Latest news with #HowardSternShow
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Hulk Hogan dies: How WWE star's lawsuit over leaked sex tape shut down Gawker Media
Hulk Hogan, born Terry Bollea, died on Thursday, July 24, at the age of 71. The TMZ report stated that the wrestler was pronounced dead at the hospital after suffering a cardiac arrest at his Florida home. The WWE Hall of Famer's passing not only marked the end of an era in professional wrestling but also brought renewed attention to key moments which defined his legacy outside the ring. One such moment was Hogan's high-profile legal battle with Gawker Media. In 2012, Hulk Hogan had filed a lawsuit against Gawker Media. He was awarded $140 million in damages. The amount was reduced to $31 million after taxes.(AP) Also read: Hulk Hogan dies at 71: All on WWE star's decades-long friendship with Donald Trump Hulk Hogan's lawsuit against Gawker Media Hogan had filed an invasion-of-privacy lawsuit against Gawker Media over the 2012 publication of a sex tape of him and the wife of radio personality Bubba the Love Sponge Clem. Hogan, according to another ABC news report, had told a Florida court that he had no knowledge he was being filmed and never consented to the video's release. Per the report, in an explosive verdict, the Florida jury ordered Gawker Media to award $115 million in damages, with $55 million as compensation to Hogan and $60 million in punitive damages. The jury added punitive damages worth $25.1 million, taking the total to $140 million, as per Forbes. Delivered after less than six hours of deliberation, this verdict was one of the most consequential moments in the battle between celebrity privacy and press freedom. Also read: Hulk Hogan cause of death: How did the wrestling legend die? All on his health issues How Hulk Hogan vs Gawker changed online journalism During the two-week trial, Gawker, which was known for its provocative content, argued that the video was newsworthy since Hogan had been open about his sex life in public forums like the Howard Stern Show. However, the wrestler's counsel stressed that Bollea, the private citizen, has a right to keep intimate moments out of public view, even if his alter ego was a public figure. Appeals, controversy & a media fallout Shortly after the Florida jury's verdict, Gawker founder Nick Denton announced he planned to appeal and cited the exclusion of key evidence and witnesses from the trial. Following his announcement, media experts predicted the appeal process would be lengthy. Many media law scholars and First Amendment advocates even expressed concerns over the jury's decision, with a handful warning it could set a chilling precedent for press freedom and editorial independence, especially in cases involving celebrities, CBC reported. Law Professor Samantha Barbas told ABC that the verdict was a huge shift in American free press law and that it became a moment which redefined the balance between public interest and individual privacy. Gawker's downfall Gawker Media, after the verdict, was under pressure and attention. The judgement was aggravated later with punitive damages in 2016, which led to the eventual bankruptcy of the company, thereby creating pandemonium for one of the most significant digital outlets of the time. FAQs: Q: What was Hulk Hogan's lawsuit against Gawker about? A: Hogan sued Gawker Media for posting a secretly recorded sex tape without his consent, claiming it violated his right to privacy. Q: How much was Hulk Hogan awarded? A: The jury awarded him $115 million in damages, with additional punitive damages awarded later, taking the total to $140 million. It was reduced to $31 million after taxes. Q: What happened to Gawker after the lawsuit? A: Gawker filed for bankruptcy and shut down following the financial fallout of the case. Q: Why is this case significant? A: It set a new precedent for how courts view privacy versus press freedom, particularly involving public figures and online media. Q: Was the video proven to be leaked intentionally? A: It was never conclusively determined who leaked the video. Bubba the Love Sponge invoked the Fifth Amendment and was not called to testify.
Cosmopolitan
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Cosmopolitan
Here's Why People Are Upset About the Supreme Court's New Porn Age-Restriction (and How Billie Eilish is Somehow Involved)
If you're unfamiliar, last Friday, the Supreme Court ruled in a 6-3 decision to uphold a Texas law, the goal of which is to prevent underage kids from accessing online pornography. The strategy outlined in the Supreme Court's recent Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton ruling is to require porn sites to make users submit official identification that confirms they're above age before they start perusing through all of that adult content. You may be wondering, how does Billie Eilish factor in here? Because that's a pretty reasonable question. Now, while Billie's no Supreme Court Justice (but probably should be?), her name got thrown in the debate about this ruling thanks to her 2021 interview on the Howard Stern Show. 'I started watching porn when I was like 11,' she shared. 'I think it really destroyed my brain and I feel incredibly devastated that I was exposed to so much porn.' Apparently, upon hearing this soundbite, Republican Louisiana state representative Laurie Schlegel felt inspired to take action against the unregulated access kids have to porn on the internet. 'I just thought how courageous it was,' she told POLITICO in 2023 about Billie's statement, 'It just sort of reemphasized to me what a problem this is, especially for our children.' Schlegel then went on to introduce and pass the first state law requiring age-verification for porn, which started a ripple effect—18 other states passed similar laws (including the Texas one that was recently upheld). The lawmakers or political commentators who critique this ruling (of which there are many) are, of course, not arguing that kids should have unregulated access to pornography. You would be a severe freak if you chose to die on that hill. What the dissenters do argue, though, is that porn sites asking for ID is an inadequate fix and technically an infringement on our First Amendment rights. By asking people to upload their personal information to shady websites like (or whatever your preferred pornographic outlet may be), you're technically hindering their access to protected speech. Then you're also making people run the risk of having their official identification info their porn search history attached. And I'd argue that the line between a porn site and non-porn site gets blurrier every day. I was first exposed to porn via the hashtag #TittyTuesday on the app formerly known as Twitter. So when virtually every social platform has a dark corner where adult content's eagerly shared (check the bots in every viral tweet's response section, if you dare), why are only the websites explicitly branded as porn subject to this ruling? The children know how to look up #TittyTuesday! And, conversely, if all social platforms are to be redefined as porn, does that mean that we'd need to show ID everywhere we go on the internet? Where is the porn line in the sand here? Which would then become an even more major First Amendment no-no? There are plenty of gray areas within this subject topic, which is why the Supreme Court's dissenting judges in this case—Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor, and Ketanji Brown Jackson—argued that the law should be subject to a strict scrutiny standard. 'Many reasonable the speech at issue here as ugly and harmful for any audience,' Kagan said in her dissent. 'But the First Amendment protects those sexually explicit materials for every adult. So a State cannot target that expression, as Texas has here, any more than is necessary to prevent it from reaching children,' Instead, it was examined under intermediate scrutiny, which is a less rigorous standard of review and only requires that a law serve an important governmental interest and is substantially related to achieving that interest. In short, this debate's not about whether kids should get to access porn but more about the means of stopping them from doing so. This case sets a weird precedent for applying a lower scrutiny to cases related to the First Amendment (free speech is no intermediate matter). And while lawmakers in support of this major ruling might love to keep Billie's name in their mouths, she might deserve some distance from this matter. Our girl loves free speech.
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Lukas Nelson Reveals if Dad Willie Nelson Was 'Heartbroken' When He Stopped Smoking Weed
Lukas Nelson, the son of country legend Willie Nelson, revealed he stopped smoking weed during the pandemic He also shared how his father, known for his affinity for weed, reacted understandably Lukas released his debut solo album, American Romance, on Friday, June 20Willie Nelson had an understandable reaction to his son Lukas Nelson quitting weed. During a Tuesday, June 24, appearance on SiriusXM'sThe Howard Stern Show, the "Just Breathe" singer spoke about his father's reaction when Lukas, 36, told him he stopped smoking weed. Stern, 71, asked if Willie, 92, was "heartbroken." "No one loves weed more than your dad," the radio personality quipped. "I did feel at a certain point that it was something, not just with my father, but with my old band, that it separated me from that a little bit," Lukas, whose debut solo album American Romance is out now, said, noting that he stopped smoking weed "around the pandemic." "But at a certain point, my father, of anyone, respects someone for being who they are and their individuality," Lukas continued, claiming "the biggest lie" he once believed was that he was supposed to "make the mistakes that your heroes make." "That you have to live like your heroes or icons," he said, naming Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan, both of whom struggled with substance use problems during their lifetimes. This revelation comes weeks after Willie revealed that he "can't smoke weed" anymore in an interview with Forbes published June 7. However, this doesn't stop the country legend from experiencing the high. "My lungs have already said, 'Don't do that,'" he said. "So, I don't really do anything now much except a few edibles." Years earlier, in 2019, the "On The Road Again" singer said he stopped smoking cigarettes. At the time, his publicist clarified Willie did "still taste the flower." "Willie doesn't smoke any more or any less [weed]," they added. Elsewhere during his appearance on The Howard Stern Show, Lukas spoke about wanting to make Willie proud by becoming more independent. "I really wanted to make my dad proud by being completely self-sufficient, you know? I wanted to make him proud by not needing him," Lukas said. is now available in the Apple App Store! Download it now for the most binge-worthy celeb content, exclusive video clips, astrology updates and more! "[So], I put 70,000 miles on a '91 Econoline Ford with my first band [Promise of the Real], and we went out for 15 years and played 250 shows a year straight and built something with ourselves that now I can say I feel like I've earned — and I think that makes my dad and my mom the most proud." The "All God Did" singer also spoke about how the nonagenarian inspired him to become involved in music. "My dad would leave all the time, and I'd be naturally upset as a little kid, and I knew that if I learned how to be a great musician, we would be bonded forever," Lukas said. "It wasn't about being as great as him, it was about speaking the same language [and] being part of the club that understands music." American Romance is available to stream. Read the original article on People
USA Today
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Billy Corgan talks Machines of God tour, Smashing Pumpkins reissues and Howard Stern
Billy Corgan talks Machines of God tour, Smashing Pumpkins reissues and Howard Stern Show Caption Hide Caption Live from Cleveland: It's 'Saturday Night' at the Rock Hall "SNL: Ladies & Gentlemen...50 Years of Music," a new exhibit at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum looks at the NBC show's influence on music. Onstage, Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan cuts an imposing figure. His towering, bald-headed frame shrouded in floor-length coats and a distinctive voice that meshes a bellow with a whine are forever linked with the alt-grunge-goth-rock that thundered through the '90s. In conversation, Corban is soft-spoken and thoughtful as he chats from his historic 1920's home just north of his native Chicago. He's readying his new solo project, Billy Corgan and The Machines of God, which also includes recently recruited Smashing Pumpkins guitarist Kiki Wong, drummer Jake Hayden and bassist Kid Tigrrr (aka Jenna Fournie). The quartet will hit the road June 7 in Baltimore for the monthlong A Return to Zero tour, where they will commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Pumpkins' seminal 'Mellon Collie and The Infinite Sadness' album. Along with the many hits spawned from the diamond-certified release ('1979,' 'Tonight, Tonight' and 'Bullet with Butterfly Wings' among them), The Machines of God will also tackle songs from the double album 'Machina/The Machines of God' and 'Machina II/The Friends & Enemies of Modern Music' – both being remixed and rereleased this summer – as well as 2024's 'Aghori Mhori Mei.' Along with prepping for the 16-date tour, which will hit cities including Detroit, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and Minneapolis, Corgan has stayed busy with his Madame Zuzu's tea shop in Highland Park, Illinois and his popular "The Magnificent Others" podcast. He's also energized about the Nov. 21-30 pairing with Chicago's Lyric Opera Orchestra and Chorus for 'A Night of Mellon Collie and Infinite Sadness.' Take a deep breath and he'll tell us more about all. Question: Last summer you were playing to 50,000 people with Green Day on a stadium tour and now you're heading to small theaters. Where are you more comfortable? Answer: I'm fine with a stadium full of people. There's the economy of, more people equals more money and more T-shirts, but honestly it's the economy of time. It's hard to communicate in such a complicated digital world. When we would play a small show in the '90s, even in early days of internet, it felt like you were doing this secret club thing and people would find out about it and tell the world. Now, if you don't operate at scale, it's like it never happened. I laughingly call it the digital tree that falls in the forest that no one hears. And obviously this won't be stadium-style staging. Any small tour you have to make a series of choices and mine is supreme sonic quality and production. I made the joke that you'll see me with a swinging light bulb behind me because I can't afford to bring a full Pumpkins light package. But my sense from the fans I've talked to is they're excited to see these songs in this context, so the set list is really what they're interested in. Why did you want to go on the road with this band configuration? For years I've pushed my bandmates to take a different approach to touring that would require a different mindset, which is, there is value in us playing deeper shows past our expected greatest hits reign. Unfortunately, we're not in agreement on that and we've had a gentleman's agreement since James (Iha) came back (to Smashing Pumpkins) that we wouldn't do anything unless everyone was on the same wavelength. But they're totally cool with what I'm doing. So James and (drummer) Jimmy (Chamberlin) were asked to be part of this project? Oh, yeah. But to be fair, I've been pushing for this conceptually for more than five years so I reached a point – I'm 58 years old – of, like, OK if you're not into it I'm just gonna do it because I'm a proof of concept guy. It's something I want to do and there's a host of reasons for why it will matter once you do it. One thing I found with operating the tea house is there is a way to make small, big. Speaking of the tea house, how involved are you in its operation? Every day. My wife runs it, but I hear about it every day. We have the huge archival 'Machina' box set version with 80 songs coming that you can only get from the tea house (or its website). It's also the 30th anniversary of 'Mellon Collie and The Infinite Sadness.' What do you most remember from that period? I think the good news is 30 years is enough time to let it all work itself through – the good, the bad, the heartache, the regrets. I think within the group we look at the period very fondly as far as, wow we achieved something magical forever. If there is any regret it's that we weren't able to put Humpty Dumpty back together in the same way. (Success) creates such a force that you're swept on a river that you never know where it goes. Maybe we were in sort of a spell and like a lot of beautiful dreams, once the spell was broken, you then you get down to the business of how to get out of Oz. Let's talk about the podcast, but I also want to talk about how great you are every time you're on Howard Stern's (SiriusXM) show. Howard is one of my great inspirations for the how I do the podcast. The greatest people I've been interviewed by are Charlie Rose and Howard Stern. It feels very conversational and that's something I've tried to emulate. Howard has been one of the biggest supporters of me, one of the biggest to mock the fact that we're not in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and one of the biggest defenders of me as an artist. I have a lot of loyalty to Howard You've had a really eclectic lineup of musicians on the podcast – Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo, (Missing Persons frontwoman) Dale Bozzio, Carnie Wilson, Gene Simmons. What are you looking for when you're booking? My number one goal is I want to talk to people who I think have tremendous value and their value in the culture is not properly understood. Dale is one of the most influential artists of the last 40 years, and yet most people would not know her band or her unique story, like that Frank Zappa saw something in her and that's a direct line to Lady Gaga and the pop stars of today. A lot of artists with long careers struggle with being overlooked or underappreciated. It's not a crusade, but a way to tell the world, do you know you've overlooked a true treasure here? I think it's criminal there is a wide open space of stories to be told and nowhere to tell them.
Metro
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Billy Joel, 76, adamant he is 'not dying' after brain condition diagnosis
Billy Joel has insisted that he's 'not dying' after being diagnosed with a brain condition. Last month, the 76-year-old announced that he would be cancelling his planned tour on doctor's orders, following his health battle with Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus. It was also confirmed that the Piano Man singer – who suffered a painful fall on stage in February – was pulling out of the world premiere for his documentary, Billy Joel: And So It Goes, at Tribeca Film Festival this evening. Fans were quick to offer him their support over the news, and he has now issued a defiant response via pal Howard Stern. On the latest episode of the Howard Stern Show, on SiriusXM, the presenter gave listeners an update days after the pair met for dinner. 'He does have issues, but he said, 'Yeah, you can tell people, I'm not dying',' the host declared said. 'He wants people to know that. He's got to deal with some medical stuff, but he was delightful.' According to the NHS, Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH) is an uncommon condition that mostly affects people over the age of 60. Symptoms include mobility problems and dementia meaning the condition can sometimes be hard to diagnose, as these are also associated with more common conditions such as Alzheimer's disease. Billy's team shared the news with a statement on his Instagram page at the end of May, which read: 'Billy Joel has announced that he will be cancelling all scheduled concerts following a recent diagnosis of Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH). 'This condition has been exacerbated by recent concert performances, leading to problems with hearing, vision and balance. 'Under his doctor's instructions, Billy is undergoing specific physical therapy and has been advised to refrain from performing during this recovery period. 'Billy is thankful for the excellent care he is receiving and is fully committed to prioritizing his health. 'He is grateful for the support from fans during this time and looks forward to the day when he can once again take the stage.' To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Billy added in a message: 'I'm sincerely sorry to disappoint our audience, and thank you for understanding.' The music legend began his career in the 60s, and has been a staple of the industry ever since – with hits including She's Always a Woman, My Life, and We Didn't Start the Fire. His career is the focus of an upcoming documentary, Billy Joel: And So It Goes, which will be premiering on HBO Max later in the year. He was due to attend the Tribeca Film Festival opening night gala premiere of the special this evening in Manhattan, but has been forced to sit the event out to focus on his health. Tribeca co-founders Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal recently issued a joint statement on the news, adding: 'Our hearts are with Billy Joel and his family following today's announcement. More Trending 'As a New York icon and global music legend, he has profoundly shaped the cultural fabric of this city and touched audiences around the world. We send our love and full support and wish him strength and a healthy recovery. 'We're deeply honored that this year's Opening Night celebrates his remarkable legacy and enduring influence on New York's cultural landscape. 'This is the perfect moment to recognize a creative force whose work reflects the very soul of our city – and the heart of Tribeca.' 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: Sabrina Carpenter fans convinced she's taking aim at ex Barry Keoghan in new song MORE: Kylie Jenner reveals details of her boob job – here's what no one's talking about MORE: Jonathan Joss' husband says he 'held his face together' in his final moments
