Latest news with #celebritydeath
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Marlon Brando Once Confronted Michael Jackson And 15 Other Wild Celebrity Facts I Still Can't Wrap My Head Around
Ledger memorably and sadly died in 2008 after being found unresponsive by his masseuse — and, it was originally reported, his housekeeper. However, bizarre details about the moment he was found were later revealed. The masseuse, Diana Lee Wolozin, actually made three calls before calling the police: and all were to Mary-Kate Olsen. Later reports say that Wolozin was let in by the housekeeper, and found Ledger on his bed. She began to set up, believing Ledger was sleeping, before realizing he was unresponsive. Olsen's number was on speed dial in Ledger's phone, and Wolozin apparently called her for help and advice, as she knew the two were friends — Olsen had her private security sent over. There were later reports Olsen and Ledger had been dating, though they were unconfirmed. Police believe Ledger was already dead when Wolozin found him. It was later reported that Olsen was refusing to cooperate with investigators, though through a lawyer, Olsen denied knowing about the drugs that killed Ledger. The DEA later closed the case — they had not spoken to Olsen. another weird celebrity connection I wasn't expecting, Marlon Brando once confronted Michael Jackson about his child sex abuse allegations at his ranch Neverland. "I had asked him if he was a virgin and he sort of laughed and giggled. He said, 'Oh, Brando.' I said, 'Well, what do you do for sex?' And he was acting fussy and embarrassed." Kypros / Getty Images, Pool Photographer / Getty Images Brando reportedly told prosecutors during Jackson's 1994 abuse trial, "He said he hated his father and started to cry. And I said, 'Well, who are your friends?' He said, 'I don't know anybody my own age. I don't like anybody my own age.' I said, 'Why not?' He said, 'I don't know, I don't know.' He was crying hard enough that...I tried to assuage him. I tried to help him all I could." Brando also said it was "pretty reasonable to conclude that he may have had something to do with kids." Related: del Toro's father was kidnapped for 72 days in 1997, with a $1 million was initially reported to have been paid by director James Cameron, a friend of del Toro. Del Toro later clarified that he had paid the ransom, but Cameron had offered, and that Cameron "came in and took charge" of the situation, paying for a hostage negotiator to come in. Del Toro also said that the police in Guadalajara "had two proposals" for him. 'The first was: For 5K, they would give us a room with the kidnappers, tied to a chair. They would provide a lead pipe and 15 minutes alone. The second one: For 10K they would make sure that — when the raid happened — all kidnappers would get killed and we'd get Polaroids. We said no. Absolutely no to both. We felt hatred and pain but could not be a part of the cycle of violence.' Nicholson was raised by his grandmother, who he believed to be his mother — turns out, the much older "sister" he'd had was his real mother. His mother was only 18 when she had him, as a result of a relationship with a married man. To avoid scandal, Nicholson's grandmother claimed him as her own. His "sister" (really his mother) June ended up trying to make it in Hollywood, and when Nicholson moved there to do the same, she was the only family member close by. He didn't find out the truth until after his mother died when Time magazine did a profile on him in 1974 (directly before the release of Chinatown) and discovered the truth in their research. The most eerie part? Nicholson's character finds out the truth about another character — namely, that her "sister" is actually her daughter — in the film. isn't the only celeb to discover something through a magazine profile, though, in these two sad examples, the stories were already published when the stars realized the truth. First, Anthony Perkins found out he had HIV from a tabloid magazine. He had no idea he'd even been tested for it. Perkins had received blood tests for a palsy on his face. His wife Berry Berenson said after his death that she thought someone must've tested his blood for HIV without telling him and then leaked the story to the press. His diagnosis couldn't even be confirmed — he had to go back and test again. Related: Fonda also discovered the true way her mother had died — by suicide, and not a heart attack, as her father claimed — through a magazine. Abdul has made multiple remarks about being in a plane crash in the '90s, suffering injuries that led to her retreating from the spotlight for some time. There's just one problem: there is no record of the crash ever happening. Abdul's description doesn't match any crashes at the time, though it is possible it was not reported and the wreckage was not found. Still, as the Jezebell article points out, this would mean Abdul and the other passengers just left the burned-out plane in a field and never reported it. It's also possible it was not reported because it was so minor, but this does not at all match Abdul's story, where she claims the aircraft was on fire. Stones bassist Bill Wyman made waves when he married 18-year-old Mandy Smith, whom he had been dating since she was 13. Wyman was in his fifties. But the scandal didn't end there — Wyman's son Stephen ended up marrying Mandy's mother. The two were closer in age than Wyman and Mandy. As this Grunge article points out, if Bill and Mandy had still been together when the second Wyman and Smith got married, Stephen would've been his own step-grandfather. Penn was once in jail with the infamous Night Stalker serial killer. In fact, the murderer, Richard Ramirez, essentially sent Penn fan mail asking for an autograph. Penn, who was spending 60 days in jail at the time for reckless driving and punching an extra — said Ramirez wrote, "Hey, Sean, stay tough and hit them again — Richard Ramirez, 666." Penn replied with a note saying he felt "absolutely no kinship" with Ramirez, despite both being inmates, and said, "I hope gas descends upon you before sanity does, you know? It would be a kinder way out." Related: Kutcher once narrowly escaped a serial killer. In 2001, when Kutcher was 23, he planned a date with 22-year-old fashion student Ashley Ellerin. He was supposed to meet her at 8 p.m. for dinner and drinks but ended up getting there around 10:30 or 10:45, having gotten distracted watching the Grammy Awards at Kristy Swanson's house. When he arrived at Ellerin's house, she did not come to the door, which was locked — he assumed she'd gotten angry with him for being late and left. Since the lights were on, Kutcher looked through the window and saw 'what [he] thought was a red wine spilled on the carpet." But he said, "That wasn't alarming because I went to her house party [days before] and it was like a college party. I didn't think much about it.' He left, and Ellerin was found stabbed to death the next day. The 'Hollywood Ripper," Michael Gargiulo, was found guilty for her murder. When Kutcher heard the news of the murder, he called the police because he was worried his fingerprints were on the doorknob. He did not become a suspect, but he did testify in Gargiulo's trial. celebrity connected to a murderer is Woody Harrelson, who is the son of hitman Charles Harrelson, who murdered Judge John Howland Wood in 1979. This fact would become much stranger in light of Harrelson's starring in No Country for Old Men. Though the film did not include it, the No Country for Old Men novel featured the line, 'Here a while back in San Antonio they shot and killed a federal judge," which was likely referring to the murder perpetrated by Woody's father. one has got a lot of *if*s in it, but it's still wild to me. *If* O. J. Simpson did murder his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman (he was notably acquitted after a highly publicized trial, but found liable for the deaths in a civil suit), it's possible he learned how while shooting the pilot for Frogmen, a failed TV series he was meant to star in shortly before the murders. Simpson continues to maintain his innocence. Footage from the pilot was actually submitted as evidence in his trial (though it didn't end up being used), as it could have proved O. J.'s proficiency with a knife. Simpson had reportedly received military training for the role. Also, Simpson's costar Todd Allen had once gone with O. J. to Ross Cutlery — the suspected source of the murder weapon, which was never found — between shooting. a less dark celebrity fact that I nonetheless find strange, Meghan Markle did the calligraphy for Robin Thicke's 2005 wedding invitations — not because the two were friends, but because the then-23-year-old was doing calligraphy before making it in Hollywood to make ends meet. Robin L Marshall / Getty Images, Paul Archuleta / Getty Images Related: probably already know Jane Fonda comes from a famous family, but you likely didn't know she also comes from royalty. Fonda is related to Jane Seymour, one of Henry VIII's six wives (which include Anne Boleyn — notably, the wives are the subject of the musical Six.) In fact, she was named after Jane — and says she went by Lady until the fourth grade in reference to Seymour. Luther King Jr. paid the hospital bill when Julia Roberts was born. Why? Roberts' parents ran a theater school that let in the Kings' children at a time when few programs would admit Black children. When her parents couldn't pay the hospital bill, Martin and Coretta stepped in. Theo Wargo / Getty Images, Bettmann / Getty Images finally, the rumors are true — Harry Styles really does have four nipples. What's a wild celebrity fact you know? Let us know in the comments. Feb. 02, 2024, at 17:59 PM Also in Celebrity: Also in Celebrity: Also in Celebrity: Solve the daily Crossword
CNN
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CNN
Why Malcolm-Jamal Warner's death has hit the Black community so deeply
Some celebrity deaths hit the Black community differently. Such is the case with the passing of Malcolm-Jamal Warner, who died Sunday at age 54 in a drowning accident in Costa Rica, where he was on vacation with his family. Much like the unexpected deaths of Prince, Kobe Bryant and actor Chadwick Boseman, Warner's death is being met in much of the Black community by the type of deep grieving usually reserved for family members. And it feels completely appropriate. Almost from the beginning, the world seemed to know that Warner was special. A child actor who appeared on various series at a young age, he exploded into superstardom when he landed the role of Theo Huxtable as a young teen on 'The Cosby Show.' As is the case with any skilled actor, Warner made the audience forget he was playing a role. It felt to viewers like he was Theo, the sometimes mischievous, but always well-meaning third child of the Huxtable family. Warner stood out in the series with Bill Cosby, starring as the patriarch, and Phylicia Rashad as the matriarch, given that Warner played their characters' only son. Centered around an accomplished and loving Black family, the show became a cultural touchstone for many in Generation X, especially young Black people. Off screen, Warner managed to sidestep the pitfalls and scandals that so many child stars face. After 'The Cosby Show' ended in 1992, Warner went on to other beloved series, including 'Malcom & Eddie,' 'The Resident' and '9-1-1,' an impressive career transition for any actor who has grown up on television. If his success is also measured in esteem from colleagues, Warner had that in excess. Fellow actors and former costars such as Morris Chestnut, who worked with Warner on 'The Resident,' Tracee Ellis Ross, who costarred with him on 'Reed Between the Lines,' and Eddie Griffin, who starred opposite Warner in the sitcom 'Malcolm & Eddie,' have expressed shock and grief over Warner's unexpected death. 'This loss has devastated me,' Warner's 'Community' costar Yvette Nicole Brown shared on social media. 'I don't have the words right now, so I am repurposing these beautiful ones from my dear friend, who I adored,' she wrote in sharing a video of Warner. 'To have him as a friend was a blessing from God. He was one of one.' That sentiment was shared by many. 'The death of Malcolm-Jamal Warner represents a significant cultural loss for the industry and Black audiences, in particular,' Samantha Sheppard, an associate professor of cinema and media studies at Cornell University, told CNN. 'Warner's career is indelibly linked to a program that reshaped the representation of Black middle-class life on network television.' ''The Cosby Show' and its cast have long existed in the shadow of Bill Cosby's widely publicized sexual assault allegations, which have complicated and, in many respects, eclipsed public memory of the show's cultural contributions,' she added. 'This eclipse has too often obscured Warner's evolution as an actor and artist following his years on the popular sitcom, including his work as a poet, musician, and versatile actor across a range of sitcoms and dramas.' Warner reflected on his multifacited career in a 2013 conversation with the Television Academy Foundation. 'I have peace of mind and for me, you can't put a price on that,' Warner said at the time. 'I can definitely say that I feel successful in my post-Cosby life.' Part of that peace was found in the love of his wife and young daughter, who have largely avoided the glare of celebrity life. In a conversation on the'Hot & Bothered with Melyssa Ford' podcast in May, Warner reflected on his 2017 wedding and wanting to build a family with his spouse. 'I've never, never second-guessed it,' Warner said of his marriage. 'There was a moment where I realized when people say, 'When you know, you know,' that's what that feeling is.' He also discussed understanding the importance of legacy, noting that his mother had once told him that 'Mr. (Bill) Cosby gave you immortality.' 'I feel like, okay, there's that legacy there, but then, because I've had this full life after that show, there's another lane of legacy that I get to leave,' Warner reflected. He was clear about how he wanted to remembered. 'There's part of me that I will be able to leave this earth knowing, and people knowing, that I was a good person,' Warner said. It was no act, which is why his community mourns so deeply for the man who was so much more than Theo.
CNN
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CNN
Malcolm-Jamal Warner's role on ‘The Cosby Show' made him family to the Black community. They are mourning him as such
Some celebrity deaths hit the Black community differently. Such is the case with the passing of Malcolm-Jamal Warner, who died Sunday at age 54 in a drowning accident in Costa Rica, where he was on vacation with his family. Much like the unexpected deaths of Prince, Kobe Bryant and actor Chadwick Boseman, Warner's death is being met in much of the Black community by the type of deep grieving usually reserved for family members. And it feels completely appropriate. Almost from the beginning, the world seemed to know that Warner was special. A child actor who appeared on various series at a young age, he exploded into superstardom when he landed the role of Theo Huxtable as a young teen on 'The Cosby Show.' As is the case with any skilled actor, Warner made the audience forget he was playing a role. It felt to viewers like he was Theo, the sometimes mischievous, but always well-meaning third child of the Huxtable family. Warner stood out in the series with Bill Cosby, starring as the patriarch, and Phylicia Rashad as the matriarch, given that Warner played their characters' only son. Centered around an accomplished and loving Black family, the show became a cultural touchstone for many in Generation X, especially young Black people. Off screen, Warner managed to sidestep the pitfalls and scandals that so many child stars face. After 'The Cosby Show' ended in 1992, Warner went on to other beloved series, including 'Malcom & Eddie,' 'The Resident' and '9-1-1,' an impressive career transition for any actor who has grown up on television. If his success is also measured in esteem from colleagues, Warner had that in excess. Fellow actors and former costars such as Morris Chestnut, who worked with Warner on 'The Resident,' Tracee Ellis Ross, who costarred with him on 'Reed Between the Lines,' and Eddie Griffin, who starred opposite Warner in the sitcom 'Malcolm & Eddie,' have expressed shock and grief over Warner's unexpected death. 'This loss has devastated me,' Warner's 'Community' costar Yvette Nicole Brown shared on social media. 'I don't have the words right now, so I am repurposing these beautiful ones from my dear friend, who I adored,' she wrote in sharing a video of Warner. 'To have him as a friend was a blessing from God. He was one of one.' That sentiment was shared by many. 'The death of Malcolm-Jamal Warner represents a significant cultural loss for the industry and Black audiences, in particular,' Samantha Sheppard, an associate professor of cinema and media studies at Cornell University, told CNN. 'Warner's career is indelibly linked to a program that reshaped the representation of Black middle-class life on network television.' ''The Cosby Show' and its cast have long existed in the shadow of Bill Cosby's widely publicized sexual assault allegations, which have complicated and, in many respects, eclipsed public memory of the show's cultural contributions,' she added. 'This eclipse has too often obscured Warner's evolution as an actor and artist following his years on the popular sitcom, including his work as a poet, musician, and versatile actor across a range of sitcoms and dramas.' Warner reflected on his multifacited career in a 2013 conversation with the Television Academy Foundation. 'I have peace of mind and for me, you can't put a price on that,' Warner said at the time. 'I can definitely say that I feel successful in my post-Cosby life.' Part of that peace was found in the love of his wife and young daughter, who have largely avoided the glare of celebrity life. In a conversation on the'Hot & Bothered with Melyssa Ford' podcast in May, Warner reflected on his 2017 wedding and wanting to build a family with his spouse. 'I've never, never second-guessed it,' Warner said of his marriage. 'There was a moment where I realized when people say, 'When you know, you know,' that's what that feeling is.' He also discussed understanding the importance of legacy, noting that his mother had once told him that 'Mr. [Bill] Cosby gave you immortality.' 'I feel like, okay, there's that legacy there, but then, because I've had this full life after that show, there's another lane of legacy that I get to leave,' Warner reflected. He was clear about how he wanted to remembered. 'There's part of me that I will be able to leave this earth knowing, and people knowing, that I was a good person,' Warner said. It was no act, which is why his community mourns so deeply for the man who was so much more than Theo.
CNN
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CNN
Malcolm-Jamal Warner's role on ‘The Cosby Show' made him family to the Black community. They are mourning him as such
Some celebrity deaths hit the Black community differently. Such is the case with the passing of Malcolm-Jamal Warner, who died Sunday at age 54 in a drowning accident in Costa Rica, where he was on vacation with his family. Much like the unexpected deaths of Prince, Kobe Bryant and actor Chadwick Boseman, Warner's death is being met in much of the Black community by the type of deep grieving usually reserved for family members. And it feels completely appropriate. Almost from the beginning, the world seemed to know that Warner was special. A child actor who appeared on various series at a young age, he exploded into superstardom when he landed the role of Theo Huxtable as a young teen on 'The Cosby Show.' As is the case with any skilled actor, Warner made the audience forget he was playing a role. It felt to viewers like he was Theo, the sometimes mischievous, but always well-meaning third child of the Huxtable family. Warner stood out in the series with Bill Cosby, starring as the patriarch, and Phylicia Rashad as the matriarch, given that Warner played their characters' only son. Centered around an accomplished and loving Black family, the show became a cultural touchstone for many in Generation X, especially young Black people. Off screen, Warner managed to sidestep the pitfalls and scandals that so many child stars face. After 'The Cosby Show' ended in 1992, Warner went on to other beloved series, including 'Malcom & Eddie,' 'The Resident' and '9-1-1,' an impressive career transition for any actor who has grown up on television. If his success is also measured in esteem from colleagues, Warner had that in excess. Fellow actors and former costars such as Morris Chestnut, who worked with Warner on 'The Resident,' Tracee Ellis Ross, who costarred with him on 'Reed Between the Lines,' and Eddie Griffin, who starred opposite Warner in the sitcom 'Malcolm & Eddie,' have expressed shock and grief over Warner's unexpected death. 'This loss has devastated me,' Warner's 'Community' costar Yvette Nicole Brown shared on social media. 'I don't have the words right now, so I am repurposing these beautiful ones from my dear friend, who I adored,' she wrote in sharing a video of Warner. 'To have him as a friend was a blessing from God. He was one of one.' That sentiment was shared by many. 'The death of Malcolm-Jamal Warner represents a significant cultural loss for the industry and Black audiences, in particular,' Samantha Sheppard, an associate professor of cinema and media studies at Cornell University, told CNN. 'Warner's career is indelibly linked to a program that reshaped the representation of Black middle-class life on network television.' ''The Cosby Show' and its cast have long existed in the shadow of Bill Cosby's widely publicized sexual assault allegations, which have complicated and, in many respects, eclipsed public memory of the show's cultural contributions,' she added. 'This eclipse has too often obscured Warner's evolution as an actor and artist following his years on the popular sitcom, including his work as a poet, musician, and versatile actor across a range of sitcoms and dramas.' Warner reflected on his multifacited career in a 2013 conversation with the Television Academy Foundation. 'I have peace of mind and for me, you can't put a price on that,' Warner said at the time. 'I can definitely say that I feel successful in my post-Cosby life.' Part of that peace was found in the love of his wife and young daughter, who have largely avoided the glare of celebrity life. In a conversation on the'Hot & Bothered with Melyssa Ford' podcast in May, Warner reflected on his 2017 wedding and wanting to build a family with his spouse. 'I've never, never second-guessed it,' Warner said of his marriage. 'There was a moment where I realized when people say, 'When you know, you know,' that's what that feeling is.' He also discussed understanding the importance of legacy, noting that his mother had once told him that 'Mr. [Bill] Cosby gave you immortality.' 'I feel like, okay, there's that legacy there, but then, because I've had this full life after that show, there's another lane of legacy that I get to leave,' Warner reflected. He was clear about how he wanted to remembered. 'There's part of me that I will be able to leave this earth knowing, and people knowing, that I was a good person,' Warner said. It was no act, which is why his community mourns so deeply for the man who was so much more than Theo.
CNN
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CNN
Malcolm-Jamal Warner's role on ‘The Cosby Show' made him family to the Black community. They are mourning him as such
Some celebrity deaths hit the Black community differently. Such is the case with the passing of Malcolm-Jamal Warner, who died Sunday at age 54 in a drowning accident in Costa Rica, where he was on vacation with his family. Much like the unexpected deaths of Prince, Kobe Bryant and actor Chadwick Boseman, Warner's death is being met in much of the Black community by the type of deep grieving usually reserved for family members. And it feels completely appropriate. Almost from the beginning, the world seemed to know that Warner was special. A child actor who appeared on various series at a young age, he exploded into superstardom when he landed the role of Theo Huxtable as a young teen on 'The Cosby Show.' As is the case with any skilled actor, Warner made the audience forget he was playing a role. It felt to viewers like he was Theo, the sometimes mischievous, but always well-meaning third child of the Huxtable family. Warner stood out in the series with Bill Cosby, starring as the patriarch, and Phylicia Rashad as the matriarch, given that Warner played their characters' only son. Centered around an accomplished and loving Black family, the show became a cultural touchstone for many in Generation X, especially young Black people. Off screen, Warner managed to sidestep the pitfalls and scandals that so many child stars face. After 'The Cosby Show' ended in 1992, Warner went on to other beloved series, including 'Malcom & Eddie,' 'The Resident' and '9-1-1,' an impressive career transition for any actor who has grown up on television. If his success is also measured in esteem from colleagues, Warner had that in excess. Fellow actors and former costars such as Morris Chestnut, who worked with Warner on 'The Resident,' Tracee Ellis Ross, who costarred with him on 'Reed Between the Lines,' and Eddie Griffin, who starred opposite Warner in the sitcom 'Malcolm & Eddie,' have expressed shock and grief over Warner's unexpected death. 'This loss has devastated me,' Warner's 'Community' costar Yvette Nicole Brown shared on social media. 'I don't have the words right now, so I am repurposing these beautiful ones from my dear friend, who I adored,' she wrote in sharing a video of Warner. 'To have him as a friend was a blessing from God. He was one of one.' That sentiment was shared by many. 'The death of Malcolm-Jamal Warner represents a significant cultural loss for the industry and Black audiences, in particular,' Samantha Sheppard, an associate professor of cinema and media studies at Cornell University, told CNN. 'Warner's career is indelibly linked to a program that reshaped the representation of Black middle-class life on network television.' ''The Cosby Show' and its cast have long existed in the shadow of Bill Cosby's widely publicized sexual assault allegations, which have complicated and, in many respects, eclipsed public memory of the show's cultural contributions,' she added. 'This eclipse has too often obscured Warner's evolution as an actor and artist following his years on the popular sitcom, including his work as a poet, musician, and versatile actor across a range of sitcoms and dramas.' Warner reflected on his multifacited career in a 2013 conversation with the Television Academy Foundation. 'I have peace of mind and for me, you can't put a price on that,' Warner said at the time. 'I can definitely say that I feel successful in my post-Cosby life.' Part of that peace was found in the love of his wife and young daughter, who have largely avoided the glare of celebrity life. In a conversation on the'Hot & Bothered with Melyssa Ford' podcast in May, Warner reflected on his 2017 wedding and wanting to build a family with his spouse. 'I've never, never second-guessed it,' Warner said of his marriage. 'There was a moment where I realized when people say, 'When you know, you know,' that's what that feeling is.' He also discussed understanding the importance of legacy, noting that his mother had once told him that 'Mr. [Bill] Cosby gave you immortality.' 'I feel like, okay, there's that legacy there, but then, because I've had this full life after that show, there's another lane of legacy that I get to leave,' Warner reflected. He was clear about how he wanted to remembered. 'There's part of me that I will be able to leave this earth knowing, and people knowing, that I was a good person,' Warner said. It was no act, which is why his community mourns so deeply for the man who was so much more than Theo.
