Madonna reacts to ties with Pope Leo XIV; Jolie, Bieber also among his relatives
(Photo Credit: Instagram/madonna)
The 'Crazy for You' singer's connection to the Pope came three years after she asked his predecessor, the late Pope Francis, to meet and discuss her three alleged excommunications from the church.advertisement
"Hello @Pontifex Francis —I'm a good Catholic. I Swear!" she wrote on X in May 2022. "I mean I don't Swear! Its been a few decades since my last confession. Would it be possible to meet up one day to discuss some important matters ? (sic), she wrote.
(Photo Credit: X/madonna)
In 2023, she made headlines by appearing as the Virgin Mary on the cover of Vanity Fair magazine, with imagery alluding to the 12 apostles. Looking back at the Church's long-standing criticism of her work, Madonna once expressed surprise, saying she was 'shocked to see myself being attacked by the Church,' as they failed to see that her work aimed to create something meaningful.Pope Leo XIV made history as the first American-born pontiff, originally from Chicago. After the death of Pope Francis on April 21, Pope Leo XIV was elected as the new pope. He assumed the papacy on May 8 this year.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mint
an hour ago
- Mint
Hulk Hogan descended upon American culture at exactly the time it was ready for him: the 1980s
The opening chords of Rick Derringer's hard-rock guitar would play over the arena sound system. Instantly, 20,000 Hulkamaniacs — and many more as wrestling's popularity and stadium size exploded — rose to their feet in a frenzy to catch a glimpse of Hulk Hogan storming toward the ring. His T-shirt half-ripped, his bandanna gripped in his teeth, Hogan faced 'em all in the 1980s — the bad guys from Russia and Iran and any other wrestler from a country that seemed to pose a threat to both his WWF championship and, of course, could bring harm to the red, white and blue. His 24-inch pythons slicked in oil, glistening under the house lights, Hogan would point to his next foe — say 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper or Jake 'The Snake' Roberts (rule of thumb: In the 80s, the more quote marks in a name, the meaner the wrestler) — all to the strain of Derringer's patriotic 'Real American.' In Ronald Reagan's 1980s slice of wishful-thinking Americana, no one embodied the vision of a 'real American' like Hulk Hogan. 'We had Gorgeous George and we had Buddy Rogers and we had Bruno Sammartino,' WWE Hall of Famer Sgt. Slaughter said Friday. 'But nobody compared at that time compared to Hulk Hogan. His whole desire was to be a star and be somebody that nobody every forgot. He pretty much did that.' Hogan, who died Thursday in Florida at age 71, portrayed himself as an all-American hero, a term that itself implies a stereotype. He was Sylvester Stallone meets John Wayne in tights — only fans could actually touch him and smell the sweat if the WWF came to town. Hogan presented as virtuous. He waved the American flag, never cheated to win, made sure 'good' always triumphed over 'evil.' He implored kids around the world: 'Train, say your prayers, eat your vitamins." Hogan did it all, hosting 'Saturday Night Live,' making movies, granting Make-A-Wish visits, even as he often strayed far from the advice that made him a 6-foot-8, 300-plus pound cash cow and one of the world's most recognizable entertainers. His muscles looked like basketballs, his promos electrified audiences — why was he yelling!?! — and he fabricated and embellished stories from his personal life all as he morphed into the personification of the 80s and 80s culture and excess. In the not-so-real world of professional wrestling, Hulk Hogan banked on fans believing in his authenticity. That belief made him the biggest star the genre has ever known. Outside the ring, the man born Terry Gene Bollea wrestled with his own good guy/bad guy dynamic, a messy life that eventually bled beyond the curtain, spilled into tabloid fodder and polluted the final years of his life. Hogan — who teamed with actor Mr. T in the first WrestleMania — was branded a racist. He was embroiled in a sex-tape scandal. He claimed he once contemplated suicide. All this came well after he admitted he burst into wrestling stardom not on a strict diet of workouts and vitamins, but of performance-enhancing drugs, notably steroids. The punches, the training, the grueling around-the-world travel were all real (the outcomes, of course, were not). So was the pain that followed Hogan as he was temporarily banished from WWE in his later years. He was the flawed hero of a flawed sport, and eventually not even wrestling fans, like a bad referee, could turn a blind eye to Hogan's discretions. Hogan's final WWE appearance came this past January at the company's debut episode on Netflix. Hogan arrived months after he appeared at the Republican National Convention and gave a rousing speech -- not unlike his best 1980s promos -- in support of Donald Trump. Just a pair of the 1980s icons, who used tough talk and the perceived notion they could both 'tell it like it is,' to rise to the top. Only wrestling fans, especially one in the home of the Los Angeles event, had enough of Hogan. 'He was full-throated, it wasn't subtle, his support for Donald Trump,' said ESPN writer Marc Raimondi, who wrote the wrestling book 'Say Hello to the Bad Guys." 'I think that absolutely hurt him.' He didn't appear for an exercise in nostalgia or a vow that if he could just lace up the boots one more time, he could take down today's heels. No, Hogan came to promote his beer. Beer loosely coded as right-wing beer. No song was going to save him this time. Fed up with his perceived MAGA ties and divisive views, his racist past and a string of bad decisions that made some of today's stars also publicly turn on him, Hogan was about booed out of the building. This wasn't the good kind of wrestling booing, like what he wanted to hear when he got a second act in the 1990s as 'Hollywood' Hulk Hogan when controversy equaled cash. This was go-away heat. 'I think the politics had a whole lot to do with it,' Hogan said on 'The Pat McAfee Show' in February. Hogan always envisioned himself as the Babe Ruth of wrestling. On the back of Vince McMahon, now entangled in his own sordid sex scandal, Hogan turned a staid one-hour Saturday morning show into the land of NFL arenas, cable TV, pay-per-view blockbusters, and eventually, billon-dollar streaming deals. Once raised to the loftiest perch in sports and entertainment by fans who ate up everything the Hulkster had to say, his final, dismal appearance showed that even Hulk Hogan could take a loss. 'The guy who had been the master at getting what he wanted from the crowd for decades, he lost his touch,' Raimondi said. 'Very likely because of the things he did in his personal and professional life.' But there was a time when Hogan had it all. The fame. The championships. Riches and endorsements. All of it not from being himself, but by being Hulk Hogan. 'There's people in this business that become legends," Sgt. Slaughter said. 'But Hulk became legendary.'
Economic Times
3 hours ago
- Economic Times
Micheal Ward charged with rape and sexual assault: Top Boy actor denies allegations
Micheal Ward (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello) Synopsis Michael Ward Top Boy actor: Micheal Ward, known for 'Top Boy' and 'Blue Story,' has been charged with two counts of rape and three counts of sexual assault, according to the Metropolitan Police. The alleged offenses reportedly occurred in January 2023 and involve one woman. Ward denies the charges, affirming his cooperation with the police and expressing confidence in clearing his name. Michael Ward Top Boy actor: Micheal Ward, who is a Bafta-winning actor, known for his roles in the Netflix series 'Top Boy', the BBC series 'Small Axe,' and the thriller movie 'Blue Story,' has been charged with rape and sexual assault on Friday, as per a report. ADVERTISEMENT London's Metropolitan Police revealed on Friday that the 27-year-old actor, who stays in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, was charged with two counts of rape and three counts of sexual assault, as reported by the BBC. The police force has shared that the alleged offences that he has been charged with are related to one woman, which reportedly had taken place in January 2023, according to the BBC report. ALSO READ: Who died today? From Hulk Hogan to Chuck Mangione to Anne Burrell - world lost these stars today However, Ward said that, "I deny the charges against me entirely," but added that he had cooperated with police completely throughout their investigation and had said that he had full faith it would lead to his name being cleared, as reported by said, "I have cooperated fully with the police throughout their investigation and will continue to cooperate," adding that, 'I recognise that proceedings are now ongoing, and I have full faith that they will lead to my name being cleared. Given those proceedings, I am unable to comment further,' as quoted by The Guardian report. ADVERTISEMENT ALSO READ: Jeffrey Epstein's 50th Birthday Album: Letters from Donald Trump, Bill Clinton, Leon Black and other influential figures revealedAccording to the report, the Jamaican-born actor is due to appear at Thames Magistrates' Court in London on August 28. One of the detectives, who is leading the investigation, Metropolitan Police Detective Supt. Scott Ware, said that, "Our specialist officers continue to support the woman who has come forward - we know investigations of this nature can have significant impact on those who make reports," as quoted by BBC. ADVERTISEMENT Then the deputy chief crown prosecutor for CPS London South, Catherine Baccas, said that, after she "carefully reviewed a file of evidence, the Crown Prosecution Service has authorised the Metropolitan Police to charge Micheal Ward, 27, with two counts of rape, two counts of assault by penetration, and one count of sexual assault against a woman in January 2023," as quoted in the BBC also said that, "We remind all concerned that proceedings against the suspect are active and he has a right to a fair trial," as quoted in the report. Baccas added that, "It is vital that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in anyway prejudice these proceedings," as quoted by the BBC report. ADVERTISEMENT According to The Guardian report, the actor first came onto screens in the TV series Brotherhood but became more popularly known for his role as Jamie in 'Top Boy' from 2019 until was also awarded the Bafta rising star honour in 2020 and was nominated for the best supporting actor Bafta for his role as Franklyn Cooper in Lovers Rock, part of the BBC series Small Axe, the following year, as reported by The Guardian. ADVERTISEMENT What are Micheal Ward's recent projects?Ward stars in Eddington, a pandemic-era Western film, set to release in August 2025. When is Micheal Ward due in court? 28 August 2025 at Thames Magistrates' Court in London. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel) (Catch all the US News, UK News, Canada News, International Breaking News Events, and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Download The Economic Times News App to get Daily International News Updates. NEXT STORY
Time of India
4 hours ago
- Time of India
Karanvir Bohra joins Aami Dakini; says 'This show has kept me on the edge of my seat in every episode'
One of television's beloved celebrities, Karanvir Bohra makes his way to join the supernatural show- Aami Dakini. Known for his charismatic charm, Karanvir Bohra is set to enter the show in the role of the mysterious Professor. Starring Hitesh Bharadwaj (as Ayaan Roy Chowdhary), Rachi Sharma (Meera Ghosh), and Sheen Dass (the chilling Dakini), the story takes a new shift with the entrant of this new character. Speaking of his character, Actor Karanvir Bohra said, "When I was offered the role of the Professor, I was really excited. I've been following the show Aami Dakini for quite some time. Little did I know that I would be such an integral part of it… this show has kept me on the edge of my seat in every episode. The role of the Professor is quite interesting as you can never really know what's going on in his mind or what to expect from him. He walks a fine line between intellect and mystery, which gives me a lot of room to play with subtlety and nuance. I believe audiences are going to be both intrigued and captivated by his journey. I can't wait for my audience to dive into this world and experience the many twists and turns that lie ahead." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo Earlier, in an exclusive chat with Times of India TV, Rachi Sharma, the lead actress of the show, spoke about the experience of working on Aami Dakini, she said, "It's truly been an incredible journey. The entire cast and crew have been nothing but supportive, and the energy on set is just fantastic. There's a genuine sense of passion in everyone's work, which is so important — especially in a genre like this. We all lift each other up, and that teamwork makes every day on set even more special. I'm really enjoying the process. This genre has definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone, and that's been a powerful experience as an actor. I'm learning something new every single day, and the best part is — I'm doing what I love.". Naagin actors Karanvir Bohra and Adaa Khan on Juzzbaat
