Discover more from Morning Martini
3/22/2022: Zelensky Thanks Ashton & Mila
PLUS: Bennifer’s New Digs, Kim Sells Her Yeezys, and Royal Refugees
Today is Tuesday, March 22, 2022.
It is the 81st day of the year.
284 days remain.
TRENDING
Twitter users shared their reactions to the news that a Boeing 737, carrying 132 people, crashed in China. No word on what led to the crash.
Kentanji Brown Jackson was trending, along with #SupremeCourt, as confirmation hearings for the nominee took place Monday.
Social media users celebrated #WorldDownSyndromeDay by advocating for pro-life.
#WorldPoetryDay was Monday. Twitter users honored the day by sharing some of their favorite poems and poets.
Urban Meyer landed in Twitter’s Top 10 Trends yesterday after an article came out calling out the fact that the former NFL coach did not know several of the league’s big name players. More in Sports.
#BadMovieSequels was trending Monday. Tweets included, “The Hunt For Red December,” “Titanic 2,” “The Flintstones Meet The Barrstones,” “Fast Times At My Pillow High,” “My Cousin Rudy” and “Raiders Of The Lost Fart.”
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CHARTS
Top 5 Songs on iTunes:
Carrie Underwood, “Ghost Story”
Cody Johnson, “‘Til You Can’t”
Elton John & Dua Lipa, “Cold Heart (PNAU Remix)”
Kevin Gates, “Thinking With My Dick (ft. Juicy J)”
Walker Hayes, “AA”
Top 5 Songs on Spotify:
Camila Cabello, “Bam Bam (ft. Ed Sheeran)”
Glass Animals, “Heat Waves”
Justin Bieber, “Ghost”
Megan Thee Stallion & Dua Lipa, “Sweetest Pie”
Lil Nas X, “THATS WHAT I WANT”
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DEATHS
DON YOUNG has died.
The Alaska congressman — and oldest current member of both the House and Senate — passed away on Friday. No cause of death was shared.
He was 88.
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AKIRA TAKARADA has died.
The star of the original 1954 “Godzilla” flick passed away on March 14, according to Toho Studios. No cause of death was shared.
He was 87.
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BABY NEWS
“Grey’s Anatomy” star CHRIS CARMACK, 41, and his wife ERIN SLAVER are expecting their second child together.
The couple are already parents to 5-year-old daughter Kai.
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“Voice” alum ADAM WAKEFIELD, 39, and his wife JENNY LEIGH, 36, are expecting their first baby together.
The couple, who tied the knot in April 2021, revealed the news on stage at the Grand Ole Opry, after Wakefield and his band performed.
Leigh is eight-months along.
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WEDDINGS
Actor JONATHAN BENNETT, 40, married reality star JAYMES VAUGHAN, 38, in Mexico on Saturday.
The “Mean Girls” star shared photos of the big day on his Instagram.
YouTuber BRIAN TYLER COHEN officiated the ceremony.
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LOTTERY
No winner for Friday night’s Mega Millions drawing. Tonight’s drawing will be for a $39 million jackpot or a $25.3 million cash payout.
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SHOWBIZ NEWS
JOHN TRAVOLTA has earned his 737 pilot’s license.
The 68-year-old already has his 747 and 707 licenses and a fleet of planes, including a Bombardier Challenger 601, a Boeing 707-138B, and an Eclipse 500.
WORTH NOTING: John has been flying since he was 15. He got his first license in 1978.
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NATHAN APODACA, known by his rap name Dogface, made his rapping debut alongside SNOOP DOGG.
The song, titled “Low Rider,” features vocals from Apodaca, Snoop and KYLPSO.
Apodaca went viral skateboarding to Fleetwood Mac hit “Dreams” in 2020.
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STEPHEN SPEILBERG revealed in a recent interview that “West Side Story” will be the only musical that he ever directs.
Speaking to Variety, the famed director said he will still produce musicals, however. He is currently co-producing the movie musical adaptation of “The Color Purple,” starring FANTASIA BARRINO and DANIELLE BROOKS.
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SYLVESTER STALLONE is launching the PlanetSky NFT collection.
The collection features 9,997 generative digital art pieces celebrating his life and film career.
The new venture launches in April.
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Actors ASHTON KUTCHER and MILA KUNIS received a personal thank-you from Ukrainian President VOLODYMRY ZELENSKY for their efforts to raise over $35 million for humanitarian aid for refugees.
Zelensky reached out to the couple via video call and later tweeted out a photo of himself talking to them.
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TONY HAWK is back on the board.
The 53-year-old posted a video of himself skateboarding on the same ramp that he broke his femur on two weeks ago.
Hawk told fans that he hopes to be healed enough to skate at an event in May.
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CASTING CALL
JERROD CARMICHAEL, JAKE GYLLENHAAL and LIZZO will host “SNL” next month.
Carmichael will make his hosting debut on April 2. He will be joined by GUNNA as the musical guest.
Gyllenhaal will make his second hosting appearance on April 9, with CAMILA CABELLO as the musical guest.
On April 16, Lizzo will play double duty as host and the night’s musical guest.
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DOLLY PARTON will star in and co-produce the film adaptation of James Patterson’s novel, “Run, Rose, Run.”
The story is about a young woman who comes to country music’s capital city to pursue her musical dreams. Her troubled past, which is featured in many of her songs, catches up with her just as her dreams seem within reach.
Patterson will also serve as co-producer.
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The new season of “Worst Cooks in America” will feature ‘90s sitcom and film stars.
Discovery+ recently announced that the cooking show will feature LORI BETH DENBERG (“All That”), ELISA DONOVAN (“Clueless”), TRACEY GOLD (“Growing Pains”), MATTHEW LAWRENCE (“Boy Meets World”) and JODIE SWEETIN (“Full House”).
The new season will premiere next month.
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DADDY YANKEE is retiring.
The rapper and singer, known as the “King of Reggaeton,” announced that he is stepping away from music after a three-decade long career.
To say good-bye, the 45-year-old announced he will be releasing a new album and going on tour.
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Actress STACEY DASH will star in a new reality series, called “A New Thing — With Stacey Dash.”
The show follows Dash as she ditches Los Angeles for New Hampshire, while pursuing a new gig as interior designer at Debbe Daley Designs.
The series is currently being shopped to streamers.
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The new Broadway musical about MICHAEL JACKSON is hitting the road.
According to multiple outlets, “MJ” will hit 17 major cities over a two-year span starting next year.
It kicks off in Chicago on July 15, 2023.
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“The Price Is Right” is celebrating its 50th season on air with a coast-to-coast “Come On Down Tour.”
The tour will kick off March 25 at the Santa Monica Pier amusement park in California. Other cities that will host the “game show on wheels” include New York City, Denver, Dallas, New Orlens, Nashville, Cleveland and others.
Fans of the show will have a chance to play games like Plinko and Spin the Wheel, compete for a showcase and have a chance to win a $50,000 grand prize at one of the tour stops.
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MACHINE GUN KELLY announced he is going on a North American and European tour.
The news comes ahead of his forthcoming studio album, “mainstream sellout.”
The tour will kick off in June in Austin, Texas and will conclude in October in the Netherlands.
Joining MGK on the road are AVRIL LAVIGNE, TRAVIS BARKER, BLACKBEAR, TRIPPIE REDD, WILLOW, IANN DIOR, PVRIS and 44PHANTOM.
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COURT CASES
A judge made a tentative ruling on Monday that actress AMANDA BYNES’ conservatorship is “no longer required.”
A court hearing is scheduled for this morning, where the judge will “most likely” make it official, according to multiple outlets.
An insider told TMZ that no one is objecting the actress’ petition to end her conservatorship, so there should be no reason for it to continue.
Bynes was placed under a conservatorship in 2013 following a string of bizarre episodes.
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CRIB NOTES
JENNIFER LOPEZ and BEN AFFLECK are moving their blended family into a $50 million massive Bel-Air estate.
The 20,000 square-foot heavily secluded home features 10 bedrooms and 17 bathrooms.
Outside is a pool, spa, guest house and impressive patio.
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
KIM KARDASHIAN is ridding her life of all things Yeezy.
The 41-year-old posted two pairs of black Yeezy sandals on her Kardashian Kloset website over the weekend, listing them for $375 and $350.
Social media users were quick to bash the billionaire for selling stuff she has gotten for free.
In response to the backlash, the posts have been removed.
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
QUEEN ELIZABETH and PRINCE CHARLES are reportedly thinking of ways they can support Ukrainian refugees who have fled their war torn country.
An insider told OK! Magazine that the Royal Household is “considering” opening its doors and providing a place for those entering the UK to live.
The same source added that the Queen’s 50,000 acre Scottish estate has been approached to host refugees.
The news comes just weeks after Her Majesty made a generous donation to support the Ukrainian people, which was confirmed by The Disasters Emergency Committee.
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SPORTS
AL MICHEALS has signed a three-year deal with Amazon for “Thursday Night Football.”
The New York Post reports that the longtime voice of “Sunday Night Football” will be joined in the booth by KIRK HERBSTREIT, who signed with Amazon a few weeks ago.
WORTH NOTING: Michaels was in consideration to replace JOE BUCK, who recently left FOX for ESPN, but the network decided to go with KEVIN BURKHARDT instead.
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A new report from The Athletic claims that former Jaguars coach URBAN MEYER didn’t know who many of the NFL’s big name players were — specifically L.A.’s AARON DONALD.
In an effort to prove why Meyer never deserved to coach beyond the collegiate level, the outlet reports that Meyer once asked, “Who’s this 99 guy on the Rams? I’m hearing he might be a problem for us.” Of course the rest of the league (and fans) are well aware it is future Hall of Famer Donald.
Other players Meyer was allegedly “unfamiliar” with include, DEEBO SAMUELS and JAMAL ADAMS.
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DAY OF THE YEAR
National Bavarian Crepes Day
National Goof Off Day
National West Virginia Day
National American Diabetes Association Alert Day
National Ag Day
National 3-D Day
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ON THIS DATE
1765 - British Parliament imposes the Stamp Act on American colonies.
The law taxed all printed materials, including newspapers, pamphlets, and even playing cards. It was intended to raise revenue to offset debts from the Seven Years' War.
The Stamp Act followed three other major taxes, and the colonists were none too pleased. This last imposition brought to the forefront of revolutionary debate the issue of taxation without representation.
While the British repealed the Act the following year, the damage had been done, and revolution was on its way.
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1933 - President Franklin Roosevelt signs legislation that imposes a federal tax on all beer and wine sales.
It relaxed the regulations set forth in the Volstead Act, which helped to enforce prohibition. With the new rules, beverages with less than 3.2 percent alcohol by volume could be sold -- and taxed.
The 21st amendment would be ratified later that year, which effectively repealed prohibition.
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1945 - The Arab League is formed.
It outlines an alliance between a handful of Arab countries, sort of like a regional United Nations.
When Israel became a nation-state 3 years later, it became an open source of ridicule by the new alliance.
Since then, the Arab League has extended beyond the Arabian Peninsula, and into much of northern Africa. Today it is headquartered in Cairo, Egypt.
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1972 - The US Senate passes the Equal Rights Amendment, readying the legislation for ratification by the states.
The language in the law first surfaced in 1923 by women's rights groups. Following the sexual revolution and the rise of feminism in the 1960s, the ideas became popular again.
Hawaii was the first state to ratify, with 30 more states following. But the amendment failed to be approved by the necessary 38 states.
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2007 - News Corp and NBC Universal ink a deal that would later spawn Hulu.
NBC had been putting content on YouTube, but was not able to effectively monetize it.
Realizing the need for a business model that allowed easy access to network programming online while still generating profit, network executives were looking for ways to archive old programs and broadcast new ones online.
The result was Hulu.
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2020 - Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei refuses American COVID-19 help, calling the virus a conspiracy theory that was manufactured by the US.
On this day, Iran reported over 1500 deaths — the fourth highest in the world at the time.
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BIRTHDAYS
Mick Schumacher - race car driver - 23
Mikey Cobban - pop singer - 26
Nick Robinson - actor, “Melissa & Joey” - 27
JJ Watt - football player - 33
Matt Nicholls - drummer, Bring Me The Horizon - 36
Constance Wu - “Fresh Off the Boat” & “Crazy Rich Asians" - 40
Dave Portnoy - founder of Barstool Sports - 45
Reese Witherspoon - actress, “Sweet Home Alabama” & “Walk the Line” - 46
Keegan-Michael Key - comedian - 51
Rick Harrison - reality star - 57
Matthew Modine - actor, “Weeds” & “Stranger Things” - 63
Andrew Lloyd Webber - composer - 74
James Patterson - novelist - 75
William Shatner - actor, “Star Trek” & “T.J. Hooker” - 91
Born On This Date
Shawty Lo - rapper - 1976 (d. 2016)
Stephen Sondheim - composer - 1930 (d. 2021)
Forest “Bud” Sagendorf - cartoonist, Popeye - 1915 (d. 1994)
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