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Express Tribune
04-07-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Sophia Hutchins, Caitlyn Jenner's manager and close friend, dies at 29
Sophia Hutchins died at age 29 following an ATV accident near Caitlyn Jenner's Malibu home. Hutchins, Jenner's close friend and manager since 2017, collided with a moving vehicle while riding an ATV on the morning of Wednesday, July 2. The impact reportedly sent her and the vehicle down a 350-foot ravine. She was pronounced dead at the scene. The car's two occupants were unharmed. It is not confirmed if Jenner witnessed the incident or was present at the time. Hutchins, a transgender advocate and entrepreneur, became Jenner's confidant after the Olympian came out as transgender in 2015. She appeared on I Am Cait and moved into Jenner's Malibu mansion in 2017, replacing Kris Jenner as her manager. Despite years of speculation, Hutchins consistently stated that she and Jenner were never romantically involved, describing their relationship as familial. Hutchins studied economics and finance at Pepperdine University, graduating in 2018. She later served as CEO of the Caitlyn Jenner Foundation and founded the now-defunct skincare brand LUMASOL, which Kim Kardashian promoted. In media interviews, she shared insights on managing Jenner's brand and navigating their domestic life. In 2019, she described their living situation as "kind of like living with your parents". Hutchins was a vocal political figure and supporter of Donald Trump, appearing publicly with him in 2024. Her final public appearance was at the White House Correspondents' Dinner in 2024.
USA Today
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Melissa Rivers talks TV tribute to unapologetic mom Joan: 'She kicked down the door'
Melissa Rivers talks TV tribute to unapologetic mom Joan: 'She kicked down the door' Show Caption Hide Caption President Trump, comedy, absent at White House Correspondents' Dinner The White House Correspondents' dinner went along without an appearance from President Trump or any comedians. One goal overshadowed all others for Melissa Rivers when producing a television special honoring her mother, 'Joan Rivers: A Dead Funny All-Star Tribute.' It had to be hilarious. 'My mom always said, and I say it in the special, when you make someone laugh, you give them a mini vacation, and God knows we need a vacation," Rivers says. The hourlong tribute airs May 13 on NBC (10 ET/PT), with an extended, uncensored version streaming on Peacock May14. 'The Peacock version is what really happened in the room," Rivers teases. In the special, taped in November, Tiffany Haddish raps to a rendition of 'Hava Nagila' recalling how Joan's jokes 'split your side like a kidney stone.' Nikki Glaser applauds Joan's candor about aging and plastic surgery, and Aubrey Plaza retires Joan's not-so-politically-correct jokes. Rachel Brosnahan, who cites Joan as an inspiration for Midge on Amazon Prime's 'The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,' rapidly fires off as many Joan quips as she can in one minute. Chelsea Handler praises Joan as 'a pioneer for women in comedy,' explaining 'she walked so that we could run!' Joan Rivers (born Joan Molinksy), died in 2014 after she stopped breathing during a procedure on her throat. She became the first woman to host a late-night show, was celebrated for her brutally honest appraisal of celebrity fashion on red carpets and built a billion-dollar QVC brand. 'These women wanted to be there,' Melissa Rivers, 57, says. 'I think it's because she kicked down the door. It wasn't a glass ceiling; it was a door, and she kicked it down. And they all know that. They know that they would not be able to do what they do, especially the material they do, if she hadn't made it OK first.' Patton Oswalt tells the audience gathered at the Apollo Theater for the taping that Joan wrote 70,000 jokes. 'I would find random pieces of paper with five words on it and be like, 'Oh, this is yours. You left it,'' Rivers says. Joan 'would record all of her standup when she was working in clubs and working at new material, and then start to figure out why something didn't work or why something did work. She was very, very disciplined.' Sarah Silverman, also featured in the tribute, recalls in an interview with USA TODAY that Joan was 'always writing. She was a comic's comic 'til the end, and she still had so much more in her. What a tragic, frustrating death. 'She was 81,' Silverman continues, 'but she was the youngest, hippest 81, with so much more. One thing that really inspires me about Joan is she once said that she didn't feel like she hit her stride in standup until she was in her 70s.' Melissa Rivers marries attorney Steve Mitchel after pair lost home in LA fires Rivers' favorite part of the taping was seeing how her mother's humor can still captivate an audience today. 'Every time on the monitor (in the green room), when one of my mom's clips would roll, everyone would stop and watch and laugh," she says. "And a number of people said to me that night, 'She's still the funniest person in the room.'' Rivers says her mother 'didn't like talking about legacy,' because it "was for people who aren't relevant.' But the tribute gives Joan one more opportunity to bask in the love of a crowd. 'She was truly a writer, and she loved performing live,' Rivers says. 'She loved an audience more than anything.'
New York Post
08-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Ex-CNN journalist speaks out on Biden's health cover-up: ‘Ample evidence'
Former CNN journalist Chris Cillizza admitted there is 'ample evidence' former President Joe Biden's aides covered up his cognitive decline by shaming reporters and making it uncomfortable to seek the truth. Cilizza, who previously served as CNN's editor-at-large and now has his own Substack, opened up about his experience as the media industry reckons with the notion it failed to cover Biden's declining health until his frail debate showing last June that led to him exiting the 2024 presidential race. 'I think there is now ample evidence that there was a cover-up on Joe Biden's actual physical and mental condition by his aides in the White House. There's been a ton of reporting on it… too much, I think, to dismiss it,' Cillizza told Fox News Digital in an email. While Cillizza believes Biden aides were hiding the truth from the American people, the former CNN political analyst doesn't believe the press was part of the cover-up. 'Instead, I think the Biden team made it really hard to ask questions about his health — they shamed you, said you didn't like him, etc.,' Cillizza said, noting that many reporters, including himself, 'let that be that.' 4 'I think there is now ample evidence that there was a cover-up on Joe Biden's actual physical and mental condition by his aides in the White House,' former CNN journalist Chris Cillizza said. Chris Cillizza / YouTube Cillizza doesn't believe President Donald Trump's team would receive the same treatment from the mainstream press. He feels that some reporters took the Biden team's word for it because they were either more 'inclined to believe a Democratic president,' or were likely to believe 'someone who hadn't said 30,000 false or misleading things while in office.' Cillizza has been outspoken about the ordeal in recent weeks and recently released a video titled, 'Why it *still* matters that the media missed the big Biden story,' where he reflected on how Axios' Alex Thompson used his award speech at the White House Correspondents' Dinner to 'call out how both the Biden White House and the media mishandled President Biden's cognitive decline during the 2024 election.' 4 President Biden unexpectedly performed a sign of the cross during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in New York City. Reuters Cillizza said there is a high bar to directly report that Biden had dementia or some similar condition, which he believes wasn't met. 'The fact that I do not believe there was any coordinated cover-up by the media of Joe Biden's condition, that does not get us media off the hook,' he said. 'The media should have asked more questions about Joe Biden I should have asked more questions about Joe Biden and his health,' Cillizza continued. 'We should have dug harder.' 4 Joe Biden trips as he walks onto stage to deliver a speech in Sydney on July 20, 2016. AFP via Getty Images Last year, Cillizza offered a mea culpa for shrugging off concerns about Biden's fitness for office. 'As a reporter, I have a confession to make… I should have pushed harder earlier for more information about Joe Biden's mental and physical well-being and any signs of decline,' he said in a video posted to YouTube. Cillizza acknowledged that Republicans would regularly contact him during his time at CNN, asking him why he hadn't addressed Biden's decline and how he would 'brush them off' since he had not seen evidence of it. 4 Biden is helped up after falling during the graduation ceremony at the United States Air Force Academy on June 1, 2023. AFP via Getty Images 'The White House and the people around Joe Biden were absolutely adamant that suggesting anything- asking the question about whether he was in some physical, mental or both decline, was offensive. 'How could you? It's age shaming.' And I think that impacted me at some level,' Cillizza said. 'While I did ask the question from time to time… I didn't really push on it, if I'm being honest. Now, once I left CNN and once it became a little bit more clear to me about Biden's age, I think I did write pretty regularly and talk pretty regularly about how I wasn't sure that this guy was up to it,' he added. 'And then obviously, after the June 27 debate, everybody, including me, was writing and talking about it.' Fox News Digital reached out to a Biden representative for comment.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ex-CNN journalist speaks out on Biden cover-up, says White House aides made it difficult on press
Former CNN journalist Chris Cillizza admitted there is "ample evidence" former President Joe Biden's aides covered up his cognitive decline by shaming reporters and making it uncomfortable to seek the truth. Cilizza, who previously served as CNN's editor-at-large and now has his own Substack, opened up about his experience as the media industry reckons with the notion it failed to cover Biden's declining health until his frail debate showing last June that led to him exiting the 2024 presidential race. "I think there is now ample evidence that there was a cover-up on Joe Biden's actual physical and mental condition by his aides in the White House. There's been a ton of reporting on it… too much, I think, to dismiss it," Cillizza told Fox News Digital in an email. Former Cnn Analyst Says Media Turned Blind Eye To Biden's Alleged Decline Because Most 'Vote For Democrats' While Cillizza believes Biden aides were hiding the truth from the American people, the former CNN political analyst doesn't believe the press was part of the cover-up. "Instead, I think the Biden team made it really hard to ask questions about his health — they shamed you, said you didn't like him, etc.," Cillizza said, noting that many reporters, including himself, "let that be that." Read On The Fox News App Cillizza doesn't believe President Donald Trump's team would receive the same treatment from the mainstream press. He feels that some reporters took the Biden team's word for it because they were either more "inclined to believe a Democratic president," or were likely to believe "someone who hadn't said 30,000 false or misleading things while in office." Cillizza has been outspoken about the ordeal in recent weeks and recently released a video titled, "Why it *still* matters that the media missed the big Biden story," where he reflected on how Axios' Alex Thompson used his award speech at the White House Correspondents' Dinner to "call out how both the Biden White House and the media mishandled President Biden's cognitive decline during the 2024 election." Cillizza said there is a high bar to directly report that Biden had dementia or some similar condition, which he believes wasn't met. Jen Psaki Recalls Reaction To Biden's Debate, 'Heartbreaking' Summer Before 2024 Exit: 'I Was Like, Is He Ok?' "The fact that I do not believe there was any coordinated cover-up by the media of Joe Biden's condition, that does not get us media off the hook," he said. "The media should have asked more questions about Joe Biden I should have asked more questions about Joe Biden and his health," Cillizza continued. "We should have dug harder." Last year, Cillizza offered a mea culpa for shrugging off concerns about Biden's fitness for office. "As a reporter, I have a confession to make… I should have pushed harder earlier for more information about Joe Biden's mental and physical well-being and any signs of decline," he said in a video posted to YouTube. Cillizza acknowledged that Republicans would regularly contact him during his time at CNN, asking him why he hadn't addressed Biden's decline and how he would "brush them off" since he had not seen evidence of it. Jen Psaki Insists She 'Never Saw' Diminished Biden While Working As Press Secretary "The White House and the people around Joe Biden were absolutely adamant that suggesting anything- asking the question about whether he was in some physical, mental or both decline, was offensive. 'How could you? It's age shaming.' And I think that impacted me at some level," Cillizza said. "While I did ask the question from time to time… I didn't really push on it, if I'm being honest. Now, once I left CNN and once it became a little bit more clear to me about Biden's age, I think I did write pretty regularly and talk pretty regularly about how I wasn't sure that this guy was up to it," he added. "And then obviously, after the June 27 debate, everybody, including me, was writing and talking about it." Fox News Digital reached out to a Biden representative for comment. Fox News Digital's Alexander Hall and Joseph A. Wulfsohn contributed to this report. Original article source: Ex-CNN journalist speaks out on Biden cover-up, says White House aides made it difficult on press
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Biden denies he left 2024 race too late to stop Trump, says it wouldn't have made a difference
Former President Joe Biden defended the timing of his decision to withdraw from the presidential race in favor of his Vice President, Kamala Harris, in a new interview this week, suggesting it didn't affect the outcome. When asked if he left the 2024 presidential race too late, Biden said that he didn't believe his decision ultimately changed the results of the election in an interview with BBC News reporter Nick Robinson. "I don't think it would have mattered," Biden said in his first interview since leaving the White House. "We left at a time when we had a good candidate," Biden said, speaking of Harris, who succeeded him as the de facto Democratic nominee after Biden announced that he was dropping out of the race. Biden added that Harris was "fully funded" and supported by the Democratic Party. Jen Psaki, The Ex-biden Flack Who Defended His Mental Fitness, Launches Expanded Role At Msnbc "It was a hard decision," Biden said. "I think it was the right decision. It was just a difficult decision." Read On The Fox News App Harris went on to defeat at the hands of President Donald Trump, and Democrats have since wondered if Biden put Harris in a difficult spot by not giving up on his re-election bid earlier, or didn't give the party a chance to have a true primary process to pick a replacement. "i don't think so," he added, when pressed again by BBC whether he left too late. "I don't know how that would have made much difference." Biden argued his term was so successful, it was difficult to hand over leadership to a new generation immediately, as he'd initially intended. "What we had set out to do, no one thought we could do," he said. "I'd become so successful in our agenda, it was hard to say, 'I'm going to stop now.' I meant what I said when I started, that I'm preparing to hand this to the next generation, the transition of government. Things moved so quickly that it made it difficult to walk away." Trump Admin Removes Biden-era Transportation Safety Board Vice Chair Then-Vice President Kamala Harris delivers remarks, conceding 2024 U.S. presidential election to President-elect Donald Trump, at Howard University in Washington, U.S., Nov. 6, 2024. Biden faced increasing calls from journalists, pundits and eventually senior members of his own party to withdraw from the presidential race following his disastrous debate performance against Trump last year. Biden, who sounded raspy in his BBC interview, also appeared frail and shaky during the debate with Trump, later blaming his performance on a cold. This followed years of liberal defense of his mental fitness and castigation of any reporting that suggested he'd lost a step. His debate showing sent off shockwaves among Democrats, who effectively pushed him out of the race less than a month later. Some reporters now say that they did not do enough to cover Biden's declining mental state. At last month's White House Correspondents' Dinner, Axios reporter Alex Thompson acknowledged that the press fell short in covering the story of Biden's decline. White House Reporters Respond After Being Called Out For Weak Coverage Of Biden's Decline At Whcd "Being truth tellers also means telling the truth about ourselves. We, myself included, missed a lot of this story… Biden's decline and its cover-up by the people around him is a reminder that every White House, regardless of party, is capable of deception," Thompson said. Fox News' Brian Flood and Hanna Panreck contributed to this report. Original article source: Biden denies he left 2024 race too late to stop Trump, says it wouldn't have made a difference
