway, and my mom was getting these pictures, texts,' Ashanti said, recalling that the sender declared that he wanted to 'be together' with the singer. WireImage 11 According to the docuseries, Ashanti's stalker commented on Ashanti's live performances, disparaged her relationship with rapper Nelly, and even attempted to gain access to her home.' ID Advertisement 11 'It makes you feel a little scared,' Ashanti said. 'This is a red line being crossed. Obviously, my family along with me, it's kind of affecting everyone. They didn't ask to be a part of this.' Ashanti/Instagram The man's messages 'progressively turned into something deadly,' she added. 'He started sending pictures of my car, parked in the front of the theater. He started sending pictures of my house, aerial shots, shots of the front door,' she revealed. 'This is serious serious now,' the actress remembered thinking at the time. Advertisement 'We made the decision, me, my parents, my family, to kind of get the law involved.' 11 The man's messages 'progressively turned into something deadly,' she added. Steven Hirsch 11 'He started sending pictures of my car, parked in the front of the theater. He started sending pictures of my house, aerial shots, shots of the front door,' she revealed. John Salangsang/Shutterstock After that, an Indiana man named Devar Hurd was arrested by law enforcement in 2009. 'I was doing a show in Chicago, and he felt like I locked eyes with him, and that was his open door,' the singer explained. Though Hurd was sentenced to two years in prison after being convicted of sending unwanted sexual messages and stalking, he served only one year. 11 'This is serious serious now,' the actress remembered thinking at the time. Steven Hirsch 11 'We made the decision, me, my parents, my family, to kind of get the law involved,' Ashanti said. Steven Hirsch Advertisement 'In my situation, he was convicted, and we were hoping and praying that it was done. We felt that that was going to be it. But unfortunately, it kind of kept going on and on,' Ashanti shared. Hurd continued to stalk the singer, ignoring a no-contact order he received after his conviction. After sending Ashanti pictures he took with her little sister, Kenashia Douglas, along with a series on messages on social media, he was indicted in 2013 for stalking and aggravated harassment. Hurd represented himself in his subsequent trial — the second of the four stalking trials he faced between 2009 and 2016 — and cross-examined the 'Baby' hitmaker. 11 'In my situation, he was convicted, and we were hoping and praying that it was done. We felt that that was going to be it. But unfortunately, it kind of kept going on and on,' Ashanti shared. Steven Hirsch Advertisement 'It's really weird. It's kinda like, to get what you want done, he gets what he wants, which is to be in your presence,' Ashanti confessed. A mistrial was granted because of a juror illness, though Hurd would be convicted in 2016 for felony second-degree stalking. He received the maximum sentence of four years prison time but, as before, got out after just one year behind bars. The painful experience 'changed my life,' Ashanti said in the docuseries. 'It's unsettling, it's disheartening, and it makes you question who's the victim.' 11 (L-R) Ashanti and Nelly attend the No Address Los Angeles premiere at DGA Theater Complex on February 18, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. Getty Images for NO ADDRESS MOVIE Advertisement Despite the pain, Ashanti today has 'hope' for Hurd. '[T]he feeling is hope that the rehabilitation happens, hope that he gets the message, and hoping that everything is done,' she explained. 'Stalking the Stars,' the final episode of Investigation Discovery's 'Hollywood Demons' series, premieres Monday at 9 p.m. ET/PT on ID and streaming on Max.
Buzz Feed
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
"He Started Sending Pictures Of My House": Ashanti Recalls Being Harassed By Convicted Stalker For Years
Ashanti opened up about the "unsettling" experience she had with a now-convicted stalker who'd been harassing her for years. In "Stalking the Stars," the latest and final episode of Investigation Discovery's docuseries Hollywood Demons, the singer recounted the "unsettling" encounters that ultimately changed her life. "I have some of the most amazing fans in the world, so I always try to be gracious, I always try to be courteous," Ashanti said per Entertainment Weekly. "But it does get a bit invasive." She remembered receiving messages from an unknown man who craved to "be together." She stated, "In 2009, I was actually playing Dorothy in The Wiz on Broadway, and my mom was getting these pictures, texts." According to EW, the docuseries also mentioned that the man, whose identity was unknown at the time, commented on her romantic relationship with Nelly and her various live performances, and even asked to be invited to her home. "It makes you feel a little scared. This is a red line being crossed. Obviously, my family along with me, it's kind of affecting everyone. They didn't ask to be a part of this." "[The messages got] progressively turned into something deadly. He started sending pictures of my car, parked in the front of the theater. He started sending pictures of my house, aerial shots, shots of the front door. This is serious serious now. We made the decision, me, my parents, my family, to kind of get the law involved." "I was doing a show in Chicago, and he felt like I locked eyes with him, and that was his open door," she added. Police later arrested an Indiana man named Devar Hurd, and he was sentenced to two years in prison in 2009 at Rikers. Devar reported sent countless sexually explicit messages, including photos of his genitals, to the singer's mom and manager, Tina Douglass, with hopes that the messages would get back to Ashanti. "In my situation, he was convicted, and we were hoping and praying that it was done. We felt that that was going to be it," Ashanti continued. "But unfortunately, it kind of kept going on and on." Despite Ashanti and her family being issued a no-contact order from the courts, Devar continued to break it after he was released. He sent more messages, photos, and even harassed Ashanti and her family via social media. Because that directly violated the no-contact order, Devar was arrested for stalking and aggravated harassment, and went back to trial in 2014. This time, he opted to represent himself. "It's really weird. It's kinda like, to get what you want done, he gets what he wants, which is to be in your presence," she added. Due to a juror getting sick, it was eventually labeled a mistrial. But in 2016, Devar was convicted of a felony second-degree stalking charge, but was released just one year later. The John Tucker Must Die star said the ordeal "changed my unsettling, it's disheartening, and it makes you question who's the victim. The feeling is hope that the rehabilitation happens, hope that he gets the message, and hoping that everything is done."
Perth Now
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Ashanti 'changed' by stalking
Ashanti has admitted being stalked for years "changed [her] life". The 'Baby' singer was subjected to unwanted attention from Devar Hurd, who stood trial for stalking her four times between 2009 and 2016, and she has reflected on the "unsettling" experience, admitting she has "hope" that it is now behind her. She said on 'Stalking the Stars', the latest episode of the Investigation Discovery docuseries 'Hollywood Demons': "It changed my life... it's unsettling, it's disheartening, and it makes you question who's the victim. "The feeling is hope that the rehabilitation happens, hope that he gets the message, and hoping that everything is done." The 44-year-old star always tries to be "gracious" with fans but sometimes the attention can be "invasive". She said: "I have some of the most amazing fans in the world, so I always try to be gracious, I always try to be courteous, but it does get a bit invasive. "In 2009, I was actually playing Dorothy in 'The Wiz' on Broadway, and my mom was getting these pictures, texts." The then-unknown man expressed his desire for he and Ashanti to "be together", sought an invitation to her home, commented on her various live performances and criticised her relationship with Nelly. She said: "It makes you feel a little scared. This is a red line being crossed. Obviously, my family along with me, it's kind of affecting everyone. They didn't ask to be a part of this." The messages "progressively turned into something deadly." She continued: "He started sending pictures of my car, parked in the front of the theatre. He started sending pictures of my house, aerial shots, shots of the front door. "[I thought] 'Okay. This is serious serious now...' We made the decision, me, my parents, my family, to kind of get the law involved." Hurd was arrested later that year and sentenced to two years in prison for sending unwanted sexual messages and stalking, but was released the following year. Ashanti reflected: "In my situation, he was convicted, and we were hoping and praying that it was done. We felt that that was going to be it. But unfortunately, it kind of kept going on and on." The man defied the no contact order in place to protect the singer and her family, sending pictures he had taken at an event with her sister Kenashia Douglas and sent a string of social media messages in 2014. As a result, he was arrested again for stalking and aggravated harassment, and went back on trial. and opted to represent himself, which meant he could cross-examine Ashanti himself. She said: "It's really weird. It's kinda like, to get what you want done, he gets what he wants, which is to be in your presence." A juror took ill, which led to a mistrial, but Hurd was eventually convicted for a second time in 2016 and jailed for four years. He was allowed out of prison a year later.
