By Mark Gray
5:30am PDT, Jul 29, 2023
Acquitted, but future murky
On July 26, a London jury acquitted Kevin Spacey, clearing him of nine counts of sexually assaulting multiple men. After the verdict was read, the Oscar winner touched his chest and mouthed "thank you" to the jury twice. He addressed the media afterward. "I imagine that many of you can understand that there's a lot for me to process after what has just happened today," Kevin said. "But I would like to say that I'm enormously grateful to the jury for having taken the time to examine all of the evidence and all of the facts, carefully, before they reached their decision. And I am humbled by the outcome today." Although the Oscar winner's legal troubles seem to be behind him now, he'll hardly be welcomed back into the Hollywood fold, insiders say. "It's not a matter of can Kevin work again, but who will work with him?" one producer told Page Six after the jury's decision.
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Health problem
Tori Kelly was rushed to the hospital after fainting during a dinner in downtown Los Angeles. TMZ reported that the singer's heart started beating fast while she was out to dinner with friends on July 23. She then passed out "for a while," the webloid wrote. Rather than calling for an ambulance (which would have likely taken the "Should've Been Us" singer to an area hospital), friends put Tori in a car and drove her across town to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, one of the country's top facilities. Once there, the two-time Grammy winner was put in the intensive care unit where doctors discovered clots in her legs and lungs. There was concern that clots would be found around her heart too. TMZ reported that Tori was "in and out of consciousness during her hospitalization" and that the situation was "really serious."
On July 26, the singer's husband revealed she wasn't in the clear yet but confirmed that things were looking up. "Tori is smiling again and feeling stronger," Andre Murillo wrote on his Instagram Story. "Not fully out of the woods but we see the sun. Just waiting on a few more answers." Tori, too, addressed her fans on July 27 in an Instagram note. "It's been a scary few days but I can feel your prayers & can't stop thinking about you," she wrote. "I'm feeling stronger now & hopeful but unfortunately there are still some things to uncover."
R.I.P.
Sinead O'Connor — the Irish singer who was catapulted to fame in 1990 with the hit song "Nothing Compares 2 U" and its stunning music video that MTV aired in heavy rotation — died on July 26. She was 56. The Irish Times broke the news and the BBC and RTE shared a statement from the talented and troubled singer-songwriter's family confirming their heartbreak. "It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Sinead," they wrote, adding, "Her family and friends are devastated and have requested privacy at this very difficult time." Sinead's death came 18 months after her 17-year-old son, Shane, died.
Police later confirmed in a statement that Sinead, who'd reportedly moved to London in early July, was found unresponsive in an apartment in the capital and "was pronounced dead at the scene" and that "the death is not being treated as suspicious." In addition to her music, the singer was known for ripping up a picture of Pope John Paul II in 1992 on "Saturday Night Live" to protest child sex abuse in the Catholic church, something that was not being spoken about in public at the time. "Fight the real enemy," she said. Her career was never the same after that but a decade later, widespread abuse in the church was uncovered, putting her protest in a new light.
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Ex-factor
Days after news broke revealing that newly single Ariana Grande and her "Wicked" co-star Ethan Slater are dating, he filed for divorce from his high school sweetheart and wife of four years, Lilly Jay. On July 27, Lilly spoke to Page Six, telling the outlet, "[Ariana's] the story really. Not a girl's girl. My family is just collateral damage." Multiple reports claimed the Ethan and Lilly had been separated before he began seeing Ariana. "She's rightfully upset because her marriage fell apart, but Ariana and Ethan didn't do anything wrong," a Page Six source said, claiming Ethan and Lilly separated months ago. "Ethan is trying to take the high road and hopes he can resolve this situation for the sake of their child."
However, on July 27, DailyMail.com reported that, according to an insider close to the former couple, Lilly learned following an April visit to see Ethan in London, where his movie was shooting, that he'd been having an affair with Ariana. The insider claimed Lilly and the star of the "SpongeBob SquarePants" Broadway musical decided to try to "put it behind them and work on their marriage" — but Lilly later discovered that Ethan and Ariana's clandestine romance had continued behind her back. "[They] kept the affair going…" alleged the insider, who said Lilly believes Ethan was "starstruck" amid the glamour of being on a movie set with major celebrities for the first time.
Patriotism problem
Megyn Kelly believes the United States Women's National Team "hates" America, and her proof is tied to a song. The majority of the team didn't sing the "The Star-Spangled Banner" prior to a recent World Cup game. "I really do believe their version of what a feminist is, what it means to be an empowered woman, at least as an American woman, means you need to hate your country. It means to go out on the national stage and embarrass yourself and your country by not singing the national anthem," the conservative said on "The Megyn Kelly Show." "For several of them, not even holding their hands over their hearts when the national anthem played, that was a bridge too far. They couldn't be bothered to actually place their hand on their heart as the national anthem played, as they stood out there representing you and me and the country and our military and people who have given their lives for the country that they represent." The former Fox News host pinned much of the blame on outspoken and openly gay star Megan Rapinoe, who has represented the U.S. in four World Cups and two Olympic Games. "This [team behavior] is clearly, I think, as a result of her influence, and it's disgusting," Megyn said.
Engaged!
Hulk Hogan is back in the ring business! The wrestling icon is engaged. He shared his happy news during a speech at a friend's wedding the weekend of July 22. He then confirmed to TMZ Sports that he popped the question to yoga instructor Sky Daily the previous week at a restaurant in Tampa, Florida. On July 25, Sky posted an Instagram video of the Hulkster recapping the proposal. "She was crazy enough to say yes," Hulk said. The WWE Hall of Famer and Sky began dating in early 2022, TMZ reported. This will mark Hulk's third marriage.
Cause of death update
Julian Sands' death remains a mystery… at least to authorities. The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department revealed that the county's coroner has ruled his cause of death "undetermined." Julian's remains were found in June, six months after the British actor — who appeared in "Leaving Las Vegas" and "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" — disappeared while hiking around Mount Baldy in Southern California during a snow storm. (He never returned to his car.) Severe weather previously hampered search efforts at the time of his disappearance — his snow-covered car was found in California's San Gabriel Mountains a few days after he last made contact. Hikers eventually came across his remains on June 24 after snow in the area finally melted. While it's known where he died, a police spokesman told People magazine on July 24 that the official manner of death is "undetermined due to the condition of the body," which is "common when dealing with cases of this type."
Cardiac episode
LeBron James' eldest son, Bronny James, was rushed to the hospital on July 24 after going into cardiac arrest during a basketball workout at the University of Southern California. TMZ reported that the 18-year-old was unconscious and rushed by ambulance to a Los Angeles hospital. Once there, the top basketball recruit was taken to the ICU. On July 26, TMZ reported that Bronny's condition had improved enough that his parents were "relieved." A source told the website that LeBron and his wife, Savannah James, are "optimistic," particularly given that Bronny was only in the ICU for a short amount of time. Still, they want to figure out why the hooper's heart stopped.
On July 27, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center confirmed Bronny had been released. "Although his workup will be ongoing, we are hopeful for his continued progress and are encouraged by his response, resilience, and his family and community support," said Dr. Merije Chukumerije, a cardiologist at the hospital, according to CNN. He added that the "swift and effective response" of the USC training staff ensured that Bronny "arrived at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center fully conscious, neurologically intact and stable."
"Aliens Exist" rocker vindicated in Congressional hearing
Rock star Tom Delonge feels vindicated. The blink-182 guitarist and co-vocalist quit his band in 2015 to focus more time on investigating and researching aliens. At the time, many thought the rocker had, well, fallen off his rocker, especially considering his band's enormous popularity. (He's since rejoined.) But on July 26, three former military officials told Congress that the government knows much more about UFOs than it's telling the public. In fact, one official said, the government is in possession of "nonhuman" biological matter. He added that he is "absolutely" certain that the federal government is in possession of UFOs too.
After the hearing, the "Aliens Exist" singer took to Instagram to share a message that read "Tom Was Right." "The UFO Hearings today made history. I am so proud of the three witnesses today that blew the lid off the UFO secrecy that has been intact for decades," he wrote. The officials-turned-alien whistleblowers are "heroes," Tom added.
David Fravor, a retired U.S. Navy commander, even mentioned Tom and his research company, To The Stars, in the hearing. "[To The Stars] was this organization that pressed the issue with leading industry experts and USG officials, worked with Leslie Keane, Ralph Blumenthal and Helene Cooper to publish the articles in The New York Times in December 2017 admitting the USG was looking at UAPs and removed the stigma of the UFO topic, which led to us being here today," the military commander told elected officials. "Those articles opened a door for the government and the public that cannot be closed. It has led to an interest from our elected officials who are not focused on 'little green men' but on figuring out what these craft are, where are they from, the technology they possess, and how do they operate."
