3/11/2024: Oscars Recap 2024
PLUS: Insurrection in Haiti; Madonna’s Mistake; and Gate Crasher
Today is Monday, March 11, 2024.
It is the 71st day of the year.
295 days remain.
WHAT’S ON TAP
Officials investigate a mysterious balloon wreck site in Alaska. Details in HIT LIST.
DONATELLA VERSACE suffered a fashion emergency at an LGBT event over the weekend. More on that in SHOWBIZ.
This “Harry Potter” star thinks adult fans of the franchise need to get over it. Find out more in CASTING CALL.
Hulu announces a premiere date for Season 5 of “The Kardashians.” More in KARDASH.
An unidentified driver crashed into the front gates of Buckingham Palace over the weekend. Details in ROYALS.
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HIT LIST
The US State Department evacuated non-essential American personnel from its embassy in Haiti over the weekend, as a gang revolt threatens to take control of the country. Prison breaks have freed incarcerated gang members to join the rank and file on the streets, where the Washington Post reports carnage and violence have killed hundreds and hospitals are closed.
The Wall Street Journal reports that gang leader GUY PHILIPPE seeks to take power. He led an attempted coup in 2004 that was eventually shutdown by American intervention. He later spent six years in prison in the United States on drug charges. Now, he’s angling to take power amid the chaos.
The violence expanded last week, perhaps by design, when Haitian President ARIEL HENRY left the country to firm up military support in Kenya. Unconfirmed reports suggest Henry had made it to the United States by Sunday and was making an effort to charter a flight back to Haiti, but gangs have seized control of major airports in the capital of Port au Prince. [via Washington Post, WSJ]
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Australian vineyards are aggressively culling their grape vines, as global demand for cheap red wines produced Down Under has shrunk aggressively in recent years.
Australian winemakers reportedly have two years’ worth of production already stored and spoiling, leading to wineries selling their product at a loss as a result of oversupply. As an example, the cost of a ton of red grapes used in popular reds fell from $659 to $304 Australian Dollars in the last three years.
In some cases, the destruction has destroyed generations-old vineyards. One owner tells CNN, “It’s hard for growers to look out the back window and see a pile of dirt instead of vines that have been there as long as they’ve known.” [via CNN]
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ELON MUSK last week said he would not be making a donation to either main presidential candidate in 2024, days after news about his attendance at a meeting with former President DONALD TRUMP at Mar-a-Lago leaked.
TURNS OUT: The Republican National Committee arranged the meeting in the hopes Musk would speak at the party’s nominating convention in Milwaukee this July.
WORTH NOTING: Musk could keep his pledge and end up shoveling some money at a third party organization that supports one candidate over the other. [via CNBC]
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Fishermen off the coast of Alaska say they recovered a “large balloon and payload” last week that the Department of Defense is investigating.
No official confirmation or denial that the balloon had spying capabilities similar to those discovered and eventually shot down over the United States early last year. Multiple government agencies are reportedly analyzing the wreckage, which is being held at a military base outside of Anchorage. [via USA Today]
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Kiki the cockatiel has gone viral on TikTok for his repeated singing of the chorus of Earth, Wind & Fire’s song, “September.”
His owner shared a video of the singing on the bird’s official TikTok page over the weekend, along with a caption that reads, “It’s 7 in the morning.” The clip garnered over 21 million likes in 48 hours.
By the way, according to his owner, Kiki has been belting out the tune -- on repeat -- for four years now. [via TikTok]
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BABY NEWS
Actress VANESSA HUDGENS is expecting her first child with her husband, baseball player COLE TUCKER.
She’s 35 and he’s 27.
Hudgens showed off her baby bump while co-hosting ABC’s “Countdown to the Oscars: On The Red Carpet Live!” on Sunday.
The news comes just three months after the pair tied the knot in Tulum, Mexico.
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Actors ADAM DEVINE and CHLOE BRIDGES have welcomed their first child.
He’s 40 and she’s 32.
The little boy, named Beau, arrived on February 16, according to a recent Instagram post from the couple.
Devine and Bridges have been married since October 2021.
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TESSA and BARRON HILTON have welcomed their third child together.
The Hilton Hilton co-founder announced the news on Sunday, sharing a photo on Instagram of her new son, Apollo Winter Hilton. He arrived on March 8.
The couple are already parents to Caspian Barron, 16 months, and Milou Alizee, 3.
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BREAKUPS
NATALIE PORTMAN and BENJAMIN MILLEPIED are officially divorced.
The actress filed for divorce from the French choreographer in July, after a cheating scandal, and things were finalized last month.
The couple met on the set of “Black Swan,” and tied the knot in 2012. They share a 12-year-old son, Aleph, and 7-year-old daughter, Amalia.
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WEDDINGS
“Mr. Irrelevant” BROCK PURDY is married!
The 49ers QB tied the knot in Des Moines, Iowa on Saturday to longtime girlfriend JENNA BRANDT.
They are both 24.
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WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
10. Wonka: $600k (down from 8)
9. Yolo: $840k (new)
8. Migration: $1.1 million (down from 6)
7. Madame Web: $1.12 million (down from 5)
6. Ordinary Angels: $2 million (down from 3)
5. Bob Marley: One Love: $4 million (down from 2)
4. Cabrini: $7.5 million (new)
3. Imaginary: $10 million (new)
2. Dune: Part Two: $46 million (down from 1)
1. Kung Fu Panda 4: $58.3 million (new)
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The DOW lost 68 points (0.18%) to close at 38,722 on Friday. The S&P lost 33 points (0.65%) to close at 5,123 and the NASDAQ lost 188 points (1.16%) to close at 16,084.
🛢 WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE closed at $77 on Friday; BRENT CRUDE at $81.
⛽ The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS was $3.39 on Sunday.
₿ BITCOIN clawed its way back over $69,000 by Sunday.
🛩 There were more than 5,680 FLIGHTS delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Sunday and more than 340 such cancellations.
💰Tuesday night’s MEGA MILLIONS drawing will be for a $735 million jackpot or a $356.7 million cash payout. Tonight’s POWERBALL drawing will be for a $532 million jackpot or a $260.1 million cash payout.
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SHOWBIZ NEWS
Some intrigue over the weekend before the Academy Awards program: A Hollywood writer alleges that the screenplay for Best Picture nominee “The Holdovers” plagiarized his own, decade-old script line by line.
SIMON STEPHENSON recently is credited with writing “Luca” and “Paddington 2.” In a formal complaint, he alleges, “the evidence the holdovers [sic] screenplay has been plagiarised line-by-line from frisco” – “Frisco” is the title of his original script – “is genuinely overwhelming – anybody who looks at even the briefest sample pretty much invariably uses the word ‘brazen.’” [via Variety]
Ultimately, the “original screenplay” nomination the film also received ended up going to “Anatomy of a Fall,” anyway.
AND THEN: The show started a few minutes late, reportedly because anti-Israel protestors caused a ruckus. In his opening monologue, host JIMMY KIMMEL mentioned the delay but did not give specific reasons.
Otherwise, “Oppenheimer” racked up the most awards, with seven, including the top prize.
And the winners are:
Best Picture: “Oppenheimer”
Actress: EMMA STONE, “Poor Things”
Actor: CILLIAN MURPHY, “Oppenheimer”
Supporting Actor: ROBERT DOWNEY JR., “Oppenheimer”
Supporting Actress: DA’VINE JOY RANDOLPH, “The Holdovers”
Director: CHRISTOPHER NOLAN, “Oppenheimer” (Nolan’s first win after 8 nominations)
Cinematography: “Oppenheimer”
Sound: “The Zone of Interest”
Editing: “Oppenheimer”
Visual Effects: “Godzilla Minus One”
Original Screenplay: “Anatomy of a Fall”
Adapted Screenplay: “American Fiction”
Original Song: “What Was I Made For?” from “Barbie” by BILLIE EILISH & PHINEAS
Original Score: “Oppenheimer”
Documentary Short: “The Last Repair Shop”
Documentary Feature: “20 Days in Mariupol”
Live Action Short: “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar”
Animated Feature: “The Boy and the Heron”
Animated Short Film: ”War is Over!”
Makeup & Hairstyling: ”Poor Things”
Production Design: “Poor Things”
Costume Design: “Poor Things”
International Feature Film: “Zone of Interest”
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DONATELLA VERSACE needed to be rescued over the weekend after getting trapped in an elevator at the L.A. LGBT Center.
Sources said the designer, her assistant, her publicist, members of her security, the center’s CMO and the head of Versace PR were stuck for about 15 minutes before being freed.
Donatella co-hosted the event with basketball player DWAYNE WADE, who was there with his wife, actress GABRIELLE UNION, and their transgender daughter Zaya Wade. [via Variety]
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SHAWN MENDES is making a comeback.
The 25-year-old announced on Instagram that he will headline Rock In Rio this September, and is currently working on a new album.
It has been two years since Mendes canceled his 2022 world tour to focus on his mental health and wellbeing. [via ET]
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While discussing the upcoming movie “The Idea of You,” which follows a 40-year-old woman pursuing a relationship with a 24-year-old on “The View,” WHOOPI GOLDBERG dished on a relationship she had a couple of years back with a man who was 40 years her senior.
“I’ve gone up and down. Because your age is not what’s going to get me into your arms. It’s not your age that I’m concerned about. Unless you’re under 18, in which case I can’t,” she told her co-hosts.
By the way -- Goldberg is currently 68, a fact that prompted co-host JOY BEHAR to ask, “Is he still alive?” [via Us Weekly]
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MADONNA called out a fan who was sitting down at her recent concert, only to put her foot in her mouth when she realized said fan was in a wheelchair.
“What are you doing sitting down over there? What are you getting sitting down?” Madge said into the microphone as she ventured over to the edge of the stage.
It wasn’t until she got closer that Madonna realized why the fan wasn’t standing, at which point she said, “Oh, OK. Politically incorrect. Sorry about that.”
A video of the incident made the rounds on social media over the weekend, which caused a lot of people to sound off on the lack of apology from Madonna, while others asked why she cares if people sit or stand. [via NY Post]
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ADAM SANDLER surprised a group of young fans over the weekend when he showed up at the Kensington Leisure Centre to shoot some hoops.
Wearing a Hawaiin shirt and gray sweatpants, the actor showed off his basketball skills before taking selfies with some of the kids at the recreation center.
Sandler has a habit of showing up at local courts, though it is unclear why he is currently in London. [via Page Six]
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CASTING CALL
MARGARET QUALLEY will play AMANDA KNOX in a new limited series at Hulu.
The eight one-hour episodes will tell the true story of how “Knox was wrongfully convicted for the murder of her roommate Meredith Kercher and her 16-year odyssey to set herself free,” according to the official description.
Knox and Qualley will also executive produce the series, alongside MONICA LEWINSKY.
No word on when the untitled series will premiere. [via Variety]
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PIERCE BROSNAN thinks the next James Bond should be played by CILLIAN MURPHY, calling him the “natural choice.”
Since the most recent Bond character, played by DANIEL CRAIG, left the franchise, several leading men have been named as potential successors, including IDRIS ELBA, AARON TAYLOR-JOHNSON, REGE-JEAN PAGE and HENRY CAVILL.
But The Sun reports that “James Bond” producer Barbara Broccoli has “been keeping a close eye on Cillian for the last year” for the role.
WORTH NOTING: Production on the 26th James Bond movie is not expected to begin until later this year. [via NY Post, The Sun]
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The “Star Wars” franchise could have looked a lot different had CHRISTOPHER WALKEN landed the role of Han Solo.
Speaking to Vanity Fair, Walken admitted to having auditioned for the role, opposite JODIE FOSTER, who was reading for Princess Leia.
The roles would ultimately go to HARRISON FORD and CARRIE FISHER. [via Deadline]
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“Harry Potter” actress MIRIAM MARGOLYES is concerned about adult fans of the famous franchise.
The AV Club shared a recent interview in which Margolyes – who played Professor Sprout in two of the films – said that she thinks adult fans “should be over that by now.” Adding, “It was 25 years ago, and it’s for children.”
Her thoughts on the matter are interesting considering she has previously admitted to never reading any of the books or watching any of the films. [via AV Club]
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
KIM KARDASHIAN was accused of trying to look like BIANCA CENSORI in a recent Balenciaga photoshoot in which she posed topless under a fur coat.
The look is a bold choice as insiders claim Kim recently told YE’s wife that she needs to “cover up” when she is around the former couple’s kids.
Others were outraged over Kim’s continued support of the brand after last year’s scandal, in which children holding stuffed animals accessorized with bondage gear were used in several ads. [via Mirror]
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Season 5 of “The Kardashians” will hit Hulu on May 23.
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
London’s Metropolitan Police arrested a man who drove his car into the main gates of Buckingham Palace in the early hours Saturday. Officials later reported that the suspect had been released on bail but was ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation.
Authorities are not treating the crash as a terror incident.
In the hours after the crash, groundskeepers put up a wooden barrier in front of the damaged main gates. [via The Telegraph]
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Multiple news agencies issued an advisory Sunday afternoon after official social media accounts for PRINCE WILLIAM and PRINCESS CATHERINE published a photo of the princess with her kids that was pretty obviously photoshopped upon closer inspection.
The original photo included Kate with her four kids in celebration of England’s Mother’s Day, but eagle-eyed observers noticed multiple editing errors suggesting it was doctored, in particular around PRINCESS CHARLOTTE’s cuffs and PRINCE LOUIE’s sweater.
While PR flack routinely edit and touch-up photos, the photo’s timing is at best awkward: just last week, reps within Kensington Palace vehemently denied rumors that they were hiding important details about Kate’s recovery from surgery a few weeks ago. [via Morning Martini]
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DAY OF THE YEAR
World Plumbing Day
National Dream Day
National Wash Your Nose Day
National Oatmeal Nut Waffles Day
Fill Our Staplers Day
Commonwealth Day
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ON THIS DATE
1779 - Congress establishes the Army Corps of Engineers.
The special group of the military would design and build infrastructure for helping the Army travel across the country. Many of the workers were civilians, and managed by the Continental officers and even French officers, held over from the Revolution.
Today there are more than 35,000 employees in the Army Corps, both civilian and enlisted.
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1861 - The Confederate States of America ratify their Constitution.
Delegates from South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Texas gathered to agree upon the document.
Though the principles were similar to the US Constitution, it more closely resembled the Articles of Confederation, which governed the US immediately following the Revolutionary War.
The President would serve for six years and would be ineligible for re-election.
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1985 - Mikhail Gorbachev succeeds Konstantin Chernenko as Soviet Premier.
Gorbachev would oversee the systematic dismantling and opening of the Soviet Union, following increased pressure and negotiations from the Reagan administration.
He had been a young rising star in the Communist Party, having earned a law degree and entering politics. He was close with Yuri Andropov, who ran the KGB.
Andropov served as Chairman of the party briefly before dying in the early '80s, and was then succeeded by Konstantin Chernenko.
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2004 - Terrorists bomb four trains in Madrid.
More than 2,000 were injured and 191 died when 10 bombs were detonated across the rail system. An investigation deemed they were triggered by cell phones.
The attacks had immediate political ramifications, happening just three days before Spain's presidential elections. With controversy brewing over Spanish involvement with the war efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan, the attacks led to the election of socialist Prime Minister Jose Zapatero.
It is still unclear who was responsible for the attacks. Evidence points to either al-Qaeda or ETA, which is a separatist movement representing the Basque region in the north.
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2018 - “Black Panther” becomes the fifth Marvel movie to earn $1 billion worldwide.
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2020 - COVID-19 is declared a pandemic by the head of the World Health Organization.
At the time there were 121,564 cases reported worldwide and over 4,000 deaths.
Also that year…
Harvey Weinstein is sentenced to 23 years in prison for a criminal sex act and rape in New York.
Hours later he is rushed to a hospital for ongoing heart issues and a complication related to his back surgery.
The accusations against the disgraced movie producer are credited with giving life to the “#MeToo” movement.
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BIRTHDAYS
Madison Brydges - actress, “Big Top Academy” - 20
Chase Crawford - actor, “Goat” & “House of Cards” - 28
Jodie Comer - actress, “Killing Eve” & “Doctor Foster” - 31
Anthony Davis - basketball player - 31
Jude Demorest - actress, “Dallas” - 32
Thora Birch - actress, “Hocus Pocus” - 42
Paul Wall - rapper - 43
Johnny Knoxville - actor, “Jackass” & “The Dukes of Hazzard” - 53
Terrence Howard - actor, “Empire” - 55
Lisa Loeb - pop singer - 56
John Barrowman - actor, “Doctor Who” & “Arrow” - 57
Bobby McFerrin - pop singer - 74
Rupert Murdoch - media mogul, NY Post - 93
Born On This Date
Anton Yelchin - actor, “Huff” & “Thoroughbreds” - 1989 (d. 2016)
Antonin Scalia - 105th Supreme Court Justice - 1936 (d. 2016)
Shemp Howard - actor & comedian, “3 Stooges” - 1895 (d. 1955)
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