2021 NEWS ROUNDUP
- In November, Tiger Woods returned to the golf course to practice his drives, and the next month, he announced he’d play in a tournament with his son. The year started with Tiger surviving a horrendous high-speed crash. He lost control of his SUV, flew over the median and struck a tree. He’s lucky to be alive and “only” broke both bones in his lower right leg.
- YouTube celebrity Logan Paul entered the boxing ring against a retired fighter, 44-year-old Floyd Mayweather Junior. The match, where Logan stayed on his feet all eight rounds, displeased the pay-per-view crowd.
- Aaron Rodgers stunned the NFL world in February while accepting his 2020 Most Valuable Player award. The quarterback revealed he’d proposed to actress Shailene Woodley before most people knew they were dating.
- Khloe Kardashian tried an vain to delete from the Internet a candid bikini photo. She objected to the “unauthorized” picture circulating on social media because it was unfiltered. No photoshop whatsoever in harsh lighting.
- Forbes magazine officially declared that Kim Kardashian, Rihanna, Jay Z and Tyler Perry earned billionaire status. The magazine also updated Kanye West’s net worth to be $6.6 billion.
- The world’s wealthiest person, Elon Musk, hosted Saturday Night Live in April. During the opening monologue, Elon revealed his Asperger’s diagnosis.
- Bill and Melinda Gates announced their divorce in May. Stories emerged suggesting that he may have strayed from their marriage vows. They will continue to steer their charitable foundation. In October, they walked their daughter down the wedding aisle.
ALEC BALDWIN: Rust Shooting
On October 21, 2021, Alec Baldwin discharged a prop gun on the set of the movie Rust, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza. The antique Colt .45 somehow had a live round in its chamber.
Baldwin issued a statement saying, “There are no words to convey my shock and sadness regarding the tragic accident that took the life of Halyna Hutchins, a wife, mother and deeply admired colleague of ours. I’m fully cooperating with the police investigation to address how this tragedy occurred. I am in touch with with her husband, offering my support to him and his family. My heart is broken for her husband, their son, and all who knew and loved Halyna.”
Production of the film was suspended indefinitely. The incident sparked a debate on occupational safety in the film industry, the treatment of its employees, and the use of real guns as props.
Several weeks after the incident, in an interview with George Stephanopoulos, Baldiwn claimed he never pulled the trigger of the gun.
DAVE CHAPPELLE: Closer Controversy
Dave Chappelle‘s stand-up special The Closer debuted on Netflix on October 5th — and controversy soon followed.
Several LGBTQ groups called for the show’s removal and some Netflix employees protested Chappelle’s jokes about the transgender community. One staff member was fired after leaking financial information about the special to Bloomberg News. An event to rename a theater at the comedian’s old high school after the star was delayed because students threatened a walkout.
Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos, however, has defended the special as freedom of artistic expression and taken no action against the comedian.
BRITNEY SPEARS: #FreedBritney
Few people had a better 2021 than Britney Spears, who finally achieved freedom from the conservatorship that her oppressive father created more than 13 years ago. Britney accused her mother of orchestrating the conservatorship because dad was “not smart enough to think of it.”
She celebrated her newfound freedom with fiancé, Sam Asghari. He proposed mid-September.
Then in October, Sam brought home a fur baby. A Doberman Pinscher puppy.
Three documentaries helped educate her followers how the conservatorship became abusive. Framing Britney Spears was followed by Controlling Britney Spears by the same filmmakers. A former employee revealed that Jamie Spears planted recording devices in Britney’s bedroom. The security team also secretly mirrored her iCloud to snoop on her digital activity.
A third documentary, Britney Versus Spears spotlighted the fight with her father. For three years, they’ve spoken only between attorneys.
Then on June 23rd, Britney delivered to the court a blistering account of her mistreatment. The conservatorship made every decision for Britney including reproductive. Her father forced an intrauterine birth control device. She asked and her refused to have it removed.
Britney revealed that she first asked to end the conservatorship more than seven years ago. Though her lawyer, appointed by the conservatorship, never facilitated the process despite her urgency.
The tide changed when Britney hired a new, aggressive lawyer Mathew Rosengart. By November, he secured Britney’s freedom with a pledge to investigate her father for financial corruption and illegal surveillance.
As the conservatorship began to unravel through the summer, Cher tweeted a promise “When #FreeBritneyis FINALLY FREE, I’m taking her to San Tropez, France and we’ll eat ice cream to her hearts content.”
KUWTK: Divorce, Hook Ups and a Baby
Kim Kardashian filed for divorce in February. Kanye West replied in April. However, late in the year he claimed to want to reunite his family and he’s never seen the divorce documents.
Kim teased a possible reconciliation at a Donda album listening party. She recreated on stage their wedding. Kim wore a bridal gown but shrouded her face under a veil. Kanye confessed on Donda to cheating on Kim after their second child arrived.
Kanye rebounded with model Irina Shayk, who joined him for a birthday vacation. Whatever they had together dissipated by summertime.
Kim rebounded in the fall with Pete Davidson. They realized their chemistry when she hosted Saturday Night Live. She won rave reviews for skewering her relatives in the monologue.
Travis Barker proposed to Kourtney Kardashian, who seemingly spent the entire year displaying their passions in public. They reportedly want a baby.
Kylie Jenner will have another baby with Travis Scott. Fatherhood may seem simple compared to the legal troubles Travis faces after 10 people were crushed to death at Astroworld.
Meanwhile, Kendall Jenner cheered for her NBA boyfriend during the finals. Unfortunately for Devin Booker, he could not lead his Phoenix Suns to victory. The won the first two games of the series before dropping the next four games against the champion Milwaukee Bucks.
PETE DAVIDSON: Unlikely Romeo
Saturday Night Live comic Pete Davidson does not need a dating app. He pulls enough action from the guests who pass through the NBC show.
Pete charmed Kim Kardashian when she hosted Saturday Night Live. They exchanged numbers. A trip to a Los Angeles theme park for Halloween announced their fledgling relationship. The next weekend, Kim jetted to New York for an intimate rooftop dinner date at Pete’s favorite Staten Island restaurant.
BENNIFER: 2.0
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck rekindled a romance that ended 17 years ago. They split in 2004 following his cheating scandal in Vancouver with four nightclub lap dancers. Bennifer 2.0 became Instagram official on J-Lo’s 52nd birthday.
Shortly after the new year, Ben became available once he split from Ana de Armas — aka “BenAna Split.”
J-Lo sang “This Land Is Our Land” and “American the Beautiful” at the inauguration of President Joe Biden.
Rumors emerged in February that fiancé Alex Rodriguez may have been unfaithful to Jennifer. He denied physically cheating. In March, she called the tabloids “dumb” in a viral video for reporting a break-up.
Yet, one month later, Jennifer became available to Ben when she ended her two-year engagement to A-Rod.
Two weeks after the split became official, Jennifer was spotted with Ben Affleck. In June, she started house-hunting in Ben’s neighborhood.
THE ROYALS
Queen Elizabeth buried her husband of 73 years, Prince Philip. He’s entombed at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle. His coffin will be transferred to its final resting place upon Her Majesty’s death to her parent’s gravesite.
In recent weeks, Queen Elizabeth has suffered several health setbacks. Though she fully intends on having the Royal Family together for the holidays. All but her grandson, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
In the spring, Oprah Winfrey earned $7 million to interview Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Two weeks prior, Meghan announced they were expecting a second child. In June, they named their daughter “Lilibet” in honor of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II.
Meghan and Harry justified leaving the Royal Family that refused to support her mental health issues. The British tabloids seemingly targeted the Duchess. However, Palace staff accused Meghan of bullying. An internal investigation was launched.
Lifetime TV released their third made-for-TV movie about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Escaping the Palace arrived Labor Day weekend.
Prince William was named the “Sexiest Bald Man Alive” based on social media mentions of his attractiveness like words “hot” and “sexy.” Second place went to former heavy weight boxing champion Mike Tyson. A few bald celebrities asked for a recount. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson joked (quote) “How does this happen when Larry David clearly has a pulse?!”
Prince William expressed his concerns about another bald man’s exploits. The Royal wished that Jeff Bezos would not waste billions on “space tourism” when there are so many issues to resolve here on Earth.
TV HIGHLIGHTS
In March, Sharon Osbourne left The Talk after an on-air argument with co-host Sheryl Underwood.
In June, Chris Harrison exited the Bachelor franchise after defending contestant Rachael Kirkconnell, who years earlier attended an Antebellum-themed party.
On August 11th, Mike Richards was announced as the new host of Jeopardy!, replacing the late Alex Trebek. Nine days later, he was forced to step down after insensitive comments he made in the past surface. Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings have since stepped in to co-host the current season.
Netflix started the year with a breakout hit, Bridgerton. However, Squid Game surpassed the British melodrama as the most popular on Netflix.
HBO Max increased subscribers with the long-awaited Friends reunion show, which debuted May 27th. Fans acted concerned about Matthew Perry’s health. He seemed sluggish and slurred his words. In the fall, his fiancée left him.
MOVIE HIGHLIGHTS
Movie theaters reopened in 2021 and the box office gradually saw a return to blockbuster numbers. In 2020, only five movies earned $100 million or more — all of them were released before the COVID shutdowns. This year, 10 movies have earned $100 million or more. (In recent years, 30 or more films have earned at least the number.)
So far, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is the highest grossing movie of the year with a respectable $224.5 million as of December 2nd, but that will probably change with the release of the new Spider-Man movie.
TOP 10 HIGHEST GROSSING MOVIES OF 2021
1. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings – $224.5 million
2. Venom: Let There Be Carnage – $211 million
3. Black Widow – $183.7 million
4. F9: The Fast Saga – $173
5. A Quiet Place Part II – $160.1 million
6. No Time to Die – $159.7 million
7. Eternals – $157.4 million
8. Free Guy – $121.6 million
9. Jungle Cruise – $117 million
10. Ghostbusters: Afterlife – $103.7 million
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