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South China Morning Post
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
From Naomi Watts to Graydon Carter, 5 celebrity memoirs worth your time
Perhaps it's due to a collective nostalgia for glory years we did or didn't experience, a necessary source of escapism in rather grim times, or because we really do want to find out if celebrities are just like us, but recent years have witnessed a boom in celebrity memoirs. Not just celebrities either, but high-profile editors, tycoons and assorted influential people have been putting pen to paper (or their memoirists and ghostwriters have) to capture not only their life and work, but also the culture surrounding them. For what makes a memoir interesting? Well, for one, it needs to be juicy. We need some tidbits; there must be proximity to celebrity and/or glamour, perhaps a redemption arc and an insight into the world at large through the eyes of said person. The current, well, vogue for books about those high up in the pecking order at publishing behemoth Condé Nast is a case in point. Everybody is talking about When the Going Was Good by Graydon Carter, the former long-time editor of Vanity Fair, for precisely these reasons. The days of limitless budgets and town cars are well and truly over for most publishing houses – but oh boy, we really do want to read about when the days really were that good. Celebrity memoirs worth reading include that of Diane von Furstenberg's openly gay husband, media tycoon Barry Diller. Photo: AFP Advertisement Ultimately, we want to read the truth of someone – without all the edges sawn off – and in reading about someone else we might learn something about ourselves too. Here are five star-powered memoirs worth the read. When the Going Was Good – Graydon Carter When the Going Was Good: An Editor's Adventures During the Last Golden Age of Magazines, by former Vanity Fair editor-in-chief Graydon Carter. Photo: Handout For 25 years Graydon Carter was the editor-in-chief of Condé Nast jewel Vanity Fair, right when it was the nerve centre of culture, celebrity, business and scandal. As Carter dishes in this glossy and rather delightful memoir (ghostwritten by journalist James Fox), the going really was good. The best bits are the insights into a very different media landscape (unlimited budgets! Town cars!) and into the big personalities Carter came across, and occasionally sparred with. Donald Trump and Vogue's Anna Wintour are particularly notable ones. It's as much an ode to magazines at their most glorious as it is a how-to in living well. Who Knew – Barry Diller Who Knew, by Barry Diller, the former CEO of Paramount Pictures who also launched the Fox TV network – and married Diane von Furstenberg. Photo: Handout
New York Post
23-06-2025
- Business
- New York Post
Billionaire Dem donors slam ‘ineffectual' DNC, say they won't fork over more cash for now
Billionaire Dem donors including Barry Diller and Michael Bloomberg are refusing to fork over more cash for now to the party's main fundraising committee because there's now a 'broad consensus' it's 'ineffectual,'' sources said. The Democratic National Committee has been plagued by infighting and defections as the party remains virtually leaderless since President Trump's victory over Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election — prompting some once-reliable and deep-pocketed donors to yank funding for the time being. 'For a variety of reasons, I have no intention of donating to the DNC,' media mogul Diller told The Post last week. 6 Billionaire Democratic donors aren't forking over any more cash to the party's main fundraising committee because there is now 'broad consensus' that it's been 'ineffectual,' sources said. Tamara Beckwith/NY Post Diller, chairman of such holdings as the Internet and media behemoth IAC, seethed in his just-released memoir 'Who Knew' that former President Joe Biden and his administration used a bait-and-switch tactic when it came to his promise of restoring the 'soul of the nation.' 'I think the biggest crime of the Biden administration is that it came in with a pledge to restore a more civilized, selfless, and uplifting manner of governance and instead let us all down with its progressive elitism, personal ego, and cynical behavior. Such a shame,' Diller wrote. Sources close to Bloomberg, a news tech titan and New York City's former mayor, said he also is wary of giving to the DNC again, while others have expressed skepticism that hedge-fund manager Marc Lasry is in a hurry to make up the shell out funding. During the 2023-24 election cycle, Bloomberg gave $413,000 to the DNC; Diller donated $330,400; and Lasry contributed $133,400. Lasry hinted that ultimately he will give again to the DNC — but didn't specify when. A rep for Bloomberg declined to comment. 6 'For a variety of reasons, I have no intention of donating to the DNC,' media mogul Barry Diller told The Post last week. Getty Images 'There is just a broad consensus that the DNC is ineffectual and not where we should be giving money,' said a longtime former donor. 'But it's not surprising,' the source said. ''I don't belong to an organized party, I'm a Democrat' is a longtime joke for a reason. 'We're so decentralized,' the source added. 'The DNC has always been a joke. If you are a megadonor looking to shape the direction of the party, don't give to the DNC. At this point, the shape of the DNC is just embarrassing.' The drop-off in fundraising has left some party bosses questioning whether the committee will have to take out loans, though DNC Chairman Ken Martin has expressed doubt that will happen. A DNC rep said that many long-time donors have already contributed to the DNC this year as part of a record-breaking donation drive in the first four months under Martin. 6 Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is another billionaire who has opted not to support the fundraising committee at the moment, sources said. AP But another donor who told The Post his wallet is now closed to the committee said Martin may have his head in the sand. 'People are too embarrassed to admit this,' the source said. 'I'm a lifelong Dem who raised a ton of money, and I won't give them a nickel — and I'm not alone. 'I'm not even a Democrat anymore. The Dems should kidnap Elizabeth Warren and take her to Mexico,' the source said of the lefty Massachusetts senator. 'This is how Trump got [his win] — not because Trump is loved but because his ideas are popular.' Other sources pointed out that recent Democratic fundraising has been largely channeled into the New York City's mayoral race, with party leaders increasingly concerned about the prospect of self-described socialist Zohran Mamdani overtaking ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the primary contest. 6 The drop-off in fundraising has left some party bosses questioning whether the committee will have to take out loans, though DNC Chairman Ken Martin has expressed doubt that will have to happen. AP The DNC's most recent financial filings, released last week, revealed that it bled nearly $3 million alone from its already dwindling reserves during the month of May, with the committee's pot of gold now standing at a precarious $15 million. Should Mamdani win, that could further erode support for the DNC from big donors who are concerned their money will simply go to socialists, sources noted. For its part, the DNC has denied that donor support is wavering. In a statement released Friday, it touted what it called 'record fundraising' and the 'highest in DNC history under any chair's first four months' for Martin. 6 Hedge fund manager Marc Lasry isn't in a hurry to help the DNC right its balance sheet, either, sources said. Sportico via Getty Images The DNC told Axios that the nearly $40 million it garnered between February and May of 2025 'surpasses the $37 million raised under Jaime Harrison's leadership in those same months in 2021.' 'In the early and mid 2010's, some big-money donors already tried not funding the DNC and state parties, instead funding groups outside of the Party, which hollowed out the critical work that the Party does while putting us behind the eight-ball when it came to critical coordination during the 2016 presidential election,' warned on Democratic strategist. 'We all know how that story ended — Donald Trump won the Presidency and the Democratic Party fell to an all-time low at every level of government. The Democratic Party needs a fully-funded Party to fight Donald Trump.' 6 Former President Joe Biden and his administration are under fire for vowing to restore the 'soul of the nation' — then allegedly going so progressive that they only widened rifts. AP The Republican National Committee, on the other hand, had a net-positive cash flow for May. It added more than $5 million to its treasure trove, bringing its total funds to more than $72 million. These new numbers put the RNC's cash stash at almost five times the size of the DNC's. And it's welcome news for Republicans. Home Depot founder Ken Langone, a longtime GOP donor, was thrilled by the accounting and said to friends, 'We don't have to worry as the GOP party because the Dem positions are so stupid they'll never raise money again,' sources said.
Newsweek
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Former NFL Star Darren Waller Reveals New Details on Abandoning $32 Million
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Former Baltimore Ravens, Las Vegas Raiders, and New York Giants star tight end Darren Waller walked away from the NFL after only eight seasons. Following his shock retirement, the former Pro Bowl talent began to pursue a career in music. More news: Dolphins' Jalen Ramsey Drops Major Hint at Next Team With Social Media Now, Waller has revealed more details about walking away from the NFL, including losing out on the $32 million contract the Giants offered him. Waller joined "The Zac Clark Show," where he discussed that he would have made $32 million over the next three seasons, had he remained in the league. Even worse is he also reveals he had to pay the Giants money to actually walk away from his contract. "The next three years would have been like $32 million ... And I had to write a check to walk away. I had to write $750,000 in bonus money to the Giants to walk away. Success and validation and s*** like that took the forefront. I poured it all into making football work ... this is another opportunity for me to like say this is the life that I'm choosing I want to live like. This is an opportunity for me to receive that but also not let it dictate what I feel I need to be doing." LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JANUARY 07: Foster Moreau #87 and Darren Waller #83 of the Las Vegas Raiders walk off at Allegiant Stadium on January 07, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JANUARY 07: Foster Moreau #87 and Darren Waller #83 of the Las Vegas Raiders walk off at Allegiant Stadium on January 07, 2023 in Las Vegas, news: 49ers' George Kittle Sends Warning to NFL Over Return of DC Robert Saleh Waller had a breakout year in 2019 with the Raiders, when he put together a campaign that included 1,145 yards and three touchdowns. He would follow that up with another 1,196 yards and nine touchdowns in 2020, leading to his lone Pro Bowl nod. Waller ended his eight-season career in the NFL with 4,124 yards, 20 touchdowns, 350 receptions, and an 11.8 yards per catch average. Though he had an up-and-down start to his professional career, including being suspended for the 2017 season for violating the substance-abuse policy, Waller was considered to be a top tight end in the NFL. Interestingly, he began his career as a wide receiver, but had trouble making headway on a stacked Ravens squad. Ravens head coach John Harbaugh announced in 2016 that Waller would convert to the tight end position, leading to his resurgence as a pass catcher. Following his shock retirement from the NFL, Waller released a song called "Who Knew," which is reportedly about his ex-wife, WNBA star Kelsey Plum. More NFL: Bold Prediction Has Shocking Team Unseating Chiefs in the AFC For more on the Ravens, Raiders, and NFL, head to Newsweek Sports.
Sydney Morning Herald
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
Billionaire Barry Diller - married to Diane von Fürstenberg - comes out in new memoir
MEMOIR Who Knew Barry Diller Simon and Schuster, $59.99 Public figures still sometimes save weighty admissions about their lives for their autobiographies. Barry Diller, the billionaire media mogul and chairman of Expedia, has used his to do just that: come out of the closet. A former CEO of Paramount Pictures, Diller hid his sexual orientation for decades, despite persistent rumours to the contrary. A high-profile marriage to fashion designer Diane von Fürstenberg helped quell some speculation but the threat of being outed was still like an 'anvil hanging … over my head'. In Who Knew, the 83-year-old publicly acknowledges his sexuality for the first time. Diller admits that he has long known that he is gay but hid the truth to preserve his career ambitions and avoid public shaming. As for wife von Fürstenberg, she remains a rare romantic outlier and the lasting 'bedrock of my life'. The memoir now reveals this hidden personal history and also shares his business acumen with other aspiring entrepreneurs. Diller was born of privilege but suffered a dysfunctional family life, one where his mother would dispense sleeping tablets and a heroin-addicted brother beat him. The basement of talent agency William Morris was a sanctuary where its cabinets of archived correspondence were a way to 'read … through the history of show business'. Good fortune, as it happens, was often looking out for the eager student of Hollywood's history. First, a lucrative posting at the television network ABC to help program films for the small screen. An enterprising thinker, Diller believed networks should make films for the tube too, soon transforming the station's profile thanks to his successful made-for-TV movies.
The Age
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
Billionaire Barry Diller - married to Diane von Fürstenberg - comes out in new memoir
MEMOIR Who Knew Barry Diller Simon and Schuster, $59.99 Public figures still sometimes save weighty admissions about their lives for their autobiographies. Barry Diller, the billionaire media mogul and chairman of Expedia, has used his to do just that: come out of the closet. A former CEO of Paramount Pictures, Diller hid his sexual orientation for decades, despite persistent rumours to the contrary. A high-profile marriage to fashion designer Diane von Fürstenberg helped quell some speculation but the threat of being outed was still like an 'anvil hanging … over my head'. In Who Knew, the 83-year-old publicly acknowledges his sexuality for the first time. Diller admits that he has long known that he is gay but hid the truth to preserve his career ambitions and avoid public shaming. As for wife von Fürstenberg, she remains a rare romantic outlier and the lasting 'bedrock of my life'. The memoir now reveals this hidden personal history and also shares his business acumen with other aspiring entrepreneurs. Diller was born of privilege but suffered a dysfunctional family life, one where his mother would dispense sleeping tablets and a heroin-addicted brother beat him. The basement of talent agency William Morris was a sanctuary where its cabinets of archived correspondence were a way to 'read … through the history of show business'. Good fortune, as it happens, was often looking out for the eager student of Hollywood's history. First, a lucrative posting at the television network ABC to help program films for the small screen. An enterprising thinker, Diller believed networks should make films for the tube too, soon transforming the station's profile thanks to his successful made-for-TV movies.
