Neil Gaiman shares 'heartbreaking' Sinead O'Connor coincidence hours before her death
Sinead O’Connor’s death at age 56 this week has led to an outpouring of grief from both celebrities and normal people whose lives the iconic singer touched. Neil Gaiman, the English novelist, is the latest, having shared a coincidence that occurred hours before O’Connor’s death was announced. Gaiman was at the Golden Notebook bookshop in Woodstock, New York, the writer said, where employees gave him a signed copy of Why Sinead O’Connor Matters by the journalist Allyson McCabe. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter He said he did not personally select the book, but “[t]hey chose it for me.” That same day, on 26 July, O’Connor’s passing was announced publicly. The synopsis of McCabe’s book is as follows: “In 1990, Sinéad O’Connor’s video for “Nothing Compares 2 U” turned her into a superstar. “Two years later, an appearance on Saturday Night Live turned her into a scandal. For many people — including, for years, the author — what they knew of O’Connor stopped there. “Allyson McCabe believes it’s time to reassess our old judgments about Sinéad O’Connor and to expose the machinery that built her up and knocked her down.” Gaiman's fans have responded to the unusual coincidence in their droves. Why Sinead O’Connor Matters was published in May 2023. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
2023-07-28 16:19
Elon Musk congratulates his ex-wife on getting engaged to the Love Actually kid
In one of the more unlikely stories you'll hear this year, Elon Musk has congratulated his ex-wife Talulah Riley on getting engaged to Love Actually child actor Thomas Brodie-Sangster. Riley and Brodie-Sangster, who are both actors, have been together for two years having met while working on the FX series Pistol. Now after just two years together, Riley announced on Twitter that she and Brodie Sangster were getting hitched. The 37-year-old St Trininan's star wrote: "Very happy to share that after two years of dating, Thomas Brodie Sangster and I are engaged!" Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Riley, who has been married to Elon Musk twice and as a result divorced twice, even chimed in to offer his congratulations as the happy couple shared a wholesome selfie of themselves together. Riley and Musk began dating in 2008 and married each other in Scotland in 2010 only for Musk to end the relationship in 2012 and file for divorce. They then reconciled their differences and in July 2013 got married again but by December 2014 Musk had filed for another divorce only to withdraw. Riley and Musk then lived separately for six months before she filed for divorce in 2016 with the pair finally separating in October 2016. The two appear to still be on good terms with Riley telling Musk in March 2022: "Can you buy Twitter and then delete it, please?" America is going insane. Or can you just buy Twitter and make it radically free speech? So much stupidity comes from Twitter." Some foreshadowing there... Brodie-Sangster is best known for his role as Sam in the Christmas classic Love Actually but has also starred in Nowhere Boy, Game of Thrones and the Maze Runner series. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
2023-07-28 15:46
You've got Mali: MoD accidentally emails Russia ally
Defence officials say the emails did not contain information that could compromise operational security.
2023-07-28 10:20
GM warns US emissions rules could cost industry $100 billion in penalties in 2031
WASHINGTON General Motors warned the Biden administration's vehicle emissions rules could cost the auto industry $100 billion in
2023-07-28 06:18
Made In Chelsea star Georgia Toffolo tried to praise David Cameron and it didn't go well
Former Made In Chelsea star Georgia Toffolo attempted to praise David Cameron on social media and it went as well as you might expect. Toffolo, who is also known by the name “Toff”, rose to fame as a reality star and became friends with Stanley Johnson, father of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, during an appearance on ITV’s I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here. But, in a recent tweet, Toff found receiving pushback after sharing her praise for another former Tory PM, Cameron. She shared a picture of Cameron addressing a room full of people and wrote: “I can confirm that David Cameron has still got it.” Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter It didn’t take long for many people to point out some of Cameron’s decisions made as a leader that they believe had a devastating effect on the country. Political commentator, Supertanskiii, wrote: “By ‘it’ you presumably mean the sheer audacity to show his face in public after absolutely destroying Britain with austerity and Brexit?” In a similar vein, Dom Joly, asked: “By ‘it’ I presume you mean eternal shame for panicking about empty threats from Farage and enabling Brexit, sending us into an economic death spiral?” Someone else joked: “Don’t get too close or your might catch it…” “Hope he keeps it to himself then !!!” another commented. One Twitter user asked: “The ability to f*** everything up and then walk away like it wasn't his fault? Is that 'it'?” Cameron famously called for the 2016 EU referendum that paved the way for Brexit, which many believe has been negative for the country and its economy. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
2023-07-27 17:21
Why did Sinead O'Connor rip up a photo of the Pope during an SNL performance?
The moment Sinead O'Connor ripped up a photo of the Pope has resurfaced as the singer has died. The Grammy-winning singer who shot to international stardom in 1990 with the hit ballad 'Nothing Compares 2 U', and released 10 studio albums between 1987 and 2014 has died aged 56, her family confirmed. As well as being famous for her music, she also was known for some controversial moments. O'Connor was performing on Saturday Night Live on October 1992 when she ripped up the photo of the head of the Catholic church. The then 26-year-old singer performed an a cappella rendition of Bob Marley’s 'War' to bring attention to the issue of child abuse. As she finished singing, the singer held up a picture of Pope John Paul II and tore it to pieces in front of the camera. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter She then blew out the candles on stage and walked off. The stunt was reportedly to protest the issue of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, long before such allegations were widely reported. The network received complaints after the stunt and O'Connor also received death threat, boos, and had to cancel lots of gigs. Remembering the incident in her 2021 autobiography, Rememberings, she wrote: "'When I walk backstage, literally not a human being is in sight. "All doors have closed. Everyone has vanished. Including my own manager, who locks himself in his room for three days and unplugs his phone." And in 2010, when Pope Benedict XVI apologized to Ireland to atone for decades of abuse, O'Connor condemned the apology for not going far enough and called for Catholics to boycott Mass until there was a full investigation into the Vatican's role. Announcing the singer's death in a statement yesterday, O'Connor's family said: "It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Sinéad. "Her family and friends are devastated and have requested privacy at this very difficult time." They did not report the cause of her death. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
2023-07-27 17:16
Conor McGregor leads tributes for Sinead O'Connor following her death
Irish singer Sinéad O’Connor has died at the age of 56 and tributes celebrating her life have poured in. Her death was announced on Wednesday (26 July) by her family in a brief statement. No cause of death was given. It read: “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Sinéad. Her family and friends are devastated and have requested privacy at this very difficult time.” The singer hailed from Dublin, Ireland, and rose to fame thanks to a global hit with the 1990 ballad Nothing Compares 2 U. Throughout her musical career, O’Connor was no stranger to controversy and famously shocked the US by ripping up a picture of Pope John Paul II during a 1992 appearance on the talk show Saturday Night Live in protest against child abuse in the Catholic Church. The news of her death stunned many, from the world of entertainment and beyond, and has led to an outpouring of heartfelt tributes for the musical icon. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter O’Connor’s death comes 18 months after that of her 17-year-old son Shane. In one of her last posts on social media, she said he was “the love of my life, the lamp of my soul”. She will be remembered not only for her singing voice but for her activism and bravery in opposing atrocities, even in the face of significant backlash. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
2023-07-27 15:59
Ryan Reynolds blasted for meeting Rishi Sunak: ‘The lowest point of your career’
Ryan Reynolds has been heavily criticised on social media for meeting with UK prime minister Rishi Sunak. The actor visited the PM amid the ongoing actors' strike to discuss the “excellence of UK film crews". Filming on Reynold’s film Deadpool 3 has been paused amid industrial action taken by Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (Sag-Aftra). The actor posted a picture of the pair together and added the caption: “With Deadpool paused, we visited 10 Downing to discuss the excellence of UK film crews and @maximumeffort. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter “Aside from shooting back home, the UK is my favourite place to make a movie. Hoping to see even more film work heading to Wales. Rob [McElhenney] would have joined but he’s currently having a word with Man Utd’s youth team goalie.” Reynolds was referencing the injury Wrexham AFC striker Paul Mullin suffered after a tackle with Manchester United goalkeeper Nathan Bishop in a friendly game earlier this week. People flocked to the comments section to criticise Reynolds’ decision to meet with Sunak. “This ain’t it bro. Rishi and his party are a disgrace,” one wrote. Another said: “Oh this is disappointing ( go do your homework on how the conservatives treat the arts in this country).” A user even went as far as saying: “Sitting with this idiot is the lowest point of your career. And yea, I saw Green lantern.” “This isn't the PR win you think it is Ryan,” one more said. Meanwhile, Reynolds and McElhenney who own Wrexham Football Club are now making waves in motorsport after buying a stake in Formula One team Alpine. The pair are part of a group that also includes fellow Hollywood actor Michael B. Jordan, other investors include Otro Capital and RedBird Capital Partners who have made the $200m (approximately £157m) investment. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
2023-07-26 20:25
Olivia Dunne is now so famous it’s unsafe to attend her university classes
TikTok sensation and student gymnast Olivia Dunne has spoken about the impact fame has had on her everyday life, saying that it’s no longer safe for her to attend university classes. The viral star from Louisiana State University (LSU) has taken TikTok by storm over recent years, but it’s not always been easy for her to prioritise her safety. Dunne has been competing as a gymnast since 2014. She became a member of the US National Gymnastics Team in 2017. However, she has now revealed that she can no longer attend her LSU classes in person due to potential threats. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Speaking to Elle, Dunne said: “There were some scares in the past, and I just want to be as careful as possible. I don’t want people to know my daily schedule and where I am.” It’s not the first time concerns have been raised. Dunne faced a rowdy mob of young men while competing at the University of Utah earlier this year. Sources said the group of young men disrupted the competition, screaming “put Livvy in” to the point that security had to be called, according to Slate. The crazed fans made enough of an impact that LSU’s head coach, Jay Clark, said they’d be adding “security detail” when the team goes on the road. "We will be working to create a perimeter around where we get on the bus, where we load," Clark said according to TMZ. "I take our team's safety and security very seriously." Dunne took to Twitter on 8 January asking fans to "be respectful of the other gymnasts and the gymnastics community." “I will always appreciate and love the support from you guys, but if you come to a meet, I want to ask you to please be respectful of the other gymnasts and the gymnastics community as we are just doing our job,” she wrote. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
2023-07-26 19:47
Margot Robbie unexpectedly greets deaf fan in sign language in sweet resurfaced clip
Margot Robbie is being heaped with praise after a resurfaced clip of her signing to a deaf fan went viral online. The Barbie star was at a premiere for Amsterdam last year, when the fan began signing at her. Surprisingly, Robbie, who hasn't previously disclosed her ability to sign, then gestured back that she was 'happy to meet' the fan. "As if we couldn't love her anymore!", one supporter tweeted, while others chimed in that it should be 'essential' for everybody to know the basics. Sign up to our new free Indy100 weekly newsletter
2023-07-25 21:49
Piers Morgan tears into Barbie saying he would be ‘executed’ for making a similar film
The always outspoken Piers Morgan has given his two cents on the Barbie movie, and he is not a fan. Writing in the New York Post, the journalist slammed the Greta Gerwig hit for encouraging "feminazis" and even went as far as to suggest people would want him "executed" if he had made a similar flick. Misunderstanding inherent power imbalances between men and women, he wrote: "If I made a movie mocking women as useless dunderheads, constantly attacking 'the matriarchy,' and depicting all things feminist as toxic bulls–t, I wouldn’t just be canceled, I’d be executed!" Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Elsewhere in the review, Morgan said the film had "a ridiculous misandrist message that is being rammed down the throats of literally tens of millions of people". He also called it "preachy and irritating", and we'll leave the obvious irony of that statement for you to work out, thus joining the waves of men to voice their annoyance with the film. And yet despite Morgan's upset, the film has done pretty well by all accounts. It dominated box office sales in its opening weekend and has already broken records. Morgan just doesn't have the Kenergy to deal with it. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
2023-07-25 16:22
Hyped Chiefs weapon gets untimely injury news with some silver lining
The Kansas City Chiefs will be without a key weapon during training camp, but some upside to the injury timeline ices the sting.The Kansas City Chiefs are kicking off training camp, hopeful it's the first step in a lengthy pursuit to defend their Super Bowl victory from February.Back in...
2023-07-25 02:52