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.
Why Are Celebrities Hiring More Security?
There’s been a recent spike in Los Angeles, CA of celebrities hiring more security than usual; so much so, that local security companies are finding it difficult to keep up with the royal demands, according to a report by TMZ.
[memberzone align=”right”] During a boxing match between Gervonta “Tank” Davis and Teofimo Lopez, 2 Deep Executive Protection claimed to have eight different clients at that event alone. The security company also said guards are being hired for the elite of Tinseltown for longer shifts, sometimes more than 17 hours. Because of the demand, they’ve had to hire roughly 15 more guards to fill the sudden need for protection.
Kings Protection has also seen a heavy uptick in bodyguard hiring and has had to bring on 200 more personnel to meet the needs. It’s not just for event-going; celebrities are hiring guards for their day-to-day needs as well as home patrols. TMZ reported that Kings has armed guards stationed at their clients’ residences, and in some instances, K9 units are brought out to help patrol the area.
Some of the celebs still want to enjoy the nightlife. With bodyguards in tow, they have chosen to refrain from flashing their bling, instead leaving it at home and out of sight to help prevent any robberies.
The crime rate in the City of Angels has been rapidly climbing, motivating this move for extra security. The smash-and-grab robberies are becoming more popular. Home invasions are not restricted to middle-class neighborhoods, as the recent death of Jackie Avant demonstrates. The 81-year-old was the wife of music executive Clarence Avant. She was shot and killed on Tuesday, Nov. 30 during a home invasion in Beverly Hills.
So, what’s a celeb to do but hire more security?
Is Baldwin’s Claim of Not Pulling the Trigger Accurate?
Alec Baldwin (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival)
Recently, Alec Baldwin sat for an interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos. Baldwin claimed he didn’t pull the trigger on the gun that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. During the tearful interview, the actor explained that he had pulled back the hammer, but he did not touch the trigger and wasn’t sure how a bullet, much less a live one, could have been shot from the prop gun. He may have been telling the truth.
Liberty Nation Legal Affairs Editor Scott D. Cosenza, Esq. explained how certain guns can allow for such mistakes. “The saying ‘going off half-cocked’ describes exactly what Baldwin claims occurred on the set,” Cosenza pointed out. For a more in-depth explanation of how a gun could go off without the trigger being pulled, read his article here.
Baldwin continued the interview, arguing against those who had said he was wrong for pointing the gun at anyone in the first place. He said he was only following Hutchins’ instructions, pointing the gun and cocking it when and where she directed.
Shortly after the interview with Stephanopoulos, Baldwin deleted his Twitter account.
McConaughey Says ‘No” to Running for Governor
Matthew McConaughey (Photo by Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for TWC-Dimension)
If you were looking forward to another actor transitioning into politics, don’t get your hopes up for Matthew McConaughey. The heartthrob celebrity has said he will not run in the 2022 Texas election for governor, even though the polls say he has a good chance of beating incumbent Greg Abbott.
The Oscar winner made the announcement in a three-minute video on his Instagram account, saying the office was a “path that I’m choosing not to take at this moment,” and that he has other ways he wants to focus on serving the people of The Lone Star State.
A Dallas Morning News poll showed McConaughey would beat Abbot by eight points in a head-to-head race and also soundly win over Democratic candidate Beto O’Rourke.
“As a simple kid born in the little town of Uvalde, Texas, it never occurred to me that I would one day be considered for political leadership,” McConaughey said. “It’s a humbling and inspiring path to ponder. It is also a path that I’m choosing not to take at this moment.”
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.
Aniston “Bullied” and Says People Need to Report Their Vax Status
Jennifer Aniston (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)
Jennifer Aniston, best known for her role in the hit television series Friends and as a former wife of Brad Pitt, said she is being bullied because she is pro-vaccine. “You know, someone literally called me a ‘liberal vax-hole,’” the actress told The Hollywood Reporter. “I don’t understand the disconnect right now, being bullied for wanting people not to be sick?”
The name-calling started after an interview with InStyle, during which Aniston said everyone should have to report their vaccination status for the good of everyone else, and that she had been deleting people from her life who were part of “a large group of people who are anti-vaxxers” or those who “just don’t listen to the facts.” She told the outlet: “I’ve just lost a few people in my weekly routine who have refused or did not disclose [whether they had been vaccinated or not], and it was unfortunate. I feel it’s your moral and professional obligation to inform, since we’re not all podded up and being tested every single day.”
Aniston has been so concerned over the virus she has rarely left her home and continues to mostly isolate.
McGowan’s Suit Against Weinstein Thrown Out
The Charmed actress, Rose McGowan, has been a vocal advocate for other accusers of Harvey Weinstein and the #MeToo movement. However, her lawsuit against Weinstein, in which she alleged he tried to keep her silent and damage her career before she accused him of raping her, was tossed out of court. The actress fired her lawyers last month and decided to act as her own attorney. Judge Otis D. Wright II dismissed the case with prejudice – meaning it cannot be refiled – because she had failed to meet filing deadlines, which had already been extended for her.
Celebrity Tweets
Celebrities say the darndest things …
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
AOC decided it was time to take a shot at Christmas using a postcard of a family toting guns in front of a Christmas tree. She tweeted: “Tell me again where Christ said ‘use the commemoration of my birth to flex violent weapons for personal political gain’? Lol @ all the years Republicans spent on cultural hysteria of society ‘erasing Christmas and it’s meaning’ when they’re doing that fine all on their own.”
Tell me again where Christ said “use the commemoration of my birth to flex violent weapons for personal political gain”?
lol @ all the years Republicans spent on cultural hysteria of society “erasing Christmas and it’s meaning” when they’re doing that fine all on their own https://t.co/TOKE1SmY4C
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) December 8, 2021
Ted Nugent
“The worst people in the world hate me and the best people in the world love me.”
Kevin Sorbo
“What’s sad to me is Fauci could come out today saying that consuming food in smoothie form prevents Covid and some of you would pull out your blenders.”
Tune in next week to see what else Tinseltown has planned.
~ Read more from Kelli Ballard.
