George Michael had a secret fling with Madonna’s younger brother

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As a longtime admirer of both stage and screen, I find myself thoroughly intrigued by the latest developments in the world of entertainment. The upcoming Broadway productions featuring Kit Connor and Rachel Zegler, along with Jamie Lloyd’s reimagining of Sunset Boulevard, promise to be sensational events that will undoubtedly captivate audiences.

For a spell, there was a rift between Madonna and her sibling Christopher Ciccone due to the publication of his memoir detailing aspects of her life and career in 2008.

Fortunately, they made up prior to his passing this month, as she granted him forgiveness for disclosing details about her relationships with stars such as Warren Beatty regarding their romantic encounters.

One encounter that didn’t end up in his book, but Chris was content to disclose, was a romantic liaison he had with renowned pop artist George Michael.

The fleeting romance happened around 1989 — the year when Madonna hogged the headlines for kissing George on stage at the MTV Awards. 

At the time, newspapers incorrectly published that there was a romantic relationship between her and the ex-member of Wham!. One piece even cited the Material Girl saying to a confidant: “I have quite a crush on George.

In reality, the British pop star (who didn’t come out as gay until 1998, after getting arrested while cruising for sex in a toilet in Beverly Hills) was more interested in her brother. 

A friend of his said this week: ‘Christopher was happy to tell people all about it. 

‘He enjoyed dropping his fling with George Michael into conversation.’ 

On October 4, the talented artist and designer, Christopher, passed away in Michigan following a long struggle against cancer at the age of 63.

Madonna honored him by stating, “For such a long time, he felt like the person closest to me. It’s challenging to put into words our unique connection. However, it developed from recognizing that we were distinct individuals and society might not accept us for not conforming to the norm.

‘We took each other’s hands and we danced through the madness of our childhood. In fact, dance was a kind of superglue that held us together. 

In the quaint Midwestern town we called home, dance became my salvation – a sanctuary, if you will. And then, my younger brother joined me, finding solace and liberation in the same art form. Our ballet instructor, another Christopher, provided an accepting environment for my brother to embrace his identity as a gay man, a term that was unspoken and taboo where we lived.

George died on Christmas Day 2016 from natural causes related to heart and liver disease.

 

New star Mikey’s in pole position thanks to her dad

In the movie Anora, Mikey Madison sought advice from director Sean Baker and his spouse Samantha Quan during scenes involving romantic interactions, as her character portrays a New York-based sex worker who enters into matrimony with the dimwitted offspring of a wealthy Russian businessman.

In an uncommon move, Baker and his spouse performed their intimate scenes while dressed, and interestingly, there were no intimacy coordinators present on set since the cast and director felt that it wasn’t necessary for them.

At the BFI London Film Festival’s UK premiere in London, Madison expressed her faith in Baker and her desire to collaborate with him due to his distinctive wit. The film has been hailed as a hilarious success, earning five-star accolades, and generating buzz for its leading actor in the Oscar race.

Previously, it was disclosed that Madison (depicted on the red carpet to the left and in the movie to the right) had a stripper’s pole set up at home by her father, without any queries, to allow her to hone her skills.

Additionally, she delved into several memoirs and observed dancers at the Headquarters Club situated in Midtown Manhattan.

 

Local lass Darci brings our Cilla back to life

The origins of Cilla Black being recognized as an icon for the LGBTQ+ community (and an ally) are unveiled in Midas Man, a fresh movie about Beatles manager Brian Epstein.

Originally working as a cloakroom attendant at Liverpool’s renowned Cavern Club, where The Beatles rose to fame, Cilla eventually achieved her own stardom under the guidance of Epstein. In the film version, this character is portrayed by the rapidly rising talent Darci Shaw, hailing from the same city as Cilla – Liverpool (often referred to colloquially as Scouse).

Shaw previously played the young Judy Garland in Judy.

According to producer Brigit Grant, the topic of Brian’s sexuality was never brought up, even though they were good friends. Once, Brian inquired if Brigit was aware, and he felt deeply upset when she confirmed that she had known, as he desired to maintain separate lives. However, Brigit honored his privacy, keeping his confidences.

‘Darci hails from Liverpool and was raised amidst its music, making it deeply meaningful for her. She possesses a striking beauty and remarkable talent.’

The film streams on Prime Video from October 30.

 

Netflix lawyer turns her guns on the ‘real Martha’ 

A lawyer retained by Netflix indicates that Fiona Harvey, portrayed as the “real-life Martha” in the Baby Reindeer series, potentially faced a maximum sentence of eight years for stalking Richard Gadd, and an additional three years for charges related to sexual assault against him.

Lawyer Louise Oakley, a prominent figure from the UK, has been hired by the streaming service and has examined emails, letters, Facebook posts, and remarks made by both Gadd and his manager at the pub, along with additional proof.

Oakley serves on a CPS advisory board, and during the spring, she was designated as a Senior Counsel in the Treasury Department (a role focused on prosecuting critical cases). Consequently, she routinely evaluates the solidity of evidence and determines the suitability of charges.

She testified in a Los Angeles court, offering statements that contribute to Netflix’s defense in a $120 million defamation lawsuit filed by Harvey.

As a die-hard admirer, I’ve got no doubt in my mind that Fiona Harvey must have realized her actions crossed the line into harassing Richard Gadd.

As a diligent adherent, I’d like to share that for a solitary offense, the baseline sentence is five years in prison. However, this could stretch from a minimum of three-and-a-half years up to as many as eight years, depending on the specific circumstances and factors involved.

She mentioned that Harvey might have received an additional sentence due to his actions involving inappropriate touching, such as pinching Richard Gadd’s backside.

From my perspective, given the recurring pattern in Fiona Harvey’s behavior, it seems that her actions meet the criteria for custody. A possible sentencing range could be between two to three years of incarceration.

Harvey’s lawyers have attempted to exclude Oakley’s statement from consideration, but the judge recently decided that her remarks were both pertinent and significant to the case, allowing them to stand.

Initially, the judge supported Netflix in certain aspects of Ms. Harvey’s case, discarding her allegations of negligence and her demand for punitive damages worth $50 million. Yet, he did not approve Netflix’s petition to terminate the lawsuit. Presently, they are seeking an appeal.

In the movie Blitz, Saoirse Ronan portrays a resident from the Eastern part of the city, and interestingly enough, she herself resides in East London off-screen as well.

But although Shoreditch Park used to have ‘rows and rows of homes’, just like the ones in the film, she says the area was ‘wiped out’ by Hitler’s bombing campaign, and is now utterly middle class.

Ronan let out a sigh as she and her actor spouse Jack Lowden took their pet for a stroll in the neighborhood park, calling out to a dog named Macchiato. It’s a familiar scene: “Macchiato, over here!

 

Film-maker Gints Zilbalodis is behind beguiling animation Flow, Latvia’s international Oscar entry.

In a realm devoid of human presence, I find myself assuming the role of an extraordinary feline protagonist. Accompanied by my unlikely friends – a nimble lemur, a loyal canine companion, a melodious bird, and a gentle capybara, hailing from the vast plains of South America – we embark on a unique journey together, forging friendships and unraveling the mysteries of our world.

There’s no dialogue, but there is sound. Zilbalodis says: ‘Our approach was to use real animal voices.’ 

The capybara was tricky, though. 

‘These creatures get noisy only when they’re tickled, making for quite an entertaining task. One person was tasked with tickling a capybara. However, it produced sounds reminiscent of a worried little dog, which didn’t suit its personality. So instead, we opted to use the sound of a baby camel.’

 

Two sensational productions, each hailing from our homeland, are poised to create a stir on the Broadway stage.

Kit Connor, the 20-year-old star of hit coming-of-age TV drama Heartstopper, is Romeo to Rachel Zegler’s Juliet in a production which is in previews now, and has its first night on Thursday. 

On Sunday evening, Jamie Lloyd’s acclaimed adaptation of the Lloyd-Webber classic, Sunset Boulevard, with Nicole Scherzinger in the lead role, makes its debut on Broadway for the first time.

 

Stanley Tucci has rediscovered his love of acting, thanks to Ralph Fiennes.

63-year-old Tucci is now widely recognized for his passion for food, having authored books and hosted television programs. However, he’s once again in front of the camera, starring in the movie titled “Conclave.

As a fervent admirer, I find myself immersed in the role of a cardinal, one destined for the papal throne – opposite Mr. Fiennes, who commands as Dean Lawrence, overseeing the decisive voting proceedings.

Prior to the showing at the BFI London Film Festival, Tucci (alongside Fiennes) expressed: ‘Ralph’s performance rekindled my passion for acting, as he is truly exceptional.’

 

In the movie Blitz, Saoirse Ronan portrays a resident from the Eastern part of the city, mirroring her actual residence in East London in real life.

However, while Shoreditch Park once boasted numerous residential properties similar to those depicted in the film, she points out that these were obliterated during Hitler’s air raids, leaving the area now predominantly inhabited by the upper-middle class.

Ronan let out a sigh as she and her actor spouse Jack Lowden took their dog for a stroll in the nearby park, calling out to a canine named Macchiato, “Here, Macchiato!” as they passed by.

 

Building upon my previous account last week about Netflix planning to create a TV series based on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, penned by Dolly Alderton, it has been revealed that they are also working on a movie inspired by a book titled Pride. Interestingly, this book is a modern reinterpretation of the Austen romance novel.

A novel titled “Pride” follows the story of a teenage girl from New York, who identifies as Afro-Latina. The production company founded by Barack and Michelle Obama, Higher Ground Productions, is working on transforming this book into a film or television series.

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2024-10-18 04:10