Celebrity News
Homophobic threat after HRC dinner in D.C. rattled Out actor
Bailey related a story from just this past October, when he was in Washington D.C. attending the annual Human Rights Campaign National Dinner
![](https://www.losangelesblade.com/content/files/2023/12/POTUS-Jonathan-Bailry-FLOTUS-Adam-S-WH-Photo.jpg)
LONDON, UK – The London Evening Standard’s Culture EditorĀ and weekly columnist Nancy DurrantĀ recently sat down with award winning British actor Jonathan Bailey known for his comedic, dramatic, and musicalĀ rolesĀ on stage and screen.
The 35-year-old actor, who stars as Anthony Bridgerton in the Netflix streaming service series Bridgerton and as the character of Tim Laughlin, a fictional aide to Wisconsin Republican Senator Joseph McCarthyĀ in the Showtime series Fellow Travelers, isĀ openly gay.
Based on theĀ book seriesĀ byĀ Julia Quinn, Bridgerton’s period drama storyline revolves around a fictional family and is set in the world of Regency era London during the social season where marriageable youth of nobility and gentry are launched into society.
During the interview with theĀ Evening StandardĀ about his role in Fellow Travelers, Bailey gave the publication rare insight into his own relationship status, and confirmed that he does have a partner, who he described as a ālovely man.ā
As they discussed the actor’s new series Fellow Travelers, based on a 2007 novel by Thomas Mallon, in which he co-stars opposite Matt Bomer as Hawkins Fuller a World War II veteran and official at the State Department who vigilantly hides his homosexuality.
The story line of the two closeted gay political staffers who fall in love at the height of the 1950s Lavender Scare in the series chronicles their hidden romance over several decades, navigating through various historical events such as the Vietnam War protests and the AIDS crisis.
As the interview progressed theĀ Evening Standard delved into a discussion comparing the storyline of the ‘Travelers’ and the current political and cultural landscape for the LGBTQ+ community with “rights for women and LGBTQ+ people are being rolled back across the world. Hate crimes based on sexuality have risen by 112 per cent in the last five years in England and Wales alone. How does he feel?”
Bailey related a story from just this past October, when he was in Washington D.C. attending the annual Human Rights Campaign National Dinner, and had an opportunity to meet President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden.
Reflecting on the dinner he told theĀ Evening Standard, āIt was an incredible experience,ā he said. āI met President Biden. I was there with Shonda Rhimes, she was being given an award, Matt Bomer was given another one; I was introducing him. My first political gala. I had the most amazing night; had a drink; couldn’t sleep; buzzing.”
However, it was his experience the next morning at a coffee shop that was rather jarring. He continued his narrative:
āI woke up the next morning, it was like a montage. Sunshine, I was like, this is brilliant. I went into a coffee shop, and I was wearing a Human Rights Campaign cap from the night before. And the young lady who I was ordering from recognised me from Bridgerton, we were just chatting.
āAnd a man arrived behind me and he said, āAre you famous?ā And I said something like, ‘I’m really famous for ordering coffee,’ which is actually quite an annoying thing to say,ā he laughs. āAnd then he got my cap, and he pulled it off my head and he threw it across the room and he said, āget out of this fucking coffee shop, you queer.ā
The room went still,Ā BaileyĀ told theĀ Evening Standard. But he related that he walked over, picked up his hat, and put it back on his head. āIf you don’t take that cap off, I’m gonna fucking shoot you,ā it came again. āWhere I’m from, people like me kill people like you.ā
It was, of course, terrifying. But āin the moment, everything slows down,ā he says. āNo one knew what to do, apart from one girl, she was amazing. Angela, she came up, and she got her phone out and she said, āI’m recording this message, I think you are welcome in this country. And what you’re saying, I think, is appalling.ā That happened sort of five minutes in, and he left.ā
TheĀ Evening Standard noted that the man was from Pennsylvania according to Bailey who apparently asked him, and whatĀ BaileyĀ took from the experience, he said, is that āpotentially, there is a kid who ā that’s his father. That’s his uncle. That’s his teacher.āĀ
He pauses. āMy life was threatened. My body believed it; my brain didn’t and it took me a while to really catch up with it. But I’ve got friends and security. There are so many people that don’t. They are surrounded by that every day, and the torment of what that must be like, the amount of fear that was generated… If that’s what children are surrounded by, they’re not going to be able to grow in any way.
āAnd of course, that’s not just an American story,ā he continues. āIt’s international. And it’s terrifying, that [here in the UK] we’re not looking after queer people, in terms of allowing them into the country. Because that is the reality; peopleās lives are literally at risk.ā
Before shifting into other topics, Bailey told theĀ Evening Standard reflecting on both Fellow Travelers and the incident in the Washington coffee spot:
āPeople are still living in the closet. Or theyāve had a moment where they’re watching and they realise, that was their father’s story, or their mother’s story; or itās people who have been affected by this, but for the first time are understanding the trauma.
āPeople are so shocked that this is such recent history, but the majority of people in the world are living under that sort of belief system. And people on Instagram message from areas in the world where just getting through the day without being outed is survival.ā
Celebrity News
Christian writer apologizes for attacking LGBTQ+ ally Dolly Parton
Andersen, who self identifies as a Christian mom & Bible study leader, apologized for her attacking the Country Icon
![](https://www.losangelesblade.com/content/files/2024/06/Dolly-Parton-Shine.jpg)
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. ā Freelance writer Ericka Andersen, who self identifies as a Christian mom and Bible study leader, in an interview with Yahoo Entertainment apologized for her attacking Country Icon, singer-songwriter Dolly Parton over her allyship and advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community.
Indianapolis-based Andersen told Yahoo Entertainment on Saturday that the widespread backlash made her realize she shouldnāt have used Parton to press her argument. āI regret using Dolly as the example for the point I was making in the article,ā she said.
āAs I wrote in the piece, I love her and think she does some incredible things for the world. We all make poor choices in how to frame things sometimes. This was one of those moments for me! Dolly is one of the few people who is beloved by all and who loves all. The world is lucky to have her.ā
In a piece for the far-right extremist magazine The Federalist, Andersen had written:
āIn a world where division is the default, she collects fans of every political stripe, refusing to denigrate anyone, and regularly proclaims, āI love everybody,ā when asked how she does it.
This response is usually seen as a nod toward the LGBT alliance during interviews with media folks forever fixated on this particular group.ā
āWhen asked about her diverse community of fans, Parton always mentions Christianity, saying she does her best ānot to judgeā and only āto loveā for that reason.
But Partonās version of love, which includes condoning immoral sexual behavior (ābe who you are,ā sheās said), is unaligned with Godās vision for humanity. Like so many secularized spiritual leaders, Parton equates love with agreement, but the two are not reciprocal. Love doesnāt mean we must accept sinfulness as good to avoid hurting someoneās feelings.ā
The Federalist was widely denounced on multiple social media platforms for its attack of the beloved Country Icon.
Paul Richmond, a Monterey, California-based queer artist and art instructor, who is an acquaintance of the singer and has created a couple of artwork pieces for Parton, was asked by the Blade for his reaction to the homophobic parsing of Partonās character by the Federalist writer.
Richmond said: āThere is nothing that exemplifies how desperate for attention and unhinged the far right has become than by this attack on Americaās sweetheart. Dolly has always shown kindness and empathy for others, which is what all supposed Christians should be striving for.ā
Celebrity News
Flipping the Script: Chris Colfer on his new book & LGBTQ+ Pride
Actor Chris Colfer, speaks to NBC Newsā Joe Fryer about his latest book, & the importance of LGBTQ+ representation in books and media
![](https://www.losangelesblade.com/content/files/2024/06/Chris-Colfer-speaks-about-his-new-book-and-LGBTQ-representation.jpg)
(NBC News) NEW YORK – Actor Chris Colfer, known for his starring role as Kurt Hummel on āGleeā, speaks to NBC Newsā Joe Fryer about his latest book, āRoswell Johnson Saves The World!ā and the importance of LGBTQ+ representation in books and media.
Watch:
Celebrity News
Far-right publication attacks Dolly Parton over her LGBTQ allyship
“There is nothing that exemplifies how desperate for attention & unhinged the far right has become than this attack on America’s sweetheart”
![](https://www.losangelesblade.com/content/files/2024/06/Dolly-Parton-in-Dec-2022.jpg)
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – In an article published Thursday in the far-right anti-LGBTQ+ online magazine The Federalist, Indianapolis-based freelance writer Ericka Andersen, who self identifies as a Christian mom and Bible study leader, attacks Country Music icon and megastar singer-songwriter Dolly Parton.
Parton, a long time ally of America’s LGBTQ+ community, was taken to task by Andersen who wrote:
“In a world where division is the default, she collects fans of every political stripe, refusing to denigrate anyone, and regularly proclaims,Ā āI love everybody,āĀ when asked how she does it.Ā
This response is usually seen as a nod toward the LGBT alliance during interviews with media folks forever fixated on this particular group.”
Andersen then notes:
“When asked about her diverse community of fans, Parton always mentions Christianity, saying she does her best ānot to judgeā and only āto loveā for that reason.Ā
But Partonās version of love, which includes condoning immoral sexual behavior (ābe who you are,āĀ sheās said), is unaligned with Godās vision for humanity. Like so many secularized spiritual leaders, Parton equates love with agreement, but the two are not reciprocal. Love doesnāt mean we must accept sinfulness as good to avoid hurting someoneās feelings.”
When the magazine promoted Andersen’s piece on X (formerly Twitter) it amplified her homo/trans phobias.
![](https://www.losangelesblade.com/content/files/2024/06/Homophobic-Federalist-attacks-Dolly-Parton-600x600.jpg)
Ā
Paul Richmond, a Monterey, California-based queer artist and art instructor, who is an acquaintance of the singer and has created a couple of artwork pieces for Parton, was asked by the Blade for his reaction to the homophobic parsing of Parton’s character by the Federalist writer.
Richmond said: “There is nothing that exemplifies how desperate for attention and unhinged the far right has become than by this attack on America’s sweetheart. Dolly has always shown kindness and empathy for others, which is what all supposed Christians should be striving for.”
A sampling of reaction on social media platforms from other Parton supporters generally echoed Richmond’s reaction:
No. You do not come after Dolly Parton. You absolutely do not. https://t.co/GdUJfDZcgc
— Travis Akers (@travisakers) June 7, 2024
Imagine coming for Dolly Parton who wonāt criticize anyone. She says sheās not a good enough Christian to throw stones. Her mantra is love everyone. And thatās exactly what the self righteous zealots at The Federalist are calling her out for. You decide whoās more āChristianā. pic.twitter.com/zcAGBnLTPh
— Geoff š½šŗšøāļøš³ļøāšš½ (@GeoffBrown82) June 7, 2024
Celebrity News
Madonna pays tribute to the queer community for Pride 2024
Pop Diva and superstar musical artist Madonna expressed her gratitude to her legions of LGBTQ+ fans in a Pride Month post
![](https://www.losangelesblade.com/content/files/2024/06/Madonna-30th-annual-GLAAD-Media-Awards.jpg)
NEW YORK – Taking to her Instagram account on Thursday, June 6, Pop Diva and superstar musical artist Madonna expressed her gratitude to her legions of LGBTQ+ fans. The singer also urged her fans to embrace Pride and their queer identity.
“When Truth or Dare was released in 1991 I had no idea it was going to cause such a stir ššš But that could be said of most of the things I do!!
I simply wanted to capture the world. I was living ināand share it with the world.
I am forever grateful to the gay community that has always supported me from day one!!!
When I arrived in New York for the first time in 1979 ā They made an awkward girl from Michigan feel like she fit in, like she wasnāt a freak and. That it was OK to be different. I am forever indebted.
In this increasingly chaotic world, we are living in. I will never stop fighting for diversity, inclusiveness and equal rights for all!!!
DONāT HIDE YOUR PRIDE! š³ļøāš!
Letās celebrate this month and every month ! š³ļøāšš³ļøāšš³ļøāšš³ļøāš.”
The American singer and actress has long been recognized as aĀ LGBTQ+ icon.
According to her biographical entry in Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, MadonnaĀ was introduced to the gay community while still a teenager growing up inĀ first Pontiac and then later Rochester Hills, north of Detroit, Michigan.
It was herĀ balletĀ teacher, Christopher Flynn, aĀ gay man, who first told her that she had something to offer the world. He also introduced her to the local gay community ofĀ Detroit,Ā Michigan, often taking her to localĀ gay barsĀ andĀ discotheques.
According toĀ The Hollywood Reporter, Madonna began as one of the first “notable” names in the entertainment industry to publicly advocate in response to theĀ HIV/AIDS epidemicĀ in the 1980s.
More recently the singer was honored at the annual GLAAD Media AwardsĀ in 1991 for ‘Raising Gay Awareness’ and again in 2019 as an ‘Advocate for Change’.Ā
Read her entire biographical entry here: (Link)
Celebrity News
Oprah sends a message to the LGBTQ+ community for Pride
āI wish for you the continued freedom to rise to your truest, highest expression of yourself as a human beingā
![](https://www.losangelesblade.com/content/files/2024/06/Oprah-Pride-Message-2024.jpg)
MONTECITO, Calif. – Entertainment mogul and longtime LGBTQ+ ally Oprah Winfrey posted an affirming Pride Month message Tuesday to her Instagram, honoring her brother Jeffrey Lee, who died 35 years ago from complications of AIDS.
The 2024 GLAAD Vanguard award winner noted:
āIt was 35 years ago that my younger brother, Jeffrey Lee, died from AIDS,ā she said in an Instagram video. āHe was 29 years old. The year was 1989, and the world was an extremely cruel place, not just for people suffering from AIDS, but also forĀ LGBTQĀ people in general.ā
āI often think if heād lived, heād be so amazed at how much the world has changed, that there actually is gay marriage and a Pride Month,ā she noted. āHow different his life might have been had he lived in these times. In a world that saw and appreciated him for who he was rather than attempting to shame him for his sexuality.ā
Winfrey additionally added that everyone should have the right to ālove who they want to love and be the person they most want to be.ā
āI wish for you the continued freedom to rise to the truest, highest expression of yourself as a human being,ā she said.
Related:
Celebrity News
Adele shuts down ‘Pride Sucks’ yell at Las Vegas show
Sitting down on the piano bench bantering with the audience which is routine, the singer eviscerated the unseen audience member
![](https://www.losangelesblade.com/content/files/2024/06/Adele-Reacts-To-Pride-Sucks-Yell-From-Audience.jpg)
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – British pop megastar and longtime LGBTQ+ ally Adele, reacted to a member of the audience who repeatedly yelled ‘Pride Sucks’ in between songs during her show Saturday night in Las Vegas.
Adele, who is continuing her iconic residency, Weekends with Adele, at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace, has been a strong LGBTQ+ supporter. Last year, she celebrated Pride Month during her Las Vegas residency wearing a black dress with a rainbow flag train and Pride-themed confetti.
Sitting down on the piano bench next to her pianist bantering with the audience which is routine, the singer eviscerated the unseen audience member:
āDid you come to my fucking show to say pride sucks? Are you fucking stupid?ā Adele angrily said reacting. āDonāt be so fucking ridiculous. If you have nothing nice to say, shut up, alright?ā
The incident, which was caught on mobile phone footage and posted to X (formerly Twitter), has since gone viral:
Adele goes off on audience member who yelled āPride sucksā at her concert tonight:
— Pop Base (@PopBase) June 2, 2024
āDid you come to my f*cking show and just say that Pride sucks? Are you f*cking stupid? Donāt be so f*cking ridiculous. If you have nothing nice to say, shut up, alright?ā pic.twitter.com/M3yl2mdzLV
Adele did not hold back when an audience member yelled āPride sucks!ā during her Las Vegas residency on Saturday night.
— Variety (@Variety) June 2, 2024
āDid you come to my f—ing show and just say that Pride sucks?" the singer said. "Are you f—ing stupid?" https://t.co/tDbvFCJRcT
āHappy Pride… not to you thoughā (points to the man who yelled Pride sucks). š#WeekendsWithAdele
— Adele Daily (@adeledailynet) June 2, 2024
pic.twitter.com/Jl0dqymy40
Celebrity News
Actor Richard Dreyfuss mocks trans people in misogynistic rant
Dreyfuss ranted about subjects reported to include trans people, Barbra Streisand, the MeToo movement and women in general
![](https://www.losangelesblade.com/content/files/2024/05/Dreyfuss-in-dress.jpg)
BEVERLY, Mass. – Patrons at The Cabot theater in the suburban Boston township of Beverly were all set to celebrate the 49th anniversary viewing of the classic 1975 Steven Spielberg horror film ‘Jaws,’ along with a question and answer with one of the film’s stars actor Richard Dreyfuss, when from the minute Dreyfuss appeared on stage, the event derailed.
Dreyfuss walked onto the stage wearing a blue floral pattern house dress, pausing to turn away from the audience and shake his hips suggestively, actions that were caught on multiple mobile phone video footage posted online. Then two stage hands appeared and tore the dress off the actor who then took his seat opposite the event’s moderator.
According to Variety and the Boston Globe’s reporting, Dreyfuss ranted about subjects reported to include trans people, Barbra Streisand, the MeToo movement and women in general. As attendee Diane Wolfe described it to the Boston Globe, ā[Dreyfuss] said that the parents of trans youth, allowing them to transition, was bad parenting and that someday those kids might change their minds.ā
![](https://www.losangelesblade.com/content/files/2024/05/The-Cabot-advert-for-event-600x597.jpg)
A number of members of the audience took offense and left the venue. On The Cabot Theater’s Facebook page one attendee wrote: āThis was disgusting. How could the Cabot not have vetted his act better. Apparently (I found out too late), he has a reputation for spewing this kind of racist, homophobic, misogynistic bullcrap.ā
The Cabot has since limited commenting on its page.
The Cabot’s executive director J. Casey Soward on Sunday apologized in a statement that read:
āWe regret that an event that was meant to be a conversation to celebrate an iconic movie instead became a platform for political views. We take full responsibility for the oversight in not anticipating the direction of the conversation and for the discomfort it caused to many patrons,ā Soward said. āWe are in active dialogue with our patrons about their experience and are committed to learning from this event how to better enact our mission of entertaining, educating and inspiring our community.ā
WBSM News Talk Sports Radio 1420AM in New BedfordāFall River reported that The Cabot also sent an email, that the station had been forwarded, to those who purchased tickets apologizing.
āDear Cabot Patrons,
I am writing to address an important matter concerning last nightās event with Richard Dreyfuss at The Cabot.
We deeply regret that Mr. Dreyfussās comments during the event were not in line with the values of inclusivity and respect that we uphold at The Cabot. We understand that his remarks were distressing and offensive to many of our community members, and for that, we sincerely apologize.
At The Cabot, we are committed to fostering a welcoming and inclusive environment for all members of our community. The views expressed by Mr. Dreyfuss do not reflect our beliefs, and we do not endorse them in any way.
We take full responsibility for the oversight in not anticipating the direction of the conversation and for any discomfort it caused.
We are taking immediate steps to ensure that such an incident does not happen again. This includes more rigorous vetting of our event participants and more proactive communication strategies to keep our audience informed.
Thank you for your understanding and continued support of The Cabot.
We value your feedback and are dedicated to learning from this experience to better serve our community.ā
The actor has a lengthy record of anti-trans remarks and bigotry. He has directed transphobic rants about trans youth affirming their gender and has taken aim at the Academy of Motion Pictures & Sciences calling out the Academy’s diversity efforts in a 2023 PBSāĀ Firing Line broadcast saying that the Academy’s focus on diversity āmakes me vomit.ā
āWeāre so fragile that we canāt have our feelings hurt,ā he also said. āWe donāt know how to stand up and bop the bully in the face.ā
Deadline reported that Dreyfuss apparently made similar comments at a Friday night Jaws screening at The Music Hall in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. āI live in Mass, but the Cabot showing was all booked so I saw him in NH on May 24,ā a Facebook commenter wrote. āHe made anti-gay remarks that night too.ā
The actor has not responded to requests by multiple media outlets for comment.
Celebrity News
Estimated 1.6 million attend Madonna concert in Rio
Free event took place on Copacabana Beach on Saturday
![](https://www.losangelesblade.com/content/files/2024/05/Madonna_performs_in_Rio_screen_capture_insert_via_Reuters_YouTube.jpg)
RIO DE JANEIRO ā An estimated 1.6 million people on SaturdayĀ attendedĀ Madonna’s free concert on Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana Beach.
The concert, which was the last one as part of Madonna’s Celebration Tour, included a tribute to people lost to AIDS.
Bob the Drag Queen introduced Madonna before the concert began. Pabllo Vittar, a Brazilian drag queen and singer, and Anitta, a bisexual pop star who was born in Rio’s HonĆ³rio Gurgel neighborhood, also joined Madonna on stage.
Congresswoman Erika Hilton, a Black travesti and former sex worker, and Rio Municipal Councilwoman MĆ“nica BenĆcio, the widow of Marielle Franco, a bisexual Rio Municipal Councilwoman who was assassinated in 2018, are among those who attended the concert.
“Madonna showed that we fight important fights for the human rights of Black (people), young (people), women and LGBTQIA+ people, and against all injustice, discrimination, and violence,” said AssociaƧao Nacional de Travestis e Transexuais (National Association of Travestis and Transsexuals), a Brazilian trans rights group known by the acronym ANTRA, on its X account. “What they call identitarianism’ is our subversion to the retrograde and conservative tackiness that plagues the country.”
The Associated Press reported the concert was Madonna’s biggest ever.
Celebrity News
Brittney Griner considered ending her life in Russian prison
In a sit down interview with ABCās Robin Roberts, the WNBA star spoke about the āmistakeā she made in hurriedly packing for her trip to Russia
![](https://www.losangelesblade.com/content/files/2024/04/Roberts-and-Griner-2.jpg)
CONTENT WARNING: The following story discusses suicide ideation.
PHOENIX, Ariz. ā Her first few weeks behind bars in a Russian prison took a terrible toll on Brittney Griner, the out lesbian WNBA star who is breaking her silence on the ten months she was held on drug-related charges.
“I wanted to take my life more than once in the first weeks,” Griner told ABC’s Robin Roberts in a primetime interview Wednesday. “I felt like leaving here so badly.”
The two-time Olympic gold medalist and nine-time WNBA All-Star, who plays for the Phoenix Mercury, said she ultimately decided against suicide, partly because she feared Russian authorities would not release her body to her wife, Cherelle Griner.Ā
While Cherelle and the White House worked to gain her release, Brittney reflected on what she admitted was the āmistakeā that landed her in Russian detention.
āI could just visualize everything I worked so hard for just crumbling and going away,ā Griner told Roberts, who is co-anchor at Good Morning America and is herself an out lesbian and former college basketball player.
Griner, 33, was arrested on Feb. 17, 2022, at Sheremetyevo International Airport in Khimki, a suburb of Moscow. Authorities said they found vape cartridges in her luggage containing cannabis oil, which is illegal in the country.
Griner told Roberts that was the result of a āmental lapseā on her part ā packing the cannabis oil cartridges in her luggage, Griner said that she had overslept on the morning she was leaving for Russia to play during the WNBA’s off-season, which is how many of the leagueās vastly underpaid players earn a living, compared to NBA players.
So, she packed while she was āin panic mode,ā Griner said.
āMy packing at that moment was just throwing all my stuff in there and zipping it up and saying, āOK, I’m ready,āā she told Roberts.
After landing in Russia, Griner realized that she had those two cannabis oil cartridges in her luggage as Russian security officers inspected her bag at the airport. She recalled the moment as a sinking feeling.
āI’m just like, āOh, my God.ā Like, āHow did I– how did I make this mistake?āā Griner said. āI could just visualize everything I worked so hard for just crumbling and going away.ā
Russian authorities immediately arrested Griner, but her trial would not take place for five months. She described the horrible conditions of her imprisonment during that delay, saying that she didnāt always have toilet paper and that the toothpaste they gave her had expired about 15 years ago.
āThat toothpaste was expired,ā she said. āWe used to put it on the black mold to kill the mold on the walls.ā
āThe mattress had a huge blood stain on it, and they give you these thin two sheets,ā she added. āSo you’re basically laying on bars.ā
On July 7, 2022, Griner pleaded guilty at her trial to drug charges, admitting that she had the vape cartridges containing cannabis oil but stating she put them in her luggage unintentionally. She testified that she had packed the cartridges by accident, and had “no intention” to break Russian law.
Roberts pressed Griner on this point: āYou know there are those who say, āCome on. How did you not know that you had cartridges in your luggage?āā
āIt’s just so easy to have a mental lapse,ā Griner replied. āGranted, my mental lapse was on a more grand scale. But it doesn’t take away from how that can happen,ā she explained.
Griner was sentenced to nine years in prison on Aug. 4, 2022, and in October 2022, a judge denied the appeal filed by Griner’s attorneys.
The sentence landed Griner in a penal colony in the Russian region of Mordovia.
āItās a work camp. You go there to work,ā said Griner. āThere’s no rest.ā Her job was cutting fabric for Russian military uniforms.
āWhat were the conditions like there?ā Roberts asked.
āReally cold,ā Griner said. So cold that her health was impacted and she decided to chop off her long dreadlocks.
āWhat was that like losing that part of you, too?ā Roberts asked Griner.
āHonestly, it just had to happen. We had spiders above my bed — making nests,ā she said. āMy dreads started to freeze,ā she added. āThey would just stay wet and cold and I was getting sick. You’ve gotta do what you’ve gotta do to survive.ā
Her arrest came around the same time as Russiaās invasion of Ukraine, further increasing tensions between Russia and the U.S. But as the Los Angeles Blade reported on Dec, 8, 2022, Russia agreed to release Griner in exchange for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.
However, before winning her freedom, Griner revealed authorities forced her to write a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“They made me write this letter. It was in Russian,” she said. “I had to ask for forgiveness and thanks from their so-called great leader. I didn’t want to do it, but at the same time I wanted to come home.”
Griner said her heart sank upon boarding the plane to freedom and finding that Paul Whelan, another American the White House said was āwrongfully detained,ā wasn’t leaving Russia with her.
“I walked on and didn’t see him, maybe he’s next. Maybe they will bring him next,” she said. “They closed the door, and I was like, are you serious? You’re not going to let this man come home now.”
Griner recounts on the experience in āComing Home,ā a memoir set to be released on May 7.
988 is the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline and is available 24/7 via phone, text or chat to everyone of all ages, orientations and identities. If you are a transgender, nonbinary or gender-nonconforming person considering suicide, Trans Lifeline can be reached at 877-565-8860. LGBTQ+ youth (ages 24 and younger) can reach the Trevor Project Lifeline at 1-866-488-7386. You can still also contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 24 hours a day, and itās available to people of all ages and identities.
![](https://www.losangelesblade.com/content/files/2024/04/image-20.png)
Additional resources:
If you are in a life-threatening situation, please dial 911.
If you are in crisis, please dial 988 or contact Rainbow Youth Project directly at +1 (317) 643-4888
Celebrity News
Ellen launches new comedy tour & jokes about demise of her show
Ellen discussed her show’s cancellation on the 1st night of her comedy tour which she says will be taped for a Netflix special
![](https://www.losangelesblade.com/content/files/2024/04/Ellen-DeGeneres-on-access-hollywood.jpg)
WEST HOLLYWOOD – Returning in a stand-up performance this past week, Ellen DeGeneres appeared on the stage of the Largo at the Coronet Theater in the heart of West HollywoodĀ Wednesday night in a sold-out show, the comedian joked about the abrupt end of her daytime ratings behemoth talk show two years ago.
Rolling Stone journalist Krystie Lee Yandoli was in the audience and reported that DeGeneres addressed the end of ‘Ellen’ in her opening routine:
āI used to say that I didnāt care what other people thought of me and I realizedā¦I said that at the height of my popularity,ā DeGeneres said, prompting the audience to erupt in laughter. āIt is such a waste of time to worry about what other people thinkā¦Right now Iām hoping youāre thinking, āThis is marvelous, Iām so happy to be here.ā But you could be thinking, āLetās see how this goes.āā
Wednesday’s gig marks the first night of DeGeneres’Ā Ellenās Last Standā¦Up Tour, which she noted a new Netflix special was to be taped this fall. According to Rolling Stone Netflix declined to comment on the news. A representative for DeGeneres did not respond to a request for comment.
In the summer of 2020Ā a firestorm erupted around the talk show host in the wake of revelations from staffers that she presided over a ātoxicā workplace environment for years, and the accompanying allegations that a woman who built an empire on the ānicenessā of her persona is in reality one of the meanest people in the business.
In August, Variety magazineĀ reported that her show has ousted three senior producers in the wake of accusations of racial insensitivity, sexual misconduct and other problems behind the scenes at the talk show.
Three senior producers ā executive producers Ed Glavin and Kevin Leman, and co-executive producer Jonathan Norman ā have been ousted from the Warner Bros.-distributed syndicated strip following damning allegations raised in recent reports by Buzzfeed and Variety.
āEllenā veterans Mary Connelly, Andy Lassner and Derek Westervelt will remain at the show as executive producers alongside host DeGeneres. Connelly, Lassner and Westervelt have been with the show since its inception in 2003.
In a phone call at the time with the Los Angeles Blade, a spokesperson for Warner Brothers confirmed the departure of the three former executives.
The news was broken to the staff of the show after what Variety describedĀ those sources knowledgeableĀ as saying that it was anĀ emotionalĀ remoteĀ video teleconference between DeGeneres,Ā the newly appointed producersĀ and staffers.
Then in May of 2021, in an announcement made to the showās staff yesterday andĀ in an interview DeGeneres gave The Hollywood Reporter, it was reported that the show was ending its 19 year daytime television run in 2022.
Rolling Stone reported that in her stand-up set this past week, DeGeneres kicked off with a recap of what sheās been up to since her talk-show ended: gardening, a lot of sweatpants-wearing, and collecting chickens as pets. She joked that as someone who once hosted a daily show, she appreciates the plight of the chicken who has to lay an egg every day. Still, most of the routine found her grappling with having become Public Enemy No. 1 ā a whiplash turn from her once-firm reputation as the happy-go-lucky talk-show host who ended each episode telling her audience to ābe kind to one another.ā
āWhat else can I tell you?ā she mused, mock-reflecting on her recent past before adding sarcastically, āOh yeah, I got kicked out of show business. Thereās no mean people in show business.ā
āThe ābe kindā girl wasnāt kind,ā DeGeneres continued. āI became this one-dimensional character who gave stuff away and danced up steps. Do you know how hard it is to dance up steps? Would a mean person dance up steps? Had I ended my show by saying, āGo fuck yourself,ā people wouldāve been pleasantly surprised.ā
At the conclusion of her set, the crowd gave DeGeneres a standing ovation, prompting her to return to the stage for a candid conversation with the audience. DeGeneres called on people one by one as they asked questions and shared messages of gratitude.
As she closed out the night she told the audience:
āHonestly, Iām making jokes about what happened to me but it was devastating, really,ā she said. āI just hated the way the show ended. I love that show so much and I just hated that the last time people would see me is that way.āĀ
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