Latest news with #controversy
Telegraph
31 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Ricky Gervais makes Hollywood sex abuse joke in Walk of Fame speech
Ricky Gervais has made a controversial joke about sex abuse in showbusiness after accepting a Hollywood Walk of Fame award. The 63-year-old actor and comedian posed with his star at the Los Angeles landmark on Friday. He then joked how he was grateful to join the 'exclusive club', naming among its members the pop star Michael Jackson, the comedian Bill Cosby and the silent film actor Roscoe 'Fatty'Arbuckle. All three went on trial for alleged sex crimes. Gervais said: 'Thank you so much for this honour. It's a genuine thrill to be part of such an exclusive club. 'And just looking around earlier at all the other stars, absolute icons, you know? Michael Jackson, Bill Cosby, Fatty Arbuckle.' Jackson, who died in 2009 aged 50, was accused of sexually abusing children at his Neverland ranch, but was acquitted. Arbuckle was taken to court three times in the 1920s for the rape and manslaughter of the actress Virginia Rappe. He was also acquitted and received a written apology from the third jury. He died in 1933. Cosby, 87, was convicted of sexual assault in 2018 and spent just under three years in prison. He maintains his innocence, and the Pennsylvania Supreme Court later overturned his conviction. On Friday, a casually dressed Gervais also addressed his look, saying: 'I should firstly apologise for how I'm dressed. This isn't me trying to be cool or disrespectful to the establishment. This is me not having a suit that fits any more. 'I tried on about five before I left England and the jackets weren't too bad, but the trousers were just depressing. Even my shirts were too tight. I looked disgusting. When a butcher ties up those joints of pork – it was like that.' The multi-award-winning entertainer being awarded a star on Hollywood Boulevard as 'pretty crazy', adding: 'And I'm from England, so I have a strange mix of nothing good ever happens, and if it does I don't deserve it or it can't be as good as I thought it was. 'I'd love to claim that it was due to my unrivalled genius, but it truth be told, it's a cocktail of luck, persistence, and a little bit of pushing against the tide. 'You've got to polarise. You need to know that if you're doing anything of any worth, as many people hate you as love you. But the ones that hate you, they shouldn't affect you. The ones that love you, they buy your house. So I'd like to thank them. 'And we've had a few weird years of cancel culture, people telling you what you can and can't laugh at or talk about, but we pushed back and we won until the next time.' Gervais previously attracted controversy over comments made during a speech at the Golden Globes in 2020. In an eight-minute monologue, he criticised various aspects of Hollywood, bringing in issues of racism and the Epstein scandal. He was accused of being 'cruel' and 'unkind' the morning after the awards. But hitting back on social media, he wrote: 'Thank you for all your amazing comments about my Golden Globes monologue. Best reaction ever, that means a lot to me.'
The Independent
9 hours ago
- General
- The Independent
Nigel Owens gives verdict on the viral schoolboy Tiktok try that's dividing the internet
Legendary referee Nigel Owens has given his verdict on the ruling of a controversial schoolboy try that has since divided the internet. In a match between Marlborough Boys' College and Nelson College in New Zealand, Marlborough centre Anru Erasmus lined up a penalty from directly in front after informing the referee they were taking the shot at the posts. But instead of kicking the ball at the posts, Erasmus chipped off the kicking tee towards the left corner, with teammate Finn Neal latching onto the ball uncontested and touching down for a simple try. The try was awarded after the referee saw that the trick play did not break any rules, and went on to prove the difference, with Marlborough coming out 28-26 victors. However, Owens has since rightly hit back at the decision to let the score stand, which did in fact go against the rulebook. 'No try,' Owens said on X. 'You must make a genuine attempt to kick at goal before the try can be allowed to stand. This clearly wasn't.' He then added that the penalty should have been voided, with a scrum taking place instead. World Rugby states in its laws that, under rule 8.20, 'if the team indicates to the referee the intention to kick at goal, they must kick at goal. The intention to kick can be communicated to the referee or signalled by the arrival of the kicking tee or sand, or when the player makes a mark on the ground.' Owens is obviously in a position to know, having refereed at the highest level of the game, including the Rugby World Cup final in 2015.
Malay Mail
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Malay Mail
Blackpink's Jisoo faces fallout after brother accused of secretly filming sexual encounter
SEOUL, May 31 — K-pop star Jisoo is facing unwanted heat after her older brother was accused of filming a woman during a sexual encounter without consent and sharing the footage with friends. While the allegations are directed at him, it's Jisoo whose name has been dominating headlines — and fans are worried. The controversy erupted after a post on the anonymous platform Blind claimed, 'I was secretly filmed by Blackpink Jisoo's brother.' The original post has since been deleted, but not before it went viral across social media and forums. The woman behind the post alleged she was recorded without her knowledge and that the video was circulated among acquaintances of Jisoo's brother, known by the surname Kim. Xportsnews reported today that though Jisoo has no confirmed link to the alleged act, public backlash has landed squarely on her. Some online users, misled by the headlines, have even wrongly assumed she was personally involved. The fallout comes at a sensitive time for Jisoo, who recently launched her own label, BLISSOO, and has been branching out as an actress and solo performer. To complicate matters, her brother is reportedly tied to her agency — a detail that has sparked debate about the implications for her brand and professional image. Fans are rallying in support of Jisoo, saying she shouldn't have to answer for a family member's alleged misconduct. Still, others are calling for a public statement from her, putting pressure on the idol to navigate a controversy not of her making. Kim's camp has strongly denied the accusations, calling them baseless and threatening legal action. For now, Jisoo remains silent — but the damage may already be done. With endorsement deals and upcoming projects potentially at stake, the Blackpink star is caught in a media storm she didn't ask for.
Free Malaysia Today
a day ago
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
‘Privileged prisoner' Abdullah Ang dies at 79
Jailed tycoon Abdullah Ang pictured in Kuala Lumpur in 1989 when he should have been in prison. (Goh Seng Chong pic) PETALING JAYA : Abdullah Ang, a high-flying businessman who stirred controversy for receiving privileged treatment while in jail, has died at the age of 79. His death on Wednesday was reported by The Star, quoting his former legal adviser Selva Sugumaran as saying that Abdullah had fought a long battle with an illness which saw frequent hospital visits. His funeral will be held in Kuala Lumpur on June 2. Abdullah was the chief executive of the now-defunct Malaysian Overseas Investment Corporation when he was convicted of criminal breach of trust of some RM338,000 in 1986. He was sentenced to eight years in prison and a RM100,000 fine, and did his time in Kajang prison. However, the Malay Mail newspaper revealed in 1989 that Abdullah was able to roam freely outside prison and even had a carpeted prison cell equipped with a refrigerator, video player and waterbed. An investigative report by the newspaper led to Abdullah being pictured in Kuala Lumpur, where he was said to be helping run a family business, when he should have been at a prison-run orchid farm in Mantin, Negeri Sembilan. Former Malay Mail editor Salehuddin Othman said a special home ministry panel which investigated the matter blamed it on weaknesses in the prison system, while then prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad ordered a shake-up of the prisons department to bring it along the lines of the national police structure.
RNZ News
2 days ago
- General
- RNZ News
Controversy as artwork removed from Nelson gallery
There has been controversy over an artwork removed from Nelson's Suter Art Gallery. Multimedia artist Diane Prince's piece - Flagging the Future - was part of an exhibition which featured a New Zealand flag on the floor with the words,"Please Walk on Me" printed on it. Ruth Tipu was against the art installation, and spoke to Tuwhenuaroa Natanahira. To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
