Today is Monday, February 17, 2025.
It is the 48th day of the year.
317 days remain.
WHAT’S ON TAP
NOTABLE & NOTEWORTHY: OpenAI rejects the latest buyout offer from ELON MUSK.
More JUSTIN BALDONI-BLAKE LIVELY legal drama and BRITNEY SPEARS shows off her dance moves for Valentine’s Day. More in SHOWBIZ.
LADY GAGA does “Hot Ones” and SARAH HYLAND gets a bad rap. Details in CASTING CALL.
New employment opportunities inside the Royal fold open up. Details in ROYALS.
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The board of OpenAI has rejected a $97 BILLION bid from an investment group led by ELON MUSK to take the company over.
In a statement, board chairman Bret Taylor said (ironically, in a statement on X), “OpenAI is not for sale, and the board has unanimously rejected Mr. Musk’s latest attempt to disrupt his competition. Any potential reorganization of OpenAI will strengthen our nonprofit and its mission to ensure AGI [artificial general intelligence] benefits all of humanity.”
Musk was an early backer of OpenAI CEO SAM ALTMAN. The two fell out over Altman’s decision to make the company a for-profit initiative instead of developing A.I. for the general good. Meanwhile, Musk continues to develop his own A.I. company and currently has a chatbot integrated with X, called Grok.
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To crack down on rampant shoplifting from a Walmart about 50 miles north of Detroit, one judge has devised a creative sentence to deter future crime: requiring the crooks to wash cars at weekend events in the store’s parking lot.
Judge Jeffrey Clothier says he expects up to 100 people convicted on misdemeanor shoplifting charges to provide the service starting in March. The washes will be free for anyone who shows up.
Clothier, who began his term as a judge just last month, says in just one day he had 48 petty theft cases. “I think it will be humiliating to be out there washing cars if you see someone you know,” Clothier said.
GET THIS: Clothier adds, “I will be there washing cars with them.” [via AP]
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JUSTIN BALDONI’s lawyers think BLAKE LIVELY’s subpoenas for his phone and text records are “flagrantly overbroad.”
“This is a civil litigation, not a criminal prosecution, and (Lively and Reynolds) are not the FBI,” the letter states.
As previously reported, Lively’s lawyers submitted the subpoenas last week seeking further evidence to bolster their claim that Baldoni engaged in an unlawful smear campaign following her sexual harassment lawsuit.
IN RESPONSE: A rep for Lively asked, “If they have so many receipts why are they so afraid to produce them?” [via Variety]
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Amid reports that YE and BIANCA CENSORI are heading for divorce, multiple outlets say there is no prenup.
Ye’s net worth is around $400 million -- a far cry from the $2.77 BILLION he claimed to be worth last month. There are conflicting reports on Censori’s net worth, with some outlets claiming it's between $2-3 million.
Their net worths may not be the issue here, however, as according to California law, “assets and debts are split equally.” This is unfortunate for Censori, who may be responsible for Ye’s mounting debts.
BUT WAIT: A rep for the couple denied divorce rumors, saying the two had plans to spend Valentine’s Day together. [via TMZ]
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Comedian JEFF DYE does not have fond memories of acting alongside actress SARAH HYLAND in the 2019 flick “The Wedding Year.”
She was “rude to everyone,” he revealed on a recent episode of “The George Janko Show,” calling her “a pretty woman who chain-smokes and is terrible.”
Dye says he wasn’t the only one on set who thought Hyland was “mean,” saying others “found camaraderie in hating her.” [via Page Six]
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