The Good Place aired its series finale this week, and the end ofthe NBC fan-favorite is making us all sob into our pillows. Creator Michael Schur has said of the season 4 finale episode, “I think we got it right.” But how did the cast of The Good Place react to the end of the universe?
The series finale of The Good Place, “Whenever You’re Ready,” featuring William Jackson Harper as Chidi and Kristen Bell as Eleanor | Colleen Hayes/NBC
The cast of ‘The Good Place’ honor their co-stars and characters after the series finale
After The Good Place series finale aired, the cast joined late-night host Seth Meyers for a live after-show. Meyers asked The Good Place actors what was the most emotional part about ending the show for good.
“The Redwoods, that was pretty emotional,” Ted Danson said. “The final goodbyes, that was pretty emotional.”
Jameela Jamil also told William Jackson Harper, “your speech killed me,” in reference to his series finale monologue about the Buddhist take on death. “I’ll never ever recover from that”
The cast of The Good Place: D’Arcy Carden, Kristen Bell, Manny Jacinto, William Jackson Harper, Jameela Jamil, and Ted Danson | Earl Gibson III/Getty Images
Kristen Bell also revealed on the recap show that Eleanor and Chidi’s touching scene on the bridge in Paris was the last shot The Good Place filmed.
“When we shot on the bridge—it’s called the Artist’s Bridge in Paris, that was … pretty emotional,” Bell explained. “Mike our creator kept it rolling, and … we were just both sobbing.”
Manny Jacinto shared: “the table read for me was probably the most emotional. Hearing those words out loud for the first time, and hearing it all together.”
“It was snotty,” Bell agreed. “It was very, very wet at that table read.”
The cast of The Good Place celebrates the series finale with Seth Meyers | Virginia Sherwood/NBC
Danson summed the series finale up with some lovely words.
“It was perfect for all of us,” he said. “It was a perfect ending to our story and Mike’s story … It was sad but uplifting and kind and gentle and sweet.” That it was, Ted.
Ted Danson, Kristen Bell, and other cast members share emotional tributes after ‘The Good Place’ ends
The cast also responded to The Good Place ending on social media.
Danson shouted out the scene in which he learns guitar from his real-life wife, acclaimed actress. Mary Steenburgen.
“My teacher on and off the screen!” he wrote. “Hi honey!”
Kristen Bell wrote on Twitter: “What a forking beautiful journey the past 4 years have been. Thank you so much for tuning in each week and giving us a life. #TheGoodPlace was the very best place. Shellstrop out.”
On Instagram, she posted a gorgeous picture of her and Danson in the Redwood forest.
“It’s not goodbye, just see you later in the dot of the ‘i,'” Bell wrote.
D’Arcy Carden had been posting The Good Place memories on Instagram for the last several days, leading up to the series finale. She gave shout outs to her fellow co-stars, producers, costume designers, you name it.
Her final Instagram post read, “could never explain what these people mean to me. i love them. forever.”
‘Now we return to the ocean’: saying goodbye to the wacky, lovely NBC show about the afterlife
“Forever grateful that our Jeremy Bearimy’s crossed paths,” Manny Jacinto captioned a photo on Instagram.
I don’t mess with Social media much. I’m too sensitive. (And crabby) But thanks to all the folks who rode this wave these past four years with us. Thanks to the best cast and crew ever. Now…we return to the ocean. Bye y’all.
William Jackson Harper | Dominik Bindl/Getty Images
The wave of The Good Place has officially folded back into the sea. But we are simply grateful we got to see it crash, brilliantly onto the shore, the sun glinting off its crest.
In the documentary out Friday, Swift goes after Blackburn's record as she gets emotional discussing with her parents and team about wanting to voice her opinion in the 2018 midterm elections, adding that she regrets not speaking out against Donald Trump during the 2016 election.
Swift, who had been reluctant to voice her political opinions in the past, broke her silence on politics during the 2018 midterms and endorsed Blackburn's rival for Senate, Democrat Phil Bredesen, and another Democrat running in Tennessee in an Instagram post. In the post's caption, Swift had said Blackburn's voting record "appalls and terrifies me."
Blackburn, a conservative lawmaker closely tied to the President, ended up winning her 2018 race by about 11 points, becoming the first female senator to represent her state.
Later in the documentary, Swift is shown reacting to Blackburn's election victory, saying she "can't believe it."
"She gets to be the first female senator in Tennessee, and she's Trump in a wig," Swift says. "She represents no female interests. She won by being a female applying to the kind of female males want us to be in a horrendous 1950s world."
The pop singer criticizes also Blackburn for her 2013 vote against the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act and stance against same-sex marriage.
"It's really basic human rights, and it's right and wrong at this point, and I can't see another commercial and see her disguising these policies behind the words 'Tennessee Christian values,'" Swift says, getting emotional. "Those aren't Tennessee Christian values. I live in Tennessee. I am Christian. That's not what we stand for."
After Swift went public with her endorsement of Bredesen, Blackburn told Fox News at the time, "Of course I support women and I want violence to end against women."
It seems the Republican senator doesn't want bad blood between her and Swift, according to a statement provided to CNN.
"Taylor is an exceptionally gifted artist and songwriter, and Nashville is fortunate to be the center of her creative universe," Blackburn said in the statement, first reported by Variety. "While there are policy issues on which we may always disagree, we do agree on the need to throw the entertainment community's collective influence behind legislation protecting songwriters, musicians, and artists from censorship, copyright theft, and profiteering."
She pointed to her and Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler's legislation, the Ask Musicians for Music Act, or AM-FM Act, that seeks to have radio services "pay fair market value" for the music they use.
Swift has been a vocal about concerns around the rights of singers and songwriters to profit from their own music.
"I welcome any further opportunities to work with Tennessee's and the nation's creative communities to protect intellectual property and ensure appropriate compensation for their creations. On that note, I wish Taylor the best — she's earned it," Blackburn added.
In the documentary out Friday, Swift goes after Blackburn's record as she gets emotional discussing with her parents and team about wanting to voice her opinion in the 2018 midterm elections, adding that she regrets not speaking out against Donald Trump during the 2016 election.
Swift, who had been reluctant to voice her political opinions in the past, broke her silence on politics during the 2018 midterms and endorsed Blackburn's rival for Senate, Democrat Phil Bredesen, and another Democrat running in Tennessee in an Instagram post. In the post's caption, Swift had said Blackburn's voting record "appalls and terrifies me."
Blackburn, a conservative lawmaker closely tied to the President, ended up winning her 2018 race by about 11 points, becoming the first female senator to represent her state.
Later in the documentary, Swift is shown reacting to Blackburn's election victory, saying she "can't believe it."
"She gets to be the first female senator in Tennessee, and she's Trump in a wig," Swift says. "She represents no female interests. She won by being a female applying to the kind of female males want us to be in a horrendous 1950s world."
The pop singer criticizes also Blackburn for her 2013 vote against the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act and stance against same-sex marriage.
"It's really basic human rights, and it's right and wrong at this point, and I can't see another commercial and see her disguising these policies behind the words 'Tennessee Christian values,'" Swift says, getting emotional. "Those aren't Tennessee Christian values. I live in Tennessee. I am Christian. That's not what we stand for."
After Swift went public with her endorsement of Bredesen, Blackburn told Fox News at the time, "Of course I support women and I want violence to end against women."
CNN has reached out to Blackburn's office about the newly released documentary.
In a statement to Variety, it seemed that the Republican senator didn't want bad blood between her and Swift.
"Taylor is an exceptionally gifted artist and songwriter, and Nashville is fortunate to be the center of her creative universe," Blackburn said in the statement. "While there are policy issues on which we may always disagree, we do agree on the need to throw the entertainment community's collective influence behind legislation protecting songwriters, musicians, and artists from censorship, copyright theft, and profiteering."
She pointed to her and Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler's legislation, the Ask Musicians for Music Act, or AM-FM Act, that seeks to have radio services "pay fair market value" for the music they use.
Swift has been a vocal about concerns around the rights of singers and songwriters to profit from their own music.
"I welcome any further opportunities to work with Tennessee's and the nation's creative communities to protect intellectual property and ensure appropriate compensation for their creations. On that note, I wish Taylor the best — she's earned it," Blackburn added.
The singer opened up this week about the "beautiful" moment in 2017 when she told her parents she could see herself "ending up possibly with a woman," adding she was "still figuring it out."
Lovato talked about her love life and her personal journey Thursday with Andy Cohen on his "Radio Andy" SiriusXM show.
"It was actually, like, emotional but really beautiful," Lovato said. "After everything was done, I was, like, shaking and crying, and I just felt overwhelmed."
Lovato said her parents after the talk were "incredible" and "supportive."
"My dad was like, 'Yeah, obviously,'" she said. "And I was like, 'Oh, OK, Dad.' My mom was the one that I was, like, super nervous about, but she was just like, 'I just want you to be happy,'" Lovato said.
"That was so beautiful and amazing, and like I said, I'm so grateful."
As for a family of her own, Lovato is not quite sure yet.
"I don't know what my future looks like," she continued. "I don't know if I'm going to have kids this year or in 10 years. I don't know if I'm going to do it with a partner or without."
Lovato recently made a comeback at the Grammy Awards, more than a year after a drug overdose, with a performance of her new song, "Anyone."
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle reportedly had a way out of the royal family before they tied the knot. When they were engaged, Queen Elizabeth allegedly pushed for a longer transition period for Meghan that would have kept her out of the royal spotlight. But Meghan and Harry turned down the offer and became working members of the monarchy shortly after their $25 million wedding.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle | Aaron Chown – WPA Pool/Getty Images
Meghan Markle gives up acting for Prince Harry
Before she met Prince Harry, Meghan had a promising career in Hollywood. The future Duchess of Sussex had made a name for herself in the popular legal drama, Suits, and seemed poised for a successful career in the entertainment industry.
That all changed when she started dating Harry. When he proposed
to Meghan, she decided to give up acting altogether and become a full-time
royal.
After the couple tied the knot in 2018, Meghan took on a full
schedule as a senior member of the royal family. But the scrutiny Meghan and Prince
Harry faced over the past two years proved too difficult for them to handle.
At the beginning of 2020, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex
announced that they were stepping away from their royal duties in favor of a
quieter life. They plan on splitting their time between the UK and Canada and
will no longer accept public funding.
Queen Elizabeth announces royal split
In the days following the stunning announcement, Prince Harry met with other senior royals about leaving The Firm. This includes several meetings with Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles, and Prince William at Her Majesty’s estate in Sandringham.
Following the intense discussions, Queen Elizabeth released a
statement confirming that Harry and Meghan will be leaving the royal family to
lead a more private life. The transition is likely to be finalized sometime
this spring.
“I recognize the challenges they have experienced as a
result of intense scrutiny over the last two years and support their wish for a
more independent life,” Queen Elizabeth shared.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are currently living on Vancouver Island and are reportedly looking to purchase a second home somewhere in Canada. They are also expected to pay back the money that was used to renovate their house, Frogmore Cottage.
While the couple’s departure shocked royal watchers around the
world, inside sources claim that they were offered a way out of the royal
spotlight days before their lavish wedding.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle offered freedom
Before Meghan and Harry tied the knot, Queen Elizabeth reportedly
approached them with an offer that would make her transition into the royal
family a lot smoother. According to The
Sun, Queen Elizabeth wanted Meghan to take on a lesser role in the
family that would allow her to continue acting.
“From the early days, the Queen really wanted to agree a
smooth transition for Meghan,” a source claims. “The offer would have
allowed her to carry on her career but she was happy to stop acting to become a
working member of the royal family.”
At the time of her wedding, Meghan discussed leaving her acting
career behind and said that she was excited to begin a new chapter in her life.
She also stated that she had put everything she had in her career and felt like
it was a good time to step away.
Fast forward two years and palace officials are reportedly
frustrated by Megxit because they believe it could have been prevented if
Meghan and Prince Harry had accepted Queen Elizabeth’s offer.
They are also disappointed because it seems like Meghan and Harry
were pressured into quitting, which could not be further from the truth. The
royal family has not confirmed the rumors about Queen Elizabeth’s offer.
Was Meghan Markle planning Megxit this whole time?
Apart from Her Majesty’s alleged offer, there are rumors that
suggest Meghan had been planning an early exit from the royal family since day
one.
Once Meghan and Prince Harry exchanged vows, it was presumed that
she would be living permanently in the UK. But prior to moving her things from
Canada, Meghan put a bunch of her clothing in a storage unit in Toronto.
A few weeks ago, Meghan had the clothes shipped from the storage facility to her temporary home on Vancouver Island.
The move has sparked a lot of speculation that Meghan never
intended to remain in the UK for the rest of her life and always had plans to
return to Canada. After all, why else would she keep some of her personal items
in Canada if she didn’t plan on returning?
Meghan Markle has not commented on the rumors surrounding her
exit. Prince Harry has spoken out and said that he felt he “had no other choice.”
Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex are in the midst of a very public transition from being at the forefront of the modern monarchy to retired royals who no longer act on behalf of the queen. It all started on January 8th, when the couple made a statement on their Instagram account, revealing that they intended to “step back” from the historic family and begin, among other things, to earn their own independent income.
While members of the public have mixed feelings about it, it is the royal family itself that has been dealing with the lion’s share of the upheaval. Specifically, Prince Harry’s father, Prince Charles, who is next in line to the throne, has been reported to be struggling with the move in a serious way.
For several years, Prince Harry has had a strained relationship with his older brother, Prince William. While it’s not crystal clear when the feud started, it seems to have been prior to the royal wedding, when Prince William reportedly cautioned his brother against moving into marriage so quickly.
From then on, there was always a feeling of tension between the two, with Prince Harry very determined to strike out on his own, forging a separate identity.
Still, with the news that Prince Harry and Meghan will be stepping back from royal duties, a tentative truce has reportedly formed between Prince Harry and Prince William. According to reports, the two have had a series of private conversations that have worked to repair their bond and end the bad blood.
In the months to come, it seems likely that the two will not be spending a lot of time with each other, but for royal fans, it is reassuring to know that the two brothers have managed to become friends once more.
Is Prince Charles angry with Prince Harry?
Even though Prince William might be at peace with Prince Harry’s decision, Prince Charles reportedly is not. According to a recent Page Six report, Prince Charles is firmly at odds with his youngest son and that Prince Harry’s announcement left him “floored.”
Furthermore, the story claims that Prince Harry’s relationship with Prince Charles — as well as his stepmother Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall — is “complicated.” Prince Charles is reportedly saddened over the whole ordeal.
What’s next for the relationship between Prince Harry and Prince Charles?
Prince Charles and Prince Harry | Chris Jackson/Getty Images
It’s hard to predict what the future holds for Prince Harry and his father, at this point in time. Negotiations between Prince Harry and the palace are ongoing, but it has been determined that in the near future, Meghan and Prince Harry will begin to divide their time between the United Kingdom and Canada. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will also lose the right to use their royal titles in an official capacity.
In addition, Prince Harry and Meghan will lose their ability to receive taxpayer funding in any capacity, leaving the doors open for sponsorship deals, corporate contracts, and other moneymaking opportunities. While this is clearly in line with what they want, it could potentially cause strained relations between the couple and their royal relatives.
Traditionally, the royal family keeps its distance from the media and doesn’t involve themselves in television or film projects. However, it seems as though that is exactly the type of work that Prince Harry and Meghan have in mind.
For now, a royal source told the Sun last week: “It’s fair to say that the past week has brought William and Harry back together but the relationship with Charles and Camilla is far more complicated and complex. There remains a real lack of trust there and it’s going to take some time to resolve.”
Hopefully, in the future, Prince Harry and his father will be able to forge the same type of understanding that the two royal brothers have reached. As Prince Charles gets older, he will undoubtedly like to surround himself with all of his family and friends — including his renegade youngest son.
Ciara is already the proud mom to two kids: Sienna Princess Wilson, whom she welcomed with Wilson in 2017, and Future Zahir Wilburn, whom she welcomed with her ex Future in 2014.
The celebrity opened up about how motherhood has impacted her as an artist during an interview for Vogue Arabia's February 2019 issue.
"Being a mother of two made me feel even more confident, inspired, and fearless," she said at the time.
She also talked about how becoming a mom has changed her perspective during a 2015 interview with E! News at the American Music Awards.
"I love being a mom," she said at the time. "It really comes first before everything now. Everything has just happened in perfect timing for me with my son. I felt like I needed to have him in reference to how he's grounding me and putting things into perspective for me. It just kind of makes me not care so much about things. Like, I don't sweat the small stuff anymore and I give that credit to my son."
Before Jennifer Lopez was a Super Bowl LIV halftime headliner, she was performing as a Fly Girl during the "In Living Color" halftime show. The sketch comedy show upstaged the 1992 Super Bowl halftime performance and forever changed the game. The Fox series' cast members, the network's former president, NFL insiders and a couple of Olympic gold medalists discuss the culture-shifting moment.
Washington led Buffalo 17-0 at the half of Super Bowl XXVI in Minneapolis. Those tuned in to the CBS broadcast hoped the action would heat up during the "Winter Magic" spectacular. Instead, they got a monotonic introduction from then-NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue and cheesy snowflake graphics.
Olympic figure skaters Dorothy Hamill and Brian Boitano skated atop oversized plastic snowflakes in the middle of the field. Women costumed as snowflakes paraded beside them. Gloria Estefan, known as a trailblazer of the sizzling Miami music scene, performed a winterized rendition of "Live for Loving You" and "Get on Your Feet."
Just a click of a remote away, "In Living Color," which aired on Sundays, dangled its organic connection to youth culture and hip-hop in front of Super Bowl halftime viewers. And they took the bait. The Keenen Ivory Wayans-created series that ran for five seasons, from 1990 until 1994, captured nearly 28.9 million live viewers (including many who weren't previously watching the big game), according to Nielsen. The counterprogramming snagged about 11.7% of the 79.5 million average viewers of CBS' Super Bowl.
Competition often inspires innovation. For 1993, the NFL hired Michael Jackson as the halftime performer. The Super Bowl TV audience rose to 133.4 million viewers. CBS lost the television rights for the '93 game. NBC televised the new halftime spectacular format.
If it weren't for "In Living Color" nudging the NFL to get a tad more creative, we probably wouldn't have had Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction or watched Lady Gaga make a high-flying entrance to halftime. We'd perhaps still have high school marching bands and the occasional miscast musical performer.
Everyone quoted is identified by the title they held during Super Bowl XXVI or during their tenure on the Fox series, unless otherwise noted.
HALFTIME WASN'T ALWAYS SPECTACULAR
Jim Steeg, senior vice president, special events, for the NFL and creator of the halftime spectacular: From, like, 1976 through '86, many of the halftime shows were done by Up with People [a traveling troupe of clean-cut kids who sang and danced] or by Disney [now ESPN's parent company]. Once we got past '86, we decided that we needed to go out and find other producers or production companies to put it together. Get something different and fresh. We talked to maybe 15 different producers; [even] Dick Clark came in.
Super Bowl XXVI, we had Gloria Estefan and Brian Boitano and things like that. But [the theme] wasn't driven by the talent. It was more about a spectacle or spectacular. We were trying to figure out how you could celebrate the North and its elements. With the Olympics around the corner, it worked. And Dorothy Hamill and Boitano were big names. [By the 1992 Olympics, Hamill and Boitano had retired. He would, however, make a comeback in 1994 at the Games in Lillehammer, Norway.] But we couldn't bring in ice. We brought in [a plastic surface]. So they could skate on it.
Lesley Visser, CBS Sports correspondent who hosted the presentation of the Lombardi trophy to Washington: They must have done skating because we were in Minnesota. We were heading out to the 1992 Olympics in Albertville, France, the next month. Skating is always the No. 1 sport in the [Winter] Olympics. It made sense. I guess Gloria Estefan, who's beloved -- they just wanted a singer present.
Dorothy Hamill, figure skater and halftime performer: Brian and I were on a little slab of plastic "ice." I had people that were actually at the Super Bowl that didn't know. They didn't see Brian or me on the ice because there was so much going on. I'm sure they were watching Gloria and all that. They said, "You were at the Super Bowl? You were on halftime?" I fell on my rear end, so just as well they didn't see it.
Brian Boitano, figure skater and halftime performer: It's a running a joke for my friends. They are always like, "This certainly isn't 'Winter Magic.'" I was very excited to be at the Super Bowl. Dorothy and I came in the night before and practiced on the plastic ice. I was scared to death because I'd never skated on plastic before. And it was elevated off the stadium floor. If I fell off, it would have been very, very embarrassing.
Hamill: [The halftime producers] gave us a piece of music, and I think I had, like, 30 seconds or 40 seconds. Maybe Brian had 40 seconds to perform. We were about a hundred feet away from one another. There were marching bands, cameras and everything in between us. So when we were performing simultaneously -- which wasn't a lot, just like a turn and a glide -- I couldn't see him. We couldn't really match each other.
Steeg: We were in Minnesota. This isn't Miami, New Orleans or Los Angeles. We had to embrace the winter theme. Ironically, here you have Gloria Estefan, the first lady of Miami, as part of the show. [Estefan returned as a Super Bowl halftime performer in 1999 alongside Stevie Wonder. Radio City Music Hall produced the segment; the game was in Miami.]
Boitano: We practiced with Gloria. I had met her before that. You're on a circuit several years after the Olympics. And she was hot then, so I did a lot of events with her. And didn't she wear a tutu during halftime?
Steeg: Let's also remember, most performers, even if we had some tangential discussion with them about it, they'd say: "I'm not going to do the halftime show. That's not for me. I can't see myself involved with it."
Members of the 1980 U.S. men's hockey team, which defeated the Soviet Union in a stunning semifinal upset and went on to win Olympic gold, were a part of the 1992 halftime show as well.
WHEN EVERYONE TOOK A BATHROOM BREAK
Keenen Ivory Wayans, "In Living Color" creator: There was an ad exec at Frito-Lay, and he's the one who came up with the idea of counterprogramming against the Super Bowl. [Frito-Lay sponsored the "In Living Color" halftime show.] We brainstormed and decided that we'd do it as a live version of the show. We wanted to put up a [countdown] clock on the screen so that people would know when to go back to the game. I was very confident that we would steal the show. It was such a perfect opportunity because halftime was when everybody went to pee.
Jamie Kellner, president of Fox: I give a lot of credit to the marketing department at Pepsi. They posed the idea to me, and it fit perfectly with our brand and theirs. Roger Enrico was the [CEO of Pepsi], and we met on a plane in Dallas to figure out the logistics and how we could all feel safe with a live broadcast that did not have a firm start or end time. [Frito-Lay, which sponsored the "In Living Color" special in 1992, is an American subsidiary of PepsiCo.]
Tommy Davidson, "In Living Color" cast member: Keenen said, "Man, I've got a great idea, you guys." We all talked as friends. Then he said, "What would you guys think if we did this Super Bowl halftime special?" We jumped in the air and said, "We'll beat the ratings!" About a month later, he came back to us and said, "We got the show." You would've thought that he told us that we were in the Super Bowl. Jamie [Foxx], all of us, we went crazy because we knew we were going to beat them.
David Alan Grier, cast member: It was prime for a takeover. Real simple. We were just going to do our show during halftime. And they started running ads all over Fox, wherever they could -- "Be sure to tune in to 'In Living Color.'" We had a very young audience, very urban, but everybody loved it. And I was filming "Boomerang" at the time. I remember Eddie [Murphy, who was the lead actor of the 1992 film] and Reginald Hudlin, the director of "Boomerang," they all knew how big this would be. Everyone, including the studio, allowed me to fly back to film the special. I flew back that morning to get there in time for the live broadcast.
Steeg: We all knew about it. And Fox, at that point in time, was probably a distant fourth to the big networks. And I watched "In Living Color"; we knew about the programming. But people had tried to ambush [halftime] in some way, shape or form. But it hadn't taken. This became a different thing.
Davidson: Keenen says, "All right, Jamie, you're doing this. Jim [Carrey], I pick you to do this. David, I got you doing this." Then he said, "Tommy, I got you hosting because you can handle live." I was like, "Oh my god! I thought you ain't like me!" And I'm like Michael Jordan. All you got to do is give me a ball!
Grier: We had our soundstage, where we always shot the show. And next door to the soundstage was another stage; that's where the live Super Bowl party was going on. That morning when I got into the car [in L.A., after departing New York, where "Boomerang" was filmed, and before heading to the set at the Fox Television Center], the hotel staff was waiting. The doorman and everybody was like, "Yo, man, we're going to watch you. And y'all better get down."
T'Keyah Crystal Keymáh, cast member: The creative chaos was normal at "In Living Color," so going live, we just rolled with it. For most of us, it was our first series. It was my introduction to television. I thought everybody knew their censors by name.
THE SKETCHES THAT STOLE THE SHOW
In the opening skit of the "In Living Color" Super Bowl show, Keenen and his brother (and fellow actor) Damon Wayans pulled former Bills running back Thurman Thomas' fictional wallet out of a locker and discussed the limits of his gold credit card. In real life, the future Hall of Famer was on the field. The special also featured a "Men on Football" skit, an offshoot of the show's "Men on" franchise. Damon and Grier played culture critics in the sketch. Often the jokes were off-color, and they would likely be deemed inappropriate for network television today.
Keenen Ivory Wayans: We knew we'd have football fans, and they may not have seen the show. We decided to combine making fun of football and using the characters from the show. There was a lot of improvisation, and it was scary because I didn't know who was going to say what. That's how we did the show. And I didn't want to compromise that.
Davidson: Keenen later turns to me and says, "Hey, Tommy, can you do Sugar Ray [Leonard]?" And I didn't even care if I really couldn't do a Sugar Ray impression. I said, "Yeah." I went home that night and just kept watching him. I watched Sugar Ray videos 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. I had him nailed by rehearsals. And Jim was Jim. He just did his thing. [Davidson played Sugar Ray interviewing guests during the live taping.]
Kelly Coffield Park, cast member: Jim would just say extreme s--- all the time; everybody did. And it was like, was that on-air? Yeah, it was. Instead of saying, "Now you can go back to watching the game," he'd be extreme. [Carrey referenced the countdown clock that directed fans to go back to watching the Super Bowl after halftime by saying: "You won't miss any of the senseless brutality".] And did he have a huge agenda behind that? He was probably just being ridiculous.
Keenen Ivory Wayans: I mean, the censors had that kill switch. And it looks like we pulled it off. If they missed something, it was on purpose. They wanted the hype. They wanted the controversy. It was good publicity.
Kellner: Keenen and his team wrote a very funny episode that pushed the edge about as far as it could go and not get us in trouble. I sat in the control room with the head of standards and practices for Fox to ride the edit button in case an ad-lib crossed the line. The plan was I would tap his shoulder if I wanted an edit. We both started laughing and missed two edits.
Park: I still get positive feedback on the skits. Damon and David were always pushing the limits with "Men on." They were two straight men playing two gay men, so that wouldn't fly now. At least not in such a stereotypical context.
Marlon Wayans, cast member: I remember watching from the dorms at Howard [University]; this was before I joined the cast. I was just the brother to everyone on "In Living Color" back then. My brother Damon and [David] had a Carl Lewis joke in the special that was just so out there. They improvised it. I was just like, "Man, Carl Lewis is coming. He is going to come looking for you. And you can't run from him." But we always handled things with kid gloves. We weren't trying to be dark.
Shawn Wayans, cast member and onstage DJ: There was a whole party going on in between live sketches. That's what "In Living Color" was -- every rapper and actor was there all the time. The halftime special was different because it was live. And we had R&B group Color Me Badd perform before closing out the show. They sang, "I Wanna Sex You Up."
Keenen Ivory Wayans: Our greenroom was like that all the time. Whenever we taped a show, people just came, so we just decided to kind of share the backstage with the public.
Davidson: It was unbelievable because everybody was coming to the tapings of "In Living Color" anyway. Denzel [Washington], Bruce Willis and more. Every week it was an all-star lineup. After we finished taping every show, people stayed. Tupac, everybody.
Grier: After the special's live sketches finished on the soundstage, we pulled back the sliding door, and the party was going on. Everyone was there -- [Blair Underwood, Leonardo DiCaprio] and the late great Sam Kinison.
THE ROCK THAT HIT GOLIATH BETWEEN THE EYES
Keenen Ivory Wayans: As confident as we were, we knew that we could've played ourselves. We were going up against ... it was David and Goliath, and if that rock hadn't hit right between the eyes, we would've been done.
Steeg: I think the hay was in the barn, right? Yeah, it was a concern. And we [at the NFL] said, "This isn't going to ever happen again." We went on the aggressive and selected Radio City to [produce] the halftime show the next year in Pasadena. Don Garber, who's now the commissioner of the MLS, was working with NFL Properties then.
And Don and I said, "We gotta do something about this." I don't remember if the commissioner ever said, "What are you going to do? What's going to take place?" We literally, within the next month, sat down and came up with ideas. We had identified who we wanted to go after by March. And we met with Michael Jackson's agent.
Visser: "In Living Color" was so brilliant. Come on. How about when they did the Homeboy Shopping Network skit. So, yep, Michael Jackson. I think that CBS knew that the sands were shifting.
Steeg: We knew we were going to have to increase the budget. Double at least. We were going to have to get a sponsor to help to underwrite it. These days when you think of $1 million ... [the cost of the production and added expenses of Jackson's performance. Additionally, the NFL donated $100,000 to the singer's Heal the World Foundation]. Pepsi signed on as a sponsor. That sponsor had to be acceptable to Michael Jackson's camp. They paid for probably 50% of our increase. ["In Living Color" did not have a halftime special in 1993.]
Keenen Ivory Wayans: The NFL didn't acknowledge this for years. They really just huddled up and said, "Let's get Michael Jackson, and let's make sure this never happens again." They just kept getting big names, like Prince [2007] and Madonna [2012].
Marlon Wayans: To this day, "In Living Color" had the best halftime show. I love Michael Jackson. And Justin Timberlake [2004 and 2017] is a friend of mine. But you could put all of them onstage and it wouldn't be like the halftime "In Living Color" s--- because it was nothing like going from the excitement of the game to those laughs. The laughs were everything.
Grier: The thing about "In Living Color" was, it captured the zeitgeist of that cultural moment. It took the fashion, music, comedy all rolled into one. And I don't even remember who won the Super Bowl that year [Washington defeated Buffalo 37-24].
Kellner: It was a great day for Fox.
Keenen Ivory Wayans: This little ragtag crew did something that changed a huge event. We made history.
The Microsoft founder's eldest child shared a photo on her Instagram account Wednesday revealing that Nassar, who helped Egypt qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, had proposed.
"Nayel Nassar, you are one of a kind. Absolutely swept me off my feet this past weekend, surprising me in the most meaningful location over one of our many shared passions," Gates wrote alongside a photo of the pair sitting on snow.
She added that she "can't wait to spend the rest of our lives learning, growing, laughing and loving together."
The couple, who both attended Stanford University, each have a love for the equine sport.
Gates told CNN's EQ equestrian show last year: "Horses are just one part of our life, but we love the sport.
"He's a professional, and I do this as an amateur. So, to be able to share our love and passion for horses with each other is just incredible."
In October last year, Nassar helped Egypt qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games by winning the CSIO4*-W Nations Cup of Rabat.
The feat led to the country's first Olympic qualification for the sport in 60 years.
Nassar also posted two other photos of the wintry proposal on his own Instagram account Wednesday, writing: "SHE SAID YES!!"
"I'm feeling like the luckiest (and happiest) man in the world right about now," he captioned his pictures with his wife-to-be.
"Jenn, you are everything I could have possibly imagined... and so much more. I can't wait to keep growing together through this journey called life, and I simply can't imagine mine without you anymore."
Nassar thanked his partner for "making every single day feel like a dream to me."
While Bill Gates has yet to release a statement on his daughter's pending nuptials, his wife Melinda shared their daughter's post on her Instagram story and said she is "thrilled" for the couple.
Camilla Parker Bowles reportedly had a hand in Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s exit. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced their departure at the beginning of the year and are currently back in Canada staying out of the spotlight. While Harry and Meghan plan their next move, anonymous sources claim that Camilla encouraged Meghan to leave the royal family and “follow her heart.”
Camilla Parker Bowles and Meghan Markle | Chris Jackson/Chris Jackson/Getty Images
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle leave the royal family
In a stunning move, Harry and Meghan confirmed that they are
stepping down as senior members of the royal family at the beginning of
January. Taking to Instagram, the Sussexes explained how they no longer want to
depend on public funding and will be spending some of their time in North
America.
Harry met with other members of the royal family after making the shocking announcement. Following the meetings, Queen Elizabeth released a statement in support of the couple’s decision to step down.
Is Meghan Markle Becoming As Unpopular As Camilla Parker Bowles? – The Cheat Sheet
Is Meghan Markle Becoming As Unpopular As Camilla Parker Bowles? The Cheat Sheet
Prince William Cautioned Prince Harry That Things Were Moving Too Quickly with Meghan M… https://t.co/LcfCMgrvfr
Her Majesty also revealed that Harry and Meghan will be giving up
their HRH royal titles and will be paying back the money that was used to
renovate Frogmore Cottage.
Harry has since flown back to Canada to reunite with Meghan and their son, Archie Harrison. The family is staying in a luxurious home on Vancouver Island and is reportedly looking to purchase a home in the region.
Camilla Parker Bowles advises Meghan Markle
A source claims that Camilla and Meghan share a close
relationship behind closed doors. The former Suits star reportedly leans
on Camilla, who has experienced a fair share of royal scandals over the years.
“She knew this was in the works and actually told Meghan to
follow her heart and leave if she needed to,” the insider revealed.
Camilla Parker Bowles has not always had an easy time in the royal family. For years, Camilla engaged in an affair with Prince Charles, who was married to Princess Diana at the time.
Their secret love affair is what really drove Charles and Diana
apart. After they got a divorce, Charles and Camilla started dating and
eventually tied the knot in 2005.
The Duchess of Cambridge faced a lot of public scrutiny over what happened between Charles and Diana, though she has done a lot to repair her image in recent years. While Camilla and Meghan allegedly grew close, the source claims that Charles was oblivious about what the women were planning.
Was Camilla Parker Bowles acting behind Prince Charles’ back?
According to Radar
Online, the insider says that Camilla helped Meghan plan Megxit,
even though Charles wanted her to guide the couple back into the royal family.
“Charles hoped Camilla would be a calming influence, but
he’s been blind to her scheming and stirring that’s been going behind his
back,” the source stated.
Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles have not commented on the rumors surrounding Megxit. Camilla was, however, asked if she would miss Harry and Meghan during a recent public event. After a short pause, Camilla responded with a simple, “Course,” before walking away.
In light of the response, the insider claims that Camilla loves
stirring the pot. She is also really good at playing both sides and has
developed into quite the politician.
To make things even more complicated, the source insists that
Meghan looks up to Camilla and respects her authority. That said, there is good
reason to believe that there is absolutely no truth to the rumors about
Camilla’s involvement in Megxit.
Camilla Parker Bowles takes a step back from the drama
Despite the reports to the contrary, Camilla was not involved in the talks between Harry, Queen Elizabeth, Charles, and William in the wake Megxit. In fact, Camilla stayed behind while her husband tried to reason with Harry to stay in the royal family.
As previously mentioned, Camilla faced a lot of controversies
when she became a member of the royal family, yet she never entertained the
idea of leaving.
The notion that Camilla would advise Harry and Meghan to step
down goes against everything she has endured over the years. If anything,
Camilla would have told them to stay in the royal family and fulfill their
duty.
Unless new information comes to light, it is safe to say that
Camilla had little to do with Harry and Meghan’s decision to step down.
Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles have not said anything about Harry and Meghan’s exit from the royal family. Their departure is expected to be set in stone in the spring.
James Corden had to take a moment out of his regularly scheduled good times on "The Late Late Show" Wednesday night to address some very serious allegations that have been levied against him and the show.
"I want to get ahead of everything and address those rumors and assure you, my audience, that these accusations are not true," he said. "I really hate that I'm about to say this, but fake news, okay?"
Corden was, of course, talking about accusations that he doesn't drive the car at all during his popular Carpool Karaoke segment.
The story broke -- and it broke big -- after someone filmed a segment of the upcoming installment featuring Justin Bieber. In the clip, the car is clearly being towed.
"I know this looks bad," James conceded. "But I just want to say right now, that I always drive the car unless we're doing something where we think it might not be safe, like a dance routine or a costume change or if I'm drunk."
In this case, though, he said the reason was quite simple. "Frankly, I just kept getting lost in his eyes," James revealed.
He did a quick rundown of the segments where he did not drive, which was five of them, and then a rapidly scrolling list of all the ones where he drove the whole time.
"I swear to you," he insisted. "95 percent of the time I really am endangering the lives of the world's biggest pop stars."
But as long as we were revealing how the sausage got made, Corden had another revelation for fans of the segment. "I don't actually need them to help me get to work," he said. "Often, I'm at work already."
Remarkably, he pointed out that the short clip of him and Bieber being towed around Los Angeles had already amassed 13 million views, "which is more than some Carpool Karaokes."
Now, the new game for fans can be to go back and look at the Carpool Karaoke segments for Meghan Trainor, Migos, Cardi B and Chance the Rapper to try and see when James opted to tow the vehicle for safety reasons. And then, try to figure it out again whenever the latest Justin Bieber installment drops.
Of course, in light of this controversy, James might just tell audiences which part it was after the segment debuts. Our guess is the part where James is getting lost in Justin's eyes.
Got a story or a tip for us? Email TooFab editors at tips@toofab.com.
9:39 PM PT -- Law enforcement sources tell us they've recovered 2 guns and Offset and 3 others have been taken to the station for further questioning. No official arrests have been made.
Offset has been detained by cops after a report of a person with a gun at an L.A. shopping center.
Law enforcement sources tell TMZ a call came in just before 8 PM of a person with a gun inside the parking structure at The Grove shopping center. We're told the person who had the weapon allegedly fled the scene, and Offset and members of his entourage have been detained.
It is NOT clear if Offset or anyone he was with actually had a weapon, and police are currently investigating the situation.
In video -- obtained by TMZ -- Offset can be seen in a yellow hoodie asking officers why he's been cuffed ... the officer pushes the Migos rapper up against a wall.
We are told Offset is currently being held near the security station of The Grove.
