6/2/2022: Depp-Heard Both Guilty! (Sort Of)
Discover more from Morning Martini
6/2/2022: Depp-Heard Both Guilty! (Sort Of)
PLUS: The New DeLorean, “Top Gun” Hits Another Milestone, and Kim Eats the Meat
Today is Thursday, June 2, 2022.
It is the 153rd day of the year.
212 days remain.
TRENDING
#PrideMonth and LGBTQ landed in Twitter’s Top 10 Trends yesterday in honor of June being Pride Month.
The Irishman was trending after Netflix referred to the flick as an “expensive vanity project.” More on why in Showbiz.
#verdictwatch was trending as the world waited for the jury’s verdict in the Depp-Heard trial. Head to Court Cases to see what happened.
In honor of Global Running Day 2022, many Twitter users shared their running routes and routines.
###
HIT LIST
The DeLorean is back – with an all-electric car due out in 2024 called the Alpha5.
The company producing the car has changed hands and ownership since the 1980s; this is just the latest iteration and license of the iconic brand.
Not a whole lot of details about the car yet – other than concept art that shows it’ll feature the gull-winged doors made famous by the time machine in “Back to the Future.”
###
Sheryl Sandberg is out at Meta, parent company of Facebook.
She joined the company in 2008 and is credited with guiding a young Mark Zuckerberg through some of the company’s earliest challenges.
She says she has no immediate work plans but will work on her family’s charitable foundation. She’s probably not in a rush either, being worth north of $1.5 billion.
###
John Hinckley is out of the clink for good.
He was declared insane by a jury after trying to kill President Ronald Reagan in 1981. Since then, he’s been in and out of institutions and prisons, and has been living independently with restrictions since 2003.
###
A French thrillseeker has broken the record for most bungee jumps in 24 hours.
Francois-Marie Dibon clocked 765 jumps from Tuesday, overnight into Wednesday, at a pace of nearly one jump every two minutes. His team rotated in and out in shifts at the jump site in Scotland.
The feat shatters the previous record of 430 jumps in May 2017 by a New Zealander.
###
The Dow slid in the final minutes of trading after an afternoon rebound Wednesday to close down 176 points.
Wednesday’s national average gas price is a new record, clocking in at $4.67 a gallon.
###
CHARTS
Watch as Lara Mason, creative director at Cake Anything, creates a life-sized cake of Queen Elizabeth in honor of her Platinum Jubilee.
The Victoria sponge cake contains 400 eggs, 44 pounds of flour and 44 pounds of butter.
Mason uses TikTok to show off her creative confections.
Tiktok failed to load.Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser
###
DEATHS
BART BRYANT has died.
The three-time PGA Tour winner was killed in a car accident in Florida on Tuesday. No further details were shared.
He was 59.
###
MARION BARBER III has died.
The former Dallas Cowboys running back was found dead in his apartment on Wednesday. The cause of death is not yet known.
He was 38.
###
BABY NEWS
Reality stars HEIDI MONTAG and SPENCER PRATT are expecting their second child.
“The Hills” alums confirmed the exciting news to Us Weekly on Wednesday.
The couple are already parents to son, Gunner, 4.
###
THE SWAMP
The Biden Administration announced Wednesday that all student loan debt for those who attended Corinthian Colleges will be forgiven.
Corinthian Colleges managed several in-person and online academies before declaring bankruptcy in 2015. The Department of Education estimates 560,000 students will be eligible for the total forgiveness, which will amount to nearly $6 billion in total.
The move comes as Biden mulls options to spend up to $10,000 per borrower of traditional, federally-backed student loans.
WORTH NOTING: Even though it seems like everyone goes to college these days, only 42% of Americans have a degree.
IN OTHER WORDS: The taxes paid by the cashier at the gas station would be subsidizing a lawyer with six-figure loans.
WORTH ASKING: Is that fair?
###
LOTTERY
No winner for Tuesday night’s Mega Millions drawing. Friday night’s drawing will be for a $189 million jackpot or a $109.9 million cash payout.
###
SHOWBIZ NEWS
Nominations for this year’s BET Awards were announced Wednesday.
Leading the pack is DOJA CAT with six nods, including Album of the Year. DRAKE and ARI LENNOX are next with four nominations each.
The 2022 BET Awards will air live from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on June 26.
TARAJI P. HENSON will host.
###
JADA PINKETT SMITH finally addressed the Oscars incident involving her husband WILL SMITH and comedian CHRIS ROCK.
During Wednesday’s episode of her “Red Table Talk,” Jada spoke about living with alopecia, which many will remember was the focus of Rock’s joke that Will assaulted him over.
While speaking about her condition, Jada said that her “deepest hope is that these two intelligent capable men [meaning Will & Chris] have an opportunity to heal, talk this out and reconcile.”
###
Netflix insiders told The Hollywood Reporter that major changes are coming to the streamer in light of its “lagging subscriber growth.”
The sources -- ranging from executives to producers -- told the outlet that the platform wants to “get its mojo back” and in order to do so, must take some “cost-cutting measures.”
One of these “measures” is cutting out “vanity projects” such as MARTIN SCORSESE’s $175 million flick, “The Irishman.”
After citing the film as an example, the source added, “This tendency to do anything to attract talent and giving them carte blanche is going away.”
###
Former *NSYNC member LANCE BASS feels that even though her conservatorship has been dropped, his pal BRITNEY SPEARS is still not “entirely free.”
When asked if he had talked to the pop princess since her conservatorship was terminated, he replied “Not at all.” And it's not for lack of effort, according to Bass.
“For some reason, people don’t want her old friends involved in her life,” Bass continued. It is unclear if he was referring to Spears’ fiance SAM ASGHARI or others in her life.
Bass and Spears have been friends since the late ‘90s when they dominated the music charts.
WORTH NOTING: Spears was one of the first people Bass came out to, before publicly revealing he is gay.
###
MATTHEW MORRISON was fired from “So You Think You Can Dance” after a female competitor complained about him sending her “inappropriate” flirty messages.
The actor, who has two young kids with his wife of seven years, Renee Puente, reportedly reached out to the contestant “through direct messages on social media,” a source told PEOPLE.
“She felt uncomfortable..and went to producers, who then got FOX involved,” the source continued. Morrison was fired following an investigation from the network.
WORTH REMEMBERING: Morrison spoke on his firing last week saying he was “leaving the show” because of a “failure to follow competition production protocols.”
###
After a huge holiday weekend at the box office, TOM CRUISE’s flick “Top Gun: Maverick” reached another movie milestone this week.
The film grossed $15.8 million Tuesday, marking the third best Tuesday in May for a film domestically.
Ahead of it are: “Avengers: Infinity War,” which grossed $23.4 million on Tuesday, May 1, 2018 and “The Avengers,” which earned $17.6 million on Tuesday, May 8, 2012.
WORTH NOTING: The “Top Gun” sequel holds the title for the best Tuesday in May non-Marvel flick.
###
CASTING CALL
JAMES EARL JONES has returned to voice Darth Vader in the new Disney+ series “Obi-Wan Kenobi.”
Lord Vader makes his first appearance in Episode 3 of the series, which dropped yesterday.
No spoilers here!
###
WILL ARNETT will voice the main character Sweet Tooth in the live-action video game adaptation of “Twisted Metal,” for Peacock.
Sweet Tooth is described as a hilarious and terrifying hulk of a man, who is emotional and cunning. He roams the city of “Lost Vegas” in his doomsday ice cream truck.
Arnett also serves as an executive producer on the series.
###
ORLANDO BLOOM is joining PETE DAVIDSON in “Wizards!”
The film follows two pothead beach-bar owners, played by Davidson and FRANZ ROGOWSKI, who run into trouble when they stumble across some stolen loot.
Details of Bloom’s role were not shared.
The movie also stars NAOMI SCOTT and SEAN HARRIS.
###
ISABELA MERCED will join DAKOTA JOHNSON in Sony film, “Madame Web.”
Madame Web, based on the comic character, is described as an elderly woman with myasthenia gravis, which forces her to be connected to a life-support system that looks like a spiderweb.
Due to her health issues, she never actually fights any villains, which is why sources are saying the story could “potentially turn into something else.”
Merced’s role in the flick is unknown.
###
COURT CASES
The jury in the JOHNNY DEPP vs. AMBER HEARD defamation trial reached a verdict on Wednesday.
HERE IS A RECAP: Depp sued Heard, his ex-wife, for $50 million over a December 2018 op-ed she wrote describing herself as a victim of domestic abuse. While Depp was never named, many assumed it was about him. In response, Heard countersued Depp for $100 million claiming he defamed her by calling her abuse allegations a hoax.
THE VERDICT: After a six-week trial and three days of deliberation, the jury found both of them guilty of defamation. Heard was found liable for defaming her ex in the op-ed, while Depp was found liable for calling her abuse a hoax. Jurors awarded Depp a total of $15 million in damages and Heard $2 million.
IN RESPONSE: Heard said, “The disappointment I feel is beyond words.” Depp, who was not present in the courtroom to hear the verdict read, posted to Instagram “the jury gave me my life back.”
###
THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
KIM is proving the social media trolls wrong with a video showing her actually eating the plant-based meat she recently promoted.
After being mercilessly harassed online over her recent ad for Beyond Meat, in which she appeared to be fake chewing, the reality star shared some behind-the-scenes clips showing her enjoying the meat.
“Guys, come on…[burger emoji],” she captioned the slew of clips.
SPEAKING OF KIM PROMOTING THINGS: More than a year after filing to trademark SKKN BY KIM, the 41-year-old announced Wednesday that her skincare line will launch later this month.
###
WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
While traveling from her Balmoral Castle in Scotland to her Windsor Castle in the UK on Tuesday, QUEEN ELIZABETH’s plane was forced to delay its landing.
According to The Sun, the pilot was unable to land at the RAF Northolt air force base in London due to a “heavy storm” in the area.
After a bit of circling, the pilot was able to “stick the landing,” according to Buckingham Palace.
The Queen was traveling ahead of her Platinum Jubilee, which starts today with the annual Trooping the Colour.”
##
SPORTS
Game 1 of the NBA Finals kicks off tonight.
The Boston Celtics will take on the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco.
As of yesterday, the Warriors were -155 favorites and the Celtics were +135 underdogs, according to ESPN.
###
DAY OF THE YEAR
National Rotisserie Chicken Day
National Bubba Day
National Rocky Road Day
Fish and Chip Day
###
ON THIS DATE
1692 – Bridget Bishop is convicted of witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts.
She was the first to be executed for the supposed crime — the first of more than 70.
Ms. Bishop was accused of bewitching five women in the town and once putting a spell on a pig after having an argument with its owner.
She would be hanged 8 days later.
###
1886 – President Grover Cleveland marries Frances Folsom in the White House.
She was 21, he was 49. Folsom was the daughter of one of his business partners, who had died 10 years earlier, leaving Folsom in the care of Cleveland.
Most people thought he’d marry the widow, and were shocked by his marriage to the daughter.
John Philip Sousa was on hand to conduct the music.
###
1935 – Babe Ruth retires.
His career spanned 22 seasons, 10 trips to the World Series, and 714 home runs, playing for the Red Sox, New York Yankees, and Boston Braves.
The next year, he was part of the first class to be inducted to the MLB Hall of Fame.
###
1953 – Queen Elizabeth II is formally coronated.
Her father, George VI, died in January of the previous year. During a transition period, Elizabeth slowly began adopting the responsibilities and duties of the sovereign leader, while arrangements were made for the formal crowning.
She is currently the oldest person to occupy the throne of England.
###
1997 – Timothy McVeigh is convicted of carrying out the Oklahoma City Bombing attacks two years earlier.
He would be executed in June, 2001, after asking the judge to halt any further appeals.
His accomplice Terry Nichols is serving a life sentence.
###
2004 – Ken Jennings begins his 74-game winning streak on “Jeopardy!”
He would finally lose, leaving him with only $2,520,700, in November of that year.
In 2020, he went on to win the “Jeopardy: Greatest of All Time” tournament.
###
2017 - “Wonder Woman,” directed by Patty Jenkins, earns over $100 million domestically in its opening weekend.
The box office hit set a new domestic record for a female director.
###
2020 - The UK COVID-19 death toll passes 50,000.
Second only to the US, which has a death toll of more than 106,000.
Globally, more than 379,000 people have died due to the virus.
###
BIRTHDAYS
Jeremy Ray Taylor - actor, “It” & “Big Sky” - 19
Brittany O’Grady - actress, “Star” & “The Messengers” - 26
Brittany Curran - actress, “Dear White People” - 32
Sergio Aguero - soccer player - 34
Awkwafina - rapper - 34
Amber Marshall - actress, “Heartland” - 34
Abby Wambach - soccer player - 42
Justin Long - actor, “Accepted” & “Live Free or Die Hard” - 44
Dominic Cooper - actor, “Warcraft” & “Preacher” - 44
AJ Styles - wrestler - 45
Zachary Quinto - actor, “Heroes” - 45
Wayne Brady - actor, “Whose Line is it Anyway?” - 50
Wentworth Miller - actor, “Prison Break” - 50
Jo Koy - comedian - 51
Beetlejuice - comedian - 54
Andy Cohen - hosts Bravo reality shows - 54
Dana Carvey - comedian - 67
Maree Cheatham - actress, “Days of Our Lives” & “General Hospital” - 82
Born On This Date
Charlie Watts - drummer, Rolling Stones - 1941 (d. 2021)
Martha Washington - First Lady & wife of George - 1731 (d. 1802)
###