Editor’s Note: Whether on screen or off, Hollywood can always be counted on to keep us entertained. This is especially true when it comes to politics. Join us each week as we shine the spotlight on Tinseltown’s A-listers and their whacky and sometimes inspiring takes on today’s current events.
Alec Baldwin Claims He Didn’t Pull the Trigger
Alec Baldwin, who is currently facing lawsuits for the shooting on the set of Rust that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, will be giving his first major interview tonight, Dec. 2 on ABC News with George Stephanopoulos. “I would never point a gun at anyone and pull the trigger,” he told Stephanopoulos. He explains what was going through his mind, how he would never point a gun at anyone, how there shouldn’t have been a live bullet in the gun, and much more.
The program will air at 8 p.m. on ABC and then stream later in the evening on Hulu. There will also be a two-hour show on 20/20 on Dec. 10 and then on Hulu Dec. 11.
Asked by @GStephanopoulos how a real bullet got on the "Rust" set, Alec Baldwin says: “I have no idea. Someone put a live bullet in a gun. A bullet that wasn’t even supposed to be on the property.”
Watch TOMORROW 8pm ET on ABC and stream later on @hulu. https://t.co/fJQly1za1T pic.twitter.com/OnpDuYERiC
— ABC News (@ABC) December 1, 2021
As authorities try to untangle the mystery of how a loaded gun made it into actor Alec Baldwin’s hands, new theories and evidence pile up. So far, there have been no shortages of lawsuits stemming from the shooting on the set of the western movie Rust, and it seems as if more keep appearing.
Thell Reed, the father of Rust armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, reportedly told investigators that in August and September he had been working on a different movie that happened to be near the Rust set in New Mexico. At that time, he had been working with armorer Seth Kenny, according to search warrant paperwork released by Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office and obtained by Rolling Stone. According to the document:
“Thell advised that during the production, there was training provided to the actors for live fire with firearms conducted on a firearms range. Thell said that at this time, Seth requested he bring live ammunition in the event they ran out of what was supplied. Thell stated he did bring an ‘ammo can’ with live ammunition from a friend, and this ammunition was not factory-made rounds. He advised there (were) approximately 200-300 rounds in the can and described the can to be green in color.”
Reed said that Kenny kept the ammo can which contained .45 Colt bullets – the prop gun Baldwin used was a .45 Colt revolver. The prop master for Rust, Sarah Zahry, said the crew had obtained the prop ammunition from various sources, including from Kenny. One week after the shooting, Kenny told investigators that he had received “reloaded ammunition from a friend” a couple of years back.
Larry Elder on Liberals Marrying Whites
Larry Elder, the Conservative host of The Larry Elder Show – The Sage from South Central, was under liberal fire this week after posting a meme to his Instagram account that questioned why left-wing politicians and media figures push racial policies yet are in romantic relations with white people. The meme read: “Why are they all married to whites if white’s [sic] are systematically racists?”
The image included photos of several political celebrities:
- Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and her white boyfriend, Riley Roberts.
- CNN Host Don Lemon and his white fiancé, Tim Malone.
- Mayor Lori Lightfoot (D-IL) and her white wife, Amy Eshleman.
- VP Kamala Harris and her white husband, Douglas Emhoff.
- Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and her white husband, Tim Mynett.
All of these figureheads have pushed the racial card hard, claiming white supremacy, yet are married to those whom they have condemned for their skin color in the past. Lemon, for example, has said that Americans do not consider black people as “fully human.” Lightfoot, a few months ago, said she would not meet with any white people in her office.
Clarence and Jackie Avant
(Photo by Earl Gibson III/Getty Images for BET)
Jackie Avant Murdered in her Home
Jackie Avant, 81, the wife of music executive Clarence Avant, was shot and killed on Tuesday, Nov. 30 during a home invasion in Beverly Hills. The Beverly Hills Police Department received a call at 2:23 a.m. reporting a shooting that had just occurred. Upon arrival, they found a victim – who wasn’t identified at the time – with a gunshot wound. The victim was transported to a local hospital but didn’t survive.
Jackie was a former Ebony Fashion Fair model and philanthropist. She served as president of the Neighbors of Watts, a support group for the South Central Community Child Care Center, and entertainment chairman of the NOW benefit auction. She also served on the board of directors of the International Student Center at UCLA.
Her husband, Clarence, 90, is known as the “Godfather of Black Music.” He is a Grammy-winning executive who has helped launch careers of big names such as Michael Jackson and Babyface, to name a few. In the 1970s, he created the first African-American-owned FM radio station in Los Angeles and founded Sussex Records in 1969, Tabu Records in 1976, and in 1993 became the chair for Motown Records.
The couple was married for more than 50 years and had two children: Nicole, 53, who is married to Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos and was a former U.S. Ambassador to the Bahamas; and Alexander Du Bois, 50, (born Jacqueline Alberta Gray).
Cheers And Jeers
Sometimes, HollyWeird players make headlines for silly or bizarre happenings, so here is a collection of newsworthy doings — honorable and dishonorable — by the tenants of Tinseltown.
Will Bill Cosby go Back to Court?
Actor and comedian Bill Cosby was released from prison in June after serving less than three months after his conviction was overturned. Now, prosecutors are asking the Supreme Court to toss the appellate court ruling, claiming the Pennsylvania Supreme Court erred in its judgment.
Model Divorces Herself
Just 90 days after making a grand show of marrying herself – a practice known as sologamy – Brazilian model Cris Galêra has decided its times to divorce. She said, “I was happy while it lasted, I started to believe in love the moment I met someone more special.” Galêra claimed she had decided to marry herself because she had “reached a point where I matured” and was afraid of being alone, but then realized that she needed to feel good about herself first. “When that happened, I decided to celebrate it,” she said.
Celebrity Tweets
Celebrities say the darndest things …
Ted Nugent
Rocker Ted Nugent is pretty active on Twitter. This week he wrote, “Political correctness is the abandonment of humanity.”
Conan O’Brien
This comedian is almost always good for a laugh or two. Just look at these two tweets from O’Brien: “I will rise again, like a phoenix that tripped over an extension cord, hurt its shoulder, and then awkwardly stood up,” and, “Still no smash-and-grabs at Edible Arrangements.”
Ted Cruz (R-TX)
“Fauci saying, ‘I represent science’ is like Louis XIV saying, ‘I am the state.’”
Donald Trump Jr.
“The good thing about the brothers Cuomo having a lot of free time on their hands is now they’ll finally be able to figure out which one is actually Fredo.”
Tune in next week to see what else Tinseltown has planned.
~ Read more from Kelli Ballard.
