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Buzz Feed
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
Ryan Murphy And Jack Jack Schlossberg Argue Over Show
Ryan Murphy is being called out for yet another TV show. This time, it's American Love Story, an upcoming Hulu series chronicling the lives of John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette, including their deaths in a 1999 plane crash. He even faced criticism from JFK Jr.'s nephew, Jack Schlossberg, for not consulting his family first and "profiting off of" their tragedy in such a "grotesque way." Writing on Instagram in June, Jack said, 'For the record, I think admiration for my Uncle John is great. What I don't think is great is profiting off of it in a grotesque way." Ryan responded to his comments this week on the This Is Gavin Newsom podcast. He expressed confusion over Jack's reaction because, as Ryan put it, Jack — who was 6 when his uncle died — didn't "really" remember him. "I thought it was an odd choice to be mad about your relative that you really don't remember," Ryan confessed. In response, Jack doubled down. He reposted Ryan's comments to Instagram, along with several of his "earliest" memories of JFK Jr., to show they did have a real and memorable relationship. "Hey @ryanmurphyproductions," Jack began. "My earliest memories are of John calling me Jackolatern and 'the nudist,' picking me up from school, his Pontiac convertible. I remember being the ring bearer at his wedding and the day he died. I remember Wyclef singing at his funeral." He also shared memories that he learned from others: "Like the time he locked himself out of a car in an intersection and asked the guy screaming at him if he could borrow a golf club to smash the window to get the keys, and then did it." Jack went on to call out Ryan once again for hoarding "millions" made off of his uncle instead of contributing to causes that were important to him. "You're making millions off John, making a public spectacle of it," he wrote, "but won't contribute any of your riches to the causes he championed, or the legacy of public service he represented." He also challenged Ryan directly, telling him to say the comments "to my face." Viewers joined him in criticizing Ryan in the comments. One person said, "The audacity is crazy. John is literally your uncle and Ryan never even met him." Another said, "If anyone ever told me I didn't remember any of my aunts or uncles from childhood, especially some who knew NONE of us, they'd be viewed as fighting words. Good job, Jack!" "That was really 💩 of Ryan to say," a third fan agreed. "The entitlement Ryan feels over the Kennedy family is abhorrent ...also thanks for sharing those sweet memories of your uncle. Someone else chimed in to say reiterate how "strange" and "wild" it was for Ryan, "a total stranger," to make such assumptions about Jack's relationship with his uncle. "And from what I have read about your uncle - he would tell him exactly how he felt to his face," one reader added. "That kinda stuff seemed to matter greatly to him. Integrity. And being a good human on this earth." The backlash continued on Reddit, too. Many comments called Ryan's remarks "odd," "callous," and "completely nonsensical." One person noted, "Jack was 6 when Jr died? And Jr.'s sister is his mother??? And Jack's older sisters likely shared stories too???what a callous but also completely nonsensical thing for Ryan to say." A second person agreed, "That's a real asshole response of Ryan Murphy to say." "Almost as odd as choosing to make a show about someone you've never met, and taking creative liberties regarding a real person?" a third fan wrote, as another said they were "begging" Ryan "to discover tact." "That is such a repulsive thing to say my God," said another, as one more added, "How fucked up of Ryan to say. I never met my great uncle because he died in WWII. I'm still extremely protective of his memory. You're not allowed to tell people how to feel about their own relatives!" If you've been following Ryan, you know that this, unfortunately, isn't the first time something like this has happened. Previously, he faced criticism for his depiction of convicted murderer brothers Erik and Lyle Menendez in the Netflix series, Monster. Released in September 2024, the show followed the events leading up to and after the 1989 murders of their parents, José and Kitty Menendez. Critics specifically took issue with the implication that the brothers had a sexual relationship and the way it handled the abuse allegations they made against their parents. Even Erik Menendez spoke out, calling out Ryan's "blatant lies" in an open letter published by his wife, Tammi Menendez. In response, Ryan defended himself, saying they had handled the brothers' claims "carefully."
Cosmopolitan
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Cosmopolitan
Jack Schlossberg Responds to Ryan Murphy Over New JFK Jr. Show
Jack Schlossberg is not here for Ryan Murphy's upcoming series about John F. Kennedy Jr. Like, to say the least. Jack (who is JFK Jr's nephew) has been making his feelings clear for a while now, and just responded to Ryan's comments about him on Gavin Newsom's This Is Gavin Newsom podcast. Ryan was speaking about criticism of the show, and said "I thought it was an odd choice to be mad about your relative that you really don't remember. The days of civil discourse are over, and it's very hard. And you kind of either get into the muck or you try and rise above it." Jack's response? He screen-shotted the quote, put it on Instagram, and wrote "Hey @ryanmurphyproductions: My earliest memories are of John calling me Jackolatern and 'the nudist,' picking me up from school, his Pontiac convertible. I remember being the ring bearer at his wedding and the day he died. I remember Wyclef singing at his funeral. More memories are passed down from stories—like the time he locked himself out of a car in an intersection and asked the guy screaming at him if he could borrow a golf club to smash the window to get the keys, and then did it."Jack went on to add, in part, "You're making millions off John, making a public spectacle of it but won't contribute any of your riches to the causes he championed, or the legacy of public service he represented." Yikes!
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Gavin Newsom's office says Linda McMahon's ‘fake' threats over trans kids in sports ‘divorced from reality'
U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, the former professional wrestling magnate, on Wednesday morning, said California could lose federal funding if it refuses to comply with new Title IX enforcement demands targeting transgender student-athletes, escalating the Trump administration's broad effort to penalize states that allow students to compete based on gender identity. Keep up with the latest in + news and politics. In an appearance on Fox & Friends, McMahon said California must 'send a letter of apology to all of the female participants in sports,' 'return the titles that were taken away,' and 'make it right' — or risk the loss of K–12 education funding. 'Talk is cheap,' McMahon said of Gov. Gavin Newsom. 'We've investigated... and found that it was an infraction. Now we are demanding that they take action, or we'll take action.' Related: Gov. Gavin Newsom faces backlash over comments he made about transgender student athletes Her comments came just hours before the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights formally announced its conclusion that the California Department of Education and the California Interscholastic Federation are in violation of Title IX, the federal civil rights law barring sex-based discrimination in education. The department claims that California's policy of allowing transgender girls to compete in girls' sports constitutes unlawful sex discrimination. In a press release Wednesday, the department said California must rescind its guidance permitting participation based on gender identity, issue written apologies to cisgender female athletes, restore records and titles 'misappropriated by [transgender] athletes,' and adopt binary 'biology-based definitions' of sex. If the CDE and CIF do not accept the proposed resolution agreement within 10 days, the department said that the matter will be referred to the U.S. Department of Justice. Related: Andy Beshear lambastes Gavin Newsom for hosting Steve Bannon on podcast 'The state must swiftly come into compliance with Title IX or face the consequences that follow,' McMahon warned in the release. She added that Newsom himself 'admitted months ago it was 'deeply unfair' to allow men to compete in women's sports,' referencing the governor's controversial March podcast interview with far-right activist Charlie Kirk. That interview drew sharp condemnation from LGBTQ+ advocates, including the Human Rights Campaign, who accused Newsom of legitimizing anti-trans narratives. 'It is an issue of fairness,' Newsom said during the debut episode of This Is Gavin Newsom, agreeing with Kirk's framing of trans girls in school sports. Although his office later attempted to clarify his position, civil rights groups argued that the damage was done. Related: Gavin Newsom cut LGBTQ+ health funding. The CA legislature is set to restore $40 million Newsom's office rejected McMahon's threat. 'It wouldn't be a day ending in 'Y' without the Trump Administration threatening to defund California,' Newsom's director of communications, Izzy Gardon, told The Advocate. 'Now, Secretary McMahon is confusing government with her WrestleMania days — dramatic, fake, and completely divorced from reality. This won't stick.' According to an administration official, the CIF is an independent nonprofit organization, not part of the Newsom administration, and they noted that California is one of 22 states with laws requiring schools to allow students to participate in athletics consistent with their gender identity. The state's law — AB 1266 — was enacted in 2013 under then-Gov. Jerry Brown. The number of transgender student-athletes in California's public school system, the official said, is estimated to be in the single digits among 5.8 million students. Related: California bans forced outing of LGBTQ+ students as Gov. Gavin Newsom signs landmark law Last year, the president of the NCAA told Congress that of the 510,000 student-athletes, fewer than 11 are trans. McMahon, a former WWE executive and major Trump campaign fundraiser, has led the administration's renewed push to enforce Title IX in line with the president's executive order banning transgender participation in women's sports despite Trump's moves to eliminate the Education Department. In a separate Fox News interview Wednesday, McMahon said the administration may consider criminal prosecution for school or state officials who defy federal directives. 'If the president would like us to look into it, we certainly would,' she said. The OCR's enforcement announcement also coincides with what the department is now calling 'Title IX Month,' which it claims honors the 53rd anniversary of the landmark law. The Trump administration no longer acknowledges June as Pride Month. This article originally appeared on Advocate: Gavin Newsom's office says Linda McMahon's 'fake' threats over trans kids in sports 'divorced from reality' Andy Beshear lambastes Gavin Newsom for hosting Steve Bannon on podcast Gavin Newsom cut LGBTQ+ health funding. The CA legislature is set to restore $40 million California bans forced outing of LGBTQ+ students as Gov. Gavin Newsom signs landmark law Gov. Gavin Newsom faces backlash over comments he made about transgender student athletes
Time Magazine
20-06-2025
- Politics
- Time Magazine
Letting Transgender Kids Play Sports Can Benefit All Kids
President Donald Trump's raft of anti-LGBTQ+ executive orders affects many aspects of the lives of LGBTQ+ people, including their sports participation, access to healthcare, and ability to serve in the military. One executive order seeking to ban transgender athletes from participating in girls' and women's sports, is surprisingly picking up some Democratic support. Recently, Senator Ruben Gallego, a Democrat from Arizona said banning trans students from girls' and women's school sports might be 'legitimate' and argued that trans girls put cisgender girls at risk during sporting events. However, this is a damaging myth that fuels anti-trans stigma, harassment, intimidation, and discrimination and reinforces misogynistic stereotypes that girls are weak and need protection. It's not the first time a Democrat has capitulated to Republican anti-trans messaging. In Oct. 2024, during his long-shot attempt to unseat Senator Ted Cruz in Texas, Democrat Colin Allred released a campaign ad in which he seemed to oppose the participation of trans girls in sports. And in March 2025, California Governor Gavin Newsom, speaking on the first episode of his new podcast 'This Is Gavin Newsom,' said it was 'deeply unfair' for trans athletes to participate in women's sports. We are not totally naïve—we get why a handful of Democrats are joining Republicans in wanting to ban trans kids from participating in sports teams consistent with their gender identities. These democratic legislators likely think their stance will appeal to 'centrist' voters; recent public polling suggests that about two-thirds of U.S. adults support such bans. But we still firmly believe that such bans are misguided, harmful, and built on falsehoods, perpetuating harmful stereotypes and inequities. Democrats should not be willing to throw transgender kids under the bus just for electoral considerations. Trans kids face higher rates of multiple physical and mental health difficulties than their cis peers—largely due to how our society treats the transgender community. But when they're allowed to play sports, these rates fall. What's more, states with policies allowing trans girls to play sports have seen increased rates of sports participation by cis girls. In other words, letting trans girls play sports benefits all girls. Shouldn't politicians be championing the benefits of sport for all? To understand why such bans are damaging, let's back up and consider the lives of trans youth. A study by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law estimates that there are about 300,100 trans kids (ages 13-17) in the U.S., making up just 1.4% of all youth in that age range. The Center for American Progress notes that trans youth face 'high rates of family rejection, violence, discrimination, and suicidality.' Suicidality is shockingly common: the Centers for Disease Control conducts a national survey of high school students every two years to explore health-related behaviors, called the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), and the 2023 survey found that 53.8% of trans youth had seriously considered suicide, compared to 20.4% of the general youth population. Research has shown that trans kids are also at increased risk of depression, anxiety, substance misuse, and impaired quality of life. The good news is that sports can be a real lifeline. The research is clear: when trans youth are allowed to participate in sports, these mental health risks fall. For example, trans students in states with fully inclusive athletics policies are less likely to have considered suicide than students in states without such policies. Megan Bartlett, founder of the Chicago-based non-profit The Center for Healing and Justice Through Sport, told The Guardian that sports 'can be life-saving—especially for marginalized young people – because it can actually change your brain.' When kids are in sports teams, she said, the positive relationships help make them 'feel safe and practice being stressed but being able to deal with that stress,' which builds lifelong resilience. Trans kids at inclusive schools are also less likely to experience harassment and victimization. For all adolescents, participating in a sports team can reduce anxiety, depression, and feelings of loneliness. Letting trans kids play sports also improves their physical health. Trans kids have worse physical health than their peers—including higher rates of obesity and of risk factors for cardiovascular disease, like abnormal cholesterol levels—which are thought to be due to the stress of marginalization. But research has shown that playing sports lowers their risk of obesity and improves their cardiovascular health. The benefits go even further. Trans kids who are allowed to play sports in accordance with their gender identity are more likely to feel like they belong at school and more accepted by their peers. Sports help all kids gain skills in team building, management skills, commitment, and leadership. And there's even evidence that LGBTQ student athletes have higher grade point averages than those who do not play sports. Unfortunately, several myths about trans student athletes are being promoted by supporters of school sports bans. We believe these need to be challenged. The first myth, pushed by Senator Gallego, is that anti-trans sports bans are needed to protect cisgender girls. There is no evidence that trans-inclusive policies are harmful to cis girls; indeed, trans boys and girls have been openly participating in high school sports for many years now, with no documented evidence of any harm to cis kids. States that have adopted inclusive policies have seen steady or increasing rates of participation by all youth. For example, California and Connecticut, which have allowed trans kids to play sports on the team of their choice, have seen participation of all girls increase. For instance in California, participation among girls in sports has increased by almost 14% from 2014 to 2020. The second myth, peddled by Governor Newsom, is that trans kids have an unfair advantage in sports. Trans kids vary enormously in their sporting ability, just like cis kids. Some play well and some play poorly, just like cis kids. Trans kids are all different heights, sizes, and strengths, just like cis kids. Whether any kid excels at sport is most often related to factors like how hard they train and what kind of access they have to good coaches. As the ACLU argues, when a trans kid does well at sport, they should be 'celebrated for their hard work, not demonized because of who they are.' Other myths abound. For instance, some conservative politicians and organizations push the fiction that massive numbers of trans kids are now 'dominating' high school sports. In reality, one study using CDC data found that only 40.7% of trans kids in grades nine through 12 played on at least one sports team. If we apply this percentage to the 300,100 trans kids aged 13-17 in the U.S., only 122,000 trans kids are playing sports out of a total of about 21 million kids in this age rage. This means that trans kids make up an extremely tiny fraction of those in sport. Another false narrative claims that inclusive policies change the nature of girls' sports. But as the ACLU notes, that trans girls' 'participation in the girls' category does not change the nature of the category.' Inclusive policies do not undermine Title IX protections, and girls' sports have thrived in states that adopted such policies. This is why many women's rights advocacy groups support inclusion of trans people in sports. Trans kids just want the same opportunities as their peers. They want to be on sports teams to have fun, get exercise, and hang out with their friends. Just like any other kid. When we deny them that right, we are actively causing harm that could easily be avoided. And, in the end, this discriminatory behavior hurts us all.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Their political futures uncertain, Newsom and Harris go on the road to Compton to feed young dreams
California's two most prominent Democrats remain mum on their future plans, but former Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Gavin Newsom both took time to tend to their political personas in Compton Thursday, attending separate events at local schools. As hundreds of graduating seniors crossed the stage in their blue and white regalia early that morning at Compton High School, many paused to shake hands and take selfies with an honored guest on the dais: the former vice president herself, who'd made a surprise appearance after being invited by a graduating student. Several hours later, Newsom read to young students at Compton's Clinton Elementary School before standing with local leaders in front of a cheery, cartoon mural to launch a new state literacy plan. The issue is one of deep importance to the governor, whose own educational career was often defined by his dyslexia. Read more: Who is running for California governor in 2026? Meet the candidates The adjacent appearances, which occurred a few miles apart, were "coincidental," Newsom said. But they come at a moment when both the high-octane Democrats are in a political limbo of sorts. The pair are viewed as potential 2028 presidential candidates, but the California political world is also waiting on tenterhooks to see if Harris enters California's 2026 race for governor – a move that would almost certainly preclude a 2028 presidential bid. Harris is expected to make a decision by summer, and her entrance would upend the already crowded race. With just 19 months left in his second and final term, the lame duck governor is scrambling to cement his gubernatorial legacy while also positioning himself as a pragmatic leader capable of steering his national party out of the wilderness. Harris, meanwhile, must decide if she actually wants to govern a famously unwieldy state and, if she does, whether California voters feel the same. Both Harris and Newsom were notably absent at the state party convention last weekend, as thousands of party delegates, activists, donors and labor leaders convened in Anaheim. Newsom was a famously loyal surrogate to then-President Biden. But in recent months with his 'This Is Gavin Newsom' podcast and its long list of Democratic bête noire guests, the governor has worked to publicly differentiate his own brand from that of his bedraggled party, one controversial interview at a time. Meanwhile, Newsom — who previously scoffed at the speculation and said he wasn't considering a bid for the White House, despite his manifest ambitions — is more openly acknowledging that he could run for the country's top job in the future. 'I might,' Newsom said in an interview last month. 'I don't know, but I have to have a burning why, and I have to have a compelling vision that distinguishes myself from anybody else. Without that, without both, and, I don't deserve to even be in the conversation.' Newsom demurred Thursday when asked whether he thought Harris would run for governor. "Look, I got someone right behind me running for governor, so I'm going to be very careful here," Newsom said to laughter, as California Supt. of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond — who announced his 2026 gubernatorial bid back in September 2023 — smiled behind him. Harris attended the Compton High graduation at the invitation of Compton Unified School District Student Board Member MyShay Causey, a student athlete and graduating senior. She did not speak at the ceremony, though she received an honorary diploma. Staff writer Taryn Luna contributed to this report. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
