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Time of India
19 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Jeff Bezos-Lauren Sanchez secret wedding bombshell: Unexpected mega-million prenup and A-list guests snubbed
Tech billionaire Jeff Bezos and his fiancé Lauren Sanchez have embarked on their extravagant, multi-day wedding celebration in Venice, Italy. Around 200 guests, including politicians, Hollywood A-listers, and international royalty, are expected at the star-studded wedding with the nuptials facing the ire of protestors. Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez have already tied the knot in the United States after signing a multi-million dollar prenup, multiple sources tell Page Six. The high-profile couple, who have organised a $10 million three-day wedding spree, have not registered to tie the knot in Venice, reports suggest. Sources told The Post they were legally married ahead of their lavish ceremony on Friday on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore. ALSO READ: Indian-origin Zohran Mamdani faces shocking threat to US citizenship: Can Trump really deport him? by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Never Throw Away the Water After Boiling Eggs - The Reason is Genius! Tips and Tricks Undo Big update on Jeff Bezos-Lauren Sanchez's wedding The Amazon billionaire, 61, and his bride-to-be, 55, arrived Tuesday in the floating city for a three-day celebration, expected to take place Thursday through Saturday. The couple, who have been together since their 2019 scandalous affair, are rumored to have spent between $10 and $20 million on their nuptials — or around $50,000 per person. From Ivanka Trump and the Kardashians to actor Orlando Bloom, these are the high-profile guests attending what many are calling the 'wedding of the century.' But the residents of Venice gave a rude welcome to the couple and have made it clear that all the pomp and circumstance surrounding the nuptials is unwelcome—hanging signs and pictures of Bezos in protest. The couple has seemingly been working overtime to turn on the charm, donating millions to local charities in honor of their guest list, according to The Daily Beast. Live Events However, Jeff and Lauren have already sealed the deal to avoid even more headaches, reported Page Six citing sources. 'Often a marriage in a foreign country is not valid in the USA, or creates other issues, so yes it is likely they are already married,' a Florida-based attorney told Page Six. ALSO READ: Zohran Mamdani to be stripped of US citizenship? Shocking twist as New York's mayoral race heats up Sources told Page Six that there is no record of Bezos and Sánchez completing any of this, which could mean that their big planned celebration and ceremony for Friday is just a symbolic gesture. It is more likely that the couple signed their marriage papers in Florida, where Sánchez and Bezos mostly live in Miami. Florida is also where the Amazon founder owns three homes on Indian Creek Island, a mere hour and some change away from Mar-a-Lago and President Donald Trump—whom Bezos has cozied up to in his second presidency. Legal experts suggest it's standard practice for high-profile Americans marrying abroad to tie the knot at home first due to the complexity of international marriage laws. Often a marriage in a foreign country is not valid in the USA, or creates other issues. ALSO READ: Zohran Mamdani called 'Hamas sympathizer' in Islamophobic attack, Trump ally says 'there will be another 9/11 in NYC' Trump not to attend Jeff Bezos-Lauren Sanchez's wedding Multiple celebrities and high-profile personalities were spotted arriving in Italy to celebrate Bezos and Sánchez's union, including Kim and Khloé Kardashian, Kris Jenner, Oprah Winfrey, journalist and space traveler Gayle King, designer Diane Von Furstenberg, a newly single Orlando Bloom, and MAGA royalty Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner. Noticeably absent from the coverage was President Trump, whom Bezos reportedly attempted to woo with a wedding invitation, fresh off of the MAGA figurehead's breakup with former 'First Buddy' Elon Musk. After Trump reportedly called Bezos screaming over Amazon price raises being attributed to his tariffs, The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump used the celebrity go-to to explain why he couldn't make the big day—scheduling conflicts, according to a source.
Miami Herald
20 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Miami's Olympia theater holds lifetime of memories for this reporter. And probably you
Imagine being a fan who helped lure a superstar singer to perform her first and only major concert in your own hometown. That fan was me, in my role as pop music critic at the Miami Herald. That star was Carly Simon. And a big part of the draw was the allure of Miami's elegant Gusman Center, also known as the Olympia theater. Simon, now 82, is a music legend who wrote and recorded one of pop culture's most famous songs — so enduring that Taylor Swift cited the 1972 hit, 'You're So Vain,' as 'the best song that has ever been written.' That's coming from Swift, who built a legion of fans on chronicling breakups. The Oscar- and Grammy-winning composer became a star attraction in the 1970s but stage fright largely kept her off the road for most of her career. It was May 2007 when I made my call. A key to my pitch was that Florida International University's theater department was staging her family opera, 'Romulus Hunt.' The event was conceived by then FIU head theater director Phillip Church to support a not-for-profit that helped children in foster care. Getting Simon to put on a show the night before her opera would be a huge boost for the benefit. I can still remember part of my conversation with Simon 18 years ago touting the Olympia. '...Oh, and the venue is beautiful. It's historic. You'll like it and it's not too big and overwhelming like an arena.' The following year, the theater added Simon's rare live concert to its long list of memorable moments. Olympia's fate? Now Miami's talking about giving away the Gusman? The clouds in my coffee are forming twisters. Do our memories go along with that deal? Mine are priceless. Bet yours are, too. As the Herald has reported, Miami officials are considering turning over control of the historic Olympia Theater on Flagler Street in downtown Miami to a Little Havana charter school. MORE: In murky deal, Miami may give storied 1926 Olympia theater to Pitbull's charter school The Olympia is also known as the Gusman Center for the Performing Arts from the mid-1970s to 2014, in honor of philanthropist Maurice Gusman who donated the property to the city in 1975. Whatever its name, the theater has such a storied history. Olympia's history The Olympia opened on Flagler Street as a silent movie palace in 1926 as one of the original Publix Theatre movie palaces. Yep, Publix before the Publix you go to for Pub Subs and BOGOs. Publix founder George Jenkins liked the sound of the name 'Publix' so he took it when the Florida-based movie chain folded at the time of the Great Depression. Jenkins needed a name for his first store in Winter Haven, Florida, in 1930, and 'Publix' sounded right, according to his 1979 memoir. MORE: How did Publix supermarket get its name? It's a Florida story made for the movies From Elvis to Buffett The Olympia/Gusman hosted the Miami Film Festival in the 1990s and 2000s as its premier venue. Elvis Presley performed in concert there in 1956. So did B.B. King, Etta James, The Marx Brothers and Gypsy Rose Lee. Italian operatic tenor Luciano Pavarotti and Canadian rocker Bryan Adams played the venue too. Jimmy Buffett played a three-night gig at the Maurice Gusman Cultural Center on Aug. 14-16, 1978. These shows were taped and formed much of the material featured on his 1978 two-disc live album, 'You Had to Be There.' The rest of the set's live material was recorded days earlier from Atlanta's Fabulous Fox concert venue. Gosh, I wish I had been there at his Gusman concerts when I was 15. On the Gusman stage, Buffett 'Floridized his songs and commentary, with references to stolen sunglasses from Eckerd's, beer at Captain Dick's in the Grove. Pelican Pete's in Key Largo, Stuckey's with its pecan rolls and 'free alligators for the kids,'' future Herald theater critic Christine Dolen wrote in her review of opening night. Buffett premiered new material from the Gusman, too. One of those songs, 'Morris' Nightmare,' made it onto 'You Had to Be There.' It was a song about a cruise-ship couple, alias 'condo commandos and snowbirds,' Buffett quipped at the Gusman. Can you imagine that track originating anywhere else but Miami? That live album was a perennial on boomboxes at swim meets with my fellow Hurricanes teammates, I told Buffett in December 2021. We were chatting on the eve of the 50th anniversary of the launch of his career from Key West. One of many conversations. I miss Jimmy. He was his endearing stage persona Miami fans who were there at the Gusman saw so many years ago. MORE: 'The longevity of mischief.' Jimmy Buffett looks at 50 years after his first Key West gig The Police and Cash Around that time in 1978, The Police were a fledgling late-'70s New Wave rock act led by Sting when they graced the Gusman. I hadn't started going to rock concerts just yet. But I got to walk around the backstage catacombs at the Gusman with Police drummer Stewart Copeland about 16 or so years later in 1994 when he was checking out the venue at a soundcheck. He performed with a group of African percussionists on its stage to promote his post-Police project, The Rhythmatist. 'I've been always interested in music from around the world,' Copeland told the Herald at the time. Johnny Cash played the Gusman in 1995 when he was enjoying a musical and commercial renaissance that sustained him for the rest of his life. 'This hasn't been my best night, but I loved being with you,' Cash apologized to his audience toward the show's end. Puzzled, I shook his hand backstage moments after and continued a chat we'd had in an interview pre-show. The Man in Black was a perfectionist. He was all smiles afterward. So much for the brooding reputation. The man's charisma wattage was tuned so high in person the City of Miami probably saved a few bucks on its electric bill for running the theater's stage lights that night. Carly Simon's Miami debut Carly Simon, however, is my most cherished Gusman memory. A career highlight. FIU's Church wanted to stage Simon's 'Romulus Hunt' after seeing a production in North Carolina. Simon's family opera tells the story of a 12-year-old New York boy who is shuttled between divorced parents who plots to bring his incompatible parents back together. Simon wrote the parents as 'exaggerated' versions of herself and ex-husband, musician James Taylor, she said. The former couple share two children. 'I've seen a lot of divorces, unfortunately, and so many kids are left confused [or] in a state of denial,' Simon said. 'The fights can be worse. The children can feel grabbed at and totally in the middle.' Church knew I'd had connections to Simon. I'd written about her often for the Herald. Flew out to see her in rare one-off concerts in Columbus, Ohio, and New York's famous Apollo for a Christmas show. He wondered if I'd reach out and gauge Simon's interest in taking part in some way with his production. I'd admired Church's work at FIU when I was a grad student just before joining the Herald in 1991. A concert and opera, both to benefit CHARLEE, the not-for-profit that supported foster children in Miami, was what Church had in mind. Simon's participation would sell that concept and fill the Gusman. 'I seem to find less and less pleasure in doing theater for theater's sake. These days, I feel I have to be compelled by a social need,' Church told me then. He's retired from FIU but still staging stories for his local community theater group What if Works. He was a fan of Simon. So was the late Marilyn March, who died in 2020 from pancreatic cancer. She was development director for CHARLEE, the foster care organization that stood to benefit from Simon's 'Romulus Hunt' and her concert the night before. 'Many of our children are the product of broken homes, and the divorce rate today is staggering,' March told me. 'We all grew up with Carly Simon's music and we knew how much of her personal life's journey is reflected in her lyrics.' Could I possibly convince the stage-shy Simon to say yes by simply vouching for these people? Simon sang an array of her hits from the Gusman stage. 'You're So Vain,' of course. 'Let the River Run' and 'Anticipation.' She sang a song about her and Taylor's daughter Sally from her then new album. Their son Ben Taylor played guitar and sang harmonies with his famous mom at the Gusman. Simon sang her son's song, 'Island.' 'If I can recommend a life experience, have Carly Simon play one of your songs on stage,' Taylor told the Miami audience. 'These songs have different meanings because we're old now,'' Simon, then 64, teased as she introduced her familial 'Coming Around Again.' I'm so vain. I apparently convinced Carly. A memory as precious as the Olympia.
Time of India
21 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
FCC chief had no discussions with White House on Trump Mobile phone
By David Shepardson WASHINGTON: The head of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission said on Thursday he had no discussions with the White House about the Trump Organization's self-branded mobile service and a $499 smartphone dubbed Trump Mobile . FCC Chair Brendan Carr , who was designated chair by President Donald Trump in January, told reporters he had learned about the project through a public press release and had no conversations with anyone outside the agency about it. "We're going to run our normal process if there's anything that needs to be done by the FCC on that," Carr said. "I think competition is a good thing - so think it's great we get more sort of entry, more competition." Trump Mobile is powered by Liberty Mobile Wireless , a Florida-based company founded in 2018 by entrepreneur Matthew Lopatin. The company operates as a mobile virtual network operator, renting bandwidth from major carriers such as T-Mobile to offer its own service under a different name. Separately, Carr said the commission is continuing to review CBS-parent Paramount Global's proposed $8.4 billion merger with Skydance Media. The FCC did not make a decision by the 180-day informal deadline in mid-May. "We continue to run our normal course review on that one," Carr said. Trump has sued CBS, alleging the network deceptively edited a "60 Minutes" interview with 2024 presidential candidate Kamala Harris to "tip the scales in favor of the Democratic Party" and the former vice president in the election. Trump's suit is seeking $20 billion. In January, Carr reinstated complaints about the "60 Minutes" Harris interview, as well as complaints about how Walt Disney's ABC News moderated the pre-election televised debate between then-President Joe Biden and Trump and Comcast's NBC for allowing Harris to appear on "Saturday Night Live" shortly before the election. CBS has urged Carr to dismiss the complaint, saying it did nothing wrong and that the complaint aims to turn "the FCC into a full-time censor of content."
NDTV
a day ago
- Business
- NDTV
US Footwear Startup Backed By Reebok Co-Founder To Design Shoes In Space
A US footwear company, backed by Reebok co-founder Joe Foster, is planning to design a shoe in space by mid to late 2026 as part of a mission to make artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain less expensive and more eco-friendly than it is on Earth. Florida-based footwear company Syntilay, whose name is based on the word "scintillate", is collaborating with OrbitsEdge, a company that supports AI and blockchain applications, and Copernic Space, which offers digital marketplaces for space assets, to produce the shoe design. The mission is expected to launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in early 2026 "Syntilay is announcing an unprecedented mission to design shoes in space! We will be deploying an AI agent on a computer in a satellite that will generate the first shoe design outside of Earth in human history," the company stated. "The first shoes made in space are planned to release in late Q2 2026 for $200! Which will be 3D printed with our preferred production partner Zellerfeld," it added. Syntilay will use AI agents on the satellite to produce the first image of a shoe design from space. If the computer on the satellite doesn't have enough processing power, the company will produce a 2D image. As per Syntilay founder and CEO Ben Weiss, the goal is to have space-designed shoes ready to sell by September 2026 at the latest. "The purpose of this is to push the boundaries of what's possible," Mr Weiss was quoted as saying by "We've heard about making new materials in space and stuff like that, but the average consumer hasn't really benefited from a lot of these innovations yet. We can, I think, incentivise and increase the interest in this category and make it more practical for people, which is something that I think has been missing." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Syntilay • AI Designed Shoes (@syntilay) Meanwhile, Mr Foster said the project might help Syntilay carve out a bigger niche for itself in a competitive market. "It's, 'How do we find a different way in?' and it was the same when we started Reebok. We were very small. We had to look for what we call white space," said Mr Foster. "White space was somewhere where we could make a difference, where we could be part of it, as against just chasing the big boys. And so this is looking for white space that is actually in space. So what better space can you get?"
Indian Express
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez reportedly married a month ago, signed mega-million prenup before Venice bash
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez reportedly got married in the US weeks before their $10M wedding bash in Venice, which kicked off on June 26 with a guest list full of Hollywood A-listers. According to Page Six, the couple, who got engaged in 2023, had already made it official before flying in for the spectacle. A source confirmed they didn't register for a wedding in Venice, and city officials backed that up, saying no paperwork was filed under Italian law. The celebrations began Thursday night with a welcome dinner, and the star power was hard to miss, Kim Kardashian, Oprah, Orlando Bloom, Tom Brady, and even former US President Barack Obama showed up. Also read: 'If you can rent Venice, you can pay more taxes': Jeff Bezos shifts wedding venue after protests 'Often a marriage in a foreign country is not valid in the USA or creates other issues, so yes, it's likely they are already married,' a Florida-based attorney told the outlet ahead of Bezos and Lauren's big day. Still, Friday's ceremony at the stunning San Giorgio Maggiore was full-blown, with golden gowns, private water taxis, and Kylie Jenner making headlines for hauling in 25 bags. A city official told The Times of London, 'I can totally rule out that they will have a civil ceremony in Venice under Italian law.' Streets were blocked off, drones were banned, and cops patrolled the canals on jet skis. While the couple's reps haven't confirmed anything, the outlet pointed out that when George Clooney married Amal, it was officially done at Venice town hall. Meanwhile, the Daily Mail reported Bezos and Lauren may have quietly tied the knot over a month ago. ''The marriage is fully legal and took place in America under American law,' a source informed the media outlet. Also read: Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sànchez's Venice wedding: venue, guest list, outfits, and protest; everything you need to know Multiple divorce lawyers told outlets that Bezos and Sánchez signed a massive prenup before saying 'I do', a standard practice in Hollywood, especially with that kind of money on the line. Bezos is worth around $244 billion, after all. Since the couple mostly lives in Florida, the agreement was reportedly drawn up to hold up regardless of where the wedding happened. But if they ever split, the divorce has to go through the state they're living in. 'Likewise, if they left Florida and moved to New York as a primary residence, they'd have to divorce in NY. A prenup can't give a state the power to handle a divorce if you don't actually live there,' a source explained. To legally marry in Italy, American citizens have to go through a long list of formalities, including signing documents in the presence of a US consulate, affidavits paperwork, getting witnesses, and sometimes even involving city officials or priests. But Venice officials say the Bezos camp didn't apply for anything, and no municipal space was booked, and no officials are reportedly involved. While the global press swarmed the city, some Venice locals were clearly not impressed.. Protesters hit St. Mark's Square, slamming the event for promoting overtourism and 'billionaire elitism.' A few were even detained. Friday featured a performance by Matteo Bocelli, and the menu? Pure indulgence — $1,000 a head, loaded with Venetian classics. Guests are holed up in Venice's top hotels, including the Gritti Palace, St. Regis, Belmond Cipriani, and Hotel Danieli.
