Latest news with #Divas
Newsweek
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
WWE Veteran Breaks Silence On 'Demotion' Rumors
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. WWE veteran Natalya is receiving widespread praise for her response to a fan on social media. The fan accused WWE of demoting the long-tenured superstar. Natalya has been a cornerstone of WWE's women's division for years. Now in her 25th year as a professional wrestler, she has expanded her presence beyond the main roster. Natalya's Recent Appearances Outside Of The Main Roster In addition to her work on Raw and SmackDown, Natalya has recently competed for other promotions. She has made appearances for the NWA and GCW. This trend continued with a recent appearance on the WWE EVOLVE brand. She saved the inaugural EVOLVE Women's Champion, Kali Armstrong, from an attack by Nikkita Lyons and Zayda Steel. This angle has led to a tag team match being scheduled for the next EVOLVE episode. The match will feature Natalya and Armstrong against Lyons and Steel. Natalya Responds To Fan's "Demotion" Claim Following the announcement of her EVOLVE appearance, a fan on social media suggested it was a demotion. The former Divas Champion quickly and firmly dismissed this idea. She explained that she was the one who requested the opportunity to compete on the show. Her goal is to face a wide variety of opponents. "I very specifically asked to compete on this show for many reasons. I want to wrestle against women from every corner of our industry. When you've been hungry, you can never be full. #EVOLVE," Natalya wrote. WWE Monday Night Raw at Rose Garden arena in Portland. WWE Monday Night Raw at Rose Garden arena in Portland. More news: WWE News: Steve Austin Reveals Real-Life Vince McMahon Confrontation A Veteran's Desire To Compete Natalya's response highlights her passion for competition. She is actively seeking out new challenges and opponents. This desire to constantly test her skills shows her dedication to the sport. It refutes any notion that working on different brands is a step down. Her last match on main roster programming was during the May 26 Main Event tapings. She was defeated in a singles match by Roxanne Perez. This came one week after Perez won a Money in the Bank qualifying match. That match also involved Natalya and Becky Lynch. WWE has a real chance to do something of note with Nataya should they give her the chance to go out and shine the way many fans think she can. More WWE News: For more on WWE, head to Newsweek Sports.
Metro
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
WWE icon The Undertaker forced to undergo secret lifesaving surgery
WWE legend The Undertaker has revealed he secretly underwent heart surgery just one day after attending WrestleMania 41. The 60-year-old retired Hall of Famer, who called time on his wrestling career in 2020 after a Boneyard Match against AJ Styles, has opened up about a 'terrifying' health scare after he was getting 'out of breath' from everyday tasks. Undertaker, whose real name is Mark Callaway, was in Las Vegas in April to see his wife Michelle McCool get inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. However, the wrestling power couple have revealed he was in the middle of a health scare and wasn't even meant to travel. 'It's because of the heart issues you've been having weeks prior. Which, by the grace of god, we found out just by — it ended up being terrifying,' Michelle said on his Six Feet Under podcast. 'The day we got home from WrestleMania, the next day at 6am, we were at the hospital for a little bit of heart surgery.' The Phenom admitted he 'wasn't supposed to go to Vegas', and Michelle insisted it was 'not fair' on her that she had to keep the heart issues – which have since been resolved – a secret. 'We were in the hospital for four nights two weeks before WrestleMania,' she added. 'I'm not mad at it because I'd probably be the same, but it was terrifying.' The former Divas Champion 'couldn't focus on anything else', as she worried about making sure her husband got 'the best cardiologist'. 'Which we eventually did, but that took a lot of phone calls. Several nights in the hospital. By the grace of god you are here,' she said. 'But out of the words of the doctor himself, it could've turned out badly had we not found it that day.' They revealed that Undertaker hadn't been feeling 'any symptoms' besides being out of breath after things like 'throwing ball with the dog' or walking upstairs to pray with their children. 'Medicines didn't work and we ended up in the ER on a Friday. Of course you wouldn't stay the night,' Michelle told her man. 'At the end of Kai's flag football all day Saturday, you looked at me and said, 'I'm still in a-fib,' because you were doing it with the watch.' The next morning, he was still feeling it, and so they went to hospital where his numbers and heart beat were 'out of wack'. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Michelle recalled: 'Your ejection fracture of how the blood was pumping or whatever was 30%, it wasn't much. 'Supposed to be 100%, obviously. We ended up staying in the hospital for four nights where they actually had to cardiovert you and shock you back to a normal rhythm. 'That sadly lasted, what, 24 hours. Maybe 48. After four days we go home, two days later you're back in a-fib. Man I was stressed.' Since walking away from WWE, Undertaker has stayed busy in and around the wrestling world, with occasional appearances on Raw and NXT. More Trending He also performs his One deadMan Show around the world, but it was still a heartbreaking moment when he had to retire. He exclusively told Metro: 'In my heart, I wasn't ready to do it but in my mind I knew I had to. It's been a difficult transition because if I physically could, I would still be going. View More » 'But I can't put on a match the way people expect to see The Undertaker wrestle. There's no sense in tarnishing the legacy, or cashing in on the equity that I built up.' Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: 'Funniest show on TV today' is finally available to stream for free MORE: TV soap star Chris Robinson dies aged 86 MORE: Cast of series getting Netflix reboot admit one episode 'wouldn't happen today'
Chicago Tribune
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Three Pride Month events to be held in Aurora this weekend
To celebrate Pride Month, the Aurora community is set to hold three events, including a parade, around downtown this weekend. On Saturday, the Aurora LGBTQ+ Advisory Board will again this year be hosting Pride at the Plaza, which will transform Stolp Avenue in downtown Aurora with live music, a drag show, food trucks and booths from local community organizations, according to a news release from the city of Aurora. 'We're thrilled to kick off Aurora's Pride weekend with this event,' Zachary Bishop, chair of the Aurora LGBTQ+ Advisory Board, said in the city news release. 'We're building on last year's success to make this celebration even better with fantastic performers, delicious food and an inclusive space for everyone to enjoy.' Pride at the Plaza's entertainment lineup this year is set to include a drag performance by the Divas and live music from artists Cheryl Rodey and Invisible Cartoons, according to the release. The event will run from 6 to 10 p.m. and will be free, although there will be a suggested $5 donation to the Denee Mallon Scholarship Fund. The fund's namesake, Denee Mallon, fought to end Medicare's ban on transgender procedure coverage, and the scholarship will help members of the LGBTQ+ community in Aurora, the city's news release said. The Aurora Pride Parade, which is set to feature between 60 and 70 marching groups, including floats, will kick off downtown at noon on Sunday. The event has taken place yearly since 2018, except for two years during the COVID-19 pandemic, and is organized by the Aurora Pride organization. Gwyn Ciesla, president of Aurora Pride, said the parade is a family-friendly event that attracts all ages and yearly draws between 5,000 and 6,000 spectators. One difference between this year's Aurora Pride Parade and past ones, according to Ciesla, is that it will feature three grand marshals rather than just one. Ciesla said the grand marshals, which will lead the parade, are people honored for their work for or importance to the LGBTQ+ community in the Aurora area. This year's grand marshals, as announced on the Aurora Pride Facebook page, are: Corvin Ezri, founder of The Prideful Path Project; Aleyna Couture, a local drag queen known for her active role in west suburban nightlife and her mentorship within the local drag community; and Paulene Spika, a 71-year-old transgender woman who serves on the Aurora LGBTQ+ Advisory Board. The Aurora Pride Parade has a number of sponsors, its website shows, including Rush, NuMark Credit Union and Sonova. But Ciesla said the organization had some fundraising challenges this year because of the current political climate. 'You have some companies that are actively walking back any sort of DEI or equality initiatives and then others that are kind of doubling down and being more supportive,' Ciesla said. 'There's a lot of both.' Immediately following the parade, Aurora Pride will be hosting a party — aptly named the 2025 Pride Parade After Party — at the Two Brothers Roundhouse in Aurora. The party, planned to start at 1 p.m., will be family-friendly like the parade and will include food, drinks, live music, a drag show and more, according to a post on the Aurora Pride Facebook page. Tickets to the event cost $10 and will go towards funding next year's Pride Parade. Tickets can be purchased at the door on the day of the event or ahead of time at: Ciesla said that, although Chicago has long held Pride events, it is fantastic to see so many like the ones in Aurora pop up all over the state in recent years, because that means no one has to go that far to attend one. 'Now there's so many you can't even do them all even if you had a private jet,' Ciesla said.
Daily Mirror
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Big Brother stars calls UK Supreme Court's trans ruling ‘utter rubbish'
Bradley Riches, Ali Bromley, along with Dame Kelly Holmes and other LGBTQIA+ celebrities shares their thoughts on UK Supreme Court ruled that the legal definition of "woman" at the Diva Awards Celebrity Big Brother star Bradley Riches was among the famous queer guests and nominees present at last night's Diva Awards, an annual ceremony celebrating the achievements and contributions of LGBTQIA+ women and non-binary people. Falling during Lesbian Visibility week, this year's Divas also came just a week after the UK Supreme Court ruled that the legal definition of "woman" under the Equality Act 2010 is based on biological sex, excluding transgender women. The ruling has stirred polarising views within the LGBTQIA+ community, and Bradley had some strong opinions about it. Speaking to The Mirror, he said: 'I think it's utter bull—, if I'm going to be honest, utter rubbish. 'I think that to see all the trans community has done to be where we are [now], to push back so many years is really heart wrenching for the trans community but also for all of us allies. But I think all we have to do now is just be there for our trans and non-binary friends and celebrate. I think the whole community will come out stronger, definitely.' For Bradley, being at the Diva Awards, which mainly celebrates queer women, is important for the entire community, as he explained: 'I think it's a very important thing to show up for, all the letters of the community, not just those that resonate with me.' Big Brother 2024 winner Ali Bromley echoed Bradley's feelings as she explained her reaction to the controversial ruling: 'I've been doing my bit to show how I feel, so I went to the protest on Saturday, and I've been working with other people in the community as well to see what we can do. It's really important that we use our voices and our platforms to express our discontent with the ruling, it's a difficult time. 'Events like these are important because it's our way of showing that whatever ruling happens, we're here, we're queer and we stand by each other.' Ali, who made waves last year as 'The Red Witch' in the house, went on to share her appreciation for JoJo Siwa, who just finished Celebrity Big Brother in third place. 'I have been watching [this year's Celebrity Big Brother]. I'm a big fan of JoJo, I would've liked to meet her actually, if there wasn't a clash tonight.' The reality TV star further shared the challenges she has faced of being a lesbian in a mainstream show, admitting: 'Sometimes, I think there is some confusion about queer women, what we are, what we represent, sometimes invalidation of sexuality as well. I know that's something I've experienced, people don't believe that I'm gay because I look too feminine, or I'm not what they expect a lesbian to look like, so there's a few challenges, but we carry on.' Dame Kelly Holmes, who was among the celebrities delivering awards at the ceremony, called the ruling 'complex'. She told The Mirror: 'I don't think it's been thought-through, but the whole point of everything, people need to be given solutions, because all we do is go 'no no', and no one's coming with any solutions.' The celebrated Olympic athlete added: 'Sometimes, you can't argue with the relational, and yet, I think people need to know that people are here to stay, to live their lives. Some of the ruling, I just don't think have been effectively moved forward with everybody's voice, they've gone with one voice and nobody else's. 'For me, it's about a solution. You can't just say no and then think it's ok.' Lizzie Cundy, who expressed how honoured she felt to be a guest at the awards, said the ruling was particularly 'tough'. "I've many friends that are trans, many friends that are lesbians, and it's a difficult one because I do believe women should have their own safe spaces, but also I do believe it's going to be very difficult for the trans community," she said. The TV personality continued: 'The trans community needs to be treated with kindness and consideration and there should be more done to help, I really do feel that. I just interviewed the first transgender couple and they're just beside themselves because they feel really alone in all of this. My heart goes out to the trans community, most definitely.' Singer Nxdia, who was nominated for the media moment of the year with their viral hit She Likes A Boy has been struggling with the Supreme Court's decision. They explained: 'I think trans women were the reason many of us can really be as visible as we are today. 'So I feel like it's quite prominent that it's lesbian visibility week this week, because trans women are kind of the reason why we can be this [visible] today.' Popular singer Shura, who is releasing a much anticipated third album next month, six years after her last, shared her thoughts on visibility, explaining: 'I'm realising that progress isn't guaranteed, that we can go back and visibility is really important. 'Not everyone feels comfortable being visible, but if you are, then you absolutely must be, and it's important that you.' She further shared her reaction to the Supreme Court's ruling, stating it was 'horrific'. She said: You know, I think trans women are women, I think what has happened is outrageous and also just isn't going to protect women. 'I get very cross about it.' The Diva Awards, founded by Linda Riley have played a vital role in championing queer visibility, and is the first of its kind in the country. For the LGBTQIA+, it's a groundbreaking event that shines a light on issues that are not often shared in mainstream spaces. According to Roxy Bourdillon, Diva Magazine's editor-in-chief and author of the newly released What a Girls Wants, queer women often experience 'extra' marginalisation due to society's misogyny. She explained: 'We know as women that in some ways, the odds can be stacked against us anyway, just moving through society. 'And then if you add to that, that you're a queer woman or a non binary person, or bisexual or trans or however you identify, then it can mean that there's additional barriers to getting that visibility and representation that we so desperately need. But that's also why events like lesbian visibility week and the Diva Awards are so gorgeous and powerful, because it's really an opportunity to center and celebrate our community and champion our rights while also just having a great time.' Roxy reacted to the Supreme Court's ruling, calling it 'frightening time for our community'. She said: 'I think it is so important now more than ever that we stand together. And I know from my work through Diva, from my work in my book, and from just being a lesbian cisgender woman moving through the world, I know that trans people are an important, beautiful, valued part of our community, and they've always been part of our community. 'They've been with us, standing at the front of protests for decades, and so I really think now it's important that we all stand up for them as well, and my heart is with our trans siblings at the moment.' DIVA Awards 2025 Winners Centrica Charity or Community Project of the Year: Winner: Just Like Us Highly Commended: TransActual myGwork LGBTQIA Network of the Year: Winner: Pride Matters, Colt Technology Services Dorchester Collection Campaigner of the Year: Kantar Inspirational Role Model of the Year: Winner: Saba Ali Highly Commended: Winnie King, Mace Group Winner: Alexis Curtis-Harris, Penna Paramount Influencer of the Year: Winner: Lesbian Supper ClubHighly Commended: CurveyBlackWitch Brand of the Year: Winner: London Women's Clinic Highly Commended: L&G BNP Paribas Corporate Ally of the Year: Winner: Anne Aslett, Elton John AIDS Foundation Jackdaw Media Media Moment of the Year: Winner: I Kissed a Girl Deliveroo Diversity Champion of the Year: Winner: Maria Patsalos, Mishcon De Reya Highly Commended: Emma Palethorpe, St. James's Place Highly Commended: Pippa Dale, LSEG London Women's Clinic Future Leader of the Year: Winner: Bruna Gil, LinkedIn Highly Commended: Deborah Mills-Burns, Momentum Personal Solutions Allianz Commercial Writer of the Year: Winner: Val McDermid Celebrity Ally of the Year: Winner: Vicky Myers Highly Commended: David Tennant Highly Commended: Alex Scott MBE Actor of the Year: Sedulo Lifetime Achievement: LGBTQIA Veterans
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Longmont cafe set to offer ‘taste of Mexico, Guatemala'
From chile rellenos to chicken tostadas, the Longmont community can experience Latin American flavors this weekend at 'Itacate Con Chicas.' On Saturday, Longmont cafe Chí Kapé will host the community food event, 'Itacate Con Chicas.' Offering a 'taste of Mexico and Guatemala through women's hands,' the event will feature entrees from Mexican chef Eva Leon and sides from Esly Mirelly Divas, the Guatemalan owner of Chí Kapé. 'It's a combination of different cultures in one plate,' Divas said. Customers who visit the cafe can try seven Latin American dishes being prepared for the occasion, plus 'agua fresca' drinks. People can pay for individual items, or get a platter with a little bit of everything. 'We want people to just come in and either sit in here, or take it home,' Divas said. 'You're going to come here and you're going to eat something unexpected, or something that you've never heard of.' Chí Kapé opened in its current building at the end of last year. The cafe serves Latin American pastries, and coffee sourced from female farmers in Guatemala. Divas is preparing several Guatemalan sides, including 'rellenitos,' or plantains with sweet black beans. She'll also be making the Costa Rican staple 'gallo pinto' – black beans mixed with white rice. Leon, who is from Mexico City, will be making the main dishes: pork with chile guajillo sauce, chile rellenos and chicken tinga tostadas. Divas described Leon's food as not especially spicy, but 'very authentic.' 'She knows the roots, and she's staying true to that,' Divas said. Saturday will be the first 'Itacate Con Chicas,' but Divas and Leon want to turn it into a monthly event. They aim to host the event on the second or third Saturday of each month going forward, depending on their schedules. Divas met Leon through the Rocky Mountain MicroFinance Institute, which helps Colorado entrepreneurs develop their businesses. Leon makes frozen Mexican meals through her business, Cocina Mexicana 017. The two cooks will prepare 30 servings of each dish on Saturday. They said they'll split the profits from the event down the middle. 'We want to help each other and support each other,' Divas said. Chí Kapé is at 1680 Main St. Its regular business hours are 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.
