Hollywood actress Mischa Barton went to Twitter to apologize for an Instagram post where she wrote about the Alton Sterling shooting. The internet became enraged over the post since it was attached to a photo of Mischa on a yacht in her bikini drinking wine. Also in her post, she called the police pigs. In one of her apology tweets she also used the #whitelivesmatter hashtag. Maybe someone should take Mischas phone away from her. Social media is not her friend.
John Cena"s opening monologue at the 2016 ESPY Awards.
John Cena and his longtime girlfriend Nikki Bella look super hot together while on the carpet at the 2016 ESPY Awards on Wednesday (July 13) at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.
The 39-year-old WWE wrestler is hosting the show this year. Also in attendance was fellow wrestler The Miz with his wife Maryse Ouellet.
It was just announced that John has signed a deal with Leftfield Entertainment to develop an unscripted television project.
Whether Im in the ring for WWE or on a TV or film set, I approach all of my work the same way with focus, authenticity and total commitment, John said in a statement (via Deadline). Im eager to bring that same work ethic to the team at Leftfield, and to create new kinds of programming that can inspire and push people to be their best. Im living proof of what you can accomplish when that happens.
The Season 2 premiere of Mr. Robot already made good on its promise to be darker than the first season. We got a few shocking moments and a lot of bleak portraits of personal despair, ruin (RIP Gideon), and madness.
It also introduced viewers to a number of new characters that are sure to be major players (more Leon!), and we should probably be most suspicious of the only cheerful, talkative one in the bunch. Just who is Craig Robinsons new character, Ray?
After everything Mr. Robot has already put us through, we should probably think twice about any new characters that seem to only interact with Elliot. So lets take a closer look at the evidence on Ray. Is he real, or another hallucination?
The facts
Ray arrives while Elliot is watching a basketball game with his new friend Leon. He has a dog named Maxine. He tries to make friendly small talk and seems to already know a few things about Elliot. He wants Elliot to help him with something computer-y. Elliot shuts him down, but Mr. Robot is in the background, goading him into doing it. In a later scene, Ray reveals that he and Elliot spoke the night before. Elliot had no recollection of the conversation and soon realizes that Mr. Robot was in control of him at the time. He then agrees to help Ray with whatever it is hes seeking.
The evidence
Ray has a dog. Unless this alter-Elliot stole a dog, which in fairness, would not be unprecedented, hes probably not imagining Maxine. One point to Real.
Ray makes some cynical existential comments about truth and basketball. It sounds like the kind of thing Elliot would say about basketball if he were wordier. One to Not real.
Ray comments that he envies Maxine: All she gives a s**t about is eating and sleeping. This sounds like a comment on Elliots new analog routine. Not real.
Ray and Leon exchange very brief words. Leon looks surprised to see him appear, but probably not as surprised as he would be if his new silent friend Elliot suddenly stood up to him. Real.
Ray is kind of socially awkward. He says he usually fake laughs when he doesnt understand what someone says. Its something a more verbal alter-Elliot might do. Not real.
Ray listens to Adele. Real.
Conclusion
Mr. Robot is a show thats fairly futile to speculate about, but that just makes us want to speculate more. So far, well tentatively say that Ray is real, mostly because the show seems too smart to pull that stunt a second time. However, there are enough little hints that Ray is like a chattier, more optimistic version of Elliot, that we should remain suspicious and proceed with caution.
[2016 ESPYs] Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, Dwyane Wade, & LeBron James opening segment.
The 2016 ESPY Awards wasted no time before jumping into what is and hopefully will remain on the minds of millions of Americans: gun violence and the use of force by too many police officers against people of color.
As the broadcast started Wednesday, NBA stars Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James took the stage silently with their hands folded. No posters behind them. No bells and whistles. No nothing. Just four successful, hard-working black men, pleading with their country for some sanity in the wake of the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile.
The events of the past week have put a spotlight on the injustice, destruction and anger that plague so many of us, Anthony said. We cannot ignore the realities of the current state of America.
The system is broken, Anthony addedThe problems are not new. The violence is not new. And the racial divide definitely is not new. But the urgency to create change is at an all-time high.
The decision to open the show was the four close friends idea, and comes on the heels of an op-ed in The Guardian by Anthony, in which he asked athletes to use their voice to force change, even suggesting a message of some sort next month at the Olympic Games in Brazil.
Paul paid homage to great athlete-activists of the past, both living and deceased, including Jesse Owens, Jackie Robinson, Arthur Ashe and Muhammad Ali. They set a model for what athletes should stand for, he said.
Wade, who recently joined the Chicago Bulls,discussed not only violence by police, but by civilians against others, especially in the city of the team he just joined. The racial profiling has to stop. The shoot-to-kill mentality has to stop. Not seeing the value of black and brown bodies has to stop, he said. But also, the retaliation has to stop. The endless gun violence in places like Chicago,Dallas, not to mention Orlando, has to stop. Enough. Enough is enough.
Finally, the camera moved in on James, who said that even when when Americans feel most frustrated with the system, and more especially then, they should fight to improve it, not give up. Thats not acceptable, James said. Its time to look in the mirror and ask ourselves what are we doing to create change?
Lets use this moment as a call to action for all professional athletes to educate ourselves, explore these issues, speak up, use our influence, and renounce all violence, James added. And most importantly, go back to our communities. Invest our time our resources, help rebuild them, help strengthen them, help change them. We all have to do better.
Tom Brady"s "Deflategate" appeal rejected by court
Donald Trump, who somehow has made it into the finals to be our next president, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the outspoken and spunky United States Supreme Court justice, have engaged in a very entertaining p*****g match the last few days.
Can Tom Brady, the star of the Deflategate sitcom, get sprayed in the crossfire?
Brady is The Donalds favorite quarterback and last season Brady displayed a Trump campaign Make America Great Again cap in his Patriots locker. Ginsburg, meanwhile, is expected to issue the final ruling whether Brady will miss the first four games of the 2016 season or whether his suspension will be deferred pending appeal.
Brady and Trump are not much more than golfing buddies, although the way Trump portrays it, he just about watches tape with TB 12. They are so close that Brady will not even be attending the Republican Convention next week in Cleveland. Then again, he didnt attend the Pats White House visit last year.
James Freedland: Ginsburg hates Donald Trump. So what?
So, how has Brady-Ginsburg-Trump become a political love-hate triangle built for reality TV?
As anticipated, the full 13-member Second Circuit Court of Appeals in New York ruled Wednesday to deny Bradys request for a rehearing of the courts three-member panels decision in April to confirm Roger Goodells powers and reinstate Bradys four-game suspension, which is now scheduled to be served at the beginning of the 2016 season.
Bradys next step is to ask the Second Circuit, within the next seven days, for a stay as he appeals to the Supreme Court to hear the case. The Second Circuit is expected to deny that request by mid-August.
The four-time Super Bowl winner will not be out of options and this is where it gets really interesting.
Justice Ginsburg doesn"t want to think about a Trump presidency
His last Hail Mary will be to ask the Supreme Court to issue a stay that will cover the 90 days he has to file a request for the most powerful court in the land to hear the case. The stay, if granted, will also cover the period of time until the Supreme Court decides whether to hear the case, which likely wont be until next spring. Because the season opens Sept. 11, there is a sense of urgency. Brady is free to participate in training camp and preseason games.
The Supreme Court would be expected to makes its ruling on the stay very quickly.
The circuit justice from the Supreme Court who is assigned to rule on matters coming from the Second Circuit is none other than Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She is a liberal judge and tends to side with labor. Thats great news for Brady. This case is no longer about deflated footballs. Its whether Goodell abused his CBA powers.
The bad news is Trump keeps boasting about his bromance with Brady. That clearly should not influence the ruling of Ginsburg, a woman of high integrity. If Ginsburg grants the stay, then Brady is clear for the 2016 season. If not, then he will miss games against the Cardinals, Dolphins, Texans and Bills.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg, down in the muck
I see Brady playing weeks one through four, said noted sports legal expert Daniel Wallach. With Justice Ginsburg the one deciding, things look pretty good for Brady. Its an easy decision for Justice Ginsburg to stay the suspension.
Even if the Supreme Court later decides not to hear the case, he will be able to serve the four games in 2017. But if she denies the stay and Brady eventually wins, he can never recover games that he loses, Wallach said.
Its unlikely the Supreme Court will decide whether to take the case before the end of the 2016 season.
Then theres the Trump factor.
Trump now attacking Ruth Ginsburg, says she should step down ASAP
What about Ginsburg saying, I cant imagine what this place could be I cant imagine what the country would be with Donald Trump as our president. She even brought up a comment from her late husband, Now its time to move to New Zealand.
Trump fired back at the 83-year-old Ginsburg on Twitter, of course, with typical class. Justice Ginsburg of the U.S. Supreme Court has embarrassed all by making very dumb political statements about me. Her mind is shot resign.
The Supreme Court receives thousands of requests every year to hear cases. They accept less than 1%, about 100 per year, which makes Deflategate a long shot to find its way into the courtroom in Washington. But hiring respected attorney Ted Olson, who has argued many cases before the Supreme Court, including representing George W. Bush in the ruling that eventually made him president over Al Gore, could help Brady get the case heard.
Can Trumps friendship with Brady impact Ginsburg?
This is not the same as Trump appearing before Justice Ginsburg, Wallach said. She is not going to recuse herself. The requirement for recusal is a higher threshold more than being a Trump friend. But it is an interesting dynamic. This will be the first instance in which a potential Trump-related matter is presented to Justice Ginsburg following her remarks. But its seven rings removed from Trump. Much is made of the friendship, but its probably no more than a public friendship.
Brady and Trump became friends after Trump asked him to judge a beauty contest following one of his Super Bowl victories. Can I just stay out of this debate, Brady said last season. Donald is a good friend of mine. I have known him for a long time. I support all my friends. That is what I have to say.
The best thing for Brady to do to ensure he"s in Ginburg"s good graces so he can stay on the field in 2016? Build a wall between him and Trump. Even offer to pay for it.
Tags: nfl tom brady new england patriots deflategate donald trump 2016 election ruth bader ginsburg supreme court Join the Conversation: facebook Tweet
Christian Slater, Rami Malek Preview ‘Mr. Robot’ Season 2 | TODAY
The badass actress talks about Tinder, tech paranoia, and raging at Apple.
When Carly Chaikin, the reigning tough girl of prestige television, was in middle school, she said "f**k you" to her math teacher. "She wouldnt call on me. So I was like, "f**k you," and I left.
You could read this as the origin story of Chaikins persona nowadays. Her badass character in Mr. Robot, a hacker named Darlene, is similarly direct, observant, demanding, and takes no s**t. Or as Chaikin describes her: Shes just honest. Shes a b***s-to-the-wall girl.
Mr. Robot, a dark and cynical show about political hackers, is in the emerging stage, but it"s not hard to imagine it officially evolving into Breaking Badlevel obsession and cultish fandom. We hope. Already, Chaikin says shes proud of America for liking it. Its such a smart show, andnot to be rude, but a lot of America can be pretty dumb. It was one of those things like, Are people going to get it, or are they not going to get it? It could have gone either way.
For its viewers, Mr. Robot can spark a certain type of paranoia. The show, which is all about whats unseen on our screens, exists in a world swimming in shadowy threats. Recently, Chaikins iCloud was hacked, which sent her into a whirlwind of anger and fear. Mr. Robot has made me so much more aware of everything. I have to think about it," Chaikin says. "I was at this club in Miami, and this girl said she was trying to find her phone, but her hands almost went in my bag. I grabbed them, because nothing gets past me. After she walked away, I said to my best friend, "What if she dropped a device in my bag and is hacking me and tracking me and bugged me? Her best friend argued this was fairly unlikely.
Chaikin is also philosophical about the way the technology has changed us. What did we do before we had cell phones and we just had to sit there and be vulnerable? Rather than being vulnerable, Chaikin is completely hooked on exactly three phone games: AlphaBetty, Diamond Digger, and Farm Heroes. She"s at level 900 in all of them. She also praises Tinder as an excellent phone game. I think its an interesting, cool way to meet people. I have a boyfriend, but I always want to go on someones Tinder to swipe.
When we talk, she"s wrapped in a big sweater, her legs under her on a couch, shoes off. She isn"t someone who looks relaxed, though; she"s gazing around intently, and she repeats several times that nothing gets past her. In her non-acting time, she"s devoted to jigsaw puzzles and paintingboth of which hone her attention to detail. Her Mr. Robot co-stars, Rami Malek and Portia Doubleday, just gave Chaikin her latest puzzle. She"s still painting as Mr. Robot films in New York, though it"s just in a "tiny little nook," as opposed to her studio in L.A. For her subjects, she says, "I find myself going to faces and people more than anything. I just love human emotion and faces." Her next project is a set of paintings of the same eyesangry, sad, and happyto show how subtle the difference would be.
"Im so hyper-aware of everything around me and everyone and everything that people do." As she says this, she notices that I do some self-conscious shifting, she calls it out, and quickly returns to her mantra: My friend always says, Nothing gets past you. I can read people very well. This is also the appeal of a show like Mr. Robot: that there is something secret going on, and we might be able to figure it out if we just pay close enough attention.
And when Chaikin says shes observant, shes not exaggerating. Before the interview is over, she finds a pen I didn"t even know I had lost.
The ESPY Awardsgotunderway Wednesday evening in Los Angeles, the annual award show hosted by ESPN honoring the best in sports throughout the previous year. (It"s the only day of the year one of the four major sports doesn"t have a game.)
And this being Hollywood, many celebrities are in attendance as well, lighting up the red carpet with the athletes. Former wrestler and current actor/reality TV host JohnCena is emceeing.
Former NBA player Kobe Bryant, along with NFL cornerback Richard Sherman are at the show, as is Golden State guard Steph Curry and Yankeeslefty CC Sabathia. Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson and his new wife Ciara are there, too. Usher is there too. (See the gallery above for more.)
Early in the night NBA playersCarmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, Dwyane Wade, and LeBron James delivered an impassioned speech about the recent gun violence across America. See part of it here:
Ryan Hatch may be reached at rhatch@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @ryanhatch. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
